Alright, stay right there in chapter 4 of Philippians. We're going to be looking at that a little more closely. I'll probably start back in the 17th verse or parts of chapter 3, but we'll get back into chapter 4. We have here before us tonight an epistle which was written by the Apostle Paul around 25 to 30 years after our Lord's ascension. and intended for the saints at Philippi. Philippi was an important city of ancient Macedonia in what is now northeastern Greece, near the Bulgarian border, not far from the Aegean Sea. History records that Philippi was the first European city to receive the gospel message. Paul was at this time a prisoner of Rome. Some scholars claim he was in Rome itself at this time and some say Ephesus, but Paul makes no mention of his location in this letter.

He only indicates that he is indeed a prisoner if you look at Philippians 1.7 and 13-16. The letter was dictated to one Epaphroditus, generally believed to be the pastor or at least a minister of the church there in Philippi, who had come to deliver a gift to Paul from the congregation to recount the state of the church to Paul and to take back to them word of their beloved evangelist. Now this letter is the outpouring of his heart to them. It's unlike some of the other epistles in that it has no specific chastisements or corrections to the recipients, but instead it's essentially a love letter written by a father to his beloved children, full of affection and instructions, warnings and encouragements, with thanksgiving, both to them and to God for them.

This seems entirely natural since this church was founded under Paul's ministry. Here was the home of Lydia, the seller of purple, and the converted jailer, and all their households who came to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ through Paul's ministrations. These are Paul's children begotten in the faith through much labor of love and personal sacrifice and suffering. Now, Paul in chapter three has warned the Philippians about false professors and works mongers who appear to be believers outwardly.

He uses his own experience and high standing in religion as an example of an outward show, well-respected and in the envy of the world, yet without truth and without Christ, worthy only to be discarded and abandoned, having no place or value in his salvation. Read chapter 3 with me in verse 7-9.

But what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but done that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. In verse 17, he exhorts them to be followers of him and other believers in the sense that they should also abandon any and all earthly things that would stand in the way of their salvation. There must be nothing in their hearts or in their lives that would or could come between them and the Lord. In essence, Paul says, you must count it all but done in order to win Christ Jesus. For coming short of this goal places one in the company of them which he warns of in verses 18 and 19 of chapter three. Those who may have an outward form of godliness, but who deny the power thereof by their walk, their actions, their lifestyle, and their speech. And then based upon the believer's ultimate hope of glorification given in chapter three, verse 20 and 21, he begins chapter four with an exhortation to steadfastness and unity in Christ.

Or in other words, let us run with patience the race that's set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith, Hebrews 12.2. And in so doing, and in being in agreement with the Savior and his doctrine, so also should Euodias and Syntyche, those two mentioned in verse two, they should be in agreement. We can't go our separate ways as believers if we follow him as the way. We will be in agreement on doctrine and supporting the cause of Christ and the preaching of the gospel of his saving grace.

Then in verse three, he makes requests for help for those women who toiled with him in the gospel ministry. Perhaps the two mentioned in verse two, perhaps others. Some of the commentators that I read have a question as to who this true yoke fellow who was mentioned in this verse really is. There's been some speculation and they threw out some names. But I think maybe this is just a general call to any true yoke fellow in the local church in Philippi to help in the gospel endeavor along with these women of the church already engaged in promoting it.

And in verse four, he reminds them to always be rejoicing in the Lord, regardless of circumstance or difficulty, or even in the rigors of the work of the ministry he's just exhorted them to. It's hard to be unhappy or downcast when we spend our time and our energy applying our thoughts to Christ Jesus and things above. And don't we have much to rejoice in? And a great redeemer to rejoice in? And a great salvation to rejoice in? And because of this ability, and blessing of being able to rejoice in the Lord in all things.

Therefore, show your constancy and mildness to all kinds of men as you find them, though yet being staunch defenders of the doctrine of Christ. A pleasant and even temperament and demeanor in our dealings with men are a good witness to the world of the peace in the heart found only in the Lord, and their honoring to him and his gospel. Now, this is the phrase in the last part of verse five that really caught my eye some time ago and that I want to deal with in more detail tonight. It also serves as the message title. The Lord is at hand, or the Lord is near. He is close by.

We've been told many times from this pulpit, in fact, the pastor just did it a few messages ago, that the chapters and verse designations that we have in our Bibles are not inspired. but were supplied by translators for ease of use in studying and using the scriptures. And I'm thankful for them. They make it much easier. Even so, I think sometimes we mentally default to these as separations of thought or subject, which they're not intended to be.

For example, this statement in verse five is coupled with, let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. And the following thought, according to some of the scholars I read, being, let your moderation be seen of men, because the Lord is at hand or near. He is observing you.

Now, obviously, we desire our actions to be pleasing to the Lord, but this train of thought seems a bit backward to me, since a genuine moderation toward men is the result of the Lord having been near us as his elect people in salvation. and giving us a new heart and new motivations, even in our dealings with others.

It is the fruit of the Spirit's work within. And we hope to do that which adorns the gospel of our Lord out of love, not because he may be looking over our shoulder with a critical eye. Having been made aware of our own lost estate in ourselves and the great work accomplished for us by the Savior, we begin to desire for others what we found in Christ. And as a result, we become more compassionate and kinder toward them. But it also seems to me that this statement is at least as well connected and perhaps better connected to the next verse.

Hence, the Lord is at hand or near. Therefore, because he is nigh, you need not be full of care or overanxious or fretful for anything, but instead, should rest confidently in him and continually resort to him in thankful prayer for all things you have need of. So let's explore a bit more concerning how the Lord is at hand for all his saints.

Now, one of our basic beliefs is that our God is omnipresent or in all places at once. It occurred to me that we may often state this belief incorrectly We usually describe him as being in all the universe or some similar statement. Rightly considered, though, I think it should be all the universe is in him. Everything exists in him. Look over the next page here, Colossians 1, verse 16. It says, for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible. whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers. All things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. Now turn back with me to Psalm 139. Psalm 139, verse seven. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

You might then ask, well, then isn't his presence the same for everyone? Isn't he at hand the same for everyone? Look at verse nine. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." The answer here is a resounding no. This is a psalm of David, a sinner saved by grace, and it recounts God's continual gracious presence with him and is emblematic of his presence with all the elect. It's a particular nearness he reserves for his children, whereby he leads and protects them in all things in Christ, his right hand. The Lord is at hand for his saints first and foremost in salvation. I got a lot of questions to ask here that you can consider.

Indeed, how could he be more at hand or nearer to us than in salvation? How can he be nearer to us than by setting his love eternally upon us, even from before he made the world, that he might do us good in Christ? How can he be nearer to us than by bringing to pass in time salvation's great work through Christ's substitutionary sacrifice on the cross? unto our adoption as his dear children. How could he be nearer to us than by committing and staking his name, his promise, his integrity, his very Godhead on the outcome of his work? How can he be nearer to us than by becoming bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh in the person of Jesus Christ? How can he be nearer to us than by lifting from us our heavy burden of sin and laying it on him at the cross to suffer and die in our stead under its just curse.

Second Corinthians 521, for he hath made him to be sin for us, that one who knew no sin. And why? That we might be made the righteousness of God in him. How can he be nearer to us than by dressing our spiritual nakedness in Christ's perfect spotless robe of righteousness. How could he be nearer to us than by doing all this for us, even when we were yet enemies against him and his way of salvation by grace? Let's go to Colossians 1, 21.

And you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, Yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. How can he be nearer to us than by sending his Holy Spirit to us to reveal Christ to us and in us through the hearing of the gospel message? That spirit who yet abides with each of his children, and shall ever be with us, preserving us and causing us to persevere in the faith until we are called from this life unto glory.

Proverbs 18.24 says, a man that hath friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. The friend that sticketh closer to us than all others is the Lord Jesus himself and his The word sticketh here implies being joined to, or cleaving to, as a man cleaves to his wife.

Genesis 2.24 says, and they shall become one flesh. Lord Jesus cleaves faithfully to his church as his beloved bride, to each of us his purchased possession, lovingly and tenderly drawing and wooing us unto himself, unto salvation. And now, because the Lord God has placed us in Christ as our representative, savior, and mediator, we're also blessed with all spiritual blessings in Him, and often with many temporal mercies as well.

Go with me to the book of Romans, chapter 8. Romans 8. Verse 31, what shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? If in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father gave us the best, he gave the best, why should he withhold the rest? Yes, the Lord is at hand in salvation. The Lord is at hand in creation. Let's look at Psalm 104. Psalm 104. I'll just read a few verses through here. I won't read much of it because it's such a long psalm. But look at verse five.

Who laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed forever? Our God. Verse 10. He sendeth the springs into the valleys which run among the hills. Verse 13. He watereth the hills from his chambers. The earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herbs for the service of man, that he may bring forth food out of the earth. Verse 24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all. The earth is full of thy riches.

So is this great and wide sea wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts, There go the ships, there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein. These wait all upon thee, that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. That thou givest them, they gather. Thou openest thine hand, and they are filled with good. Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled. Thou takest away their breath, they die and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth Thy Spirit, they are created, and Thou renewest the face of the earth."

This passage of scripture puts to shame the theory that the Creator made all things and set the world in motion, and then stepped back to see what would happen, as if it were a wind-up toy or an eight-day clock. Our God is very much at hand and active in the operation of His creation. and all temporal things work together to supply the needs of his people and further his gospel message and purpose. Yes, the Lord is at hand in creation. The Lord is at hand in his word.

In Luke 4.4, the Lord Jesus responds to Satan's tempting him after 40 days of fasting.

It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. It's described in scripture as the word of his power, the word of truth, the word of life, the word of faith, the word of promise, the word of righteousness, the word of prophecy, the engrafted word, the faithful word, and by many other names, but always as the word of the Lord. Just as a little side note, you might sometime when you have an opportunity open a good concordance and just look up word and see how many times it tells you, perhaps hundreds, I didn't count, but over and over it says, the word of the Lord came, the word of the Lord came to you, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Isaiah. Many times the word comes to us. And it's impossible to separate the written word, that which we now hold in our hands, the spoken or the preached the gospel message of salvation by grace in Christ, and the incarnate word, Christ Jesus himself, the subject of both of the former.

These three are as one. The written word, the Holy Bible, that which we acknowledge as the inspired record of God, is our only source of the knowledge of our God and of Jesus Christ, his son, and of the salvation found only in him through his finished work at Calvary. It's a book whose sole subject is the person and work of the incarnate Word.

Look at John 1 with me. John 1. Very familiar passage of scripture, often gets read here, but deserves another reading. I'm just gonna read a few verses out of this. John 1, verse 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. Verse 14, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. So here we have the Word made flesh.

Turn over a few pages to John. Chapter 5, John 5, verse 39, Christ speaking to the Pharisees, search the scriptures, or you do search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. So we have the incarnate Word, the Word made flesh, We have the written word which tells us of him.

Matthew 18.20 says, for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. I am at hand. Turn with me to Nehemiah 8. Nehemiah 8. If you go back to Job and Esther comes before Job and Nehemiah before Esther. I cheated, I wrote down the page number.

In Emma 8, verse 2, And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation, both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate, from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand, and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

Verse six, and Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the men with lifting up their hands. I'm sorry, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also, Jeshua, and Benai, and Sherabiah, Jamin, Aqab, Shabbathai, Hodijah, Maasai, Kelita, Azariah, Jezebad, Hanan, Peliah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law and the people stood in their place.

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading. Verse 12, and all the people went their way to eat and to drink and to send portions and to make great mirth because they had understood the words that were declared unto them. It's easy to see that nothing has changed in the form of true worship or of the Lord's purpose in it. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe, 1 Corinthians 121. Preachers still expound the wonders and the beauties of the word, the Lord Jesus Christ, and his finished work of salvation for his elect people as they find him revealed in the written word And through this verbal recounting, the very present spirit of God takes the things of Christ in the written word and shows them to us, or gives us the sense and causes us to understand the reading.

First John 5.20, and we know that the Son of God has come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true. And we are in Him that is true, even in His Son, Jesus Christ. Turn with me to 1 Peter. 1 Peter 1, verse 23.

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. Yes, the Lord is at hand in his word.

The Lord is at hand in providence and in our daily walk. It so often comes upon us as we make our way through this life that things are out of control or haphazard. We often feel overwhelmed by events in our lives that may seem random and cause us great angst and stress. We just can't make sense of things. Go to 1 Samuel with me. 1 Samuel 2. Spoonful of fingers will get there eventually here. 1 Samuel 2 verse 6.

The Lord killeth and maketh alive. He bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich. He bringeth low and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill to set them among princes. and to make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them.

Now let's go to Psalm 66. Psalm 66. Verse eight, Psalm 66. O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard, which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. For thou, O God, hast proved us. Thou hast tried us as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net. Thou laidest affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads. We went through fire and through water. but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. We have indeed the riches to be found only in Christ Jesus. Yes, my brethren, and often afflicted, the Lord is at hand in your trials and tribulations. I messed up, I went too far. I lost my place, folks. Okay, let's go back up here. 1st Samuel.

So things are not naturally out of control, or not actually out of control, are they? He's at hand in the disposition of everything. Therefore, we should heed the instruction of the apostle in verse 6 of the text, be careful for nothing. Let's look at Matthew 6 and get back on track here. It's a scary thing when you can't follow your own notes. Matthew 6 and verse 25. Now this is a little bit longer passage, but you'll get the point here. Because we're looking at the Lord as a hand in providence in our daily walk. Verse 25, therefore, or verse 24, I'm sorry. No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon or the world.

Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment? Behold, the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.

Are you not much better than they? Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore, take no thought, no anxious thought, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek, the heathen. For your heavenly Father knoweth what you have need of, that you have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. So our God is fulfilling his purpose in all things that transpire and in our individual lives, all things working together for the eternal good of his people. Yes, the Lord is at hand in providence and in our daily walk. And if we assent to the fact that the Lord is at hand in all providence, then we must also realize that the Lord is at hand in trials and tribulations. Brother or sister in Christ, are you suffering? Is your health poor? Are you always in pain? Are you grieving from the loss of a loved one? Do you have family or financial issues? Are you plagued by uncertainty and doubts?

Job says in 14.1, man that is born of a woman is a few days and full of trouble. Our Lord spoke to his disciples just before his crucifixion in John 16.33, in the world, you shall have tribulation.

Now, obviously this statement's not meant exclusively for the 11, As it most certainly applies to all men, as Job said, we're all in the world. All men, regardless of their spiritual condition, experience pain, sorrow, sickness, and all other manner of temporal afflictions to be found in this flesh.

But thanks be to God for the rest of our Lord's teaching when he speaks to his people. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. There is nothing of this world or this life that can ultimately defeat the elect of God, though the trials be sore and sometimes seemingly unceasing.

For he's the author and finisher of them, even as he is of the faith that sees us through them by looking unto Jesus. And his purpose in bringing them upon us shall be fulfilled. Consider now old age with its own particular afflictions. Indeed, Ecclesiastes provides a laundry list of failings of the flesh, often to be endured as we age.

But what saith the Lord? Let's read Isaiah 46. Isaiah 46. And we'll look at verse three of Isaiah 46. Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are born by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb. And even to your old age I am he, and even to whore hares will I carry you. I have made and I will bear, even I will carry and will deliver you.

Yes, my brethren, and often afflicted, as I said before, the Lord is at hand in your trials and in your tribulations. And the Lord is at hand often, whether in trial or at ease, when we resort to God and will resort to our Lord in prayer. And we know, certainly, that as children of God, the Lord is at hand in prayer. We're instructed in verse six of the text not to be over-anxious or of frantic disposition and demeanor in anything which bespeaks of unbelief, belief, and lack of confidence in God to provide for and to do right by us. But rather, we're exhorted to lay bare our souls to the Almighty, to seek the Lord's mercies, His purpose and will for us, and His provision in everything in prayer. and always to do so with thanksgiving. Undoubtedly, we have much more to give thanks to him for than we have true need to request of him.

Look at Philippians 4.19. Here, just the next column over in my Bible. 4.19, but my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Psalm 40 and five says, Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us work. They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

But whenever we do enter into prayer with him, we are to come boldly before the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need. Find that grace to help. Now, how can we come boldly? We can do so only because we have a great high priest and mediator, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and because we are accepted in the beloved. Psalm 145, 18 reassures us, the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, and to all that call upon him in truth. If we would call upon him in truth, then we must call upon him in Christ, who is the truth and who ever liveth to make intercession for us.

Hebrews 7.25. Yes, my friends, the Lord is at hand in your prayers. The Lord is at hand in death.

Ecclesiastes 3.2 tells us that there is a time to be born and a time to die. We know full well from our own observations that we're destined to remove from this life. And there is nearly always in us some measure of the fear of death because the actual experience of it's unknown to us. Perhaps what we truly fear is the strenuous exercise of the body and spirit which may be involved in bringing us unto death. But what does the scripture say? David says, yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I'll fear no evil, for thou art with me, thou art at hand.

Our substitute, the Lord Jesus, took upon himself all the sin of his people, and consequently, the sentence of death required for sin by God's law, so that divine justice expended all its wrath against him on the cross, in our stead, insomuch that he received in himself, both body and soul, the death we rightly deserve in ourselves. And having paid our law debt and imputing to us his righteousness, he's freed us from the law's curse of death, through no works of righteousness of our own, but solely by God's grace due to the work of the Redeemer. Romans 521, that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 623, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So that which we call death is in reality the shedding of this mortal body ravaged by sin, and it's the passing over Jordan into a land promised, having left behind all taint of sin, where we shall be as our brother, once a thief, with the Lord in paradise. Yes, the Lord is at hand in death. And finally, friends, the Lord is at hand in eternity.

Turn over a few pages to 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 4. Begin reading at verse 13. 1 Thessalonians 4. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep, we shall not go before them.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. Yes, the Lord is at hand in eternity. Back to the text, and I'll try to wind this up. back to Philippians 4.

Therefore, having had these things revealed to our hearts, we're blessed, in verse 7, with the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, which shall keep our hearts and our minds through Christ Jesus. This God of peace and the peace which he gives us shall keep our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. So let us be careful for nothing, but rejoice always, because in all things for the believer the Lord is at hand.