Philippians Chapter 4:14-23
First B Jackson
2026-09-13

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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A chance to go down to the beach. Panama City Beach, Florida, which is the place that both of our families grew up going. She a little further down the beach than my family, but I bet we stayed. A hurricane wiped away the house that we used to stay at but I think I was staying about 200 yards from where it was. One way or the other is hard to tell on the beach but we had a ball with College House Ministry from Saint Luke Church in Columbus, Georgia and they invited us to come down and speak and be there.

Just hang out with the with the folks. College ministry and ministry in Jackson are very similar. In that, people come in and people go and you can just keep on pouring and keep on pouring and keep em keep on pouring out and sometimes it it feels a little bit like, wow, I just keep on pouring out and they keep on leaving and that's hard I think for college ministers and for teachers too. You know, when you have a just a great class coming through, you've made a huge, feel like you've made a huge impact on their life and then you get there the next year and there's a whole new set of faces and so, in the South, they tend to change passes. They run em off for one reason or another about every three or four years and out here, y'all we just get a new congregation every three or four years.

So, I am there are some of y'all that I've known and I've known since the week that I got here as a carpenter and there are some of y'all that I've known and I've been through some of the hardest things people go through with and I have a part of my heart that is just overwhelmed thinking about it. I close my eyes a lot because I can't look at you. Sincerely, it's like I know the highs and the lows and it's really hard stuff and then, I know that everybody you meet is fighting a hard battle no matter where you are, right? If you're in the grocery store, if you're downtown, wherever you are, you don't know what everybody's carrying with them. You don't know the heartache and you don't know the sorrow and you don't know the trouble and you don't know the questions and you don't know what's going through.

And to think that way in a town that's surrounded by mountains for fourteen years and then get out and go to a super Walmart. Oh my gosh. It is crazy to me that I know, I feel like I've got my arms around y'all a little bit, right? And I kind of know what's going on and to think that that's replicated 8,000,000,000 times. You know, that's crazy to me and so I'm I'm moved with compassion but I don't even know why because I don't know everybody here and so that's it's a weird state to be in.

Saying goodbye to my one of my best friends. Well, when we left the mission field, saying goodbye to all my best friends. Moving across an international border and getting to meet a whole bunch of new people spending seven years with them and thinking we're going be there for the rest of our lives and then coming back. Reentry is, oh, brutal, you know? Why are the roads so wide?

Why are the cars so big, you know? Philippians to Colossians. We're going say goodbye to the Philippians today and we're going to say hello to the Colossians. So, this is the idea and it's going to be mainly scripture. What we got a chance to teach last week because I've been teaching on Philippians here and I think it's a great book for our age.

I think that we're tempted to despair. I think that the news around us and listening to so many voices from so many ways is pulling us apart as a community obviously, as a nation obviously but as a church, it's doing it too and so, we have been through the last couple books we've been through are Ephesians which is eager to maintain unity in the bond of the spirit and it just screams it in every chapter, right? Theologically in the first three and then practically in the last three, Philippians starts from the beginning and you know this is a beloved group of people that Paul knows and knows well. He saw the gospel go in to that area. His first church in Europe, right?

Lydia, the slave girl, the Philippian jailer, and then from there, all of these other people and he spent a little time with them and he got to know him. I get the chance here to marry folks a lot. And I sometimes I know him really really well and sometimes I don't know him at all and but out one of my first questions. So, you're both believers because usually they self select a pastor. Although Tanya and I had a judge, he was available, you know.

And he was really good to us by saying yes and so I try to say yes to that but I feel like I'm getting to know these people. The wedding that I did yesterday for a couple that comes to the second service here. I do know them and I'm I've gotten to know em over the last couple of years and I love their hearts and when I asked him, I said, hey, homily, what would you have? Is there anything? You know, I always ask for suggestions and everybody goes, oh, you're the preacher.

Do what you want to do and they said two words. They said, Christ centered. That's what we want. You don't need to tell stories about us. Christ centered, that's what we want.

Okay. This is what Philippians and Colossians is all going to be. Whether you know people or don't know people, keep it about Jesus and always start with grace and peace. I'm on a ramp up to it with Vans text from last week and I have been running so hard. I have not heard it and I'm looking forward to hearing it this afternoon.

So, I know what he said because I know what this is, right? I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last, your care for me has flourished again. Though you surely did care, I know you did but you but you just lacked opportunity. I know. It's a long way between here and there.

Not that I speak in regard to need for I've learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be abased or have little. I know how to abound or have a lot. Everywhere and in all things I've learned both to be full and to be hungry. That sounds a little bit like the vows right there, doesn't it?

In sickness and health and for richer or for poorer. He says, I I've got it. We're we're able to stay in this thing together but we need to learn this. Everywhere and all things I've learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and I think that points back up to the things noble, good, just, worthy of good report, all of that stuff.

Nevertheless, conjunctions right here. Nevertheless, that being said, y'all have done well that you shared in my distress. It's good to know that folks back home are praying for you. It's good to know that folks who have helped out in the past still care about you to get the news. Now, you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when the good news came into your area and when I departed from Macedonia, Macedonia, y'all know that no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only.

Y'all took care of me. Nobody else was taking care of me and you did. In fact, he says, for even in Thessalonica and if you don't know, if you're reading the Bible and you just hit this place names like, I don't know how to pronounce it. I don't know where it is. It's nice to look at the map.

Philippi and Thessalonica are not far apart at all. So, this is local ministry. You know, this is pretty close but he said, when I was in Thessalonica, y'all helped out. You sent aid not just once but once and again for my necessities. You made it possible for me to spend time carrying the word instead of having to work so hard.

By vocational pastors are the way that my whole my church was my whole life growing up. That's normal for me. And I I I am gonna say right now, I think it's amazing that y'all pay me to do this. And I'm overwhelmed by the responsibility that comes with it but that I get to do it. I say it a 100 times a week.

I can't believe they still let me do this. Not that I'm seeking the gift but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. He really does recognize their partnership in that. So, Nick and Jeff and I get to say yes in that office and Diane has for years been able to say yes to people's need because y'all have been supplying that need. It's amazing.

It's good. So, he said, I'm not this in a this sit in a prayer letter where you have to read between the lines and send me more money. That's not it. Not that I'm seeking a gift but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. It's good to be partners in the gospel.

Since Paul was such a mover and shaker and he was in a lot of places and he had a lot of people coming back to report to him especially when he's stationary in Rome, in prison. Everybody knows where he is. They're coming in there making reports and he's like, oh, we need to get some help for those guys. Oh, we need to do that for those guys. We get that.

We're a centralized location where people say, oh, we can call first BNS for that. That's really good. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed, I have all and I and abound. Right now, I'm sitting pretty don't worry about me.

I am full, Haven't received from Epaphroditis. Your guy, the one that you sent. He brought me your gift. These things were sent from you and they're a sweet smelling aroma to God. It's an acceptable sacrifice and it's well pleasing to God that y'all are so gracious and so generous and so helpful to me.

I'm overwhelmed by it and my God and I know this about him. Now, earlier he says, and I know that he who began a good work in you will complete it to the day of Christ Jesus which is great. He's, I know that my God shall supply all of your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. It is not a scarcity mindset at all. There's an abundance there.

God is going to take care of y'all. I trust him to do that. I trust him to grow you spiritually. I trust him to grow you up in unity. Part of this letter is about growing them up spiritually and in unity and a prayer for them but he says, I trust him.

If you feel like you're spinning plates spiritually for people and you've gotta be the one that's doing it. It's like, that's a limited view. He's got a whole church of people, couple of billion probably at least that are that are actively involved in this and it might not be you that's the witness for the one you're praying about by me, somebody that's a couple of degrees removed from you. I trust God to do that. I know my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Now, to our God and father, be glory forever and ever. Amen. Amen. And then the close. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.

The all and the everys throughout this book, it doesn't say, greet the ones that agree with us. Greet those conservative ones that agree with us. Doesn't say that. It says, greet every saint in Christ Jesus. There is an eagerness to maintain unity in the bond of the spirit.

He's already urged Euodia and Centiki to get along and the teams that were forming around them and he says, y'all, be greeting every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me greet you. This is in New King James. So, brethren, his brothers, and sisters unless it says differently with the context. The brothers and sisters who are with me greet you all.

All the saints greet you but especially those who are of Caesar's household. Ain't that sweet? Oh, the horrible Roman oppressors. He says, these folks are so excited for you and Philippi again is an outpost like a military outpost with a lot of retired soldiers and he's saying, these folks here that belonged to Caesar's household are greeting y'all who know what it's like to be under Caesar. That's sweet, especially those.

All of them greet you, but hey, there's a good word from this Praetorian guard, which he mentions in the first. So it's kind of a mentions it at first. He mentions it at end in the in the opening and in the ending. He mentions about all the saints greet you. Caesar's household's important.

The whole Praetorian Guard has heard and the gospel is growing in them and then he closes with the grace of our lord, Jesus Christ, be with you all. Amen. Now, I said at the beginning, always start with grace and peace and he virtually always ends with grace at least and usually grace and peace. If you've read all the rest of Philippians, it'll put you at a place of peace. The last two chapters that I preached on two weeks ago were and the peace of God will be with you and the God of peace will be with you and then he closes with a few personal greetings.

He gets to amen. What does amen be it mean? So be it. So be it. Close in Philippians.

So, there we are. Rome is where Paul is stuck in jail most likely. There are some people that think he was in Ephesus. I'm feels more right to me that he was in Rome. Rome, he's written to Ephesus which we studied recently and he's written to Philippi which we just finished just now and now, the next book we're going to is Colossi.

Now, Colossi is not mentioned as anywhere that he has been before. Although he has been through the region of Galatians, Phreesia, it never mentions that he's been to Colossians and so when it opens, his letter from Rome to the Colossians, it starts off like this. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, one who was sent out by Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, who's another guy ministering alongside me. He's with him by his side at this point. To the saints, those are holy ones and I've said it a bunch of times in Philippians.

I said it a couple times in Ephesians but what is a saint? A sinner saved by grace is a saint. I think that it shifts the focus from where sinners saved by grace that says, sinner, sinner, sinner and you start thinking sinner, sinner, sinner. It says, he's called me holy. He's imputed righteousness to me.

Though I'm not righteous, he said, Abraham believed God. It was counted to him as righteousness. You believe God, counted to you as righteousness. You've accepted the way he's made. You're a saint.

So, to the holy ones and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who are at Colossi, faithful brothers, the saints that kind of goes hand in hand. It's not two different groups, okay? They're the saints and then they're the people get stuff done. No. It's the saints.

Your saints and your faithful brothers and sisters, he says, grace to you and peace from God, our father. Now, he doesn't know these people but the message is virtually identical. Paul and Timothy were bond servants together of Christ Jesus to the saints, the holy ones in Christ Jesus who were at Philippi including all the overseers and deacons, faithful brothers and sisters. Grace to you and peace from God our father and Lord Jesus Christ. That's Philippians and Colossians is virtually identical because Jesus is Jesus and he's the center.

We'll get to one of the most Christological passages in the New Testament next week and examine it thoroughly but this is the opening for Colossians. We've said goodbye to Philippians. Hello to Colossians. We give thanks to God. The father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.

That I've never met. That's cool. He did hear that they do know Jesus there. How many of y'all are praying for a mission somewhere in the world where you know? There are there is a ministering presence there and they've taken to the gospel but they are in the state of advancing the gospel.

All of us, right? Everybody here knows somebody that's ministering somewhere. This is awesome. I don't know you but I've been praying for you. How long?

Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints, all the all the saints. Here it is again. It's not just some of the saints. It's not just the pre trib, pre millennial, blah blah blah, eschatological, exactly like me people. No.

It's for all the saints. The ones who by the blood of Jesus have come into the family of God. Thank my God and all my remembrance. Have you always offering prayer with joy and every prayer for you all? He knew them.

It was joyful when he was recalling those friendships. For Philippians but he's saying, because of the hope that's reserved for you in heaven of which you previously heard in the word of truth, truth, the gospel, I'm greeting you and it's come to you. So, he's he doesn't say, remember what I said when I was there? He's done no. Remember, it's come to you just as in all the world.

Also, it is bearing fruit and is increasing. I love this about Paul and we, I think, we limit him a lot and we think, he's just kind of a chauvinistic jerk, honestly or he's just this. He's just that. When I read Paul, I read him this way. He is not.

He is not that. He's a gracious guy. He's a faithful servant. He's going forward doing the best he can. At the end of Philippians when he says, not that I've been for perfected.

I'm pressing on. You know, I'm just pressing on. I'm trying to forget what those bad things in the past, and I'm moving towards the future. He says, it's amazing to me that in all the world, it's bearing fruit and it's increasing. I'm so thankful for it.

Doesn't slow him down. He's gonna keep on going. While he's stuck, he's like, man, this thing is really, really booming. He knows it's not him. He knows that it's Jesus.

Even it has been doing in you also since the day you heard. Since the day you heard it, you understood the grace of God and truth. When you got it, that grace is what saves through faith. It started increasing there and it will grow from there. Just as you learned it from whom from Epaphras.

Epaphras is also, I think, Epaphroditus, which is a diminutive. It's like Miguel is Miguel, and then Miguelito is Miguelito. He's a little bit smaller. So Epaphroditus Epaphras sounds like this Epaphroditus sounds like this. Just as you learn it from Epaphras, our brother, our fellow bond servant.

He's our beloved fellow bond servant. Now, where is Epaphras from? He was sent from Philippi. He was sent from Philippi to Rome to bring this gift. He brought news of some of the surrounding areas.

And so he probably brought some news from Colossians, not that well, he's I'll take that back. Excuse me there. I misspoke. Just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond servant who is a faithful servant of Christ Jesus on our behalf. I had the chronology backwards.

He's sending Epaphras to them, not receiving him from them for Colossi. And he also informed us of your love in the spirit. So, we know that the gospel is growing. We heard, you heard it from Epaphras and we know that the church is growing there and it's awesome. For this reason also, since the day we heard about it, we have not ceased praying for you.

Do you remember in Philippians where he says that? He says, every day in every remembrance of you, we're praying for you. He says that about people he hasn't even met yet. Since I heard about it, I'm like thinking, Colleen, Colossians, really? Colossians is a tough place.

It's a really tough place with all this Greek philosophy and everything else and he says, it's taking root there and it's growing. I haven't ceased praying for you what? The asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will. In all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy. Now, this is in Ephesians chapter four.

It says, walk worthy. In Philippians, he goes, be walking worthy of it. Grow into the call, right? You have been called a saint and you still mess up sometimes but grow into being a saint. Seeing yourself that way.

Y'all, be walking so that you will walk worthy in a manner worthy of the Lord to please him in all respects. Be bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might not your human effort. For the attaining of all perseverance and patience and then he hits joyously. Ain't that great?

He recognizes although he doesn't know them that there's joy that comes with this message. The freedom that comes from knowing that your burden has been lifted and is being carried. Amen. Joyously. He's prayed this for the Philippians.

Real knowledge and discernment and he says, giving thanks to the father who has qualified us, all of us to share in an inheritance of the saints and light. He said to the Philippians that you will shine like stars in the heavens like lights in the heavens. He says, all of us, Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians, Paul, and his running buddies, all of us were qualified to share an inheritance by Jesus. It's it's that's the common feature and I think this is the last slide that was going to be the benediction but it's right at time. Would y'all stand with me?

I'll invite the band back up. I think it's awesome that you can go anywhere in the world, you grab a group of people. The only folks that I knew from College House this time around were the two leaders, and I've known them for thirty seven years. Tanya's known the wife for fifty years. And they brought a whole new group of people in, a whole new group of faces, and we studied this word together, and it was so joyous.

It was so unified. Everybody's serving each other, and it was just beautiful. So, would you sing with us worthy of it all?