Paul's letter to the Philippians is explored, beginning with his gracious salutation and moving into his grateful heart, genuine sympathy, and godly concern for the church. The sermon highlights the security believers have in Christ, emphasizing that they are "in Christ Jesus" and therefore accepted by God. It also touches upon the Christian's duty of service, stemming from this security, and the importance of their sphere of service within their local communities. The message underscores the abundant supply of grace and peace available in Christ for every challenge, and Paul's deep thankfulness for the Philippians' fellowship in the Gospel, their prayers, and their steadfastness, concluding with a prayer for their love and knowledge to abound.
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We might, in the coming days, consider together a little of the very wonderful letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippa. We will be thinking, of course, of some of the great doctrines of the Christian faith, that we will not be unmindful that this is the letter that includes the duties of the Christian faith. Most of us are aware that here is an returned to a church in a remarkable city. Philippi had been named after the father of Alexander the Great, King Philip. It had been named to commemorate one of the greatest battles ever fought. It was King Philip who fortified it and made it the great stronghold that it was to become, lying as it did, or on the route between Western Europe and what then was termed Asia.
Some years later, to commemorate another battle, when it was to decide who would rule the then known world, Augustus made it a Roman colony. And there were sent down to Philippi, a legion of Roman soldiers, who continued in the fortification of the city and fought it somewhat under the rule of Rome. But there was a third battle, it seems to me. in the city of Philippi, when a small and yet blessed band of Christian commandos made a spearhead upon the very shore of Europe.
They came in to liberate those who under the infallion of Satan had known so much misery and sorrow. The account of that story, as you know, is found in the sixteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. We will be making in the course of the coming days, no doubt many a reference to the verses contained therein. It is a letter written by this man, this leader of this country of Christian commandos, as I would call them, of ten years later he finds himself at a prison in Rome. He allows his mind to go down the avenue of time, and he remembers those Christians in Peloponnes. He sends a letter to him.
It is one of the epistles in which he never claims his apostleship. My younger friends will remember that Paul wrote as far as we know 13 epistles. If you include the epistle to the Hebrews, that's written by all, then he wrote 40. And in many of these epistles he makes the claim right at the beginning, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ. When he writes for the church at Philippi, he never stands upon the dignity of his apostleship. For when in Philippi there had been no arguments concerning this, No strange doctrines in a written that had dared to say That he had never walked in those streets of Jerusalem And those pebble beaches of Galilee in company with the Christ of God Therefore he could not be an apostle They had accepted him Maybe it is because of this As we read to this letter We cannot help but still It is not in one capacity as an apostle But it is in many capacities And the servant of God We will be seeing this morning that he writes now as one who is a pastor, reflecting over that which has happened in that city of Philippon.
Then we will see him not only as a pastor, reflecting, but we will see him as a prisoner. And we will hear three times his mighty cry, My songs, my songs, my songs. We'll find him not now as a prisoner, reflecting, but as But we'll hear him say, I rejoice with my bond. Then we'll think of this mighty man of God, and tell him, as it were, as a preacher. And this preacher is requesting, Let this mind be a you, which was also his mighty love. But he takes this great three-point sermon that every good preacher I think of whom should have.
And he unfolds something of the wonders of Christ, and of Timothy. and of a paparodite. And then we will see him not only as the one who is a prisoner rejoicing and a preacher requesting, but we will see him as a pilgrim. And this pilgrim is reviewing. He's thinking of the pathway he has taken. He's pondering the road that lies ahead. We see him now as a pilgrim, sharp in hand, seeking to encourage others to go with him on this pilgrim journey. Then we'll think of him as a physician. And as we think of this one, as he diagnoses the great complaint in the city of Tel Aviv, we will hear him requiring of these folks that they should be those that are not at loggerheads one with another.
And lastly, of course, we will think of him in the coming days, as this one who is the principal was, and we will see him replying to the church for the gifts that they have sent and the news and messages that he has received concerning him. you will understand that this epistle will ask us for the remainder of the day that we are with you and the days we are with you. And I pray that God in his mercy might take us step by step and lead us to that man who God to all God's nature glorified. But brethren, sisters, less in these coming days we meet Jesus Christ that our confronting is going to be in vain. We'll go away and we will never reach the pinnacle that God would have us.
But if we meet him, and all will be well. This morning then we are going to give some consideration to Paul the pastor, and we are going to think of this one who is reflecting. You will understand by the mentioning of the other characteristics of Mark this man that the Bible does not teach that he will be pastor there in Philippi. He was one of many that were found in that particular church. But as we think of him with a pastor's heart, And so we're going to read together the first eleven verses, and we'll ponder there a while, the first eleven verses of Paul's letter to the church at Philippi.
Paul and Demotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons. Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus. 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 hath begun a good work in you, will perform it unto 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 by bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the Gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
For God did my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, that he may approve things that are excellent, that he may be sincere, and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled. with all the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God." The Lord will add his blessing to this first section, I'm sure, of this first chapter of the lovely epistle. We're going to see together this morning how, when we read these words, there is first book before us what are called Paul's gracious salutation.
Now I repeat that, Paul's gracious salutation, and then we're going a step further, and we're going to see that here is Paul's grateful heart, for gracious salutation will ever spring from a grateful heart. And then we're going a step further, and we're going to see something of Paul's genuine sympathy. It was not enough that he would sit there in prison, pondering the needs of the church at Philippi, and just mention to them that he understood their need, but with a great genuine sympathy.
He says, I have you in my heart. I have you in my heart. I long for you in the bones of Jesus Christ. Then we're going to see not only how there is his gracious salutation, there is not only his grateful heart, there is not only his genuine sympathy, but there is his godly concern. And I will be saying day by day, as you who well appreciate it, that if these things will mark each one of us, then I dare suggest the good things that mark the church in Philippi will mark also the assemblies that you and I are connected with.
And I am persuaded that the second reason of us being here is that we out shall not only meet the Lord, but that when we go back to the assemblies from which we come, we may be those better able to help, to contribute, and to build up that which is for God in this day and generation. Firstly then, what great doctrines and duties are put before us in Paul's opening salutation. Harken to the words he dares to say. Paul and Timothy are servants of Jesus to all the saints in Christ Jesus, which are in Philippi with the bishops indeed. The first thing that the Apostle brings before those Christians in Philippi is the thing that you and I ever need to claim as he speaks first of our security.
He dares to remind them that here are Christians, saints, that are in Christ Jesus, in Christ Jesus. I think one of the loveliest truths that has brought to my own heart such a tremendous joy. It's a realization not only that Christ indwells a believer, but in a mysterious way that I can't fully understand that I am in Christ. The Bible speaks of the church as a body, and it is not necessary for me to remind you that there are three bodies that the Lord has.
So please, gentlemen, wait beside me, there are three bodies the Lord has. He had his material body in which he moved amongst men, and Goddard in this thing. But this morning we can all think of his memorial body. He said, this is my body, broken it is, this is my blood, shed for you, and while we do believe that that wine became the blood of Christ, and that bread became the physical body of Christ. We believe it was the memorial body of Christ. But nevertheless, as the dead, there is another body of Christ.
It is not only his material body in which he moved amongst men in this scene. It is not only his memorial body that we partook of this morning. But there is his mystical body, the church. Not his mystical body. is mystical body. There is nothing mythical about the body of Christ. It is as real as his material body, hallelujah. It is as glorious as his memorial body. And here are the security of the believer that by faith in Jesus Christ we are found in Christ. I wonder why it is that theologians try to make several things different.
They do, you know. They do. I wonder if I could feel it straight in a very ridiculous way. I have a poem in my hand. I've put it there in the pocket. I take that poem and I put it in that hymn book. And it's in the hymn book. I mean, you saw it. I put it in there. There it is, what? It's in the hymn book. So I take that hymn book. Oh, piano. You know, something. The poem's on the piano, too. I take that hymn book, and I take it on the organ. And the comb's on the organ says, Wherever I put this hymn book, because in the hymn book there is a comb, wherever I put that hymn book, that comb goes.
And bless God, I'm in Christ. And those Christians in Tel Aviv having to endure such terrible persecution, those Christians having to face tremendous problems, the Apostle starts off with his annotations by reminding them that they are in Christ. I love those words in the 8th chapter of Romans don't you? Those he or foe, they or foe justify, they or foe glorify, not will glorify, but have done it. And as far as you and I are concerned, because we are in Christ, where Christ is we are, and we are accepted by the Father because we're in Christ.
This is our condition in Christ. Later he will talk about our condition down here. Let's get our position short. As far as a man or a woman is concerned to trust the Lord, we are in Christ and Christ will never be rejected as the Father and hallelujah, neither will we be rejected as the Father. When men and women come to me and talk to me of what they call at all rate, God's then my heart is desperate to pass. Remember the words of Jesus in the tenth chapter of John. Oh, I say, what a gift. I sit unto my sweet and alight. I say, what a gift. But no man shall bless the night of I.
And what a grace that will be with him. Glory to his name. It's all settled in Jesus' name. If you have any difficulty among falling away, by the way, by the way, I often hear folks talk about backsliders that I don't believe have ever said before. So let's get that matter right. Let's make sure you're in Christ. You're in Christ. And if you're in Christ, then hallelujah, all's well. When folks speak of Paul in a way, brethren, I wonder if we could ponder for a moment that current chapter at 1.20. When speaking of that day of Christ of which the Apostle speaks, as is this a lovely one, he could start here and go anywhere in the Bible.
He speaks of the day of Christ, and you won't forget the day of Christ when we are on earth. He's always in heaven. The day of the Lord on earth. But on the day of Christ starts with the rapture of the church. It continues with the judgment of Peter Christ. It tells us that from the hour of the hour of the Lamb, the present day to the Father. Oh, what a day, the day of Christ. And starting with the rapture of the church, it takes us to the very judgment of Peter Christ. third chapter of Corinthians 12 of the man now stands before God and his womb and his soul and his whole world up there's not one thing he has but God is completely destroyed and yet it says how weird and how did I oh my God oh I'm glad that my salvation is as it is here is the Christian spirit and then would you notice in this adaptation he speaks not only of the Christian security, but then he speaks of the Christian service.
And he goes on to remind them that they are servants. The word, as you know, is fallen slaves of Jesus Christ. I repeat what I said just now. He does not stand upon the dignity of his office and say, I am an apostle. He said, we are meeting himself with Timothy. We are fallen servants, fallen slaves of Jesus Christ. Never let us forget. That doctrine leads to duty, and the realization that he was in Christ sent him forth to say, I am upon the earth. Does it not take us back to the story of the Old Testament? Does it not show us a man who loving his wife and loving his family, although he could go free while being a slave, comes to his master and dares to say, I will not go free.
I love my wife, I love my children. I will not go free. Does it not remind us of an occasion when they go to the elders of the city and out to the gate close to the city? And there with an oar in hand the man comes and hears his hand. Mark, that ever after he's a slave. But there is human contradiction at times of free play. Well, he is one who himself has said, I will not go free. dares to say, I am in Christ and all the blessings, the glory are mine. Nevertheless, I take this position as a bond servant of Jesus Christ.
Oh, my master, I love. Brethren, sister, would I be right in favor? The Lord's circle's round how much we love the Savior of him. I don't find it easy to talk about loving things. I talk about it because my heart me to talk about it, but I don't mind it either. Do you know I wasn't bought up with a silver spoon in the mouth? When I was converted and I first went along to an assembly, had to sit behind the board, you know, old intelligence to trap who I am. But I went and trapped behind, and I would go along to the services and I'd hear these brethren stand up and speaking about loving one another.
I tell you something, the shivers used to run at my time. People I mixed with never talking about men, loving men. Well, that wasn't the language of the folk on this one. And it was one of the most difficult things I had to stand for the perfect class of my good news here, listening to grown men talk about loving grown men. I swear. It has got to be a question. You've got a hard list. Really, you've got a condition we've gotten. Then, week by week, I learned the fresh of what Christless man. Strangely to see, I found myself, and Lord, thank you for loving me.
And then we realize that it is from one's love to the Savior that one's service will ensure. And then this meditation not only speaks indeed of first our security and then our service, but then it speaks of our sphere of service. for you will notice he writes to the saints that are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons I like that as well, don't you? Isn't it simple? Why do we ever try and make things different? Not many bishops or one bishop over many churches but many different than one church writing to one church he led to the bishop, Earl and to the deacons I would come to understand it, but they were...
I'm trying But I realize that here is one church with many elders, many bishops, and people. And this was his sphere of labour in this city of Philippi. And he writes to the saints of the Beyer, and he says, My sphere of service was with you, and your sphere of service is where you live. Isn't it easy to be a Christian here? Isn't it grand to look at one another and say, Well, God bless you? Ah, isn't it grand? I don't know anything about you, do what? You know, I don't know how difficult you are in your own assembly. Ian, you don't know how difficult I am, either. Would it not be true that sometimes it's easier to serve the Lord away from home than it is to serve him at home?
And so the Apostle says to the saints at Arachs Philippa, Here is your sphere of service, and brethren, sisters, pray God that these coming days may be days, when to the ministry of the word we find ourselves in a vital link with the Savior, that we may go back, we may go back to our Philippon to serve our Lord. When I was here last with John Phillips, a good brother who was here today and will remain nameless. But a good brother that was here said to John, well John, I'm glad to be back. I want to charge my batteries again. John looked at him and said, what do you mean you ought to be?
Plugged into the maze. You didn't get that English, did you? But in the sense, plugged into the maze, not just a matter of feeling like that, day by day, linked with a Christ that will enable us to go back and serve the Savior. But then you will notice, as we think of this gracious salutation, he speaks of our security, he speaks of our service, he speaks of our sphere of service, and then he speaks indeed of the wonderful supply that ours in Christ Jesus for every battle. Why, they understood a little of what he meant. Some of them could remember when he walked into that city.
I wonder if Lydia was still there. I wonder if the Philippian jailer was still there. I wonder, I don't know the Bible doesn't tell me. I only know that there would have been some in Philippi, for it was only ten years after. There would have been some in Philippi. that had been there when Paul had went in his way to a women's prayer meeting, not a Christian prayer meeting, a Jewish prayer meeting. He'd went in his way down to a prayer meeting on the side of the river. They had heard him tell of the Saviour to preach the gospel to them. They'd listened to what he said, and they realized that he came with nothing. Little more than the clothes upon his back, and maybe I know not, maybe just a little package, But he moved into the town, touched him, Christ will all get supply.
And now he writes to them and says this glorious word, Grace, the unto you and peace, from the source of all supply, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Is it wonderful that for every battle we fight, there is in him the grace and the peace that we need? here then is his gracious salutation and then he goes on and having brought his gracious salutation to us then he speaks of his grateful heart and in verses 3 to 6 he speaks so wonderfully of this he says always in every prayer of mind for you all making requests with joy that 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 unto the day of Jesus Christ.
Here's his grateful heart. He says, oh, I give thanks. I praise God. I joy. I rejoice. Could I suggest to you, brethren, that maybe sisters as well, that maybe you and I need ever to have a grateful heart? There was a joy that came. The joy that came to his memory. I thank God for every memory of you. Now the Apostle was led up with spirit when he wrote these words. And so these words are true. Absolutely true. He says I'm grateful. I'm thankful. Well, I praise God for every memory of you.
I wonder if we may look at our own assemblies at home now. As we look back through those miles, we think of the saints gathering as we have gathered this morning to remember the Lord. Would we say that we are thankful we are grateful for every memory of them. I wonder, reversing it, would they say of us that they are grateful for every memory of us? This is how it should be, should it not be, this is how it should work in the practice, the duty of the Christian living. That we are those in the fellowship which God has called us to, whose labor and whose worship of God is such that we thank God for every remembrance of them.
He says, there's no tears here, I'm thankful. Sometimes we have to weep, don't we? I wonder if each one of us today and in the coming days would search our hearts before God, that we are not thinking now of those at home, but that we here may so walk before the Lord and allow the Spirit to have His way in our life, that others may be thankful for the memory of us. But this is where it starts, doesn't it? Right here with us. he's not only thankful for their memory, but he's thankful for their prayer. Making requests with joy. I don't think any of us will ever be able until that day long to understand how much we owe to the prayers of other Christians.
I know I could never, never be able to rehearse to you what the prayers of Christians when first I was converted. I look back sometimes that I marvel. I marvel not only at the pit from which Christ dug me. But I am marveled at the sympathy and the help and the prayers of those early Christians. I let you into a secret. If I'd have come as I came when first I was converted into your assembly, I've got a feeling you'd have a prayer meeting hoping I'd soon leave. But I can see those dear brethren now, day by day, pray for us, continue to help us. And I owe to them under the hand of God.
The very foundations of any knowledge that I have of the Word of God. I went to bed. The Lord commits this coming September. It will be 30 years ago, since I was commended by my own assembly, the assembly I'm filled with, to the work of the Lord. And over those 30 years, almost every day, preaching, I hardly ever hear anyone. That's why I love, I enjoy, coming to a conference like this, where I could say as I did yesterday, and the such lovely ministry that our dear brother gave us as to indeed our responsibility as seen in that old testamentary. So I owe so much to what I learnt when first I tend to know the Lord.
But brethren, pray. May I ask you brethren, sisters, do we pray one for another? Of course, the Apostle was a man of prayer with me. I expect I shared this with you before. If I didn't forgive me, I should have. You should have whenever I think of the life of the Apostle It began with prayer, didn't it? First time he's mentioned he's at a prayer meeting. Well, Stephen's praying at the money prayer meeting. But he's at prayer meeting. There are the clothes of those that have shown this man of God. I lay it in his face, and he hears his prayer. Lay not this thing. But they're judged. The next time he's mentioned in the Bible, he's at a prayer meeting. I say, didn't he learn quick? He's not listening to someone pray now.
He's praying himself. Who are you, Lord? What would thou have me to do? And he soon points out that prayer isn't just that. Because at this point he's mentioned even a prayer meeting. As Ananias is told to go and see him, and Ananias is that's the persecutor of the church, and God says, Behold, he prayeth. Now that's interesting. You young men who pray in the prayer meeting, that's interesting. Remember, our prayer is addressed to God. But never you forget, our prayer is also for the saints that are there. For Ananias had his heart touched, and his heart warmed to Paul because he heard all praise. Will you pray? Don't forget the faith.
Well, will it? Don't forget. We've been singing what? Having fun to it, I think you'll find it there. The lovely hymn of Alfred Mace. Well, Alfred Mace's son-in-law was brother Tamp, not Tamp. Tamp. Many years he served God in Australia. You shouldn't for a little man but a lovely man one day in a prayer meeting in Hobart in in Tasmania a dear brother had written to his feet and prayed at great lengths you know he'd gone down so deep and he'd come up so dry and he'd taken the saints on a world tour now if you've been on a world tour show you a photograph so don't bore them at the prayer meeting and you know away he went and sure enough he took them it started off in Australia and then he went over to New Zealand and up to Singapore.
And away to China and India and Africa and there. He went right around the world. It was 20 minutes he prayed. And when he sat down, Brother Kang rose to his feet. And in his rather squeaky voice, he said, Do you know more? Our brother has forgotten the cannibals in the Solomon Islands. He left the cannibals in the Solomon Islands. And he sat down. You know, I think it's good, don't you? I think it's good to remember. that God said Ananias don't you be worried about that man you go and listen to him pray now he's not praying to you he's praying to me but you listen to him remember our prayers are for the saints who were and then would you notice he not only rejoiced in his memory and rejoiced in their prayer he rejoiced in their fellowship he says why for your worth why for your fellowship in the gospel from the first until now is it wonderful to have fellowship in the gospel I'm sure that those of you that keep the prayer of the Savior, you know what it means when someone has fellowship with you in the Gospel.
We had a few old saints in our meeting who used to say, you know, brethren, we get the preachers we deserve. He always said that when we had someone that he hadn't enjoyed very much. He tried to encourage himself and he said, we get the preachers that we deserve. Now what he meant was this, there's many a dear brother who stood on a washroom like this and looked into the face of God's most to minister the things of God. And those Christians are together, but they're frozen together. You know, really, they sit there and the brother doesn't know whether he's getting all their arms. You know, it's lovely to see some sisters sometimes nod their head when you're preaching.
I'll let you know secretly It scroats the fire. Good. Amen. And there's many a young man who stood to preach amongst us that God could have made a mighty man as a preacher of him. And he started off without much of him. Oh, President, it's really lovely to be able to look at a young man and say, how you doing that way. Maybe he didn't go as far as you would have gone, but he doesn't know as much as you, does he? But what he does know he's trying to use and you're not, are you? Oh, no. Is it wonderful to be able to say our fellowship in the gospel? And there are so many ways to have fellowship in the gospel.
So many ways. And then he goes further in this grateful heart of his speaks of the joy of memory and the joy of prayer and the joy of fellowship. And then he speaks of a joy that's going to be greater than all. He speaks of the joy of glory. He that has done a good work in you will perform it under the day of Jesus Christ. wonder of it all. He started, why, he's the alpha and the meager. He's the first and the last. He's the beginning and the end. He's begun a good work and he will perform it, and he'll perform it right until you stand at the judgment seat of Christ the day of Jesus Christ. I'm glad of that. Sometimes, in the very course of this theme comes upon us, then one realizes all's well.
As you know, last year I had the joy of being an African. I Away in the heart of Angola, I was challenged in my own spirit, more than I've been challenged in 30 years of preaching, and I've met wonderful men and women. I thank God for every Christian I've met. But last year in the heart of Angola, I found myself away in the mission station at Chelanda, and Betty Beatty was there. One lone girl working in an area bigger than England and Wales put together. And I looked at her, and I tell you, I dropped on my knees again and again during the course of the day, and I said, Oh, where are the men?
Where are the men? She was a girl who had begun a work, and one after another, and one after another, those that have labored in that area have left, and they've left her alone and left her alone for months and months and years on her own. And yet he that began a good work will perform it. She continued in her labor for God. And this is what Paul's thinking of. He says, this is prison. He's thinking of the Christian. All right. He said, God started a good work in you. Oh, well, dear perform it. No wonder here the pastors aren't reflecting. But if we see here first his gracious salutations, and then we hear his, or see his grateful heart, then, of course, we see his genuine sin.
simply. He says, I have you in my heart. This was not something that was just an outward expression of spiritual truth. This was something that sprang from his being. Christ was in his heart, and he was in the heart of Christ. And so what would you expect? You would expect an expression like this, wouldn't you? You would expect him to say, I have you in my heart, but not only do I have you in my heart, but I long for you in the very heart of Jesus Christ, in the bowels of Jesus Christ. If Christ is in me, and I'm in Christ and this expression is real is it not oh what a sympathy he says I have you in my heart brethren I think it's I think it's wonderful to have sympathy one with another like Adam is it isn't it easy to have sympathy with those of others it isn't it not so not so easy to rejoice with those that rejoice to this.
To weep with those that weep is so easy, but to rejoice with those that rejoice. So difficult. You know, when God is blessing that little church group on the opposite side of the road to you, and he's not blessing you, it's not easy at the prayer meeting you to say, thank you, Lord. Thank you for blessing them over there. The apostles in prison. And come on, what blessings are you having in prison? Could you name any man that he led to the Lord while he was in prison? Our name is from he led to the Lord in Philippi. Yet his sympathy is so real. He has them in his heart and he has a heart of Christ as well. And he speaks of them and he rejoices with them.
Oh, that you and I might be able to do this. That we might be able to broaden our horizons and the things of God. Realize that we are one in us. In this mystical body of the Lord. Then would you notice please his godly concern. 9 to 11. Oh, if we look at this, what tremendous truths are here. And if I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment. He prays for their light, that he may approve things that are excellent, that he may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ. He prays for their light, being filled with the fruits of righteousness.
He prays for their fruits. He prays first of all for their love, for their life. How important it is for us to do this. That you and I may know something of this, that there may be growth in our love, that your love may abound yet more and more. Or how he longs that there may be growth in their lives, that ye may approve those things that are excellent. By the way, this is interesting, isn't it? In Bristol Conference I went through those first lines verses in the first chapter of Acts and during the week we just looked at them and saw something of the wonders of the Savior the wonders of the Savior and as we were taking the key to began both to do and to teach I was emphasizing the holiness of the Savior.
Would you put it in a little farther than that? Because I think it's found here. You see what he's saying is this, that here is the blessed Lord who moved amongst you. He began both to do and each. And isn't it remarkable when the Father desires to speak to us of the holiness of his Father, he chooses three things. For there were three things that marked Christ. The first thing that marked Christ was surely this, was his knowledge. People were amazed that the wisdom came on his hand. And then you will notice there was not only his mind, but there was his movement. He went about doing good.
And then there was his motive that beyond it all he could say, I do the will of my father. So God tells us about his mind and his movement and his motive. And listen, he chooses for his mind. Who do you think? It doesn't come to a man like me. He goes to an academic of academics and he says to the soul of partners, tell us something about the mind of Christ. And he says, he, you know this. Anyone can tell us what that is? So who does he go to? He goes to a man who all his life was known for his movement. He goes to a Peter, and he says, Peter, Peter, impetuous Peter, tell him about his movement. And he doesn't say he knew no sin, he said he did no sin.
And then he wants to tell us about his motive. And he doesn't go to a Peter, and he doesn't go to a Paul. I tell you who he goes to. He goes to a man who leads on Jesus' bosom with nothing that we hear in the fight. And he says, John, tell us about his motive. And he doesn't say he did no sin. He doesn't say he knew those men. He says, in him was no sin at all. Have we got it here? Have we got it here? Tarken to what he says. Does he not say that you may approve those things which are excellent? He speaks of our minds. Does he not say you may be sincere and without offense? Does he not speak of our movement and our motives? And he dares to say, The fruit of righteousness which is, which is, or which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory of God.
Oh, brethren, sisters, here surely we see the pastor's heart. As he reflects, and he sends his gracious salutation, to remind them of their security and their service, to remind them of their fear and their source. then his grateful, grateful heart, as he rejoices over them, and then he speaks of his genuine sympathy and his godly concern. I pray that each one of us, as we ponder together the words of this epistle, that we may go back to our room, enjoying our fellowship one with another, and later we may go back to our assemblies and our districts, that we might also, having learn the truths of this existence, go forth.
Know something in our lives of the fruit of righteousness which is found in Christ's divas unto the glory of God. Shall we pray? God and Father, we dare finish where we start. We dare say, oh, believe me. For the man who wants to We ask that our need was glory for thy name, so we may go from this place to bring glory for thy name to us, and for our people's name. Amen.