Pastor Mike Impact Ministries

Thinkfor a moment about how many thoughts enter your mind every day. Researchersestimate that thousands of thoughts pass through our minds daily. Some arehelpful, many are harmless, but others can be destructive. Satan knows that ifhe can capture your mind, he can influence your emotions, your decisions, youractions, and eventually your character. That is why the battle for theChristian life is largely the battle for the mind. Noticethe connection with the previous verses. In verse 6 Paul tells us to prayinstead of worrying. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayerand supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”. Thenin verse 7 he gives us God's wonderful promise: “And the peace of God, whichsurpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through ChristJesus”. The word guard is a military term. It means to guard or stand watchover. God's peace stands like a soldier around our hearts and minds. Butnow Paul tells us something else. While God guards our hearts with His peace,we have the responsibility to guard our minds with His truth. God neverintended for our minds to remain empty. An empty mind quickly becomes occupiedby fear, temptation, discouragement, resentment, lust, pride, or worry. Theanswer is not merely to stop thinking wrong thoughts. The answer is to replacethem with right thoughts. This is a principle found throughout Scripture. InProverbs 23:7 we read, "For as a man thinks in his heart, so ishe." Ourthoughts eventually become our character. The Lord Jesus emphasized the sametruth. In Matthew 15:19 He said, "For out of the heart proceed evilthoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,blasphemies." Everything begins on the inside before it ever appearson the outside. Paul also wrote in Romans 12:2, "And be not conformedto this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Noticethat transformation comes through the renewing of the mind. Theworld says, "Follow your heart." God says, "Renew yourmind." The world fills our minds with fear, anger, impurity, selfishness,and confusion. God fills our minds with truth, hope, purity, love, and peace. Someonehas wisely said, "You cannot keep the birds from flying over your head,but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair." We cannot alwayscontrol the thoughts that suddenly enter our minds, but we can choose whetherwe dwell on them. A temptation may come, but we do not have to invite it tostay. Paulends this verse with a command: "Think on these things." Thephrase means to deliberately dwell on them, to continually consider them, tocarefully evaluate them, and to let them shape your thinking. The Christianlife is not lived by accident. It is lived by intentionally filling our mindswith God's truth.  Overthe next several days we are going to examine each of these wonderful qualitiesPaul lists. They provide a divine filter for every thought that enters ourminds. Before we allow a thought to remain, we should ask, "Is it true? Isit honest? Is it just? Is it pure? Is it lovely? Is it of good report? Does itdisplay virtue? Is it worthy of praise?" If the answer is yes, dwell onit. If not, replace it with God's Word. Remember, if you want to enjoy thepeace of God in your heart, you must also guard your mind with the truth ofGod. Let's ask the Lord today to help us win the battle for our minds. Let’sPray: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Word to guide our thinking.Forgive us for allowing worry, fear, bitterness, impurity, and worldlyinfluences to occupy our minds. Help us, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, tothink on the things that honor You. Guard our hearts with Your peace, renew ourminds with Your truth, and transform our lives for Your glory. In Jesus' name,Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!

Today we come to one of the most amazing promises in all ofScripture as we look at Philippians 4:7. After Paul tells us to pray abouteverything, he now tells us what God gives us in return. Verse 7 says: “Andthe peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your heartsand minds through Christ Jesus.” Noticethat Paul does not promise that every problem will immediately disappear.Instead, he promises something even greater. God will give us peace—a peace inthe midst of the trials, the challenges, the problems, the disturbances, andeven the tragedies that come into our lives. This is not merely peace with God,which we receive when we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior. Romans 5:1 says: “Therefore,being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord JesusChrist.” No, this is the peace of God—the very peace that fills Hisown heart. Rememberwhat Jesus said to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion. Theirhearts were deeply troubled as they gathered with Him in the Upper Room. Jesussaid to them in John 14:1: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe inGod, believe also in Me.” Then, in verse 27 of that same chapter, He said: “PeaceI leave with you.” Remember Jesus was about to leave them, yet He said, “Ileave My peace with you.” Why? Because He had just promised them the HolySpirit, who would come and dwell within them. The peace that comes from theHoly Spirit—the fruit of the Spirit—is the peace of Christ abiding in ourhearts. Jesus continued: “My peace I give unto you: not as the worldgiveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it beafraid.” Oh,what a wonderful peace God gives us! It is a calm assurance that He is incontrol. Paul says this peace passes all understanding. The world cannotexplain it. It simply does not make sense from a human perspective. How can wehave peace when we are facing cancer? How can we sing while sitting beside ahospital bed? How could Paul and Silas sing in prison after they had beenbeaten and their backs were bleeding? It is because our peace does not comefrom our circumstances. Our peace comes from God. Pauluses a military term when he says God will keep our hearts. The word literallymeans "guard." It pictures a soldier standing watch over a city or anarmy. Paul was writing this letter from a Roman prison, undoubtedly seeingRoman guards every day. He says that God's peace stands guard over our heartsand minds. It protects us from fear. It protects us from despair. It protectsus from becoming overwhelmed. And He does it all through our Lord Jesus Christ.He is the source of our peace.  Isaiah26:3 gives us this wonderful promise: “You will keep him in perfect peace,whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusts in Thee.” My friend, whenyou put your trust in God, you are trusting the One who is in complete controlof all things. You yield everything to Him—your possessions, your health, yourfuture, your family—everything. When we cling too tightly to the things of thisworld or become consumed with material gain, it often reveals that we have notfully surrendered those areas of our lives to the Lord. Andwhen anxiety begins to fill our hearts, remember the words of Psalm 37: “Fretnot thyself because of evildoers.” When we find ourselves fretting, it isoften an indication that we are not trusting the Lord as fully as we should.But when we know Him—when we truly know His character and trust His promises—wediscover that He will guide us, keep us, and fill our hearts with His peace. Oh,what a wonderful, wonderful peace! Todaywe may not know what tomorrow holds, but we know the One who holds tomorrow. God bless!

Today we discover God's replacement for worry—whatwe are to do instead. Paul continues: "But in everything by prayer andsupplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God."Notice the contrast. Don't worry about anything. Instead, pray abouteverything. Paulnow mentions four beautiful words that describe our conversation and communionwith God.  First is the word prayer. Thisspeaks of our general fellowship with God. Before we ask for anything, wesimply come into His presence and worship Him as our loving heavenly Father.Remember, Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew chapter 6: "Our Father whoart in heaven, hallowed be Thy name." Holy is Your name. Our Father. WhenJesus says, "Our Father," in teaching us to pray, we are not onlypraying corporately with other believers, even though sometimes we are. We areactually praying alongside Jesus Christ. He is praying with us. He isinterceding for us. He is helping us as we pray. We pray with Him. We haveaccess to the Father because of who Jesus is. That is why we say, "OurFather." Prayeris our connection to God. It is our communion with Him. It connects us toheaven itself and all the resources of heaven. Prayer is vitally important inour walk with God as we learn more about Him, discover His will, and fulfillHis purposes for our lives. We need to learn how to pray. The disciples neversaid, "Lord, teach us to preach," or, "Teach us to teach."But they did say, "Lord, teach us to pray." That should be our prayertoday. Second,we see the word supplication. This refers to earnest, heartfelt petitions. Itbrings our specific needs before the Lord with humility and dependence. It isrecognizing our need. In James chapter 1, we are told that if anyone lackswisdom, let him ask of God. We need wisdom. In James chapter 4, we learn not toask for things to satisfy our own lusts or selfish desires, but to ask for thethings that please Him. James writes: "Cleanse your hands, you sinners,and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Draw nigh to God, and He will drawnigh to you." That happens as we find cleansing through the blood ofChrist.  Then,in James 5:16, we read: "Confess your trespasses one to another, andpray for one another, that you may be healed." Notice the next words: "Theeffective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." That iswhat supplication is—earnestly praying, both for ourselves and on behalf ofothers, as we fervently seek God's face and His resources. Third,we see the word thanksgiving. How important this word is! Nothing drives awayworry like a thankful heart. When we remember God's past faithfulness, we findconfidence for today's problems. Perhaps before asking God for something new,we should first thank Him for all He has already done. Thankfulness. How weneed to cultivate hearts of gratitude for the wonderful blessings we enjoyevery day. Thenfinally, Paul says: "Let your requests be made known unto God." Remember,Jesus taught us to pray: "Give us this day our daily bread." Dailywe can pray: Father, protect us. Guide us. Provide for us. Help us. Empower us.Fill us. God invites us to tell Him exactly what is on our hearts. Not becauseHe does not already know—He knows before we ask—but because He desires arelationship with His children. He delights in our coming to Him with our needsand bringing every concern before Him. Thinkabout that. The Creator of the universe invites you to bring every concern toHim. Nothing is too small, and nothing is too great. If it matters to you, itmatters to your heavenly Father. What a privilege, my friend! When anxietycomes, do not rehearse the problem over and over in your mind. Turn it intoprayer. Every worry can become an invitation to draw closer to God. Tomorrow wewill look at God's wonderful promise to everyone who does just that.

Today, I first want to say, Happy Fourth of July! I pray thatas you celebrate our country's history—250 years of God's blessing upon thisnation—you will remember the tremendous price that has been paid by so manypeople to give us the freedoms and opportunities that we enjoy in this greatcountry. I have traveled to many countries all over the world, and I want totell you that, despite all the problems, difficulties, and challenges ourcountry faces today, I would still rather live here than anywhere else in theworld. So would most of the rest of the world. Doyou realize that throughout most of human history, only a small percentage ofpeople have ever enjoyed the freedom and opportunity that we have experiencedin America? We truly are a blessed people. Those blessings did not come withouta tremendous price. Generations of brave men and women sacrificed so that wecould enjoy these liberties, and above all, we should thank God, whoseprovidence has so graciously blessed this nation. Now,that brings us to a great verse as we face many difficult times and challengesin our nation and throughout our world. It is Philippians 4:6, one of the mostbeloved passages in all the Bible, where Paul writes: "Be careful fornothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving letyour requests be made known unto God." Today we are going to focus onthose opening words: "Be careful for nothing." Whenwe read that verse today, the word "careful" does not mean beingcautious or thoughtful. It means to be anxious, worried, or filled with care.Paul is literally saying, "Don't be anxious about anything." Nowthink about who is writing these words. Paul is sitting in a Roman prison. Hedoes not know whether he will be released or executed. He is chained to a Romansoldier, yet at the same time he tells us not to worry. How could he say that? Iam convinced it is because Paul had learned that worry never solves theproblem. It only steals today's strength. Someone has wisely said, "Worryis like a rocking chair. It'll give you something to do, but it won't take youanywhere." Jesus addressed this very issue in Matthew chapter 6. Threetimes He said, "Take no thought." In other words, "Don'tbe anxious." He then points us to the birds of the air and the liliesof the field. He reminds us that if our Heavenly Father faithfully feeds thebirds and beautifully clothes the flowers, how much more will He care for Hisown children? Yousee, worry is really a faith issue. It assumes that God may not take care ofus. It questions His wisdom. It doubts His love. It forgets His promises. Now,that does not mean we ignore our problems or pretend they do not exist. Itmeans that we choose to trust the God who is greater than every problem orchallenge we will ever face. Petergives us a perfect companion verse in 1 Peter 5:7 when he says: "Castingall your care upon Him; for He cares for you." What a wonderfulexchange! We give Him our cares, and He gives us His care. Perhaps today youare carrying a burden that no one else knows about—financial pressures, healthconcerns, family struggles, a wayward child, or an uncertain future. My friend,the Lord knows, and He cares. He invites you to bring every burden to Him. Everytime anxiety knocks at the door of your heart, let it become an alarm remindingyou that you are not trusting the Lord as you should. Let that alarm turn yourheart back toward Him so that you can trust Him with everything you are facingright now and every challenge that lies ahead. As you do that day by day, I amtelling you, you will experience a life filled with greater peace, joy, andtrue happiness. Father, forgive us for the times we have allowed worry to control ourhearts instead of trusting You. Thank You that You know every burden we carryand that You care for us more than we could ever imagine. Help us to cast everycare upon You. We pray this in Jesus' name.Amen. 

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we come to Philippians 4:5. This verse followsnaturally after Paul's command to rejoice in the Lord always. A joyful heartshould be seen in the way we treat other people. Paul writes: "Let yourmoderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." At firstglance, the word "moderation" might sound like it refers to simplyavoiding extremes. But the word Paul uses has a much richer meaning. Itdescribes a gentle, gracious, patient, and forbearing spirit. It is theattitude of someone who does not insist on his own rights. It speaks ofkindness, humility, and a willingness to yield for the good of others. Itis the very spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. Think about our Savior. When Hewas falsely accused, He did not retaliate. When He was reviled, He did notrevile again. When He suffered, He committed Himself to the Father who judgesrighteously. Jesus demonstrated perfect gentleness. No wonder He said inMatthew 11:29, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meekand lowly in heart." Thatsame spirit should characterize every believer. Paul says, "Let yourmoderation be known unto all men." In other words, this gentle spiritshould be obvious to everyone. Our family should see it.    Our neighbors should see it. Our coworkers should see it. Thosewho disagree with us should see it. Even those who oppose us should recognizethat we respond differently because Christ lives within us. Sadly,our world is becoming increasingly angry. People are quick to argue. Quick tocriticize. Quick to demand their own way. But Christians are called to displaya different spirit. Proverbs 15:1 reminds us, "A soft answer turns awaywrath: but grievous words stir up anger." Gentleness is not weakness.It is strength under control.Ittakes far more strength to respond with grace than it does to react in anger. ThenPaul gives the reason: "The Lord is at hand." This shortphrase carries a wonderful truth. First, it reminds us that the Lord is near. Heis always with us. He sees every circumstance. He hears every conversation. Heknows every burden we carry. When we remember His presence, it becomes mucheasier to respond with patience and grace. But I also believe Paul is remindingus that the Lord's return is near. Throughout the New Testament, believers wereencouraged to live in the light of Christ's soon return.  IfJesus could come today, how should that affect the way we treat one another? Wouldwe hold on to bitterness? Would we continue an argument? Would we refuse toforgive? Or would we seek to live in peace, showing the gentleness of Christ? Knowingthat the Lord is at hand changes our perspective. It reminds us that many ofthe things we become upset about are really not worth losing our testimonyover. Someone once said, "Live each day as though Jesus died yesterday,rose this morning, and is coming back this afternoon." There is greatwisdom in that thought. Myfriend, ask yourself today: When people see me, do they see a gracious andgentle spirit? Do my words reflect the kindness of Christ? Do I respond todifficult people the way Jesus would? May the Holy Spirit help us todemonstrate the gentleness of our Savior in every relationship, rememberingthat the Lord is at hand. This only happens when we yield our hearts and livesto the control of the Holy Spirit and we experience the fruit of the Spiritbeing produced daily (Galatians 5:22-23). Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful example of gentleness thatwe see in the Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to display that same gracious spiritin our homes, our churches, and wherever You place us. Guard us from anger,impatience, and selfishness. May our moderation be known unto all men, and mayour lives reflect the beauty of Christ as we live in expectation of His soonreturn. We pray this in Jesus' precious name. Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we come to one of the best-known verses in the entirebook of Philippians. In many ways, this verse captures the heartbeat of thewhole letter. Paul writes: "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say,Rejoice." Think about who is writing these words. Paul is not sittingin a comfortable home enjoying the blessings of retirement. He is under housearrest in Rome. He is chained to a Roman soldier. He is awaiting trial beforeCaesar. Humanly speaking, he has every reason to complain. Yet instead ofcomplaining, he commands us to rejoice.  Thatis one of the great lessons of Philippians. Joy is not determined by ourcircumstances. Joy is determined by our relationship with Jesus Christ. Noticecarefully what Paul says. He does not say, "Rejoice in yourcircumstances." He does not say, "Rejoice because everything is goingwell." He says, "Rejoice in the Lord." Our circumstancesconstantly change. Our health changes. Our finances change. Our emotionschange. People disappoint us. Plans fall apart. But the Lord never changes. Hebrews13:8 reminds us, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, andforever." Because He never changes, our joy can remain constant evenwhen life is uncertain. Noticealso the little word "alway." That means at all times. When life isgood, rejoice in the Lord. When life is difficult, rejoice in the Lord. Whenprayers are answered, rejoice in the Lord. When you are still waiting for theanswer, rejoice in the Lord. This is not a command to ignore sorrow or pretendthat pain doesn't exist. Paul himself wept. He suffered. He knewdisappointment, persecution, imprisonment, and hardship. Yet beneath all ofthose experiences was a deep confidence that God was in control and that Christwas enough. That is biblical joy. It is possible to have tears in your eyes andjoy in your heart at the same time. ThenPaul adds, "And again I say, Rejoice." Why does he repeathimself? Because we are prone to forget. Throughout this letter Paul hasreturned again and again to this theme. In chapter 1 he rejoiced that Christwas being preached. In chapter 2 he rejoiced in serving Christ alongsideothers. In chapter 3 he told us, "Rejoice in the Lord." Now,as he nears the end of the letter, he repeats the command once more. Apparently,joy is something we all need to hear about again and again. Theword "rejoice" is not merely a suggestion. It is a command. God istelling us that joy is not just an emotion we wait to feel. It is a choice wemake as we focus our hearts on the Lord. How do we cultivate that joy? Werejoice by remembering who Christ is. We rejoice by remembering what He hasdone. We rejoice because our sins are forgiven. We rejoice because our namesare written in heaven. We rejoice because He has promised never to leave us norforsake us. We rejoice because He is coming again.          We rejoice because nothing can separate us from His love. Myfriend, if your joy has begun to fade, don't spend all your time looking atyour circumstances. Lift your eyes to the Lord. The closer we draw to Christ,the deeper our joy becomes. A joyful Christian is not someone who has noproblems; it is someone who has learned that Jesus Christ is greater than everyproblem. Today, no matter what you may be facing, hear Paul's words as thoughhe were speaking them directly to you: "Rejoice in the Lord alway: andagain I say, Rejoice." Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You that our joy is not rooted in changingcircumstances but in our unchanging Savior. Forgive us for the times we allowour problems to rob us of the joy that is ours in Christ. Help us to keep oureyes fixed on Jesus and to rejoice in You at all times. May our joy become atestimony to those around us that You are faithful, good, and worthy of ourtrust. We pray this in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Yesterday we heard Paul's loving appeal: "Stand fastin the Lord." Today Paul shows us one of the greatest ways we standfirm as believers—by maintaining unity with one another.Listento his words in Philippians 4:2-3: "I beseech Euodias, and beseechSyntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I intreat thee also,true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, withClement also, and with other my fellow laborers, whose names are in the book oflife." Atfirst glance, these verses may seem like a brief personal note tucked away inPaul's letter. But the Holy Spirit preserved them for a reason. Even in one ofthe healthiest churches in the New Testament, there were misunderstandingsbetween believers. Paul names two faithful women—Euodias and Syntyche. We arenot told what their disagreement was, and I believe there is wisdom in that.The issue itself was not nearly as important as the need for reconciliation. Noticesomething else. Paul does not take sides. He doesn't say one woman was rightand the other was wrong. Instead, he lovingly urges both of them, "Beof the same mind in the Lord." That phrase should sound familiar.Throughout Philippians, Paul has emphasized unity that grows out of humility.In chapter 2 he wrote, "Let nothing be done through strife orvainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better thanthemselves." Then he pointed us to the greatest example of unity andhumility—the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Thesolution to most conflicts among believers is not that one person wins and theother loses. The solution is that both become more like Christ. When our eyesare fixed on Him, many of the things that divide us begin to lose theirimportance. Paul then asks a "true yokefellow" (a truecompanion) to help these women. A yoke joins two oxen together so they can pullthe same load. Paul calls upon a trusted believer to come alongside them andhelp restore fellowship. Thereis a wonderful lesson here. Sometimes mature Christians can help bring healingwhere relationships have become strained. Galatians 6:1 reminds us, "Brethren,if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an onein the spirit of meekness." Notice also how Paul speaks of thesewomen. He says they "labored with me in the gospel." Thesewere not troublemakers. They were faithful servants. They had worked besidePaul in sharing the Gospel. Isn't it encouraging to know that even faithfulChristians can sometimes disagree? Remember Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15. Thechurch has never been made up of perfect people. It has always been made up offorgiven people who are learning to walk together in the grace of God. Paulalso mentions Clement and "other my fellow laborers, whose names are inthe book of life." What a beautiful reminder! Our names are written inthe same book. We are all members of the same family. We are serving the sameSavior. We are going to spend eternity together. That ought to encourage us toseek peace with one another now. Thedevil delights in division. Christ delights in unity. Psalm 133 begins, "Behold,how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Myfriend, is there someone with whom you need to be reconciled? Is there amisunderstanding that needs to be settled? Is there forgiveness that needs tobe extended? Don't let small disagreements become large divisions.  RememberPaul's appeal: "Be of the same mind in the Lord." When wehumble ourselves before Christ, love one another, and keep the Gospel first,God strengthens His church, and the world sees the reality of His love.

Today we come to the first verse of Philippians chapter 4. Itis much more than a transition verse. In many ways, it is the conclusion ofeverything Paul has been teaching throughout this wonderful letter. Listen towhat he writes:  "Therefore, mybrethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in theLord, my dearly beloved." The very first word is "Therefore."Whenever we see that word in Scripture, we should always ask, "What isit there for?" Paulis pointing us back to everything he has just written, especially the closingverses of chapter 3. Because our citizenship is in heaven... because we arelooking for the return of our Savior... because one day He will transform ourvile, lowly bodies to be like His glorious body... therefore, stand fast in theLord. Our future hope should determine our present faithfulness. Paulthen opens his heart to these believers with a series of beautiful expressionsof love. He calls them "my brethren dearly beloved." Paulloved these people with the love of Christ. Then he says they are "longedfor."Thoughseparated by hundreds of miles and imprisoned in Rome, Paul deeply desired tosee them again. Distance could not diminish his love for them. Next he callsthem "my joy." What a statement! Paul's joy was not found inpossessions or circumstances. It was found in people whose lives had beenchanged by the Gospel. Nothing brings greater joy to a pastor than seeingpeople growing in Christ, standing firm in the faith, and faithfully servingthe Lord. John expressed that same truth when he wrote in 3 John 4, "Ihave no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." ThenPaul calls them "my crown." The word "crown"here refers to the victor's crown that was placed upon the head of an athletewho had won the race. The Philippian believers were evidence that Paul's laborhad not been in vain. They were his spiritual reward. Every soul that comes toChrist... every believer who grows in grace... every life transformed by theGospel... will be an eternal reward for those who faithfully serve the Lord. ThenPaul comes to the central command of the verse: "So stand fast inthe Lord." The words "stand fast" mean to standfirm, to remain steadfast, to refuse to be moved. Paul has already used thisexpression back in Philippians 1:27: "Stand fast in one spirit, withone mind striving together for the faith of the gospel." The Christianlife is not only a race to run; it is also a battle to fight. The worldconstantly pressures us to compromise. The flesh tempts us to give up. Satanseeks to discourage and deceive us. Yet Paul says, "Stand fast in theLord." Noticehe does not simply say, "Stand fast." He says, "Standfast in the Lord." That makes all the difference. We do not stand inour own strength. We stand in His strength. We do not rely on our owndetermination. We depend upon His grace. Paul would later write in Ephesians6:10, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power ofhis might." The only way we can stand against the pressures of thisworld is by abiding in Christ every day. Ilove how Paul closes this verse just as he began it: "My dearlybeloved." His command is wrapped in love. He is not speaking as aharsh authority demanding obedience. He is speaking as a loving spiritualfather encouraging his children to remain faithful. My friend, that is God'smessage to each of us today. Stand fast. Stand when culture changes. Stand when others compromise. Stand when trialscome. Stand when your faith is tested. Stand when you feel weary. Stand—not inyour own strength—but in the Lord. One day our Savior will return, and it willbe worth it all. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!

The Secure MindPhilippians 4 Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we begin our study of the fourth and final chapter ofPaul's wonderful letter to the Philippians. As we begin this last chapter, I'dlike to remind you of the great theme that has run throughout this book.Philippians is often called "The Epistle of Joy." In these four shortchapters, Paul mentions joy or rejoicing at least sixteen times. What isamazing is that he wrote this letter while he was under house arrest in Rome,chained to a Roman soldier and awaiting trial before Caesar. Howcould Paul have such joy in the midst of such difficult circumstances? Theanswer is found in having the mind of Christ. In Philippians 2:5 Paul tells us,"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Aswe have walked through this letter together, we have discovered that eachchapter reveals another aspect of the mind of Christ that produces a joyfulheart. Inchapter one, we learned about the single mind. Paul's heart and life werecentered on one great purpose—to know Christ and make Him known through theGospel. Whether in prison or free, whether living or dying, his passion neverchanged. That is why he could say, "For to me to live is Christ, and todie is gain." A joyful heart begins with a single mind that is fixedon Jesus Christ and His Gospel. Then,in chapter two, we learned about the submissive mind. Paul pointed us to thegreatest example of humility the world has ever seen—the Lord Jesus Christ, whohumbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ThenPaul gave us three living examples of that same servant spirit: himself,Timothy, and Epaphroditus. They each considered others before themselves andwillingly sacrificed for the sake of Christ. A joyful heart is found in humbleservice. Inchapter three, we discovered the spiritual mind. Paul reminded us to place noconfidence in the flesh—not in our achievements, our religion, or our ownrighteousness. Instead, we are to count all things but loss for the excellencyof the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. Like Paul, we should have one greatdesire: "That I may know him." The spiritual mind is always growing,always pressing forward, and always pursuing a deeper relationship with JesusChrist. Nowwe come to chapter four, where we will discover the secure mind. This chapterteaches us how to stand fast in the Lord when life becomes difficult. Itteaches us to rejoice in the Lord always, to bring every care to God in prayer,and to experience "the peace of God, which passes allunderstanding." It teaches us to discipline our thoughts by thinkingon things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. Itteaches us the secret of contentment in every circumstance. Andit brings us to two of the most beloved promises in all of Scripture. In verse13 Paul declares, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthensme." Then, in verse 19, he assures us, "But my God shallsupply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Whatwonderful promises! As we study this final chapter together, I pray that Godwill give each of us a secure mind—a mind that stands firm in Christ, rejoicesin every circumstance, prays about everything, thinks on the right things,rests in God's peace, and trusts completely in His unfailing provision. Myfriend, that kind of mind produces a joyful heart. Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful truths You have taught usthroughout the book of Philippians. As we begin this final chapter, help us todevelop a secure mind that is anchored in Christ. Teach us to rejoice always,to pray about everything, to think on those things that honor You, and to trustYou completely for every need. May we truly experience the peace and joy thatonly You can give. In Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!

"Forour conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, theLord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashionedlike unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able evento subdue all things unto himself." What a contrast to verse 19! TherePaul described those whose minds are fixed on earthly things. But in verse 20he says, "Our conversation is in heaven." Theword "conversation" here does not refer to our speech. Itmeans our citizenship or our commonwealth—where we really belong. ThePhilippian believers immediately understood this illustration. Philippi was aRoman colony. Although it was located hundreds of miles from Rome, its citizensenjoyed all the rights and privileges of Roman citizenship. They lived inMacedonia, but they belonged to Rome. They dressed like Romans, followed Romanlaws, and were proud to be Roman citizens. Paul says that is exactly howChristians should live. We live on earth, but we belong to heaven. This worldis not our home.  Petercalls us "strangers and pilgrims" in this world. We are simplypassing through. Our names have been written in heaven. Our King is in heaven. Ourtreasure is in heaven. And one day, we are going to heaven.Thatis why our values should be different. Our priorities should be different. Ourconduct should be different. As citizens of heaven, we should represent theKing of heaven here on earth.  Paulgoes on to say that from heaven "we look for the Saviour, the LordJesus Christ." The word "look" means to wait eagerlywith expectation. The early Christians lived every day believing that JesusChrist could return at any moment. Oh, my friend, this same hope should fillour hearts today. Titus 2:13 calls it, "Looking for that blessed hope,and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."The return of Christ is not merely a doctrine to debate. It is a promise toencourage us, comfort us, and motivate us to holy living. John also wrote in 1John 3:2-3: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yetappear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall belike him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope inhim purified himself, even as he is pure." Jesus Himself said, "If I go away, I will come again."(John 14:3).  ThenPaul goes on to tell us that Christ, "shall change our vile body, thatit may be fashioned like unto his glorious body." The word "vile"here does not mean sinful. It refers to our lowly, humble, earthly body. Thisbody grows tired. It grows old. It becomes weak. It experiences sickness, pain,and sorrow. One day, unless the Lord returns first, it will die. But when JesusChrist returns, He will transform these mortal bodies into glorified bodieslike His own resurrection body. No more sickness. No more pain. No moreweakness. No more death. No more tears. What a glorious hope we have! We willbe like Jesus. Howwill He accomplish this? Paul says, "According to the working wherebyhe is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Now listen—this ispowerful. The same Lord who spoke the universe into existence...Thesame Lord who calmed the storm... The same Lord who conquered death and walkedout of the tomb... The same Lord who reigns over every king and everykingdom... has all power to complete His work in us. My friend, nothing is toohard for Him. Aswe conclude Philippians chapter 3, remember the great contrasts Paul has givenus. Do not put your confidence in the flesh—put your confidence in Christ. Donot look backward—press forward. Do not follow worldly examples—follow thosewho follow Christ. Do not set your mind on earthly things—remember that yourconversation, your citizenship, is in heaven. And do not lose hope. Jesus iscoming again. May we live today as faithful citizens of heaven while we eagerlywait for our Lord Jesus Christ to return. He could come at any moment.

Yesterday we learned from verse 17 that God has given usgodly examples to follow. Paul challenged us to imitate believers whose livesconsistently point us to Jesus Christ. But today, in verses 18 and 19, Paulgives the other side of that truth. He warns us that there are also people wemust not follow. Listen to what he writes: "For many walk, of whom Ihave told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemiesof the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, andwhose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things.” Oneword in this passage immediately captures my attention. It is the word"weeping." Paul doesn't write these words with anger. He doesn'tspeak with bitterness or hatred. He writes with tears. This reminds us of theheart of Jesus. As He approached Jerusalem, Luke 19:41 tells us, "And whenhe was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it." Jesus looked uponpeople who had rejected Him, and His heart was broken. The Apostle Paul hadthat same heart.  Hehad warned the Philippians about these people before. In fact, he says, "Ihave told you often." This wasn't a new warning. It was a repeatedwarning because the danger was so great. False teaching has always been one ofSatan's greatest weapons against the church. Who were these people? Paul callsthem "the enemies of the cross of Christ." Most Bible studentsbelieve Paul is still referring to the Judaizers that he warned about earlierin this chapter. They were religious people who insisted that faith in Christwas not enough. They taught that a person also had to keep the Law of Moses andbe circumcised in order to be saved.  Wheneveranyone adds human works to God's grace, they become an enemy of the cross. Why?Because the cross declares that Jesus paid the full price for our salvation.When our Lord cried, "It is finished," the work of redemption wascomplete. Salvation is not Christ plus our works. It is Christ alone.  Paulthen gives four characteristics of these false teachers. First, "whoseend is destruction." No matter how sincere they may appear, everyonewho rejects the true Gospel is headed for eternal separation from God. Religionwithout Christ has never saved anyone. Second,"whose God is their belly." In other words, their appetitescontrolled their lives. They lived to satisfy themselves rather than to pleaseGod. Whether it was pride, greed, popularity, comfort, or personal gain, selfhad become their god. That sounds very much like our culture today. We areconstantly told to satisfy ourselves, indulge ourselves, and put ourselvesfirst. But Jesus taught the very opposite. He said, "If any man will comeafter me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and followme." Third,"whose glory is in their shame." What a tragic statement! Theyboasted about the very things that should have brought them shame andrepentance. Isn't that exactly what we see in our world today? Things that Godcalls sin are often celebrated and applauded. Isaiah warned, "Woe untothem that call evil good, and good evil." Finally,Paul says they "mind earthly things." Their thoughts,ambitions, and priorities are fixed on this world instead of eternity. That isalways the difference between a believer and an unbeliever. The believer asks,"How can I please Christ?" The unbeliever asks, "How can Iplease myself?" The believer lives for eternity. The unbeliever lives onlyfor today. As believers, we must be careful not to let the spirit of this worldshape our thinking. Romans 12:2 reminds us, "And be not conformed tothis world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Today,Paul's tears remind us: That truth matters. The Gospel matters. People'seternal destiny matters. May God give us hearts that love people enough to tellthem the truth with compassion and grace, just as Paul did.

Today we move on to the last section of Philippians chapter3. As we close this chapter, we want to focus specifically on verse 17, wherePaul writes: “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who sowalk, as you have us for a pattern.” NowPaul says, "Brethren, be followers together of me." At first,this might sound surprising. It almost sounds like Paul is being proud. But wehave just been reminded of what Paul said earlier: "Not as though I hadalready attained, either were already perfect." Paul knew he was stillgrowing. He was not asking believers to follow a perfect man. He was invitingthem to follow someone who was faithfully following Jesus Christ. Notice hesaid the same thing in 1 Corinthians 11:1: "Be ye followers of me, evenas I also am of Christ." In other words, Paul is saying, "Walkthe same path I am walking because I am following Jesus." Everyone of us needs godly examples. God never intended for us to grow in isolation.He places mature believers in our lives to encourage us, teach us, and show uswhat it looks like to live for Christ day by day. So Paul goes on to say,"And note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.” Theword “note” (sometimes translated "mark") means toobserve carefully or to keep your eye on. We get our English word scope fromthe same Greek root. It means to fix your attention on someone. NoticePaul doesn't say to mark those who merely talk about Christ. He says to markthose who walk with Christ. Anyone can say the right words. Anyone can quoteBible verses. Anyone can appear spiritual for an hour on Sunday morning. Butthe true test of Christianity is a consistent walk with God. Our daily conductshould match our profession, and our character should support our testimony.Our lives should point people to Jesus. Oh,I am so thankful when I look back over the years of my life for the faithfulbelievers God placed in my path. There were pastors who preached God's Wordwith conviction. There were missionaries who sacrificed everything to take theGospel to the nations. There were schoolteachers who were dedicated to thecause of Jesus Christ every day. There were humble church members who quietlyserved the Lord year after year without seeking recognition. Their livespreached sermons long before their voices were silent. I often say at funerals,"This dear person has already preached this service with their life."I truly believe that Christianity is more caught than taught. Peopleare always watching us. Children watch their parents. Grandchildren watch theirgrandparents. Young Christians watch older Christians. Whether we realize it ornot, someone is following our example. That makes this verse very personal. It'sone thing to ask, "Who am I following?" But perhaps the greaterquestion is, "Who is following me?" If someone patterned hisChristian life after yours, would he become more like Jesus? Would he become aperson of prayer? Would he love God's Word? Would he faithfully serve in thechurch? Would he have a heart for souls?  Paulunderstood that the Christian life is never lived in private. Every believer isleaving footprints that someone else may choose to follow. So today, Paulleaves us with a very simple challenge. Choose your examples carefully. Followpeople who are following Christ. Learn from believers whose lives consistentlyhonor the Lord. And then ask yourself another question: Am I becoming the kindof example that others should follow? May God help us to leave footprints that lead people to Christ. Let'spray.  Heavenly Father, thank You for thefaithful men and women You have placed in our lives who have shown us what itmeans to follow Christ. Help us to learn from their example, but even more,help us to become examples that others can safely follow. May our walk matchour words, and may our lives always point people to the Lord Jesus. In Hisprecious name we pray. Amen. 

These two verses teachus an important truth about the Christian life. We are to keep growing, but weare also to keep walking. God wants us to continue maturing spiritually whilefaithfully living up to the truth He has already taught us. Atfirst glance, Paul's words may seem a little surprising. In verse 12 he said hewas "not already perfect," yet here in verse 15 he speaks ofthose who are "mature." Is Paul contradicting himself? Not at all. Inverse 12, the word perfect means to be complete or to have reached the finishline. Paul says, "I haven't arrived yet." But in verse 15, the wordmature refers to someone who is spiritually grown up. Paul is saying,"Those who are spiritually mature should have this attitude." Whatattitude? Theattitude he has just described in verses 12 through 14—the attitude of neverbecoming satisfied with our spiritual condition, always pressing forward toknow Christ more fully. The truly mature Christian never believes he hasarrived. The mature believer never stops growing. The mature believer is alwayspressing on. Someone wisely said, "The surest sign of spiritual maturityis realizing how much more there is to learn." That seems opposite ofhuman thinking. We often assume mature Christians have learned everything. Inreality, the closer we walk with Christ, the more we realize how much we stillneed Him. NoticePaul says, "Let us...have this mind." Christian maturity isnot measured merely by how much Bible knowledge we possess. It is measured byour attitude toward spiritual growth. Are we still teachable? Are we stillhungry for God's Word? Do we desire to know Christ more deeply this year thanwe did last year?Sadly,many believers stop growing—not because they stop attending church—but becausethey become comfortable. They become satisfied with yesterday's walk with Godinstead of pursuing Him today. Paul reminds us that mature believers arelifelong learners. Thenhe adds something very encouraging: "And if in anything you thinkotherwise, God will reveal even this to you." Notice Paul's patience.He doesn't argue harshly with believers who have not yet understood thesetruths. Instead, he trusts the Holy Spirit to teach them. This reminds us thatwe cannot force spiritual growth in another person's life. Only God can openhearts. Only God can bring conviction. Only God can illuminate His Word. Ourresponsibility is to faithfully teach the truth. God's responsibility is toapply that truth to the heart. ThenPaul continues in verse 16: "Nevertheless, to the degree that we havealready attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the samemind." In other words, while we continue growing, we must faithfullyobey what we already know. Don't wait until you understand the entire Biblebefore obeying the part you already understand. Jesus said in John 13:17: "Ifyou know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." Knowledge withoutobedience produces spiritual pride. Obedience produces spiritual growth. Godusually gives us enough light for the next step—not the next hundred. Psalm119:105 reminds us: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto mypath." Notice, it is a lamp to our feet. God leads us one step at a time. Paulsays, "Let us walk by the same rule." The word walk speaks ofour daily conduct and manner of life. Christianity is not merely believing theright doctrines; it is living them. The word rule originally referred to ameasuring line or standard. God's Word is the standard by which we live. Wedon't measure ourselves by the culture. We don't compare ourselves with otherChristians. We measure our lives by God's truth. Finally,Paul says, "Let us be of the same mind." As believers growtogether in obedience to God's Word, unity naturally follows. God desires achurch that is united—not around personalities or preferences—but around Christand His truth.

Ina world full of distractions, divided loyalties, and competing priorities, Paullived with a single focus. Thefirst thing that Paul mentions is, “forgetting those things which are behind”.This doesn't mean that Paul had a poor memory or that he was to forgeteverything that ever happened. In fact, he often spoke about his past. Heremembered his conversion on the Damascus Road. He remembered God's grace. Heremembered his former life as a persecutor of the church. The word"forgetting" means refusing to be controlled or hindered by the past.For Paul, that included past failures. Imagine the memories that Paul carried.He had stood by approving the death of Stephen. He had entered homes anddragged believers away to prison. If anyone could have been crippled by guiltand regret, it was Paul. He had to face many of the relatives of the peoplethat he had persecuted over the years. Yet, he knew that God's grace wasgreater than his past.  Myfriend, perhaps today you have been haunted by mistakes that you've made. Maybethere are sins that you committed years ago that still trouble you. If youhave, confess those sins and trust Christ. Remember the promise in 1 John 1:9: “Ifwe confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and tocleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What a promise!!! God does not wantus living in the prison of guilt. He wants us moving forward in His grace.  ButPaul also had to forget past successes. That's something we often overlook.Paul could have spent the rest of his life talking about the churches heplanted, the miracles he witnessed, the sermons he preached, and the souls whohad been saved. Yet, he refused to live on yesterday's victories. Someone said,"Yesterday's victories can become today's limitations if we stop pursuingGod's work in the present." So many believers spend too much time talkingabout what God did years ago rather than seeking what God wants us to do today.We should thank God for the past, learn from the past, but never live in thepast. ThenPaul says, "And reaching forth to those things which are before."The picture here is beautiful. Paul uses the imagery of a runner in a race.Imagine an Olympic runner approaching the finish line. Every muscle isstretched forward. His eyes are fixed on the gold. He's not looking behind him.He's not watching the crowd. He's not distracted by the other runners. Hisentire body is leaning forward toward the finish line. That's the image thatPaul gives us here. The Christian life is not a sprint. It's a marathon. Itrequires endurance, discipline, and perseverance. Notice that our focus mustalways be on Jesus. When we focus on our failures, we become discouraged. Whenwe focus on our successes, we become proud. When we focus on other Christians,we become distracted. But when we focus on Jesus, we keep moving forward. ThenPaul said, "I press toward the mark." The word"press" here means to pursue with intensity. It was the same wordthat Paul used earlier to talk about how he pursued the persecution of thechurch before he was saved. The same passion that drove him to oppose Christnow drove him to pursue Christ. Paul was not drifting through the Christianlife. He was pursuing Christ with all his heart. It is sad today that manybelievers are content with spiritual mediocrity. They're satisfied with justenough Christianity to ease their conscience. But Paul was not satisfied. Hewanted everything God had for him. He wanted to know Christ more deeply. Hewanted to serve Christ more faithfully. He wanted to become more like Jesusevery day.  Thenhe tells us why: "For the prize of the high calling of God in ChristJesus." Paul was not running for earthly applause, recognition, orrewards. His eyes were fixed on eternity. The phrase "the highcalling" or "the upward call of God" refers to God's heavenlypurpose for every believer. One day we'll stand before Christ.  

Paul does not stop with holydissatisfaction. He moves immediately to holy determination. Listen tothe rest of verse 12: “But I press on, that I may lay hold of that for whichChrist Jesus has also laid hold of me”.  Inother words, Paul says, "I haven't arrived, but I am pursuing. Ihaven't reached the finish line, but I am still running." There is atremendous difference between being dissatisfied and being discouraged. Somepeople look at their spiritual weaknesses and simply give up. Paul looked athis weaknesses and became more determined than ever to keep growing. Thephrase, “I press on,” is a strong word. It is the same word often translated"pursue" or even "follow after." Ironically, it was thesame word Paul used earlier when he described how he once persecuted thechurch. Before his conversion, Paul pursued Christians with relentless zeal.Now he pursues Christ with that same passion and intensity. What atransformation! The energy that once opposed Christ now serves Christ.                                                                                                                                                                        Thisreminds us that Christianity is not passive. We are not called merely to sitand drift through life. We are called to pursue Christ. The writer of Hebrewssaid: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, lookingunto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). Noticethat Paul did not say, “I am waiting around.” He said, “that I may lay hold”.The Christian life is often compared to a race. A runner does not reach thefinish line accidentally. He runs intentionally. He trains. He disciplineshimself. He keeps moving forward even when he is tired. Paul understood thatspiritual growth requires effort. Not effort to earn salvation, but effortbecause we are saved. In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul wrote: “Work out your ownsalvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to willand to do for His good pleasure.” God works in us, and we cooperate withHis work by pursuing Him wholeheartedly. ThenPaul gives the reason for his pursuit: “that I may lay hold of that forwhich Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me...” The word “lay hold of”means to seize, grasp, to apprehend, or make one's own. Paul is saying, “Iwant to lay hold of the very purpose for which Christ laid hold of me.” Thinkback to the Damascus Road. Paul was traveling to persecute believers whensuddenly the risen Christ stopped him in his tracks. Jesus literally seizedPaul's life and changed his direction forever. Paul never forgot that day. Heknew Christ had saved him for a purpose. He knew Christ had not rescued himmerely to take him to heaven someday. Christ had a plan for his life here andnow. Thesame is true for every believer. God did not save us simply to forgive oursins. He saved us so that we might know Him, serve Him, glorify Him, and becomelike His Son. Romans 8:29 tells us: “For whom He foreknew, He alsopredestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” God's goal for everyChristian is Christlikeness. Paul knew he had not yet fully become what Godintended him to be. Therefore, he kept pressing on.  Perhapstoday you feel frustrated by your spiritual progress. Maybe you see habits thatstill need to change. Maybe you struggle with the same temptations you'vebattled for years.  The question is not whether you havearrived. The question is whether you are still pressing on. Are you growing inyour knowledge of God's Word? Are you becoming more like Christ? Are youpursuing Him more today than you were a year ago? The Christian who stopsgrowing soon begins drifting. The Christian who keeps pursuing Christ continuesexperiencing His transforming power. Remember, the goal is not simply to knowabout Christ. The goal is to know Christ Himself.

Todaywe begin a new section in Philippians chapter 3. In the previous verses, Paulhas been sharing the great passion of his heart when he said, "That I mayknow Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of Hissufferings." Now, as we come to Philippians 3:12, Paul begins to describehis pursuit of Christ. He writes: "Not as though I had alreadyattained, either were already perfect..." Paul gives us one of themost important secrets of spiritual growth, and it is surprisingly simple. Thesecret is this: never become satisfied with where you are spiritually. Nowthink about who is making this statement. This is not a new convert. This isnot a believer who has only been walking with Christ for a few months. This isthe Apostle Paul. By the time he writes Philippians, Paul has walked withChrist for nearly thirty years. And yet, Paul says: "Not as though Ihad already attained, either were already perfect." The word"perfect" here does not mean sinless perfection. It means complete,finished, mature, or having fully arrived at the goal. Paulis saying, "I have not crossed the finish line yet. God's work in my lifeis not complete." What humility! The very man we would probably considerone of the greatest Christians who ever lived looked at himself and said,"I still have room to grow." One of the surest marks of spiritualmaturity is realizing how much more maturity is needed. The closer we get toJesus, the more clearly we see areas in our lives that need His transforminggrace. Have you ever noticed that when you first clean a window, it lookspretty good? But when the sunlight shines through it, suddenly you noticestreaks and smudges you never saw before.  1John 1:7 says: “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we havefellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses usfrom all sin.”  The closer we walkwith Christ, the brighter His light shines on our hearts. We begin to seeattitudes, motives, habits, and weaknesses that need to change. That does notdiscourage a growing Christian. Instead, it motivates him. Paul had what wemight call a holy dissatisfaction. He was satisfied with Christ, but he was notsatisfied with his own spiritual progress. There is a tremendous differencebetween those two things. Paul had found complete satisfaction in Jesus Christ,but he still longed to know Him more deeply, love Him more fully, and serve Himmore faithfully. Sadly,one of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is spiritual complacency. Thechurch at Laodicea is a perfect example. In Revelation 3:17 they said: "Iam rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing."ButJesus saw them differently. He said they were: "Wretched, miserable, poor,blind, and naked."  They thoughtthey had arrived when in reality they were far from where they needed to be.That danger still exists today.  Sometimeswe compare ourselves with other Christians instead of comparing ourselves withChrist. Paul never compared himself to other believers.He compared himself to Jesus Christ. And when you compare yourself to Jesus,there is always room to grow. Psalm42:1-2 gives us a beautiful picture of holy dissatisfaction: "As thedeer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soulthirsts for God, for the living God." The psalmist was not contentwith yesterday's fellowship. He longed for more of God today. That was Paul'sattitude. That should be our attitude as well. A satisfied Christian is often astagnant Christian. The Christian race is not over until we see Jesus face toface. There are still lessons to learn, victories to win, prayers to pray,people to reach, and ways to become more like Christ. So let us embrace whatPaul embraced—a holy dissatisfaction that keeps us pursuing Christ every day ofour lives. 

Today we come to one of the most remarkable statements, andperhaps one of the most quoted, made by the Apostle Paul. In Philippians3:10-11, he writes: "That I may know Him and the power ofHis resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Hisdeath, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Afterstudying verse 9, we learned about the great exchange. Paul had received arighteousness not his own. He had been justified by faith and accepted by Godthrough Jesus Christ. Now,in verses 10 and 11, Paul moves from justification to sanctification. He movesfrom being found in Christ to growing in Christ. Notice the first phrase: "ThatI may know Him." These words reveal the passion of Paul's heart. Thinkabout who is speaking here. This is not a new convert. This is not a youngbeliever just beginning his Christian journey. This is the Apostle Paul, a manwho had walked with Christ for nearly thirty years. He had preached the gospelacross the Roman Empire. He had suffered greatly for Christ. Yet after all those years, hisgreatest desire remained the same: "That I may know Him." Theword "know" here speaks of personal, intimate, experiential knowledgeof Jesus Christ. Paul was not asking for more information about Jesus. Hewanted a deeper relationship with Him. This is the goal of the Christian life.  Sometimeswe become more interested in knowing about God than actually knowing God. Welearn Bible facts, study Bible doctrines, and memorize Bible verses, yet weneglect a closer walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity is not merelyabout information. It is about transformation through a daily relationship withJesus Christ.  ThenPaul says: "And the power of His resurrection." What does this mean? Paulwanted to experience the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Theresurrection was not merely a historical event. It is a present reality in thelife of every believer. Romans 8:11 tells us: "But if the Spirit of Himwho raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from thedead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells inyou." Think about that. The power of Christ's resurrection gives usvictory over sin. It gives us strength for daily living. It gives us courage intimes of trial. It gives us hope when circumstances seem impossible. Pauldoes not stop there. He also says: "And the fellowship of Hissufferings." That sounds very different. Most of us want resurrectionpower, but few of us want fellowship in His sufferings. Yet Paul understoodthat suffering often draws us closer to Christ than anything else. When we walkthrough trials, disappointments, hardships, losses, and difficulties, we learnto depend upon the Lord in ways we never would have otherwise. Peter wrote in 1Peter 4:13: "But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ'ssufferings." This does not mean that Christ's sufferings for oursalvation were incomplete. Rather, it means that as we suffer for His sake, weidentify more closely with Him. We often learn more about Jesus Christ in ahospital room than in a classroom, more through tears than through triumphs,and more through trials than during times of ease. ThenPaul says: "Being conformed to His death." Do you know what thismeans? It means that we die toself. We deny ourselves, as Jesus taught, and we learn to walk with Him. Oh, myfriend, may God help us realize that we can walk with Jesus Christ more closelyevery day, enjoy a deeper relationship with Him every day, and become more likeChrist because we are getting to know Him more intimately every day. You see,the Christian life begins by trusting Christ, continues by knowing Christ, andends with being forever with Christ. That is what it means to attain to theresurrection from the dead. We have a glorious and blessed hope. One day wewill see Him, and we will be like Him.

AfterPaul shares what he did in verse 8, he continues in verse 9: "And befound in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but thatwhich is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God byfaith." Oh, what a wonderful verse! Paul has just told us that knowingChrist is the greatest treasure in all the world. Now he explains one of thegreatest blessings that comes from knowing Christ. When we trust Jesus, we arenot only brought into a relationship with Him, but we are given a righteousnessthat we could never produce ourselves.  Noticefirst Paul's negative statement: "Not having my own righteousness,which is from the law." Paul knew all about self-righteousness becauseif anyone could have boasted in religious achievements, it was Paul. Verses 4–6already list his impressive credentials. He was circumcised on the eighth day.He was of the nation of Israel. He was of the tribe of Benjamin. He was aHebrew of the Hebrews. He was a Pharisee. He was zealous. Outwardly, he wasblameless according to the law. Yet after meeting Jesus Christ, Paul realizedthat all these accomplishments could never make him righteous before a holyGod. Theprophet Isaiah said it this way in Isaiah 64:6: "But we are all like anunclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags." Whata humbling truth. The best that we can produce in our own strength falls farshort of God's perfect standard. You see, religion always says, "Tryharder." But the gospel tells us that Christ has already done what wecould never do. The problem is not that we need a little improvement. Theproblem is that we need a completely new standing before a holy God. Noticewhat Paul desired instead: "But that which is through faith in Christ,the righteousness which is from God by faith." This is whattheologians often call imputed righteousness. That simply means that when weplace our faith in Christ, God credits Christ's righteousness to our account. Thinkof it this way. On the cross, Jesus took our sin upon Himself. In salvation,God places Christ's righteousness upon us. Oh, my friend, what a gloriousexchange! In 2 Corinthians 5:21, we read: "For He made Him who knew nosin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God inHim." Jesuslived the perfect life that we could never live. He died the death that wedeserved to die. Then, when we trust Him, God declares us righteous in Hissight. Another word for that is justification. We are justified in the sight ofGod. This is not because of what we have done. It is because of what Christ hasdone. Noticehow many times faith appears in Philippians 3:9: "through faith inChrist" and "from God by faith." Faith is simply theempty hand that receives God's gift. We do not earn righteousness; we receiveit. We do not work for it; we trust Christ for it. We do not achieve it; Godgives it. Martin Luther called this "the great exchange." You knowhis struggle with self-righteousness until the day he discovered the truth ofjustification by faith. This truth ignited the Protestant Reformation andchanged the course of human history. Perhapsone of the most important phrases in this verse is found right at thebeginning: "And be found in Him." Everything Paul desired wasfound in Christ. His acceptance was in Christ. His righteousness was in Christ.His salvation was in Christ. His future hope was in Christ. That is still truetoday, my friend. The question is not whether you are religious enough. Thereal question is whether you are in Christ. Have you stopped trusting in yourown goodness, your own efforts, your own religious performance, and placed yourfaith completely and entirely in Jesus Christ? When you do that, at that verymoment, God places you in Christ through the baptism of His Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 12:13). Then you stand clothed in Christ's righteousness before aholy God.

Today, I want us to focus on the next phrase: "for theexcellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." This is thereason Paul gladly counted everything else as loss. Nownotice carefully. Paul does not say, "for the excellence ofreligion." He does not say, "for the excellence of theology." Hedoes not say, "for the excellence of church membership." He says,"for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." Christianityis not primarily about a system. It is about a Person. It is about Jesus.  Theword "knowledge" here means much more than intellectual information.Paul is not talking about knowing facts about Jesus. He is speaking aboutknowing Jesus intimately and personally. There is a great difference betweenknowing about someone and actually knowing that person. You can read abiography about a famous person and know where that person was born, where theylived, what they did, and so forth. But that does not mean you know thatperson. You see, many people today know about Jesus. They know that He was bornin Bethlehem. They know that He died on the cross. They know that He rose fromthe dead. They know Bible stories and verses. Yet they do not truly know Him. Paulis speaking about a living relationship with a living Christ. Remember whatJesus said in John 17:3. This is a key verse in the New Testament: "Andthis is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and JesusChrist whom You have sent." Notice that eternal life is not merely aplace where we go when we die. It is a relationship that we enter into when wetrust Christ. The Christian life begins by knowing Christ, and it continues byknowing Christ better. Themost wonderful thing about Jesus is that we never reach the end of knowing Him.After decades of serving Christ, Paul still yearned to know Him even more. Infact, later in this chapter, in verse 10, Paul says, "that I may knowHim and the power of His resurrection." Think about it. This is not anew believer talking. This is a man who had walked with Christ for nearlythirty years. Yet his desire was still the same: "that I may knowHim." The more Paul learned about Jesus Christ and walked with Him,the more he wanted to know Him. The more he experienced Christ's faithfulness,the more he loved Christ. The more he understood Christ's grace, the more heworshiped Christ. This is a mark of genuine spiritual growth. Christianityis not simply about learning more Bible facts. It is about growing in apersonal relationship with Jesus Christ. We know Him through His Word. We knowHim through prayer. We know Him through obedience. We know Him throughfellowship with His people. We know Him through the trials that teach us todepend upon Him. We know Him through daily communion with Him. NoticePaul's personal language when he says, "Christ Jesus my Lord."It was not merely Jesus the Lord. It was Jesus my Lord. That is why we can saywith Psalm 23: "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." Canyou say that? Not merely that Jesus is a Savior. Not merely that Jesus is theSavior. But that Jesus is your Savior and your Lord. Oh, there is a differencebetween knowing about someone and actually knowing that person. The greatesttreasure in all the world is not wealth. It is not success. It is not fame. Itis not even religious achievement. The greatest treasure in life is knowingJesus Christ personally. Thatis why Paul could count everything as loss, because he found somethinginfinitely better. He found a relationship with Jesus Christ. Do you know Jesuspersonally? If you know Him, are you growing in that relationship? Is your lovefor Jesus Christ increasing daily? Is it your desire to know Him in a deeperway? Oh, my friend, may we be able to say with the Apostle Paul: "forthe excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."

Today we continue in Philippians 3:8, where Paul expands uponthe remarkable statement he made in verse 7. There he said: "But whatthings were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ." Paullooked at all his religious achievements, his family heritage, his education,his zeal, and his reputation, and he moved them from the profit column to theloss column. Nowhe takes this truth even further. In verse 8, he says: "Yet indeed Ialso count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesusmy Lord." Notice the change. In verse 7, Paul spoke in the past tense.He was describing a decision he made when he met Christ. But now in verse 8, hespeaks in the present tense. He is saying, "I still count all thingsloss." This is no longer merely his testimony of conversion. It is hisdaily perspective on life. Yearshave passed since the Damascus Road experience. Paul has planted churches. Hehas preached the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire. He has sufferedpersecution. He was stoned and left for dead on one occasion. He has beenimprisoned. He has experienced countless hardships. Yet after all these years,he has not changed his mind. In fact, Christ has become even more precious tohim. The more Paul knows Jesus, the more convinced he becomes that Christ isworth everything. Noticewhat he says:"I also count all things loss." Not just somethings. Not just his religious achievements.Notjust his former traditions. All things. Because, my friend, anything thatcompetes with Christ for first place in our lives must be surrendered. Paul isnot saying that family, possessions, work, education, friendships, oraccomplishments are evil. Rather, he is saying that compared to Christ, theyare of far less value. Remember,Jesus taught the same truth in Matthew 10:37 when He said: "He wholoves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me." The issue isnot whether we love these things. The issue is whether we love Jesus Christsupremely. Think about a young person playing with a handful of pebbles.Suddenly he discovers a diamond worth millions. The pebbles immediately losetheir appeal because something infinitely greater has been found. Thatis exactly what happened to Paul. When he met Jesus Christ, everything else wasput into proper perspective. The world spends its time pursuing wealth,success, pleasure, fame, recognition, and possessions. Yet Paul says that noneof these things compare to Christ. We need to remember that one day everypossession will be left behind. One day every earthly achievement will beforgotten. One day every human accomplishment will fade away. But Jesus Christremains the same yesterday, today, and forever. Oneof the great tests of spiritual maturity is this: Is Jesus Christ becoming moreprecious to you with the passing years? Many people become more attached to theworld as they grow older. But Paul became more attached to Jesus Christ. Thelonger he walked with the Lord, the more he valued the Lord. This should betrue of us as well. Every year we live should deepen our love for Christ. Everytrial should increase our dependence upon Christ. Every blessing shouldincrease our gratitude to Christ. Every day should cause us to treasure JesusChrist even more. Let'sthink about something for a moment as we close. What do we value most? Whatoccupies our thoughts? A.W. Tozer once said: "I can tell you what kindof relationship you have with God when you tell me what you are thinking aboutwhen you have nothing else to think about." What are your thoughtsthen? That is a good question we should ask ourselves today. What captures ourheart? What would be the hardest thing for us to surrender today? The answer tothose questions will reveal what we treasure most. Paul's answer was clear: "Ialso count all things loss." Why? Because he had found somethinginfinitely greater. He had discovered Jesus Christ. 

Upto this point, Paul has been describing the things that once gave him greatconfidence before God. If anyone could have boasted in religiousaccomplishments, as we have seen over the last few days, it was Paul. He hadthe right family, the right education, the right religion, the right zeal, andthe right reputation. But then something happened. Paul met Jesus Christ, andeverything changed that day on the road to Damascus. The very things that Paulonce counted as assets, he now viewed as liabilities. The things he once placedin the profit column, he moved to the loss column. Thelanguage Paul uses here comes from the world of accounting and bookkeeping. Itis as though Paul took out a ledger sheet and carefully examined his life. Onone side, he listed all the things he thought would earn him favor with God. Onthe other side, he placed Jesus Christ. When Paul finished his calculations, hediscovered that everything he had trusted in was worthless compared to Christ. Infact, he says, "I have counted loss for Christ." NoticePaul did not merely say that these things were less important. He says theywere loss. Why? Because those things were actually keeping him from seeing hisneed for a Savior. His religion had given him a false sense of security. Hismorality had convinced him that he was righteous enough. His achievements hadfilled him with spiritual pride. The very things he thought were helping himget to God were actually keeping him from God. Thatis why salvation is often so difficult for self-righteous people. The personwho knows he is a sinner is often closer to the kingdom of God than the personwho believes he is already good enough. Jesus illustrated this in Luke 18 withthe Pharisee and the tax collector. Remember, the Pharisee stood and thankedGod that he was not like other men and listed all his religious achievements.The publican, the tax collector, bowed his head, beat his breast, and criedout: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." Jesus said that the taxcollector went home justified. Why? Because he recognized his need. Thatis what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 9:11-13 when He called Matthew to beHis disciple. Then He went to Matthew's house to eat. The Pharisees asked,"Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesusreplied: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those whoare sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Myfriend, God cannot fill hands that are already full. As long as we are holdingon to our own righteousness, we cannot receive the righteousness of Christ. Aslong as we trust in ourselves, we cannot fully trust in Him. Thisverse reminds us that becoming a Christian is not merely adding Jesus to ourlives. It is exchanging everything we trust in for Christ alone. In Matthew 13,Jesus told of the man who found the pearl of great price. He went and soldeverything he had to purchase that pearl. That is what we do when we come tounderstand who we are and realize that what we truly need is Jesus Christalone. That is why Paul said, "I have counted loss." Thisspeaks of a deliberate decision. Paulcarefully evaluated his life and came to a settled conclusion. He determinedthat Christ was worth more than anything and everything else put together. Haveyou ever done that? Have you ever come to that place in your life? Today I askyou a personal question: What is in your profit column? What are you dependingon for your acceptance with God? Is it your church membership, your baptism,your good works, your morality, your family heritage? Or are you trusting inJesus Christ alone? The moment we truly see Jesus Christ for who He is,everything else fades into the background. Paul's testimony is simple butpowerful: "What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss forChrist."

Paul moves from what he inherited to what he personally achieved. Listento what he says: "As to the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecutingthe church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." Thesewere not things that were given to Paul. These were things he worked hard toattain. If anyone could have earned a right standing before God throughreligion, dedication, and moral effort, it was Saul of Tarsus. First,notice that Paul said, "As to the law, a Pharisee." ThePharisees were the strictest religious group in Judaism. There were not many ofthem compared to the population of Israel, but they were highly respected fortheir devotion to the Law. The word Pharisee actually means "separatedone." They separated themselves from anything they believed would makethem spiritually unclean. They carefully studied the Scriptures, observedreligious traditions, and sought to obey every detail of the Law. SoPaul was not merely a religious man. He was a religious leader. In Acts 23:6,he boldly declared, "I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee." Hehad studied under the famous Rabbi Gamaliel according to Acts 22:3. Hepossessed the finest religious education available in his day. Yet with allthat learning and all that religious devotion, it could not save him. It ispossible to know the Bible intellectually and still not know Jesus Christpersonally. Many people today know Bible stories, memorize verses, and attendchurch regularly, yet they have never experienced the transforming grace ofGod. Knowledge alone cannot save. Secondly,Paul said, "Concerning zeal, persecuting the church." Thismight seem shocking to us. How could persecuting Christians be considered acredential? But before his conversion, Paul believed Christians were theenemies of God. He thought he was serving God by trying to destroy the church. Acts8:3 tells us that Saul made havoc of the church, entering houses and draggingmen and women off to prison. In Acts 9, he was on his way to Damascus withauthority to arrest believers when he met the risen Christ. In Acts 26:9-11,when he gave his testimony before Agrippa, he said: “I punished them oftenin every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme. Being exceedingly enragedagainst them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities." Paulwas sincere. He was passionate. He was committed. But he was sincerely wrong. Thisreminds us that sincerity alone is not enough because a person can be sincereand still be lost. A person can be passionate and still be mistaken. The mostimportant question is not how sincere we are. The important question is whetherour faith is based on the truth of Jesus Christ. Today, many people are zealousabout religion, politics, causes, traditions, or philosophies. But zeal withouttruth can lead us far from God. Paul had zeal, but he still needed a Savior. Third,Paul said, "Concerning the righteousness which is in the law,blameless." Notice he did not say sinless. He said blameless. In theeyes of the people around him, Paul lived an exemplary life. No one could pointto some scandalous sin and accuse him of hypocrisy. Outwardly, he appeared tobe everything a religious person should be. If Saul of Tarsus had lived in ourcommunity today, many churches would probably have wanted him to be a deacon, aSunday school teacher, an elder, or a ministry leader. Yet despite all hismorality and religious discipline, he was still lost. Thisis one of the most sobering truths in Scripture. Aperson can be religious and still need salvation. Remember, Jesus said inMatthew 7 that many will come to Him in that day and say, "Lord, Lord,have we not done many wonderful works in Your name?" And Jesus willsay to them, "Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I never knewyou." That is sobering. Are you sure—really sure—that you have beenborn again? We need the grace of God and salvation through Christ alone. 

Eachof these statements would have been highly valued by the Judaizers of his day.They believed that these things gave a person standing before God. Paul isabout to show that they do not. First, Paul says he was "circumcisedthe eighth day." This means that Paul was not a convert to Judaismlater in life. He was born into a faithful Jewish family that obeyed the Law ofMoses. According to Genesis 17 and Leviticus 12:3, Jewish male children were tobe circumcised on the eighth day. Paulis saying that from the very beginning he had every religious advantage. He didnot come from a pagan background. He did not enter Judaism as an adult. He wasraised according to the covenant traditions of Israel from infancy. Yet noticesomething very important. Even though Paul had experienced the proper religiousceremony at the proper time, he still needed to be saved.  Thatis a powerful lesson for us today. Many people trust in a ceremony. Some trustin infant baptism. Some trust in confirmation. Some trust in church membership.Others even trust in a profession of faith they made years ago. While thesethings may have their place, none of them can save us. A ceremony can identifyus with a faith community, but only Jesus Christ can save the soul. Paul hadthe right ceremony, but he still needed a Savior. Secondly,Paul said he was "of the stock of Israel." This means hebelonged to God's chosen nation, Israel. He was not a Gentile proselyte. He wasa direct descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Jews treasured theirnational identity. They knew God had chosen Israel and given them Hiscovenants, His Law, and His promises. Romans 9:4-5 lists many of theseprivileges. Yet Paul learned that being born into the right family could notsave him. Youmay have heard people say—and I certainly have—"My parents wereChristians," or "My grandfather was a pastor," or "I wasraised in church." Those are wonderful blessings. But no one enters heavenon the faith of parents or grandparents. God has no grandchildren.  Third,Paul said he was "of the tribe of Benjamin." This was one ofthe most honored tribes in Israel. Benjamin was the tribe that remained loyalto the house of David when the kingdom divided. Jerusalem was located on theborder of Benjamin's territory. Israel's first king, Saul, came from the tribeof Benjamin. Many Bible scholars even believe that Paul may have been namedSaul because of that connection. The tribe of Benjamin carried a certainprestige among Jewish people.  Finally,Paul said he was "a Hebrew of the Hebrews." This means that Paul hadmaintained the Hebrew culture, language, and traditions. Many of the Jewsthroughout the Roman Empire had adopted Greek customs and language. But Paul'sfamily had remained deeply committed to their Jewish identity.  Religion says,"Look at my family." Religion says, "Look at my heritage." Religionsays, "Look at my traditions." Religion says, "Look at mycredentials." The Gospel says, "Look at Jesus." Paul is buildinghis case carefully. He is showing that if anyone could have earned favor withGod through religious credentials and advantages, it was him. Yet in the versesahead, he will tell us that he counted all these things as loss for Jesus Christ.This is true today as well. You may have been raised in church. You may knowyour Bible. You may have Christian parents. You may even have served inministry as a pastor for many years. ButI am telling you, my friend, as wonderful as these blessings are, ourconfidence must never be in these things. Our confidence must be in JesusChrist alone. I will never forget reading where Billy Graham said, "Thegreatest mission field in the world is in the pews of American churches." Inother words, many people think that because they are sitting in church onSunday morning, they are Christians and on their way to heaven. 

Paul does something very interesting. He anticipates an argumentfrom the Judaizers. They might say, "Paul, you tell people not to trust inthe flesh because you do not have anything in the flesh worth trusting." SoPaul responds in verse 4: "Though I also might have confidence in theflesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I moreso." In other words, Paul is saying that if we are going to comparereligious credentials, family heritage, religious training, zeal, and outwardrighteousness, he can surpass them all. He is about toshow us that everything he once trusted in turned out to be worthless whencompared to knowing Jesus Christ. BeforeChrist saved him, Paul was known as Saul of Tarsus. He was highly educated,deeply religious, and respected by his peers. If anyone could have earnedheaven through religion, surely Saul would have been near the top of the list. Yetnotice what Paul says here. He does not say, “I used to have confidence in theflesh.” He says, “I might have confidence in the flesh.” In other words, ifsalvation could be earned by human effort, he would qualify. If anyone hadreason to trust in religious accomplishments, it was Paul. Thisreminds us of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19. He came to Jesus with animpressive moral record. He had kept the commandments from his youth. Yetsomething was missing. He had religion, but he did not have Jesus Christ. Manypeople today are just like that rich young ruler. I am concerned about everyonewho listens to this chat because sometimes we trust in our church membership,our baptism, our confirmation, our giving, or our efforts to be a good person.Maybe we trust in the fact that we were raised in a Christian home. Yet none ofthese things can save a person. TheJudaizers believed that faith in Christ was not enough. They insisted that aperson must also keep the Jewish laws and rituals. Paul says, “If that is true,then I win the contest.” But as we will see in the coming verses, Pauldiscovered something that changed his life forever. All those religiousaccomplishments and achievements could never remove a single sin. They couldnever give him peace with God. They could never make him righteous before aholy God. Isaiah 64:6 reminds us: "But we are all like an unclean thing,and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Noticethat Isaiah does not say our sins are filthy rags. He says our righteousnessesare filthy rags. Even the very best we can offer God falls short of His perfectstandard. That is why salvation is by grace alone through faith alone.Ephesians 2:8-9 makes this clear: "For by grace you have been savedthrough faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works,lest anyone should boast." The problem with trusting in the flesh isthat the flesh always gives us something to boast about other than Jesus. If Itrust my goodness, I boast in myself. If I trust my religion, I boast inmyself. If I trust my accomplishments, I boast in myself. But when I trust inChrist alone, all the glory belongs to Jesus. Paul'stestimony reminds us that a person can be sincere and still be lost. He can bereligious and still be lost. He can be moral and still be lost. He can knowScripture and still be lost. The issue is not whether we have religion. Theissue is whether we have a relationship with Jesus Christ. As we continuestudying this passage, Paul is going to take us through his impressivereligious résumé. Then he is going to show us why he gladly threw it all awayfor the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ. What a testimony! Solet me ask you today: What are you trusting in? Are you trusting in somethingyou have done? Or are you trusting completely in Jesus Christ and in Him alone?I pray, my friend, that your trust is in Christ and Christ alone. Remember,true believers worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have noconfidence in the flesh.

Today, we are goingto look at the second mark of a genuine believer: “We rejoice in ChristJesus.” NoticePaul did not say we rejoice in our accomplishments. He did not say we rejoicein our denomination. He did not say we rejoice in our church attendance. Rememberwhen Jesus sent out the seventy-two, two by two, and they came back reportingwhat they had experienced. They said they had seen this and that, and that eventhe demons were subject to them. Jesus said, "Do not rejoice in that,but rejoice in the fact that your name is written in heaven" (Luke10:20). Jesus teaches us that our joy should be found in our relationship toHim. That is what Paul reminds us of here. Theword rejoice literally carries the idea of boasting or glorying in. So what arewe proud of? Jesus! What do we celebrate? Jesus! Who do we talk about? Jesus! Religionboasts about what people do. Christianity boasts about what Christ has done. Rememberthe Pharisee in Luke 18. He prayed, "God, I thank You that I am notlike other men." Then he proceeded to list all of his accomplishments.The publican, however, bowed his face before God, beat his breast, and criedout, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." Jesus said that manwent home justified rather than the Pharisee who had done so much. You see,true believers boast in Christ alone. Ilove the words of Galatians 6:14: "But God forbid that I should boastexcept in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." So when someone praisesus, we reflect that praise back to God. We thank Him. When something goodhappens in our lives, we thank God. When we see spiritual fruit, we give gloryto God. Why? Because we know where it all came from. Remember, Jesus said inJohn 15:5, "Without Me, you can do nothing." Now,the third mark that distinguishes a genuine believer is probably the mostimportant of all. Paul says here that: “We have no confidence in the flesh.”This statement strikes at the heart of human pride. The flesh refers to ourfallen nature. Paul says that true believers place no confidence in themselves.None. Zero. Our culture today teaches just the opposite. Believe in yourself.Trust yourself. Follow your heart. Depend on your abilities.  Scriptureteaches something very different. Jeremiah 17:9 says: "The heart isdeceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" InRomans 7:18, Paul proclaimed: "For I know that in me (that is, in myflesh) dwells no good thing." The flesh cannot save us. The fleshcannot please God. The flesh cannot produce righteousness. The flesh cannotearn heaven. Only Jesus Christ can do that. John19:30 records the triumphant words from the cross of Calvary, where Jesusproclaimed: "It is finished." Not partly finished. Not almostfinished. But finished. Completely. Totally finished. His death on the crossand His shed blood accomplished propitiation and satisfied God completely forour sins. Everything necessary for salvation was accomplished in Jesus Christ. Thatis why true believers have no confidence in the flesh. Our confidence is not inourselves. Our confidence is in Jesus Christ and in Who He is. The Holy Spiritnow dwells in us, and whatever He leads us to do, we can accomplish because itis God who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Solet me ask you a personal question today. Which of these three marks bestdescribes your life? Do you worship God from the heart? Do you rejoice in JesusChrist? Do you have any confidence in the flesh, or is your confidence inChrist alone? Or are you still trusting your own goodness, your churchmembership, your baptism, or your religious activities? My friend, the truebeliever worships God in the Spirit, rejoices in Christ Jesus, and placesabsolutely no confidence in the flesh. That is the difference between religionand a relationship with Christ. 

"For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit,rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Ibelieve this verse is the key verse for this entire chapter. As we talk aboutthe spiritual mind, Paul here gives three distinguishing marks of a genuinebeliever. Howdo you know if your faith is real? How do you know the difference between trueChristianity and mere religion? Today, specifically, we will be looking at thefirst one today. True believers worship God in the Spirit. Paulbegins by saying, "For we are the circumcision." Now rememberthe context. The Judaizers were saying that physical circumcision was necessaryfor salvation. But Paul says, "No, we are the true circumcision." Heis speaking of believers. He is speaking of those who have experienced aninward work of God in the heart. Throughout the Old Testament, God repeatedlyreminded Israel that He wanted more than outward rituals. Remember Deuteronomy10:16. Moses says: "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of yourheart." Jeremiah 4:4 says: "Circumcise yourselves unto theLORD, and take away the foreskins of your hearts." Soeven in the Old Testament, God was looking beyond the outward ceremony to theinward condition of the heart. The New Testament makes this very clear inRomans 2:28-29: "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly... but he isa Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in theSpirit." My friend, God has never been impressed by religious ritualsalone. A person can be baptized, join a church, attend services every week, andstill not know Christ. Yousee, salvation is not an outward change first. It is an inward transformationthat eventually changes the outward life. The Bible teaches that if we are inChrist, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Thefirst mark of a true believer is this: we worship God in the Spirit. Jesusspoke about this in John chapter 4 when He met the woman at the well. Shewanted to talk about the place of worship. Jesus wanted to talk about theheart. He said: "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worshipin spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Yousee, the Pharisees were experts at outward worship. They knew the ceremonies.They knew the rituals. They knew the traditions. But their hearts were far fromGod. They worshiped God with their lips, but their hearts, Jesus said, were farfrom Him. True worship is not merely going through the motions. It is notmerely singing the songs. It is not merely attending church. True worship flowsfrom a heart that has been changed by God's Holy Spirit. Itis possible to sit in church all your life and never truly worship. It is alsopossible to worship God while driving down the road, sitting on a porch, orwalking through a hospital hallway. Worship is the response of a redeemed heartto a wonderful Savior. When God's Holy Spirit lives within us, worship becomesa way of life. Ihave met believers all around the world who had very little materially, yetthey radiated joy and worshiped. I wish you could go to the slums of Bombaywith me and see believers in the midst of unbelievable poverty radiating withjoy. Or meet people in my first pastorate in Winchester Virginia, like Mildred Fahnestock,who was an invalid in a wheelchair with very painful crippling rheumatoidarthritis, yet had the glow of God upon her life. I also think of PhyllisSeverson in my second pastorate in Holland Michigan, who suffered from MS andspent years in a wheelchair. I knew her for many years, and she glowed with theglory of God and worshiped Him from that wheelchair. Myfriend, worship does not depend on circumstances. It depends on a relationshipwith God. This is what we must understand. We worship God in the Spirit. Thatis the first mark of a genuine believer. Do you have that mark today? Let’spray. Father, today, may we worship You in spirit and in truth. We ask this inJesus' name. Amen. 

Paul repeats the word beware three times here. It is as thoughhe is sounding a spiritual alarm. He is saying, “Watch out! Be careful! Payattention!” He uses such strong language because false teaching isdangerous.  Paulis warning the Philippians about a group of false teachers known as theJudaizers. These men seemed to follow the Apostle Paul everywhere he went,spreading their false doctrine. They said, “Jesus is good, but you must alsokeep the Law of Moses. You must be circumcised. You must become Jewish beforeyou can really be saved.” In other words, they were teaching Jesus plussomething. But the true gospel is never Jesus plus anything. The true gospel isJesus alone. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Thechurch council at Jerusalem in Acts 15 settled that question for the earlychurch. But some people refused to listen and continued teaching these things.So Paul describes them with three vivid pictures. First, he calls them “dogs”.When you hear that word, you might think of your beloved family pet. But thatis not the picture here. In Bible times, dogs were wild scavengers that roamedthe streets. They fed on garbage, carried disease, and could be dangerous. Theyoften traveled in packs. Ironically,the Jews often called the Gentiles dogs. But Paul turns that insult around andsays that these false teachers are the real dogs. They kept snapping at theheels of the Apostle Paul as he went about sharing the good news that Christalone saves. They followed him from city to city, barking their false doctrinesand causing confusion among new believers. My friend, false teaching isdangerous because it often sounds very close to the truth. A counterfeit maylook real, but it is still counterfeit. A glass of water may appear pure, butone ounce of poison destroys the whole thing. That is why we must know God'sWord. Second,Paul calls these false teachers “evil workers”. These men appeared to bevery religious. They were busy, sincere, and devoted. But Paul says their workswere actually evil. They were evil workers because they were trusting in humaneffort rather than God's grace alone. They were teaching people to depend onwhat they could do instead of what Christ had already done for them. Titus 3:5says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to Hismercy He saves us.” Good works do not produce salvation; good works are theresult of salvation. There is a big difference. The only thing that can save usis the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Third,Paul calls these Judaizers “the mutilation.” This is actually a play onwords. The Judaizers insisted that circumcision was necessary for salvation.Paul is saying that when a God-given symbol is turned into a requirement forsalvation, it loses its spiritual meaning and becomes nothing more than aphysical act. The true circumcision is not outward; it is inward. Romans2:28-29 tells us that true circumcision is a matter of the heart, performed bythe Spirit of God. God has always been interested in the heart. Religionfocuses on outward appearance; God focuses on inward reality.Today,we need discernment. The only way we can have that discernment is by being inGod's Word and filling our hearts and minds with His truth. When we handle thetruth regularly, we immediately recognize false teaching when it appears. Let me encourage you to test everything by Scripture. Know your Bible.Stay close to Jesus. Guard your heart. Never allow anything to take the placeof the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Let'spray. Father, thank You for the simple and glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.Give us discernment in these days when so many voices compete for ourattention. Help us recognize false teaching and stand firmly on the truth ofYour Word. May our confidence rest in Jesusalone. We pray this in His precious name. Amen.

Paulbegins this chapter by saying: “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.To write the same things to you is not tedious to me, but for you it is safe.”Now, when Paul says, “Finally,” he is not ending the letter. In fact, hestill has two full chapters to go. The word simply means “furthermore” or “forthe rest.” Paul is introducing a new section of this wonderful book. Thefirst thing Paul says as he introduces this section is, “Rejoice in the Lord.” Thatshould catch our attention because, remember who is writing this? Paul is inprison. He might be executed. He does not know what the future holds for him.Yet he keeps talking about joy. How is that possible? It is because, as we havealready learned, Paul’s joy is not found in circumstances. It is found in JesusChrist. Thereis a great difference between happiness and joy. Happiness depends on whathappens. If things go our way, we are happy. If things do not go our way, webecome unhappy. But joy is different. Joy is rooted in a relationship—ourrelationship with Jesus Christ. It is not based on circumstances. It is notbased on changing things. It is based on the unchanging character of our LordJesus Christ. That means we can have joy even when life is difficult. Thatis why James 1:2 says: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into varioustemptations.” Notice, he did not say if you fall into trials. He said when.Trials are a part of life. Difficulties are a part of life. Heartaches are apart of life. But joy can still be a part of life because Jesus is the sameyesterday, today, and forever. He never changes. TheApostle Paul understood that praise changes things. Praising the Lord prevails over the enemy. The rejoicingbeliever discovers God’s strength. Now,let me be clear. Rejoicing does not mean we ignore our pain. There may be somepeople listening today, dear friends, who are carrying heavy burdens. Maybe youhave recently received difficult medical news. Perhaps you are strugglingfinancially. Maybe you are carrying a burden for a child or a grandchild. Orperhaps you are grieving the loss of someone you love. Paul does not sayrejoice in those things. He says, “Rejoice in the Lord.” The Lord is still onHis throne. His love has not changed. His promises have not changed. His powerhas not changed. His faithfulness has not changed. His mercy has not changed. Nomatter what is happening around us, Jesus remains the same. Our joy is not inwhat we possess. Our joy is in Who possesses us—and that is the Lord JesusChrist. Then,as we look at the last part of this verse, Paul says something interesting: “Towrite the same things to you is not tedious to me, but for you it is safe.” Paulwas not afraid to repeat important truths because repetition helps us greatly.We never outgrow the gospel. We never outgrow the cross. We never outgrow ourneed to trust in the Lord. So today, let me ask you a question: What is tryingto rob your joy? Is it a difficult circumstance? A relationship problem? Ahealth concern? Financial pressure? Fear about the future? Then take a fewminutes today and focus on five things that are always true about Jesus. Repeatthem to yourself: His love never fails. His power never diminishes. Hispresence never leaves us. His work on the cross is complete. His return iscertain. When we begin to focus on these truths, I am telling you, joy willrise in our hearts. Joyis not found in perfect circumstances. It is found in a perfect Person—JesusChrist. And that joy can never be taken away. Let’spray together. Father, thank You that our joy is found in You and not in ourcircumstances. Help us to rejoice in the Lord every day when difficulties come.Remind us that You are still on the throne and that Your promises never fail.Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus and find our strength and our joy in Himalone. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today we are going to finish Philippians 2 by looking atverses 28 through 30 where we are talkingabout risking everything for Christ. That is exactly what Epaphroditus did. Aswe have read through this chapter, we have seen how Jesus Christ lefteverything in heaven. He gave up His rights, came down to earth, made Himself aservant, and became obedient even to the death of the cross. As a result, Godhighly exalted Him. We also see the example of the Apostle Paul himself. Paulleft everything in his old life. As we read later in the book of Philippians,he counted it all as dung—a pile of manure—compared to what he gained inChrist. He made the great statement in chapter 1, “For to me, to live isChrist, and to die is gain.” Theexample of Timothy shows us the same truth. Timothy left his family, hisparents, and his friends in the city of Lystra to follow the Apostle Paul andto follow Jesus Christ. Now we come to Epaphroditus. He risked his life and “didnot regard his own life.” The phrase “not regarding his life”carries the idea of taking a great risk. Epaphroditus was willing to riskeverything for Christ. Hecarried the offering from the Philippians to Paul in Rome. The journey waslong. The roads were dangerous. The conditions were difficult. Paul was inprison and could potentially be executed, which meant Epaphroditus might sufferthe same fate. Somewhere along the way, he became gravely ill. He became sosick that it appeared he would die. Yet God had mercy on him and spared hislife. God also had mercy on Paul, sparing him additional sorrow. Yetthrough it all, Epaphroditus continued serving. Remarkably, he was moreconcerned about the people worrying about him than he was about the possibilityof his own death. So Paul tells the Philippians in verse 29: “Receive himtherefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem.” Godhonors His servants. The world honors celebrities. God honors faithfulness. Godhonors sacrifice. God honors those who quietly give themselves in service toothers. He also teaches us to honor those to whom honor is due. (Proverbs 3:27) AsI think about this passage, I am reminded of the famous words of Jim Elliot: “Heis no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Thetruth is that every believer is called to risk something for Jesus Christ.Maybe not our lives, but certainly our comfort, our convenience, ourreputation, our resources, and even our time. The greatest investment we canmake on earth is not in temporal things, but in eternal things. Thatis what Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 4. As he begins that chapter, hewrites: “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy,we do not lose heart.” In other words, we do not quit. We do not give up.We do not faint. Then he goes on to say verses 117-18: “For our lightaffliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceedingand eternal weight of glory... while we do not look at the things which areseen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen aretemporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” RememberPaul on his final journey to Jerusalem in Acts 20:24. The believers repeatedlywarned him that suffering awaited him there. Yet Paul declared: “Nor do Icount my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy.” Myfriend, that was true of Paul. It was true of Epaphroditus. May it be true ofus as well. May we be willing to risk everything for the sake of Christ. Let’spray. Father, help us to live courageously for Jesus Christ. Give us heartsthat value eternal things above temporary comforts. May we be willing to spendand be spent for Your glory. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today we are continuing in Philippians chapter 2, lookingspecifically at verses 26–27. We are talking about Epaphroditus, a wonderfulservant of God from Philippi who was in Rome ministering to the Apostle Paul.We are going to find in this passage that he became very sick and almost died. Whenwe think about Epaphroditus, we are reminded of the four illustrations Paulgives us in Philippians 2 about being a servant, being a surrendered person,and having a submissive mind—the mind of Christ. Iam amazed at the many times in the book of Acts that Jesus is called God’sServant, the Servant of God. As you look through Scripture and history, you seemen like Moses. When Moses died, God referred to him in Joshua 1 as “Moses Myservant.” Then, at the end of the book of Joshua, when Joshua died, Godreferred to him as His servant, Joshua. Oh, my friend, great men and women ofGod are people who make themselves servants of God and serve Him by servingothers. Itis also what the Apostle Paul did. That is what Timothy did. And now we see itin the life of Epaphroditus as we read verses 26 and 27: “Since he waslonging for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and notonly on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.” Thinkabout this for a moment. Epaphroditus was the one who was sick. In fact, henearly died. Yet he was not primarily concerned about himself. He was concernedthat the Philippians were worried about him. What an incredible spirit! Most ofus naturally focus on ourselves when we are hurting, suffering, or sick. We areoften not thinking about what others might be going through because of ourillness. But Epaphroditus was different. His concern remained fixed on others. Thisreminds us of Jesus in Gethsemane. Even while facing the cross, Jesus thoughtabout His disciples. Even while dying on Calvary, He thought about His mother. Asa matter of fact, the word translated “distressed” in verse 26 is verysignificant. Some translations render it “full of heaviness.” This isthe exact same Greek word used to describe Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane inMatthew 26:37: “…He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed His spiritwas exceedingly heavy.” The burden was so great that Jesus sweat greatdrops of blood..Oh,my friend, we see something of that same spirit in Epaphroditus. Even in hissickness, even when he was near death, his heart was burdened for the believersback in Philippi. He worried because they were worrying about him. But then weread these wonderful words: “God had mercy on him.” God had mercy onEpaphroditus. Whata reminder that we are in God’s hands. Even in suffering and sickness, God issovereign over our health. Notice that the passage does not say Paul healedhim. Paul had been used by God to perform miracles. There were times when evenhandkerchiefs associated with Paul were used by God to bring healing. Yet thatis not what happened here. The Scripture simply says, “God had mercy onhim.” Godis sovereign over our health. God is sovereign over our circumstances. God issovereign over our future. Sometimes God heals. Sometimes He sustains us in themidst of our sickness. But God is always faithful. He will never allow us tosuffer beyond His purposes for our lives, and He will always provide the gracewe need for every trial. Today,perhaps you are carrying a burden. Maybe you are facing an illness. Maybe youhave come to a place of discouragement in your life. I want you to know thatjust as God had mercy on Epaphroditus, God has not forgotten you. He knows yourneed today. He knows your suffering. And even in the midst of your suffering,God can still use you to encourage others through your service. What awonderful blessing to know that God has a perfect plan, even in the midst ofsickness and hardship.

Today we are continuing in Philippians 2, and we are lookingat verse 25, where the Apostle Paul writes: “Yet I consider it necessary tosend to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier.” Thisman appears only briefly in Scripture, yet he teaches us a tremendous lesson. Epaphroditusno doubt lived in the area of Philippi. He was a follower of Christ, anexemplary Christian, and a man who lived a balanced Christian life. He wastrusted by the people at Philippi. His name actually suggests that he wasprobably a full Gentile, unlike Timothy, who had a Jewish mother and a Greekfather. Yet Epaphroditus was a man who loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all hisheart. Hewas trusted because of his faithfulness over the years. The believers atPhilippi entrusted him with carrying a special gift—perhaps money or othervaluable provisions—to the Apostle Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome. As wewill discover in these verses, he also cared for Paul during his imprisonment. Thisis an interesting man whom we meet only briefly in Scripture. Pauldescribed him in three ways. First, he was a brother. That speaks of hisfellowship with the Apostle Paul. Second, he was a fellow worker. That speaksof his labor. Third, he was a fellow soldier. That speaks of spiritual warfare.As we look at his life through these few verses, we find that he was a balancedChristian. Somebelievers love fellowship but avoid service. Others work hard but neglectrelationships. Still others enjoy debating doctrine but never reach lostpeople. Over the years, I have met many folks who become so interested inprophecy that they do not want the pastor to preach about anything else.Prophecy is all they want to discuss or study. But that is not the balancedChristian life. Epaphroditus maintained balance in his Christian walk. He lovedGod’s people. He worked for God’s kingdom. He fought for God’s truth. He was afellow soldier of Jesus Christ. Thisreminds me of the book of Nehemiah. As Nehemiah and the people rebuilt thewalls of Jerusalem in fifty-two days, they faced constant opposition from theirenemies. Nehemiah stationed the workers on the wall with a sword in one handand a trowel in the other. They were working while remaining ready to battle ata moment’s notice. My friend, that is a good description of the Christian life. TheChristian life requires both fellowship and service. We also need to understandthat we are engaged in spiritual warfare. We need accountability. A balancedChristian life includes worship, fellowship, evangelism, service, prayer, andBible study. Iwill never forget my very first semester at Lynchburg Baptist College—todayknown as Liberty University. We had a class co-taught by Dr. Elmer Towns andDr. Jerry Falwell called The Balanced Christian Life. We used a book written byCharles Ryrie entitled “The Balanced Christian Life”. That class was oneof my first introductions as a brand-new believer to what the Christian lifeshould look like. It helped me understand the importance of balance. Atthat point in my life, I was very interested in evangelism. But there is moreto being a Christian than simply trying to get everyone saved. We needfellowship with one another. We need teaching from God’s Word. We needopportunities to participate in all the various aspects of Christianliving—giving, prayer, Bible study, service, and worship. A balanced Christianlife makes all the difference. Whenone area is neglected, imbalance develops. We should constantly ask ourselves:Am I still growing in every area of my Christian life, or am I neglectingsomething important? My friend, let us make sure we are like Epaphroditus,living a balanced Christian life. Letus pray. Father, help us become balanced Christians. Teach us to love Yourpeople, serve Your kingdom, and stand for Your truth. Make us faithful workersand faithful soldiers of Jesus Christ. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today we are continuing in Philippians 2, looking at verses22–24. Here Paul gives us a beautiful statement anda wonderful description of Christian service. He says of Timothy, “As a sonwith his father, he served with me in the gospel.” Noticethat Paul does not say Timothy served under him. He says Timothy served withhim. There was a deep relationship between these two men. Paul had becomeTimothy’s spiritual father, and Timothy had become Paul’s spiritual son. Ihave often reflected on my fifty-plus years as a senior pastor and all thestaff members I had the privilege of serving with. I never said they servedunder me. I never viewed myself as their boss, because I was not. I was aleader, and I always felt my responsibility was to help these men become thevery best they could be and to encourage them forward for the glory of God. Mydesire was to help them grow in every area of life as disciples of JesusChrist. Yousee, the Christian life was never intended to be lived alone. God usesrelationships to shape us. Moses had Joshua. Elijah had Elisha. Jesus had Histwelve disciples. Paul had Timothy and Titus. One of the greatest blessings inministry is investing in others. Some of the most rewarding moments in my lifehave come from seeing others taught, encouraged, discipled, and faithfullyserving the Lord. Iwill never forget our first ministry together with Eric Farel, Bob Quinn, RonCombs, and others. We spent many hours serving together, but even moreimportantly, we spent private hours praying together, reading God’s Wordtogether, encouraging one another, discipling one another to be all that wecould be for God, and holding each other accountable. In our next ministry atCalvary Baptist in Holland Michigan, I was privileged to regularly be involvedin discipleship with dear friends like Rick Flowers, Tom Weaver, and FrankSenters, among many others.  Realdiscipleship is much more than simply going through a discipleship course. Itmeans being established in the Word of God and prayer. It means beingestablished in the fellowship of believers. It involves having anaccountability group with whom you pray, talk, encourage, and support oneanother when someone is struggling. It also means being established in thestructure of the local church. You discover your spiritual gift, use that gift,and help others become all that God wants them to be. You build them up in thefaith. Finally,it means being established in the ministry of Jesus Christ. That is, doing whatJesus did—sharing the gospel of the Kingdom of God, telling people how to besaved, and then leading them to follow Christ and abide in Christ. That is whatreal discipleship is all about. Paulpoured years into Timothy. He taught him. He traveled with him. He prayed withhim. He encouraged him. He corrected him. He prepared him. As a result, Timothybecame capable of carrying on the work. That is discipleship. 2 Timothy 2:2says: “The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, committhese to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Did younotice the four generations in that verse? Paul, Timothy, faithful men, andthen others also. That is God’s plan. Everyone of us should have someone who is learning from us how to become a betterbeliever and follower of Jesus Christ. We are all disciples, and we should allbe disciplers. So today, who are you helping grow spiritually? Who are youteaching the Bible? Who are you encouraging in their walk with the Lord? Theseare important questions for us to ask ourselves. A church that intentionallydisciples others will remain healthy for generations to come. Let’spray. Father, thank You for the people You have used in our lives. Help us toinvest in others as Paul invested in Timothy. Use us to encourage the nextgeneration to follow Jesus Christ faithfully. We pray this in Jesus’ name.Amen. 

Today we're looking at Philippians 2:22. Here, the ApostlePaul is talking about Timothy. Paul writes: "But you know his proven character,that as a son with his father, he served with me in the gospel." Oneof the most valuable qualities in the Christian life is proven character. Noticethat Paul did not praise Timothy primarily for his gifts, talents,intelligence, or abilities. He praised him for his character. The phrase provencharacter speaks of something that has been tested and approved. Gold istested by fire. Steel is tested by pressure. Character is tested by life. Timothyhad been tested. Whenyou go back to Acts 14, where Paul first meets Timothy in Lystra, Timothywitnessed Paul being stoned for preaching the gospel. It was during this periodthat Timothy gave his heart and life to Jesus Christ. He had a godlygrandmother and mother who taught him the Scriptures, and he grew in the graceand knowledge of the Lord. Then, when Paul began his second missionary journeywith Silas in Acts 16, one of the first people mentioned in Lystra was Timothy.The Bible tells us that, “he was well spoken of by the brethren who were atLystra and Iconium”. In other words, Timothy already had a good testimonybefore Paul invited him to travel with him. Paul said, in effect, "I wantyou to join me and Silas on this missionary journey." Weknow that Timothy traveled with Paul to Philippi, where Paul and Silas werebeaten and thrown into prison. Luke was also with them during this period. Justimagine the privilege Timothy had of being surrounded by and mentored by suchgodly men. Year after year, as Paul invested in him, Timothy grew in his faith,his knowledge of Christ, and his character. Eventually, he became a man ofproven character. Only after proving himself faithful did the Apostle Paulinvite him to become part of this missionary team. Thisteaches an important lesson for all of us. God is more interested in developingour character than displaying our abilities. Many people want immediateinfluence. They want instant success. They want positions of leadership beforethey have developed spiritual maturity. That can become a problem in manychurches when people seek positions for which their character has not yetprepared them.  ButGod works differently. Remember, David spent years tending sheep beforebecoming king. Joseph spent years in slavery and prison before ruling in Egypt.Moses spent forty years in the wilderness before God called him to lead Israel.Timothy spent years learning, serving, growing, and becoming Paul's trustedrepresentative. My friend, we discover that character is more important thanabilities and all the other things for which people are often praised. Yearsago, I taught people not to praise someone merely for their talent or ability. "Oh,they play the piano so well." "They are such a gifted speaker." Instead,praise them for their character and the discipline that enabled them to developthose abilities. Praise them for doing the right things for the right reasons.Praise them for faithfulness, honesty, kindness, loyalty, thoughtfulness, diligence,and integrity. That is proven character. Someone has wisely said: "Godprepares the man before He prepares the ministry." The Christian life isnot a sprint; it is a marathon. Faithfulness over time produces provencharacter. Maybetoday you feel overlooked. Maybe you have been serving quietly for years and noone seems to notice your faithfulness. But God notices. Every prayer. Every actof service. Every sacrifice. Every hidden act of obedience. God sees them all. Luke16:10 says: "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also inmuch." God often develops greatservants in ordinary places.Let'spray. Father, help us today to develop proven character. Teach us to befaithful in the small things and patient during the seasons and years ofpreparation. May our lives bring honor to You. We pray this in Jesus' name.Amen.

Today we will be looking at Philippians 2:21. But before wetalk about that, let's remind ourselves what the book of Philippians is about.The book of Philippians is about the joyful mind and the secure mind. TheApostle Paul is teaching us something very powerful. Before we can claim inchapter 4, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthensme," we first must practice what istaught in the earlier chapters. Inchapter 1, Paul teaches us to have a single mind—a mind that is set on Christ,a mind that is focused on the gospel of Jesus Christ, and a mind that desiresto glorify the Lord Jesus Christ before glorifying itself. Then chapter 2becomes very practical as Paul teaches us how to have a submissive mind—a mindthat is submitted to the will of God. In verse 20, the Apostle Paul commendedTimothy as a man who genuinely cared for the spiritual welfare of others. ThenPaul makes a very sad statement in verse 21: "For all seek their own,not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Thinkabout that statement for a moment: "For all seek their own, not thethings which are Jesus Christ's." Paul was living in Rome, the centerof the Roman Empire. There were many believers there. In Romans 16, when Paulwrote to the church at Rome, he mentioned dozens of Christians by name. Yetwhen he looked for someone to send to Philippi, he found only Timothy who wasavailable and willing to put Christ's interests first. Thisverse exposes one of the greatest spiritual diseases that affects believers andchurches. It is the disease of self-interest. The natural tendency ofevery human heart is to focus on self. The first words of many little childrenare often, "Mine!" or, "I want that! That's mine! Don't touchit!" We naturally ask: "What do I want?" "What do Ineed?" "What is best for me?" Yet the Christian life is exactlythe opposite. Thesubmissive mind that Paul has been describing throughout Philippians chapter 2causes us to ask: "What does Christ want?" "What will helpothers?" "What will advance the gospel?" The world teaches us tolook out for number one. Jesus teaches us to deny ourselves. In Luke 9:23,Jesus said: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." That is not a popularmessage today because we live in a culture that promotes self-fulfillment,self-promotion, self-expression, and self-centeredness. But Christianity iscentered on Christ, not on self. Onemissionary who served for more than fifty years in Africa once lamented thelack of long-term commitment among believers. He quoted the words of Barzillaiin 2 Samuel 19:36: "Thy servant will go a little way." Thatseems to describe many Christians today. They are willing to serve a littleway. They are willing to sacrifice a little. They are willing to commit alittle. ButJesus, our example in Philippians 2, went all the way. He left heaven. Hehumbled Himself. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Myfriend, we cannot truly follow Jesus Christ while living for ourselves. Whena church becomes filled with self-centered people, ministries suffer. Peoplestop serving. Needs go unmet. The gospel loses momentum. But when believers putJesus Christ first, amazing things happen. People are saved. Lives are changed.Churches become healthy. Missionaries are sent. And the gospel advances. Sothe question today is simple: Am I seeking my own interests or Christ'sinterests? Am I willing to serve even when it costs me something? Am Iavailable when God calls? The greatest joy in the Christian life is found whenwe stop living for ourselves and begin living for Christ and for others. Let’spray. Father, forgive us for the selfishness that so easily creeps into ourlives and hearts. Help us to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness.Give us the mind of Christ and teach us to put Your interests above our own. Wepray this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

Let'sbegin by reading Philippians 2:19-20: "But I trust in the Lord Jesus tosend Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know yourstate. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for yourstate." What a remarkable statement! Remember, Paul is writing from aRoman prison. He is chained to a Roman guard. He is uncertain about the outcomeof his trial. Yet even while facing his own problems, his heart is focused onthe believers at Philippi. That is the mark of a mature Christian. A matureChristian does not become consumed with his own troubles. He remains concernedabout others. Paulwanted to know how the Philippian believers were doing. Were they standingfirm? Were they remaining united? Were they growing spiritually? He careddeeply about them. But Paul faced a problem. He could not go himself. So helooked around for someone he could trust. Among all the believers in Rome, Paulfound one man whom he believed would genuinely care for the Philippians. Thatman was Timothy. Paul says, "I have no one like-minded." Thephrase "like-minded" carries the idea of being of the same soul orkindred spirit. Timothy had spent years traveling with Paul, learning from him,serving alongside him, suffering with him, and praying with him. Over time,Timothy began to develop the same heart that Paul had. That is whatdiscipleship is all about. Jesusspent three years with His disciples. Paul spent years with Timothy. Godlycharacter is often caught as much as it is taught. Timothy learned how to carefor people by watching Paul care for people. I am reminded of what Paul wrotein 1 Corinthians 11:1: "Imitate me, just as I also imitateChrist." Every believer needs someone to learn from and someone tohelp. One of the greatest needs in our churches today is spiritual mentoring.Older believers should be encouraging younger believers. More mature Christiansshould be helping those who are younger in the faith. Timothyhad a servant's heart. Notice Paul says that Timothy would "sincerelycare" for their welfare. The word means genuine concern. Not professionalconcern.    Not forced concern. Notconcern because it was his job. Genuine concern. Timothy truly cared aboutpeople. That immediately raises a question for us. Do we genuinely care aboutothers? It is easy to become wrapped up in our own schedules, our own plans,our own problems, and our own needs. Yet Jesus constantly looked beyond Himselfto the needs of others. Even while hanging on the cross, He cared for Hismother. Even while suffering, He prayed for His enemies. Even while dying, Hesaved a thief. That is the heart of Christ. Onepastor said, "People don't care how much you know until they know how muchyou care." How true that is.Peopleare looking for genuine Christians who will listen, pray, encourage, and help. Asimple phone call can change someone's day. A handwritten note can strengthen adiscouraged believer. A visit can encourage someone who feels forgotten. Aprayer can lift a burden. You never know what God can dothrough a caring heart. The submissive mind always produces concern for others.Selfishness asks, "What can others do for me?" Love asks, "Whatcan I do for others?" Perhapstoday there is someone God has placed on your heart. Maybe it is a familymember. Maybe it is a neighbor. Maybe it is a fellow church member. Maybe it issomeone who is hurting. Don't ignore that prompting. Reach out. Encourage them.Pray for them. Show them the love of Christ. That is exactly what Timothy wouldhave done. And that is exactly what Christ would have us do. Let'spray. Father, thank You for the example of Timothy. Give us hearts thatgenuinely care for others. Deliver us from selfishness and help us to seepeople through Your eyes. Use us today to encourage someone and point them toJesus Christ. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

"For the same reason you alsobe glad and rejoice with me." The Apostle Paul is inviting thePhilippians to share in his joy. Nowthink about it. Paul is in prison, suffering and uncertain about the future.Yet he keeps speaking about joy. This teaches us something so important:Christian joy is not based on circumstances. It is based on Jesus Christ. Theworld's happiness rises and falls with comfort and success, but biblical joycan exist even in suffering. Paul and the Philippians were united in sacrifice,service, and joy. TrueChristian fellowship is much deeper than just a social connection. You may goto church, attend Sunday school, participate in church events, and spend timewith other believers. You may go golfing together, play tennis, or enjoy otheractivities together. Those things are wonderful. But true Christian fellowshipis deeper than simply enjoying social events together. True fellowship issharing together in the work of Jesus Christ. Thereis joy in serving with other believers. There is joy in praying together. Thereis joy in giving together. Yes, there is even joy in suffering together. Thereis joy in seeing lives changed through the work of God as we labor togetherwith fellow believers. Some of the deepest joy believers experience comesduring difficult seasons when they see God working in powerful ways. Acts 5tells us that after the apostles were beaten, they returned to the churchrejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ's name. James1 reminds us to count it all joy when we fall into various trials,tribulations, and troubles, knowing that the testing of our faith producespatience. Suffering produces Christian maturity in our lives. Joy grows when weserve God's purposes and trust God's purposes, even in suffering. Paul wantedthese believers not merely to survive hardship, but to rejoice in the middle ofit. That kind of joy becomes a testimony to the world. People expect us torejoice when things are going well. But when Christians rejoice in trials, theworld sees something supernatural, something different, and they want what wehave. Only Christ can produce that kind of joy in our lives. Maybetoday you're carrying burdens, disappointments, or heartaches. Remember this:your joy does not depend upon changing circumstances. It depends upon anunchanging Savior. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Heis still on the throne. God is still working. The gospel is still true. Heavenis still ahead. Because of that, we can rejoice. We'vebeen talking about the submissive mind here in Philippians 2. As Paul hasdescribed it, the submissive mind ultimately produces joy. The submissive mindis the same as a surrendered life. And a surrendered life produces joy inChrist. The Bible teaches us that Jesus humbled Himself. He obeyed the Father.He endured the cross. He now reigns in glory. Thatreminds me of Hebrews 12:1–3: "Therefore we also, since we aresurrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, andthe sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the racethat is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of ourfaith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising theshame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For considerHim who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you becomeweary and discouraged in your souls." My friend, when we follow thesame principle that Jesus practiced, we discover that surrender leads to joy. Let'spray together. Father, thank You for the joy that is found only in JesusChrist. Teach us to rejoice not only in blessings, but also in sacrifice andservice. Help us to trust You in every circumstance and reflect the joy ofChrist to the world around us. In Jesus' name, Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today we're continuing in Philippians 2, looking at verse 17,where the Apostle Paul says: "Yes, and if I am being poured out as adrink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad andrejoice with you all." Paul is using an Old Testament picture ofsacrifice. In those days, wine would often be poured out upon a sacrifice as anoffering to God. Paul says that his own life is being poured out like thatdrink offering. What a picture of surrender! Paulwas in prison as he wrote these words. He faced uncertainty, suffering, andpossible execution. Yet he did not speak with bitterness. He spoke with joy. Whywas that? Because he had totally and absolutely surrendered his life to JesusChrist. He saw his suffering as an act of worship. Romans 12:1 tells us that weare to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable untoGod, which is only our reasonable service” after all that God has done forus. Christianity is not merely believing certain truths. It is the offering ofourselves fully to God. Paul'sjoy did not depend upon comfortable circumstances. His joy came from knowingthat his life was being used for the glory of God. Oh, my friend, what adifference it makes when we begin to understand that! This is the secret oflasting joy. The world says today that joy or happiness comes from getting. Butthe Bible, and Jesus Himself, teach us that joy and true blessedness come fromgiving. In Acts 20:35, we read these words that Jesus said: "It is moreblessed to give than to receive." Somany of us today struggle with joy because we are focused mainly onourselves—what we want, what we feel, and what we are going through—instead offocusing on God and His glory. Joy grows when we pour out our lives in servingChrist and others. Have you ever poured out your life? The Scriptures tell usthat Jesus Christ poured out His blood on the cross, and He became brokenbread. That is what the Lord's Supper is about: broken bread and poured-outwine. Today that is what we can become in the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ bythe grace of God. Aswe do, we begin to nourish others until they can learn to nourish themselves. Wemight even become a doormat. Yes, people may wipe their feet on us. Yet werejoice when that happens, just as Paul did in prison. What joy we have insidebecause we know that the feet of those who wipe their feet on us are cleanernow. Perhaps, as a result of our response rather than our reaction, they toowill glorify Christ and come to know Him. Paulrejoiced even while suffering because sacrifice for Christ is never wasted. Missionariesunderstand this great truth. Faithful pastors understand this truth. Godlyparents understand this truth. Godly Christians—believers who give their livesin service through the ministry of their local church—understand this truth. Sometimesserving Christ is costly. It may cost comfort, convenience, popularity, andeven relationships. But nothing given to Christ is ever lost. Jim Elliot, thegreat missionary martyr, once said: "He is no fool who gives what hecannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Noless than six times, Jesus said in the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, andJohn—that when you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you loseyour life for His sake and the gospel's, you will find it. So today, askyourself: Am I living sacrificially for Christ? Am I holding back areas of mylife from God? Am I willing to be poured out for His glory? The greatest lifeis not the comfortable life. It is the surrendered life. I pray that this isyour heart today. Let'spray together. Father, thank You for the example of Paul, and above all, theexample of Jesus Christ. Teach us to live sacrificially and joyfully for Yourglory. Help us to absolutely surrender all of our lives completely into Yourhands. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we are looking at verse 16 of Philippians 2, whichsays: "Holding fast the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day ofChrist, that I have not run in vain or labored in vain." The phrase"holding fast" can also mean "holding forth." It paints apicture of something being extended outward for others to see. What are weholding forth? We are holding forth the Word of Life. This refers to thegospel, the life-giving message of Jesus Christ. The world around us isspiritually dying, and it needs the lifeline of the gospel. Picturesomeone drowning. They are about to go under for the last time. You happen tohave the only lifeline on the whole ship. You are standing there with theability to hold it forth and throw it to the individual who is drowning,rescuing them from certain death. That is exactly what we are called to do. Weare in the rescue business, rescuing precious souls—souls for whom Jesus Christdied—from entering eternity without Him. Peopletoday are searching for meaning, peace, forgiveness, and hope. We possess theonly message of eternal life. Jesus said in John 6:63: "The words thatI speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." We are notcalled merely to believe the gospel privately. We are called to proclaim itboldly. Jesus said: "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you andordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruitshould remain." (John 15:16) Alighthouse does not hide its light. It shines outward to guide others safelyhome. Every believer is called to hold forth the Word of Life through bothspeech and conduct. Our message and our lifestyle need to match each other. Whenbelievers constantly complain, fight, or live inconsistently, the gospelmessage becomes clouded. But when our lives reflect Jesus Christ, the gospelbecomes visible through our very lives. ThenPaul says something very personal in this passage. He speaks about rejoicing: "ThatI may rejoice in the day of Christ." The Day of Christ refers to thetime when believers will stand before Christ for reward. It is also called “theJudgment Seat of Christ”, and is also referred to in the epistles as "theDay of Jesus Christ," or simply as "that Day". It refers to thetime when you and I will give an account of how we held forth the Word of Lifeand what we did to bring others to Jesus Christ. Paulreferred to this Day of Christ twice in Philippians 1. Philippians 1:6: "Beingconfident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you willperform it until the day of Jesus Christ." And then in Philippians1:10: "That you may approve the things that are excellent, that you maybe sincere and without offense till the day of Christ." In 1Corinthians 1:7–8, Paul wrote: "Waiting for the revelation of our LordJesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blamelessin the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." That Day refers to the time whenJesus Christ returns for His church, and believers stand before Him to berewarded. It is not a judgment for our sins. That was taken care of at thecross. Faithfulpastors do not simply want large crowds; they want transformed lives. Paulsaid: "…that I have not run in vain or labored in vain." Inother words, he desired that his life and ministry would not be empty orfruitless. There is no greater joy than hearing that those we have influencedare walking in the truth. 3 John 4 says: "I have no greater joy than tohear that my children walk in truth." Can you imagine the joy inheaven when we see those who were impacted by our witness? Everyconversation about Christ matters. Every gospel tract matters. Every prayermatters. Every act of kindness matters. We should never underestimate what Godcan do through simple faithfulness.

"Thatyou may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in themidst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights inthe world."  Whata description of the world in which we live today—a crooked and perversegeneration. The word crooked means twisted or bent away from God's standard.The word perverse means distorted or corrupted. Does that not describe ourworld today? Truth is being redefined. Morality is being distorted. Darkness iscelebrated while righteousness is mocked. We see it on every hand, all aroundus, throughout our world, and especially in our country, the USA. Yet God hascalled us not to hide from the world. He has called us to shine in it. Rememberin Matthew 5:14, Jesus said, "You are the light of the world."In verse 16, He said, "Let your light so shine before men, that theymay see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Light doesnot complain about the darkness. It does not fight with the darkness. Myfriend, all it has to do is shine, and the darkness flees. Iam convinced with all my heart that if Christians truly let the light of JesusChrist shine—remember, He said, "I am the light of the world." NowHe lives in us. His light shines through us. It is not our light; it is Hislight, and it shines through us. If we would only let it shine, the darknesswould be pushed back. It would flee. You do not go into a room and curse thedarkness when it is dark. No, you simply turn on the light switch. As soon asthe light comes on, everything becomes plain and clear, and you can see acrossthe room. That is what we do as believers. Our light shines. Paulsays believers are to be blameless and harmless. This does not mean sinlessperfection, but lives marked by integrity and purity. The world should not seehypocrisy in our lives. Our lives should support the message that we preach. Oneof the greatest tragedies is when Christians damage their testimony throughbitterness, compromise, anger, or constant negativity. We just talked aboutthat in verse 14. Yousee, the darker the world becomes, the brighter faithful believers will shine. Thinkabout Daniel in Babylon, along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Thinkabout Joseph in Egypt and the difference he made. Or even Noah before theflood. They lived in corrupt cultures, yet their lives stood out. The ApostlePaul and the early believers lived in a Roman culture that was dark, corrupt,and cruel. But, my friend, the light was shining. As it shone through theirlives, wonderful things took place that turned the world upside down. Yousee, God never intended for His people to blend into the darkness. Yet thatseems to be what so many churches and believers are trying to do today. Youcannot tell the difference between a believer and the world around them. NoticePaul says we shine in the midst of a crooked generation. We are in the world,but we are not of the world. That is why Jesus prayed in John 17 that theFather would not take believers out of the world, but that He would keep themfrom the evil one. Sohow do we shine in a practical way? We shine through holy living. We shinethrough kindness. We shine through truth. We shine through love. We shinethrough joy in suffering. We shine through forgiveness. We shine throughfaithfulness. A Christian filled with the HolySpirit of God becomes a lighthouse in a dark culture. Peoplearound us desperately need hope. They are confused, fearful, and empty. Manyhave never seen genuine Christianity lived out consistently.  Itrust God will use you and me to make a difference in the world in which welive, because someone is watching how we handle stress, disappointment,conflict, and suffering. Are you shining clearly today? Or are you blendinginto the darkness? Ask God to make your light shine as a bright testimony forJesus Christ. Remember this: the darker the night, the more visible the light. 

Philippians 2:14 Welcometo Pastor’s Chat. Today our verse is short, simple, and extremely convicting.We are looking at Philippians 2:14, which says, “Do all things withoutcomplaining and disputing.” What a powerful command. Paul has just told usthat God is working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Now hetells us that one of the clearest evidences that we are surrendering to God’swork and God’s will is that we stop complaining. Thinkabout the nation of Israel. Complaining was one of their greatest sins as theyjourneyed through the wilderness. They complained about the food, theleadership, the hardships, and the direction in which God was leading them.Even after witnessing miracle after miracle beyond imagination, they grumbledagainst God. The truth is, we often do the same thing. “Complaining”reveals a heart that is dissatisfied with God’s providence. “Disputing”refers to arguing, questioning, and inward rebellion. Paulsays, “Do all things.” Did you notice that? Not some things, but allthings without complaining and disputing. That includes difficult jobs, familypressures, interruptions, disappointments, church ministry, trials, andsuffering. James tells us to “count it all joy” when we fall into varioustrials and temptations. Now, this does not mean we never express concernswisely or lovingly. There is a difference between seeking solutions and havinga grumbling spirit. I have met many people who have grumbling spirits. Nomatter what happens, they always have something negative to say. They rarelyseem to say anything positive. It becomes evident that their ungrateful andunthankful hearts reveal a lack of trust in God and an inability to see Him atwork in their situations. Acomplaining spirit destroys joy, unity, and the testimony of believers. Remember,Philippians is the epistle of joy. Joy and complaining cannot live in the sameheart at the same time. It is impossible. Why do we complain? Think about it.Usually, it is because pride tells us we deserve better. Humility says, “Lord,I deserve judgment, but You have given me grace, and I am so thankful.” JesusHimself is our example. Think about all that He endured: rejection, betrayal,false accusations, suffering, and the cross. Yet 1 Peter 2:23 says, “When Hewas reviled, He did not revile in return.” You see, grumbling andcomplaining contradict the very spirit of Christ. We represent a graciousSavior. He has been so good to us. He has blessed us in countless ways.Sometimes our greatest witness is not how we act when life is easy, but how werespond when life is hard. Theworld expects bitterness, anger, and negativity. But when believers respondwith peace, gratitude, trust, and patience, people notice. Complaining spreadsdarkness, but gratitude spreads life. Today, ask yourself: What am Icomplaining about? What situation have I resisted instead of surrendered? HaveI trusted God’s wisdom in my circumstances? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Ineverything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ for you.” Noticeit does not say to give thanks for everything, but in everything. Godmay not cause every difficulty in our lives, but He uses every difficulty forHis glory and for our growth in Christ. So today, instead of complaining,choose gratitude. Instead of disputing, choose trust. Instead of focusing onyour problems, focus on the goodness of God. A thankful heart is one of theclearest marks of spiritual maturity. May God help us to have that kind ofheart. Let’spray together. Father, forgive us for our complaining and disputing. Teach usto trust You even in difficult circumstances. Fill our hearts with gratitudeand help us reflect the spirit of Jesus Christ. May our attitude point othersto You. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Godbless you and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today, as we come to Philippians 2:12-13, we move from theexample of Christ to the everyday experience of the Christian life. Paul hasjust shown us the humility and obedience of Jesus Christ. Now he tells us howthat same mind of Christ is to be lived out in us. Listen to these powerfulwords in verses 12 and 13: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have alwaysobeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work outyour own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you bothto will and to do for His good pleasure.” Theword “therefore” connects this passage to everything Paul has just saidabout Jesus Christ. Because Christ humbled Himself, obeyed the Father, and gaveHimself for us, we are now to live differently. Paul begins by calling thePhilippians “my beloved.” Oh, what tenderness and affection are found in thesewords from Paul. He loved these believers. Even from prison, his heart was withthem. Thenhe says, “As you have always obeyed.” Obedience is one of the clearestevidences of genuine salvation. Remember, Jesus said in John 14:15, “If youlove Me, keep My commandments.” My friend, true faith always bringsobedience into our lives. As you continue through this verse, Paul wanted theirobedience to continue whether he was present or absent. They were to live forthe approval of God, not for the approval of men. They were to live for thepleasure of God. That is a challenge for all of us today. Sometimes we do rightonly when others are watching. But mature Christianity is doing right when noone is watching because we know God is watching. ThenPaul gives this command: “Work out your own salvation with fear andtrembling.” Now this verse has often been misunderstood. Paul is not sayingthat we work for our salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith. Ephesians2:8-9 says, “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not ofyourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Paulis writing to believers who are already saved. The phrase “work out” meansto bring to completion, to carry something to its intended result. It was usedof working a field or mining out valuable ore. The idea is this: God has placedHis life within you, and now He wants that life expressed through you. Howimportant is this? Salvation is not merely something we possess; it issomething that transforms us daily. The Christian life is not about tryingharder in our own strength. It is about cooperating with what God has alreadyworked within us. Then Paul says we are to do this “with fear andtrembling.” That is not fear of losing our salvation. It is reverence, awe,and seriousness before a holy God. It is recognizing the incredible privilegeand responsibility of belonging to Jesus Christ.  Sowhy should we take the Christian life seriously? Verse 13 gives the answer: “Forit is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Nowthis is an amazing truth. The Christian life is not merely imitation; it isincarnation. Christ lives in us through the Holy Spirit. God works in us beforeHe works through us. The word “works” here is related to the word fromwhich we get our English word “energy.” God energizes the believer fromwithin. He gives us the desire to obey Him and the power to obey Him.  Aswe look at this passage of Scripture, Philippians 2:13 reminds us that we arenever alone in the Christian life. God is actively at work within us. Maybetoday you feel weak, discouraged, or spiritually dry. Remember this: if youbelong to Jesus Christ, God has not abandoned you. He is still working in you.Sometimes His work is slow and hidden, but He never stops shaping His children.Like a sculptor chiseling stone, God patiently removes what does not belong inus, and He forms Christ within us. Remember Romans 8:29 says that we arepredestined “to be conformed to the image of His Son.” God’s goal for our livesis to make us like Jesus Christ. 

We have walked together through one of the greatestpassages in all the Bible: Philippians 2:5–11. Today, we want to review what wehave been looking at over the last nine days. During these days, we have seenthe humility of Christ, the servanthood of Christ, the obedience of Christ, thesacrifice of Christ, the exaltation of Christ, and the lordship of JesusChrist. Now we come to the most important question of all: Will we let thismind be in us which also was in Christ Jesus? Pauldid not give this passage merely so that we could admire Jesus intellectually.He gave it to believers so that we would imitate Christ in a very practicalway. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” This is what wehave called the submissive mind. Remember, chapter one was the single mind—themind that is set on Jesus Christ and His gospel. The submissive mind is themindset that says, “Not my will, but God’s. Not my glory, but His. Not myrights, but loving service.” Myfriend, this is the mindset that is the exact opposite of the spirit of theworld. The world says, “Promote yourself. Protect yourself. Exalt yourself.Demand your rights.” Jesus says, “Humble yourself. Serve others. Obey theFather. Glorify God.” Humility is not misery. It is the pathway to joy.Philippians, remember, is the epistle of joy. Joy flows from surrender. Prideproduces conflict, but humility produces unity. Pride says, “I deserve better.”Humility says, “I deserve judgment, yet God has given me grace.” Thisperspective changes everything. Thinkagain about the journey of Jesus in this passage. He was in the form of God. Heemptied Himself. He became a servant. He became man. He humbled Himself. Heobeyed unto death. God exalted Him. One day every knee will bow to Him. What aSavior! So how do we live out this life practically every day? First, everymorning we can begin by surrendering our minds to Jesus Christ. PrayPhilippians 2:5: “Lord, let Your mind be in me today,” and ask God to shapeyour thoughts, your attitudes, and your reactions. Second,intentionally look for ways to serve others. Humility grows through service.Sometimes the holiest moments happen in the ordinary acts of kindness in ourlives: encouraging someone who is discouraged, helping without recognition,listening patiently, meeting a practical need, choosing forgiveness instead ofresentment. Third, surrender your rights to the Lord. One of the greatestobstacles to unity is our insistence on personal rights and preferences. AsOswald Chambers said, “The only right you really have is the right to give upyour right to yourself.” The mind of Christ willingly lays down selfish demandsfor the good of others. Fourth,remember the cross daily. The cross destroys our pride because it reminds usthat we are sinners saved entirely by grace. When we stand at Calvary, boastingdisappears. Finally, keep your eyes on the exalted Christ. This old world isonly temporary. The kingdom of Jesus is eternal. One day every knee will bowand every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We should live in thelight of that coming day. Thismindset is something God wants us to have every day. Churches do not experiencerevival merely through better programs or louder preaching. Revival begins whenbelievers humble themselves before God. Families change when hearts become servanthearted. Churches become unified when believers stop demanding recognition.Communities are impacted when Christians live like Jesus. The world todaydesperately needs to see the mind of Christ lived out through His people. Today,as we close this series, choose humility. Choose obedience. Choose service.Choose surrender. Choose Jesus Christ.  

Today we come to the climax of the magnificent passage weread in Philippians 2:11: “that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christis Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Paul has taken us from the heights ofheaven to the depths of the cross, and now back to the throne of grace. What isthe result of it all? It is all to the glory of God the Father. Oneday every voice in the universe will declare the same truth: Jesus Christ isLord. The word confess here means to openly acknowledge, to declare, toagree upon. There will be no atheists then. There will be no skeptics then. Nofalse gods then. No competing kingdoms then. Every tongue will declare whatheaven already knows: Jesus Christ is Lord! Thinkabout what that means. The baby born in Bethlehem is Lord. The carpenter fromNazareth is Lord. The rejected Savior is Lord. The crucified Lamb is Lord. Therisen Christ is Lord. The coming King is Lord. This confession will notdiminish the glory of the Father. It will magnify it, because it is all to theglory of God the Father. Thisis important for us to think about. Jesus never competed with the Father forglory. Everything Jesus did ultimately honored the Father. In John 17:4, inJesus’ prayer, He said, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finishedthe work which You have given Me to do.” The entire life of Jesus Christwas centered on the Father’s glory. This is the purpose of our lives too. FirstCorinthians 10:31 says, “Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, doall to the glory of God.” We often ask, “What will make me happy? What willmake me successful? What will make me comfortable?” But the better question is:What will glorify God? When we start asking that question, everything changes. Themind of Christ is not self-centered. It is God-centered. Jesus did not come tobuild an earthly empire for Himself. He came to glorify the Father throughperfect obedience. Now God has exalted Him forever. This is the great purposeof salvation—that we as redeemed sinners would glorify God. Ephesians 1repeatedly mentions that the saved are saved to the praise of His glory.  Whenwe forgive others, God is glorified. When we serve humbly, God is glorified.When we obey in difficult circumstances, God is glorified. When we worshipChrist sincerely, God is glorified. Even suffering can glorify God whensurrendered to Him. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 4:16, “If anyone suffers as aChristian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” Oneof the clearest evidences of spiritual maturity is a growing desire for God’sglory instead of our own. Pridewants recognition. Humility wants God honored. The flesh says, “Notice me.” TheSpirit says, “Magnify Christ.” That is why John the Baptist expressed this sobeautifully when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Weknow this is the heartbeat of Philippians 2: Jesus willingly humbled Himselfbefore the Father so that the Father would be glorified through His obedienceand exaltation. Now, as believers, we are called to live our lives the sameway. Imaginewhat would happen if every Christian began each day by saying, “Lord, glorifyYourself through my life today.” This could transform marriages, churches,conversations, workplaces, and ministries. Because the focus would shift fromself to Christ. Today, let your words glorify God. Let your actions glorifyGod. Let your attitudes glorify God. Remember this: the day is coming when allcreation will unite in one great confession: Jesus Christ is Lord, to the gloryof God the Father. What a moment that will be. Are you living today in thelight of that future reality? “Father, thank You that one day every tongue will confess that JesusChrist is Lord. Forgive us for living for our own glory instead of Yours. Helpus to magnify Christ in our words, our attitudes, and our actions. May ourlives point others to Jesus and bring glory to Your throne alone.InJesus’ name, amen.” 

Today we come to one of the most sobering and glorious truthsin all of Scripture. Philippians 2:10 says this: “that at the name of Jesusevery knee will bow.” Notice—not some knees, not many knees, but everyknee. The entire universe will one day acknowledge the lordship of JesusChrist. Right now, some people debate about Jesus. They reject Him. They mockHim. They ignore Him. But the day is coming when all debate will end forever.Every created being will bow before Him. NowPaul divides this into three different groups: “those in heaven, those onearth, and those under the earth”.Whatdoes this include?  Those in heaven”refers to the angels and the redeemed believers already in glory. Imagineheaven today—a multitude of angels worshiping Jesus continually. Revelation5:11–12 gives us a picture of this. When John had that vision of heaven, theywere saying, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.” The saints in heaven bowjoyfully because they know the greatness of the Savior. ThenPaul says, “those on earth.” This includes every living person on earth. Kingswill bow, presidents will bow, celebrities will bow, atheists will bow,religious leaders will bow. All will bow one day before the Lord Jesus Christ.No earthly power or fame will matter at that moment. The most powerful peoplein history will stand equal before Jesus Christ. Thenhe says, “those under the earth.” This refers to the realm of the dead andthose awaiting the final judgment. This no doubt includes all those who havegone into eternity without Christ, and whose souls even now are in a terribleplace in the heart of the earth called Sheol, Hades, or hell. Read Luke chapter 16 and Revelation20:11–14.Whata terrible day that judgment will be. But every knee will bow. No one is goingto escape this reality. The tragedy is that many who refuse to bow willinglynow will bow unwillingly later. Today is the day of grace, and today is the dayof salvation. Romans 10:9 reminds us, “If you confess with your mouth theLord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, youwill be saved.” God invites people today to come willingly now inrepentance and faith. But one day, submission will no longer be voluntary.Every knee will bow because Jesus Christ truly is Lord. Thistruth should affect how we live even today. First, it should produce worship.If heaven is centered around Christ, our lives should be too. Worship is notmerely singing in church. It is surrendering every area of our lives to JesusChrist. Second, this truth should produce humility. Pride melts when weremember that every human being will one day bow before Christ. The ground islevel at the foot of the cross, and we too will bow before Him along with allcreation. Third,this truth should produce urgency in evangelism. People around us desperatelyneed the gospel—friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. They are living nowas though Christ does not matter, but eternity says otherwise. One day everyperson you know will stand before Christ. This should burden our hearts topray, to witness, and to share the gospel while there is still time and hope. Finally,this truth gives us as believers great hope. Right now, evil seems strong.Truth seems attacked. The world appears chaotic. But Jesus Christ wins. Historyis not spinning out of control. It is moving toward the visible reign of JesusChrist. As we said yesterday, one day all the world will come to Jesus. It iscoming to Jesus and every knee will bow before Him as Lord.  Believers today joyfully bow before the authority of Jesus Christ.Will you join us today in bowing before Him even now? Lord Jesus, we bow before You today as the King of Kings andLord of Lords. Thank You for Your mercy and Your grace. Help us to livesurrendered lives that honor You. Give us boldness to share the gospel withothers before that coming day when every knee will bow. We pray this in Jesus’name. Amen.

Because of Christ’s humility and obedience, Godthe Father responded. “Therefore, God has highly exalted Him”.The world rejected Jesus, but the Father exalted Him. Men mocked Jesus, but theFather crowned Him. Men nailed Him to a cross, but the Father raised Him fromthe dead and seated Him at His own right hand in glory. The resurrection andascension were heaven’s declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord. Thephrase “highly exalted” means super-exalted or exalted to the highest place. InEphesians 1:20–21, Paul wrote that “God seated Christ at His right hand inthe heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might anddominion”. No one is higher than Jesus. No one is greater than Jesus. Noone will ever dethrone Jesus. Heaven is moving toward one great conclusion, andthat is the complete triumph of Jesus Christ.This exaltation of Jesus includes Hisresurrection, His ascension, His heavenly reign, and His future visiblekingdom. The One who wore the crown of thorns will one day wear many crowns.Revelation 19:16 says Jesus is, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” ThenPaul continues: “and given Him a name which is above every name.” Whatis that name? Some believe it might refer to the name Jesus, but most likelyPaul is speaking about the title Lord. In verse 11, every tongue confesses thatJesus Christ is Lord. In the New Testament, Paul is declaring thatJesus Christ shares fully in the divine authority and glory of God Himself. Thisis astonishing because, in the Roman Empire, Caesar claimed to be lord, butChristians boldly proclaimed, “Jesus is Lord.” That confession often cost themtheir freedom, their possessions, and even their lives. Still today, declaringJesus as Lord is radical. Because if Jesus is Lord, He has authority over ourlives. He determines truth. He deserves obedience. He deserves worship. Hedeserves first place in our lives. Manypeople want Jesus as Savior, but not as Lord. They want forgiveness withoutsurrender. They want heaven without holiness. They want salvation withoutsubmission. But the gospel calls us to bow before Christ as Lord. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believein your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”The resurrection proves His Lordship.God exalted Jesus after Jesus humbled Himself. Thisis the principle throughout Scripture. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselvesin the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” 1 Peter 5:6 says, “Humbleyourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” Wealso know that we live in a world obsessed with self-promotion. But God’skingdom works differently. The way up is down. The way to greatness isservanthood. The pathway to honor is humility. Wesee in the Old Testament that when people humbled themselves—like Joseph,David, and Moses—God exalted them. Jesus went to the cross before ascending tothe throne. Today, maybe you feel overlooked. You might feel forgotten or misunderstood,or faithfully serving without recognition. Remember, God sees humble obedience,and your humility is never wasted. God knows how to exalt His servants in Hisperfect time and in His perfect way. Ourresponsibility is not self-promotion. Our responsibility is faithful obedience.One day every wrong will be made right when Christ reigns over all. Today,worship Jesus not only as Savior, but as your Lord. Ask yourself: Is there anyarea of my life resisting His authority? Have I surrendered my plans, myfuture, and my ambitions to Him? Am I living for my kingdom or His? The exaltedChrist deserves complete surrender. Let’spray together. Father, thank You for exalting Your Son, Jesus Christ. Weworship Him today as Lord of all. Forgive us for the areas where we haveresisted His authority. Help us to walk in humility and faithful obedience,trusting You to lift us up in Your perfect time. We pray this in Jesus’ name.Amen.

“He became obedient to the point of death,even the death of the cross.” Jesus’entire earthly life was marked by obedience. Hebrews 10:7 says: “Behold, Ihave come to do Your will, O my God.” From Bethlehem to Calvary, Jesuslived in perfect submission to the Father. In the Gospel of John Jesus made itvery clear that He did not do what He Himself wanted to do. He always did whatHis Father told Him to do. He went where His Father told Him to go, and Hespoke what His Father told Him to speak. It is very obvious that Jesus lived alife of submission to the Father. Where Adam disobeyed in a garden, Jesusobeyed in a garden. In Gethsemane, facing the horror of the cross, Jesusprayed: “Not My will, but Thine be done.” What obedience! Notice verse 8 says: “He became obedientto the point of death.” Obedience cost Him everything. Sometimeswe speak casually about obedience, but biblical obedience is often very costly.For Jesus, obedience meant: rejection, betrayal, false accusations, mocking, beatings,crucifixion, and ultimately death. Then Paul emphasizes: “Even the death ofthe cross.” Thecross was the most humiliating and shameful form of execution in the Romanworld. Roman citizens were generally exempt from crucifixion. It was reservedfor the worst criminals, slaves, and rebels. Victims were publicly stripped,mocked, and displayed in agony before the world. My friend, that is the deathJesus willingly obeyed unto—the death of the cross. Deuteronomy 21:23 declares:“Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” Galatians 3:13 tells us: “Christhas redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.”Hebecame that curse for us by hanging on the cross. Jesusdid not merely die physically. He bore the wrath and judgment for our sins—thejudgment we deserved.Isaiah53:6 says: “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” 2Corinthians 5:21 says: “For God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” At the cross, Jesustook our place. He suffered the judgment we deserved so that we could receivethe forgiveness we did not deserve. My friend, this is the heart of the gospel. Remember,Jesus chose this. Matthew 26:53 says that He could have called twelve legionsof angels, but love held Him to the cross. The nails did not hold Him there. Itwas the love of God and the love of Christ that held Him on that cross when Hedied. What application does this have for you and metoday? First, we must realize that obedience always involves surrender. Youcannot follow Christ while insisting on your own way and your own will. Jesussaid in Luke 9:23: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himselfand take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Second, true obedience istested when it becomes costly. Anyone can obey when it is convenient. Obediencebecomes real when sacrifice is required. Maybe the sacrifice will involve: ourreputation, our comfort, our popularity, our financial security, our relationships,or our personal plans. When we come to Christ and choose to follow Him, it willcost us something. But nothing we surrender for Christ compares to what Hesurrendered for us!  Thecross changes everything about how we view sacrifice. Paul later tells us inRomans 12:1:“Present your bodies a living sacrifice.” The Christian lifeis not about shallow, convenient Christianity. It is about cross-centereddiscipleship. But here is the wonderful truth: the cross is not the end. Sundaywas coming. Humiliation would give way to exaltation. Death would give way toresurrection. Tomorrow, in Philippians 2:9, we will see heaven’s response toChrist’s obedience: “Therefore God has highly exalted Him.”  Godbless you and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

“Andbeing found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself.” Thatphrase is astonishing. Jesus humbled Himself voluntarily. Nobody forced Him.Nobody trapped Him. Nobody took His life from Him against His will. RememberJesus said in John 10:18: “No man takes my life from me. I lay it down ofmyself.” You see, humility was not weakness in Jesus. It was deliberatesurrender. Whenpeople looked at Jesus, they simply saw a man. “Being found in appearance as aman,” most people saw Him and never realized who stood before them. They saw acarpenter from Nazareth, a Jewish teacher, a poor rabbi with no earthly power. Matthew13:55 says they asked the question: “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” Theymissed the glory hidden behind His humanity. The Creator walked among Hiscreation unnoticed. Imagine that. The One who spoke worlds into existence wasmocked by sinners. The One who created human hands allowed those hands to nailHim to a cross. YetHe humbled Himself. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus continually chosethe low place. He touched lepers others avoided. He welcomed children othersignored. He ate with tax collectors and sinners others despised. He washeddirty feet others refused to touch. Remember John 13: Jesus wrapped Himself ina servant’s garment. Then He washed the disciples’ feet and said: “I havegiven you an example that you should do as I have done to you.” Humilityis not simply admiring Jesus. It is learning from Him. In Matthew 11:28-30,Jesus said: “Come to me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I willgive you rest.” Then He says: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest unto your souls. Formy yoke is easy and my burden is light.” It is getting in the yoke withJesus in humility. Humilityis one of the clearest marks of genuine spirituality. Pride was the originalsin. Lucifer fell through pride. Adam and Eve reached upward in pride. ButJesus willingly stepped downward in humility. He was never insecure. He neverdenied who He was. Yet He constantly placed others before Himself. Our worldcelebrates self-promotion, but Jesus modeled self-denial. The culture says,“Build your platform.” Jesus says, “Take up your cross.” The flesh says, “Benoticed.” But Jesus says, “Serve faithfully.” Oneof the hardest things for us is hidden humility. True humility is content with only God seeing. Philippians2 is teaching us that humility is not optional for believers. It is the mindsetof Jesus Christ. Remember James 4:6 says: “God resists the proud, but Hegives grace to the humble.” Think about that. Pride puts us in oppositionto God, but humility places us under the grace that we desperately need everyday.Sohow do we cultivate humility? First, by keeping our eyes on Jesus Christ. Pridegrows when we compare ourselves to others. Humility grows when we compareourselves to Jesus. Second, by serving others intentionally. Humility isdeveloped through acts of service. And third, by remembering that everything wehave is from God. 1 Corinthians 4:7 says: “What do you have that you did notreceive?”  Today, ask God to reveal areas of hidden pridein your life. Maybe that pride is in: our knowledge, our accomplishments, ourministry, our possessions, or even our spiritual maturity. Independence itselfcan become a source of pride. Pride can even hide behind religious activity. But,my friend, the cross of Jesus Christ destroys pride because it reminds us thatwe are sinners completely dependent upon His grace. The closer we walk withJesus, the humbler we will become. Let’spray together. “Lord Jesus, thank You for Your incredible humility. Forgive usfor pride and self-centeredness. Teach us to take the low place joyfully andserve others with sincere hearts. Help us to think less about ourselves andmore about You and others. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

Today we are looking at Philippians 2:5-11, where we aretalking about the mind of Christ: This passage begins with: “Let this mindbe in you.” Today we come to one of the greatest miracles in humanhistory—when God became a man. We find this in verse 7: “But He made Himselfof no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in thelikeness of men.” This is the miracle of the incarnation. The eternalGod stepped into humanity without ceasing to be God. RememberJohn 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Think aboutthat statement: The infinite became an infant. The Creator entered creation. TheOne who made the stars was born beneath them. My friend, Jesus was not partlyGod and partly man. He was fully God and fully man at the very same time. Thisis essential to the gospel of Jesus Christ. If Jesus were only man, He couldnot save us. If He were only God, He could not represent us. Because He is bothGod and man, He became the perfect mediator between God and humanity. Remember1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God andman, the man Christ Jesus.” Jesusentered humanity. He experienced hunger, weariness, rejection, sorrow, andphysical pain. He knew what it was to be tired after a long journey. He knewwhat it was to weep at a grave. He knew what it was to be misunderstood andbetrayed. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who cannotsympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yetwithout sin.” This should give us great comfort. Jesus understands humansuffering firsthand. When you hurt, He understands. When you are weary, Heunderstands. When you are rejected, He understands. YetJesus never sinned. He was tempted externally, but unlike us, He had no sinfulnature within Him. He is the perfect Savior. Paul said He came “in thelikeness of men.” That does not mean Jesus only appeared human. It means Hetruly became man while remaining distinct from sinful humanity. He looked likeany other Jewish man of His day. Isaiah 53:2 says, “He has no form norcomeliness. And when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” Peoplesaw a carpenter from Nazareth. But hidden within that humble frame was theglory of God. Many missed Him because they were looking for outward splendor.People still miss Him today. Some want a political savior. Some want a miracleworker. Some want religion without repentance. But Jesus first came as asuffering servant. Howdoes this apply to us? How can we make this real to us? If Jesus was willing toenter our world, we should be willing to enter the struggles of others. Trueministry steps into other people’s pain. Jesus did not remain distant from ourbroken humanity. He moved toward sinners, and we are called to do the same. Galatians6:2 reminds us, “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law ofChrist.” Wesometimes prefer a comfortable Christianity that avoids messy people anddifficult situations. But Jesus stepped directly into our mess to rescue us. Sowho around you today needs compassion? Who needs encouragement? Who needssomeone willing to listen? The mind of Christ moves toward people, not awayfrom them. Yes,my friend, because Jesus became one of us, we can approach Him with confidence.Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we mayobtain mercy and find grace in our time of need.” Oh, what a Savior! Let’spray together. Father, thank You for sending Jesus into our world. Thank Youthat He understands our weaknesses and our sorrows. Help us to show Hiscompassion to others today. Make us willing to enter the burdens and hurts ofthose around us with the love of Jesus Christ. We pray this in Jesus’ name.Amen. Godbless you and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Todaywe are delving into one of the greatest mysteries of the Bible here inPhilippians 2:7, where the Apostle Paul wrote, “But made Himself of noreputation, taking the form of a bondservant.” Today we are going to talkabout how “He emptied Himself”. What an amazing truth we find here—thatJesus Christ, the God of heaven, emptied Himself and came among us. Philippians2 takes us into the humility of Jesus Christ. Remember, that is what Paul isteaching: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Theheart and mind of humility that Jesus had brought Him to planet Earth as ahuman being. Verse6 shows us that Jesus is fully God. We talked about that yesterday. Now verse 7shows us what He was willing to do for our salvation. Paul says, “But madeHimself of no reputation.” The phrase literally means “He emptied Himself.”Now, this has sometimes been misunderstood, so we need to look at it carefullytoday. Jesus did not empty Himself of His deity. Jesus never stopped being God.When Jesus walked on earth, He still forgave sins. He still calmed storms. Hestill received worship. He still claimed equality with the Father. He was fullyGod and fully man at the same time. So what did He empty Himself of? Helaid aside the independent use of His divine privileges. He voluntarilysurrendered the visible glory and heavenly privileges that He had with theFather before the world began. Remember John 17:5, where Jesus prayed, “Andnow, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I hadwith You before the world was.” Think about what Jesus left behind: the worshipof angels, the splendor of heaven, the glory of eternity, the uninterruptedfellowship of heavenly majesty. He entered into a fallen world filled withsuffering, rejection, hatred, and pain. The Creator stepped into His creation. Theeternal God became a baby. What humility! Paulcontinues by saying that He took “the form of a bondservant.” Notice thecontrast in verse 6: He was in the form of God. In verse 7, He took the form ofa servant. The One who ruled heaven and the universe became a servant onearth—not merely a servant, but a bondservant, a slave. Jesus did not pretendto serve. He became a servant. Think about John 13, where Jesus washed thedisciples’ feet. That was the work of the lowest household servant. Can youimagine that? The hands that formed the galaxies washed fishermen’s feet. Thatis the mind of Christ. Mark10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but tominister.” This is so opposite of our culture today. The world says, “Promoteyourself, demand recognition, protect your image.” Jesus says, “Serve.” Remember,real greatness in the kingdom of God is found in servanthood. Matthew 23:11says, “He who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Yes, many peoplewant the crown, but few want the towel. Yetthroughout Scripture, God honors servants. Joseph served in prison beforeruling in Egypt. David served sheep before leading Israel. Moses served in thewilderness before delivering a nation. Jesus served all the way to the cross. Thequestion today is this: Where is God calling you to serve?Maybein your home.Atyour church.Atwork.Maybein a hidden ministry that nobody ever notices. Yousee, the flesh wants applause, but the spirit wants obedience. One of thegreatest tests of humility is whether or not we are willing to serve when noone sees us and no one praises us. Are we still joyful today in serving theLord? The mind of Christ says, “Yes, I will serve.”Today,ask yourself:AmI looking to be served or to serve?DoI quietly resent humble tasks?AmI willing to do unnoticed ministry?Thatmay mean being a nursery worker, cleaning the church, helping elderly people,or being a faithful prayer warrior that nobody knows about. Heaven sees it all.Remember this: Jesus never asked us to go lower than He already went. Remember:“He emptied Himself” and so should we!

Let this mind be in youwhich was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not considerit robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking theform of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. Todaywe’re looking at Philippians 2:6, where Paul wrote, “Who, being in the formof God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.” Yesterday inverse 5, we saw Paul’s command: “Let this mind be in you.” We arelooking at the greatness of the One who perfectly lived that mind—that mindwhere “He did not cling to His own rights.” Today, we’re talking about Christ’smind and the importance of understanding the deity of Jesus Christ.  Thisis one of the clearest declarations of the deity of Jesus Christ in the Bible.The word “form” means the very essence and nature of something. Jesuswas not merely like God—He is God. Jesus never became God. He always was God. John1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and theWord was God.” In verse 14, John said, “And the Word became flesh anddwelt among us,” speaking of Jesus Christ. Colossians1:15-17 declares that Jesus Christ created all things: “He is the image ofthe invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things werecreated that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible,whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things werecreated through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all thingsconsist.” What a powerful statement on the deity of Jesus Christ and Hiseternal being. Hebrews1:3 says, “The brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.”Jesus did not become God at Bethlehem or in the Virgin Mary. He was, andhas always been, eternally God the Son. Yet Paul says here that He “did notconsider it robbery to be equal with God.” The idea here is that Jesus did notselfishly cling to His divine privilege. Thinkabout it. The One who was worshiped by angels, the One seated in heavenlyglory, the Creator of the universe, willingly laid aside His rights to come andrescue sinners. Contrast that with Lucifer in Isaiah chapter 14, where we aretold that Lucifer said, “I will exalt my throne. I will be like the Most HighGod.”Pridesays, “I deserve more.”Pride says, “I want recognition.”Pride says, “I will promote myself.”ButJesus demonstrated just the opposite spirit. Adamand Eve grasped for equality with God in the garden. But Jesus, who already wasGod and possessed equality with God, released His privilege for our salvation. Oh,my friend, what humility. Here is the application for us today: What rights arewe clinging to?Theright to be appreciated.The right to be comforted.The right to always be understood.The right to win every argument.The right to have our preferences met. Myfriend, the mind of Jesus Christ says, “I will surrender my rights for the goodof others.” This is the heart of Christian maturity. In 1 Corinthians 10:24 weread, “Let no one seek his own, but each one the well-being of others.” Imaginewhat would happen if, in our homes, husbands and wives stopped fighting forpersonal rights and started serving one another. Imagine churches filled withbelievers saying, “How can I help?” instead of, “How can I be recognized?” Oh,my friend, this is the mind of Christ. Humility is not weakness. It is strengthunder control. Jesus could have remained in His heavenly glory, but love movedHim toward the cross. We must continually remind ourselves to examine any areaof our hearts where pride has taken root. Then, consciously surrender that areato Jesus Christ.Maybelet someone else have the last word today.Maybe give up recognition.Maybe quietly serve without needing any praise. Thatis Christlike thinking. May God help us to have this mind which was also inChrist Jesus. Godbless you and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!