Please almighty God once again
to bless us as we turn to the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians
and the second chapter and this evening we'll read verses 19,
20 and 21. The second chapter, the Epistle
of Paul to the Philippians reading verses 19, 20 and 21. But I trust
in the Lord Jesus to send to Mothias shortly unto
you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state. For I have no man like-minded
who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own,
not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Well, I'm sure we remember how
fond the Apostle Paul was of the Philippians and how concerned
he was about their spiritual life and their spiritual prosperity. And therefore to this end he
decided to send Timotheus, his son in the faith, the one who
had been converted through his preaching. He tells us, but I
trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you. He
believed therefore that the Lord would make a way and how thankful
we should be still today. The Lord does make ways and the
Lord opens doors and we can be thankful for it. And the Apostle
had his trust in the Lord Jesus. May all of us be found having
that great and blessed trust in the Lord Jesus. It is of course
the gift of faith What a mercy when the Lord enables us to come
trusting in Him. So he says, but I trust in the
Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you. And of course it was
for a purpose. There was a reason. And so the
apostle says that I also may be of good comfort when I know
your state. He was concerned, rightly concerned,
about the state of the Philippians. And it's good again today, if
we're concerned about the Church of God, the families of God.
Here was part of the family of God, the Philippians. Those whom
had been so kind to the Apostle, those whom he had been greatly
used and blessed, and therefore he was concerned now about their
spiritual state. Of course remember he was in
prison, well he was in his own house but he was really in prison
because he was chained up there in Rome. He was many many miles
away from Philippi so he wasn't able to go there physically and
therefore it was a great blessing that he was able to send his
son in the faith Timotheus to come and to find out what their
condition was, we might say what their natural physical condition
was, but above that also what their spiritual state was. So that when the Apostle got
the news, it would be a comfort to him to know that they were
a healthy people in soul, they were growing in grace and in
the knowledge of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And so
he says that I also may be of good comfort when I know your
state. And there's really nothing more
comforting to know that the people of God, the church of God, are
living in a healthy spiritual state and are being spiritually
fed and spiritually encouraged. He tells the Philippians, for
I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your
state." He obviously had a high view of Timothy and he's able
to say that he was like-minded, like-minded with the Apostle
Paul. They were both very concerned about the salvation of the souls
of the hearers. And so he tells them, there's
no one like-minded as Timothy. for I have no man like-minded
who will naturally care for your state." It wasn't something that
he put on, it wasn't an act, it was just part of his natural
ability and his natural bent was to seek spiritual good and
spiritual benefit. And so the Apostle was so pleased
therefore to be able to send Timotheus, for I have no man
like-minded, who will naturally care for your state. Then he
goes on to speak others, he says, for all seek their own, not the
things which are Jesus Christ's. That's a sad reflection, isn't
it, on many people, more concerned about themselves, more concerned
about natural things, rather than the things which are Jesus
Christ's. We read together that chapter
in the third epistle of John, because there John speaks about
biotrophies. And he says, I wrote unto the
church, but biotrophies, who loveth to have the preeminence
among you, receiveth us not. Now he wanted to be the kingpin. He didn't want anybody to interrupt
that kind of position. And he says, wherefore, if I
come, I will remember his deeds, which he doeth, prating against
us with malicious words, and not content therewith, neither
doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbideth them that would,
and casteth them out of the church. A very different character. to
Timothy, and yet here was now the Apostle John having to face
this kind of opposition from diatrophies. We should realise
the solemnity of such people would go about trying to destroy
the Church. And the Apostle, when he wrote
to Timothy in the second epistle in the fourth chapter we read
this verse 9 he says do thy diligence to come shortly unto me because
we don't know precisely where Timothy was but he wanted him
to come to the Apostle Paul to be diligent and come shortly
unto him and then he says for Demas hath forsaken me having
loved this present world and is departed unto Thessalonica,
Cretans to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with
thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry." It's good,
isn't it, to hear a statement like that, to hear someone who
was profitable. And here was a person on the
other side who has forsaken the Apostle, being drawn aside by
the things of this vain world. And so the Apostle tells us,
for all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. Well, may it be our desire, may
it be our concern continually to seek the things which are
Jesus Christ's. Those things which will be truly
beneficial for our souls. Just like the Apostle says later
on in the next chapter, he says that I might know him and the
power of his resurrection. Yes, the Apostle knew what it
was to know Christ and to know more of Christ. And that's why
he draws his statement together. For all seek their own, not the
things which are Jesus Christ. Well, may we be found seeking
the things which are Jesus Christ, those eternal blessings, eternal
realities, which will not fade away and not be found amongst
those who are just seeking their own.