Address—C.E. Lunden
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The return to Philippians, the 2nd chapter.
I'd like to read though from the 27th verse of the previous chapter, and I want to read it in different parts so that we'll just read a section first.
We read down through the fourth verse of the second chapter to start with.
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.
Whether I come and see you, or else the absence, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation and that of God.
Frontier, it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake, Having the same conflict which she saw in me, and now here to be in me.
If they've been there for any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies fulfill you, my joy that you be like minded having the same love being of 1 accord of one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or Vainglory, but in loneliness of mind. Let each esteem one and other better than themselves.
Not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
The subject that we have in this epistle is quite different from what we have in the other epistles.
We don't have exactly the believers seated in the heavenly spoken of, nor do we have the truth of Colossians like we have the other day, but we have rather the the ordinary Christian life before us, normal Christianity and we we read in these verses about.
The word same through other expressions, but they mean the very same thing, that is that there should be 1 mindedness in the assembly.
And the way that is accomplished is that everyone is walking communion. There can only be one mind. That's the mind of the Spirit.
And that really is the thought of the unity of the Spirit.
As we have in Ephesians 4. But here's the practice of it the.
And so it's what is normal here in this world for the Christian, so that the same Spirit that starts with the Spirit, the same Spirit and the same.
Or one spirit, same thing, one mind. The spirit will only bring.
The same thing to each one.
One mind as to our conduct and walk down here in the fellowship one another.
The Spirit of God is not the author of confusion.
And there is a confusion where the Spirit of God is in control. And so he says also striving together for the faith of the gospel. And now, of course, in the first chapter he mentions the fact that when he was in prison and he was here, but there was some who were taking advantage and were making a way for themselves, even in preaching the gospel. Envy and strife.
Some of goodwill, but the apostle rejoiced regardless.
But still those who were carrying on in this way were not going on in oneness of spirit and.
So he speaks here of this and you'll notice too.
Having the same conflicts, same conflict. Now I know that the apostle Paul went through a great many things that you and I will never be called upon to go through. But the principle of it, the same conflict because the world opposes Christ.
We find ourselves being opposed by the world in one way or another in our walk through this world. And so we're to have, we have the same conflict as the apostle and it says, which she saw in me and now here to be in me. He was in prison.
We're not all called upon to go through prison. Of course some are. And so he on that basis, he says if there be there for any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, then he bowels and mercies fulfill you. My joy that you be like minded like minded.
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Having the same love being of 1 accord.
In one mind, now this is normal Christianity, this is what is supposed in an Assembly of God that represents Christ down here in this world, and he's spoken of this. He now sets before us the Lord Jesus as the example of it. Now I know we use this passage, this following passage that we're going to read on Thursday morning in connection with his death and suffering, which is proper.
But I believe that the Apostle is sitting before us in this book.
Primarily is the graciousness of Christ, how he conducted himself. Will it be in his walk through this world or whether it be at the cross? His whole path is one of grace. This is especially brought up out in the Gospel of Luke, heavenly grace. So we'll read this this part now.
I know there are, there are very steps. We're not going to speak of that, but simply to read it and comment a little on it. And I left this mind. He's been Speaking of being one mind. I said let this mind.
Be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
Being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation.
And took upon him the form of a servant, who was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that is the name of Jesus. Every nation bow things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.
Heavenly, earthly and infernal beings. Really, the thought.
That every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Lord, the glory of God the Father. Now here we we have before us the example in this book of how we should conduct ourselves. Grace should be the pattern.
With a believer now this is natural with us, you know?
James, was it not James and John who were the sons of Thunder? And yet look at the lovely epistles and gospel that John wrote and the language he uses in the epistles. I know it's inspired, but it was intelligent on his part as well as inspired. He, he added in the very thing he wrote, I'm sure, and walked in it, at least in measure. So there's supposed to be, you know, some change when one becomes a Christian.
There should be in evidence in our lives that we have been in the presence of Jesus, and that's what we have here, the one set before us in this chapter and how He carried himself even in the most extreme circumstances, you know, we never called upon, of course, to go through.
Extreme circumstances as a rule, but still there's the everyday life and it's being tested continually. The enemy is always setting things up for us to test us. And how do we respond to it? Do we carry on in this way? We do it for walking communion. It isn't a question of exhorting anyone to.
To use the flesh in effort to do it.
The point is to be exercised that we have that one pure object before us continually, and this will be so with us. These very things we've been reading about will be so. There will be a proper conduct. There will be that fellowship and one mindedness in the assembly. And if there isn't, there should be an exercise in our souls. Why this is so. We don't have sin in this epistle. We do have two sisters that have a little difficulty, but no sin that I know of is mentioned and.
That is true of normal Christianity. There should be no sin allowed and there isn't if we're walking in communion. You know, dear ones, that when when we were saved, we were brought directly into communion and it's only sin that breaks up. We are in communion. We don't seek to be in communion. We are in communion. It's a happy thought.
We break it if we sin.
And how often has been the case with us. We have to confess, and we are restored by our advocate to that happy place again of fellowship and community with our brethren, with the Lord, first of all. So we have the Lord before us. And of course we've been over there so many times about his sufferings and his death, but I was.
Primarily wanting to speak of the fact that He is the example for us of this line of things that we have in this epistle. The gracious way in which He conducted Himself at every turn is the picture before our souls here, the Lord Jesus Himself. Now I'm going to read in the 12Th verse.
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For my beloved, you see wherefore. Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in My presence only, but now much more in My absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings or reasonings, that you may be blameless.
The word is simple and harmless. Harmless and simple.
That you may be harmless and simple, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked, perverse, really generation. Among whom you shine, it should read among you appear among whom you appear as lights in the world.
Holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. Yay. And if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me.
There's another subject following this. Now he says, wherefore the apostle is in prison. He was with them. The very fact of their being alone now without the apostle gives them opportunity to exercise the for these principles that are involved.
In the assembly, the conduct and so on.
And the working out of their own salvation. Now, some have even thought that this first meant that they were to work, to have salvation. But of course, that's not the meaning. He's speaking to those who are already saved. It's not a question of working because there's no way that you can have salvation by works. It's all by faith, simple faith in Christ. If you're here tonight unsaved, remember that just one touch in the hem of His garment of faith.
Means eternal relationship with Christ. Isn't that precious?
One touch of faith, because it's all the work of God. How precious and how simple the truth is. No, they have a salvation, but now how do they carry it out?
And that's the point here. It's the everyday life of the Christian.
Well, we'll notice first of all he speaks of fear and trembling. Is it the thought that we're afraid of God? No, that's not the thought. But certainly if we love someone, we don't want to displease them, do we? And there is a path for faith. And so it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do. Of His good pleasure. The new nature always wants to please Him, the old nature doesn't. So it isn't difficult to tell then.
Which nature's at work doesn't Is it? You want to place him a new nature. It's God that is working. It's the work of God in the soul. Both are willing to do notice that of his good pleasure.
Now his good pleasure is found within the pages of this book. We may find even that in the Old Testament which will instruct us in it. And so we find all of Scriptures profitable or that instruction. The book of Proverbs, for instance, how important for the for the home, for the children and the reason of the the difficulties today with families, whether in the assembly or outside is because the book of Proverbs is not read. The principles of the book of Proverbs are not being.
In the first place, the father and the mother many in many instances have not taken their true place connected with nurturing and admonition. Besides that, there hasn't been the desire perhaps on the part of the children to follow the word of God. And so we find sometimes some very sad conditions both inside and outside of the assembly. So we have all of Scripture. It's important do all things without murmurings and reasonings and so I'll often we.
Now if we have the mind of the Spirit of God, we don't reason. The reasoning is setting ourselves up against the word of God, setting man's mind against the word of God. We were warned of that in Colossians reasonings. That's disputing here that she may be blameless or harmless and simple. Now that's not the way the world teaches us.
The children of school are taught to make something of themselves, to be something in this world.
But that's not the teaching of Scripture, not to be anything in this world, but about the pattern that we've just had before us. He made himself of no reputation. Reputation is what you are before men. Character is what God forms in you, and He forms it in the little ones through the parents. And then parents may not even be saved, but if the children are, they're to obey their parents and they're very disciplined and love of the parents.
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Will have its part in form of the character of that child.
Under the hand of God through the parents. So it's important for the children even to recognize the truth that they're to obey their parents. Be subject the sons of God. That's what we are for the sons of God were the children of God too, and were the sons of God. Do not rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation and how we feel this today, crooked and perverse generation.
But it says among whom ye appear.
His life now, it isn't the thought of any effort to shine. That's not the thought. The thought is if you and I are going on normally, according to the scripture and communion, we will appear as lights down here. It'll be manifested in the world, the testimony that we carry as the sons of God. And that's so important. The effort of the flesh has no place in it. I was, I was on a train and I went to the counter next to the dining room to get a sandwich at noon. There's quite a crowd there.
And I saw the steward walking back and forth, placing guests at the tables and taking these checks and so on. And I could see it was a Christian. I've never seen him before, but I could see he was a Christian. So I pulled a tract out and put it right in front of him, right through the two lines in front of me. He stopped, and he says I'm a Christian, too. He took the track, went on with his work.
In the afternoon he came to me, found me in the train, sat down and he told me how he'd just been saved recently.
You see it all over him. Didn't have to be told Among whom you appear as light swirl. There's no effort there, was there?
He said, Do you have anything with you that I can lay on the table? My wife is a Catholic. She won't read anything that I give her. If you have some little thing I could give her, I want her to be saved, and I did. I had some things in my bag. I've never seen him since. Among whom you appear as lights in the world. Well, this is natural to normal Christianity. Some of us have to confess how short we come of this now. Pierre's lights, but falling forth the word of life.
Now the apostle speaks of this in a very special way.
He says that I may rejoice in the day of Christ. And what's the day of Christ? Well, it's the day when Christ is going to have everything the way he wants it, and you'll be with him. Be a wonderful day. It's not the day of the Lord. It may parallel the day of the Lord at least part way, but it's not the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is on the earth. The day of the Lord is the day of darkness and not light, but the day of Christ is when Christ is going to have his bride with him and have everything the way he wants it.
Be a wonderful day.
The apostles speaking now of rejoicing in that day because of something, what is it? It's what the Saints are doing that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. And why does he speak of this in this way? Because he's in prison. He had formally said a dispensation of the gospel is committed to me. That is, God had entrusted the apostle Paul with a special line of faith, the gospel.
This fullness is completeness as we had in Colossians one chapter completing the word of God. He's in prison, he can't carry it out. And these Saints that Philippi taking the work up and they've gone out with the gospel instead of the apostle.
Nice as my work is going to be completed.
That lovely. But there's something else here, he said. That I may rejoice.
In the day of Christ, because there's going to be fruit seen in that day. Now that's that's a line of things that should encourage us because we should plow and hope. You know, you don't know when you say a few words to somebody, whether it's going to mean a blessing for their soul or not, but you hope you do it in a sense of hope. I remember there, there were some, we were talking about the age of brother rule some years ago. It was in Des Moines.
Who had made the remark that in all the years that he had preached and so on, that he had never known of one convert?
Standing by, she said, well, I was one of his converts. He didn't know it, but there was fruits, you see, It was just, well, perhaps he didn't know it, but he's going to rejoice in the day of Christ. And that sister that speaks over the fence to her neighbor, she's got to rejoice in the day of Christ too, when the fruit appears. No, we don't look for the results now, but it's faithfulness that is the point. Are we faithful? Are we going on in a normal way that a Christian should conduct themselves in this world?
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If we will, there is fruit, and we know there is. First Corinthians 15 tells you absolutely that you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Isn't that comforting that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain? There's a positive side here that should encourage us tonight. Now we have something lovely.
He said yeah and if I be offered.
Upon the sacrifice and service of your faith I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me. Now the thought is a libation or of drink offering. Ford, Ford. If you read in the in the book of Exodus about the morning and the evening sacrifice, the lamb was offered. It was a meat offering, though spoken of in that way.
A bird offering, but it also was a meat offering. But there was a part of a hint of wine and part of a hint of oil.
It was poured over it. Now that's a picture of joy going along with the offering and there was just the same amount of of oil, which is this a picture of the Spirit of God as there was wine which speak of things of joy same amount. There won't be any more joy than what the spirit brings. It's the spirit that brings it turn with me for a moment back to.
Genesis 35 And God said unto Jacob, Arise.
Go up to Bethel and dwell there, and make there an order unto God that appeared unto thee when thou fled us from the face of Esau thy brother. Now that he's referring to the 28th chapter of Genesis, remember when Jacob slept with a stone for his pillow, and God made a covenant with him, or promised really, Jacob made the covenant. Then Jacob said unto his household.
Until all that were with him put away the strange God that are among you.
Be clean and change your garments. Let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I'll make there an altar unto God, who answered.
Me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods that were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears, The 2GO together, and Jacob hid them under the oak, which was by Shechem. And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
Now go down to the ninth verse. And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Peyton Arum and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob.
Not be called anymore Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name. And he called his name Israel. God said unto him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply a nation, and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings should come out of thy loins. And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac to thee will I give it. I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.
Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone.
He poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon, and Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him Bethel. Now in this passage, Jacobs is brought back to Bethel just as God had promised him. Why was Jacob delaying to go to Bethel? Because he had idols in his house. He couldn't go to Bethel with idols in his house because he had already said this is the House of God, this is the gate of heaven. You remember that in the.
Chapter He couldn't go to Bethel with idols in his house. And as soon as God says that Jacob, you go to Bethel. Then Jacob said to his family, you put away these idols.
But he had to get the word of God first. Oh dear ones, remember, you can never take one step of faith except it's directed by the Spirit of God. And that's why we need to be in communion. Can't do it in the flesh. It's God that told him to go to Bethel. And God goes before every step we take, ever so little. It may be that he goes before and he orders the way, and he clears away all the idols too. And so if this is the condition of your house tonight, remember.
God, and God alone is the one.
That kind of stuff, things right in your house.
How could he go to Bethel with idols?
So immediately he realized that God sends him to Bethel, he'll have the power to cleanse his house, but he couldn't do before. And at the same time, God renews again all those promises that he made on the ground of Jacob's faithfulness, because Jacob had already proved.
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That he was unfaithful in Laban's house and all.
He was a clever schemer. No, Jacob couldn't get blessing in that ground. He was beginning to learn the sovereignty of God. The blessing must come on the ground upon which God acts and acts in his sovereignty. That's the only way blessing can come. And so Jacobs now so overcome with joy that this has all taken place in his house. Everything is cleared up.
It's clean. It says clean. Morally, of course idols are gone. Everything's gone. That's wrong. And he.
Takes and fours out a drink offering with the oil on the rock.
Only once in his life that I know, he did this. He set up a rock for an altar before, but he didn't pour any wine on it. And so you see, it's a picture.
Of extreme joy because God has come out to do for him what he could not do for Himself. Have you had this experience?
God coming into your circumstances to do what you cannot do for yourself. I'm sure it's an occasion of real joy.
Now that's what we have in our chapter tonight.
The apostle was in a position where he could not carry out what God had given him to do.
And when he sees that God orders the hearts of all those Saints to go out and preach the gospel and do the work that he was supposed to do, he's so overcome with joy. He says, on top of your service, I'm going to pour out my life as a libation. And he was beheaded not long after that sacrifice of joy. Well, now and the rest of this passage.
He's Speaking of the fact of rejoicing with them all for the same cause also. Do your joy and rejoice with me. You see, it was the same spirit.
Apostle.
It was a normal thing without assembly. It's true they were young and learning.
But it was a normal thing that there would be the one mindedness with the apostle if they were in communion, when all we desire this.
Little assemblies here and there. If we could only manifest this oneness of spirit character. What a testimony how we would appear in this world is lights. That's what God intends, that we appear as lights. No effort of the flesh. No, just appear as lights. Now in the 19th version on we have another subject. In the first part of this epistle we have.
Deacons mentioned.
And the elders or bishops. But the apostle is in prison.
And there is no continuation of appointment of elders and deacons. The Saints are going to have to work out their own salvation.
That is, they're going to have to discern in the assembly those that God has fitted for that office, because it's a question of office, not gift. In the assembly. There are offices of those who have a care, whether it be in the spiritual way or in a natural way. Now we have in the third chapter of first Timothy, detailed instructions in an outward way how we could.
Notice who it is in the assembly that would fill this place.
But here we have the moral qualifications because it's more it's more than just a man.
Who has children? And so on.
All these qualifications mentioned in the Epistle of Timothy.
There has to be something underneath at the same time inside, and that goes with this book. Now, I wouldn't say for a minute that Timothy was an elder, nor would I say that.
Papaditis was a Deacon. But I say that God brings truth in in different ways in Scripture. He hides it here and there. It's the glory of God to conceal a matter. It's the honor of kings to search it out. And so right here in this epistle where it belongs.
He gives a moral qualifications of a Bishop or an elder, and a Deacon will notice them. But I trust in the Lord. Verse 19 to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state, for I have no man like.
Minded. Notice that like minded who will naturally care for your state. Now he's not talking about him as a natural man, he's talking about him as one in normal Christianity, in communion, who just naturally cares for the Saints, their spiritual state.
That's what he's talking about. This line of works is at home with him, natural to him. Oh, how good it would be. So if we're selling all the assemblies.
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Where there was a care right from the heart for the Saints of God, not simply an outward appointment for outward qualifications, but inward qualifications. Notice for your state not standing. That's all been handled already. That's taken care of. It's a question of the state of soul down here as we walk through this world. On the contrary, all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ. We read elsewhere.
I think it's in Second Timothy.
All day in Asia forsaken me. That doesn't mean they weren't Christians, but they forsook the apostle. They forsook the line of teaching that the apostle held. We find Timothy almost alone as the apostle leaves the scene. Timothy has to carry the torch, as it were. Timothy was like minded with the apostle. Would he be a good one to care for the assembly? I think he would. You know, there's such a thing as gift. When the Lord Jesus went on high, He gave gifts unto men.
Not to assemble, but to men.
But that's not the same as an office. But then also there's such a thing as a leader. He may not be able to fill an office, may not even have a special gift of evangelist or teacher, but he may be a leader. And so we're told to respect our leaders, and they may have this qualification here, moral qualification, who naturally cares for the state of the assembly and the individuals in the assembly. And that would be normal on the part of the elder. Paul is going away.
He wanted them to learn how to know who they were, know them, which take the lead among you. We get that in Hebrews. We're to know them, we're to recognize them, and we're responsible to recognize them. That's order. That's normal Christianity. But you know the proof of him.
That as the Son with the Father, He has served with me in the gospel. He came up the right way. He learned as he went. He didn't start out at the top of the ladder. He began at the bottom. He followed with the apostle. He served with the apostle. When the apostle left the scene, he carried on. He was ready then because the apostle not only taught the truth and and the revelations that were given him.
But all the care of the churches fell on the apostle.
This was true in measure with Timothy as well, and there had to be a moral preparation by the Spirit of God.
And that was through walking day by day in communion, being built up in his most holy faith as the Spirit opened the scriptures to him, that he might be one who would be a help to the people of God. Proof of him that as a son with a father, that's respect for an older one which is proper in the assembly.
He has served with me in the gospel. Now that's not just the simple gospel as we say, that is going out and preaching.
The minimum you might say of showing your soul how to be saved. But he's Speaking of the whole gospel that was committed to Paul. Timothy had been instructed in it.
To get that in second Timothy two, we won't turn to it. That's the seminary of God him therefore I hope to send presently as soon as I shall see how it will go with me. He was going to send Timothy to them and here they have a picture set before them of what characterized.
An elder. He was not an elder, but he had the moral qualifications of one, not the outward qualifications.
As far as we know, and they would learn from Timothy after that how to recognize in the assembly those who were qualified for such a place that they might respect them. So now we have something else. But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly. There is a question, you know, with some, whether the apostle was allowed out of prison again.
But there's quite a bit of evidence that he was.
We believe that he probably did come back to this assembly again, although the scripture doesn't give us anything real definite except that we've had the first part of this first chapter or the last part of the first chapter. Now he speaks of these things that he's sure he will see them again, and there's probably he did.
Now he says, yet I suppose it necessary to send to you a pafford Itis. Now we have a moral picture of what a Deacon is like.
Not the outward qualifications, but a moral picture.
How they could recognize them in a spiritual way. My brother and companion in labor. I suppose if Aphrodite us from the record here took care of many of the apostles needs, temporal needs. That's the work of a Deacon and fellow soldier. But your messenger, he was carrying the gift from the assembly to the apostle and he that ministered.
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Wants, that is, he carried on the practical side of things while the fossil preached or perhaps wrote letters in prison, whatever it was the apostle was doing, the apostle had needs even in prison in the in connection with his circumstances, and he was going to take care of these needs. Well, God would see to it that someone would.
An Epaphroditus was chosen to do it. He had moral qualifications, and one who goes on with the Lord and communion in a normal way will soon find the place that God has fitted him for in the assembly. And notice what he does here. But he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that she had heard that he had been sick. Is this not the spirit of Jesus Christ seen in this man? These are the evidences of true Christianity.
He didn't want anyone to know that he was sick. He didn't want to be occupied with him, for indeed he was sick nigh unto death. That God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Why would the apostle have sorrow from sorrow? Because his heart was entwined with Epaphroditus. Was Epaphroditus a great orator? No.
He was going out and doing work so that he could buy things that the apostle needed until the money came from the assembly. And he worked so hard that he was nigh on the death. He was sick. That's the true heart of a Deacon, isn't it? Although he wasn't a Deacon, as far as we know, outwardly he may have been.
But the outward qualifications, but he does have the moral qualifications. I sent him there for the more carefully that when you see him again, he may rejoice. And if you go through this assault, you'll be writing pretty fast. Put down all the rejoicing full of them. And the one who's rejoicing the most in this epistle is the apostle who's in prison. That's normal Christianity. A higher aspect of it perhaps, but it's normal Christianity now it says.
Receive him, therefore in the Lord.
With all gladness. With all gladness and.
Hold such in reputation. Hold such in reputation, reputation among Saints, not in the world. Outward appreciation for a man like this, because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life. To supply your lack of service toward me. Now when he speaks of their lack of service, it's not a reprimand.
It's simply that what they tried to do did not go through and they did not receive what the assembly was sending at that time. And so this man fills in with his own laborers to take care of the situation. True Deacon. True Deacon.