Look at this last verse again.
I want to point something out. And I didn't see this until we
started singing. You know, Kathy picks out the song. I'll go through
it, and she, when she shows me the bullets, and then, yep, okay,
those work for me, that's fine. But she picks out the songs.
And I just love pointing out to you how God works things out.
I mean, you heard my introduction, how I'm excited, I'm just, I'm
beyond blessed that you are all joining us this morning. Look
at this last verse again. Read this and see if this doesn't
fit what I just said a moment ago. And yet she on earth hath
union. Now, for those of you who couldn't
be here for Bible study, that was part of our Bible study,
the mystery. that God would bring a union
between sinners and the Holy God Almighty. What a mystery
that is. So the song went right along
with Bible study. It didn't go on. It said, with
God, the three in one, and the mystic, sweet communion. That was the basis for our Bible
study right there. The sweet mystic communion that
we have with Christ, with those whose rest is one. We have the
same communion with each other. That was my whole point for expressing,
I'm so glad to see you guys. I'm so glad to be here this morning
with you. We have something in common,
don't we? Will you turn to Philippians
chapter 1? I forget who it was that introduced
this phrase to me, but it's something that stuck with me. You know,
the church, the group of folks that God has called out of darkness
down there in San Diego, our good brothers and sisters in
Christ down there, the title, the name of their church is San Diego Grace Fellowship. Did I get that right? San Diego Grace Fellowship. That's
a pretty cool name, isn't it? I mean, we're Sovereign Grace
Baptist Church of Rescue. That's what we broadcast out
on the internet. And it says something about us. We're Baptists. We're Sovereign
Grace Baptists. But fellowship just has such
a It's kind of a homey thing. It's what I like about the idea
that we can electronically reach out and touch those who are with
us. My brother Lee in Colorado. He's
got no other place to worship. Cheryl, Shirley, Craig Roberts, Michael Hall,
and others. Lately, Brenda Davis has been
joining us. She's quite a ways down. I'm
not quite sure why we haven't seen her in a little bit, but
between her and God, she still joins in with us. The point is,
we're coming together. We're not just seeing a recording
of something. We're not just sitting down and
watching a video. We're having communication with
each other. It's called fellowship. It's a good thing. It's good
to get together with Like-minded people, isn't it? I mean, I go
out and I play. If I played golf, let's say one
of you who just don't care anything about golf, I'm like, come on,
you're coming with me, you're going to play golf with me. And
you got out there on the course and you really didn't care anything
about it, it just wouldn't be as much fun, would it? Well, it may not be fun for you
either. What's John so excited about?
It's nothing but a stupid ball going in a stupid hole. There
you go, right there. I'll use Kathy for that example.
She would not be happy. It just wouldn't be any fellowship
in it. But here, today, right here in
Rescue, California, God has caused, and I'm pausing
here because I want you to absorb that. He has caused. That means He came and grabbed
a hold of somebody, grabbed a hold of their spirit, just like David
who sent his servant to go get Mephibosheth. Remember that story?
Go get him and fetch him. That means don't let him give
you any excuses. God doesn't give us any excuses.
He just brings us here. You're here today because God
has caused you. You folks online who are sitting
there watching your TV, you are there because God has caused
us to come together. Why? Because we're sinners. We've
sinned against God. No joke. There's a whole bunch
of people in the church across the street who say the same thing.
That's why they're gathered together. Because they've sinned against
God. God just hasn't revealed to them
yet who, who is the answer to that sin. My mom calls us the frozen chosen,
chosen frozen, I think I got that backwards. Chosen frozen,
frozen chosen, either way, means the same thing. That's right,
God's word calls it my elect, my chosen people. Some places
he calls them Israel. Some places he calls the ones
that I have loved with an everlasting love. We've come together. And
that blesses me more than anything I can express in words. That
phrase I was about to share a moment ago, fellers on the same ship. We're all on the same ship. We're
all in need of a Savior. And God has given us one through
the preaching of His Word, through the revelation of His Word, and
His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Almighty
God, the Creator of all ages. That's what we've come here to
do today. We've been out in the world, haven't we? World can
get swirling up around you like it did for me last week I'm telling
you that I was I was I really didn't know that I could stand
here. I came to the pulpit that last Saturday really not thinking
I had anything to say to y'all I was just I was overwhelmed
with what was going on But the Lord brought He brought
me into fellowship with you, and last week you folks held
me up. My brothers and sisters in Christ, who knew what I was
going through, because most of you have gone through things
similar to it yourselves. We come together in fellowship
to raise each other up. Hey, remember this? Remember
when the Lord lifted me up? Remember when I got a little
distracted by some temptations? Let me share with you what God
can do for us. He can erase that away when He shows us His Son
who took that sin for us. Who took it upon Himself, laid
down His life, went into the grave with that sin, my sin,
upon Him, made His. satisfied the wrath of God there
for me as my sons and children. Look at verses 3-11 of Philippians
chapter 1 if you would with me. I thank my God upon every remembrance
of you. That's what Paul is saying to
the church of Philippi. This is what I'm saying to you
right now. This is what we say to each other when we lift each
other up. I thank my God every remembrance
of you. Verse 4, always in prayer of
mine for you, all making requests with joy. You know, remember
Virginia Mayer? Some of you may remember her. I started crying one day. I don't
know what happened to me. I never used to cry before the
Lord called me out of darkness. Nothing bothered me. But I started
crying one day when she called me just out of the blue. She
says, I don't know why, but the Lord laid it on my heart to call
you and let you know I'm praying for you. What a blessing. That's what
Paul's talking about there in verse 4. Always in prayer of
mind for you, I'll make a request of joy for your fellowship. In the gospel, there's our commonality
right there. I know you don't have, most of
you don't have any desire to hear anything about golf. And
there's some parts of your lives that just don't have a whole
lot of effect on me either, but we do have one thing in common,
folks. Like I said a moment ago, we are sinners saved by grace. for your fellowship in the gospel
from the first day until now. Have you ever gone and visited
other churches? I tell this to the folks down
there, and I mean it with all my heart. Every time I go down
there on a Wednesday night to bring a message for them, I'm
just so thankful to see them. Guess what? They're just about
as thankful as to see me as well. I don't understand why, but they
are. It's like going to meet a brother who lives in Colorado.
I haven't seen him in a while. I would hug him. Well, I hugged
those. I hugged Polly this morning. I hugged Jim and Heather. I haven't
hugged them in a long time. I hugged Shane and Angie as well. We just hug each other because
we love each other. We have something in common.
We have the grace of God moving in our lives and showing us that
Sin does not have dominion over us anymore. There's an answer
to my troubles in this world. There's an answer to my troubles
in the valley of the shadow of death that we all have been in
for the last seven days. And we're here this morning to
gather together and worship Him. Worship the One who took our
sin as His own and buried it away. Oh, that's good fellowship
right there. Being confident, it says in verse
6, writes Paul of this very thing, that He, and what is our confidence? It's the confidence in Him. Look
what it says next. Which hath begun a good work
in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Did you notice Paul didn't say,
oh, your works have just amazed me and I can see by your works
you're saved and there's no problem. No. Who did he give glory for
here? He gave Jesus Christ the glory where all the glory belongs.
Did you notice that? Let's read that again. Being
confident. of this very thing, that He,
not you, not anything you have done, but that He, which hath
begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus
Christ. There's no doubt about it. There's
no question that all that God the Father hath given the Son
shall come to Him. Is there any question at all
to you? No. Even, verse 7, as it is meek
for me to think of this of you all, because I have you in my
heart, insomuch as both in my bonds and in the defense and
confirmation of the gospel, ye are all partakers of my grace. For God is my record. How greatly
I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. In this I pray
that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and
in all judgment, that ye may approve things that are excellent,
that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by
Jesus Christ. unto the glory and praise of
God. Pastor Henry Mahan wrote these
words. He says, Paul was especially
dear to the Philippians. He was the preacher who had brought
them the gospel. Upon hearing that he was a prisoner
of Rome, they sent their minister, Ephrodius, to him with presents
and good wishes. He sent this epistle back to
them by their minister. The design of this epistle is
first to express his love and affection for the people, the
people of God, to give an account of his imprisonment and the results
of it, to encourage them under affliction and persecution, and
to excite them to love, unity, and peace among themselves. To
caution them against false teachers, who try to mix Moses' law and
Christ, the law and the gospel, grace and works in salvation,
to exhort them to a holy life and to give them thanks. Give
thanks to them for their care for Him. Now Paul declared he
and Timothy in verse 1 were servants of the Lord. Look at that if
you would. Paul and Timothy as the servants of Jesus Christ,
to all the saints in Christ Jesus, which were Philippi, with the
bishops and the deacons. He declares very clearly there
that they are servants, that they're equal. He puts them both
in equal status. He didn't say Paul the senior
or Paul the apostle. He says Paul and Timotheus. Putting them right there on the
same equal point. That's what we're fellowshipping
in today. We're all on the same equal footing.
There's nobody here better than anyone else. There's no need for us to look
at others and say, did you see what what's-his-name is doing?
Did you see what what-her-name is doing? We're all in the same footing,
folks. We all, if left to ourselves, deserve nothing but the wrath
of God for what we do in this world. Paul is putting himself on the
same footing there with Timothy. They were not just servants,
they were willing servants. Willing. Willing servants. That word servants means slave. A slave to something. Well, we
sure put our noses down on slavery in this country, don't we? Not
realizing each and every person that walks this earth is a slave
to their sin. not realizing that each and every
one of us, at one time, were in bondage, just like Israel
was. Maybe not bondage to some other
man, but we were in bondage to what was within, what ruled this
body, this flesh. We all come into this world exercising
our natural will, The will of running from God, turning away
from the light because we love darkness. A will that was bound
by sin, enslaved by our nature, dead in trespasses and sin. And
then the day of our Lord's power, He comes to His people as it
says in Psalm 110 verse 3, Thy people shall be willing in the
day of thy power. He releases us from that bondage
and makes us willing in the day of His power. Yet now, Paul declares to let all men
know that he and Timotheus are servants. Notice in verse 2 it says, grace
and peace Consider the order. What is our peace that he's talking
about? First off, it's our peace from that sin that's within us.
We're talking about having fellowship, feathers on the same ship. Why
it brings such joy to each and every one of us who have come
together. If I was out in the wilderness all by myself, who
would I rejoice with that God had saved sinners? Who would
I rejoice with that the Lord Jesus had humbled himself and
became a servant unto my sin. Who would I fellowship with and
rejoice with over the fact that Christ was not held by death,
but that he is risen from death and sits on his throne today?
No, I'd have nobody to fellowship with. But I have somebody here
today, so you're going to hear me. You're going to hear the
joy that it brings to my heart about what our Lord's done for
us. And I pray that He's giving you the same joy. And He does
it through the preaching of His Word, the worshiping of our Savior. That's what we're here to do
today. We want to hear a message. Brother Mike Loveless said, Brody,
I sure hope you got a message for me today. I don't have anything
for you, Mike. I pray the Lord does, though.
I pray the Lord does. What is this peace? It's only
the peace that God can give through His grace. We are saved by grace,
through faith, through belief, not of words. If we know, we
would boast, don't we? Grace comes first and then peace. It doesn't mean I don't sin.
It doesn't mean I don't have trouble with sin. But unlike works religion, the peace that God gives me is
a peace that says, John, sit down and rest. All the work is done. It says to my soul, Salvation is
of the Lord, and your works will do nothing but mess it up. That's the peace God gives to
His people through the preaching of His Word. Without grace, without the grace
of God, there is no real peace. Without God graciously revealing
himself, there is no peace. Where is the peace with works? When does your works bring peace
to your soul? Let me ask you, do not works
require us to work, and work, and work, and work. Do this. Do that. Do it again. Do it over. You want to talk
about somebody who knows all about that? Grace, you talk to
our brother Mike Levis. I mean, in works, you can talk
to Mike Levis. He'll tell you about works. You come out of
a religion. God brought him out of a religion
that was nothing but works. And when you wanted to sit down
and take a break, you were hounded to get up and work some more.
That's what religion is. That's what will condemn you.
Religion. Because your works never bring
peace. You can never finish. The Old Testament priests. You know there was only one priest
that ever sat down All the other priests had to keep up and keep
doing the sacrifices. There were thousands and thousands
and thousands of sacrificing animals. Why? Because they never
did anything. Only one priest has ever sat
down and that's the priest who is after the order of Melchizedek. The one with no beginning and
the one with no ending. That's true peace. That's the
fellowship that God's people have. We've got the fellowship
with each other knowing that you're not out there trying to
earn your salvation. You believe God who's already
given you salvation. Salvation is of the Lord. We are saved by grace, not of
works. Let's mention both. And this
grace brings peace between the elect of God. And this is our
commonality. Every one of us can say once,
I was blind, but now I see. This is our fellowship, fellers
on the same ship. God revealed we were dead in
trespasses and sin. We all know that, don't we? God revealed that He chose us,
that it wasn't us who chose Him. We all know that, don't we? If somebody were to stand up
and say, oh no, I chose God to follow Him. We would all know.
No, you're wrong, buddy. Scriptures tell us that nobody
would choose God. Our fellowship is that God has
revealed to each and every one of us there is no righteousness
in us. We have nothing in this flesh,
no thoughts, no feelings, nothing at all about this flesh that
we can be confident in. Our only confidence is in what
Christ has done for us. Each and every one of us, God
has revealed that He has accepted His Son's perfect righteousness,
not ours. God has revealed that He sent
His Son to be made our sin, for He who knew no sin, that our
only righteousness is the righteousness of God in Him. Listen to Hebrews
chapter 10, verse 14. It says, for by one offering.
This is our commonality. This is what we have fellowship.
We worship the one offering. He, the Lord Jesus, hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. Is there not joy in the fellowship
with you? Look at verses 3-5 again in Philippians
chapter 1. I thank my God upon every remembrance
of you, always in every prayer of mine, for you all making requests
with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first
day until now. This is the attitude we need
to cultivate towards other believers. Leave off the judging, leave
off the criticizing and finding fault Our attitude should not
only be thanking God for one another, but praying for His
grace and peace to be with all believers, and that's my prayer.
That was Virginia Mayer's prayer for me. That was her prayer for
me, that God's peace would be with me. I wasn't doing anything
at church on that Sunday that I can remember. She's just out
of the blue. I didn't even recognize her phone
when it showed up on the number there. Who's this? Virginia Mayer. Oh, yeah! What's going on, Virginia? The
Lord just told me to call her. She had great joy in her heart
when meeting with the people here at Rescue and coming together
to worship our Lord. Look over at the 10th chapter
of Hebrews for just a moment. Hebrews chapter 10. Fellowship with the saints is
important enough for God to tell us in verse 22 through 25 where we read these words, let
us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having
our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies
washed with pure water, that's the gospel, let us hold fast
the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful
and promised, and let us consider one another to provoke unto love
and to good works, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,
as a matter of some head, but exhorting one another in so much
the more as you see the day approaching. Back in our text, verse 4, we
read this, an always and never prayer of mine for you making
request with joy. This is joy and fellowship. with those that you love. Folks,
we walk through the world surrounded by the curse that is upon it.
You've just come out of the world. You know what I'm saying? I walk
through the same world. It's a valley of death. I like
to say it's a valley of shadow of death, but it's only a shadow
to those who have died in Christ. to those who Christ went to the
cross for, suffered the wrath of God for, and shed His blood
and washed them clean of all their sin. It's a shadow because
He's already taken the wrath of God for us. He's our substitute. The promise that God's people shall
not be forsaken, the promise that all those for whom He died
shall come to Him, We can only be joyful in knowing that all
these things are for our good and we take great joy in fellowship
and in like-minded with the saints for that very reason. We fear
not the things of this world that we went through. Look at
verse 1 and 2 of Philippians chapter 2. If there be, therefore,
any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship
of the Spirit, if any vows of the mercies, fulfill ye my joy
that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord
and of one mind." Is it not natural? Do we not
find ourselves naturally being, filling our space around us with
people who are like-minded? I asked a moment ago, have you
ever been to another church, traveled somewhere? Mike has
shared many times where his trip back east for the conferences.
You've heard some of Mike's experiences with the trips to go visit other
people. If you've not, I'm sorry for that. You've missed out on
a great blessing. Meeting God's people. It's like I said a moment ago,
going down to San Diego. The first thing I want to do
is give Mike a hug. Remember the trip? Remember when
Larry Criss came out here? I think I shared this as I was
introducing him. Larry, Rob, and Criss. You remember them
from Alabama? Kathy and I are going to go visit
them in April, end of April. Kathy and I were sitting at the
bottom of the escalator waiting for them to come down and you
can't really see because of the roof line you can't really see
anything but their feet at first. And so we're sitting there at
this bench, and I'm watching, and I'm looking, and all of a
sudden I see, oh, there's a man and a woman. You can tell by
their shoes. Man and woman. Trying to lean down like this
a little bit. All of a sudden their face comes, no, he's too
young, or he's too old, or whatever reason. No, that couldn't be
him. Then all of a sudden they come out, they come into view,
and I'm looking at them. Is that them? I've never seen
anything but a picture. You don't look at anything like
his pictures. And I'm saying, that's gotta be him. And it's
just, all of a sudden, he saw me and Catherine. And the two
of them just lit up. Just lit up. I've never met this
man in my life. I'd only talked to him on the
phone. But I know he's just like us. He's just like us. One who needs grace. One who
God has shown graciousness to. He got up after I mentioned that
in introducing him. He said, you know what, John?
Believe it or not, Robert and I were doing the same thing.
We were kind of leaning down looking. Where are they? Is that
them on that bench over there? What joy there is to be with
God's people. Why? Because you're in the same boat
that I'm in. Your feller's on the same ship. Outside the waves are pounding
on our little boat. You're dealing with sin in your
life just like I am. You've got no place to turn to
just like me. And then Christ comes into view
and shines his light in our little boat of darkness. And we have peace with him. peace from those waves that are
pounding against the side of our ship. I see that in you. That doesn't mean you don't deal
with it. You struggle to deal with it. You do. You do. God has conquered it
for us in His Son, our Savior. He's conquered it by laying down
His life for us. Again, shedding His blood for
us. That's what we come to this table
of remembrance to do, is to remember of the body that was prepared
for us. Did you know that God prepared
a body for His Son? I say this again. I've probably
said it several times recently, but I'm going to say it again.
Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, is the eternal Son
of God. He has always been. But He couldn't die. He couldn't
feel what you and I feel. He couldn't experience temptation
until God It had given him the body that was prepared. That's
the Lord Jesus coming to this world, humbling himself as we
go on and read next there in verse 3. Let nothing be done
through strained vainglory but lowliness. of mind, let each
esteem another better than themselves. 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, who being in
the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God,
but made himself of no reputation." This is that body that God prepared
That body that was prepared to be born of a virgin. That body
that was to be laid in a manger in a barn because there was no
room in the inn. That body who was all the majestic
God enclosed in one body of flesh. Thought it not robbery to be
equal with God that made of himself no reputation? and took upon
Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in the fashion
as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. Wherefore, and because of all
that, because of laying down His life, God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth. We walk through this world cursed
by sin, and we feel alone at times. Who, Isaiah wrote, who believes
our report? It seems that so few know the
truth of the living God, too many have fallen for the lie
of free will, the lie of works, the lie of self-help. We want so badly to relate to
those around us that we may tend even to compromise our belief
in order to have fellowship. But God's chosen people cannot
have fellowship with darkness. When one has been given the gift
of faith, the gift to believe, the gift to see the light, when
our great Lord and Savior shines that light of the light of who
He is, As I just mentioned a moment
ago. God in the flesh. The light of what He's done.
He died on the cross. He established perfect righteousness
and then perfectly went to the cross and died the perfect death
satisfying God's justice. The light of where He is right
now. Death could not hold Him. He's Lord of death. He's Lord of the world, He's
Lord of everything in the world, He's Lord of everything over
the world, and He's Lord of everything under the world. He sits now
at the right hand of God the Father on His throne, working
all things out according to the counsel of His own will. What
joy and fellowship we have with a brother or sister who stand
in the grace of our Lord Jesus. What joy we have in sharing our
love for the one who first loved us with another. Turn over to 1 Peter chapter
1 if you would, and I'll bring this to a close. We have a common joy. It's called a new heart. Our
new heart has the same joy all of God's children have. It's
the joy in our Savior. It's the joy in being saved by
grace, not of works. Thus we should boast. The Word
of God says, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto
you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty. Look here at verses 2-8 of 1 Peter 1. Elect, according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ with grace unto
you, and peace be multiplied." Did you notice that? What came
first again? Grace. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and
that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept
by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed
in the last time, wherein ye greatly rejoice Though now for
a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold
temptation, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious
than the gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire,
might be found unto the praise and honor and glory at the appearing
of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen ye love, in whom though
now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable
and full of glory. Where is your joy this day? In John 15 verse 11 we read this,
These things have I spoken unto you, saith the Lord, that my
joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. My prayer for each and every
one of us is what we read there in our text, verses 2-5. Grace
be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord
Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance
of you, always in prayer of mine for you all, making requests
with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first
day until now. That's just the way the love
of God works, folks. It's just the way the love of
God's people works as well.