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Oh my God. Alright, I see you. Good morning.
Philippians chapter 3.
Finally, my brother rejoiced in the Lord. To write the same things to you for me indeed, is not grievous.
But for you this says, beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I mourn.
Circumcise the 8th day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law of Pharisees concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless. But what things were gained to me, those I kind of lost for Christ? Yay, Dallas, And I count all things but laws for the Excellency.
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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 may win Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law.
But that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
That I may know him in the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, not, as though I had already attained, either, were already perfect, But I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count out myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ. Season. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded, and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us mind the same thing, brothers.
Followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as you have us for an example for many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. For our conversation is in heaven. For once also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body?
According to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things.
Unto himself.
I was just thinking, brethren, how we had a great deal of practical ministry yesterday in connection with the path in which God would have us to walk. But I was thinking how this chapter brings before us the state of soul. Because in divine things, things may be set out very clearly, but it needs to have the heart, right? We need to have Christ as our object. And if Christ is our object, then it says in this 50th verse, let us therefore as many as be perfect or full grown.
Be thus minded, And if in anything he be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
That is, on God's party is willing to make his truth known. The hindrance, if there is a hindrance, is always on our part. It's our state of soul that isn't right. And that's where spiritual things differ from natural things. In natural things we lay hold of them according to our natural ability, but in divine things we lay hold of them according to our state of soul. And so if the Spirit of God, through His word, may attract our hearts to Christ.
Things that may not seem clear to us will be opened up to us by the Spirit.
Because Christ is the truth, as we had last night, the way, the truth and the life. Everything is in Him, and we need to have Him before us. And His Word is our guide. But the person, especially before our hearts, saw that we might have Him as the object, and His Word is our guide.
Nice word to start with. Isn't it the first word?
Finally.
That's a summary, isn't it?
Interesting that in the book of Philippians we get in every chapter either joy or rejoicing.
And it seems as we read through it that there was some little difficulty there. Sin is not really mentioned.
But there was this little difference there between take it to be sisters. And so we get this thought of of the of the oneness of the agreeance and of the rejoicing in every chapter. It to some degree either joy or rejoicing in each chapter of this book, I think two that isn't a key verse here. This brings before us the He's the object or should be. The object shouldn't be. And I think the key verse there is verse 14.
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I pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. He pressed on to that. That was his whole goal, wasn't it not? He knew the Lord Jesus as his Savior, but he wanted to know him in a in a nearer, closer way. And I believe it's like it's been put this way. We know Him as our Savior, but do we all know him as our Lord, the one who has authority in our lives, the one with whom we're going to be for all the ages of eternity?
It's often been mentioned, but I think it bears repeating that Christ is the one who is the theme in every chapter.
First chapter is our life. It says to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. In the second chapter he speaks of Christ as the example that this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Then in this chapter, as you mentioned the object Paul compares himself to a runner with an object before him. And then in the last chapter I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
And that is, we might say, well, it's a difficult path.
But we don't. We're not called upon to run the race. We're not called upon it to walk in in our own strength.
Paul was in prison, but he could do all things through Christ, which strengthened him.
Instead to that in this chapter it takes energy, doesn't it? To, as you mentioned Gordon, a spiritual energy to follow on. I think in chapter 3 or chapter 2 it brings before us more the graciousness of the Lord Jesus, doesn't it? The graciousness of Christ. Whereas in our chapter it brings the thought to me at least, as it takes energy, doesn't it? Spiritual energy.
To go on because the enemy would seek to turn us aside. You know, it's interesting to know that when we got saved, we were we were attracted to the person of Christ because of his wondrous work on the cross, and we have salvation. But now we need to be attached to him in love. And it takes energy, the Spirit of God working not only for us but in us, to energize us to go on.
In the joy of the Lord. And know something of that joy or rejoicing that we have in every chapter. Because this was a prison epistle, wasn't it?
Being said that Romans is the is the coming out like the coming out of Egypt, and the Philippians is the journey through the wilderness, the IFS.
And then Colossians is being across the Jordan, but just on the.
On the Bank of the other side, not totally in the land. And then Ephesians is the full enjoyment of the land.
Perhaps in connection with that you could say that Philippians is the time where the Lord appears as the captain of the Lord's host to bring them into the possession, and more, and Joshua was told to take his shoes off his feet and listen to the commands that were given to him.
In chapter one, we have Christ as our life.
In chapter two we have Christ as our example.
Chapter 3. Christ is the Object in Chapter 4. Christ is Our Strength.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Chapter one is to go out with the gospel. Chapter 2 is to go down to a lowly Christ. Chapter 3 is to go up to an exalted Christ. In Chapter 4 is to go on in the strength of Christ. It's nice to see.
Philippians gives us normal Christian experience and as you said, Charles, it's joy all the way through, isn't it?
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The enemy doesn't want to see us going on with Christ as our object. And so he begins with warnings, because if the enemy can get our eye off the Lord Jesus and get us occupied with other things by then, he's going to rob us of not only the enjoyment but even the intelligence of the truth that we should walk in. So he brings before us these warnings, because we all know how treacherous our hearts are and how easy it is for us to get.
Waylaid, so to speak. Allow these things, These warnings here. Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of the concession.
These different things bring before us the dangers that would hinder us from having Christ as our object, and from walking in that revealed truth that He's given to us in His precious word.
Dogs are shameless, aren't they? I was thinking in the 6th and 7th of Proverbs you get shameless evil and how any of us could fall into the trap of it. Because we have a nature that would relate to it if we allow it, but we have the power of the new nature to walk separate from that line of things. Those things that the Solomon warned us about that.
Are so such shameless things and yet the world around us.
It prompts them up every time they go by a newsstand. It's it's shameless evil. I go in the market, it's shameless evil. I hear voices in the in the checkout stand at the counter of some woman living in sin and and talking about the shameless evil that she's going on with. But oh, and the Lord says beware of that sort of thing in that second verse, doesn't he?
Thank you.
I think the evil workers bring before us evil doctrine because it's a lot of that round two that is going to hinder our apprehension of the truth and our enjoyment of Christ. We find that false doctrine attacks either the person or the work of Christ or both. So we're warned to be aware of this. There are lots of people that take up the Bible, but they bring false teaching and we need to be aware because they could get our minds reasoning instead of in simplicity.
Taking God's word as it reveals truth to us, and I believe that concession brethren. I believe that refers to spiritual pride.
And that is, it's something that we can take pride in. I've given up this. I've given up that I'm this or that because then it's followed. We are the circumcision. The circumcision is not putting aside certain things, concise, A concise dictionary is things cut down. But the concision is the end of the first man. And the circumcision, I meant to say, is the end of the first man. That's what circumcision figures. Death to the flesh. It isn't. Well, yes, I gave up this and I gave up that.
Says the flesh profiteth nothing, flesh profiteth nothing. And so I believe we have those 3 dangers, our brother said shameless evil.
Evil teaching that's around that would rob us of the person and work of Christ and the enjoyment of the truth and then spiritual pride that we feel we have attained something. We've given up this we've been very faithful self occupation, but if we really are in the presence of God, self has no place. It comes to its end and circumcision is the knife on the flesh. Your brother Vedic are used to give us a drastic picture of that and the young people might enjoy that and it will stick in your mind.
That is like somebody that cuts off the tail of a dog inch by inch instead of cutting it off all at once. You know we cannot. And that's not God's way for us to deal with one problem in our life, in our own strength, and then we think we're on top of that, another problem pops up. We have to recognize that.
In the sight of God, sin was dealt with, the flesh was dealt with, you know, and this is how we have to see ourselves. There is nothing good in US naturally speaking, and not only as we heard yesterday.
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Did the Lord Jesus die for our sin? We ourselves found our end in the death of Christ. He never has troubled so many.
Young believers, when they realized that after they accept the Lord Jesus as savior, they come still evil thoughts, evil desires, and the enemy can even use that to trouble them, as if they're not saved and they take that scripture that we are a new creature. Old things have passed away, not realizing that there is a position of truth. You know the flesh is still within us, but we have to recognize that it was dealt with in the cross of Christ.
You know, and not only did he die for my sins, but I died with him. I'm dealt with judicially as a Sinner. I was executed. I don't any longer exist in the sight of God, and I have to recognize that unto sin as an accomplished fact. That's what Romans 6 teaches, that I've died to sin, not that I am now that I am a believer.
Dealing with some particular sin in my life, I have died to earth, the whole of it by faith.
That's what that book teaches, you know, I was very happy a brother took up Romans, and I think we would benefit from it. To go into the other chapters, each one of us, and get a hold of the teaching of Romans. I think it's not understood by many gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus and here.
We have that statement.
We are not worshiping in the flesh.
But in the Spirit, you know there is a new light and a new creature in Christ. And this is how we have to see ourselves as God sees us. And we might vainly try to deal with a particular evil and everything we have solved it. We try to deal with another problem. Then the old problem pops up again. It's still there. We have to reckon ourselves dead unto sin. We have died to sin.
And it takes as much faith to accept that side of the death of Christ as the one that he died for my sins.
That's a difficult truth to get hold of, isn't it? Colossians 3 says.
Ye are dead. That's a statement of fact. That's a truth.
God has given us a statement of fact. Then, in the book of Romans, we're told to reckon ourselves to be so.
Reckon that truth, acknowledge that truth to be solved. And then I think in Two Corinthians 4 we find Paul always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that is, he put it into practice, didn't he? And so it's very important for us. That question came up in our chapter A day about what's the difference between the Red Sea and Jordan. It was very, very simple, but it's profound, because we see in the Red Sea Christ died for me.
But then when we come to Jordan, we find we find the truth that I died with Christ. And that's the whole point, isn't it? So we as he says here we are the circumcision, which worship God in or by the Spirit.
You might allow the Charles to say in the Red Sea we see that the power that held us captive has been overthrown and destroyed, and it is a picture of sin and Satan.
You know, and the death of the Lord Jesus has delivered us, set us free.
We are no longer slaves to sin and Satan and.
But then, in Jordan, the 12 Stones represent those 12 tribes of Israel.
And the 12 Stones on the other side represent the believer in resurrection, you know, under resurrection side. And we died with him. We came to an end, you know, there was nothing good in us and we had to ourselves be put to death. And that took place in the death of Christ. God has dealt with us as sinners and put us out of his side, but we're now new creatures.
Wonderful truth to get ahold of and to get hold of that in our own souls means that we know what deliverance is.
12 Stones that were put in the bottom of Jordan. It says they are there until this day.
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But the 12 Stones that are carried up, they were first in their homes, then they were in Kilgall, a place of the camp. But it doesn't say that they still continue to this day. So as to our standing, every believer is looked upon as dead and risen with Christ.
But as to the practical side of it, we may not be in the enjoyment of it, so that it doesn't say they are there. And many dear Christians, you say they are dead with Christ. They not only the Lord Jesus, not only bore their sins, but he put an end to their old standing in Adam and brought them into a new position. They may not know it, but it's true whether they know it or not. And then it's as you were saying also. It's a practical daily thing, always bearing about in the body.
Some think, well, I can get ahold of this, and I can put myself on the altar, and I can give myself entirely to Christ. That's a daily thing, brethren. You can't just make that 1 Commitment and say now it's all over every day. We have to reckon ourselves dead, indeed under sin, but alive unto God in a practical way, because the old man is still there, and it never changes. It's still the same. That which is born of the flesh is flesh.
And I think we need to realize that so that it's a daily thing. And for a young believer to get hold of this, first the position we're brought into and then the need of this practical thing in daily life saw that Christ would be our object as we have in this chapter.
What about all my talent? What about all the abilities I have? They no good and also.
There's nothing given me or intelligent life skills. Liabilities. Are they no good?
Well, the flesh in the Bible is looked upon as that act of energy within us, that.
So a man has talents, but he would use them for himself. And even as Christians we find in Christendom many have talents, but they use those talents to the exaltation of self. But if I have learned the end of the first man, and then everything that I have, I'm as it says in the 12Th of Romans, he presents your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. Perhaps we could turn to that, because I think it's.
Helpful for us to see Romans, chapter 12.
He's dealt with all this blessed truth we're talking about in Romans. He brings before us Christ dying for our sins. He says our old man was crucified with him. The 7th of Romans shows us the conflict that goes on in a practical way before we lay hold of this truth in a practical sense. And then I believe, as her brother brought before us last night in the Gospel, we come to the 12Th chapter and we have the exhortations that are founded on the truth. And so.
Beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service or intelligence service, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that he may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
For I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly.
According as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith and so.
And I lay hold of I trust I should lay hold of the truth that's developed in Romans, in the first chapters and now in the 12Th chapter, as it were. Say, well, here I am. If the Lord's given you a talent, are you going to use it to exalt yourself? You're going to bury your talent in the earth and use all your ability to get along in this world. Or you're going to say, well, Lord, here I am now that won't make us proud. That'll make us humble, make us responsible. This has been given to us. You're not your own.
The talent that we have one is given to us by the Lord. It belongs to the one who's given it to us. We're going to be called upon to give an account like the we read in the Gospel of Matthew. And so the world principle is exalt self. If you've got ability, let the world see it. You remember how the disciples said to the Lord. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world. For there's no man that doeth anything in secret, but he himself desires to be known openly.
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The man's got ability, he. The natural thing is, well, let everybody see what you've got, But it's entirely different. The Lord Jesus was governed by an entirely different motives, and he came up to that feast to tell out, as it were, the heart of God. If any man thirst doesn't come unto me and drink, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. So there may be talent. We recognize that God has given to each one of us a place in the body of Christ.
And we're responsible to use those not to exalt self or to have the knife on self. We could be wanting to show people how much we know and what abilities we have, but true ministry always turns away from the person and exalts Christ. And also not all abilities that we have naturally can be used in the spiritual life. I think Mr. Darby once said I might have the ability to knock somebody down with one punch.
Can I use that as a Christian? But in Matthew the talents are given according to their several abilities.
There are natural abilities that if put into control of the Spirit of God, can be used.
You know you do not find that a man who receives a gift as a teacher.
Is one that cannot reason soundly. You know, and the evangelists you. Usually when you see an evangelist, he's a very positive person, you know, very optimistic and so on. Well, you know there are these natural abilities and then the gift is given accordingly. But without their talent, the natural ability is of no use in the things of God and so.
How good that is and to recognize that there are things that we cannot use.
In the spiritual life, you know, we, for instance, you might be able to play the organ very beautifully, and you might be able to do that in your home and in your family circle, but it has no place in the assembly, you know. So there are gifts and talents, natural abilities we cannot use, but we can use whatever can be applied.
Along with the spiritual gift.
I thought I could see the same thing in Romans 6 verse 13. Maybe just looking at it in this way it's helpful to fix it a little more in our minds.
Speaks of our members.
And this, again, is Speaking of.
The Old Man Dead in Christ and verse 13.
Says neither yield ye or members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin.
But yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as.
Instruments of righteousness unto God, Well our members like Hans and feet and.
Mental abilities and so forth.
When we're not stayed, we use it for self. It's already been said, but I think I see it here too. It might be helpful.
Our members were once used as members of unrighteousness, but now that we're saved, we use them.
As members of righteousness unto God, so just taking those things we do with our hands, with our feet, with our minds, and so on, and using them, putting them to other uses for the Lord. Interesting there in Romans 12 That it speaks about. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. What does this mean?
The sacrifice was something that was given, slain or given. But I believe here he's speaking about a living sacrifice. Means we have to give up something. We've got to get rid of something there, and it's living because he brings in before us the holy acceptable unto God, which is your intelligence service. So it's interesting to see that it would be a living sacrifice for me to give up that which is.
Natural to me in order to be go on in holiness before God.
And be in a reasonable state of soul in order to please God in that manner.
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Someone once said to Hudson Taylor, I'm willing to go with you to China, I'm willing to die for Christ in China. And he said that's not what we're looking for. We're looking for those who will live for Christ in China.
In connection with that question that was raised, it's always been a help to me in second Timothy 2.
Two, it speaks there in verse.
21.
Saying, If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the masters use, and this important part.
Past tense, prepared unto every good work.
It seems to me that it's on the resurrection side. And if there is that willingness to separate from all that we know that is contrary to the word of God, then we are going to be a vessel fitted and prepared to the work that the Lord gives us to do. And if we do that work that He gives us to do, we'll do it easily. It won't be an effort.
And prepared until every good work he dispenses.
That work to do, and he equips us to do it if we fulfill that first part of the verse.
When Israel was delivered from Egypt, that was the House of *******.
Over which Pharaoh reigned a type of Satan.
Egypt, the type of the world, and I would say the Egyptians, that kept the Israelites in ******* the type of the flesh.
And when they pass through the Red Sea, they were delivered from Egypt, they were delivered from that power. And the power Pharaoh was broken. And we see that in the death and resurrection of Christ.
But at the Jordan, there was no enemy pursuing them.
It was an entirely different aspect of the death and resurrection of Christ the Red Sea.
The what we have in Romans delivers us from sins and from sin.
As a power, as a master, we used to serve sin. Now we're dead to sin.
Judicially delivered.
One may enter into that and understand it.
And still not realize that he's heavenly. He still may live very earthly. He may live an upright, moral, decent, law abiding life as a saved person. Many Christians, that's as far as they've gotten. But to cross the Jordan is to get out of the wilderness and into the land. Speaking of the heavenly places into which we've been brought in Christ and the death and resurrection of Christ. There it says ye are dead. It doesn't say dead to sin.
But dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God.
We're ended, and it's not only a judicial thing delivering us from the power that was over us. That's Romans and that's the Red Sea, but it's in order to enter into the blessings that are properly ours as Christians. How many Christians vote today, How many Christians take part in politics? How many Christians take part in social reform simply because they don't understand the Jordan, They may understand the Red Sea, that they're not to go on in sin, blatant sin.
They're dead to sin. But are they dead to all that this world has to offer?
To all of its attractions, to everything down here, many are living like their.
Like Christianity is another worldly religion. That's a great sin of Christendom. It has reduced Christianity to a worldly religion. We're here to improve the world, but we're not here to improve the world. We can't do that, and we're not called to do that. We're here to live Christ, and in order for us to really enter into our heavenly portion, we have to realize that we have died. Not just died to sin, not just to do evil, but we're dead to all that's down here.
That Satan would set before us to cause us to be earth dwellers.
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And that's the Jordan that delivers us from.
Ourselves. How many selfish Christians there are, and I don't have to go past myself. How many times, maybe you ask yourself you haven't gone to a meeting just because you had a headache or you just didn't feel up to it? You were too tired and you yielded to that you didn't.
Set the Lord before you sufficiently so that you overcame that, and you went.
I've even heard of Christian parents saying to their children, well, shall we go to meeting tonight?
That should never be asked to your children. That should be understood. This is meeting night we go.
And unless there's some very serious illness, I'm not talking about that. But how many times self rules and well, we just don't feel like it or. But if someone would come over on a meeting night and say, well, we'd like to go out to young people and play some basketball, all of a sudden that headache's gone and you're energetic and you can go out and do that, but no energy to go out to the meeting. Well, if you realize that we were dead.
And we live in the life of the risen Christ that would overcome all that, wouldn't it?
So there's a difference between being dead to sin and justice. Being dead, dead to all that the world has to offer, its religion, its entertainments, all these things should be kept in proper check by the by the direction of the Holy Spirit. I don't know, as I presented that very well, but.
I hope you got the thought of the difference at the spirit of competition, at the spirit of competition.
You know, why is it such a dangerous thing for young people to join the team in school?
And get involved into in these activities because the spirit of competition.
Is taught, it becomes part of you and it might well be a problem in your spiritual life. You know when that spirit enters into the assembly life, what a destructive principle that is, you know. And the 1St 2 verses of chapter 12, I believe, give us that which the Lord is looking for in us in order that we might function.
In the place that the Lord has given us and the renewing of our mind is mentioned there, we have to learn to look at things altogether different. The principle of the world is that you climb the ladder by pushing people down and stepping on people's toes, You know, using your elbows. That's not the way. It is in God's way with His people.
To get up is to go down, you know, and the spirit of competition.
Has absolutely no place among God's people, So be careful, dear young people. There's nothing wrong in young people playing ball, but be careful that their spirit of competition trying to overpower the opposition. You know, this whole thing is not a Christian principle, so be careful. And isn't it oftentimes the spirit that manifests itself in the assembly?
You know, we have brought that from our former lives, you know, and haven't really judged it and have grace to overcome it.
Can I ask a few questions?
It's in a little song that I used to sing when I was a boy and that has to do with the motives.
That would direct my my activities. Why should I not love him?
He died for me. Why should I not serve him? He set me free.
Why should I not trust him? He's by my side.
Why should I not please him? He's coming back for me, I think, if the hot spring is wound up with a fresh sense of the love of Christ.
These things they are going to come. The feet follow the heart, brethren.
And if our hearts are taken up with the love of God and the love of Christ, for me, it's going to affect everything.
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And then all of these things, these precious truths that we've been reading about as we get. I think it's called sacrifices of praise in Philippians, isn't it?
And how we should have in our hearts a song that we can go about singing.
And like you say, brother, we are liable to get into the competition idea. Oh well, I wonder who's winning the game.
I'd rather be singing about Christ as I go about my activities during the day, and I got in trouble for it a few times on the job.
But that's all right. The Lord heard the song. Some of the fellow workers, they didn't like it and they thought they let me know about it. But we have a song in our hearts that should give us to rise above all of these difficulties. But sorry to say that we are still in the world and the world doesn't want to sing about Christ. They want to get into some kind of a game. The games are all around us. It's a way of life. And I'm glad that we could address these things. But what is going to give me the rise above it? You know, it says there.
Well, of course we could go into the Psalm.
What I was thinking of the mounting up in Isaiah says they the wait and the Lord shall mount up on wings like Eagles.
That's where the Lord wants our hearts up, where He is up above this scene of sin and death and the smog, whatever you want to call it. He wants us in spirit to be there, in His enjoying His love. Very beautiful too. I was thinking here in verse 3 for now it doesn't say that we should be or you know, there's a statement of facts here. For we are. Who are the we? The children of God. He's writing to these Philippian believers.
We are the circumcision God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. And I read that. And then as I read that verse, I think of the standing that God is bringing before us here, isn't he? That's where we stand. But why do we need all these exhortations? Our state gets lower and so the Spirit of God using the word of God.
Brings, seeks to bring our state up to our standing. And I believe I see in this verse of the the the place that God has put us in. And it's very important to see that, isn't it, that we need to be reminded over and over and over again the need of being listening to the exhortations of scripture. How do we read it? Brother Charles, who is the we?
We Who is the we? We are the circumstances Who is the we?
I take it the the child of God. The child of God. It's not just us. Well, Oh yes, it's not just us in this room. No, it's the whole other other gathered Saints. Does it include others?
Is that the whole Church of God?
That every believer on the face of the earth, Yes. It's not just the gathered Saints. You mean the scattered Saints, brother. It includes them all.
Let's make that clear.
Well, Brother Charles, do you ever feel it says rejoice. But don't you ever feel like singing once in a while? All right, I just checking up on you a little bit.
You can make a joyful noise.
We can't always sing with it.
With a high pitched voice and a great tone. But we can rejoice some kind of monotone out in Philippines. Philippians isn't it? Sometimes people sing in the monotones. It says break forth and sing the song of glory to the lamb. Well waters. I go through my daily work. I'm not allowed to do that.
I should have a heart that's ready though, shouldn't I? I was thinking of that in connection with what we have in Psalm 27, Brother Bobby already mentioned about.
David offering these sacrifices of joy, he was rejoicing in the Lord and all that he was for him about converse aids. Psalm 27 He says, When thou said, Seek ye my face, my heart stirred unto thee, Thy face Lord will I see Well here is the heart that is in tune with the Lord.
The heart is right so that.
What the Lord desires.
The immediate response in the heart is I want to do that.
2nd I believe whether it's in Romans 12 or whether it's in Philippians 3, the start of all service is to learn what our standing is. If you hire a person, you want him to understand what his position is before you give him the jobs that he's to do. And I believe it's important. If we see all our sins put away in the work of Christ, we see the end of the old man, the first man, the new physician that we have been brought into.
00:50:26
Then it becomes, and that's why we mentioned in Romans 12, it's an intelligent service. Many Christians when they're first saved, well, it's right. They have a desire to do something for the Lord. But it's best that they should first of all sit as learners at the feet of the Lord Jesus and know what he has done for them in the position into which he has brought them. And there will not be an intelligence service until they first learn that. So many when they're first saved and they think, well, I want to do something for the Lord and they get involved in things that.
Really are setting cells forward. I'm doing a great work. This is what I have chosen. I'm going to be a great person in the Church of God.
Just as I wanted to be a great person in the world, but I believe both in Romans.
We see all that about our the work of Christ and where we are brought before He exhorts us to present our bodies a living sacrifice. And so here in Philippians, before he brings before us this about running the race and making Christ our object. He shows us our standing, and He shows us where the circumcision that is we have come, if I might put it that way, not only to the Red Sea, but to the Jordan. We've seen the end of the first man.
And I believe in Romans 12, where it says and be not conformed to this world.
If you notice the chapter in the whole chapter, there is nothing about what we sometimes call conformity to the world.
Nothing about clothing, nothing about a lot of things that we might say as world conformity. But first of all, he shows us that the whole principle is to recognize that self has come to an end in the death of Christ and there never will be acceptable services, our brother was saying. In natural things they have nothing else but the spirit of competition. They cannot inspire young people to do things unless they say.
Play to win.
But divine things, why do we do what we do? Not to set self forward, but to exalt Christ. And I believe, brethren, that's very important, because there can be that spirit of competition which can spoil the things of God, as our brother was saying, not only in natural things but our whole service ought to be. Seeing that whether it's in our service or whether in our worship, even in our worship, are we there to be entertained or how well a person can sting or something too many people. That's that's the service.
There's a choir, there's everything that would entertain and they're talented people that are chosen for this particular work.
But as we come together, if we really understand what Christian worship is, self is not to be set forward. It's Christ, and he is to be the one. We are the circumcision. We worship God in or by the Spirit and rejoice in talent. No, we rejoice in Christ Jesus. Is there talent? Yes, I believe God has given talent. We're responsible to use it. But that's not what we're occupied with. We're just saying, well, whatever I have myself, everything belongs to him. And I I believe it's.
Well, for us to see this, it's brought before us here. It's brought before us in Romans, and there will not be brethren acceptable service to the Lord, nor acceptable worship until we see the end of self. And then Christ is the object in what we do. We present Christ in two souls. We lay out the truth of God, but we present it in a way that exalts Christ. Whether it's in worship, it's the same thing. Well, I believe it's blessed for us to get hold of this. And the Apostle Paul.
Is seeking to bring this before these Philippians Saints and he is showing that.
He had all natural advantages, but when he met the Lord, he said.
But things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ. You would say, well, people have a lot of natural advantages, a good background, and they're well trained in this or that. Paul had everything and that's what he is telling us. He circumcised the 8th day of the stock of Israel. All those natural benefits were his. But when he met the Lord, all that came to an end. And isn't it lovely that we carry on an intelligent service? Perhaps I could just add this to that In Israel it was not an intelligence service.
00:55:11
Certain ones were appointed to carry the boards. Certain ones were appointed to carry the ark and the holy vessels. If you asked any Israelite why do you cut that animal in such and such a way, well, I don't know. God has said that's the way it's to be done, and we're just to be obedient. Why is the? Why are the?
The lampstands ordered in such a way it was not an intelligence service. But isn't it? I think it was so wonderful, brethren, when we are saved, the Lord Jesus says. Now sit at my feet and I'll.
I'll tell you, I don't want you to do things just in a form that you go through. I want you to understand what baptism is. I want you to understand what the breaking of bread is. I want you to, when you stand up, to tell it the gospel, not just to present it as a form, but something that has become real to you, that you understand what the Lord has done for you, and you're telling it forth to others out of a full heart. Christianity is so different from the whole order of things in Judaism. What a wonderful privilege we've been brought into all that. We entered into it, enjoyed it more.
It would affect our worship, it would affect our service and also.
Before we ever get there.
It should be in our hearts. You know, beloved brethren, we might many times express things in him that we are not in the enjoyment of in our hearts. Isn't it true in Judaism? They had these musical instruments and they had these singers and you bet they had wonderful voices to stir up worship feelings in them. That's what Christendom has deteriorated too.
But what is expected of us and Christian worship flows from a heart that is in the enjoyment of what is expressed, you know, That's why sometimes our meetings on Lords Day morning are so dull, you know, because we haven't been occupied during the week with that blessed one. And we're empty. We don't have a full basket. Remember, the Jew had to come with a full basket.
And that is an exercise not only for those who express themselves or audibly participate. That should be a state of soul for everyone in the assembly, the sisters as well, who never are permitted to express anything out of play. They can sing along, of course, but if everybody state of soul is that they're in the enjoyment of the Lord Jesus and their hearts are full of worship, what a difference it makes.
When we are together on Lord's Day morning so we can contribute to the spirit of the meeting, if I may put it that way, by our state of soul.
And it's a challenging thing, isn't it? And the Lord Jesus does not only want to receive worship when we come together in a collective way. Worship is not limited to Lord's Day morning. That is something that should be in the hearts of God's people all week long. Making melody in your heart to the Lord, melody in the heart.
And then say, it may not be I may not be a very good singer, but I can have melody in my heart and rejoice.
In my heart and it shows. It comes out, doesn't it. We don't have an instrument but we have a we have a body here that's that's a 10 stringed instrument. We have that in Psalm 92 I believe. So we can our as our thinking of that verse in Romans the your present your bodies of living sacrifice. What we have with this within this body we have a 10 stringed instrument and the whole man should be involved in it and making melody in your heart to the Lord.
In order the melody is being in tune with what the Spirit of God has put in our hearts of Christ.
Really. That's really what the melody is or should be, so you should never discourage somebody to sing.
Who might not have a very good singing voice? No, because that person might in their hearts be in a greater enjoyment of Christ than one who has a good singing voice. And it is not that at all in Christianity. It matters not them, right as that how sweet the song. Now we should try to sing as good as we can. But and sometimes, you know, we drag those melodies. I think we should make an effort to sing a lively melody in a lively way.
01:00:00
You know, it does not at all become when we speak of the stuffings of Christ to sing in a tune as if we are marching, you know, or we have to have a sense of what is appropriate. But we must never discourage a soul to express in song what they have in their hearts, although they might not be doing it in the best possible way. Is worship collective as well as individual or?
Is it?
Exclusively collective.
What did Gideon do when he heard the story from the enemy's tent? He worship. Didn't he remember when Gideon worship?
I don't know whether that word worship is or did obey essence. Well, there was a response in the connection with the Lord encouraging him.
But I would agree with your brother. It could be individual or collective.
I believe it's more collective than individual. Is that why it speaks of two or three being gathered together for the Lord's name And I I pondered it and I wonder if a person as an individual could do something in self will.
But if there's at least one other, there has to be an agreement.
And in the first, in Matthew 1820, the agreement is that the name of the Lord is the Gathering Center. We hear a lot. Yeah. Excuse me. Go ahead. I was just going to say it's a sufficient witness to that. We talk about it as a minimum number. But it was a witness number, wasn't it? Two or three. Witnessing the fact that the name of the Lord is the gathering center, not going off by yourself in the woods to worship. Well, we get that in in in Christendom today. We see you go down the street and.
And there are certain buildings down there and they have a little sign out there says come and worship with us.
The preacher is going to speak on such and such a subject at 11:00.
Well, that's not worship. I think that's what you're thinking about, Brother Barry. Yes, we're hearing a lot these days that I can worship by myself. And I think it's it's not proper. Well, in Jacob's case, he worshipped on top of his death. There you have an individual worshipping. So let us not deny the fact that the individual can worship. And I believe the gathering of things in the basket is what takes place individually.
And then we have something to bring when we come to the media collectively and remember worship sometimes where we used to be, we always call it a worship meeting. It's really a remembrance meeting. Their worship will be there. But even like Jacob he worshipped on top of his death. That is an individual privilege. Let's not deny that and that's why often times because they.
So little individual enjoyment.
Of Christ. That is what is really worship to present to God what we have come to appreciate of the Lord Jesus.
That's why our meetings on Sunday morning are often so dry.
Who was it said that? My brother, Armstead Barry, I believe, made this statement one time, he said. We can't live in the world all week and then come take an express train to remember the Lord. And I believe that's true, as our brother's been saying. What are we gathering up through the week?
Are we feeding upon Christ? And really worship is really in in a in a very simple way is an overflow of a heart filled with Christ is really what worship is. Apart from that it's just word. So I believe I see that in it that if we if we're gathering up through the week being filled with the person of Christ, when we come on Lord's Day morning, we're just overflow. This this will overflow.
And this little basket will be filled. The only thing that goes up to God is that which comes from God. Let's be frank about it.
Overflow affect others too. I was thinking of one who said draw me and we will run after thee, but I think you know as we are together collectively.
One brother presents to the Lord that which he has enjoyed of himself, and you know it strikes a chord in the heart of another.
And there's.
That which comes forth and from another in connection with the enjoyment of Christ. And I think that it's beautiful to see that that worship is a collective matter as well as individual when we come together.
01:05:15
Collectively to worship. We don't do it as individuals.
We are the mouthpiece of the assembly, those brethren who participate, and I have stated that elsewhere. Before beloved brethren, prayer and worship is not the exercise of gift. And it troubles me that at conferences the same brethren that expound the word are the ones that pray. Are we not willing to exercise our priestly privileges?
You know, and the same during the breaking of bread. Those who expound the scriptures are the ones that audibly participate. Brethren, everyone is a priest and everyone has priestly privileges. If we do not avail ourselves of these privileges, we lose them, you know. Do you want a clergy system? Then the rest of you all keep quiet and leave it up to others.
You'll certainly help towards that kind of assistance bread, and it doesn't matter how well phrased our prayers are.
What matters is, does it come from a heart in communion and fellowship with the Lord Jesus and?
So our individual state contributes to the collective worship. But remember, the one who opens his mouth is only the mouthpiece of all.
Well.
They're all gone, falling right.
Away.
And death may be my way of a thrivers. In the beginning of the past landfall came.