WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.800 When our friends ridicule us, that's when we have to hold fast to our faith. 2 00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:14.600 Welcome back to a deeper dive in Philippians. 3 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:18.300 Today we'll be looking at chapter two from verse 14 to 24. 4 00:00:18.600 --> 00:00:21.600 Let's go ahead and read those verses before we start. 5 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:49.000 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, 6 00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:51.500 I am glad and rejoice with you all. 7 00:00:51.800 --> 00:00:55.600 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me. 8 00:00:55.900 --> 00:00:59.700 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, 9 00:00:59.900 --> 00:01:02.900 that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. 10 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:08.000 For I know no one like minded who will sincerely care for your state, 11 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:11.800 for all seek their own and not the things which are of Christ. 12 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:15.500 But you know his proven character that as a son with his father, 13 00:01:15.700 --> 00:01:17.500 he served with me in the gospel. 14 00:01:17.800 --> 00:01:23.200 Therefore, I hope to send him at once as soon as I see how he goes with me. 15 00:01:23.400 --> 00:01:27.700 But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall come shortly. 16 00:01:27.900 --> 00:01:31.600 The title of this episode, I'm calling it Hold Fast. 17 00:01:31.800 --> 00:01:34.100 In this passage of scripture we just read, 18 00:01:34.300 --> 00:01:39.200 Paul is challenging the people of Philippi to hold fast to the word of life 19 00:01:39.400 --> 00:01:41.400 because of the surroundings that they are in. 20 00:01:41.600 --> 00:01:44.800 And in our time today, it is very similar. 21 00:01:45.100 --> 00:01:48.600 You have been tested left, right and center by all kinds of things 22 00:01:48.800 --> 00:01:52.500 and we have to choose to hold fast to our faith. 23 00:01:52.600 --> 00:01:55.900 In certain parts of the world, we Christians are considered the problem 24 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:59.700 and the temptation is for us to conform to our surroundings. 25 00:01:59.900 --> 00:02:02.900 But we must hold fast to our faith. 26 00:02:03.100 --> 00:02:07.400 It is in those moments when everybody is telling you, 27 00:02:07.600 --> 00:02:09.000 why are you a Christian? 28 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:12.900 How dare you choose to believe in stopping abortion? 29 00:02:13.100 --> 00:02:17.700 How dare you choose to stand on this outdated thinking? 30 00:02:17.900 --> 00:02:19.800 When our friends ridicule us, 31 00:02:20.200 --> 00:02:23.800 that's when we have to hold fast to our faith. 32 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:28.900 We might not be in those extreme areas like back in the times of Paul 33 00:02:28.900 --> 00:02:31.300 when he became a Christian, there was a cost. 34 00:02:31.400 --> 00:02:34.400 In the Muslim world, in the Middle East, 35 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:37.200 if you choose to become a Christian, there's a cost. 36 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:39.000 I have a personal friend of mine, 37 00:02:39.200 --> 00:02:42.600 if you hear the testimony of his mother, they were from Iran. 38 00:02:42.700 --> 00:02:46.100 They had to escape from Iran overnight 39 00:02:46.900 --> 00:02:50.000 simply because it came out that they were Christians 40 00:02:50.100 --> 00:02:52.100 and they had to flee for their lives. 41 00:02:52.700 --> 00:02:57.200 And the three years that preceded after that, it was a tough time. 42 00:02:57.300 --> 00:03:00.400 They had to hold fast to their faith. 43 00:03:00.700 --> 00:03:03.600 For some of us, we might not be in those extreme areas, 44 00:03:03.800 --> 00:03:05.400 but we are surrounded by people 45 00:03:05.400 --> 00:03:07.800 who are not necessarily committed to the gospel. 46 00:03:07.900 --> 00:03:11.500 We're surrounded by friends who enable us to fall into sin. 47 00:03:11.700 --> 00:03:14.700 And this sometimes can be harder to resist 48 00:03:14.700 --> 00:03:16.100 because we don't even know it's happening. 49 00:03:16.300 --> 00:03:17.800 That friend who's like, no, no, no, no. 50 00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:19.700 Instead of just reading, let's just go out today. 51 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:22.500 Instead of staying and praying and spending time with the Lord, 52 00:03:22.600 --> 00:03:23.700 let's just go do this. 53 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:27.300 It doesn't seem bad, but slowly and slowly, 54 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:30.900 it's pulling you away from Him. 55 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:35.300 We have to hold fast in those situations and say no to them. 56 00:03:35.500 --> 00:03:36.400 We have to say, 57 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:40.700 I cannot do this because this is more important than our friendship. 58 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:42.500 And in the passage of Scripture, 59 00:03:42.600 --> 00:03:46.400 the Apostle Paul is warning us from picking up bad habits 60 00:03:46.600 --> 00:03:49.300 and being careful about our surroundings. 61 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:51.700 So let's jump into verse 14. 62 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:55.300 Do all things without complaining and disputing. 63 00:03:56.400 --> 00:04:00.300 Complaining and disputing are one of the easiest sins that we fall into. 64 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:03.500 And it's also one of the biggest sins that God hates. 65 00:04:03.700 --> 00:04:07.700 This verse highlights one of the biggest abominations 66 00:04:07.700 --> 00:04:12.200 that the children of Israel were all the time falling into 67 00:04:12.200 --> 00:04:13.800 They were always complaining. 68 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:17.100 God gives them food, gives them manna and they're like, 69 00:04:17.100 --> 00:04:19.100 God, we want meat because we are done. 70 00:04:19.100 --> 00:04:20.399 We don't want this no more. 71 00:04:20.500 --> 00:04:21.800 They were always complaining. 72 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:23.300 There was always something wrong. 73 00:04:23.500 --> 00:04:26.800 And you can feel it for Moses because all the time 74 00:04:26.900 --> 00:04:30.100 he has over a million people complaining and wanting to kill him 75 00:04:30.500 --> 00:04:32.500 as soon as they get a little inconvenient. 76 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:34.100 And God is telling us, 77 00:04:34.500 --> 00:04:38.500 do not complain and dispute. 78 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:42.000 God does not love when people complain and argue. 79 00:04:42.100 --> 00:04:44.000 The question that we must ask is this. 80 00:04:44.300 --> 00:04:47.600 Why does God hate murmuring and complaining 81 00:04:48.100 --> 00:04:49.900 and disputing or arguing? 82 00:04:50.200 --> 00:04:51.100 Why is that? 83 00:04:51.100 --> 00:04:53.300 So I'm going to read the definition of complaining 84 00:04:53.500 --> 00:04:55.600 or murmuring as it says in the King James. 85 00:04:56.400 --> 00:04:59.900 So it means a secret displeasure not openly 86 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:07.920 vowed. And disputing means a deliberating questioning about what is true, a hesitation or 87 00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:16.720 doubting. And you can see why God hates it because disputing brings doubt and fear. And God does not 88 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:23.280 like doubt and fear. He hates it because the person disputing is doubting God. They are questioning 89 00:05:23.280 --> 00:05:29.360 whether God can do what he says he will do. If you look at the children of Israel, all that 90 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:35.280 complaining, they were questioning, is this God able to do what he's told us to do? And then they're 91 00:05:35.280 --> 00:05:41.440 like, let's just go back to our other gods who we trust more than this God. And that's why to this 92 00:05:41.440 --> 00:05:48.400 day God does not like disputing and complaining because you're questioning whether he's able 93 00:05:48.400 --> 00:05:55.360 to do what he says he will do. Look at James chapter 1 from verse 68. But let him ask in faith 94 00:05:55.360 --> 00:06:01.440 with no doubting. For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven 95 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:08.560 and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive 96 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:16.160 anything from the Lord. He's a double-minded man and stable in all his ways. In these verses in 97 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:23.120 James, Holy Spirit is explaining why he hates doubting. He hates doubting because it opposes 98 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:32.240 faith. And we know in Hebrews 11 verse 6, without faith it's impossible to please him. Doubting states 99 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:40.160 that I have no faith and now if you have no faith then you cannot engage God. Murmuring like disputing 100 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:46.640 is questioning whether God can do what he says he will do. They both express unbelief and they 101 00:06:46.640 --> 00:06:54.160 just express differently. And that's why God hates it because God does not like unbelief. He's the God 102 00:06:54.160 --> 00:07:00.800 of more than enough. Think about this. This all-powerful, the creator of the heavens and earth 103 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:06.560 asks you to do a simple thing as go talk to that person and then you start complaining. Expressing 104 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:12.960 doubt about who God is. Like you must be wrong. I know I'm right. Just think about that. How infuriating 105 00:07:12.960 --> 00:07:19.440 that will be. Disputing and arguing are more in your face while murmuring and complaining is more 106 00:07:19.440 --> 00:07:24.960 subtle. Murmuring and complaining can spread like wildfires because not everyone is confrontational. 107 00:07:24.960 --> 00:07:30.960 Murmuring and complaining is a sin done in the dark and a lot of people can relate to 108 00:07:30.960 --> 00:07:36.320 because they're not publicly displaying their lack of faith. In my opinion, this is my opinion not 109 00:07:36.320 --> 00:07:42.640 scriptural, murmuring is worse than disputing because when someone is disputing 110 00:07:42.640 --> 00:07:47.600 you can easily identify them because they're not they're not trying to hide their doubts. 111 00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:53.680 Murmurers are worse because you don't know who they are. You think they're with you but they're 112 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:58.240 secretly against you. That's why murmuring spreads like a wildfire. You don't know who they are. 113 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:03.360 They hide and in the world of social media they hide behind their text. They just say what they 114 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:10.400 want and then go ahead and hide. God hates complaining and disputing because they speak 115 00:08:10.400 --> 00:08:17.120 of unbelief. In other words, you can rewrite verse 14 and say, do all things full of faith. 116 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:23.120 Do all things in confidence that God will do what He says He will do. Now with that understanding 117 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:28.640 on verse 14 we go into verse 15. We become blameless and harmless children of God when 118 00:08:28.640 --> 00:08:35.760 we believe in Him. Our faith in God is what makes us righteous and pure and that's what in verse 15 119 00:08:35.760 --> 00:08:41.360 is encouraging them. He says this, that you become blameless and harmless children of God 120 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:46.400 without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. When you're walking full 121 00:08:46.400 --> 00:08:53.920 of faith you are becoming blameless and harmless. You see that in Matthew chapter 12 when Jesus is 122 00:08:53.920 --> 00:08:59.360 coming against the Pharisees for their unbelief and he just questions them and tell because they 123 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:04.880 ask him, teacher we want a sign from you. They want Jesus to show a sign because they don't 124 00:09:04.880 --> 00:09:10.160 believe everything that he's done so far and they're questioning his ability and they're 125 00:09:10.160 --> 00:09:16.320 questioning who he is. He has done all kinds of miracles to prove that he is God and they still 126 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:21.840 don't believe him and then they go and ask him teacher show us a sign and then he tells them 127 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:26.560 I will give you the sign of Jonah and the whole thing what he's trying to tell them is this 128 00:09:26.560 --> 00:09:33.680 because of your unbelief I deem you a crooked and perverse generation and the generation of Jonah 129 00:09:33.680 --> 00:09:39.280 will be better off than you because they heard Jonah preach and they believed Jonah preach but 130 00:09:39.280 --> 00:09:45.120 this generation couldn't and so in verse 15 of Philippians when Paul is talking about children 131 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:50.320 of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation this is a generation that 132 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:56.800 does not believe in God. This is a generation that they don't think that the God of the universe is 133 00:09:56.800 --> 00:09:59.840 real and that he's still working. 134 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:04.480 That's the generation that Paul is warning the Philippians from becoming like. 135 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:10.560 Holy Spirit is urging the believers to believe in God so that they can be differentiated from 136 00:10:10.560 --> 00:10:16.640 the crooked and perverse generation. When you are complaining and disputing, you are stating that 137 00:10:16.640 --> 00:10:24.720 you do not believe in what God is saying. You are walking in unbelief. In other words, verse 14 is 138 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:32.320 encouraging us to walk in faith so that we can become blameless and harmless children of God. 139 00:10:32.320 --> 00:10:34.320 And verse 15 concludes by saying this, 140 00:10:38.880 --> 00:10:45.200 The light Holy Spirit is referring to is the light of God within us when we accept Jesus as 141 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:51.200 our Lord and Savior. When we choose to believe Him, He comes and dwells in us and His light 142 00:10:51.760 --> 00:10:57.360 shines through us. And that's how we differentiate ourselves from the crooked and perverse generation. 143 00:10:57.360 --> 00:11:04.400 When we believe in Him and His light comes in us and shines through us when we're walking in faith, 144 00:11:04.400 --> 00:11:11.360 not walking in unbelief. Disputing and complaining will cripple how far you will go with the Lord 145 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:17.920 because it's you yelling at all the time, I don't believe you. I don't trust that you can do what 146 00:11:17.920 --> 00:11:24.320 you've told me you'll do. This is why we must choose to believe God and trust Him especially 147 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:27.520 when things are not going right. Let's go to verse 16, 148 00:11:35.520 --> 00:11:43.360 Believing in God is what brings the light into our lives. But keeping the light till the day of Christ 149 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:50.480 needs more than just saving faith. We need to cling to or hold fast to the word of life. 150 00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:56.720 That is how the light that is within us keeps on shining. Because here's what happens when you 151 00:11:56.720 --> 00:12:02.800 believe God but then you know the light comes in and you're full of faith and God is with you. 152 00:12:02.800 --> 00:12:07.280 And then as you're walking through life bad things started happening. Terrible things that you didn't 153 00:12:07.280 --> 00:12:11.520 even intend started happening. Your friends start leaving you. All these things start happening in 154 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:17.040 your life. Then what do you start doing? You start complaining and murmuring about, wow I thought God 155 00:12:17.040 --> 00:12:21.440 can do this. Why is this happening? Whatever it is that you're going through you start complaining 156 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:26.560 about that. And then as you're complaining about that, the light that is within you becomes to dim. 157 00:12:26.560 --> 00:12:31.680 It starts to dim, to dim, to dim. And when I say starts to dim, you start looking more like the 158 00:12:31.680 --> 00:12:37.280 crooked and perverse generation who don't trust God. Paul is telling us in verse 16, 159 00:12:37.280 --> 00:12:45.600 hold fast the word of life. When things are going wrong, hold fast to the word of life. Because that 160 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:51.040 is how the light within you will shine. And that looks like when you are, when things are going 161 00:12:51.040 --> 00:12:55.760 wrong, you're choosing to believe in Jesus. When things are going wrong, you're choosing to say, 162 00:12:55.760 --> 00:13:03.120 I trust in you regardless of what happens. That's what holding fast to the word of life looks like. 163 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:10.000 The word of life is Jesus and more importantly, revelation that we receive about Him. When you're 164 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:15.840 going through a hard time, when you receive the revelation that He will provide for all your needs, 165 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:22.000 now you can cling to that revelation a little bit harder and He will bring you through that time 166 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:28.320 and your light will shine brighter. Our faith on salvation is so rudimentary because it's solely 167 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:34.800 focused on Christ saving us from our sins. After you are saved, you need to know more than just 168 00:13:34.800 --> 00:13:40.800 Christ saved me. You need to grow in His word so that you can get the full picture 169 00:13:40.800 --> 00:13:47.360 of what salvation is. It's like a baby. You never stay a baby all your life. You grow. And those 170 00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:52.400 older people who still have the mentality of a baby, what do we call them? We say they're immature. 171 00:13:52.400 --> 00:13:57.680 We say they're not there yet. So there's a maturing process that comes as a Christian 172 00:13:57.680 --> 00:14:04.000 that you need to go through so that you can be able to walk out this life. When you cling to the 173 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:09.600 word of life, you are growing. You are growing in all these different areas. You are seeing Him in a 174 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:16.560 different way. Remember, faith comes by hearing the word of God. So the more you expose to His words, 175 00:14:16.560 --> 00:14:21.360 the more faith you get and the more you grow and the more you become a mature believer. Also in 176 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:28.480 verse 16, we see the heart of a true father. The heart of a disciple maker. This is why He's praying 177 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:34.800 that these believers will finish their race because He doesn't want to have labored in vain for them. 178 00:14:34.800 --> 00:14:41.360 He cares for them. It takes time to make a disciple. And all that time that you've invested, 179 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:46.160 you want it to be fruitful. You don't want to have wasted your time. And this is the challenge 180 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:53.600 because our generation today loves to make converts, but not disciples. And converts is 181 00:14:53.600 --> 00:14:59.840 the one you preach the gospel, they get saved, and you leave them as a baby. Disciple making is a life. 182 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:05.520 time and it takes time and the heart of a father will yearn that the children that the people that 183 00:15:05.520 --> 00:15:11.200 have led to the Lord will grow. So let's go to 17 and 18 and we'll see where he's going. 184 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:18.240 Yes and if I'm being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith I am 185 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:25.600 glad and rejoice with you all for the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me. Verse 17 186 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:31.200 continues the same sentiment that we see in chapter 1. Paul was ready to die for the gospel. 187 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:37.600 His life was a living sacrifice for the gospel of Jesus. After seeing what he says in verse 16 188 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:44.400 we see that he was ready to go knowing that the people of Philippi will hold on to the word of 189 00:15:44.400 --> 00:15:50.720 life and that's his heart. Can you hold on to the word of life? And when he sees them holding on to 190 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:56.800 the word of life now he's ready to go because he knows his children will stay and will not be 191 00:15:56.800 --> 00:16:03.840 pulled away. He also encourages them to stand tall on the word and rejoice with him in his life 192 00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:10.080 if his life were to end. Do you see that kind of thinking? So he's made disciples and he's confident 193 00:16:10.080 --> 00:16:15.120 that they will stay and then say now if it's time for my life to be poured out as a drink offering 194 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:19.520 I'm ready. I'm ready to go. That's the kind of mentality that we all need to have that we are 195 00:16:19.520 --> 00:16:27.200 ready to go whenever we are ready. Whenever it's our time to. And in verse 18 Paul invites them to 196 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:32.720 this level of commitment when he says for the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me. For 197 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:37.760 the same reason that they are meaning because of this reason I'm ready to go to die you as well be 198 00:16:37.760 --> 00:16:43.760 ready to be ready to die for the gospel. In this last section from verse 19 to 24 we see Paul 199 00:16:43.760 --> 00:16:51.200 commanding Timothy but also giving an indictment to the rest of his team. He says this but I trust 200 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:57.200 in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly that I may also be encouraged when I know 201 00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:04.480 your state. Look at verse 20. For I have no one like-minded who will sincerely care for your state 202 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:10.960 for all seek their own not the things which are of Jesus Christ. His team Paul the great apostle 203 00:17:11.520 --> 00:17:18.720 doesn't have a team of people that he can trust to send and disciple these people. Only one. That's 204 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:25.280 why you see disciple making is hard. Silas he was with Paul in prison when this church was birthed 205 00:17:25.280 --> 00:17:32.240 and even he wasn't worthy to be sent to them. Only Timothy. But the main thing that you see in this 206 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:38.560 section is a rubric that Paul gives us of how to have good ministers. He says they must care for 207 00:17:38.560 --> 00:17:43.680 your disciples and they must do everything for the sake of Christ. It can never be about them. 208 00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:50.640 And then in verse 22 also that they are willing to serve their fathers or mentors in in their lives. 209 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:57.520 That is the goal of a minister. To care for the flock and to do everything for the sake of Christ 210 00:17:57.520 --> 00:18:03.040 and to honor those who have come before you. It is important to study and know the Bible 211 00:18:03.040 --> 00:18:10.720 but the question is has the word seeped into your heart and do you know Jesus so that He can 212 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:16.880 establish your character. So that He can make sure that you are worthy of caring for the 213 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:23.040 disciples. That you are worthy to focus on Him and not your selfish desires. Thank you for listening 214 00:18:23.040 --> 00:18:34.800 to this episode. Join me next time as we talk about being a good shepherd. Amen.