WHAT REALLY MATTERS (Captioned)
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GRACE AND PEACE TO YOU FROM
GOD OUR FATHER, AND FROM OUR
LORD AND OUR SAVIOR, JESUS
CHRIST. DEAR FRIENDS
IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD:
WHATEVER!
DO YOU SAY THAT? OR HAVE YOU
HEARD IT SAID TO YOU?
OH! WHATEVER!
THAT WORD REALLY CUTS TO THE
QUICK, DOESN'T IT? WHEN YOU
GET TO THAT POINT AND I ... I
I WILL ADMIT
I'VE SAID IT TO MY WIFE. OH,
WHATEVER!
WHAT .. WHAT .. WHAT YOU'RE
SAYING IS THAT ALRIGHT,
ALRIGHT, ALREADY. WE'VE GONE
TO THIS POINT, I AGREE. AS TO
WHATEVER IT IS, JUST CUT TO
THE QUICK HERE.
WELL, PAUL DOES THAT TODAY.
PAUL SAYS IT THIS WAY. HE
SAYS:
WHAT DOES IT MATTER? AND WHAT
PAUL IS SAYING, HE'S
KIND OF QUICKLY SETTING ASIDE
THE ACCOUNT THAT HE HAD BEEN
DISCUSSING. ALL THE DIFFERENT
MOTIVES THAT THERE HAD BEEN
FOR PREACHING THE GOSPEL AMONG
THE PHILIPPIANS.
OH, WHATEVER. DON'T WORRY
ABOUT THAT. LET'S MOVE ON TO
WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO LISTEN TO THIS WORD OF GOD
TODAY. AND HEAR
WHAT PAUL AGAIN SAYS IS REALLY
IMPORTANT ... WHAT REALLY
MATTERS. WE READ FROM
PHILIPPIANS 1,
18 THROUGH 27. [TEXT TAKEN
FROM THE HOLY BIBLE,
1973, 1978,1984, 2011 BY
BIBLICA, INC.]
WHATEVER, UH, PAUL SAYS:
'WHAT DOES IT MATTER?
THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT
IN EVERY WAY,
WHETHER FROM FALSE MOTIVES OR
TRUE, CHRIST IS PREACHED.
AND BECAUSE OF THIS I REJOICE.
YES, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO
REJOICE, FOR I KNOW THAT
THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS AND GOD'S
PROVISION OF THE SPIRIT
OF JESUS CHRIST WHAT HAS
HAPPENED TO ME
WILL TURN OUT FOR MY
DELIVERANCE. I EAGERLY EXPECT
AND HOPE THAT I WILL IN NO WAY
BE ASHAMED,
BUT WILL HAVE SUFFICIENT
COURAGE SO THAT NOW AS ALWAYS
CHRIST WILL BE EXALTED IN MY
BODY, WHETHER BY LIFE
OR BY DEATH. FOR TO ME,
TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE
IS GAIN.
IF I AM TO GO ON LIVING IN THE
BODY, THIS WILL MEAN
FRUITFUL LABOR FOR ME. YET
WHAT WILL I CHOOSE?
I DO NOT KNOW! I AM TORN
BETWEEN THE TWO:
I DESIRE TO DEPART AND BE WITH
CHRIST,
WHICH IS BETTER BY FAR; BUT
IT IS MORE NECESSARY FOR YOU
THAT I REMAIN
IN THE BODY. CONVINCED OF
THIS, I KNOW
THAT I WILL REMAIN, AND I WILL
CONTINUE WITH ALL OF YOU FOR
YOUR PROGRESS AND JOY IN THE
FAITH, SO THAT THROUGH MY
BEING WITH YOU AGAIN YOUR
BOASTING IN CHRIST JESUS
WILL ABOUND ON ACCOUNT OF ME.'
SO FAR GOD'S WORD.
PAUL'S WHATEVER IS MUCH NICER,
ISN'T IT?
BUT WHAT DOES IT MATTER?
PAUL ...
PAUL'S JUST MAKING IT SO CLEAR
... THE BOTTOM LINE ...
IS THAT THE GOSPEL KEEPS BEING
PREACHED!
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IS SO
IMPORTANT.
IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER
WHETHER THE MOTIVE BEHIND
THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL
WHAT MOTIVATES THE PREACHER,
THAT'S NOT WHAT IS IMPORTANT.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT
IS THAT THIS GOOD NEWS OF
SALVATION
FROM GOD AND ALL THE GLORIOUS
TRUTHS FROM GOD ...
FROM BEGINNING TO END ... THAT
THAT CONTINUES TO BE SHARED
WITH THE PEOPLE. LET'S HAVE A
LOOK AT THIS
PASSAGE AND THEY'RE A LITTLE
BIT CONFUSED ABOUT
WHAT PAUL IS SAYING AND WHAT
HE'S NOT SAYING.
THERE WERE THOSE WHO SEEMED TO
BE PREACHING AT THAT TIME THE
GOSPEL ABOUT JESUS BUT IN PART
BECAUSE OF FALSE MOTIVES AND
THAT CONCERNED THE PEOPLE
HEARING IT AND PAUL
SAYS: WELL, WHAT'S IMPORTANT?
SO WHAT? THE FALSE MOTIVES -
THOSE THINGS AREN'T IMPORTANT.
IT'S THAT
THE WONDROUS PREACHING OF THIS
GOOD NEWS OF JESUS
IS IMPORTANT.
SAME THING HAPPENS TODAY.
WHETHER SOMEONE IS OUT THERE
PREACHING THE GOSPEL SO THEY
CAN GET MORE AND MORE
IN GREATER NUMBERS OR PERHAPS
THEY'RE ZINGING SOMEONE ELSE,
KIND OF WHAT'S IMPLIED. THEY
WERE PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO
ZING PAUL BECAUSE PAUL, HE'S
STUCK IN PRISON AND HE CAN'T
PREACH RIGHT NOW. IF THAT'S
WHY THEY WERE DOING IT, PAUL
SAYS: SO WHAT! IF THEY WERE
JUST PREACHING THE TRUTH AND
THE WHOLE GOSPEL OF JESUS,
THAT'S WHAT MATTERS!
WHATEVER ELSE ...
THE TRUE GOSPEL BEING
PREACHED! THAT IS WHAT'S
IMPORTANT. AND THAT TRUTH
REMAINS.
IF THERE'S A PASSAGE THAT'S
CAUGHT UP
IN WRONG MOTIVATION FOR
PREACHING WHETHER IT'S PRIDE
OR HOW GOOD HE IS AT DOING IT
OR JEALOUSY, WELL ... I'M
GOING TO GET MINE BETTER THAN
YOURS, OR GREED, YES ...
HE'S GOING TO FACE THE LORD
FOR HIS OWN SINS.
BUT FOR THOSE HEARING THE
GOSPEL BEING PREACHED BY HIM,
THAT TRUTH! THAT'S WHAT'S
TRULY IMPORTANT.
HIS MOTIVES ARE ... ARE NOT
ANYTHING COMPARED TO
THE GOSPEL BEING PREACHED, AND
HEARD AND LIFTING PEOPLE UP.
THAT'S WHAT IS TRULY
IMPORTANT! SO PAUL WAS SAYING.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT NOW THAT
HE'S IN PRISON
THAT SO THEY STILL ARE
PREACHING THE TRUTH.
BUT ...
AND DON'T MISUNDERSTAND THIS
PASSAGE.
THESE PREACHERS ARE PREACHING
'NOT' THE TRUTH!
THEY'VE BEEN PREACHING SOME OTHER
GOSPEL OR A GOSPEL THAT'S
LESS THAN THE WHOLE TRUTH OF
GOD'S GOOD NEWS.
THAT'S IMPORTANT, TOO. TO
KNOW THAT AND THEN TO DEAL
WITH THAT. ANY SUCH PREACHING
OR TEACHING THAT ... WELL,
OKAY
SOME OF CHRIST'S WORDS ...
BECAUSE
SHARING SOME OF IT IS BETTER
THAN NOTHING AT ALL.
THAT'S NOT WHAT PAUL IS SAYING
HERE.
THIS PASSAGE DOESN'T PROTECT
FALSE OR EVEN MIXED-UP
TEACHINGS.
PAUL IS IN NO WAY SAYING THAT
IT'S OKAY
TO BE UNCARING ABOUT WHAT
DOCTRINE YOU ARE PREACHING.
OR ... WHAT GOSPEL YOU'RE
LISTENING TO ... HEARING,
SHARING AND SUPPORTING ...
IT IS MOST IMPORTANT THAT THE
PREACHING BE THE WHOLE
TRUTH OF JESUS. AND NOT JUST
SOMETHING THAT WE LIKE TO
SHARE. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR
ANY OF US TO BE REJECTING
PARTS OF GOD'S WORD.
GOD DOES NOT KEEP DIFFERENT
TRUTHS
IN HIS WORD. THEY ALL FIT
TOGETHER. IF YOU SAY:
I LIKE THIS AND I'LL SHARE
THAT, BUT I DON'T LIKE THAT.
I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT
THAT. THEN YOU'RE MAKING LIKE
GOD GAVE YOU SOME UNTRUTH.
AND IF GOD GAVE
SOME UNTRUTH, THAT WOULD MAKE
ALL OF HIS WORD UNTRUE AND
IT'S NOT. IT'S THE TRUTH! SO
YES! ON THE ONE HAND, IT'S
NOT TRUE WHAT MOTIVE
PUSHES THE PREACHER TO
SHARE THIS WORD. TO SHARE IT.
IT IS ULTIMATELY IMPORTANT
THAT WE MAKE SURE
THAT THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WHOLE
WORD, THE TRUE GOSPEL, THAT
THAT IS ALWAYS PREACHED.
HEAR THIS
AND ALSO BE REASSURED BY THIS
AND DIRECTED BY THIS.
GOD HAS GIVEN YOU THE TRUTH.
YOU CAN PUT YOUR LIFE ON IT!
SO WHAT'S IMPORTANT
ALSO FOR YOU TO DO THEN, IS TO
MAKE
SURE THAT THIS GOSPEL ... THIS
WORD THAT YOU ARE HEARING
PREACHED: THAT IT'S THE TRUTH.
PREACH GOD'S
WHOLE WORD.
PREACH IT. AND PROBABLY
YOU'VE ALL HEARD THAT
WORD USED IN BAD WAYS.
OH, DON'T PREACH AT ME.
SINFUL NATURE
LIKES TO TAKE ANYTHING THAT
GOD GIVES YOU THAT'S GOOD AND
MAKE IT SOMETHING BAD AND SO
IN THE WORLD PREACHING THAT
WORD ... IT IS LIKE A JOKE.
BUT GOD SAID: NO, PREACHING IS
GREAT! PREACHING
IS GOD'S WAY OF GETTING HIS
WORD, HIS TRUTH,
HIS SALVATION TO EVERYONE.
PREACHING IS SIMPLY YOUR AND
MY PROCLAIMING ...
SHARING ... SPEAKING OUT GOD'S
WORD. AND SO TODAY WE'RE ALL
ENCOURAGED
TO PREACH. PREACH AND
BE GLAD ABOUT IT. PREACH WHAT
YOU CAN.
WHEN YOU CAN. PREACH FOR
THOSE WHO LIKE THE DEEP
THINKING AND WANT TO WRESTLE
WITH GOD'S WORD.
PREACH TO THEM WHAT YOU KNOW
ABOUT GOD'S ELECTION.
HOW GOD BEFORE EVEN THE
BEGINNING CHOSE ALL THOSE
WHO WOULD BE SAVED AND WILL BE
WITH HIM FOREVER IN HEAVEN.
OR ARE YOU LIKE ME? AND YOU
ENJOY SPENDING SOME OF YOUR
TIME IN THE GARDEN? WELL, YOU
CAN PREACH THERE, TOO.
AND JUST POINT AT THE ROSES
AND THE DAHLIAS, AND SAY:
YOU KNOW, GOD MADE THE WONDER
OF THIS TO GIVE US THIS
VARIETY OF ROSES. THINK
OF HIS LOVE.
POINT IT OUT. RIGHT HERE IN
THE GARDEN. PROCLAIM
THAT GOOD NEWS!
AND THEN THOSE HARD TIMES AND
THOSE QUIET TIMES.
YOU WANT TO DWELL WITH PEOPLE
ON THE PROMISES OF GOD ...
OF GOD'S GREAT LOVE, OF HIS
SALVATION, OF HIS RESCUE
OF FALLEN MANKIND. YOU WANT
TO PREACH HOW
GOD GAVE HIS VERY OWN SON
TO SAVE EACH ONE OF US.
OR THE OTHER TIMES. MAYBE
YOU'RE WITH YOUR FAMILY
AND YOU'RE WATCHING THE NEWS.
AND YOU CAN BRING IN GOD'S
WORD AND PREACH HOW THESE
CURRENT EVENTS
IS EXACTLY WHAT GOD SAID. THE
WORLD IS GOING TO BECOME MORE
AND MORE UNGODLY. LOOK IT UP.
GOD SAYS IT.
SHARE HOW BY REVELATIONS
AND PROMISES OF HIS LOVE, GOD
CONVINCES PEOPLE
OF HIS GRACE AND MERCY. IT'S
BY THIS PREACHING,
BY SHARING HIS WORD THAT GOD
TOUCHES HEARTS AND MAKES THEM
ALIVE AND GROWS THEM IN FAITH.
IT'S THE PREACHING, THE
SHARING OF HIS WORD,
THAT GOD MAKES PEOPLE CERTAIN
THAT THEY ARE
REALLY FORGIVEN OF ALL THEIR
SINS.
BECAUSE GOD IS A MERCIFUL GOD.
SHOW PEOPLE THAT YOU PREACH
GOD'S WORD
IT'S GREAT TO MEMORIZE GOD'S
WORD BECAUSE THEN YOU'LL
ALWAYS HAVE IT WITH YOU SO
WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE,
PULL OUT THE BIBLE AND SAY:
LOOK IT SAYS RIGHT HERE.
"HEAR ME LORD AND ANSWER ME.
I'M POOR AND NEEDY" ...
GOD REACHES OUT AND HEARS
THE POOR AND NEEDY. IT SAYS
IT RIGHT HERE. OR USE THE
WORDS YOU'VE HEARD TODAY FROM
ISAIAH
TELLING THE WICKED TO REPENT.
RECEIVE THE GOOD NEWS OF A GOD
THAT FREELY PARDONS OR SHARING
JESUS' PARABLES.
THAT STRIPS AWAY THAT
SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. THAT ...
WELL, I WORKED ALL MY LIFE OR
THE PARABLE ...
ALL DAY LONG IN THE HEAT OF
THE DAY AND THESE PEOPLE
JUST WORKED A LITTLE BIT, AND
THEY GET THE SAME? WE'RE ALL
SAVED BY GRACE, NOT BY WHAT WE
DO.
SHARE! PREACH THE WORD OF
GOD AS GOD GIVES YOU
THE OPPORTUNITY. PREACH THE
GOOD NEWS! PAUL SAYS
THAT'S WHAT MATTERS!
PROCLAIM CHRIST CRUCIFIED.
THAT GIVES FORGIVENESS.
THE POWER OF GOD IS THE GOSPEL
AND WE CAN PREACH IT.
PREACH ... BECAUSE THOSE
SHARING THE GOSPEL ALSO
SHARE IN THE GIFTS OF THE
GOSPEL.
YOU CAN'T LET THE SIMPLENESS
OF YOUR OWN HEART
STOP YOU FROM BEING IN GOD'S
WORD.
OH, I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH TODAY
TO HEAR GOD'S WORD.
I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO
APPROACH GOD. NO!
SIN CANNOT STOP THE POWER OF
GOD'S WORD TO GIVE
YOU GOD'S ASSURANCE IN
YOURSELF OF GOD'S LOVE,
OF JESUS' REDEMPTION. OF
HAVING THE SPIRIT COME AND
WORK WITHIN YOU. YOU NEED IT
ALL THE MORE ON THOSE DAYS.
SO THE GOSPEL BEING PREACHED
ALSO REACHES OUT TO
OTHER PEOPLE AND THEIR HEARTS.
IT CAUSES SOME THAT FIRST TIME
TO BE BORN AGAIN AND IT GIVES
OTHERS LIKE US WHO CAN HEAR IT
AGAIN, THAT GIFT OF LIFE
RENEWED TO PREACH
ABOUT JESUS' LIFE AND DEATH,
HIS RESURRECTION,
HIS ASCENSION. PROCLAIM ALL
THAT JESUS HAS DONE.
AND WHEN YOU ARE DOING THIS,
DO AS PAUL DID
AND THEN BECAUSE OF THIS ...
I REJOICE!
BECAUSE HE KNEW GOD'S WILL
WAS BEING DONE. GOD'S
GRACIOUS POWER WAS AT WORK.
SOULS WERE BEING SAVED. AND
THAT'S
WHAT MAKES PREACHING
IMPORTANT.
PREACHING SAVES SOULS.
THAT'S WHAT BRINGS
JOY TO GOD - THE SALVATION OF
YOUR SOUL
AND MINE AND OTHERS, AS WELL.
THAT BROUGHT JOY TO PAUL.
AND TO DO THIS THEN, TO BE
READY TO PREACH
WHEREVER ... WHEREVER YOU ARE.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE PREACHING
TO YOURSELF OFTEN BECAUSE BY
THE POWER OF THE
WORD BEING PREACHED TO
YOURSELF
IT SHAPES YOU TO BE WORTHY
TO SHARE THE GOSPEL. AND SO
PAUL EXPLAINS:
WHATEVER HAPPENS CONDUCT
YOURSELVES IN A MANNER WORTHY
OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. THEN
WHETHER
I COME AND SEE YOU OR ONLY
HEAR ABOUT YOU IN MY ABSENCE,
I WILL KNOW THAT YOU STAND
FIRM IN ONE SPIRIT
CONTENDING AS ONE MAN FOR THE
SAKE OF THE GOSPEL.
SEE PAUL WAS SAYING: THAT'S
WHAT I'M DOING.
PAUL WAS CONDUCTING HIS OWN
LIFE IN A MANNER
THAT WAS WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL.
PAUL SPELLS IT OUT FOR US.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN BEING
WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL? IT'S
DOING EVERYTHING BY THE POWER
OF THE GOSPEL. KEEPING IN LINE
WITH THAT GIFT OF SALVATION.
YOU WANT TO BE WORTHY OF
PREACHING THE GOSPEL?
BELIEVE IT! BELIEVE IT!
RECEIVE THIS POWER IN YOU
THAT JESUS LIVED AND DIED FOR
YOU SO THAT NOW YOU CAN LIVE
AND DIE IN FAITH IN HIM.
PAUL SAID IT ANOTHER WAY. HE
SAID:
I EAGERLY EXPECT AND HOPE THAT
I WILL IN NO WAY BE ASHAMED,
BUT WILL HAVE SUFFICIENT
COURAGE SO THAT NOW
AS ALWAYS CHRIST WILL BE
EXALTED IN MY BODY, WHETHER BY
LIFE OR BY DEATH. [VERSE 20]
THE WORKING OF THAT PREACHING
OF THAT GOSPEL
IN PAUL ... PAUL SAYS IT KEPT
HIM
IN FAITH. IT KEPT HIM
TRUSTING JESUS.
THAT FAITH THAT PAUL EXALTED
IN JESUS
WAS EVERYTHING EVEN WHEN HE
WAS LOCKED UP IN PRISON.
HE WAS STILL LOOKING FORWARD
EAGERLY TO JESUS' COMING
TO THE ETERNAL LIFE HE WOULD
HAVE WITH HIM.
TRUSTING THE PROMISES OF GOD,
THE REDEMPTION
THAT JESUS GAVE ... THAT GAVE
PAUL COURAGE
TO GO ON LIVING, AND EVEN TO
DIE IF THAT'S WHAT IT TOOK -
HE'D DIE FOR THE LORD.
YOU WANT TO READ SOME EXTREMES
ABOUT A CHRISTIAN LIFE ...
READ ABOUT PAUL. IN GOD'S
WORD PAUL GAVE ALL
THE EXTREMES. PAUL 'DID' GO
TO PRISON
FOR HIS FAITH! LATER HE 'DID'
DIE
FOR HIS FAITH IN JESUS!
BECAUSE HE REFUSED
TO STOP PREACHING ABOUT HIM.
IN BETWEEN
PAUL WOULD GO ON AND CONTINUE
TO SHARE WITH HIS
FELLOW JEWS THE MESSAGE THAT
THEY NEEDED TO REPENT AND
BELIEVE. EVEN WHEN THEY TRIED
TO HIDE THEIR SINS:
WELL, WE DON'T NEED TO REPENT.
OR TO STONE HIM
WHEN HE SHARED THE TRUTH ABOUT
JESUS. PAUL EVEN STOOD BEFORE
GOVERNORS AND KINGS AND TOLD
THEM THAT THEY NEEDED TO
REPENT AND BELIEVE, TOO. EVEN
THOUGH THEY WERE WILD-LIVING
GENTILES AND ROMANS WHO OFTEN
PROVED THEIR SINFULNESS
BY THEIR LIVING. PAUL PUT HIS
LIFE ON THE LINE
TIME AND TIME AGAIN TRUSTING
IT IN ONE WAY BUT IT DIDN'T
MATTER.
AND HE PUT IT THIS WAY:
BECAUSE IF HE LIVED, WELL THEN
HE'D CONTINUE TO SERVE JESUS.
AND IF HE DIED, WELL THAT
WOULD BE EVEN BETTER BECAUSE
THEN HE'D BE WITH JESUS
FOREVER. FOR TO ME TO LIVE IS
CHRIST, TO DIE IS
GAIN. [VERSE 21] AND HE
ENCOURAGES US TO LIVE THIS
WAY, TOO. HOW CAN WE?
HOW CAN WE? WELL, PAUL SAYS:
YES, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO
REJOICE,
FOR I KNOW THAT THROUGH
YOUR PRAYERS AND THE HELP
GIVEN BY THE SPIIRIT
OF JESUS CHRIST WHAT HAS
HAPPENED TO ME WILL TURN OUT
FOR MY DELIVERANCE. [VERSE
18b AND 19]
PAUL WAS STRENGTHENED TRUSTING
THAT EVERYTHING WAS WORKING
FOR HIS FINAL DELIVERANCE
INTO HEAVEN. EVERYTHING
WAS WORKING FOR THAT DAY WHEN
JESUS CALLED HIM HOME.
WHAT PAUL ALSO FOUND CONFIDENCE
IN
WAS KNOWING THAT OTHERS WERE
PRAYING FOR HIM.
HE FOUND
CONFIDENCE IN THAT. THAT'S
LIKE YOU AND OTHERS LIKE YOU
WERE PRAYING FOR HIM.
ISN'T THAT A WONDROUS THING?
A GOOD REMINDER? BUT,
WE PRAY, RIGHT? SOMETIMES WE
FOLD OUR HANDS.
SOMETIMES WE JUST SPEAK OUT
LOUD. OTHER TIMES WE CLOSE OUR
EYES AND JUST TALK TO THE LORD
WITHIN OUR
HEAD.
WHAT GOOD DOES THAT DO?
PAUL'S CONFIDENCE ... IT DOES
GREAT GOOD.
BECAUSE IT RESTS ON GOD'S
PROMISES
THAT THEIR PRAYERS ARE HEARD
BY HIM AND ACCOUNTED BY HIM.
THINK WHAT
CONFIDENCE THAT YOU COULD GIVE
TO EACH OTHER
AS PAUL RECEIVED. PRAY FOR
EACH OTHER.
YOU'RE FACING HARD TIMES AT
WORK?
ASK EACH OTHER: WOULD YOU PRAY
FOR ME? YOU'RE GOING IN FOR
SURGERY? GIVE THE
CONGREGATION THAT CHANCE TO
SAY: OH, LORD, BE WITH OUR
BROTHER, BE WITH OUR SISTER.
AND TRUST THAT GOD IS HEARING
THOSE PRAYERS.
I ASK YOU PRAY FOR ME! AND
FOR
MY SISTER. I GOT AN EMAIL,
GOT BACK ONLINE LAST NIGHT.
GOT AN EMAIL FROM MY SISTER,
HER HUSBAND, SAME SITUATION.
HE'S GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR
WORK. PRAY FOR US
SO THE LORD WILL DIRECT US IN
NEW WAYS TO PUT OUR GIFTS
TO GOOD USE. POWER OF
GOD'S GOOD NEWS:
HE LISTENS TO YOU. HE LISTENS
TO HIS CHILDREN.
HE GIVES YOU YOUR PRAYERS AS A
MEANS THAT YOU CAN MAKE
A DIFFERENCE. SO PRAY FOR
EACH OTHER. PRAY FOR
YOUR PASTOR, FOR YOUR CHURCH.
PRAY FOR THOSE WHO DON'T YET
BELIEVE IN JESUS. JESUS MIGHT
HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY JUST
WAITING FOR THAT NEXT PRAYER
FOR YOU FOR THAT ONE YOU'VE
BEEN WORKING ON. THAT ONE
THAT HASN'T COME YET. ONE
MORE PRAYER. ONE MORE
INVITATION AND THEY'LL BE HERE
FOR STUDY ...
AND FAITH AND WORSHIP. TRUST
THAT GOD'S WILL IS DONE AND
THAT HE'S WILLING TO LET YOU
WORK WITH THEM
IN PRAYER. PAUL TRUSTED THAT.
SO DO I.
SO SHOULD YOU. PAUL ALSO IS
STRENGTHENED
IN HIS CONFIDENCE BY THE
SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST.
THAT'S ANOTHER NAME FOR THE
HOLY SPIRIT. HE KNOWS.
THE SPIRIT'S GRACE FLOWS IN US
BY THIS GOSPEL. THE SPIRIT OF
JESUS GIVES US FAITH
THAT EVERYTHING THAT'S
HAPPENING IN OUR LIVES
IS GONNA WORK OUT FOR OUR
ETERNAL GOOD.
NOW PAUL IS ALWAYS A GREAT
EXAMPLE WHEN HE'S
TALKING BECAUSE PAUL WAS
REALLY FACING WHAT ALL OF US
WOULD UNDERSTAND IS HARD
TIMES. LIFE WAS TAKEN AWAY
FROM HIM STUCK IN A PRISON
CELL. PAUL'S SAYING:
THIS IS GONNA WORK OUT FOR MY
GOOD, MY ETERNAL
DELIVERANCE. PROBABLY AT THE
TIME OF PHILIPPIANS,
HE WAS CONVINCED BY THE LORD
THAT HE WOULD GO OUT AND
PREACH AGAIN FOR A WHILE. THAT
HE WOULD BE DELIVERED FROM
PRISON BUT THAT'S NOT ALL OF
THE DELIVERANCE. THAT HE
WOULD FINALLY BE DELIVERED
FROM SIN'S TEMPTATIONS, THAT
HE WOULD BE DELIVERED FROM
THIS LIFE INTO HEAVEN. PAUL
WAS TRUSTING THAT THE SPIRIT
WAS STRENGTHENING HIM AND THE
CONGREGATION AT PHILIPPI.
PAUL WAS TRUSTING
THAT THEY WOULD HAVE ONGOING
HARVESTS
OF SOULS FOR SALVATION.
YOU NEED TO TRUST THAT, TOO.
AND THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO KEEP
PREACHING.
YOU KNOW I'VE BECOME LIKE MOST
OF YOU NOW.
I DON'T GET TO PREACH MUCH
IN PULPITS ANYMORE.
I DO MOST OF MY PREACHING
ONE-ON-ONE. SOMETIMES
THE EDITOR OF THE LOCAL PAPER
LETS ME DO A LITTLE ARTICLE
AND I PREACH THERE, TOO. BUT
TO SHARE GOD'S WORD; THIS
GOOD NEWS OF JESUS WHEREVER
YOU GET THE CHANCE.
BECAUSE YOU CAN TRUST THE
GOSPEL'S THE POWER THAT SAVES.
AND THEN BE LIKE PAUL. TO GO
ON LIVING
NOW IN THIS BODY, THIS IS
GOING TO BE FRUITFUL LABOR
FOR ME. EVERY DAY GOD'S GOT
SOMETHING GOOD FOR ME TO DO.
BE ASSURED. WHILE YOU ARE ON
THIS EARTH,
JESUS IS GIVING YOU TIME TO
LABOR FOR HIM. HE WILL BLESS
THE GOSPEL
THAT YOU SHARE IN WHATEVER WAY
YOU SHARE, HOW YOU SHARE.
AND PAUL ALSO SAID:
YET WHAT SHALL I CHOOSE? I DO
NOT KNOW.
I'M TORN BETWEEN THE TWO. I
DESIRE TO DEPART
AND TO BE WITH CHRIST, WHICH
IS
BETTER BY FAR. CHRISTIANS ARE
THE ONLY ONES
WHO TRULY UNDERSTAND THAT.
TO KNOW WHAT WAS THE BEST DAY OF
OUR LIFE ON EARTH?
THE LAST ONE! THE LAST ONE!
WHEN WE GET TO LEAVE HERE AND
KNOW WE GET TO BE WITH GOD
FOREVER IN HEAVEN. THAT'S THE
BEST DAY!
BUT BEFORE THEN, OUR DAYS ARE
STILL BLESSED AS WELL.
AS PAUL SAID, OH, BUT IT'S
MORE NECESSARY FOR YOU THAT I
REMAIN IN THE BODY. I'M
CONVINCED OF THIS. I KNOW
THAT I WILL REMAIN AND I WILL
CONTINUE WITH ALL OF YOU
FOR YOUR PROGRESS AND JOY IN
THE FAITH, SO THAT THROUGH MY
BEING WITH YOU AGAIN YOUR JOY
IN CHRIST JESUS WILL OVERFLOW.
THAT'S WHAT WE CAN DO FOR EACH
OTHER
EVERY DAY. JUST LIVE BY
FAITH, EXALT CHRIST
IN EVERYTHING, AND BRING JOY
TO OTHERS
BY SHARING THIS GOOD NEWS.
WHATEVER!
OR
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT?
PREACHING! PREACHING GOD'S
GOOD NEWS
TO YOURSELF AND TO OTHERS AND
PREACHING
FOR THE DESIRE TO MAKE EVERY
EFFORT
TO EXALT CHRIST IN EVERYTHING.
THAT'S WHY PAUL
COULD SAY: WHATEVER!
WHATEVER ELSE
WE DO. BY LIVING OR DEATH,
WE SHARE THE GOSPEL. BECAUSE
THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE
FOR ETERNITY. AMEN.
THE PEACE OF GOD THAT
SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING
KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR
MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS
AMEN.