I thought just for at least this morning, and possibly through the Ballantable Week, we would just look at a little devotional thought from the book of Philippians, maybe consider it for a few moments and introduce it. And we'll see how things go this morning, and we'll decide if we continue on tomorrow. If I find you're all asleep by the time I'm through, we'll try something else tomorrow. Philippians chapter one. Paul and Timotheus, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, which are in Philippi with the bishops and deacons. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. Always in every prayer of mine, for you all, making requests with joy, for your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now. Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun, a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart. Inasmuch as both in my bonds and in the defense and the confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. Just a brief word of prayer. Father, we do thank thee and praise thee for the delights of thy word. Truly we rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great spoil, and we pray that each one of us might have an increased appetite for thy things. May thy word be a daily and constant delight to us. May it be that which will guide and direct our thoughts throughout this day. We just commend this little time to thee for thy direction and thy blessing. We long for the Holy Spirit to just touch our heart. For this we pray in our Savior's precious and worthy name. Amen. Now I'm sure that if... I was to ask a question along this line. What is your favorite passage of Scripture? Is your favorite book in the Bible? Maybe a good number of you would say, well, Philippians. And I'm sure that most of you have read this over on a number of occasions. But there's something about this little book that is very exciting. Something about this book that just warms the heart. There's something about this book that just... stirs our hearts to devotion and commitment to Christ. And it's with that thought in mind that I thought we would just introduce it this morning and look at a few things, some things perhaps new and old, maybe mostly old, but to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance. I'm rather struck with the fact of how men, men of God through the years have referred to this particular book. And I have written down some of the comments that they have made. For example, Dr. A.T. Robinson, Robertson, he says concerning this book, this is the holy of holies in Paul's life. It's not only his joy in life, but it is his joy in death. To that writer, it seemed that when he came to the Book of Philippians, we were entering into the holies, Bishop Moll said this. This book, to me, is one of the fairest and dearest of all Paul's letters. F. B. Meyer said this. This is the tenderest epistle Paul ever wrote. Professor Finley said this. This is the epistle that touches the heart. It's a true love letter. Mr. Darby says this, this epistle gives us the experience of the Christian life in its highest and most perfect expression, its normal condition under the Spirit of God. Rather an interesting comment. As he looked at this particular letter, he saw in it not only the highest expression of the Christian life, but it's the normal condition, he suggests. under the Spirit of God. What is my life to be when the Spirit of God is controlling it? What we see in the Epistle of Philippians. Walter Scott says this, The practical development of the life of Christ is contained here. It is the Blessed One who's being reproduced in our life, in our conduct, in our service, and that in the midst of trial and trial. and difficulties. In other words, he's simply reminding us that if we look at this letter and we get the lesson from it, we find that we can go through the testings, the trials, and Christ is there and Christ is controlling the life. Mr. Gableine says this epistle reveals the beginning to end what true experience and the power of the Spirit of God is. This is to walk in the power of the Spirit and to manifest Christ. him that walk. And so one can go on. There are so many other comments. Another has said, this letter is the one brimming with love. Some of the profoundest and most wonderful things that ever came from Paul's pen are found in this particular letter. So said Campbell Morgan. So we go on, and this particular letter has so much for us. So I want to just think about it for a few moments this morning, and Have you ever thought, for example, that the letter started from a prison as far as the beginning of this church was concerned? And now we find Paul is in prison again. This time he's not in prison in Philippi, but he's in prison in Rome. And now he's writing to these saints. I'm sure he was there in prison in Rome and his first imprisonment. And if he wrote to these dear saints, he was no doubt thinking, among other things, of that prison experience he had back there at Philippi when this work began. I'm sure some of you have thought of this letter as its setting. As you know, there are three letters all linked together, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. And notice that Philippians is placed right in the center. It's rather an appropriate place for Philippians right there. Because you see, when you go to Ephesians, we're blessed with all the spiritual blessings and the heavenlies in Christ. We go on to Colossians and we get into chapter three. In fact, we don't have to wait to chapter three, but we come to a climax in chapter three. You find when you get to chapter three of Colossians, our life is hid with Christ and God. And we're to... seek those things which are above, and we're to set our affections on things above, where Christ is. And so in those two epistles, we're taken up right into the heavenlies, and we're rejoicing in what is ours in Christ. But when you come to this little epistle, it's like going down into the valley, a sort of a valley between those two mountain peaks, and we're down into the circumstances of life. the very atmosphere in which we live day by day. And we find that the Christ with whom we're involved in the heavenly is the same Christ with whom we're involved in our earthly experiences day by day. If you look at Ephesians, you find ourselves finding Christ to be our hope. He's the one that's set before us there, even our bridegroom and so on. We go over to Colossians and we see that Christ... is brought before us as our head. But you know, when you come to this little letter, you find that Christ is our heart. He's the very heartbeat of our life. It's rather interesting to notice also that women play a very prominent part in this little letter. So I think for that reason the ladies would find it very challenging and interesting. You remember in Acts chapter sixteen when they went on to Paul was directed to Macedonia, come over to Macedonia and help us. As he traveled through that area, he met a group of ladies, and they were praying. I'd encourage the ladies to pray, but later on, when this little meeting is over, they were down by the riverside praying. You remember Paul introduced himself and talked to them, and there was a certain woman there, Lydia, the Lord opened her heart. receive the word and you recall as paul went on a little farther there was a young mate possessed demons and he delivered her all happened at philipai you remember when he wrote his letter one of the reasons why he wrote this little letter apparently was because of a couple of ladies yodias vindiki in chapter four and these two dear ladies were apparently having just a little difficulty seeing eye to eye with certain things and so these ladies are introduced to us in Philippians chapter four they did remember if you go on in chapter four he speaks about well that's what it says we're here at Philippians in chapter four and in verse three and I entreat thee also true yoke fellow we're not sure who Paul is referring to there but he's writing someone in particular helped those women which labor with me in the gospel so there were women whether they actually included yodish and syndicate is possible but it seems to include others as well women who labored with paul in the gospel obviously they weren't preaching according to what we find from corinthians and timothy but they were laboring with paul they were ministering they were serving they were hospitable They were serving the Lord like others of God's TV, for example, and Aquila, Sila, so forth. So these women are quite involved in this little church at Philippi. Now, I find in going through a letter, and I'm sure you each have, have you noticed, for example, that if you sit down and talk about the Word of God to people, And you say, well, how do you study the Word of God? You get a variety of answers. Well, they're interesting to me because I've been in discussions like this on a number of occasions, and each one has a particular thing that seems to be a challenge to them. The Lord has blessed them through that particular approach. Now, there are some basic approaches to studying the Scriptures, but I think eventually we come to a place where there are certain areas in our study... that seem to be comfortable to us in which the Lord uses to reveal things to us from the Word of God. One of the things that has been a blessing to me as I go through the Word of God is to notice that in every book in the Scriptures there are certain words that are very special, very peculiar to that particular book. And it just happens in book after book after book. And, for example, I suppose an obvious one would be the Gospel of John. And as you go through that particular book, you recall that immediately the word believe keeps jumping at you some ninety-three, eight times there, all the way through John's Gospel, believe, believe, and then the word love, and the word witness. Close to fifty times the word witness is brought before us. And you see, when you believe, you get to know something about that love. And when you get to know something about that love, you want to witness. And oftentimes those words that stand out in certain books seem to give us a little key to understand what the writer is seeking to emphasize. So when you come to this particular book of Philippians, there are four words that stand out to me as I read through this particular book. And the first one is perhaps an obvious one, but it's very important, nevertheless. And it's the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you go through these four chapters, for example, you would find that his name is mentioned at least fifty-one times, in one form or another. Sometimes it's Jesus Christ. Sometimes it's Christ. Sometimes once it's Savior. Sometimes it's Lord Jesus Christ. Eight times it speaks here in this letter about in the Lord. In the Lord. There's the emphasis of his Lordship in this particular letter. So that particular word helps us. It seems to me to when I'm going to come to this little book, I'm going to find out that the Lord is the center of Paul's life. In him. And then as you go through the letter again, you'll find that another word stands out and it's the word joy and rejoice and if you go through the four chapters you'll find that those two words along with the word gladness which is the same word in the Greek language you put them all together eighteen times he talks about being joyful he talks about rejoicing so that is the second word I want you to think about for a moment. I want you to think about Christ in this letter. I want you to think about joy in this letter. And the third word that is repeated twelve times in various forms in this book is the word mind. It's in every chapter. Sometimes it's the word think. But think and mind obviously go together. And so we have the mind here. And then another word that is repeated, some twenty-six times throughout these four chapters, is the little word. Well, I won't even know what it might be. It's a very small word. All. Little word all. And again and again we have the word all, all, all. And it's rather important to notice that as you read through this little letter. Think of those four words. It helps to understand, well, let's think of the mind, think of Christ, think of joy, and think of all. And if you put it together, you can come up with something like this. What Paul is concerned about is that the mind might be set on Christ. And if the mind is set on Christ, it'll bring joy. to all in all circumstances in every circumstance not simply when things are going well but in all trials and difficulties now there's a key word or key verse in each chapter and when we come to chapter one the key verse I take it is verse twenty one Really verse twenty and twenty one kind of link together. You can hardly separate them. But zeroing in on verse twenty one, notice what it says. For me to live is Christ. And to die is gain. You'll notice these key words or these key verses all zero in on the person of the Lord Jesus. For me to live is Christ. Now when you come to chapter two, you come to verse five which is the key verse of that chapter let this mind be in you which was also in right when you go on to chapter three you come down to verse eight and you have the key verse of chapter three in fact again you must link it with verse nine because there's just a comma there it's kind of linked together but notice what it says in chapter Three in verse eight, I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but done that I might win Christ. So we have live Christ, we have the mind of Christ, and we are to win Christ. Then when you come to chapter four, we get on to verse thirteen. where we come to a summing up of what he's been talking about basically in chapter four, and he says, I can do all things through Christ which strengthen at me. So a life of joy, a life that our mind is to be set upon, is a life where Christ is to be lived, his mind is to be appropriated. We are to win him, found in him, not having our own righteousness, knowing him. pressing after Him, and then to find that all our strength is in Him. Now, those things are things that we all know, and yet we have to be reminded of that constantly. Without Him, we can do nothing. But all things can be done through Christ, who strengthens us all. Now, stop and think of that just for a moment, please, and look at verse... chapter one for a moment you'll find as you go through this particular letter that the Lord Jesus who is the center the center of this whole little little episode you'll find that Christ is seen in four different ways primarily may I put that in primarily in case you say well it's not that in every verse well primarily that's the thought in the chapter For example, in chapter one, you look for Christ and where do you find him? You find him in the believer. That's where he is. He's in us. Paul says that Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. So Christ is within me in chapter one. Now that's a good thing to remember. That's where we begin in the Christian life. is within. And because he's within me, he is my power. There's no other power apart from him. He's within my power. When I come to chapter two, then I can face what he's telling me in chapter two. Because in chapter two he says, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Now how can I have the mind of Christ? Do I have to imitate him or become, look upon him and try to find him as my example? It's only by realizing, you see, that he is within, to begin with. He's my power within. But when I come to chapter two, I don't look within to see Christ primarily. But you know where I look? I look back. And I look back. to His coming from heaven, down to earth, going to the cross, ascending, going back to the Father. And I look back and I have my mind set on Christ as I look back. That's chapter two. Because He's within me my power, then I can look back now and see Him as my example and through His grace and through the power of the Holy Spirit of God. that mind of Christ can become my mind. And you know what that mind is, beloved. It is a mind of humility. It is a mind of thinking of others. When you come to chapter three, Christ is not seen within primarily, and he's not seen behind looking back primarily, but we see him in front of us. He's before us in chapter three. And now I'm pressing toward the mark. I'm seeking to win Christ. I'm seeking to be found in him. And so Christ is the object, is the goal. If he's my pattern in chapter two, he's my prize and my prospect in chapter three. In fact, you remember, when you come to chapter three, he ends this particular letter by telling us our conversation is in heaven from whence we look for the Savior. And we're looking for him to return. So he is the prize. He's the prospect that we have before us. And then when you come to chapter four, you do not see him so much as within us or behind us or in front of us, but you see him just above us controlling. surrounding us providing I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me be troubled above nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication that you request me unto God and the peace of God that passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus and so in chapter three you come to this this faith where Christ is over you, above you, and you can rest in his presence. So isn't it delightful that we begin with Christ within and we just see him completely surrounding our whole life, backward, forward, over us, wherever it might be. So our lives must be constantly occupied with him. Now you see, that affects the mind. What it does, if you go through chapter one, the mind in chapter one is developed into a gospel mind. The word gospel is mentioned maybe six or seven times in chapter one. And what Paul is concerned about in chapter one is the gospel. He's delighted that gospel is going out. Some are preaching out of contention, but that makes no difference. Christ is being preached. And he's quite delighted about that. And he wants them to strive together for the faith of the gospel. He tells us that in chapter one. So if Christ is within, and we're aware of that, and we begin to live the Christ life, we'll have a concern to get the gospel out to tell other people about it. When you come to chapter two, the mind is not only now set upon a gospel concept, but the mind is set upon the thought of... service, service for the Lord. And so we're to hold forth the word of life. We are to do all things without murmuring and complaining. We are to be concerned about others. And you remember Timothy in chapter two. You remember Epaphroditus in chapter two. You remember Paul in chapter two. You remember Christ in chapter two. The most great example, Christ the first, and then Paul and then Timothy and then Epaphroditus. And you find in that particular chapter, that the Lord is challenging us to have a mind that's concerned about others, God's people, as well as those without Christ. Now, we have about two more minutes. In chapter three, the mind. What does the mind take up? The mind in chapter three, as we think of Christ before us, and we get our mind on Him set before us. Beloved, what happens is that... it gives us a steadfast mind, a mind that is stable. There's nothing that makes us more stable than to keep our thoughts upon Him. There's nothing that enables us to go on day by day consistently in the Christian life to keep our mind on Him. And that's what you have in chapter three. And then, of course, in chapter four, You have a mind that is contented. Oh, beloved, how difficult to have contented minds today. So many pressures come in on us. To be content. Lord Paul said, I have learned in chapter four, in whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be content. How could he ever get content? He was in prison. He had many discomforts. I'm content. Well, Christ was the whole center of his life. He was within. He looked back. He saw him. Looked ahead. He saw him. He looked up. He saw him. I'm content. The contented mind. So we pray. Gracious Father, we do thank thee this morning for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for the challenge that Paul gives us in this little letter concerning the greatness of our Lord and the possibilities in the Christian life when Christ becomes the center of all to us. May he indeed be all and all in that sense. May our desire be to glorify him. Help us to rejoice, our Father, to know that Christ dwells within by faith. We rejoice, Father, to look ahead and know that Christ is the hope that is before us. We look up and above, and we rejoice that He is overall, caring, providing, and guiding. We might be in our Savior's precious name. Amen.