Let us turn to God's Word and
return to Philippians chapter 4. In Philippians chapter 4 and
I'll read the first three verses. Therefore my brethren, dearly
beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the
Lord, my dearly beloved. I beseech you, Odias, and beseech
you, Shintike, that they be of the same mind in the Lord, and
I entreat thee also, true yoke-fellow, help those women which laboured
with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow
labourers, whose names are in the book of life." A couple of
weeks ago, when I was last here on a Thursday, we were looking
at the first verse of this chapter, and sought to say something with
regards to standing fast, in the Lord's, that is the exhortation
that the Apostle gives to the Church of Philippi here in this
opening verse of the chapter. It is, of course, an imperative,
it's a word of command as he addresses the Church there to
be steadfast, to persevere, The Lord Jesus says, He that shall
endure to the end, the same shall be saved. And oftentimes we are
fearful that we will be those who, rather than persevering
and pressing on, will begin to fall back. The hymn writer says,
When any turn from Zion's way, alas what numbers do me, things
I hear the Saviour say, will thou forsake me too? And so the exhortation seems
in some ways to find us out, are we going to stand fast? But
here we observe that besides a duty, a command, we also learn
that there is one upon whom we are able to depend, because the
exhortation is stand fast in the laws. And in fact, the preposition
that's used here could also be rendered differently. It could
be rendered by the Lord. Stand fast in the Lord, or stand
fast by the Lord. And it is the Lord, of course,
who must hold us up if we are those who will indeed be steadfast
in the way and persevere and endure to the end. The psalmist says, Thy right
hand hath holden me up. And now, as we hear God's Word
and the precept of God's Word, we feel the need that one should
indeed undertake for us. Those who are kept by the power
of God, as Peter says, kept by the power of God through faith,
unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. And of course,
when we read of faith there, the power of God through faith,
that faith is very much a denying grace, the denial of ourselves,
and the recognition that we have a complete dependence upon the
Lord God Himself. Well, this is something of what
we were looking at last time, but we have a whole series, really,
of exhortations here in the opening verses, of this final chapter
and I want us tonight to turn and look at what follows in verses
two and three where Paul speaks of the importance of unity and
of concord amongst the people of God. He says I beseech you
Odius and beseech Sintike that they be of the same mind in the
Lord and I entreat thee also true yoke fellow help those women
which laboured with me in the gospel with Clement also and
with other my fellow labourers whose names are in the book of
life." Here we read then of unity and concord in the Lord Jesus. If we are to stand fast in the
Lord so in unity and in concord were also to be those who would
be looking to the Lord and resting in the Lord. And that's the theme
really that I want to take up, this sort of exhortation that
we have in these two verses to the necessity of unity in the
Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in verse 3 of those women
which laboured with me, and those women are the ones who are being
spoken of by name in the previous verse, Euodias and Syntyche,
and is concerned with them that they should be of the same mind. There were differences. Maybe
there were differences of opinion between these two women, or maybe
it was that each of them was in disagreement with the Church,
and what was going on amongst the Philippians. Paul certainly,
as he writes this epistle, is concerned for the unity at Philippi
amongst the believers. If we go back to the first chapter
there at verse 27, he says, only let your conversation, your manner
of living, 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. And then in the portion that
we read in the second chapter there at verse 2, fulfill ye
my joy, he says, that ye be like-minded. having the same love, being of
one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife
or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind. Let each esteem other
better than themselves. Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things of others." He's concerned,
and surely as in mind such as these two women that are being
spoken of, that they'd be of the same mind. There were differences,
as I say, maybe between each of them or maybe they were at
variance with others in the church. Paul certainly is emphasizing
the importance then of that unity and that concord amongst the
people of God. And of course it's quite remarkable
there in that second chapter because having given those words
of instruction in the opening verses, he then says at verse
5, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. And
he makes tremendous statements concerning the person of the
Lord Jesus Christ and the work that he came to do, his humiliation.
And that's what believers are to follow that pattern, even
Christ. in all his humiliation, in all
his self-denial. We see how as he addresses these
two women in verse 2, so he goes on in the third verse to address
someone whom he refers to as his yoke-fellow. I intrigue thee,
also true yoke-fellow help those women, those women who owe you
since in Tzitziki They were laboring with me in the Gospel, together
with Clemens. But who is the person that he
speaks of here as his yoke fellow? Well, it seems to be Epaphroditus. Because later he says at verse
18, I have warned the barren, I am full, having received of
Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an ode of
a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable while pleasing to God and it
was Epaphroditus who had been sent to them. In chapter 2 verse 25 he says
I suppose it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother
and companion in labor and fellow soldier but your messenger and
he that ministered to my ones for he longed after you all and
was full of heaviness because he had heard that he had been
sick he had sent this man and now he is entreating him in verse
3 help those women he wants these women to be at peace with each
other and he wants them to be at peace in the church to say
something then of that unity and that concord that is in the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's the truth that we see
here yet. And we have to recognize this, that the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ is of course a discriminating gospel. It divides people. It comes to
some the savour of life unto life, it comes to others the
savour of death unto death. And we see it even from the beginning. Remember when the child Christ
is taken to the temple there in Luke chapter 2, we have the
words of Simeon as he takes the child up in his arms. This is
the Messiah. He was amongst those, Simeon,
who was awaiting the consolation of Israel, looking and yearning
for the coming of the promised Messiah and we're told how taking
the child up Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his mother
behold this child is set for the fall and raising again of
many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against
what prophetic words were those spoken by the age Simeon there
in the temple as he saw the babe Jesus. When we think of the Lord's
own ministry, as he begins that ministry, there is separation,
division. Three times in John's Gospel
we're told there was a division amongst the people because of
him or because of his sayings. And the Lord himself says as
much, suppose ye that I am come to give peace. Nay, says Christ,
but but division he is the true prophet of the Lord and Jeremiah
reminds us that one of the marks of the true prophets of the Lord
is that they make a separation if they take forth the precious
from the vial says God to Jeremiah if they take forth the precious
from the vial thou shalt be as my mouth and the strange thing
is that the divisions are made amongst those who might gather
together in the church. In 1 Corinthians 11, of course,
we see Paul dealing with the whole matter of abuses in the
church at Corinth, and amongst their abuses there was much abuse
at what was taking place at the Lord's table. But he says something
interesting there in that chapter, 1 Corinthians 11,
verse 18 he says first of all when you come together in the
church I hear that there be divisions the margin says schisms among
you and I partly believe it for there must be also heresies or
the margin says sects among you that they which are approved
may be made manifest What we can conclude from what the Apostle
is saying here, that here is one of the marks really of the
Church, the true Church. There must, he says, there must
be these different divisions, that they which are approved
may be made manifest. And yet strangely of course,
he's speaking of the Lord's Supper, and in the Lord's Supper We know
that there is to be unity as they come together to observe
that holy ordinance of the Lord. And yet the divisions were there
when they came to the Lord's table. Verse 20 says, When ye
come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat
the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh
before other his own supper, and one is hungry and another
is drunken. What? Have you not houses to eat? and
to drink in, or despise ye the church of God, and shame them
that have not. What shall I say to you? Shall
I praise you in this? I praise you not." No, when they
come together it's to be an expression of their unity. And so at the
end of the chapter, Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together
to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him
eat at home, that ye come not together unto condemnation. and
the rest will I set in order when I come." Yes, there is that
in the ministry in the church which will be discriminating
and separating. That is what God's Word does.
And yet at the same time the church is to be very much marked
by concord and unity. And that should be so evident
when they come together around the Lord's table. And we see
it, we see it later in what John says when he writes in his first
epistle. In those churches of the New
Testament, there were obviously some who had come in who were
false, they were not genuine, and eventually they are found
out and they leave. And John speaks of those that
went out from us, he says, for they were not of us. For had
they been of us, then doubtless they would have continued with
us, but they went out. that it might be manifest that
they were not all of us. All God's word we know is a discriminating
word. He himself said I will have mercy
on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that showeth mercy.
God's word has that effect and yet we are to be careful in seeking
to maintain that proper order amongst those who are truly the
Lord's people, and these were. These were the Lord's people
that he's dealing with. Both Syntyche and Euodius, and
all those that he would address as he comes to the end of the
epistle. In this last chapter, of course, he's coming to the
more practical part, the outworking in their lives of those great
doctrines that they've come to embrace and to believe as they
trusted in the Lord Jesus. Remember that the letter is very
much addressed to a church. You know, the opening verse,
Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ to all the saints. That is, all those who are true
believers in Christ Jesus, which are a Philippi, with the bishops
and deacons. They're a church, and there's
due order in the church. And we see here, really, as he
comes to the end, something of the heart of the apostle, how
Paul had such a pastor's heart, such a tender heart. And look
at the way in which he addresses these two women. Twice he uses
this word, beseech. I beseech you, Odeus, and beseech
thee, Teacan, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And the word, it has the idea
of exhortation, but not only exhortation, it has in it the
idea also of encouragement. He wants to encourage them. And
so he beseeches them. He's very gentle in the way in
which he addresses them. And then, He turns to his true
yoke-fellow, Apatroditus, as I said, and what does he say?
I entreat thee also. And the word that he uses is
two different words. It means he's simply asking or
requesting that Apatroditus, who has gone back to the Philippians,
will attend to the matter. Help those women. Help those
women. which labored with me in the
gospel. And he mentions Clement also, and other of my fellows
labors, whose names are written in the book of life. Who is he
writing to? He is writing to those who are
the election of grace. Those who are the election of
grace, whose names are written in the book of life. Or the Lord Jesus says to his
own disciples, doesn't he, when they come back and they've been
doing many mighty works, he says, Rejoice rather that your names
are written in heaven. Or to have that assurance and
to know that our names are there written. Written in the Lamb's
Book of Life from the foundation of the world. When Paul says
his names are in the book of life, but not to imagine that
Paul had ever seen that book. Now I know, as he says when he's
writing there in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12, he'd been caught
up into the third heaven and he'd witnessed unspeakable things. What is the third heaven? Well,
that was the paradise of God. There are three heavens, aren't
there? The atmosphere round about this planet, when we look into
the sky, we're looking into the heaven. But beyond that there's
stellar space, there's the vastness of the universe, the second heaven. But Paul was caught up to the
third heaven. And that's where God is. That's outside of time,
outside of space. God dwells in eternity. And that's
where the Lamb's book is. Of course, it's a figure of speech,
really. We're not to imagine that there is such a book, but
the Lord knoweth them that are his. And in that sense, their
names are written, each and every one of them. Now, Paul had not
seen anything whereby he could say that he had seen those secret
things. As we read back in Deuteronomy
29 and verse 29, you remember the verse, many of you I'm sure,
where we're told that the secret things belong unto the Lord our
God. And the things which are revealed belong unto us and our
children. And the things that are revealed
are the things that we have on the page of Holy Scripture. That's
where God has given us the revelation of Himself. That's our authority.
All other things are secret. God's eternal purpose is secret. Well, how did Paul know, how
could he make such a statement as this, concerning these people
who he's addressing, whose names are in the Book of Life? He could
only say that because he was aware of certain marks that he
had witnessed in them. He could see that they they were
bearing that fruit that indicates they are truly those who are
in the Lamb's Book of Life. He writes there in Colossians
chapter 3 verse 12 put on therefore as
the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one
another, and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against
any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do you." And see what
he is saying there to the Colossians. Here are the marks of those who
are the elect of God. Those who are the elect of God
have these fruits, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness,
of mind, meekness, long-suffering, they are forbearing, they are
forgiving. And he had seen these marks.
Really what he is saying is, what he's having to deal with
is a sort of aberration. This is most unlike these people.
He's trying to win them, you see. He says their names are
in the book of life. If their names are in the book
of life they must behave themselves as those who are truly the election
of grace. Those very words that he speaks
when he addresses the Colossian church. He addresses then the
church, he addresses those whom we can see, give evidence that
they are the election of grace and they are also with him gospel
labourers. Those women which laboured with
me in the gospel, he says. They laboured with him in the
gospel. And then he speaks of others,
my fellow labourers, whose names are in the book of life, their
gospel labourers. Now, I've heard it said that
the best way to maintain concord and unity in the church is to
set the people to work. Make sure it's an active church. And that's very much an emphasis
that would be made in many evangelical circles, activism, doings. And
I think in some way the reason why there's such an emphasis
on that activism it's simply the fruit of the way in which
the gospel is first presented to them they're told that they
have duty, duty faith, duty repentance and so it's not surprising then
that having told them what their duties are they must continue
to perform their duties and the thought is well if they're all
busy and they're doing, they're active and sometimes I remember
being told of a gracious man walking past one of these churches,
and there was so much activity. There seemed to be something
on every single night of the week. Young people's meetings,
other types of services, always something going on. And he said,
you wonder, do they ever have any time really to examine themselves
and to prove themselves? and know themselves, they're
always doing something, there's so much activity going on. Well,
when Paul here speaks of this labour, labouring with me in
the gospel, and the guy, my fellow labourers, what is he actually
saying? Well, the word that we have,
labouring with me, really has the idea of the struggle,
how these women knew what it was to struggle, in the good
fight of faith although they labored and they
were women who were diligent in many ways of course Paul is
commending them there in verse 3 but for all that they were
doing in seeking to serve the Lord God in the gospel still
they had their differences See, activism isn't the solution
to problems really. The only way in which there can
be peace and unity and concord amongst the people of God is
where there is a true dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ. That
they may be of the same mind, he says, in the law. Just as
we have it there in the opening verse, as I said, this standing
fast, it's in the Lord, it's by the Lord, so their being of
the same mind also is in or by the Lord. There's complete dependence
upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of peace and
concord amongst the people of God. And we saw it there didn't
we in that portion in that second chapter nothing's done through strife
or vainglory but in loneliness of mind each esteeming other
better than themselves looking 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 it's the mind of Christ
It's the mind of Christ. They are one in the Lord Jesus
Christ. And that is what will lead to
true concord and peace and unity and real fellowship amongst the
people of God. They're all one in the Lord Jesus
Christ. And when is it Christians all
agree? And let distinctions form when nothing in themselves they
see that Christ is all in all. So as with the steadfastness
in the Lord, so also when it comes to unity in the Church,
it's all in the Lord. I beseech you, Odius, and beseech
Sintike, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I entreat thee also, true
yoke-fellow, help those women which laboured with me in the
Gospel with Clement also, and with other my fellow laborers
whose names are in the Book of Life." Well, the Lord help us
and the Lord bless to us His own Word. We're going to sing
that hymn I just made some reference to, that hymn 816. The tune is Effingham 923. I'll read the last verse. We have no life,
no power, no faith, but what by Christ is given. We all deserve
eternal death, and thus we are all even. The hymn 816, tune
923.