1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,920 All right, thank you, Brother Danny. 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:04,640 Once again, good morning church. 3 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:07,800 We are so thankful that you are here this morning. 4 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:10,120 Want to say a special welcome to our visitors, 5 00:00:10,120 --> 00:00:14,200 and I know for sure that there are two people here this morning 6 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:16,520 that I have known for years. 7 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:19,920 Jason and Shannon Ford are visiting with us this morning, 8 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:23,200 and we have been friends for probably more years 9 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:25,360 than any of us would like to count. 10 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:29,760 But Shannon and I have known each other since we were children. 11 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:33,120 We went to the same church for a number of years, 12 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:37,040 and then a few years later, she met the love of her life, Jason. 13 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:41,520 And I think it was in, was it 1995 or 1996, which was it? 14 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:44,880 1995, they got married at the same church 15 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:46,960 that Karen and I were married at, 16 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:51,160 and I was blessed to be able to do the music at their wedding. 17 00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:54,360 So we are so thankful they are here with us this morning. 18 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,720 And if you are visiting with us here this morning, 19 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,280 we just want to say thank you for coming to the hill 20 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,560 to worship Christ with us here at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. 21 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:06,880 We hope that you will feel right at home while you're here, 22 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:08,800 and I want you to know if I or any of the staff 23 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,720 can do anything for you to assist you in any way 24 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:15,240 while you're here or afterwards, we want to do that. 25 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,840 Please let us know how we can assist you in any way. 26 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,280 I'm going to be continuing our sermon series this morning 27 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:23,520 in the book of Philippians. 28 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:25,720 We're going to be in chapter four this morning, 29 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:27,960 looking at the first nine verses. 30 00:01:27,960 --> 00:01:30,360 So if you have your Bibles, I'd encourage you to go ahead 31 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:31,720 and be turning there. 32 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,520 And while you are, I just want to remind us always 33 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:36,440 when we're in this particular sermon series 34 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:40,320 what the context is, because context is so important. 35 00:01:40,320 --> 00:01:42,840 No matter what scripture we are reading, 36 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:45,320 it's important that we know the context. 37 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:47,680 So Paul wrote this, it was a letter 38 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:50,520 that he wrote to the church in Philippi, 39 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:52,120 and he wrote it from prison. 40 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,080 And if you've heard each of the sermons in this series, 41 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,880 or if you've heard any of the sermons in the series, 42 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,960 you've heard me say every week that it's important 43 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,680 that we remember that Paul writes this from prison. 44 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,240 It's going to be particularly important this morning 45 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,400 that we do not forget that Paul is writing to us from prison. 46 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,160 And he wrote it somewhere around AD 55 to AD 62. 47 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:20,240 And then the other thing that we see that presents itself 48 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,920 over and over again, Paul wrote very, very well, 49 00:02:22,920 --> 00:02:27,120 we don't have to wonder what his theme was for this letter. 50 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,440 We don't have to wonder what it was he was trying 51 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:31,440 to get across. 52 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:34,600 And it's this, he is rejoicing in his partnership 53 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,280 with the Philippians, and we see him do that time and time 54 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,680 again right in the very midst of adversity. 55 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,520 So at this point, I'd like for us to hear our text 56 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,880 in its entirety, and if you are physically able to stand, 57 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,120 this morning I want to invite you to stand 58 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:53,160 to honor the reading of God's Word. 59 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:57,360 Again, Philippians four beginning with verse one. 60 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,680 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, 61 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:07,240 my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved, 62 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:12,880 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 63 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,680 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, 64 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:19,000 help these women who have labored side by side with me 65 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,160 in the gospel together with Clement and the rest 66 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:26,480 of my fellow workers whose names are in the Book of Life. 67 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:28,280 Rejoice in the Lord always. 68 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,080 Again, I will say rejoice. 69 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:34,200 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. 70 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:35,920 The Lord is at hand. 71 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,360 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 72 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,520 by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving. 73 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:46,720 Let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, 74 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,880 which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts 75 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:52,400 and your minds in Christ Jesus. 76 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,680 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, 77 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:59,080 whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, 78 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,200 whatever is commendable, 79 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:05,320 If there's any excellence, if there's anything worthy 80 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:08,960 of praise, think about these things. 81 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:13,040 What you have learned and received and heard and seen 82 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,240 in me, practice these things. 83 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,880 And the God of peace will be with you. 84 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,800 Church, I want to remind you this is the word of God 85 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,320 for the people of God. 86 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:27,160 Thanks be to God. 87 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:28,400 Would you pray with me? 88 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:30,840 Father, thank you for the opportunity 89 00:04:30,840 --> 00:04:34,560 of reading your word one more time as a group here 90 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:36,760 at church, as this congregation. 91 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:38,920 And Father, now for these next few minutes, 92 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:41,080 I pray that your hand will continue 93 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:42,240 to be upon the service. 94 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,600 Lord I pray that you will hide me behind the cross. 95 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,200 I pray that when these people look at me, 96 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,840 that they will see a reflection of Jesus Christ. 97 00:04:51,840 --> 00:04:55,360 Father I pray that you would just simply move me out of the way 98 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:57,080 and let them see you. 99 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:01,120 Father, right now I pray that you will simply open ears to hear. 100 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:03,480 I pray that you will open minds to understand. 101 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:05,880 And I pray that you will open hearts 102 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:08,160 to receive the gospel message. 103 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:11,080 And Father, as always, I pray that if there is anyone hearing 104 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:14,840 my voice right now, whether in the sanctuary 105 00:05:14,840 --> 00:05:18,200 or on the live stream, who doesn't know you 106 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,000 as their personal Lord and Savior. 107 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:22,880 Father, I pray that this will be the day 108 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,280 that we will see salvation. 109 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:29,840 And for all the things that we will see here 110 00:05:29,840 --> 00:05:33,040 in this place today, we will give Christ the praise, 111 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:34,680 honor, and glory for it all. 112 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:36,360 And it's in His name I pray. 113 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:37,200 Amen. 114 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:38,960 You may be seated. 115 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,560 Now the title of this morning's message is Radical Joy. 116 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,640 Now you've heard all throughout this sermon series 117 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,640 to this point, Paul has written about joy. 118 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:50,000 We've talked about joy. 119 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:51,760 We've talked about rejoicing. 120 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:53,920 Paul has not just written about it. 121 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:58,960 He's shown us how we can rejoice in all types of circumstances. 122 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:02,840 And remember, again, he is writing this to us from prison. 123 00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:04,320 And you've heard me say before, Paul 124 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:06,920 doesn't just write about this joy. 125 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,520 He doesn't just tell us to be joyful. 126 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,480 Instead, he shows us how to do it. 127 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,720 Right in the very midst of adversity. 128 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:18,400 But today, we're going to take that a step further. 129 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:22,000 We're not going to be talking about a normal type of joy 130 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:22,720 this morning. 131 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:24,920 Instead, we are going to be talking 132 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,480 about a radical type of joy. 133 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:30,160 And I want to say at the very beginning, the type of joy 134 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,320 that I am talking about this morning, the type of joy 135 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,120 that I am preaching about this morning, 136 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:36,920 I want you to hear at the very beginning, 137 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:38,840 it is only possible. 138 00:06:38,840 --> 00:06:43,520 It is only possible if we truly have a relationship 139 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:44,720 with Jesus Christ. 140 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:49,840 Apart from that, this radical joy is not possible. 141 00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:51,960 Now, the first thing we're going to see this morning, 142 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,440 we're going to see this in verses 1 to 3. 143 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:58,400 And we're going to see that there is joy in friendship 144 00:06:58,400 --> 00:06:59,160 and unity. 145 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:01,640 And I want to ask you just for a moment right now, 146 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:04,320 just think about who it is on this earth 147 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:09,200 that you consider to be your very closest friend. 148 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,000 And I suspect that at this point, each of you, 149 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:15,480 you have that person's name in your mind. 150 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,920 You might even be seeing their face 151 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:20,440 if you close your eyes right now. 152 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:23,640 Even though I probably don't know who you're talking about, 153 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:25,160 who you're thinking about right now, 154 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:29,440 I would suspect that whoever that person is, for most of you, 155 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:34,240 it is not a person that you argue about everything with. 156 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:36,560 Generally, people who are the closest friends, 157 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:39,560 they are not constantly bickering and arguing 158 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:41,080 with each other, are they? 159 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:44,120 Instead, they have various things in common, 160 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:48,360 and it's that unity that brings them closer and closer 161 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:49,080 together. 162 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:51,160 Well, as we look at our text this morning, 163 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:53,920 we are going to see that if we're in Christ, 164 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:57,320 then as a body of believers, Christ 165 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:00,560 has united us as brothers and sisters in Christ. 166 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,160 And it allows us to realize that we're not 167 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:04,600 running this race alone. 168 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:07,800 Remember last week, Paul used the analogy of a runner 169 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:08,920 running a race. 170 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,560 So we realize that if we are in Christ, 171 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:14,640 we have other brothers and sisters that are right there 172 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:15,360 beside us. 173 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:17,680 They are running the race with us. 174 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:20,440 They are fighting the good fight with us. 175 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,320 We do not have to do it alone. 176 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:27,440 So as we look here in verse one, I want you to notice 177 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:30,920 how Paul addresses these people. 178 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:35,360 First of all, he refers to them as his brothers. 179 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,960 He makes it clear that he loves them. 180 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:43,280 He makes it clear that he longs for them. 181 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:47,800 He describes them as my joy and crown. 182 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:50,480 Now, that's quite an introduction, isn't it? 183 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,840 That is quite a way for Paul to describe these people. 184 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:59,920 But with him doing that, what we're seeing Paul do here, 185 00:08:59,920 --> 00:09:04,640 he is considering them to be equal partners with him 186 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:05,640 in the gospel. 187 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:09,040 Remember, he is detained and prison right now. 188 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,440 But the people that he is writing to, they are not. 189 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:16,920 He considers them equal partners with them. 190 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,440 And so the next thing that we see him tell them 191 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:25,480 is to stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. 192 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:29,160 Now, if you'll remember what we saw Paul do throughout chapter 193 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:33,360 three, he was telling them to stand firm. 194 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:36,800 We saw him do that all throughout chapter three. 195 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,200 And here we are in chapter four, verse one, 196 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,680 and he is telling them again to stand firm in the Lord. 197 00:09:43,680 --> 00:09:45,640 Now, we probably should ask ourselves, 198 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:47,160 why is he doing that? 199 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:48,680 Why is he doing that? 200 00:09:48,680 --> 00:09:51,160 Since he spent a lot of chapter three 201 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:55,400 on this very subject, why is he doing it again in chapter four, 202 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:56,200 verse one? 203 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:59,640 Well, I think the first answer to that is they probably 204 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:00,960 needed to hear it. 205 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:03,840 As humans, many times we have the need 206 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:08,240 to hear important things more than one time before we actually 207 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:11,240 get it, before it truly sinks in. 208 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:14,800 I think there was probably some of that going on there. 209 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:18,360 But here's what I believe is the major reason 210 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:20,320 that he is doing this here. 211 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:24,920 I think he knows these people are dealing with a lot. 212 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:28,160 He knows they're dealing with a lot. 213 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:30,920 I suspect that he feels that they are probably 214 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,680 battling some discouragement. 215 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:37,360 So he is saying right here at the beginning of chapter four, 216 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:40,720 stand firm in the Lord. 217 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:45,760 And then in verses two and three, we meet these two women. 218 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:49,680 And probably we don't spend a lot of time usually thinking 219 00:10:49,680 --> 00:10:51,360 about these two women. 220 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:54,000 Their names are Euodia and Syntyche. 221 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:57,600 And we don't know a lot about them other than they 222 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:02,880 had labored side by side with Paul in the gospel, 223 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:08,200 together with Clement and the rest of his fellow workers. 224 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:10,000 So we know their believers. 225 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:11,000 We know that about them. 226 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:15,800 We know that they had co-labored with Paul together 227 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:17,560 in the gospel. 228 00:11:17,560 --> 00:11:21,320 And the other thing that we know about them 229 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:25,960 is that they've had a disagreement about something. 230 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:29,200 They have had a disagreement about something. 231 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:31,800 We don't even know what it was. 232 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:36,840 We don't even know what that disagreement is about. 233 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:39,400 And it caused me to stop and think 234 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:42,840 as I was preparing to preach this morning. 235 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:45,880 Some of the most serious arguments or disagreements 236 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,600 that I've ever seen between people, especially 237 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:52,360 between two families that are harboring a grudge with each 238 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:53,880 other, sometimes they don't even know 239 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:55,680 why they're mad at each other. 240 00:11:55,680 --> 00:11:58,560 They just know they're mad. 241 00:11:58,560 --> 00:11:59,680 They just know they're mad. 242 00:11:59,680 --> 00:12:01,480 Somebody has told them that they're 243 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,400 supposed to be mad at this other group of people. 244 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:07,040 And so they are, but they really don't know why. 245 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,040 Now, I don't know if this disagreement 246 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:13,720 that Euodia and Syntyche had was something like that or not. 247 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:17,840 We don't know what it was, but here's what we do know. 248 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:21,160 Whatever it was, Paul viewed it as being serious enough 249 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,360 to address it in this letter. 250 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:26,280 And as a result of that, it's with the heart of our Bible. 251 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:28,600 It is a part of our Bible. 252 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:32,240 So it was significant to Paul. 253 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:36,720 And he knew what disagreements, especially within a church, 254 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,960 have the capability of doing. 255 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:45,680 So when he tells them, I entreat Euodia and Syntyche 256 00:12:45,680 --> 00:12:50,480 what he is really saying there is he is strongly urging them 257 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:53,840 to agree in the Lord. 258 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:56,480 And look what else he does. 259 00:12:56,480 --> 00:13:00,840 He asks a third person. 260 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:03,120 And we don't know the identity of this person either, 261 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:08,920 other than Paul addresses this person as a true companion. 262 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:13,600 He asks this person to step in and asks them 263 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:18,000 to help these women resolve this disagreement 264 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:19,000 that they're having. 265 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,160 And we don't know that person's name either. 266 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,320 We don't really know if it's a man or if it's a woman. 267 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:28,760 And it caused me to think throughout church history, 268 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,240 I can tell you there are a number of people 269 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:34,600 who've worked tirelessly behind the scenes 270 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:37,120 to help brothers and sisters in Christ 271 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:39,920 resolve disagreements with other people. 272 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:42,960 And we don't even know their names. 273 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,560 But let me tell you who does know their name. 274 00:13:45,560 --> 00:13:47,760 God knows their names. 275 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:49,160 And he has not forgotten that. 276 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:50,960 He has seen everything. 277 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:56,040 He's seen how those people have stepped in to promote unity 278 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:59,400 within the body of Jesus Christ. 279 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:01,640 And I'll tell you, the quicker that disagreements 280 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:04,560 can be addressed and resolved, then the quicker 281 00:14:04,560 --> 00:14:06,280 we can be about our mission, which 282 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:09,040 is the gospel of Jesus Christ. 283 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:14,440 Now remember what Paul taught in chapter 2 verses 1 - 4. 284 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:17,240 He says, if there's any encouragement in Christ, 285 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:18,800 if there's any comfort from love. 286 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:21,280 If there's any participation in the spirit, 287 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:24,120 any affection and sympathy, then complete my joy 288 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:27,200 by being of the same mind, having the same love, 289 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:29,680 being in full accord and of one mind. 290 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:32,920 Then he tells us to do nothing from selfish ambition 291 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:37,520 or conceit, but in humility, count others more 292 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:40,280 significant than yourselves. 293 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:43,480 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, 294 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:46,440 but also to the interests of others. 295 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:50,480 Now if we all, all, not just this church, 296 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,880 but every person who calls themselves a Christian, 297 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:57,480 if we live these four verses day in and day out, 298 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:00,400 there would sure be a lot less serious disagreements, 299 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:01,200 wouldn't there? 300 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:03,480 There would be a lot less church splits 301 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:07,320 if we live these four verses. 302 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,720 Now remember, I said last week in our sermon, 303 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:14,120 if the enemy can sideline us and cause us to think 304 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:16,760 on anything other than our mission, which 305 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:19,040 is the gospel of Jesus Christ. 306 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:21,840 If the enemy can cause us to concentrate 307 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:24,440 on things that we've said or done in the past, 308 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:27,720 if he can cause us to think about anything other 309 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:32,280 than what God wants us to do, then we are not very likely 310 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:37,640 to be fully effective in ministering in the present. 311 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:40,480 So we've got to put those things behind us. 312 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:44,640 And remember this morning, we are talking about a radical type 313 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:47,320 of joy, and this is a joy, again, that only 314 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:51,720 comes if we have a true relationship with Jesus Christ. 315 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:56,880 And when we do, then we will be willing to lay aside differences 316 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:01,640 and focus on proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. 317 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:03,600 Now the next thing we're going to see in the remainder 318 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:07,040 of our text this morning is there is joy in the peace 319 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:09,960 that comes from God. 320 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:14,920 Now when we look at these final verses this morning, 321 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:18,520 the first thing that we have to realize in order 322 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,760 to fully experience this peace, then we've 323 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,800 got to be also at peace with ourself. 324 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:27,800 And if we take a look internally and we 325 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:31,400 find out that we're constantly bitter, 326 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,120 if somebody says to us this morning, oh, 327 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,640 isn't the sun beautiful? 328 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:39,960 Have you ever heard somebody say, it's blinding me, 329 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:42,320 it's so bright? 330 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:43,680 Have you ever heard that 331 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:47,520 No matter what positivity you're bringing into a situation, 332 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:50,080 they have a negative comeback for you? 333 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:54,320 We really need to look internally and ask ourselves, 334 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,200 where is that bitterness coming from? 335 00:16:56,200 --> 00:17:00,680 Are we truly at peace with ourself? 336 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,640 Now in verse four, it's a difficult verse. 337 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:06,040 I'll just say at the beginning, it's a difficult verse. 338 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:10,680 It sounds really easy when we read the words. 339 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:15,800 But the application of verse four, it's tough, isn't it? 340 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:19,480 Rejoice in the Lord when? 341 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:20,400 Stay with me. 342 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:22,240 I don't know what happened with my screen there. 343 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:24,760 Always. 344 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,280 What does always mean? 345 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:29,400 Always. 346 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:30,120 Always. 347 00:17:30,120 --> 00:17:32,920 That's tough, isn't it? 348 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:35,880 But that's what God's word says to do. 349 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:39,640 Paul doesn't just tell us once in this verse. 350 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,720 Look, he tells us twice in the same verse. 351 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:45,560 He says it again. 352 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:47,320 Rejoice. 353 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:48,560 Rejoice. 354 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:49,760 And it's tough. 355 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:55,000 I know, I know many of you are asking yourself this question 356 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:55,560 this morning. 357 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:57,960 How's that even possible? 358 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:02,440 How is it even possible that I can rejoice always? 359 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:04,520 I'm going to tell you something that I 360 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:08,440 would like for you to remember from this point forward. 361 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:12,440 Earlier in the week, I was at a revival. 362 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:15,400 And the man that was preaching is one of my friends. 363 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:17,680 And he preached from the same text. 364 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:19,760 And he made many excellent points. 365 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:24,360 But one of them that I want you to be sure you realize 366 00:18:24,360 --> 00:18:30,120 is that joy, listen closely now, joy does not 367 00:18:30,120 --> 00:18:34,280 mean happiness always. 368 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:40,560 Joy does not always mean happiness. 369 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:44,800 And let me just expand on that just a little. 370 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:49,160 Let's just suppose for a moment that you 371 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:53,280 are going through a horrible situation. 372 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:56,000 And you can just fill in the blank, whatever it is. 373 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:00,720 It could be something different for every one of us. 374 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:07,320 You might not ever be happy about the actual situation, 375 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:11,840 whether it's the death of a spouse, the death of a child, 376 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:13,880 a cancer diagnosis. 377 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:21,320 You might not ever be happy with the individual situation. 378 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:22,720 But hear me when I say this. 379 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:28,040 You can rejoice in the Lord in the midst of the situation. 380 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:34,200 Joy does not always mean the same thing as happiness. 381 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:39,040 Again, we're talking about a radical type of joy here. 382 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:43,000 So again, let's just continue with the thought, 383 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:44,440 how do we do this? 384 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,600 Well, Paul begins to tell us in verse 5. 385 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,120 He says, let your reasonableness. 386 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:52,040 And some of your translations probably 387 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:54,840 say either gentle or gentleness there. 388 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,440 But he says, let your reasonableness or your gentleness 389 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:00,280 be known to everyone. 390 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:03,880 And then he tells us this phrase, the Lord is at hand. 391 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:05,320 Now, that's good news. 392 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,920 That's good news for us to remember always. 393 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:11,760 You see, some people believe when Paul is telling us 394 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:13,600 that the Lord is at hand, that he's 395 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:18,200 reminding us of the fact that one day the Lord is coming back. 396 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,320 And one day the Lord is coming back. 397 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:24,560 But that is not why I believe that Paul tells us that here, 398 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:28,360 I believe he wants us to realize that right in the middle 399 00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:31,520 of the battle, right in the middle of whatever 400 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:36,280 we are walking through, the Lord is right there with us. 401 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:39,600 Again, we might not like the situation. 402 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:42,000 We might not like the situation at all. 403 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:46,960 We might not even understand the situation now or ever. 404 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:50,760 But we can rejoice in the Lord always 405 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:53,080 if we decide that we're going to do that, 406 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:59,400 if we are displaying this radical type of joy. 407 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:04,800 And then our scripture gets even more difficult this morning, 408 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:06,440 even more difficult. 409 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:09,560 Let's look at verse 6. 410 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:12,800 Do not be anxious about what? 411 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:14,440 Anything. 412 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:20,480 And I know it's fair if you ask yourself right now, really? 413 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:23,400 I'm not supposed to be anxious about anything. 414 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:25,400 Really? 415 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:27,960 That's what the scripture says. 416 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:32,960 But I want to share a few things with you this morning. 417 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:35,720 And the first is that there are a number of people 418 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:39,600 that really do not understand anxiety. 419 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:42,400 And let me tell you, unless you have personally struggled 420 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:44,600 with it, you probably don't understand it. 421 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:47,440 And you probably don't understand how anybody else can 422 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:49,480 struggle with anxiety. 423 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:54,080 But can I tell you this morning, anxiety is very, very, very real. 424 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:57,120 It is very, very real. 425 00:21:57,120 --> 00:21:59,840 The years that I worked on my doctor of ministry, 426 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:02,600 I also did a concentration in biblical counseling. 427 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,520 And I had to study a lot about emotions. 428 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:09,440 And I learned a lot about anxiety during that time. 429 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:12,440 And I'll tell you, it is so very real. 430 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:17,120 I would put it in the same category as a disease 431 00:22:17,120 --> 00:22:20,640 for people who truly struggle with anxiety. 432 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:23,280 You see, there are people that anxiety has 433 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,600 a grip on the person's life. 434 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:31,400 And it can even pull them into a deep, dark depression. 435 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:33,520 It is very real. 436 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:35,760 And then all along the way, people 437 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:40,280 that really don't understand anxiety will offer little tidbits 438 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:45,360 of information, such as, you just need to snap out of it. 439 00:22:45,360 --> 00:22:49,080 Let me tell you, that is the same as telling a cancer patient, 440 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:51,280 you just need to snap out of it. 441 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:54,680 That is not how it works. 442 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:59,440 Again, anxiety is very real. 443 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:03,800 And as before we proceed any further in our text this morning, 444 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:07,360 I need you to hear this statement. 445 00:23:07,360 --> 00:23:13,840 I am not preaching a prosperity gospel this morning. 446 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:18,360 When we do these next steps that the Scripture says, 447 00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:22,920 it doesn't mean that the situation is going to go away. 448 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:28,560 But what it does mean is that we can rejoice as a part 449 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:31,520 of the journey, so I need you to keep that in mind. 450 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:34,600 And I am not saying by any stretch of the imagination 451 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:38,120 that when we follow word for word what's dictated 452 00:23:38,120 --> 00:23:42,600 in the next several verses that the problem is going to go away. 453 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:45,440 That unfortunately is not how it works. 454 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:48,400 But I can promise you, if you are in Christ, 455 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:53,080 that Christ is right there alongside you every step 456 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:53,960 of the journey. 457 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:58,760 And we start to refocus or reframe the situation. 458 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:02,280 And we will look back one day and see that throughout 459 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:06,800 that journey we have become closer and closer 460 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,080 in our relationship with Jesus Christ. 461 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:12,120 And we will also find out as we look back 462 00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:17,240 that during that process we have become more and more 463 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:18,960 like Jesus Christ. 464 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:21,160 But I need you to hear me again before we go 465 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:22,600 to the next verses. 466 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:26,200 This does not mean that the problem goes away. 467 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:29,400 I just need you to hear that this morning. 468 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:33,160 So Paul tells us don't be anxious about anything, 469 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:37,760 but in everything by prayer and supplication. 470 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:39,600 Now that's a word we usually don't use 471 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:41,640 in our vocabularies today, do we? 472 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:44,160 Supplication, that is earnestly asking 473 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:47,320 or maybe even begging for something. 474 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:49,480 But look how we're supposed to do it. 475 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:54,800 With thanksgiving, with thanksgiving, 476 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:58,560 let your requests be made known to God. 477 00:24:58,560 --> 00:24:59,760 And then look what happens. 478 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:05,040 The peace of God which surpasses all understanding 479 00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:09,520 will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 480 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:13,040 Notice it does not say that your problem will go away. 481 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:17,080 That is not what this verse is meant to say. 482 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:20,760 So many times this verse is used out of context. 483 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:25,200 But what we will see happen is that we will experience 484 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:29,280 that peace of God which surpasses all understanding 485 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:33,680 and it will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. 486 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:36,360 And again, as we look back, we will see 487 00:25:36,360 --> 00:25:40,400 that throughout that journey we have become more and more 488 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:42,000 like Christ. 489 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,880 And then Paul tells us here a number of ways 490 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,760 that we can start refocusing our minds 491 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:52,440 instead of focusing on whatever it is that's causing the anxiety. 492 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:55,880 He tells us some other things to focus on here in verse 8. 493 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,520 I'm just going to read the verse for you first 494 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:01,280 and then I'm going to put it on a chart for you. 495 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,880 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, 496 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:08,080 whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, 497 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:09,960 whatever is commendable. 498 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:13,360 if there's any excellence if there's anything worthy of praise, 499 00:26:13,360 --> 00:26:15,240 think about these things. 500 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:17,000 So I thought it would just be easier for us 501 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:19,160 to look at them on a chart. 502 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:21,680 And you'll see on the screen right now I've got every one 503 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:23,560 of these things that I've just read. 504 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:24,800 I've got them on a chart. 505 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:27,800 And I've also included a column for God 506 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:30,720 and I've included a column for Satan. 507 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:32,840 And as you read through every one of those things, 508 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:35,040 I just want you to ask yourself, OK, 509 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:37,120 so which column would I place this in? 510 00:26:37,120 --> 00:26:41,800 For example, where would we place whatever is true? 511 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:45,160 We're going to place it in the column for God, aren't we? 512 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:49,080 So as we work our way through every one of those things, 513 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:51,080 guess what? 514 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:54,360 They're all in the column for God. 515 00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:56,440 So can you see where I'm going here? 516 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:01,440 As we are going through the trial that has caused the anxiety, 517 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:06,800 we are to focus on those things that we know are from God, 518 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:10,200 not the things that we know are not from God 519 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:12,560 or that those things that are from Satan. 520 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:16,440 And the way we make every one of these things appear 521 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:23,840 in Satan's column is just simply add this word, not. 522 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:27,320 Whatever is not true, whatever is not honorable, 523 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:29,800 whatever is not just, whatever is not pure, 524 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,600 whatever is not lovely, whatever is not commendable, 525 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:36,840 anything that is not excellent, anything that is not worthy 526 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:40,360 of praise, that one word, that one three-letter word 527 00:27:40,360 --> 00:27:44,040 would cause every one of these things to fit in the column 528 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:44,840 for Satan. 529 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:49,640 And let's just be clear, that is not what we are to think about. 530 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:53,000 We are just to think about those things that we know are from God. 531 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:58,680 Again, we are talking about radical joy this morning, not just joy. 532 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,640 And then finally, verse nine, Paul says, 533 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:08,040 what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. 534 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:11,560 Practice these things. 535 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:16,320 And the God of peace will be with you. 536 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:18,560 Now, the practicing is hard. 537 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:22,120 You notice Paul's not just saying, do these things one time 538 00:28:22,120 --> 00:28:23,400 and the God of peace with you. 539 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,440 That is not what he is saying. 540 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:28,480 He's saying, practice these things. 541 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:32,560 Do them over and over and over again. 542 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:34,640 Do them so many times that it just 543 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:38,200 becomes a normal part of the way you live your life. 544 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:41,200 Do them over and over and over again. 545 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:43,000 Practice these things. 546 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:46,040 And then he says, and the God of peace will be with you. 547 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:46,960 Now, let's just face it. 548 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:50,280 Practicing is not fun, is it? 549 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:54,920 I'm not sure what we could come up with as a subject 550 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:58,280 and say practicing would be fun for. 551 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:00,600 But I will tell you, when I was learning to play the piano, 552 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:03,680 practicing was not fun at all. 553 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:05,160 Not at all. 554 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:08,240 My dad would sit down with me Monday through Friday 555 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:12,480 every night for 30 minutes, and we practiced. 556 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:15,840 And I've often thought, as I've looked back over the years, 557 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:18,120 I would have probably never learned to play had it not 558 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:24,080 been for my dad being willing to devote his time in my life 559 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:26,200 to make certain that I practiced. 560 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:27,200 But it wasn't fun. 561 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:27,720 Guess what? 562 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:29,280 It's still not fun. 563 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:31,640 And yes, I do still practice. 564 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:33,560 I know if I'm going to keep the skill, 565 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:35,040 I have to practice. 566 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:38,240 And it is not fun when I practice. 567 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:39,120 But I do it. 568 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:39,480 Why? 569 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:42,200 Because I don't want to lose the skill. 570 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:44,520 I don't want to lose the skill. 571 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:47,360 Now, when we are thinking about what Paul is telling us 572 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:53,240 to do this morning, he said, we are to practice these things. 573 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:56,000 We are to practice them to the point that that just 574 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,040 becomes who we are. 575 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:02,840 It's to the point that that's the way that we live our lives. 576 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:06,280 And then he says, and the God of peace will be with you. 577 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:10,280 And when we experience that, when we get to that point where 578 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:13,480 all of these things that we have seen Paul demonstrate to us 579 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:16,360 that we put into practice in our everyday lives, 580 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:19,880 then we will experience the radical joy 581 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:22,680 that Paul has been talking about today. 582 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:26,000 I wonder, as you look at your life this morning, 583 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:28,880 would you say that you've got this radical joy? 584 00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:33,720 Again, remember that joy and happiness don't necessarily 585 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:36,120 mean the same thing. 586 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:39,760 I wonder this morning, is there one here 587 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:45,000 that does not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? 588 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:46,880 If the answer to that is yes this morning, 589 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:48,320 I can promise you one thing. 590 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:51,760 It doesn't matter what you think your biggest problem is. 591 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:55,680 Your biggest problem is that you are apart from Jesus 592 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:57,000 right now. 593 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:58,960 That is the biggest problem. 594 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:00,960 And I want you to know if you don't know Jesus 595 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:04,760 as your Lord and Savior, that can be settled today. 596 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:10,040 We would love to introduce you to this man named Jesus Christ. 597 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:12,160 Perhaps there are people here this morning that 598 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:14,520 are carrying heavy burdens. 599 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:15,320 Can I tell you something? 600 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:19,320 Burdens are lifted at Calvary. 601 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:21,920 Burdens are lifted at Calvary. 602 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:25,800 Just like the old song says, Jesus is very near. 603 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:27,520 He is very near this morning. 604 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:29,320 I wonder, do you know him? 605 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:33,240 Perhaps someone just needs to come forward and pray 606 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:36,440 at this altar and give your burden to Jesus. 607 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:41,040 Realize that you don't have to carry it alone. 608 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:43,480 Maybe there are people here this morning that desire 609 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:44,920 to move their membership here. 610 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:48,280 If that's you, I would encourage you to come forward 611 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:51,000 during this time of invitation this morning. 612 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:52,520 But before we give the invitation, 613 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:56,320 I just want to stop just a moment and explain. 614 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:58,720 There have been times throughout the years 615 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:02,680 that people have asked, so how exactly does a person come 616 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:06,080 to a saving faith in Jesus Christ? 617 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:09,240 And I am really, many of you have heard me say this before. 618 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:12,560 I really do believe it's as easy as we teach children 619 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:15,080 in Vacation Bible School that it is. 620 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:17,840 It's the ABCs of salvation. 621 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:20,840 We've got to be willing to admit that there's sin 622 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:23,880 in our life, that we've got to be willing to admit 623 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:26,960 that we're sinners, that we're not perfect people. 624 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:30,720 And as a result of that sin, it's caused a separation 625 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:33,160 in our lives between us and God. 626 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:36,760 And that separation is so big that there's just nothing 627 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:41,160 that we can do on our own to get from where we are 628 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:43,280 to where God is. 629 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:45,080 The B stands for believe. 630 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:48,600 We've got to believe that Jesus is God's Son. 631 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:50,840 We've got to believe that the Bible is true, 632 00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:53,160 that it means what it says. 633 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:58,040 We've got to believe that Jesus loved us so much 634 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:01,720 that he died on the cross for us, that he truly died, 635 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:04,400 that his body was removed from the cross, 636 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:07,240 that it was buried, and on the third day, 637 00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:10,760 that tomb was empty because he had rose again. 638 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:13,400 And that's why we celebrate Easter. 639 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:15,880 And the C stands for confess. 640 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:19,960 We've got to confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord. 641 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:23,040 And that the C of all the A, B, and Cs, 642 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:26,360 I believe the C is probably the most difficult 643 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:30,040 of all of the A, Bs, and Cs because the C involves 644 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:34,760 a process of repenting and turning from a life of sin. 645 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:36,800 But again, if you do not know Jesus, 646 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:40,880 we would love to introduce you to him today. 647 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:42,160 Would you pray with me? 648 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:46,200 Father, thank you for your presence in this place. 649 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:51,960 Father, I thank you for knowing that even through 650 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:56,800 the trials of life that we can indeed experience 651 00:33:56,800 --> 00:33:58,720 radical joy. 652 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:01,080 Father, I pray that each of these things 653 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:04,600 that Paul has demonstrated to us 654 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:06,800 throughout the book of Philippians, 655 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,840 what I pray that each day we would be found 656 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:11,560 practicing those things. 657 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:15,560 And Father, I pray that we will show the world 658 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:18,600 what a relationship with Jesus Christ looks like. 659 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:22,000 I pray that the people, especially non-believers, 660 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:24,360 who look at us here at Pleasant Hill, 661 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:27,760 I pray that they will know that we are Christians 662 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:31,160 because of the love that we have for each other. 663 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:33,960 Father, I pray right now, especially for people 664 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:35,920 who do not know you as their Lord and Savior. 665 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:39,840 Father, I pray that we will see salvation 666 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:41,080 in this place today. 667 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:45,240 I pray that we will see decisions made in this place today. 668 00:34:45,240 --> 00:34:47,840 And I pray that we will see burdens laid 669 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:49,200 at the foot of the cross. 670 00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:52,080 And it's in the name of Jesus that I pray these things. 671 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:52,920 Amen. 672 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:55,920 Hello, this is Pastor Todd, 673 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:58,360 and I'd like to say thank you for listening 674 00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:00,360 to this podcast today. 675 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:03,240 If you have questions about a relationship with Christ, 676 00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:05,680 or if you would like more information about connecting 677 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:08,240 with us at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, 678 00:35:08,240 --> 00:35:11,040 we'd love the opportunity to share with you. 679 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:16,040 Please contact us in the church office at 606-679-3402, 680 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:21,360 or through our website at phbcsomerset.com. 681 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:23,600 Thanks again, and until next time, 682 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:25,800 may the Lord bless you and keep you. 683 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:28,320 May the Lord make his face to shine upon you 684 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:30,200 and be gracious to you. 685 00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:33,360 And may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you 686 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:41,360 and give you peace.