Well, I want to turn your attention
back to Philippians chapter 2 and the second half of it from verse
14 to the end, and I've called this message, The Proof of a
Faithful Minister. When you first read it, it's
a bit difficult to see how you would get a sermon out of it,
because it looks more like practical suggestions and just the signs
of a man who is writing a letter to real people. But there are
lessons in here. All of God's Word, all Scripture
is profitable. Let me remind you of the background
to Philippians, first of all. Paul, the apostle, and was it
Silas with him? Yes, it was, wasn't it, Silas,
went to Philippi, preaching the gospel of grace. They tried to
preach in Asia, but the Holy Spirit prevented them. And then
Paul had a vision, and there was a man of Macedonia saying,
come over to us and help us. And they went, and one of the
places they went to early on was Philippi. And there they
went down by the river, and they found a woman, and some people
with her, a businesswoman called Lydia, who was a seller of purple
cloth, the purple cloth of the area. And she was a devout woman,
and she sought God, and she wanted to do the right thing. But she
didn't know the gospel until Paul preached it. God sent her
a preacher, and as Paul preached it, Paul opened her heart. It doesn't say that, does it?
It doesn't say that Paul opened her heart, it says the Lord opened
her heart. So that the words that Paul preached
went in, went in and hit the bullseye, hit the mark. And then
there was the Philippian jailer, because there was a riot, and
they beat Paul and Silas, and they put them in prison, and
the jailer, who was a rough man, put their feet in the stocks
in the middle of the prison, and there was that earthquake
in the middle of the night. And the jailer somehow knew, by God's
revelation, he was dangled over eternity, and he knew what he
was. What must I do to be saved? believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
they said and you shall be saved and he and his household all
believed as Paul and Silas preached to them the gospel and they were
baptized and that was the start of this church at Philippi and
Paul went on his journeys and it's several years later and
now Paul is in Rome in the last two years of his life He knows
it's highly likely that the Roman Emperor is going to have him
put to death. But while he's here for two years, he's in a
rented house and under house arrest with those that guarded
him and kept him prisoner in that house. He had the liberty
to receive people, to have people come and visit him, and the liberty
to write the epistles. And so many of the epistles of
our Bible are written by Paul in this state of prison in Rome.
Think of John Bunyan and what he did in prison. Twelve years
in prison, in Bedford jail, and he wrote Pilgrim's Progress and
the Holy War and other works as well. How fruitful was that
time? Well, it was with Paul. But he
knows that He is probably going to die. He knows that this is
probably going to be the end of his ministry. He's given this
space to write the gospel as clearly as he can to various
churches. And he writes to them because
he knows what we are. as believers. If we're believers,
he knows what we are, he knows that there is a complete dichotomy.
A what-omy, you might say? A dichotomy, a difference, a
stark contrast between what we are in the one person, flesh
and the spirit. The flesh of the natural man,
that which is descended from Adam, that flesh is sinful and
corrupt in the eyes of God and in the law of God and the justice
of God completely. But for those who believe, the
Holy Spirit has given a new man. There's been a new birth. Unless
a man is born again of the Spirit of God, he cannot see the Kingdom
of God. You must be born again. Why must
you be born again? Because you must be born again
to see the Kingdom of God, to know the things of eternity,
to be what the natural man cannot be and cannot do. The natural
man cannot discern the things of the Spirit of God. They're
foolishness to him. Neither can he know them. But the Holy Spirit
comes. He makes his people willing in
the day of his power. He gives new life, which is from
on high. He puts a new man within, and
although the flesh sins every day, and if we say we have no
sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, yet the
new man, John tells us, cannot sin. He's the one that is born
of God. He's the one that is born of
the Spirit of God. There's this dichotomy. And so
it leads to this question always, how do we live? How do we live
as individual believers and as churches? The epistles are written
to the new man. The epistles are written to that
new man of the Spirit of God, to those who mind the things
of God, think on the things of God. It's written to the new
man, teaching what Christ has accomplished. That's what it's
for, the scriptures, the whole scriptures, not just the epistles,
teach us what Christ has accomplished. We were seeing in Joshua, way
back in the Old Testament, in Joshua chapter 4. How there,
it's teaching us about the gospel, and about the memorials of what
God has done for his people. It's teaching us these things,
the things of salvation that are fixed and certain and unchanging,
despite the continuing sin that we have in the flesh. The fact
of salvation is unchanged for the child of God. We know we
sin always, but the fact of salvation, because Christ has accomplished
it. He was raised. Was Christ raised from the dead?
Yes. Why? For our justification. It's certain. He has accomplished it. But the
epistles also exhort the new man to subdue the old man, the
flesh and its lusts. The epistles constantly exhort
the new man to put on the uniform of the new man and to take off
that dirty old coat of sinful flesh. To show this world whose
we are and whom we serve. Why? Not for any improvement
in our standing with God. How can there be any improvement
in that which Christ has accomplished for his people? There cannot
be. But to demonstrate to this world. around, whose we are and
whom we serve. And Christ himself is the motivation. Not law, not the threat of punishment
or the promise of reward, but Christ is our motivation. Look
to him. What has Paul just said? Let
this mind be in you which was also in Christ. Ah, I'll stop
and think a moment. Which was also in who? Being
in the form, how exalted, how high. He humbled himself. became a man, being found in
fashion as a man, fully clothed in flesh, was obedient. How obedient? Unto death, even the death of
the shameful cross. Why? To accomplish the salvation
of his people. And because of that, God has
highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every
name. Christ is our motivation. Let this mind be in you. He then
goes on to say, work out that which God has worked in. God
has worked in you salvation. God has worked in you conviction
of sin. Work out confession of sin. God
has worked in you the light of the gospel, of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ. Work out faith. Work out your
own salvation. Work out faith, because God has
worked in you to give you the light of the gospel. God has
worked in you the knowledge, the experience of redemption. To know, I know whom I have believed. He's worked in you. That, therefore
work it out. How? Letting this mind be in
you. Self-denial. Selflessness. It
then talks about living in the world. Verses 14 to 18. Do all
things without murmuring and disputings. that ye may be blameless
and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of
a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights
in the world, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice
in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured
in vain. Yea, if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service
of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause
also do ye joy and rejoice with me." He's talking about subduing
the works of the flesh. Subduing the works. The works
of the flesh, you know what they are? Paul lists them for us in
Galatians 5. The works of the flesh are a
horrible catalogue. Galatians 5 and Verse 19, the works of the flesh
are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations,
wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness,
revelings, and such like, of the which I tell you before,
as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such
things, meaning they which are in, how can I put this so that
I'm not misunderstood, are in a settled, contented state with
those things, in the flesh, shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the new man of the Spirit of God is not contented with
those things, and must repent of them, and must seek to put
them off. No, these works of the flesh
are to be subdued, and murmuring Murmuring, as it says here, murmurings
and disputings. Murmuring, do you remember as
the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, they often
murmured. And this was sin against God.
It caused grief. to Moses and to God. They were
not being thankful for all that God had done for them. God had
fed them. He fed them for 40 years, yet
they murmured. They murmured against Him. Murmuring. Do all
things without murmuring and disputing. Why? Why? Verse 15. The object is to bring no disgrace
or shame on God's people, on God's gospel, on God's church,
on God's Christ, in the eyes of the world. We cannot be blameless
in the eyes of God, for in this flesh we know we are sinners. We sin every day, we are nothing
but sin. But what he's saying is in the
eyes of those around you, Strive to be blameless. Strive to do
nothing that will bring disgrace or shame on God's people, on
his gospel, on his church, on his Christ. Be like, I'll give
you an example. There was a man who ministered
in Rochdale 200 years ago, John Kershaw, the first half of the
1800s. And he was a very faithful minister. He followed in the footsteps
of John Warburton, who ministered there before him. and William
Gadsby and others of that ilk. And John Kershaw was a faithful,
powerful preacher of the gospel. And the churches that called
themselves churches round about, many of them hated his doctrine
and denied his doctrine and wouldn't believe the truth that he preached.
But the one thing they said was, from counsellors, to local politicians,
to business leaders, to whatever else, they couldn't deny that
John Kershaw, John Kershaw was a shining example of what the
grace of God in the gospel of his grace does. That's what Paul's
talking about. Do nothing to cause society roundabouters
to say, well they may say this, but look at the way they behave.
Look at what they're doing. You know how the scandals of
the priests of the Roman Catholic Church and their sexual abuse
and all that. What utter disgrace it brings
on that organization. Well, he says, let it not be
mentioned among you. He says you should shine as lights
in darkness. Hold forth the word of light,
shining as lights in the world. You know, darkness, when it goes
dark, it goes really dark, doesn't it? If you're away from street
lights and there's no moon, it's really, really pitch dark. And
a light is such a comforting thing, a light shining in darkness.
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, verse 16 of Matthew 5,
let your light so shine before men. Let your light, it's in
there, let it leak out. Let your light so shine before
men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father
which is in heaven. And hold forth the Word of Life,
verse 16. Hold it forth. Hold it up as
a banner, as a beacon, the Word of Life in this dark world. The
Word of Life that is so contrary to the philosophy and the religion
and the morality of this world around. Hold forth the Word of
Life. Because why? As Hebrews tells us, Hebrews
4.12, the Word of God is quick. and powerful. It's living and
powerful. It's sharper than any two-edged
sword. It pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and
spirit. This is the word of life. It's
a powerful thing. It's one of the elements of the
armor that Paul in Ephesians 6 tells us to arm ourselves with,
because we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities
and powers. And he says take all of the defensive
bits, but he says take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word
of God in your hand. It's powerful. Hold forth this
word of life, displaying it as a banner, making the gospel publicly
visible. And how do we do it? Well, we
have public meetings and we have the internet and we trust God
to bless these things in the calling out of his people. We
also have things which, as I already mentioned in the study on Joshua,
baptism and the Lord's table are things which symbolize the
gospel truth that we believe. And hold them forth, hold them
forth, maintain them. At whatever the cost, as Paul
says in verses 17 and 18, whatever the cost to him, he knows there's
a good chance that he is going to die. He says in verse 23,
as soon as I shall see how it will go with me. That sounds
like the words of a worldly person. Let's just see, you know, who
knows what's going to turn. Well, that's what he's saying.
He knows all things are in God's hands. but as a man in the flesh
he said let's just see how things turn out we don't know who knows
what will happen this coming week we all have plans to do
certain things this coming week but who knows what will happen
who knows only God knows only he knows rest in him trust in
him So then, he goes on and he talks about God's ministry gifts
to his people. Why? Because of this dichotomy
of flesh and spirit. That believing people to whom
he writes to that new man, confirming the things of salvation, still
live in the flesh. We still live in these bodies
which are frail and sinful and weak. And God has given ministry
gifts to his people. Ministry gifts. Verses 19 to
30, the next bit of the chapter down to the end, is all about
this. He's writing to sheep. Jesus called his people his sheep.
I know my sheep. They hear my voice. He's writing
to sheep. Will they know where to find
good pasture? Do you know what happens to sheep when there's
no shepherd around? They just scatter all over the place. They're
not very sensible, aren't sheep? They're very easily distracted.
They very easily get lost. They very easily wander away
from where they should be. They miss out on food and water. They fall into the hands of predators.
Can these people Even though they're the people of God, all
God's people are taught of God, but God knows the frailty of
most and has given gifts to his church. He's given ministry gifts
to his church. Let me remind you of them. Ephesians
4. You only have to turn back a couple of pages in most Bibles. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse
11. Ephesians 4 verse 11. Again it's
Paul writing that God gave these ministry gifts. He gave some
apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors
and teachers. Why did he do that? For the perfecting
of the saints. For the Improvement in grace
of the saints. To stimulate, as Peter says,
grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. For their growth, for their growth. A garden grows
better when it's tended by a gardener. He gives gifts for them to benefit. For the work of the ministry,
for the edifying, for the building up of the body of Christ. Till
we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of
the Son of God unto a perfect man. knowing more and more of
the things of God, and to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ, that we henceforth, what are we by nature? Children
tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine.
Oh, oh, that sounds it. Oh, I'll go off there. Oh no,
look at that one over there. You see, that's what we're like
by nature, naturally. Children tossed to and fro by
every wind of doctrine, but with these ministry gifts, no, shepherded. kept in the fold, guided to where
the pasture is, guided to where the clean water is, kept safe
from the predators. But speaking the truth in love
may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ.
He's given these ministry gifts to shepherd, to lead, to feed,
to defend, to point to Christ. So you might say, well we better
get ourselves one of these ministers then, hadn't we? No, look, hold
on, verse 20. He's talking about Timothy, who
he's going to send to them. He knows he can't go himself
immediately, but Timothy can, and Timothy's with him. And he
says, I'm gonna send Timothy to you, that I'll know what your
state is, and that he'll teach you. I've no man like-minded
who will naturally, he's the best I've got, who will naturally
care for your state. Verse 21, for all seek their
own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. What he's saying
to us here is this, All who call themselves ministers are not
necessarily ministers to the flock of God. There are multitudes
in the world of so-called ministers of religion. There are multitudes
of them, are there not? Multitudes of them. But he says
here all, it's just a figure of speech, all, what he means
is the majority The overwhelming majority seek their own benefit. The majority seek their own convenience. The majority are in it for what
they get out of it. They may not get a very handsome
living, but they get a very comfortable living by most accounts. They're
in it for their own convenience. It's what Paul says if you turn
over the page the other way, to chapter 3 and verse 19, talking
about such, talking about these deceivers, enemies of the cross
of Christ, he says, whose end is destruction, whose God is
their belly. Material things, what they can
get out of it. Whose glory is their shame, who mind earthly
things. He's talking about false ministers
of the gospel. They're not true ministers of
the gospel. They're in it for what they can get out of it.
Their God is their belly. Paul writes about them in Romans
16 verse 18 again. He says, they that are such,
by what? What does he mean? Well the previous
verse says they cause division and offenses contrary to Paul's
doctrine. He says, they that are such serve
not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly. and by good
words and fair speeches, plenty of that around, deceive the hearts
of the simple." No, he says, Timothy stands out from them.
Beware of the majority. Just because they call themselves
ministers, don't believe that they are ministers of God. They're
not. They're not. There's such a fear. I'm sure that there are God's
true sheep in many places in this country, in churches, that
have a name that they live, but as Revelation 3 says, they have
a name that they live, but they're dead. They're dead, they're lukewarm
like Laodicea, they're mixed and compromised, the gospel is
not held forth clearly, and I'm sure that there are God's true
sheep in those situations, but they're frightened of coming
out from it. They're frightened of leaving it. They're frightened
of questioning the validity of a minister, one of these so-called
ministers. I remember churches that we've
been in, in the past, where we've been very unhappy, and we've
not been hearing the gospel preached, and it's been, it's a church
that's had a name, and a reputation, and a standing, and regarded
as the gold standard of how churches should be run, and yet you're
not hearing the gospel. And things are managed by legalism
and discipline. rather than the gospel of grace.
And there's a fear of questioning the validity of the minister
who is not preaching Christ. And what's constantly held forth
when people say, you know, I'm really not happy with the preaching
is, ah, Psalm 105, 15. Touch not mine anointed and do
my prophets no harm. Oh, you're in danger. You are
questioning the minister. How dare you question the minister?
That's not what the scripture means there. It doesn't mean
that we shouldn't use discernment. Who is it that says these false
prophets are God's ministers? God certainly doesn't. Colleges
don't make God's ministers. Denominations don't make God's
ministers. Seminaries, whatever they call
themselves, don't make God's ministers. God makes God's ministers. God does it. Not these human
organizations. No. He says, I'm sending Timothy
to you. because there's so few others
that I can send to you." Well, what is the proof of a faithful
minister? What is the proof? That's what
I want to look at for the rest of our time. Verse 22, you know
the proof of him, of Timothy. Says to the Philippians, you
know him, you know the proof of him, that as a son with the
father, He hath served with me in the gospel. The proof of a
minister is he served with me in the gospel. Holding forth
the word of life, there's only one gospel. Paul says there are
people who preach another gospel, but it's no gospel at all really,
because there's only one gospel. It's a gospel of salvation accomplished. It's the gospel of the salvation
of a particular people. who are redeemed by the Son of
God. It's the gospel which is clear. that those who are saved are
those who were chosen by the Father before the beginning of
time, in grace, on the basis of love, grace alone, not on
the basis of any merit, just because He is God and He is sovereign. A multitude that no man can number. I tried to summarize this in
the article on the back of the bulletin, so look at it. I'm
trying to summarize Because, you know, so often we go along
and we assume everybody knows what the gospel is. I try to
summarize what is the gospel. It's that the Father, before
the beginning of time, out of all humanity that would exist,
chose a people for himself. He, sovereignly, chose them and
betrothed them to Christ. How was he going to save them?
He was going to put them into Christ and treat them in him. In every respect, he betrothed
his people to Christ in eternity. And so therefore, because God
did that, they're justified from all eternity. Because when God
says he's doing something, he is going to do it, and he will
definitely accomplish it. But, but, what was necessary? Christ must come in time, as
a man, The Son of God must come in time as a man in order to
redeem these people, in order to pay the sin debt for these
people, in order to make satisfaction to the justice of God. And having
made satisfaction, he cried, it is finished, but you know
But now, there are those who are the elect of God, as Acts
13, 48 says, those who were ordained to eternal, they must be out
there somewhere. They're walking around, and what
do they look like? They look like children of wrath, even
as others. They look like ordinary people.
They look like ordinary sinful people with no thought for God
whatsoever. So what happens? The Holy Spirit
comes, because they must be saved, for Christ has justified them. The Holy Spirit comes, and brings
conviction, and gives repentance, and causes them to hear preaching,
because it's by the foolishness of preaching it pleased God to
save those who believe. And he gives faith, for by grace
are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it's
the gift of God. And he confirms in them the confidence
of all that God in Christ has accomplished. and will complete
for his people." They'd seen the proof of this. They'd all
seen that Timothy had the mantle of Paul. You know how when Elijah
was about to go up to heaven in that chariot of fire, and
Elisha, who was like his apprentice prophet, what do you want? I
want your mantle. I want a double portion of your
mantle. I want the same spirit to be upon me. And God gave Elisha
that same spirit of the prophet Elijah. And in the same way,
they'd seen that Timothy had the mantle of Paul. He'd served
with him in the gospel. He was not a novice. If you look
at 1 Timothy chapter 3, these ministry gifts to the church
have qualifications. Somebody is not a servant of God, a minister
of God, because they feel like doing a different job, or because
they feel like going to a college, or because some organization
and denomination has ordained them. No, they have qualifications. They have to be, what it says
at the end of chapter 3, verse 2, of 1 Timothy, a bishop then,
must be, means an elder, means a presbyter, a leader in the
church, husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior,
given to hospitality, apt to teach. Must be apt to teach. Must be gifted, must be equipped
to teach. Not just able to stand up and
recite correct doctrine, but must be able to teach. Qualification. Timothy, you know
the proof of him. He laboured in the Gospel, you've
heard him. He's apt to teach. What is it to be apt to teach?
It's not just being able to stand up and recite correct things.
You have to be able to engage with your hearers. I've probably
told you the story many times before, but uh... forty-one years
ago I started teaching science uh... in a school in Welling
Garden City. Forty-one years ago. Long time,
isn't it? And uh... I stood up before the
class with my good honours physics degree from Liverpool University
and my teacher training certificate that went with it and I stood
up before them and for seven weeks of the first half term
I quoted to them things that I am absolutely sure would have
been correct as far as physics was concerned and science. I
didn't tell them any lies, I didn't tell them any... I told them
how it was. And at the end of that first
seven weeks, at the half-term holiday, a group of very brave
girls came up to me, this old man of 22 years old, and said,
please sir, and I said yes, and they said, you know you've been
teaching us physics for the last seven weeks, and I said yes,
and they said, we haven't understood a word you've said, could you
go back to the beginning and do it again? oh gosh, do you know
that, that did hurt, but wow, did it do me some good. That
was the best thing that ever happened to me as a teacher,
because it always made me think, I can say what's right till I'm
blue in the face, as they say, but if I'm not engaging with
them, and them identifying and seeing the point of what I'm
saying, I'm not teaching them, I'm not apt to teach. So that
instructed me in what it was to teach physics. When it comes
to preaching, you can apply the same things. There must be clarity. There must be distinctness. There must be projection of the
truth. There must be engagement with
the hearts of the hearers. Do you remember In the book of
Nehemiah, chapter 8, we read there that the walls are built,
they've returned to Jerusalem, the temple worship is underway,
and he gets Ezra to stand up on a pulpit made of wood and
to preach to all, and they're all there, from the oldest down
to the youngest who can hear with understanding. And what
do they do? They preach the scriptures and
they give the sense. And they make the people understand. That's what it is to be apt to
teach. This is the qualification of
one who is apt to teach, one who is laboring, serving in the
gospel. with Paul. True preachers today
are serving in the gospel with Paul. There are his words here
and we're preaching his words. So then, it's to be able to project
clearly. But what about, let me show you
another guy. Let me show you Apollos in Acts
chapter 18. I'll just read it out to you.
Acts chapter 18 and verse 24. And a certain Jew named Apollos,
born in Alexandria in North Africa, an eloquent man. Oh, he was a
good speaker. He was never short of words.
An eloquent man. He could project himself. The
people could hear him. He was a clear, good orator.
Mighty in the scriptures. Oh, he knew the Bible. He knew
the Old Testament scriptures. He came to Ephesus. And this
man was instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent
in the spirit, he spoke and taught diligently the things of the
Lord knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak
boldly in the synagogue, whom when Aquila and Priscilla had
heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way
of God. They heard this eloquent speaker,
and they heard he doesn't know the true gospel. He doesn't know
it. He only knows the baptism of
John. He knows the scriptures, but he doesn't know the gospel.
He hasn't seen the key to the scriptures. What is the key,
or should I say, who is the key to the scriptures? It's Christ.
It's Christ. In all things, Christ. He didn't
preach Christ. But after Aquila and Priscilla
had spoken to him, look in the last verse. he mightily convinced
the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures, what
did he show them? That Jesus was Christ. That's
what he preached. He showed from the scriptures
that he was mighty in, he knew the scriptures, but now he showed
from the scriptures, as Jesus did to those disciples on the
road to Emmaus, beginning at Moses and the prophets, he expounded
to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself,
for these scriptures are they which speak of him, is what Jesus
said. So Timothy spoke to the good
shepherd's sheep with the good shepherd's voice. And the sheep
heard him. My sheep hear my voice. Timothy
spoke with the good shepherd's voice. And the sheep heard him.
You know the proof of him. He's labored with me in the gospel.
They tried what he said. For John says, try the spirits
whether they be of God. Do they preach that Christ is
the one who came to fulfill all the messianic prophecies? They
were like the noble Bereans who examined the scriptures daily
to see whether what Paul was telling them was true. And what
if you hear something that is not speaking the truth or someone
that is not speaking the truth? Well, challenge as graciously
as possible, but be prepared to separate. And I'm saying this
for people particularly who will listen on the internet. Challenge
it graciously, but be prepared to separate from it if it's not
true. You see, You say, oh, it's my
church, and how dare I leave my church, and I've been in this
church for years, and I've got so many good friends in this
church, and oh, I don't say anything about this minister because I'm
told not to touch the Lord's anointed. 2 Corinthians 6 says
this, 14 to 18, it says, don't be unequally yoked with unbelievers.
It says, come out from among them. Be separate, my people.
You cannot. What communion can you have?
Light with darkness? You cannot. If the gospel truth
is not there, separate. How dare I leave the church?
It becomes like leaving Jehovah's Witnesses or leaving Islam. You
know, you read stories of the terrible things that happen to
people that threaten to leave Islam or actually do leave it.
But if it is in truth, Ichabod, there's no gospel, departed glory,
how can you stay there? He's going to show us in the
next few verses at the start of chapter 3 who are the true
people of God. They're not necessarily that
church where you feel compelled to stay because you've always
been there. No, Paul's about to reassure us who are the true
people of God and God willing we'll look at that next time.
There are many people who listen on the internet to these messages,
and they've come out from churches because they just couldn't go
there any longer. There's no gospel there. They're now alone,
entirely alone. And what does the scripture teach
us? It says, if at all possible, meet with other believers regularly.
Don't separate yourself. Meet with other believers whenever
you can. But if it isn't possible, And for some, for many, it genuinely
isn't possible in these days. Well thank God for the internet,
and Free Grace Radio, and the preachers who faithfully proclaim
the Gospel of Grace there. And hold such, these faithful
ministers, hold such in reputation. Epaphroditus was the minister
of the church at Philippi, clearly. And they'd heard he was in prison
and they'd sent Epaphroditus to Paul in Rome to bring him
a gift from them, to do some service for him in Rome. And
he's now sending him back to them because Epaphroditus is
the one who's actually scribed this letter. Paul's dictated
it, but Epaphroditus is the one whose hand wrote it. right the
way through. And he's going to take this letter
back to them as their minister and Timothy probably will go
with him. But he talks about Epaphroditus. Look how Paul esteems
Epaphroditus. Verse 25, I supposed it necessary
to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, my companion in labor,
a fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my
wants." He'd been sick, he'd been sick nearly unto death,
and he knew that they'd been sorrowful because they thought
they were going to lose him. But he's sending him back to them
to be their minister. And verse 29, he says, "...receive
him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such in
reputation." for the work's sake, for the gospel's sake, for the
ministry's sake, hold him, respect him as God's gift to you, of
one who selflessly works to shepherd you. This isn't slavish, unquestioning
servitude that he's calling for, he's talking about respect, that
as you hear the shepherd's voice through him, He is the Lord's
instrument for your good, so therefore respect him for that
sake. As Paul again writes to the Hebrews
in 13 and verses seven and eight, remember them which have the
rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose
faith follow, considering the end of their conversation, Jesus
Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. So the proof
of a faithful minister. What about me? Well, I'm content
to preach as long as there are people who want to gather here.
And there are others who want to listen on the internet. We'll
record it and put it on there. But I'm happy always to point
to other faithful ministers on Free Grace Radio and to encourage
us all to hear them, to try them, to prove them. And if you, me,
sheep, hear the shepherd's voice through them, to follow them.
Think of it. If you hear the shepherd's voice,
how foolish it is not to follow them. isn't it? You know it's
the shepherd's voice, how foolish not to follow them.