Positive Position
Philippians 2: 19 ||But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send eTimotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.[1]
I. Anticipation
A. Expectation
B. Provision
II. Relaxation
A. Gratification
B. Cooperation
III. Situation
A. Attention
B. Conviction
Introduction: As this present condition continues in this world, many are waiting patiently for things to get back to the place where people can once again be the sociable beings that God created us to be. When God looked around and saw that He had created all the animals to have another of the same type to spend life with, God said that it was not good that Adam was alone. Adam walked with God and that was very good but when Adam gave up part of himself to have Eve to spend life with, Adam was almost without words.
It is most definitely not good that the only way for us to coexist with others is by way of a stupid machine. I don’t even like telephones though there was a time that I was required to communicate through them. We would drive for many miles to have a meeting with real live human beings even though we had a very expensive system with big screens and cameras so that we could have a real teleconference without leaving Raleigh.
I understand that it was a long time ago according to my grandchildren who were not even born then but this virtual meeting thing is a poor substitute for being together. Apparently some people really like it but I like looking into faces even if part of your face has to be covered.
We have been studying Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi for the past few weeks and today we will continue. Paul surely understood what some today are going through because he was locked up at home. People were allowed to come see him but he could not go to check on those who weren’t able to come to him.
There was no internet or teleconference center where Paul could communicate with those who loved him. He had to rely on what he heard from someone else. Paul might have been happy with the today’s technology but I expect Paul would have still rather relied on physical contact.
In preparation for this message, Jim was having a bit of a pity party. Another meeting cancelled meant that I wouldn’t have to go back out into the night air. That should have been a good thing since I am suffering with a summer cold. It just hit me wrong that people are more interested in watching numbers than relying on God and still nobody is mentioning that.
Being the outspoken chaplain board member that I am, I fired off an email that challenged us to trust in someone other than the press, politicians, and programmers. That was Monday. Now it’s Tuesday and I’m preparing for Sunday’s message. We’re moving along in Philippians chapter two, verse nineteen. No coincidence; there is the thing I know God is trying to get into my thick scull. The Holy Spirit never ceases to amaze me with the Bible.
Scripture: The scripture is Philippians 2:19. When you have found it please rise to your feet for the reading of God’s written word.
Prayer: Please be seated
Message: Well I could have stopped after word seven in verse nineteen. Oh how I would love to hear someone in authority say “But I trust in the Lord Jesus!” What would it mean if just one of those so-called medical professionals would say that and mean it. Do you think God is waiting to hear that? There are still so many of God’s people staying away from each other. How many are saying that they truly trust Jesus by watching worship from their homes?
With every pitfall that Paul had experienced in his ministry, Paul started with, “But I trust in the Lord Jesus.” I should say that and mean it. Personally, I have lost all confidence in what I see and hear from the sources that are supposed to be keeping us informed. It shows in my cynicism. I apologize for my lack of patience that I am sure all around me have put up with.
The Holy Spirit has been putting the words into my conscience through many different ways in the past few weeks. What I have been going through is a lack of faith in God alone. The thing that I have been preaching to others is what God is telling me. To say it another way, “5 iTrust in the Lord with all thine heart; And jlean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways kacknowledge him, And lhe shall direct thy paths.” [2] Instead of showing my aggravation at others for not living this truth, it is me who needs to live this truth.
Instead of aggravation over his circumstances, Paul had a sense of anticipation. Because Paul truly did trust in Jesus, Paul knew that Jesus would inspire Timothy to go to see those in Philippi and represent Paul there in that place where he could not go. As God provided for Abraham a sacrifice that day for Isaac, Jesus is God’s provision as His perfect sacrifice for all of us. Now Jesus would send Paul’s “son in the spirit” to represent Paul.
Paul had groomed the young man Timothy to spread the gospel and to oversee the churches that Paul had been forced to leave behind. Now Paul had to trust Timothy with his most precious relationships. When I think of the relationship that we were created in the image of, I see the Heavenly Father who remains Holy. I see the Only Begotten Son who alone is the trusted One that God allows to intercede for God’s most precious creation; us. I see the Holy Spirit that has the same relationship that He always has had to indwell us, His church, His elect.
When God finished the creation of the universe on the sixth day, He rested. God The Father was of good comfort. When Jesus proclaimed from the cross, “It is finished” and then told His Father, “Into thy hands I commend my spirit”, Jesus was of good comfort. He had finished His passion and now He trusted God to take Him.
Paul was relaxed even though he was there in that home prison. He had no worries. Paul was grateful because there was that one true partner in the ministry that God had provided. There will be that time when God will prevent you from doing that thing that you believe you can do all by yourself. God will place that thing in front of you that will cause you to understand that there are those whom you can depend on and you will learn cooperation. This is much easier learned in church when we are young. In sports teams we learn to cooperate with those whom we must depend on. When you get 70 years old so that getting down on the floor to work on an appliance is just as easy as it ever was but getting back up is another thing, you will learn to depend on those God has placed there for you to depend on. Cooperation does indeed bring comfort even to us old guys who say I’d rather do it myself. One day you won’t be able to.
Why do we have prayer meetings? Is it so that we can compare notes on others and speculate why they are in the situations they are in? Have prayer meetings become gossip sessions? Paul wanted to know the state of those who he prayed for. He wanted to know how God had answered his prayers.
As we read the previous verses in this letter, do you see anywhere that Paul is wondering about who is married to whom? Is he wondering even about the physical condition of those in Philippi? Surely Paul cared about their emotional and physical needs but it was their relationship with Jesus and each other in the church that Paul was more interested in. Paul was more interested in their spiritual situation.
What Paul was writing to them was pretty much this; don’t get caught up in the worldly mess. Hold forth the word of life so that I, Paul, might rejoice and know that the work that God sent me there in Philippi to do was not in vain. That was their state that Paul was attentive to learn about. Are we here today still convicted to the message of truth! That is why we are here and that is what matters to Jesus. He wants to know your state of attention to His kingdom, your state of conviction to each other.
There was that sense of urgency with Paul. He wanted so much to go and see for himself but he had to trust in the one Jesus provided. Paul wanted to be sure that the world had not invaded the Philippian church with every other thing and thought other than Jesus. Paul knew that most around him were very much sidetracked.
Verse, twenty, “20 For I have no man ||flikeminded, who will gnaturally care for your state. 21 For hall iseek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” [3] Which track are you on?
Prayer:
Invitation: When I consider those things which are Jesus Christ’s, then He will protect and use me. But when I seek my own health over yours, my finances over yours, my comfort over yours, my worldly life above the life that Jesus died to give to me; when I think like that, Jesus will not be in my thoughts. He is a gentle man. A gentleman will not force his way upon anyone but will patiently wait for you to ask.
We cannot change anyone else’s mind. God will not, so as Christians we are not able to do that; even as much as we think we would like to. Nobody can make the choice to trust God over the worldly circumstances except you yourself. The question today is this; what are you showing those around you by the decisions you are making in regard to your relationship with Jesus.
If being comfortable staying away from other Christians is a decision that others are making for Jesus’ glory; that is up to them. We are all responsible for the decisions that we make for Him.
The invitation today is to pray for your own personal conviction because if we as individual Christians are not convicted to follow God’s will, He will continue to leave us to our own designs. This pandemic is like the rest of this world. It is a temporary situation, but like everything else, the eternal ramifications of our decisions today will have everlasting consequences.
Pray that we stay in God’s will and trust not in your own understanding because if all this has proved anything it is this; nobody but God understands this and everybody is proving to be wrong as they attempt to drive others to their own inept conclusions.
Let us consider as we sing… Please come and kneel if He calls.
|| Or, Moreover.
e See Acts 16:1. Comp. 1 Thess. 3:2.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 2:19). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
i Ps. 37:3, 5. See Ps. 25:2.
j So Jer. 9:23. Ecclus. 5:2.
k 1 Chr. 28:9 (Heb.).
l Comp. Jer. 10:23.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Pr 3:5–6). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
|| Or, so dear unto me.
f Ps. 55:13 (Gk.). See 1 Cor. 16:10.
g So ch. 4:3 (Gk.).
h So 2 Tim. 3:2. Comp. 2 Tim. 1:15. & 4:10, 16.
i See 1 Cor. 10:24.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 2:20–21). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
