WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.600 We Christians can be sometimes too gullible. 2 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:07.280 We believe everything we're told because we're told walk in love. 3 00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:13.520 But Jesus tells us be wise as a serpent but innocent as a dove. 4 00:00:19.840 --> 00:00:22.240 Welcome to a deeper dive in Philippians. 5 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:27.360 Now the first thing I want you to see before we even jump into the book of Philippians 6 00:00:27.360 --> 00:00:33.920 is the historical content and in Acts 16 we see the birth of the church in Philippians 7 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:39.280 where Paul and Silas went to Philippi and they were meeting Lydia and her household 8 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:45.760 and obviously got arrested because he casted out that demon from that girl and when he did that 9 00:00:45.760 --> 00:00:51.360 they got put to jail and we all know the story where Paul and Silas prayed and the miracles 10 00:00:51.360 --> 00:00:56.800 happened. Most of the people in the prison with him they were part of his church so when he's 11 00:00:56.800 --> 00:01:02.240 writing this letter and when you see mention the chains you know my chains most of them do 12 00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:07.200 identify with it because they were in chains with him in prison and so it's good context to 13 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:12.000 understand that because there's a connectivity already that the people he's writing to already 14 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:18.160 understand. And another interesting thing about Philippians the birth of the church was in prison 15 00:01:18.960 --> 00:01:25.440 and he's writing the letter when he's in prison and so there's this idea overarching the whole 16 00:01:25.440 --> 00:01:30.720 book of Philippians about suffering for the gospel and so when you are going into Philippians 17 00:01:30.720 --> 00:01:36.400 you'll see how even the way his language that he's talking he's a lot about surrendering to 18 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:43.280 the Lord a lot about dying himself because that is he's paying the cost for the gospel. 19 00:01:44.160 --> 00:01:50.640 So as you're reading for personally and throughout this teaching series just remember the church 20 00:01:50.720 --> 00:01:55.520 started from a prison and is running from a prison. Let's jump into verses three to eight and 21 00:01:55.520 --> 00:02:01.040 we're just going to read those real quick to give us a full context. I thank my God upon every 22 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:08.160 remembrance of you always in every prayer of mine making requests for you all with joy for your 23 00:02:08.160 --> 00:02:15.040 fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now being confident of this very thing that he who 24 00:02:15.040 --> 00:02:21.760 has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ just as it is for 25 00:02:21.760 --> 00:02:28.480 me just as is right for me to think this of you all because I have I have you in my heart in as 26 00:02:28.480 --> 00:02:36.080 much both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel you all are partakers 27 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:44.480 with me of grace for God is my witness how greatly I long for you with all affection for Jesus 28 00:02:44.480 --> 00:02:52.080 Christ this first section or this first episode I'm calling it a father's heart you see Paul 29 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:57.760 praying and talking to them as a father and what we just read how he's in a seating for them because 30 00:02:57.760 --> 00:03:02.880 he he led most of them to the Lord so there's that connection that he already has with them 31 00:03:02.880 --> 00:03:09.840 and that is what all fathers all mentors mothers any person that oversees someone there's this 32 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:15.600 longing that we all have for them for them to be great because that is the parental instinct that 33 00:03:15.600 --> 00:03:22.240 you have at that point and so Paul is in these verses he's acting as a spiritual father constantly 34 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:28.560 praying for them that is our responsibility whether you mentor someone or parents spiritual 35 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:35.120 parent whatever it is our responsibility that Paul is modeling is for us to pray for them to 36 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:40.080 in a seat on their behalf and verse six is a very sobering and comforting truth for me 37 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:48.000 listen this verse six again being confident of this very thing that he who has began a good work 38 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:56.000 in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ he who has began a good work in you a lot 39 00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:00.640 of time as parents or mentors when you see the people that you're mentoring or your children 40 00:04:00.640 --> 00:04:07.440 going astray you get this fear and anxiety and you try to interfere you try to do something to 41 00:04:07.440 --> 00:04:12.960 kind of help them back and there's some things yes we could do as parents and mentee mentors 42 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:18.320 but then there's some other things we can't do you can't go into their heart and change their heart 43 00:04:18.320 --> 00:04:24.720 the Lord has to do that you can't do that and that's why this verse for a parent is so comforting 44 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:33.280 because you have to trust and believe he who began a good work will complete it God the Holy 45 00:04:33.280 --> 00:04:38.960 Spirit the day that you give birth or the day someone comes to you asking you to mentor them 46 00:04:38.960 --> 00:04:45.360 that desire that they had to be mentored by you was not initiated by you it was initiated by the 47 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:52.560 Holy Spirit and you have to trust that the Holy Spirit will take them along and walk with them 48 00:04:52.560 --> 00:04:57.520 and even for your children when they are going astray and doing all these crazy things 49 00:04:57.520 --> 00:04:59.920 you have to trust that the Holy Spirit 50 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:05.000 He who began a good work in them will complete it. 51 00:05:05.960 --> 00:05:07.480 That is a father's heart. 52 00:05:07.480 --> 00:05:11.400 Paul is not depending on himself and his teaching 53 00:05:11.400 --> 00:05:13.280 to see them grow in the Lord. 54 00:05:13.280 --> 00:05:14.680 A lot of times we do that. 55 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:19.080 A lot of times we think it's gonna be based on how we speak 56 00:05:19.080 --> 00:05:20.900 if you're a preacher, how you present yourself, 57 00:05:20.900 --> 00:05:22.280 how you become friends with them. 58 00:05:22.280 --> 00:05:24.360 That's not what matters most of the time. 59 00:05:24.360 --> 00:05:29.360 What matters every single time is Holy Spirit 60 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:31.720 and what He's doing in them. 61 00:05:31.720 --> 00:05:33.600 There's not a message that you can ever preach 62 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:36.360 or a punishment you can ever give a child 63 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:38.940 that will change their life dramatically. 64 00:05:38.940 --> 00:05:42.040 It might derail them from doing a lot of things, 65 00:05:42.040 --> 00:05:45.720 but to see a complete turnaround, a complete life change, 66 00:05:45.720 --> 00:05:49.240 the Holy Spirit Himself has to do that. 67 00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:51.200 He's the one who has to go in their heart 68 00:05:51.200 --> 00:05:54.480 and turn it around and then bring them into the kingdom 69 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:56.500 and then bring them into His will. 70 00:05:56.500 --> 00:06:00.940 See, I'm not a parent and I understand because I'm a son. 71 00:06:00.940 --> 00:06:03.100 So I've seen from my parents' perspective. 72 00:06:03.100 --> 00:06:05.460 And sometimes it's hard when you see your children 73 00:06:05.460 --> 00:06:08.180 going through this hard times. 74 00:06:08.180 --> 00:06:09.420 What am I gonna do? 75 00:06:09.420 --> 00:06:12.380 Like that stress, I've seen it on my dad. 76 00:06:12.380 --> 00:06:14.900 Just stressed out, what do you do? 77 00:06:14.900 --> 00:06:19.300 It's in those times where we have to cling to the truth 78 00:06:19.300 --> 00:06:21.220 that verse six is telling us. 79 00:06:21.220 --> 00:06:25.620 We have to trust that God, the Holy Spirit 80 00:06:25.620 --> 00:06:27.900 will complete what He started. 81 00:06:27.900 --> 00:06:32.140 So in verse seven, you can interpret verse seven 82 00:06:32.140 --> 00:06:33.420 a couple of different ways. 83 00:06:33.420 --> 00:06:34.860 And I wanna read that for context 84 00:06:34.860 --> 00:06:36.620 because you might've forgot in the two seconds 85 00:06:36.620 --> 00:06:38.500 I've been speaking, so I hope you're paying attention. 86 00:06:38.500 --> 00:06:42.420 Just as it is right for me to think this of you all 87 00:06:42.420 --> 00:06:46.820 because I have you in my heart in as much both in my chains 88 00:06:46.820 --> 00:06:50.980 and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, 89 00:06:50.980 --> 00:06:54.740 you all are partakers with me of grace. 90 00:06:54.740 --> 00:06:57.020 So that verse, you can look at it two different ways. 91 00:06:57.020 --> 00:06:59.140 If this, the people that he's writing to, 92 00:06:59.140 --> 00:07:01.740 if most of them were in prison with him, 93 00:07:01.740 --> 00:07:05.340 then they have a direct understanding of that verse 94 00:07:05.340 --> 00:07:07.260 because they were in prison with Paul. 95 00:07:07.260 --> 00:07:11.260 They heard that the angels come in the earthquake 96 00:07:11.260 --> 00:07:13.380 and completely setting all them free. 97 00:07:13.380 --> 00:07:14.740 They were there. 98 00:07:14.740 --> 00:07:15.740 It was that secondhand. 99 00:07:15.740 --> 00:07:18.780 So they can understand what he's talking about. 100 00:07:18.780 --> 00:07:20.460 And another way you can look at that verse 101 00:07:20.460 --> 00:07:23.540 is one of the beautiful thing about the church in Philippi 102 00:07:23.540 --> 00:07:25.780 is that they were very generous. 103 00:07:25.780 --> 00:07:27.700 They were one of the few churches 104 00:07:27.700 --> 00:07:29.780 that constantly supported Paul 105 00:07:29.780 --> 00:07:31.860 throughout his all missionary trips. 106 00:07:31.860 --> 00:07:34.060 And so through the giving, 107 00:07:34.060 --> 00:07:36.020 they were partakers of the gospel. 108 00:07:36.020 --> 00:07:37.540 So you can look at that verse in both 109 00:07:37.540 --> 00:07:39.260 and they both are acceptable. 110 00:07:39.260 --> 00:07:41.500 And that's what he's trying to tell them. 111 00:07:41.500 --> 00:07:43.820 Either whether you've experienced my chains 112 00:07:43.820 --> 00:07:46.140 or you've given into my ministry, 113 00:07:46.140 --> 00:07:48.220 we are all partakers of the gospel. 114 00:07:48.220 --> 00:07:49.780 And in verse 9 and 11, 115 00:07:49.780 --> 00:07:53.540 Paul kind of lets us in into what he was praying. 116 00:07:53.540 --> 00:07:54.620 Look at what he says. 117 00:07:54.620 --> 00:07:58.660 And this I pray that your love may abound still more 118 00:07:58.660 --> 00:08:01.780 and more in knowledge and all discernment 119 00:08:01.780 --> 00:08:05.100 that you may approve the things that are excellent, 120 00:08:05.100 --> 00:08:07.700 that you may be sincere and without offense 121 00:08:07.700 --> 00:08:09.220 till the day of Christ, 122 00:08:09.220 --> 00:08:12.220 being filled with the fruits of righteousness, 123 00:08:12.220 --> 00:08:16.260 which are by Christ Jesus to the glory and praise of God. 124 00:08:16.260 --> 00:08:20.060 In verse 9, Paul mentioned that he's praying 125 00:08:20.060 --> 00:08:23.020 that their love may abound in knowledge 126 00:08:24.060 --> 00:08:25.740 and all discernment. 127 00:08:25.740 --> 00:08:27.940 In knowledge, now think about what he's saying. 128 00:08:27.940 --> 00:08:31.140 He's praying that their love may abound 129 00:08:31.140 --> 00:08:33.700 in knowledge and discernment. 130 00:08:33.700 --> 00:08:36.179 When I read those, I just stopped 131 00:08:36.179 --> 00:08:39.860 and because I've never heard anyone or read anything saying 132 00:08:39.860 --> 00:08:44.860 that your love may grow in knowledge and in discernment. 133 00:08:45.100 --> 00:08:47.340 So let's go into those two phrases 134 00:08:47.340 --> 00:08:49.580 and see what Paul is talking about. 135 00:08:49.580 --> 00:08:52.820 So let's start with that your love may abound in knowledge. 136 00:08:52.820 --> 00:08:56.740 Go with me to 1 John 4, from verse 7 to 11. 137 00:08:56.740 --> 00:09:01.260 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God. 138 00:09:01.260 --> 00:09:04.820 And everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 139 00:09:04.820 --> 00:09:08.660 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 140 00:09:08.660 --> 00:09:12.100 In this, the love of God was manifested toward us, 141 00:09:12.100 --> 00:09:16.140 that God has sent his only begotten son into the world 142 00:09:16.140 --> 00:09:18.300 that we might live through him. 143 00:09:18.300 --> 00:09:22.220 In this is love, not that we love God, 144 00:09:22.220 --> 00:09:24.540 but that he loved us and sent his son 145 00:09:24.540 --> 00:09:27.500 to be the propitiation for our sins. 146 00:09:27.500 --> 00:09:30.500 Beloved, if God so loved us, 147 00:09:30.500 --> 00:09:33.300 we also are to love one another. 148 00:09:33.300 --> 00:09:35.900 Our love abounds in knowledge, 149 00:09:35.900 --> 00:09:38.940 the more we know of God who is love. 150 00:09:38.980 --> 00:09:41.100 The more we are intimate with him, 151 00:09:41.100 --> 00:09:43.540 our love grows because he is love. 152 00:09:43.540 --> 00:09:46.620 The more time we spend with him, 153 00:09:46.620 --> 00:09:48.500 the more we become like him. 154 00:09:48.500 --> 00:09:50.180 The more we are like him, 155 00:09:50.180 --> 00:09:53.260 the more we act like him in loving others. 156 00:09:53.260 --> 00:09:55.420 When we are spending time with him, 157 00:09:55.420 --> 00:10:00.100 he reveals to us his love through the Holy Spirit. 158 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:03.500 And our knowledge of love abounds. 159 00:10:03.500 --> 00:10:06.500 Remember, John talks about us being a vine. 160 00:10:06.500 --> 00:10:09.000 The more you're connected to the true vine, 161 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:11.500 the more fruits you produce as a vine. 162 00:10:11.500 --> 00:10:13.000 The same thing with love. 163 00:10:13.000 --> 00:10:16.000 The more you're connected to love, you grow in love. 164 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:19.500 So when Paul is talking about abounding in knowledge of love, 165 00:10:19.500 --> 00:10:23.000 he's talking about how intimate are you with the Father. 166 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:25.000 Where the more you're intimate with Him, 167 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:28.500 the more your knowledge of love, who God is, will grow. 168 00:10:28.500 --> 00:10:30.500 So the other thing he talks about is, 169 00:10:30.500 --> 00:10:33.500 love may abound in all discernment. 170 00:10:33.500 --> 00:10:36.500 And now this right here requires maturity. 171 00:10:36.500 --> 00:10:40.000 A lot of times we are told to walk in love. 172 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:42.500 We assume that it means to be a doorman. 173 00:10:42.500 --> 00:10:44.500 We assume that when you're walking in love, 174 00:10:44.500 --> 00:10:46.500 you just have to say yes to everybody. 175 00:10:46.500 --> 00:10:50.500 But if you see the life Jesus lived, He didn't do that. 176 00:10:50.500 --> 00:10:52.000 There were times He was very stern, 177 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:53.500 and there were times He was very loving. 178 00:10:53.500 --> 00:10:55.500 And that, both are love. 179 00:10:55.500 --> 00:10:58.000 Look at what Jesus says in Matthew 10, 16. 180 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:02.500 Behold, I send you out as a sheep in the midst of wolves. 181 00:11:02.500 --> 00:11:07.000 Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as a dove. 182 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:10.000 Be wise as serpents and harmless as a dove. 183 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:13.000 Jesus is saying the exact same thing that Paul is talking about. 184 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:15.500 Let your love grow in discernment. 185 00:11:15.500 --> 00:11:18.000 We must be wise and understand that 186 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:22.000 not everyone has the same goal as we do. 187 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.500 Not everyone is out for you. 188 00:11:24.500 --> 00:11:27.500 Look at what Jesus again says in Matthew 7, 15. 189 00:11:27.500 --> 00:11:32.500 Beware of false prophets who come into you in sheep's clothing, 190 00:11:32.500 --> 00:11:35.500 but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 191 00:11:35.500 --> 00:11:37.000 They claim to be prophets. 192 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:40.000 They claim to be for you, but they were never for you. 193 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:42.500 They were there to take advantage of you. 194 00:11:42.500 --> 00:11:47.500 And with those verses in mind, Jesus reminds us this. 195 00:11:47.500 --> 00:11:51.000 Not everyone who claims to be with you is with you. 196 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:55.500 Love growing in discernment is reading the true nature of the situation. 197 00:11:55.500 --> 00:11:59.000 We Christians can be sometimes too gullible. 198 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:02.000 We believe everything we are told, 199 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:04.500 because we are told, walk in love. 200 00:12:04.500 --> 00:12:09.000 But Jesus tells us, be wise as a serpent, 201 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:11.000 but innocent as a dove. 202 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:15.500 We must learn to balance the ratio of love and discernment. 203 00:12:15.500 --> 00:12:21.000 I feel like sometimes we're like 90% love and then 10% discernment. 204 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:22.500 It's supposed to be 50-50. 205 00:12:22.500 --> 00:12:24.500 And that's what Paul is praying. 206 00:12:24.500 --> 00:12:30.500 He's praying that his children in Philippi grow in love and discernment. 207 00:12:30.500 --> 00:12:33.000 And then in verse 10, we see why. 208 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:34.500 We see why he says that. 209 00:12:34.500 --> 00:12:36.000 So turn with me to verse 10, 210 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:40.000 and you see why he's praying that they grow in love and discernment. 211 00:12:46.500 --> 00:12:48.000 And verse 11. 212 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:01.000 When someone burns you, when someone takes advantage of your innocence or of your love, 213 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:02.000 what do you feel? 214 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:04.000 You feel betrayed, you feel hurt. 215 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:06.000 And offense my brood. 216 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:09.000 And so when he's praying for them to grow in love, 217 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:11.000 in the knowledge of love, 218 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:12.500 and in discernment, 219 00:13:12.500 --> 00:13:17.000 he's praying that they will be able to discern a situation. 220 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:21.500 They'll be able to know when in a current situation, 221 00:13:21.500 --> 00:13:25.000 are they for me or are they against me? 222 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:28.000 And because when you, if you get hurt, 223 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:32.500 he's trying to prevent you from being taken advantage of. 224 00:13:32.500 --> 00:13:34.500 And then when you're taken advantage of, 225 00:13:34.500 --> 00:13:37.000 your heart will be broken, offense will brew, 226 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:39.000 and then you become bitter. 227 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:40.000 And he doesn't want that. 228 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:42.000 He does not want you to be bitter 229 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:44.500 because in verse 11, you see what he wants. 230 00:13:44.500 --> 00:13:48.000 He wants the fruits of righteousness to flow through you. 231 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:51.500 And how can they when you've been taken advantage of, 232 00:13:51.500 --> 00:13:52.500 when you're in pain, 233 00:13:52.500 --> 00:13:58.000 but when you're wise and you're able to discern the father's heart in every situation, 234 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:00.000 then you know how to engage them. 235 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:02.500 Then you know who to let in and who to let out 236 00:14:02.500 --> 00:14:04.500 because you gotta be able to let out some people. 237 00:14:04.500 --> 00:14:07.000 Not everybody who's with you is for you. 238 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:08.000 Remember that. 239 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:10.000 And that is the heart of Paul. 240 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:13.000 In this, as he's introducing the book of Philippi, 241 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:15.000 he's introducing as a father and saying, 242 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:17.000 I want you to grow. 243 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:18.000 I am for you. 244 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:19.000 I am not against you. 245 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:25.000 And this, the heart of the father is to see their child mature in life 246 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:28.000 and more importantly, in the Lord. 247 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:31.000 And so that is the message I want to leave with you today. 248 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:35.500 A father's heart or a mentor's heart is to see the people they are mentoring 249 00:14:35.500 --> 00:14:36.500 or their children grow. 250 00:14:36.500 --> 00:14:38.500 And for that to happen, 251 00:14:38.500 --> 00:14:41.500 you have to learn how to discern situations. 252 00:14:41.500 --> 00:14:43.500 You have to be able to grow in love. 253 00:14:43.500 --> 00:14:46.500 And you only grow in love when you're growing in the Lord.