Until the crown is won, teach me the new way. As the Lord should be pleased to help me, dear friends, I would ask your prayerful and loving attention for the word to be found in the lesson. Verse 27. The first chapter in the Epistle to the Philippians, verse 27. Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the Gospel.

Well, dear friends, I was labouring on Friday evening for a word from the Lord. And I was in my study alone and I just could not find any leading at all to bring before you today. What should I do? Before I returned to rest, the case of dear Joshua came upon my spirit and I looked at it And I thought, I can't really come here today with that word because Moses, my servant, is dead. And they'll raise up Joshua. So I felt I couldn't come with that. Anyway, when I awoke yesterday morning, then the Lord appeared and gave me this word, brought me to the Philippians. And as I looked at it and meditated upon it, I thought, what better word can there be? So suitable for the circumstances of you here and also myself personally. And so as I looked at this, I could see very clearly the Lord's leadings regarding the Apostle and the Church at Philippi and also the Lord's leadings to me personally in taking me to Tunbridge Wells

because you see Paul was instrumental in forming the Church here at Philippi and it commenced in a very small way But it grew. And the apostle did not remain and abide with his dear friends at Philippi. No, the Lord led him into a further fields of usefulness and then eventually to Rome. And so I could see in that a confirmation in my own case in the Lord's leadings. He didn't stay with them all the time. But there was one thing, friends, as I read this chapter that so I felt was so applicable and so beautiful and so wonderful. And that was that although he was not with them, in person, he was with them in heart. Even as it is neat for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart. Oh, I thought, how beautiful. There was Paul. hundreds of miles away from his dear friends in Philippi. But they were in his heart. He didn't forget them. He prayed for them. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. Always in every prayer of mine for you all. Make him Request with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. Friends, beautiful, isn't it? Wonderful.

And so, although I'm not here now literally in person like I was for 20 years, I don't forget you. I can't. I don't want to. Some good times we have here. And so, dear friends, this you see. Distance, it doesn't matter how far the distance is. The union, the oneness is in heart. Paul loved the church at Philippi. He never forgot them. Now, he did have a desire to come back to see them. He says this in verse 25. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of the gospel. I should abide and continue with you. That was in heart because we have no record that when Paul went to Rome, the enemy left there and came back to other churches. He went there. He did the Lord's work there, and he died there, and there's no record that he ever came back to Philippi. Although it would appear he had a desire so to do, but he didn't. He said, I longed after you all and was full of heaviness. But he sent Epaphroditus, his brother, and companion in labour and fellow soldier, but your messenger and he that ministered to your wants, to my wants. So he sent Epaphroditus to them, but he himself remained in Rome. But his heart was still with them.

Friends, what better chapter could I read? What better chapter to speak from? And he says, I would that ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel. And that applies to all of us, dear friends. Whatever happens to us in our life according to the will of God, it is for the furtherance of the Gospel that applies to all who fear God.

And, if I could be allowed a personal word here, it applies to dear James, your dear pastor. He's had a trying providential path for two or three years, mysterious as it may be. But friends, let me tell you this, it's for the furtherance of the Gospel. That's what it's for. All the pathway of the Lord's people.

And if you ponder what Paul passed through, you read it in the Acts of the Apostles and see what he passed through. It was for the furtherance of the gospel. The greatest path of teaching comes from the path of suffering. indeed it does and friends in that path of suffering the Lord teaches and you don't forget you never forget that teaching it's part of your spiritual your spiritual being your person it constitutes your character and so your dear apostle there was A heart of love to the church here at Philippi.

Let us just ponder and go back how it formed. He wasn't for going to Philippi in the first place anyway. He was going to Bithynia. He wasn't going to Philippi. Got no thought of going there. But the Spirit suffered him not. to go to Bithynia. And then that night he had a vision. He had a vision. The Lord spoke to him and he saw a man. And this man said, come over into Macedonia and help us. And of course, Philippi is a colony of Macedonia. Come over. And immediately he went. being assured that the Lord had sent him. And so he goes. And what does he find? He finds a few godly women, meet him for prayer at the riverside.

Dear friends, don't underestimate the value of godly women. in a cause of truth. I remember the dicker. There was a lady there, Miss Beazley. She was so afflicted. She had a so-called accident when she was in Wales and a cable car, the cable broke and she went crashing down to the ground. She was so injured and she had to be pushed to chapel in a wheelchair every Sunday. And she said to my father once, she said, well, what use am I to the cause of truth here? He said, Ruth, you're of great value. You're a praying soul, a praying soul. And so you see these dear godly women were there meeting for prayer. And they needed a man to come and minister to them. And the Lord sent them, sent Paul.

Oh, friends. And as he spoke and preached to them, there was a dear godly Lydia. The Lord opened her heart. You see, it was a beginning. It was a small beginning. But friends, it greatly increased. I suppose you could say this with all the churches, there was a small beginning and the Lord increases. Well, here then was Lydia and then a little while later the jailer and his household and this formed the nucleus of a church in Philippi. And so it grew. And the Apostle left them, but of course he left on direct direction from the Lord. And the Lord said to him, to the Apostle, that as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so thou shalt testify of me in Rome. You may remember I spoke from those words. when James had his farewell service here. As thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness of me in Rome. So we see then how the Lord was fulfilling his purposes of grace amongst these dear people here in Philippi.

And as we come to our text, you say he was concerned for the furtherance of the spiritual welfare of the Church of God. And that really is the exercise of a godly pastor, the exercise of one who ministers. that their labours are not in vain, but there will be a furtherance of the work of God in the hearts of the people through the ministry of the word. That's the purpose, friends, of coming to the house of God. It's the purpose for the kingdom of God's grace to increase. Now, where there's a good beginning, this will take place. And he says, being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. So, dear friends, that good work that has been begun. Well, can you say, dear friends, that that good work has begun in your heart? If it's been begun, dear friends, the Lord will continue it. He'll further it. What to? The day of Jesus Christ. He'll perform it. He'll perfect it. Grace is always perfected. It's perfected. Where's it's perfected? It was perfected in taking one to glory. Because the Lord gives grace and gives glory. No good thing will he withhold to them that walk uprightly.

So in this exercise of soul that he had. And friends, remember this. When he wrote this epistle, he wasn't with them. He was in Rome. He wrote out of a full heart of love, concern, exercise regarding their spiritual prosperity.

And so, he says, only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. This is a hallmark of the grace of God. Because the grace of God is in the heart. It's upon the Spirit and it regulates our actions and it regulates our words. Where do you think your words come from, dear friends?

Only let your conversation. Conversation is conversing, it's speaking one to another. So where does conversation originate from? It must start somewhere. When it does, it starts in the heart. And that's where grace is. And grace will enable your communication, your conversation, to be in keeping with the gospel of Christ.

Because grace is Christ. And you're called by grace. We live by grace. We continue by grace. We preach by grace. It's all by grace. And grace will affect the heart, sanctify the heart. And all conversation, all speech, comes from the heart. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. That's what makes you speak, is your heart. And where there's grace, the words come from the heart, through the lip, they're gracious.

Only, only, Let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. You see, he says in chapter two, Paul writes into the Philippian church, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. If we have the mind of Christ, then grace will enable our conversation to be according to the Gospel of Christ.

And you see, this is most needful exhortation. Every exhortation, friends, in the Word of God is so needful. Why? Because we live in a terrible world. And man, destitute of grace, his conversation is just dreadful, left to himself.

Lot was vexed with the filthy conversation that went on in Sodom and Gomorrah. It vexed his righteous soul from day to day, their conversation. He was a godly man. And so to hear all this wicked conversation then in Sodom, it vexed his soul because he was a gracious character. He was a man of God.

And so, dear friends, you see, in an unregenerate state, walking according to the course of this world, conversation in keeping with the things of the evil things of this world, the apostle said in writing to the Ephesians, he speaks of this, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others, but God, who is rich in mercy.

So, you see, dear friends, we need these gracious exhortations for our conversation, our speech, to be in accordance with The Gospel of Christ. And Paul says in Chapter 3, he says, our conversation is in heaven. For whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. So you see, this is spiritual conversation. And the Lord works in the heart, and therefore you speak of what the Lord is doing in your heart. And it's gracious, it's in keeping with the gospel of Christ.

So dear friends, I'm sure that sometimes you hear the conversation of ungodly people and it so distresses you, so distresses you. You hear the precious name of the Lord taken in vain And you hear conversation which is not edifying. And, oh, the Lord's dear people love to speak concerning the things of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So you see, dear friends, he that ordereth his conversation aright, The psalmist said, when I show the salvation of God, the salvation of God. Well, by thy words, the Lord Jesus said, thou shalt be justified. How can that be known? One falling on their knees before the Lord, pleading for mercy, confessing their sin. The Lord justifies those that come before him in repentance and seek his face for forgiveness.

Immediately the case in the scripture that poor sinful man. Oh, he cried to the Lord, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. It came from his heart and it came through unfeigned lips. It came through unfeigned lips. That means it's sincere. You see, man can, naturally speaking, speak fair but it's true find lips in other words it's hypocrisy and the apostle said in one of the epistles concerning without dissimulation without hypocrisy to speak sincerely and honestly not in hypocrisy or dissimulation, which of course is hypocrisy. And so that poor sinner cried, God be merciful to me a sinner.

Now friends, what did the Lord do? The Lord justified him. And the Lord said, I tell you, and the Lord's telling us today, that man went down to his house, justified. rather than the other. You see, by thy words thou shalt be justified. By thy words thou shalt be condemned. And that parable, you see, with the Pharisee, he came before the Lord, telling the Lord all how good he was. But you see, By thy words thou shalt be condemned. The Lord condemned that man. He that comes before me in a haughty way will be condemned. But he who comes in humility, then I will honor. And so by thy words thou shalt be justified. By thy words thou shalt be condemned.

And you see man that is left to blaspheme the Lord. Well, condemnation rests upon such. In the Old Testament, if one was guilty of blasphemy, what took place? Can you go before me and tell me what happened to the blasphemer? There was an account, one blasphemed And Moses went and inquired of the Lord what should be done, and what was done. Stone to death. Stone to death. Oh, friends, the solemnity, by thy words thou shalt be condemned. But by thy words With His grace in the heart that will be justified. Only, only. What a qualifying word it is. Our poor sinful flesh will make excuse and say, well, we couldn't help it really. And we were provoked and this and that and make excuse. Like Adam said, the woman gave me to eat. She gave it to me and she hadn't given it to me, I wouldn't have eaten. Make an excuse. Friends, man's been making excuses ever since.

But you see, there is no excuse because God had given grace, God had given love, God had given faith. And these graces are to be exercised in the hearts of his dear people. You see, dear friends, God doesn't waste his grace. He never has done and He never will. It's too precious. It's too precious. Can't be wasted. Never has been wasted. It's not superfluous. No. He'll give you all the grace you need, friends. Sufficient for the day. Sufficient for the day. Grace and strength equal to the day. So the gospel of Christ. The Lord Jesus began his sacred ministry, did he not, as recorded in Matthew's gospel. And this is what we read in that fourth chapter. Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogue, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and heal in all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. So you say this was the sacred work of the Lord Jesus teaching and preaching. But he began.

From that time, Jesus began to preach and to say, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand repentance repentance the kingdom of heaven is at hand and so dear friends how needful this is and then another word that comes upon my spirit in Luke and when the dear Redeemer preached in Nazareth and his ministry offended some of them and they cast him out and they cast him out of Nazareth where he'd been brought up that he passing through the midst of them went his way and came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the Sabbath days. And they were astonished at his doctrine, for his word was with power.

Now that's the gospel, friends. You see, his word was with power. And we need the word to be applied with power to our heart. It will abide and remain, and it will be effectual, and it will be efficacious, and it will accomplish that which the Lord has pleased. And so, dear friends, this is most needful.

Then that whether I come and see you or else be absent. Well, as I said earlier, there's no record that he did come back. to Philippi so whether I come if it was the will of God that I should come then I would and see you or else if I remain absent I may hear of your affairs just let me say one thing dear friends about this spiritual word in their text of your affairs Sadly, that word now has been degraded and debased by man, sinful man, in our day and generation to mean something else. But what it means in our text is that I may hear of your matters, your concerns, what is taking place in Philippi. This is what I'm concerned and I want to hear about, all the matters that are relevant to you as a church here in Philippi.

So whether I come or else I remain absent, I want to hear. And of course, he did hear through Epaphroditus, who came and gave a good report concerning the cause of truth at Philippi and so you see dear friends he was concerned on an ongoing continually concerning their spiritual prosperity and this really isn't it is the is the heart of a spiritual father one who has spiritual children And they're concerned with guarding the matters of their lives. And they are concerned. They want to hear a good report. And Paul did have a good report come back from Epaphroditus.

So you see, dear friends, Where there's that love, where there's, and of course it's Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus. But of course, Paul was a spiritual father to Timothy. He was a spiritual father to the church here at Philippi. And the spiritual father, friends, doesn't neglect his spiritual children. He's concerned regarding their spiritual state and condition. Naturally, a father is concerned about his children. He wants to hear, he wants to see how they're getting on in their life and in their pathways and in their studies and in their employment and so on. They're concerned because of their father and children. And so Paul, the spiritual father, is concerned about his spiritual children. And he knows it's been a good beginning and he wants to know that that work of grace is continuing and furthering and that they haven't been left to go astray. They haven't been left to turn back. They haven't been left to deny the Lord because, you see, there was in certain areas apostasy and turning back. The Lord said to some of his disciples, did he not? We said to the twelve, will you also go away? Because there were those that turned back from following the Lord.

And so, you see, we need to know that that work is continuing. and that all is well here with your matters, your concerns, your exercises. And the living people of God, friends, have their matters. They did in Moses' day. And the matters that between brethren they brought to dear Moses and he judged between them. He gave judgment. He gave his his words. And then things were done according to that judgment that the Lord gave him. And then Solomon, the wise man, he said concerning matters, he that handeth a matter wisely shall find good. And so he was handling these matters wisely, though absent from them, for their good, for their spiritual good. And friends, if you read through the four chapters in this epistle, you will clearly see how this was accomplished and how it was done.

And so you see, dear friends, four chapters in one epistle, and yet the fullness of it, the glory of it, the foundation of it, well, it was Christ. The foundation stone is Christ. So, dear friends, there are those matters, aren't there, in your life and in your path. And what do you do? You lay them before the Lord. And what else do you do? You come up to the house of God with a hearing ear to hear what the Spirit will say unto the churches. And then a living ministry will come where you are. A living ministry always comes where the people are. the Lord's leadings, you see, because the Lord leads his people and the Lord leads his servants. And there's a coming together in the house of God. Oh, how wonderful it is. And the Lord seals the word upon the heart.

Oh, friends, and like it was with me, you see, Friday night, nothing, nothing. Saturday morning, there was the Word. There it was. The Lord brought it. The Lord laid it upon my heart. And when I look at it, the wonder of it. And so you see, dear friends, the path that you're called to walk in has all been known before by the Church of God. There's nothing new under the sun. You're not walking in a path that's never been known before. It's all been known before.

by the people in Church of God. We are followers of them who through faith and patience have inherited the kingdom of God. There's only one way, friends. That's the narrow way that leads to heaven. And they were in this narrow way in the church at Philippi. And Paul desired that they would still be in that narrow way that leads to life eternal. There's only one way, friends, and the Lord's dear people go that way, the straight and narrow way.

But we need the word of God continually to guide us, to direct us, to lead us, because our fallen nature, our flesh, our sinful nature is prone, as the hymn writer said, to wander. So we need continually to wait upon the Lord in His Word, privately and collectively and unitedly in the Church of God. This is why we frequent the House of God every Lord's Day. The Lord has appointed it. He appointed a day of rest for the benefit of our bodies and a day of rest for our souls. We don't observe now the seventh day, we observe the first because the Lord is risen, triumphant from the grave. And that's the justifying righteousness of Christ. And by thy words thou shalt be justified. Because Christ is risen. And if Christ is not risen, friend, well then there's nothing to preach. There's no faith, it's all vain. But Christ is risen and is the first fruits of them that believe.

He's the first fruits and the first fruits of all his sufferings and death was seen on the day of Pentecost, the day of power, the day when God gave to the church his Holy Spirit in that full measure. And we need the spirit friends as well. And under the gospel of Christ, we should be led by the spirit of God. As many as are the sons of God, they should be led by the Spirit of God. So the desire is then to do that which the Lord hath set before us. And in this second chapter, Paul brings before us the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ in a very beautiful wonderful in a sacred way and manner.

So hearing of your matters, of your concerns, of your exercises of soul. And then the purpose is, you see, that she stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel. This is the strength for the Church of God, that ye stand fast. Paul said in writing to another church, Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, Always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. This is the secret, friends, of success. Secret of success. I tried to preach in the summer one of the causes in the Acts where you see the churches had rest and they're walking in the fear of the Lord. And under the divine power of God's Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. Multiplied.

Well, here then, to stand fast in one Spirit, there's only one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one Holy Spirit, witnessing with our spirit that we are the children of God. Then you can cry, Abba, Father. You know the Lord is your Father. You can claim him as such because you're his child. Oh, the wonder, friends, of the gospel. The glory of the gospel is such a glory seen in the person of Jesus Christ. Oh, the wonder of it, friend. What does it mean to you? What does the gospel of Christ, friends, mean to you? Is it your life? Is it your life? And this will enable you to continue. This will enable you to press on, notwithstanding tribulations and trials and afflictions that come, will enable you to continue. And well, friends, we need to continue.

When I stood in this pulpit last year, I didn't know that in 10 days' time I would be rushed into Eastbourne Hospital. I didn't know it. The Lord did. I didn't preach for 11 weeks. And then the Lord raised me up again to continue. One Spirit, the Holy Spirit witnessing with my spirit the grace of God. My grace is sufficient for thee. And we have to be brought low, friends, to prove the sufficiency of God's grace. We do indeed. Oh, and then you see, there's that striving together for the faith of the gospel. It's the gospel, friends. It's vital. Let me close with one final thought here. A personal word, but it's very remarkable. As I stand here now, I think of it so clearly. The first time I ever spoke in the Lord's name was on a Friday night, the first Friday in January in 1981, 44 years ago. The next day, within hours, your dear pastor was born. the next day, the gospel. You see, that baby born the next day, yet the Lord has raised him up to preach. And I just feel how remarkable that was. The next day. And there we are, James stands before you week by week, Sabbath by Sabbath.

What with? What for? The gospel of Christ. That's what we live for, friends, isn't it? Nothing else is there on this earth can compare with the gospel. Because whatever path you're in, the gospel will come where you are. It'll come where you are. The Lord will come where you are. The good Samaritan, he went, you see, to where that poor man was. He fell among thieves, stripped of his raiment, wounded him, left him half dead. The Lord came where he was. The Lord did everything that he needed. The gospel. Take care of him. Take care of him. Take our pie, our pie. Oh, Poe, this is the gospel, friends. It's Christ. He's given everything. He's the greatest benefactor that ever walked this earth, the Lord Jesus Christ. He gave his precious life a ransom for men. He gave it. He gave it.

Well, the time has gone, friends. May the Lord own and bless the gospel of Christ in your midst here. And may the furtherance of the kingdom of his grace be known in your hearts and in the church in the midst of God here. Amen.

There's just two further notices on Tuesday afternoon. There'll be the ladies' meeting at Crystal's at 3pm. And the food bank will be delivered a week on Monday. That's a close.

Singing from Gadsby, Sym No. 587.

587. Come, whosoever will, nor vainly strive to mend.
Sinners are freely welcome still to Christ, the sinner's friend.

Hymn 587, tune 17. Come whosoever will, nor vainly strive to mend.
Sinners of a free world, come still to Christ, our sinner's friend.

The gospel table spread, and richly furnished too,
with wine and milk and living bread, and in tinnies not a few.
The guilty pile and place, The wretched and forlorn,
A welcome to the feast of grace, Oh, goodness, they have none.
No goodness he expects, he came to save the poor.
For helpless, so sinner, neglects no sense and thought.

? Extend the loving arms ?
? The heartiest will embrace ?
? And freely to them we'll give of the riches of His grace ?

And now may thy grace, Lord Jesus, the Father's love, the communion of thy Holy Spirit, rest, remain, and abide with us each, now and forevermore. Amen.