May it please God to bless us
together this morning as we meditate in his word. Let us turn to the
Epistle of Paul to the Philippians and chapter 2 and we'll read
verse 21. The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians
chapter 2 and reading verse 21. For all seek their own. not the
things which are Jesus Christ's. The Apostle here was addressing
the Christians at Philippi and as we read through this epistle
we will find his great concern as it was on many other occasions
that the Philippians might be drawn closer to Christ, might
have a greater desire after the things of Christ and he set before
them his own situation and also in this chapter he was reminding
them of the position of both Timothy and also Epaphroditus. to godly men who he was sending
to Philippi to be a blessing to them. And in this second chapter
he speaks about Timothy, he says, But I trust in the Lord Jesus
to send Timotheus 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. You see he realized and
was able to tell them that Timothy was like-minded with himself. He had the same desire and that
he would care for their spiritual state and then he comes and he
tells us this for all seek their own, not the things which are
Jesus Christ's. And how important this is for
all of us to be reminded of the truth of such words. It's very
comprehensive, isn't it? He says, for all seek their own. He doesn't say, well, there's
one or two of you which look as though you're looking after
yourself, He says, for all seek their own, not the things which
are Jesus Christ's. For all seek their own. I think
one outstanding illustration of that is the case of the Apostle
Peter. Peter, as I'm sure we all know,
was a man greatly blessed, greatly favoured. But we have an instance
when he was more concerned about himself, about saving his own
flesh, than it was of confirming that he was a disciple of the
Lord Jesus. And we can read the account of
Peter in all the Gospels, and they're all slightly different,
but in the Gospel of Luke we're told of what happened with regard
to the Saviour himself and in the 22nd chapter of Luke and
commencing at verse 54 we read and Peter followed afar off Jesus
had already been taken into the judgment hall but a certain maid
sorry and when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the pool
and were set down together Peter sat down among them but a certain
maid beheld him as he sat by the fire and earnestly looking
upon him said this man was also with him and he denied him saying
woman I know him not and after a little while another saw him
and said thou are also of them and Peter said man I am not and
about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed
saying of a truth this fellow also was with him for he is a
Galilean Peter said man I know not what thou sayest and immediately
while he yet spake the cock crew and the Lord turned and looked
upon Peter and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he
had said unto him, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me
thrice. And Peter went out and wept bitterly."
Well, I'm sure this little account is familiar to us, but to realize
it really comes into this category of this first clause in this
21st verse, for all seek their own. and Peter was one of those
and it is a great warning for us today as we now are privileged
to read the words that the Apostle wrote to the church at Philippi
all those years ago and here was the warning the warning was
that they were all seeking their own and we have such an example
as the Apostle Peter who was really afraid of his own skin
and therefore having just a few hours before saying no he would
be willing to die for the Lord Jesus. But you see faced with
the reality perhaps of such a situation we see how left to ourselves
we fail. Peter failed and my friends we
you and I need to be very concerned that we don't fail when faced
with a situation where perhaps we are questioned whether we
are a Christian. You know, you young people, especially
at school today, when there's much opposition to Christianity. And people may perhaps ask you
a direct question. Are you a Christian? now that's
a very great test especially if you realize if you say yes
you are there will probably be ridicule and opposition well
always be encouraged to know that true followers of the Lord
Jesus Christ should expect opposition should expect hardness and should
not expect anything different to what the Lord Jesus faced
in his life. So, worry not about what people
think of you. Worry what God thinks of you.
Because the people that may think wrongly of you, your school friends
who may ridicule you, they won't live forever. But the things
of God live forever. and you and I need to be in a
right place and therefore not seeking our own. But we read
together earlier in this second chapter where the Apostle said,
look not every man on his own things but every man also on
the things of others. Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus and this is the mind that you and
I should pray for It's not something you and I inherit naturally. We inherit the opposite. So what
a good thing it is when the Holy Spirit enables us to pray for
such a desire, who made himself of no reputation and took upon
him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man
and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and
became obedient unto death even the death of the cross. Now that is a wonderful statement. It is a very true statement and
of course we live in an evil day when people are not prepared
to confess whose they are and whom they serve. And it is a
wonderful blessing if the Holy Spirit gives us strength to stand
firm for the truth of God, because the result will be you and I
will have the answer of a good conscience. Yes, to realize that the Lord
has enabled us to stand firm for the truth of God. And as
we've already illustrated, the case of Peter. Yes, not only
once, not only twice, but three times he denied the Lord. And we can read in one of the
other accounts that he denied the Lord with oaths and curses.
He was obviously in a very angry situation. He didn't want to
be aligned with the blessed Lord Jesus Christ, and yet as we read
in that account in Luke and it's the only account where it's recorded
like that, Jesus turned and looked upon Peter. Now it'll be a very solemn thing
if you and I have denied the Lord and yet what a blessing
if perhaps in a similar way not quite the same but a similar
way as it were we feel the Lord's eye is upon us looking upon us
and what was the effect what was the effect of Peter he went
out and he wept bitterly it wasn't something of unimportant to him
it was important and you realize then how he'd failed. And he
realised the wonderful favour and mercy of the Saviour, not
ignoring him. He wasn't able to speak to him, but he'd looked upon him. What
a blessing that is, to think the Lord knows about us. And
the Lord looked upon Peter, and the effect was he went out and
wept bitterly. for all seek their own. This
was the concern that Paul had with regard to the Philippians.
They were seeking their own, not the things which are Jesus
Christ's. Now today, such a word surely
is addressed to us. As we now walk upon the earth, And are we seeking our own? Are we ashamed to own that we
are a true believer? Are we somebody that tries to
avoid the question? It's very easy to just ignore
a question like that. Are you a Christian? and to turn
away from it, and to change the conversation, so that we're not
embarrassed. Well, for all seek their own. My friends, it's a warning to
us, and the Word of God is here to teach us, to direct us, because
the blessed other side is this, to seek the things which are
Jesus Christ's. You see, you and I can spend
all our life seeking our own things, desiring those things
which will, we think, be a blessing to us and ignoring the great
and important things, which are the things of the Lord Jesus
Christ. For all seek their own, not the
things which are Jesus Christ." Well, it would be good, wouldn't
it, if you and I are able to examine ourselves, as we read
together in this chapter, that we should examine ourselves Never assume everything is plain
sailing, never assume everything is alright, but to examine ourselves,
day by day, as we travel on through life, examine ourselves, are
we seeking the things which are Jesus Christ's? The things which make for peace,
the things which will stand us in good stead when we come to
die. The things which will bring honour
and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. Are we seeking those things or
are we seeking our own things? Well, the apostle was concerned
therefore that Timothy might be sent to them because he will
naturally care for their state naturally care for it probably
naturally but more important care for it spiritually what
a blessing it is that you and I live in a day when we can come
and hear the gospel and we can hear the truth with regard to
such a word as this that you and I are reminded that we should
be found seeking the things which are Jesus Christ's and so it's
good to examine ourselves to see perhaps you look back perhaps
in the last week what did we spend our time doing seeking
our own things or seeking the things which are Jesus Christ's what a mercy it is when the Holy
Spirit puts into our heart the desire for spiritual blessings
and not just the things of this vain world. You know, the Apostle,
as he began this epistle to the Philippians, he says, I thank
my God upon every remembrance of you always in every prayer
of mine for you all making requests for joy for your fellowship in
the gospel from the first day until now that was a wonderful
statement wasn't it fellowship in the things of god my friends
that's what we want you know we we have friends don't we uh
in the world And it's not wrong to have friends in the world,
but we don't want them to be our chief friends. We want to
have fellowship with the people of God, fellowship in the gospel
from the first day until now. And then he goes on and says,
being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun
A good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. And this is the wonderful truth
of the gospel. If there is a beginning, a good
beginning in our life, then it will be performed. It won't finish. That which is of the flesh will
finish. That which is of the spirit will
not finish. because the Blessed Saviour did
not die to save people who were eventually not going to be saved.
No, he died to save his children, to bring them safe home to glory. And what a mercy it is. And as the Apostle goes on to
say, For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all,
in the bowels of Jesus Christ in the unity in the bringing
together of the one family of Christ that he greatly longed
after them all to be found within this family and this I pray that
your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in
all judgment that you may approve things that are excellent you
may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ being filled
with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto
the glory and praise of God. The Apostle you see was concerned
about the spiritual health of the Philippians and to be amongst
those who were concerned seeking after the things which are Jesus
Christ's. Now today, may our attention
be directed to the great need we have, each of us in our lives
today, to be concerned, to be found walking closer and nearer
to the Blessed Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. And surely that
will be directed clearly to us as we may understand something
of the amazing love of Almighty God in looking upon us and to direct us to this true
concern to be found seeking the things which are Jesus Christ. The things which of course are
Jesus Christ are to lift us above the things of time, the things
of the earth, the things that we have to do with day by day
because we are born into this world, but to recognize that
we are seeking better things, the things which are Jesus Christ's,
seeking to have the evidence of eternal life confirmed to
our hearts again and again, to not just settle down on things
which are past, but seeking for greater blessings. The Apostle
Paul, when he continued in the third chapter of this letter,
he comes and says, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended,
that means not to have really understood everything, but this
one thing I do, Here's the example, here's the testimony, forgetting
those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those
things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Now the position
is very clear, there is a pressing forward That means it's not an
easy journey. There's a pressing forward, there's
a reaching forth, seeking the blessings which are to be found
in Christ. And he goes on, and we shouldn't
forget how the apostle shows us his concern. He says, Brethren,
Be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye
have us for an example. As we do have today, thankfully,
true believers, godly believers. Follow them. Don't follow those
who just have an outward form but are not possessors. Follow
those who show forth the praise of God those who are blessed
with that close walk with the Saviour, but not to follow those
who are not of that kind. He tells us, for many walk of
whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that
they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. It's a very strong
statement, it's very true. You and I are either a friend
of God or an enemy of God. Which are you today? Are we a friend? Are we an enemy? It's not a question of pretending
to be a friend and inwardly we are an enemy because that means
inwardly we are seeking our own things but outwardly we might
be pretending to seek the things of Jesus Christ. Well, don't
forget the Lord God looks in our heart and therefore we have
this warning that the Apostle sets before us. For many walk
of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping.
Yea, he was so sad. My friends, the true Church of
God do weep. when they see those who are walking
contrary to the true way, who are just hypocrites, pretending
to be what they're not. And there are many people like
that in the church of God today. They're not true Christians.
They just pretend. They're seeking their own, not
the things which are Jesus Christ's. And you see, as I've already
mentioned, if we are a true believer, we should have the glorious example
of the Savior and we would be concerned to follow that example. And as the Apostle went on to
those who are enemies, he says, whose end is destruction, whose
God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who
mine earthly things. My friends, let us not be found
concerned and only concerned about the poor things of time,
seeking our own. It won't do us any good and the
result is eternal destruction. There's nothing worse than that,
isn't there? Oh, but you and I may be favoured
to seek the things which are Jesus Christ's and surely The
things which are Jesus Christ are those things which we meditated
upon at the prayer meeting on Friday, where the Apostle Paul
then, writing to the Galatians, was able to illustrate the fruits
of the Spirit. And this, my friends, are those
things which mean our Jesus Christ. And just quickly, I won't comment,
but just reading those nine fruit to the spirit, love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law. Now that, if you and I are seeking
those things, then there is an evidence that we are seeking
the things which are Jesus Christ, because we are following his
great and glorious example. And remember, the first item
referred to there was love. And what a blessing today if
we have the evidence that we are seeking the things which
are Jesus Christ because of his love toward us. His love toward
us. To know that he's loved us with
an everlasting love. The love of Christ is rich and
free, fixed on his own eternally. The love of Christ does not diminish. It doesn't get weaker. It remains
constant. And what a mercy then if you
and I are seeking to ever know more of the love of Christ toward
us. It's a glorious truth It's a
wonderful meditation, it's something which will strengthen and encourage
us to press on as the Apostle speaks here, the love of Christ
which passeth knowledge. It's that which is outside of
natural understanding, to think how the blessed Saviour could
ever love such an unworthy sinner to the unworthy wretch
but nonetheless it's true to seek then a greater evidence
of Christ's love toward us that we may have the proof of eternal
life and you see such a blessing will soften our hearts such a
favour will enable us to truly seek the things which are Jesus
Christ's and not the things which please our flesh. Now the Apostle
went on, having spoke about those who were the enemies, he speaks
about those who are his friends and this is what he says, for
our conversation is in heaven, for whence also We look for the
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. What a blessing that is when
we have heavenly conversation, when we speak of the things of
God, when we speak of the things the Lord has done for our eternal
souls. What are they? They're the things
which are Jesus Christ's, because those things which the Lord has
done for our soul are those things which he has done. And of course,
what does it do? It leads us to Calvary. It leads
us to his finished work. To realise his love was so great
that he laid down his life that we might possess life and that
eternal life. No greater gift than that, is
there? to receive the gifts of eternal life. Well, may our conversation
then be heavenly. The devil doesn't want heavenly
conversation, he wants earthly conversation. And that's where we fire, isn't
it? We listen to him and we have earthly conversation, rather
than Heavenly conversation. Are we seeking our own? Not the
things which are Jesus Christ's? The devil is very content when
we have earthly conversation. He wants us to always have earthly
conversation. He wants us to end up in his
kingdom, not the kingdom of the Lord. For our conversation is in heaven. from whence also we look for
the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. True religion doesn't just take
place when we meet together in chapel on a Sunday. True religion is that which envelops
us so that we are a true worshipper,
We are those who worship the Lord in spirit and in truth and
our religion is with us day in and day out. Not something we
just pick up and put on on a Sunday morning and then take off on
a Sunday evening. True religion is with us at all
times and especially as we think of the reality of worship. It means that we are desiring
to be rightly prepared for worship, that we might be found seeking
the things which are Jesus Christ, that we might hear the things
of Jesus Christ, and that we may be blessed to hear the things
of Jesus Christ, and then we may go on our way thinking upon
the things which are Jesus Christ. We don't just ditch the things
that we've heard and then we go back to the things of our
own. It doesn't have a time scale
on it here. It doesn't say, well you can just seek your own for
a bit and then perhaps if you've got time to seek the things which
are Jesus Christ. No, the Apostle says, for all
will seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.
Or may you and I be concerned to seek earnestly the things
which are Jesus Christ, because therein lies peace. There's no
greater peace than to know that the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,
has died on Calvary's cross to take away all our sins, to know
that we are eternally safe, safe in the arms of Jesus. There's
no safety anywhere else. There's no safety in the devil's
arms. He'll try and grab you, He will. He'll try and take you
away. Remember, there is only safety
in Christ. And then to think of what Christ
did, and what he then, after he died, he rose again. You see, the devil thought perhaps
he conquered. Christ had died. Oh, he didn't
stop there. He rose again. A conqueror, what
a mercy it is to have the evidence of it. in our own spiritual life
to realize we have and we worship the living Christ, not the dead
Christ, the living Christ. What a mercy then to be found
like that, not the things of this world but the things which
are Jesus Christ's. And you see the apostle goes
on and it's a good sequence really in this third chapter where he
then concludes in the 21st verse, who shall change our vile body. Well that was the expression
the Apostle used. The Apostle recognized he was
a great sinner. The Church of God, the true Church
of God, recognized they are great sinners. The Apostle recognized
that he had a vile body. the true Church of God recognize
they have a vile body. But he goes on to say, you see,
we're not left there and the true Church of God can't be left
there. They look beyond the things which are Jesus Christ's. And he says, therefore who shall
change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his
glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even
to subdue all things unto himself." That should be a comfort to us
today, to realize that he does and he can subdue our sins. He can subdue that which seeks
after our own things. and he can enable us to truly
seek those things which are Jesus Christ. Well, it's a good thing,
isn't it, if you and I understand such a desire as we have here. And remember, the Apostle's concern
was for the health of the Church of Philippi. And surely it should
be our concern. And, you know, again returning
to the first chapter, in this letter the apostle says what
then notwithstanding every way whether in pretense or in truth
christ is preached and i therein do rejoice and shall rejoice
for i know that this shall turn to my salvation through your
prayers and the supply of the spirit of jesus christ according
to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall
be ashamed but with all boldness as always. So now also Christ
shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death. He wanted Christ to be lifted
up. He wanted Christ to be exalted
in everything and so he was able to declare for me to live is
Christ and to die is gain. You see his was a wonderful testimony,
a wonderful example and we should not think, well of course the
Apostle Paul was very unique, he was the only one that was
blessed like this and no one else is, well that's not true. He is able to make all grace
abound toward us we should ever desire to be found living nearer
to the Lord Jesus Christ. Well the Apostle was blessed
and we've just spoken about the conversation and in this first
chapter again he says that your rejoicing may be more abundant
in Jesus Christ. You see there's no true rejoicing
outside of Jesus Christ because rejoicing in the things at time
are good perhaps as they occur but they will fade away rejoicing
in christ is an eternal blessing your rejoicing may be more abundant
in jesus christ for me by my coming to you again only let
your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of christ now I cannot,
of course, force anyone in this way. But my friends, it's a wonderful
thing if your and my conversation is so influenced by the blessed
Spirit of God that it is our concern to seek the things which
are Jesus Christ and to not be sidetracked by the devil and
all the things that he desires us to discuss and to talk about. Let our conversation be on the
things of God, the things which are eternal, the things which
will never fade. For all sit their own, not the
things which are Jesus Christ, and of course the things which
are Jesus Christ, as I've said, He rose from the dead a conqueror,
and not only then, he ascended up to glory. And there he is
today, interceding for the prayers of his people. Boy, that's room
for profitable meditation, isn't it? To think that as you and
I pray to our Father in heaven, our blessed Saviour intercedes
for us. and takes our prayers. They may
be a bit of a muddle. They may not seem to be very
clear sometimes. Well, the Lord knows our heart.
The Lord knows how perhaps sometimes our words do get muddled up.
But He can take those words and He presents them to His Father.
And those prayers that He presents are washed, they're cleansed
in the blood of the Lamb. What a glorious thought it is
to realise that as we struggle sometimes in prayer, don't seem
to be able to make a very lucid sentence, yet the Lord knows
what is in our heart and He takes those prayers and presents them
to His Father. And they're accepted, not because
of what we've done, they're accepted because of what the Saviour's
done. You see, seek the things which
are Jesus Christ's. These are things which are Jesus
Christ's. And to think also then, remember,
as he says, he's gone to prepare a place for his people. And he said, if I go to prepare
a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself
that where I am there ye may be also. Now I hope our concern
is, and if it's not, pray for it. our concern is to be with
Christ, as the Apostle says, which is far better. The Word of God never tells lies.
The truth of God is before us here, and so may we realise what
a wonderful thing it is to have a prospect of eternal glory not
the things, but to seek the things which are Jesus Christ, the time
to come of eternal glory for the Church of God. Something
to meditate on, isn't it? Something to spend a lot of time
thinking on, because those things which are to come, you and I
perhaps anticipate things which are to come on this earth, they
may not, things of glory to the Church
of God will come. There's no failure. The promises
of God in him are yea and amen. They will come to pass. So may we be found looking forward
to that glorious time for all will seek their own not the things
which are Jesus Christ. Well my friends this morning
May we be concerned to walk in accordance with such a word of
admonition that the Apostle wrote to the Philippians, and don't
think it was just for them and it doesn't apply to us. As you
and I are blessed with a tender conscience, we will always desire
to take the word of God to ourselves. and to examine ourselves before
a holy, righteous God. For all sit their own, not the
things which are Jesus Christ's. Amen.