Exhortations to Encourage One Another Part 2

 Exhortations to Encourage one another Part 2

Phil. 4:5b-9

As Paul is exhorting the church in Philippi, he keys on the issues of the church: the Blessed Hope of the Church, the importance of prayer, the peace of God, to fix our eyes on the Truth, and to the act of putting all this into practice in our lives.   

Now Paul in verse five B, He exhorts the church that Jesus could come back for His church very soon.  “Remember, the Lord is coming soon.”  Paul presses the truth that this is Jesus’ promise to the Church in John 14:1-3 “ Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” But he places importance on the timing of Jesus coming. Paul understood Jesus would come as a thief in the night, (1 Thes. 5:1-11 - Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,  for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.  So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.  For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.``) but Paul desired the church to be prepared for the imminent return of Christ. As he told the Thessilonians, they need to be alert, awake, and clearheaded. 

Application - Almost 2,000 year later, we are still awaiting the promise of Christ’s return. Paul's words to the Philippians is even more applicable to our lives today. I  look at the world today, and honestly can say “I can see Jesus coming back today.” Paul saw the corrupt sin-riddled society and government of the Greeks and Romans and the hypocritical and deceptiveness of the religions. And it has not improved. We still see an angry and fearful world. They don’t trust hardly anyone, they are suspicious of those around them because of lies and half-truths being told to them. They are familiar with abuse of power and corruption from the top down. They are tired of a small group of people having control of a country (oligarchy) or a ruler who holds absolute power (despots) in government, both local and world-wide. They are herded around as common folk (plebeians) and told that they cannot do this or that without government permission. They are told that their only hope is through government programs that have strict control guidelines, that are enforced by policing authorities. I know that we are not to set dates, but to look at the signs that Jesus gave us pointing to his return. Some of the most important prophecy fulfillments are the return of Israel to a country (Ezk.37:1-22), the increase of lawlessness (Matt.24:12), the increase of seeking knowledge (Dan.12:4), and the deception of many (Matt. 24:4; 2 Peter 3:1-17) The Greek word for “deception” means to cause to roam from safety, truth, or virtue:--go astray, deceive, err, seduce, wander, be out of the way. Peter commented on Paul’s teachings on deception in (2 Pet. 3:15-17). We should be looking for His coming with even more urgency and expectancy.  

 Paul after exhorting the church to the nearness of Christ’s coming, admonishes the church to not worry, fret, be anxious, but pray about everything,,“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Paul knew the importance of prayer. In every letter, he exhorts and reminds the church he is always praying for them. He knew the human nature of the believers was to worry, fret, and be anxious about all that was happening around them and to them. Paul appealed to the Philippians to go to God in prayer for everything, and to give thanks to God for listening and answering their prayers. Paul knew that God was not the head of the complaint department, but that the church should go to God first with prayers and petitions, thanking God, instead of going to each other and worrying about all the injustice, inequality, and then to prayer as the last resort. And after telling God all their needs, remember that God has always been faithful and true in providing for His Church. 

Application - And like Paul, I want to exhort the church to always be in prayer, especially to give thanks to God for all that He has already done. God  always hears our prayers, even though we don’t get everything we ask for. He is not the Sugar Daddy, or the Grandpa, or the head of the complaint Dept. He is Almighty God! He fulfills what He sees that we really need, and His will for our lives comes first and foremost. He sees our fears, anxiety, and knows that the enemy used these as a means to draw us away from God. 

Jesus taught us how to pray in Matt. 6:9-13. We begin with thanksgiving, honoring, and reverencing God. Then we can ask him to fulfill his will and purpose in our lives, as well as asking for our personal provisions and protection against the enemy’s schemes, and to close with adoration and thanksgiving to His faithfulness, power, and glorious grace.  And that leads into the next verse, God’s peace.

Paul exhorts the church to experience God’s peace and protection of your heart and mind. “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Paul knew there should always be peace in the 

heart of a believer after he or she prays. One of Jesus’ titles is the Prince of Peace. Jesus’ peace (“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27 NLT) is a peace that passed all understanding “which exceeds anything we can understand.” v.7 The Philippians were going to receive the same promise that Jesus gave his disciples in the upper room. And this peace is perpetually fulfilled by the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ peace was doing something more than giving them the warm cozy feeling of comfort, it was giving them security, it guarded their hearts and minds as they continued (remained) to live in Christ Jesus.

Application - I know this peace, it is the peace in my soul and spirit, heart and mind that gives me the assurance of the Holy Spirit’s presence. Just as Paul was reassuring the church in Philippi, we can be assured that the promise of peace is with us now and forever. We as believers are experiencing the peace that goes beyond our preconceived or limit understanding. God is the giver of this peace, He is our peace. As we continue to see injustice, cohersion, and increase in lawlessness and deceit, we can stand in confidence and peace. God has given us everything we need through His Son and the Holy Spirit. So let the peace of Christ rest upon your hearts and minds, He is in control, His word will go forth and achieve its purpose, His will and purpose are being fulfilled beyond what we can comprehend, so we trust in Him, and Him alone.

Next, Paul gives exhortation to the church to fix their eyes on Jesus, the Truth. “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” In insisting on focusing our minds and thoughts on Jesus, we see each element of truth. Truth is the very essence of who God is. Paul knew in order for the church to stand and grow they needed to remain in the truth. (Jn.15:9-13) Second, Paul mentions honorable and right. Jesus is to be ultimately honored above all names (Phil.2:9-11), and he is the righteousness of God (Rom.3:22-26). Third, purity in the body of Christ comes from holiness. Paul may have referred to Lev.19:2, like Peter in 1 Pet.1:15-16 told the church to “be Holy as I am Holy.” The church needed to fix their thoughts on purity in holiness. The writer of Hebrews also referred to holiness, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” 

Lastly, Paul refers to lovely and praiseworthy. These again are the qualities of Christ. Paul knew there was only one who was lovely and praiseworthy, and the believers in Philippi need their thoughts fixed and filled on these qualities that are found in Christ.

Application - In our church, the young girls are asked to memorize Phil. 4:8. I think it is a verse that we all should put to memory and practice. If there were ever a need for the church is to fix our thoughts and eyes of Jesus’ qualities and put them into practice everyday. We used to sing a chorus, “To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus, all I ask is to be like Him, all through life’s journeys, from Earth to glory, all I ask is to be like Him. To Be Like Jesus, To Be Like Jesus. All I Ask To Be Like Him; Not In A Measure But In Its Fullness. All I Ask To Be Like Him.” Can You imagine today, asking to be like Jesus, truthful, honorable and righteous, pure in holiness, loving, and praiseworthy.

This is what Paul asked of the church, and I believe Jesus is asking of His Bride, who is blameless, spotless, and without blemish, holy and faithful to Him.

In the final exhortation, Paul encourages the church to put into practice all that he has said and has done. “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

Paul had put his life out for all to see, his transparency and devotion to the Lord Jesus, His purpose and drive were to proclaim the Gospel, and as he summed up the this letter, walk as I have walked, live as I have lived, as I have imitated Christ, please imitate me. How does this happen? By Practice. I liked coaching soccer, there were always those who have developed skills in dribbling, or striking for goal shots, but it is a team game. Each player needs to learn and practice with each other, learn their positions, develop the sense of knowing how and when to pass the ball, and to communicate on the field. Even the best athlete is only as good as the team that has practiced the plays and strategies. 

Paul knew this church. They were like family. In order for them to mature in all the characteristics of Jesus: forgive one another and resolve their disagreement, let the joy of the Lord be their strength, be gentle and considerate with everyone, don’t live in fear and anxiety, but trust the Lord, to be in prayer for everything. And the peace of God will be in their soul and spirit, hearts and minds as they focus on the Lord Jesus Christ and his qualities.

Application - As we summarize the Word of God given to us by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul to the Philippian church, it would seem this letter could have been written for the church today.  Are we practicing what we hear from the Word of God, or from the pulpit? Do we have disagreements that need to be resolved? Are we anxious and fearful about all that is happening in our world around us? Are we trusting Jesus’ promise, knowing that He could be coming back very soon? Are we filled with and experiencing the peace of God that goes beyond our abilities and understanding? And are our eyes, mind, and heart focused on Christ, and being like him, imitating Him like Paul did? I will leave you to answer these questions with the Holy Spirit. There is yet one more lesson in Philippians to learn, “how to be content.”

May God bless you this week, may you stand firm in the peace and joy of the Lord, knowing that the coming of our Lord is very soon. Closing with verses from 2 Peter 3:11,12,14-15 - “... what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God...Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation”

Also go to my blog at - pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com for other lessons.

Until next week, In His Service, Mike Davis