Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Has been suggested that perhaps we start at verse 20 this afternoon. It's the last starts, the last section of this chapter, and we did make some general comments to concerning the preceding verses. But there's much precious truth in these last few verses, and it's been suggested that perhaps we start there and take these up this afternoon.
Doctor one verse 20. According to my earnest expectation, my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death, for me to live as Christ, and to die as gain. But I but if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor. Yet what I shall choose I won't not, for I am in a straight twixt 2 have any desire to depart.
The booth Christ, which is far better nevertheless to abide in the flesh, is more needful for you.
And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith, that your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. Only let your conversation be, as it become with the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, 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 nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation and that of God.
For unto you 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 he saw in me, and now here to be in me.
It's beautiful to see the spirit of the Apostolism that here.
Just referring back for the moment to verse.
18 Where he has to take note.
In the previous verses of those who preached Christ of contention and strife.
And yet he was confident, because the Lord would use his word. And He does, even if things are not always done in the right way.
But again, it's perhaps more beautiful to see as we started here with verse 20.
Where Paul has a desire.
For himself that in nothing he should be ashamed.
He coveted that continued boldness which he had had before, and although he doesn't say so here, I am sure that in the back of Paul's mind there had to be the sense in his soul that there had been failure, as we know.
Zeal Yes. A right motive, yes.
But failure as to the mind of the Lord in going up to Jerusalem.
And seeking to preach the gospel to the Jews when the Lord had sent him to the Gentiles.
And we don't read of any specific blessing as a result of that trip, but only trouble that landed him in prison.
Was everything finished? Was everything done for? No. I believe Paul really got before the Lord about all of that, so that the time came in his life when, as it were, you would seem that he hit rock bottom. He wanted to speak to the Jews, he wanted to try and convince them of the truth of the gospel, and all it did was cause a riot, which again landed him in prison.
But what did the Lord do? The Lord encourages him by saying Paul, don't worry, you're going to confess me before those in Rome. I'm not quoting that accurately.
But there is a desire here, and I just lay some emphasis on it.
That Pauls desire was that Christ would be magnified.
Whatever it cost.
It carries us back, does it not, to John 12 and maybe we can go back there for a moment.
00:05:07
John's Gospel, chapter 12.
And we read this passage with all.
Reverence.
Realizing that, here is the most awful dilemma.
If we could refer to it that way from 1 eternity to another.
Verse 28 or verse 27 John 12 and 27.
Now is my soul trouble.
And what shall I say?
Father, save me from this hour.
But for this cause came I under this hour.
And there are 4 words in our English language that settled the issue. Father, glorify thy name.
Going back to our chapter in Philippians.
We find the Apostle Paul essentially taking the same view.
Except that here he says that Christ shall be magnified in my body.
Whether by life or by death.
That ought to be the foremost purpose, the foremost aim of our life, that Christ be magnified.
Does it mean sometimes that I am expendable? If I can use that term, does it mean sometimes that I have to give up, perhaps something that is very near and dear to me in this world? Possibly. Does it mean sometimes that I have to go through a difficulty that I find very hard to face?
Then the Lord would carry me back to John 12 and say, here was one.
Who faced the most awful difficulty that you and I will never have to face, could not face?
And the answer is found in those words, Father glorify thy name, and so May God give us the grace to have the same outlook as the apostle Paul here.
Who desires?
That he doesn't want to be ashamed. Not that it reflected on him, but he doesn't want to dishonour the Lord's name in any way. He desires that boldness, whatever it cost. Did he lose his life at the hands of the Romans? History tells us he did.
But whether it was by life or by death?
Whatever it cost, if Christ was exalted, that was all that mattered.
Think of saying.
Oh, brother Hayhoe, he says. Love your brethren, serve them well.
Overlook as much in them as you can.
Never let them be your object. Christ is that.
And that really is the way that Christ will be.
I can put it another way that there will be a reflection of Christ in your life and mine. Just go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 3, because we often talk about these things and.
Perhaps some who are younger, and perhaps some who are not so young, we may wonder, well, how can this be practically carried out in my life? It's all right to talk about the Apostle Paul.
Sometimes we talk about the early martyrs and how Christ was magnified even in the circumstances they went through surrounding their death. But you say, how could this be true In my life? I realized that perhaps none of us here in this room will be called on to be burnt at the stake, or perhaps even in prison for our faith and so on. But many are, and many are magnifying Christ in those circumstances that they're going through even today.
But let's notice something very practical for us in the end of the third chapter of Second Corinthians, he says. But we all with open face beholding us in a glass. The glory of the Lord, or perhaps a better rendering looking on The glory of the Lord with unveiled face are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. How is there going to be a reflection of Christ in your life and mine? I suggest it is only in the measure in which we are occupied with Christ.
00:10:07
Where he is now, in the measure in which you and I have Christ before our souls, as that object Burns just mentioned that Christ is to be the object, and in the measure in which Christ is that object, and as Paul spoke of later in the book of Philippians, Christ is the prize running the race with Christ and glory before him, Then there's going to be, if I can put it this way, an unconscious reflection of Christ in our lives.
You know, Paul wasn't just trying to, within himself generate these things. No, these things in Paul's life were a result of Christ being his object. It was a result of being occupied with the man in the glory, having the prize, the goal in view.
It's AI believe this verse we read in a Second Corinthians, perhaps an illusion back to what you have in the Old Testament with Moses. When Moses came out from the presence of God on the Mount, the children of Israel couldn't look at him. His face shone, but you know he wished not that his face shone. It was the unconscious reflection of being occupied, being the presence of God on the mouth. And there will be Christ magnified in our body no matter what we have to go through.
And many of our fellow believers this very afternoon are going through excruciating circumstances, some this day facing martyrdom. But Christ can be magnified, as Christ is the object. And I think what you say, Vern, is very good. Our brethren are never given to us as the object for faith. They're given to us as an encouragement whose faith follow not the person, but whose faith followed, but Christ and Christ, where he is now at the right hand of God.
Is always the object for faith.
And in this way we will be raised above our circumstances and to be able to glorify, magnify God in our bodies, the Christ in our bodies. How did how did Paul know that he would be faithful in death? I remember when I was first saved and read some missionary autobiographies that and I went to this where I was going and I said I I I'm really going to have to do something because I don't think I can be a martyr.
And he said, well, God will give you grace until he calls you to be a martyr. But Paul seems to say he's going to do it anyway. I mean, how did he? How could he be so sure?
It was his desire.
He desired that in life or in death.
Christ would be glorified and magnified in his body. And which of the two was it? It was both.
He lived for Christ many years, and then he was martyred for Christ and death. And in both he he glorified God, and he magnified Christ in his body.
And there's a beautiful spirit here again, isn't there? Because.
His only the only way Reason. He was content to remain in the body.
For a little time further was if it was for the furtherance of the truth and the blessing of the people of God, I think, isn't that a beautiful spirit? And not to get ahead. But when Paul speaks of being in this betwixt too, and not knowing which, you know when he when Paul says here to depart and be with Christ is far better. That has more import than if Peter or James or any other New Testament writer.
Had penned this. You know, we we quote this, and we often quote it in connection with the loss of a loved one and so on.
We know it's true from because it's scripture, but Paul knew exactly what he was talking about. Brethren. He'd been caught up to the 3rd heaven temporarily.
There he heard unspeakable words that it was not lawful for a man to utter. When he says it was far better, he knew exactly what he was talking about from experience. But he says, if if the Lord wants me to stay here, even knowing what's there, if the Lord wants me to stay here for the furtherance of the truth and the blessing of the people of God.
Then I'm content, brethren, if we all had that spirit in our souls.
We would all be a tremendous blessing, both in the gospel and to the people of God. In our quiet way, in the little corner where he's put us in our home assembly is, do we really say, Lord, you've left me here another day, Lord, you've left me here another time. I'm content because I want you to make me a blessing. I want Christ to be magnified in my body, and I want to be a blessing in the propagation of the truth and the Saints of God.
00:15:25
How much would our lives be changed if Christ was really, truly the object of our life?
Yes, we would run with endurance. The race that is set before us and Paul endured a lot of things, things.
Many of us will never be called on to pass through in the path of faith, but it's Christ as that object that causes us to run with endurance, the race that is set before us.
It has been mentioned before, but it bears repeating that.
When Paul says for me to live is Christ.
It's quite a statement to make, isn't it?
I have to say I would very much hesitate to make that statement.
But Paul could say it, I believe with all honesty.
However.
You and I can live Christ in whatever circumstances the Lord places us, can't we, Paul could say to those who were slaves, who had no freedom whatever to go anywhere, and perhaps were under the the authority of their masters 24 hours a day, he could say.
Ye serve the Lord Christ.
I remember well reading about a girl who was the eldest in her family.
And her mother was very poorly in health, and as a result she had to take over much of the household duties and the care and providing for her younger brothers and sisters, because her father, of course, was at work all day. And she said to a servant of the Lord once when he came through, she said, you know, I would really like to have done something for the Lord, but by the time I finished all that, I.
Had to do at home and looking after the house and looking after my brothers and sisters, she said.
I didn't have time to do anymore. I didn't have energy or strength to do anymore.
And he encouraged her. He said, If you did what you did unto the Lord, that is just as much service as anything else.
And so it's not where we are. It's rather the motive that is behind it. And if Christ is before us, we will find that He will shine out in us wherever we are, and we will find that it is for Him, won't we? And so Paul could say for me to live as Christ.
Where had he spent many of those years and was still spending them? In prison? In prison?
Couldn't get out to go anywhere. Couldn't do this or that. Couldn't go and visit his brethren, couldn't preach the gospel, and yet he could still confidently say for me to live is Christ.
And the only way we can do that.
Is.
If, as the scripture in 2nd Corinthians 5 says, the love of Christ constraineth us, I can't do it in my own strength. I can't simply get up in the morning and say, well, today I'm going to live for Christ. That's a good motive to have. But what has to be working in my heart above everything else is affection for Christ and if I go back to Calvary's cross.
If I go back, as we have a moment ago, gone back to John 12.
Then my affections will be drawn out, and I will say, as Paul no doubt did, I want to live for him, because there's really nothing else worth living for.
Tendency to compartmentalize our lives, don't we? And we maybe we don't do it consciously, but unconsciously we say, well, I'll do this for the Lord, and this is kind of my part. And that's a dangerous thing, isn't it? And we sometimes hear people say, well, I'm going to do such and such.
That's my Christian liberty. But the only true Christian liberty is doing that which pleases the Lord, isn't it? And so in the Old Testament we read about the consecration of the priests. And I know there's a little different thought on this, but the common thought among the commentators is that the very word consecration means to fill the hand, both hands full of Christ. That's true consecration.
00:20:27
And that's the pathway to true Christian blessing.
It's not Christian liberty to go out and say, well, it's OK to do such and such and such and such because it's not prohibited. Maybe in Scripture That's not true Christian liberty, is it? True Christian liberty is to do what pleases and honors the Lord, and that brings a peace and a joy that's unknown otherwise.
We need to get that in our souls. The Satan has told us this lie, and we hear it repeated all the time. That I have these Christian liberties. To do such and such that we really know is dishonouring that the Lord it's only done for self. That's not liberty, is it? The only true Christian liberty is that which is consistent with our new nature, that which is consistent with Christ as our object, and that which is consistent with the movement of the Spirit of God that brings.
True blessing.
That brings true peace. That brings true joy. Everything else is really ******* and slavery. We don't think of it as it is, but it is, and it's often led to ruined lives.
Similar to what we have there, isn't it? In verse 21. Not a legal thing, as we say, but the real spring, the the mode of spring is to be in the Lord's presence and to realize his love for us. How could we do anything else? How could we dishonor such a one? It's not I, but Christ. That's a good Christian motto, isn't it?
The departure that he's Speaking of here is not the departure that we're looking for.
This is referring to him passing through the article of death and departing to be with Christ, and he mentions that it's far better, and I think the other translation says very far better.
And so often we Christians, we get our texts out of context, and we think that he's talking here about the rapture and being called home to heaven in a glorified state. How many times I've heard brethren refer to the rapture and someone will chime in and say yes to depart to be with Christ, which is far better.
But that's what he's talking about here, is to depart, to be with Christ in the separate state, as having the body laid off in the grave and the soul and the Spirit rising to be with Christ, which is far better.
It's interesting. He doesn't say this is the best state that one could have. He said it is better because there is something that's even better than that. The best of all is the glorified state, which we're waiting for. So depart, To be with Christ is better, but to be with Christ in a glorified state is the best. And that's what we're looking for. That's the normal Christian hope.
In speaking at my father's grave some years ago, it came home to my soul. And I said on that occasion, if we could get one inkling of what my father is enjoying now, as absent from the body and present with the Lord, we wouldn't wish him back for one moment. And not only that, but if he had opportunity to come back, he wouldn't desire to come back for one moment, because once he's in the was in the presence of the Lord that eclipsed everything, everything else.
And so, as you say, this is the state of things of those who have died in faith. Our sister Lois Clausen now has departed to be with Christ, which is far better. But I've often thought of it too, from their perspective, from this world's perspective, and our perspective, as Paul says, they've departed.
But for them, they've arrived now, not arrived in the glorified state and and what's going to be experienced when we are together with them, ushered into the Father's house and so on. But they have, they have arrived, they're there now. They're waiting. They're simply waiting in a better waiting place for the same thing we are.
What are they waiting for? They're waiting for that time when the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, the voice of the Archangel. They're going to rise the body and the is going to be reunited with the Spirit in a glorified state. And then we with them, we're going to have the change and be caught up. So they're waiting for the same thing we are. They're just waiting in a far, far better place. And brethren, isn't that our comfort? Isn't that our? Doesn't that give us courage to go on, to stand by the grave of a loved one and realize?
00:25:20
That what they are enjoying in the presence of the Lord is so far greater than anyone of us could anticipate that I say we wouldn't wish them back for one moment, nor would they want to return.
There's a scripture that brings out what has been said about the better place, the best place we find in Philippians 3 where it says for our conversation is in heaven. This is verse 20 from whence also we looked.
Through the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like under His glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able.
Even to subdue all things unto himself, that's the very best place.
Sometimes when a believer passes into the Lord's presence, it's said and and we don't want to make a person an offender for the word, but we do want to be accurate, don't we? And intelligent. It's often said, well they're face to face with the Lord but that really is not correct. Is that again, we don't want to make anybody an offender for the word but.
Face to face.
Is what's going to happen when we're raised at the resurrection at the Rapture and we see the Lord face to face, isn't it?
That's that's a special time and something we have to look forward to. That's the best thing we were speaking about. So when a soul passes into the Lord's presence, it's not face to face, They're in the Lord's presence, to be sure. But when the Lord comes at the Rapture, takes us all home, then we will see Him face to face.
Are they in glory?
Now.
Brother Conrad was expounding on this yesterday to some of us outside on the Fourier.
What would you say?
Well, no, I was just thinking of.
In Galatians, where it says we by the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness.
It's not that we're waiting for righteousness. We have We are made righteous. Now righteousness is hope is that final step.
When those of us who have been chosen.
And then called and justified.
And soon we're going to be glorified, we're going to be in the presence of the Lord. We're going to be with and like himself.
And that is the final step. We wait for that.
Be in glory is to be in a glorified state, and the departed Saints are not in glory yet.
There's one in glory, and that's Christ. He's glorified.
There is a glorified man in heaven, but the Saints who have departed are with Christ. They're in a condition of state that is far better.
They're in bliss. They're in state of bliss and paradise. But glory is yet to come for the Saints.
So just we won't turn to it, but for the sake of time. But it'd be a little homework to go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and read the first few verses of that. And it gives us the state, the present state of the departed Saints, doesn't it? And it speaks of them there. In their unclothed state, that is.
Spirit is with Christ. They're absent from the body, as he says in that portion, and present with the Lord. It's one or the other. We're either in the body and still here in this world, or we're absent from the body and we're present with the Lord. But he speaks of them as being unclothed. And they, again, as I said earlier, are waiting for the same thing we are. And that is the time when we will get our glorified bodies. So I just challenge you to go back and read those verses at some point and it will give you.
The state of the believer.
Waiting for the The same thing that we are waiting for the Lord's coming to take us to himself.
We'll all get home at the same time.
It's not like a baseball game where the runners come home one after another. We're all going to get home at the same time. He's going to carry his bride across the threshold of the father's house and introduce us there himself to that home that he knows the place that is prepared for us.
00:30:10
We're all going to go in together.
He created us spirit, soul and body.
Christ is there, spirit, soul and body. And the psalmist says I shall be satisfied when I awaken thy likeness, Spirit, soul and body. That's when satisfaction comes. It would not be to just be there as a bodyless souls.
Satisfaction will come when we awaken his likeness.
Might mention two a verse that's often misunderstood in the well known chapter of First Thessalonians, chapter 4. I'll just read it, but it says For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore, comfort one another with these words? Well, I know when I was younger I thought, oh, I guess those that are in the grave are going to get to heaven first. But that's not what it says, does it? What it means is that they get their glorified bodies, they rise up where they are, and then we all go up together. Just as you were saying, Steve.
We all enter into heaven together so they don't get to heaven first. We all get there at the same time.
The scriptures speak of this as the resurrection of the Just Resurrection. It's helpful to understand it has to do with the body. It's the resurrection, resurrection of the Just or the First Resurrection. But the First Resurrection has installments, and I find it enjoyable to think that the first installment of the First Resurrection has already occurred.
There's a party of one.
In in heaven. Excuse me.
And he is.
Glorified He is that risen, ascended, glorified man, party of one as the first fruits. He's there, and the rest of us will follow soon.
Fact that this is better we see in the Rapture, but that's not the end of the first resurrection, is it?
Christ is the first fruits and then the rapture is the second phase and then we know there's a third phase and that's at the end of the tribulation. Now in Revelation chapter 6, there's some souls that are under the altar and they would like to be raised at that time, but the Lord says no, wait a while, wait till the rest of your brethren. I'm paraphrasing, but.
The rest of your brethren that are going to be martyred during the tribulation.
Are ready, and then you'll all be raised at once. So they desire that better position. It is a better position. They were souls under the altar, but they desire to have their glorified bodies, and indeed they will at the last stage of the first resurrection. But that's at the end of the tribulation, isn't it?
So really there's three stages to that. First resurrection, Christ, the first root fruits, Afterwards they that are Christ that is coming, and then those that are martyred during the tribulation period, at the very end of the tribulation period, they're raised up. We have that in the end of Revelation.
But they desired that earlier on at the in the first part of the tribulation that's showing that it is a superior position to have our glorified bodies. So everyone that has a part in the first resurrection is has a heavenly portion. And that little statement, I think it was Mr. Lundin made that years ago when I was a young person and that helped me to understand those three parts that you have just brought out. Everyone who has their part in the first resurrection has a heavenly.
Glorified portion Just make this little warning comment to, you know, as we speak about these things.
It is so good when we talk about them to stick to the language of scripture and not to go beyond those things that we become fanciful in our interpretation or idea of how these things are going to be or what they are and so on, how they're going to unfold Scripture. God has recorded by scripture enough so that by faith we understand these things and know what our loved ones are experiencing. Now know what's ahead for us. And be careful brother not to take your doctrine from Hims. You know I think sometimes and we say I'm thankful for him as we sing that are built on doctrine and.
00:35:11
That we have good, solid hymns.
But you know, there are many hymns, not always the ones we sing, but there are many hymns that are not sound as to these things. And they've taken perhaps poetic license, or they've taken some fanciful conception or perception of what heaven is like or what our loved ones are experiencing now, and they put it into poetry, into music. Be careful, make sure that those things are based on the truth of the word of God. And don't be go beyond the language of Scripture.
We might even add to that the danger of these books on out of body experiences, might we? Let's stick to Scripture because Satan can give demonic visions and we want to be very careful about that because they might even rob men of their own salvation. They think, oh, I guess we all get to heaven. I saw my grandfather there.
Was he Was he redeemed with the blood of Christ, or did he just happen to be there? So just a word of warning, brethren, Let's not get so foolish.
Taken up with these things will stick to scripture. That's a sound foundation.
Now.
What brother Steve brought before us, we find that, and it isn't that in the 14th of John. So I'm going away. I have to go away. I've been with you for three years, but now I have to go away. But I'm going to the father's house.
But don't worry, there's not only room for me there, but there's room for all of you.
And I'm going to come back and take you to be with myself. So we know that they're going to be in the Father's house. But there's others who are resurrected at that time, the Old Testament Saints, so.
We can't say that they were in the father's house, can we? I mean.
So there's different aspects to this and some things we don't know.
On the cross today thou shalt be with me in paradise again. Stick to the language of Scripture.
We have an explanation.
For chapter 27 of Matthew and verses 52 and 53 in regards to this very subject.
It's resurrection.
But not resurrection after the order of the first resurrection that our brother Bruce has been bringing out.
There are ten such incidences in the Scriptures where someone is raised from the dead but have to die again because it's not a resurrection to glory, to glory, or to glorified state.
That's one of the.
10 different such resurrections.
You'll notice that this is not a resurrection to the glorified state, because the graves had to be open to let them out.
And when the glorified state takes place, and the Saints are raised at the coming of the Lord, they which are dead and with Christ will not need to have a grave open to rise to be with him.
Maybe we can explain that, Bruce, because like this subject has come up, and I think that's very helpful. When Lazarus came out of the grave, they had to roll away the stone. When they came out of the graves in the incident in Matthew, the graves were opened because they came out with bodies that were still subject to physical hindrances. But when the dead in Christ are raised at the at the Rapture, they're going to be raised with glorified bodies.
Bodies that are not subject to physical hindrances, and that's why we don't read of the graves needing to be opened at that time. So those fathoms of water or that city that was long built over that graveyard, it's not going to be a hindrance to the dead in Christ rising at the resurrection because they are raised with those glorified bodies, I say, that are not subject to physical hindrances and it's apart from our chapter. But to just follow that out, here we sit in this room the afternoon.
If the Lord Jesus gave the shout this afternoon, you and I who are alive and remain will need to undergo a change. And it's actually interesting that in our First Corinthians 15 it is the change of the body that is mentioned in the twinkling of an in connection with the twinkling of an eye. We shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. Why? Because they're in the state we're in now. There is something between us and the cloud between US and the Lord that would hinder the bodies in the state they're in now from rising to meet the Lord in the air.
00:40:24
But there will be that instantaneous change of the body, so that this ceiling above us and the roof or whatever floors are above us, I'm not sure what's above us, but it's not going to be a physical hindrance for you and for me to rise from these chairs and to meet the Lord in the air. Because we're going to have glorified bodies. We're going to have it says bodies of glory, like unto his body of glory. And you remember the Lord Jesus.
In resurrection, when the disciples came together, the doors closed for fear of the Jews.
Those four walls and those closed doors were not a hindrance to the Lord Jesus coming and standing in their midst. He had a body that was not subject to physical hindrances. And that when we undergo that wonderful change, that's the type of body that both the dead and Christ are going to be raised with, and that we are going to be changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye, and then we're going to be raptured out of here to be with the Lord forever.
Is that right? Bruce is, And there's one exception, and that is the Lord's own resurrection. The graves were open, the grave was opened. It wasn't for him to get out. It's for the Saints to see the witness and the evidence of the fact that he had risen.
And so in simple terms we could say that those bodies of the Saints which slept and which arose in Matthew 27 there.
They were given their bodies for whatever period of time the witness was needed, and as a brother remarked at a Reading meeting many years ago in response to a question, well what? What happened to those bodies? He said. They went back into the graves where they came from to await the shout. When Moses and Elijah were on the mount of Transfiguration, they had bodies given to them for the occasion, but they were not glorified bodies.
There's one man, as Brother Bruce was mentioning in The Glory, now with a glorified body.
Every other one awaits as we get in First Corinthians 15 Christ the first fruits, afterward they that are Christ that is coming.
The living Saints put on mortality.
Saints that have died, they put on incorruptibility. That's First Corinthians 15. It talks about the two categories of Saints, the living and the dead.
And sometimes there is a mystery about these things, because when he did see them on the Mount, they're looked at as men. When it's men, it's body, soul, spirit. So there is a mystery in some of these things.
Right.
You.
Well, perhaps getting back to our chapter, we find in verse 25 that Paul has a confidence in the Lord as he says here. I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith.
So, as we have said, Paul submerges his desire to be with Christ. And as Jim was saying.
Paul knew what he was talking about, but he submerges that in the greater desire to be of an encouragement to his brethren. And it seems, although we don't have any direct record of it in scripture, it seems from the way we read Scripture that this desire of Paul was answered. It seems as it says in verse 26, he says.
You're rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me.
By my coming to you again, well, we have no direct record in scripture that Paul was released from prison at this time.
But it seems as if reading the whole context of Scripture that probably he was, and at least for a short time was able to visit these dear Philippian Saints, and quite probably others as well.
Then apprehended again, this time without any release, and that's when, as we know, he wrote Second Timothy.
00:45:02
Realizing that there wasn't going to be a release, he says I am now ready to be offered up in the time of my departure is at hand. I don't believe in any way that that destroyed the hope of the Lord's coming, but in this case, it seems that the Lord revealed certain things to Paul as his servant that were going to happen in that way. So it seems that very likely Paul was released from prison that this excuse me, this wish was granted.
His desire and his confidence in the Lord were not based merely on a personal desire, but he had a sense in his soul that the Lord was going to do that.
The 27th verse in Mr. Darby's translation. I think it's very helpful, he says, Only conduct yourselves worthily of the glad tidings of Christ. It's interesting in Pauls ministry that he often exhorts the Saints to walk worthy, and some of us have taken this up recently, but in the in several of his epistles we have this expression, and it's always in connection with the context of the epistle. Again, we stress context.
So in the book of Ephesians they're told to walk worthy of their calling, their vocation, because that's what's brought out in Ephesians, the heavenly calling of the believer and their position as being in Christ and seated with Christ in heavenly places. And then he exhorts them to walk worthy of that calling. In the book of in first Thessalonians, he exhorts them to walk worthy of God. They didn't understand many things. They were new converts, but they did understand one thing. They turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.
And to wait for his son from heaven. In Colossians he tells them to walk worthy of the Lord, because the subject of Colossians is the lordship of Christ, and owning that lordship, that headship in our in our lives. But here we find there to walk worthy of the glad tidings. As we mentioned earlier in these meetings, it seems that there was a real freshness in Philippi, and there was a real testimony as to the truth and the gospel and.
A real joy in.
Going out with with the gospel and there had been blessing and the enemy was coming in, as we find later in the epistle, to try to spoil this testimony, to bring contention in so that the testimony in the gospel would be spoiled and people would look at that group of Christians and say they can't even get along amongst themselves. How can they give us the truth or present to us the gospel? And so Paul here. He tells them to walk worthy of the glad tidings and brethren if we're going to.
Propagate the gospel, whether it's in some personal work or whether it's working together in our home assembly.
In some gospel work, which, by the way is a very healthy thing for the Brethren to the Saints of God to to carry on together. But there is a conduct Let's not let something come in to spoil our testimony, whether it's individually or collectively, we are to walk worthy of that which has been committed to us. Remember, Paul wasn't able to get out and preach and minister, and like he had been, he's exhorting the Saints to carry on.
He has confidence that he'll they'll do it. But he says, remember your walk, remember what you do and your interactions with one another are going to have as much weight, for good or for bad, as what you say. Walk worthy of the glad tidings.
That he says, stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together with the faith of the gospel. There's a there's a tendency, at least I recognize it on myself. You know, if there's so many crazy things that go on now that you almost sometimes feel embarrassed to give out the gospel because you're associated with those who are.
Piping these covetousness into the very living rooms of the people that you're giving the gospel to. So there is a tendency to kind of back off, isn't it? I mean, Satan is deliberately.
00:50:07
Brings these things out so that you kind of feel embarrassed because the gospel's been maligned so much. Is that is or is that? Am I reading my experience into my brother?
In Paul's day, as we had earlier, and we didn't read the Vert touch shot so much on the verses. But there were different reasons people were preaching the gospel. Some was even in contention to make Pauls bonds worse. But that Did that discourage Paul in presenting the gospel? Did he tell the Philippians? You need to back off a little bit because this is not a good testimony? No, Paul didn't want to be ashamed. He wanted to have that same confidence and boldness. He wanted the Philippians in spite of what was happening.
Some had the wrong motive in preaching the gospel, but he says, just leave that the Lord can use that. The Word of God is not bound, whether in truth or pretense. Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice. Yeah, and will rejoice. And brethren, I rejoice that every way the gospel goes out. There may be a lot of other fluff, as you say and stuff mixed with it, but the Word, if it's the Word of God, God can use it. But what is our responsibility?
We're to walk in the truth. We're to walk worthy of the glad tidings and to present the truth in all the purity in which it's been handed down to us. Thank God for men who have handed it down, expounded it to us in the past. I'm thankful for a heritage of godly men who presented the truth and the gospel in its purity. And it's not just the gospel of the grace of God that we're going to have preached tonight. Paul's gospel was the whole gamut of truth.
That was, that was given to Paul to present thank the Lord. It was given to me in purity by godly men of a past generation, faithful men, and we are our responsibility now is in spite of us. What you say is true, but in spite of all that we are to walk worthy of the gospel and to present the truth and not and leave the results with the Lord and leave others. You know, the Lord said when they wanted to call down fire on on some, the Lord said, let them alone. If they're not, if they're not against us, they're they're for us.
Whatever way the truth is going out, be thankful Eldad and me dad in Moses day prophesied in the camp and.
Joshua wanted to forbid them. Moses said no would all the Lord servants would were prophets and the Lord would put his spirit upon them. So we're thankful for any way the truth is propagated. But you and I have a responsibility because so much has been committed to us.
I would also suggest that perhaps there's something.
Very practical for us here.
We, excuse me, We know that in the Word of God, things like gospel preaching and other outreaches are presented primarily as an individual exercise, not an assembly responsibility. And that is true. Again, there's no reason why individuals can't work together. And we see it in the Apostles Day where Paul and Barnabas and later Paul and Silas, and in another place that talks about Paul and his company.
Evidently there were others like Luke and Timothy and various ones that traveled with Paul, and in whatever way they could, they helped. But it was not an assembly responsibility. It was an individual one, however.
An old brother once said to me, and it's true, he said. Bill, if there is no outreach in the gospel, there often is not much blessing in the Assembly.
And he went on to make a remark that I hope doesn't tread on any toes. But it's true, he said. Bill brethren that preached the gospel together find it much harder to get into arguments in Brothers meetings.
True. It's true. Why? Because.
There's inflow and there's outflow and that makes a healthy Christian, and in the long run it makes for a healthy assembly. And I suggest there's something of that here because Paul does not say only let your conversation or your conduct be as it become with the truth of God.
That would have been true, and that would have been nice to say. But he doesn't say that. He says the glad tidings are the gospel of Christ. And what's the result? He says that ye stand fast in one spirit.
00:55:12
With one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, if we are seeking to reach a lost world with the gospel, it binds us together in a wonderful way, doesn't it? And so I suggest that that thought is implicit here, because although Paul knew that the.
Responsibility of gospel outreach rested primarily with individuals. He's writing here to an assembly.
Because the outreach and the exercise and energy to do so inevitably impacts on the collective testimony, doesn't it? So we need to remember that there needs to be inflow. That's what we get in a reading meeting. There needs to be in being in prayer before the Lord, but then there needs to be outreach as well, in whatever way the Lord may lead that we can do it.
Properly. Meetings are good and I don't. I feel that we should have them.
But if I give out the sleep practical, if I give out 10 tracks in a year, I reach more people than the gospel being preached in the Assembly. I mean, that's just practical, and that's what it should be. I mean, we should be out giving it out and bringing them into the Assembly. Any other same refreshment to our own souls too, isn't it? As Bill says, water running into a pool and never running out makes the pool stagnant.
And I believe this that yes, I agree with you Vern, that we need to individually be exercised to and it refreshes our soul when we share Christ in the gospel. But I have noticed like Bill, that assemblies that are involved in some kind of gospel outreach are usually happy assemblies where there's refreshing.
And that when they come together for ministry or prayer meeting or whatever it is other assembly meetings, there's usually a vibrance because the Dead Sea is dead, because there's no outflow. It has an intake, but not an outflow. And I just suggest that, and it may not be necessarily a Sunday night.
Gospel meeting, where is just a few of the Saints? But again, there's a multitude of ways that we can reach out. And I know we're not all evangelists either, but there's a multitude of ways where we can be involved in in outreach. You know, I was thankful growing up in Smiths Falls, there was a couple by the name of Grace Osborne and Grace Wills, and they used to get us young people together on a regular basis and get us to put together little track packs or put together little bags of fruit and different things.
And then go out and visit in nursing homes and share the gospel with in in different ways and many different ways. They used to get us together to go out and sing at a nursing home once once a month and and that kind of thing. And I just say to those of us who are older in the local assembly.
Teach our young people to reach out in the gospel. Don't expect a young person at 18 years of age to all of a sudden have a desire to reach out in the gospel. If we as parents or as brethren haven't given them that platform and taught them that we need to teach our children the joy of reaching out, going out maybe with another family, and going out and doing something in the gospel. Get together the young people together in the assembly and.
Decide on some way we can reach out. Maybe a little hobby class for three or four nights, or a little summer Bible hour.
And there's little ways too, but I believe that it gives vibrancy and and freshness to the people of God collectively. When we're striving together for the faith of the gospel, then we don't have time to be over occupied with the idiosyncrasies and faults of one another.
If we're working together for a common cause, I remember when I was in university, a couple of us.
Had what? What evolved into a gospel meeting Friday night in a very public place and people would wander in and and listen for a while and wander back out and the meeting would go on maybe an hour and a half or so.
And sometimes it was Saturday night and went on for a number of years while we were in school and and I can remember showing up in.
Myra Lords day morning after it seems like you get, you know, there's there's a million ways to be wrong. You know, as sinners we turn each one to our own particular way and there's just a million different ways to be wrong out there. And we're sitting there. Oftentimes it'll be after the meeting and you just feel peppered with all of these objections and and questions and and and reputations and all that. And you go to the meeting the next morning and you sit there in your chair and 1 by 1 The Saints come in and you just shake your head and you say.
01:00:27
You know it's with men it's impossible to be saved.
But with God, all things are possible. And you look at the Saints come in, whether they come in, you know, no matter what they're wearing or they're coming late, you you just marvel to see them with a trophy of the grace of God and you just marvel that God would work and that we would receive the truth of the gospel and be changed. And so I heartily agree with you what you say, Jim, and and and secondly, I just add this, you know, again.
A personal reference, but.
I wasn't saved till I was 23 years old.
And the same year, later in the year, maybe it was 11 or 12 months later, my younger sister was saved at a gospel meeting at a conference in Fredericton, NB. And so we were talking afterwards and.
And she said, you know, I heard the gospel before.
And she said this after she got saved. And I said, well, when did you ever hear the gospel? I said, you know, we were raised together. I never remember hearing the that I was a Sinner and that I needed to accept Christ in order to be saved, she says, Well, yeah, after swim practice.
She said I was maybe six or seven, and after swim practice I was on the swings with Scott Mcclay and we were swinging on the swings and he told me the whole gospel and told me about being saved and about going to heaven and about the Lord's coming and all the rest. At 7 years old, that little boy had taken in what he had heard that his church I suppose it was, and he was giving it to this little girl next to him on the swing and it was maybe 18.
I don't know 19 something like that 15 years later. It was her time and she believed the gospel of her salvation sealed with the Holy Spirit.
So then he says that nothing terrified by your adversaries, there's always going to be opposition. If it's giving the gospel personally, if it's working together with your brethren, if it's locally in your hometown or your own meeting room or it's going to the foreign mission field, the enemy is going is always as he was in Paul's day, opposed to the gospel. But I I still remember Gordon and Dave will forgive me for telling a story about their father, but.
I remember Charlie Little saying to Charles Whitaker one time, who seemed fearless when it came to giving out the gospel and tracts and so on, talking to people. Charlie Little said to him, Brother Whitaker, you're fearless when it comes to giving out the gospel, he said, Oh, Charlie, he said, these people in North America can't hurt you. When I was in Africa, I feared the headhunters. Now I thought of that because here we are in North America, we might get reproached for the name of Christ.
There might be a sneer, but, you know, in the days when Paul wrote they stoned the apostles, there was physical persecution. They threw them in prison. And many of our brethren, as we've been saying, are still experiencing this kind of thing today. What do we have to suffer? What do we have to fear? Yes, there's going to be opposition. I remember one time at the Nova Scotia Gospel tent, they threw stones at the tent. And Mr. Berry told us after be thankful, they threw them at the tent. In the days of the apostles, they threw them at the apostles.
And so we need to have spiritual courage. And that's what Paul was was seeking to encourage the Saints of God to to go on in spite of the opposition. He wasn't. He wasn't glossing over things. He wasn't saying. If you go out with the gospel, if you work together for the faith of the gospel, it's all going to be easy and you're going to see wonderful results and there's not going to be opposition. No, he has no illusions. He had suffered and was suffering for the faith.
Suffering for the gospel, suffering for his testimony for Christ. Now, he says. I'm encouraging you to take the up the torch and go on, but I want you to realize there's going to be adversaries, but in the end there's one who's greater. And if you strive together for the faith of the gospel, there's going to be blessing as a result.
Perhaps in connection with striving together in the Gospel, a look at Acts chapter 13. There's going to be a gospel meeting tonight. Probably one person get up and preach the gospel to us. If the Lord leaves us before that, there's going to be a prayer for the gospel.
01:05:07
Max chapter 13 Just look at the 1St 5 verses real quick. There's these certain brothers that are that are come together in the spirit. The Holy Ghost says separate unto me.
Barnabas and soul for the work, or until I have called them, and they they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, they departed unto Seleucia, and from fence they sailed unto Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis they preached the word of God in the synagogues to the Jews they had John to their minister. Here we see a bunch of people.
Maybe you're not an evangelist, but.
You can show up to the prayer for the gospel, and you can be there and show fellowship in that work.
Yes, it's something we can all have a part in, in one way or another. I don't think there's any one of us who can stand apart and say, well, it's not for us to strive together for the faith of the gospel. As we've said in these meetings, there's something, some little part for every one of us to fulfill. Our time is gone, brethren. But I just trust that as we've taken this up and again to go back to what perhaps is maybe the key of this chapter and that is verse 21 for to me to live.
Is Christ.
Brethren, I trust that for my own soul, and for yours as well, that having taken up this chapter, having been here at these meetings this weekend, that you and I have this fresh desire and exercise not to live for this world, not to live for its applause or its its approval, but to live Christ. And we won't turn to it. But in the third chapter, he says something else. He says that I may win Christ.
You know, the politicians out to win votes, the actors out to win applause. People are out to win different things. Are you and I out to win Christ, to have his approval? And at the end of it all, when we stand before him, what's going to matter how well we planned our lives down here, how well we got along down here, know what's going to matter is his approval, his sense given of what was for his glory and for the blessing of.
Of souls, whether the lost, or for the Saints of Saints of God.
And to hear his well done in that day, that's what's going to make it all well, worthwhile and brother, not just for us but for his joy. You know we think of our joy to be there and wonderful to get a little reward perhaps, but let's live. So we give him.
The joy that we rejoice his heart in being able to say, well done, thou good and faithful servant.
One more thought I might add to what you have said about We all have a part in the gospel. One of the things that I've noticed and the opportunities that I've had to give out the gospel is that it's really hard to give the gospel out in an empty room and when the gathered Saints have an exercise to have a gospel meeting.
And they supply a room and someone is asked to have the gospel and there's nobody there, even the gathered Saints who are already saved. It's very difficult for the person standing up to present the gospel if there's nobody there in the room to hear it. And I would just say that the part that all of us can have is is, as was mentioned, pray for the gospel and then also to.
Be a part.
Of the meeting by being there and singing the opening hymn and and being a support to the one who has the privilege of giving out the gospel.
66.
Lord, thou has drawn us after thee. Now let us run, and never tired.
I comfort, be thyself, our hope, our soul, desire, Our present Savior, While nor fear nor sin can come if thou art near.