Turn back with me, if you would,
to Philippians chapter 2. Philippians 2. I was listening
to a message on Sermon Audio yesterday by Brother Larry Criss. He's one of the men who preached
in the conference in Arkansas. And I enjoyed his message. So I was listening to him on
sermon audio, and he was preaching in Danville in this particular
message that I heard. And one of the men there in Danville,
a dear, old, faithful brother, his name was Bob Poncer. The Lord has graduated him now.
He's gone to be with the Lord. But when this message was preached,
he was there. And right before Brother Larry
Criss stood up to preach, Bob came to him and he said, Brother
Larry, do you have something for us that's new and stale or
old and fresh? Are you going to preach something
to us that's new and stale? Are you going to preach something
old and fresh? Don't you love that? I pray that's
what I have for us tonight, something old and fresh. Look with me right
here in Philippians 2, verse 1 says, If there be, therefore,
any consolation in Christ, If any comfort of love, if any fellowship
of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy,
that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord,
of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife
or vain glory, 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." Paul is
exhorting us to love. He's exhorting us to love. He's exhorting us to unity. And he is exhorting us to forgiveness. And he's exhorting us to peace. And he said in verse two, this
is what would make me happy. Verse two, he said, fulfill ye
my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of
one accord, of one mind. We have been brought together
in Christ. We've been brought together in
Christ. I don't want to ever be separated
from you. Never. I mean never. Not in this world, not in the
world to come. And it brings me so much joy
thinking that it's not going to happen if we belong to Christ. It's not going to happen. I can't
jump out. I can't mess it up. It's not
going to happen. He has brought us together. And what Paul is saying right
here is, let's stay that way. Let's just stay that way. Is
there anything that you hate more than division amongst the
brethren? Is there anything that is just
more sad? Envy, strife, and division, doesn't
that just break your heart? Behold how good and how Pleasant
it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Isn't that wonderful?
Don't you love the warm heart and the smiling face and the
unity of being in Christ? We're all here for Christ, for
Christ's sake. Verse 3, he said, let nothing
be done through strife or vain glory. But in lowliness of mind,
let each esteem other better than themselves, not just in
word, in deed. Not just with lip service, right
here in the heart. I mean right here in the heart.
What he's saying is, in the privacy of my own heart, where nobody
can hear, and I'm not saying anything, just when I'm alone,
right in here, let me sit there and esteem my brethren better
than myself. Please let us not strive for
vain glory. Let's not. Let us not. Verse
four, he said, look not every man on his own things, but every
man also on the things of others. How wonderful would that be?
How wonderful would that be? What a thing to strive for. If
we're going to strive over something, let's strive for that. What a
thing to ask God for. That unity, that love, that accord. What a thing to ask God for.
May God grant that to us. That'd be so wonderful, wouldn't
it? But that is not our message tonight. That's all wonderful,
but that's not our message tonight. That is the result of our message
tonight. That's what that is. The message
that we have tonight brings that. The title of our message is this. There is. There is. There most certainly
is. Philippians 2 verse 1 it says,
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ. If there is any consolation
in Christ. The word consolation means to
draw near for help. Have you ever consoled anyone
or been consoled? our kids fall and hurt themselves,
what do we do? We console them. We draw them
near for help. If there is any help, any drawing
near for help. He just said in chapter 1 verse
28, in nothing terrified by your adversaries. He said we have
adversaries. We do have adversaries. adversaries
without, and there are adversaries within. And they shoot these fiery darts
of fear and doubt. That's what they do. That's what
the adversaries without and the adversaries within do. They shoot
these fiery darts of fear and doubt. They're constantly at
war with this flesh. Constantly. Chapter 1 verse 29
says, For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not
only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. He said
there are sufferings we're going to endure. Coming to know the
Lord Jesus Christ and following Christ is not easy street. Our Lord does not lead His people
down easy street. There are sufferings that we're
going to have to endure. Verse 30 says, having this same
conflict which you saw in me and now here to be in me. Every way we turn, this world
is going to bring conflict to us. Every way we turn. Watch and see. Watch and see. Every way we turn. This world
may cry peace. Happiness is over here. He'll
get a big neon sign. Here's peace. But there is no
peace. There is no peace. Not in the
world. In the world you shall have tribulation, trouble on
every side, wars and rumors of wars. But he said there's a place
of consolation. There is a place of consolation
if God would draw us not to Christ, if He would just draw us near
to Christ. He said in chapter 2, if there
be any consolation, it's in Christ. It's only in Christ. Look with
me at Hebrews 6. Hebrews chapter 6 verse 13 says,
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear
by no greater, he swore by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will
bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee, And so, after
he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men
verily swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation
is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly
to show unto the heirs of promise The immutability, that word means
unchangeability, cannot change, will not change. I'm the Lord,
I change not. Verse 17, wherein God, willing
more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability
of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath. that by two immutable
things, two unchanging things, what are they? His promise and
His oath. Verse 18, that by two immutable
things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have
a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon
the hope set before us, which hope we have as an anchor of
the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that
within the veil. Is there any consolation in Christ? Is there any consoling in Christ? There most certainly is. There
most certainly is. He sealed his promise. He sealed his oath when he entered
into that veil. He swear by himself and he offered
himself a sacrifice to God. There was no greater. So he swear
by himself. Draw nigh to that. Draw nigh
to that. Let's all draw nigh to his oath,
his covenant, his blood. Didn't we just sing that? His oath, his covenant, his blood. We'll find some consolation.
We will find some consolation. A sinner will find some consolation. Start to feel a little bit of
guilt over sin. The Lord allows it every now
and then. Oh man, does he ever. Draw nigh to his oath, his covenant,
his blood. It will support us in the whelming
flood. When all around our soul gives
way, when everything is giving way, that's when he will be all
our hope and stay. If everything else seems fine,
it's not him. But as soon as everything else gives way, He
is all our hope and He is all our stay. Go with me back to
Philippians 2. Verse 1 says, If there be therefore
any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, is there
any comfort in the love of God? Is there any comfort? Now you're
going to see why I ask that question in just a second. You think,
well, of course. Aren't you so glad you think,
well, of course. Is there any comfort in the love of God? Go
with me to Romans 5. Romans 5 verse 1 says, Therefore,
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into
this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory
of God. And not only so, but we glory
in tribulations also. Knowing that tribulations worketh
patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope
maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us. For when
we were yet without strength, In due time, Christ died for
the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified
by his blood, We shall be saved from wrath through him. Now what was the reason for all
that? That was all some pretty good news. What was the reason
for all that? The love of God. The love of God. The love of
God has been shed abroad in our hearts. The love of God. Now is there any comfort in the
love of God? Now here's the reason I ask that.
Most people believe that God loves everybody. Right? Most people believe that God
loves everybody, but sadly, some of them go to hell. Isn't that
what people believe? God loves everybody, but unfortunately,
some of them go to hell anyway. If there are people in hell who
God loved, then what does the love of God have to do with salvation? Nothing. Nothing. Is there any comfort in a love
that cannot save? Is there any comfort in that? A love that cannot save? Now God loves you, so please
won't you let him save you so you won't go to hell? There's
no comfort in that. If that's the case, then the
love of God has nothing to do with salvation. He just loves
them while they just fall straight on into hell. But thank God that's
not the case. That is not the case. Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friend. He laid down his life for his
friend. Whom he did foreknow, He also
did predestinate. Whom He did predestinate, them
He also called. Whom He called, them He also
justified. Whom He justified, them He also
glorified. Paul went on to say, now what
shall we say to these things if God be for us? If His love
is toward us? Then who can be against us? Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Is there any comfort
in the love of God? Absolutely. Absolutely. If I come to find out that I'm
a sinner and God loves sinners, I can find a little comfort right
there. I know I'm a sinner and I know God loves sinners. I know
He came to save sinners. Man, go with me back to Philippians
2. Verse 1 says, If there be therefore any consolation
in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the
Spirit. Sometimes we come across the
word fellowship and we describe that as fellows in the same ship. Do God's people have fellowship
with the Spirit of Christ? True fellowship. Look with me
at Galatians 4. We were just here last time we
were in Galatians. What a precious passage. Galatians
4, verse 4 says, But when the fullness of the
time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made
under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that
we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are
sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts,
Crying for you. Crying with you. Abba, Father,
I adore that. I adore that. I love knowing. I absolutely love knowing that
this cold, dead heart cannot and will not cry out for mercy. It doesn't want to. It doesn't
care. It doesn't. This heart of flesh
right here cannot and will not cry out for mercy. You could
tell this old cold heart right here, you better cry out for
mercy. And it won't do it. Even if it could, it wouldn't. So God sent forth the Spirit
of His Son in here to cry out for me. That's what He did. Christ in me starts crying to
his Father, Abba, Father. Is there fellowship between a
drawn, loved sinner and the Holy Spirit of Christ? Thank God,
there most certainly is. Is that not amazing? There most certainly is. Our
Lord said in John 17, Now, see if the Lord will let us enter
into this. He said, The glory which thou gavest me, I have
given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. I in them, and thou in me, that
they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may that thou
hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me." He said,
Father, let everybody know that you have loved them in the exact
same way, to the exact same degree that you've loved me. That's amazing. Has God provided
for us fellowship with the spirit of His Son? The answer is that
He hasn't just put us in the ship with His Son. He's made
us one with the ship. That's what He's done. Go with
me back to Philippians 2. Verse 1 says, If there be therefore any consolation
in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the
Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, bowels means heart. That's what
the word means, heart. If there's any heart and any
mercy, is there any mercy in the heart of God? Is there any mercy in there?
Is there any mercy in God's heart? Moses said to him, Lord, show
me your glory. He said, I'll have mercy. I'll have mercy on whom I'll
have mercy. I'll show it to whom I will. I'll show the sure mercies of
David. He said, I know my thoughts towards you. They are thoughts
of peace. I want you to turn here with
me, but we all know this. Sometimes I think we don't need
to turn, but I was more blessed reading this verse of scripture
this week than I ever have been. Go with me over to Lamentations
3. It's after Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah,
Lamentations. Lamentations 3 verse 21 says,
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's
mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail
not. They are new every morning great
is thy faithfulness." Is there any mercy in the heart
of God? Is there any mercy in the heart of God? Thank God there
most certainly is. That is the best news a sinner
could hear. Now the Apostle Paul says in
our text, we'll finish out with this. He said back in our text,
because of that, because there is true consolation in Christ,
because there is true comfort in His love, because we have
true fellowship with His Spirit, we have true fellowship with
His Spirit, because there is mercy in His heart May there be mercy in ours. May
it be that way with us. May we draw nigh to each other. I speak the truth. I love how
Paul said, I say the truth, I lie not. I want to draw nearer to
my Lord. But I want to draw nearer to
you too. I really do. Let's draw nigh to each other. Let's have love for each other. And let's have fellowship with
each other. Verse 1 says, If there be therefore
any consolation in Christ, If any comfort of love, if any fellowship
of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies fulfill ye my joy,
that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord,
of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife
or vain glory, 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. That's
what Christ did for us, isn't it? That's exactly what He did
for us. May He put that same heart in
us. May He do that for Christ's sake.
Alright, let's all stand.