This message was originally delivered on April 7, 1991 AM.
Philippians chapter one, and starting with verse 25, and 26, that's going to be our text, but to make sure that we're catching on to the entire passage, let's pick up at verse 19. Actually the last part of our safety Philippians chapter one and follow along as I read Yes, and I will continue to rejoice. For I know that through your prayers, and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expected hope, that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage, so that now, as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death, for me to live as Christ and to die, is gain. If I have to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know. I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better, but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith. Show that through my being with you again, your joy in Christ, Jesus will overflow on account of me. Paul Simon may have heard of him, as in the fame of Simon and Garfunkel wrote this song I'm sure you've heard of it. It's called I Am a rock. The words go like this. A winter's day. In a deep and dark December, I am alone. Gazing from my window to the streets below, on a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow. I am a rock. I am an island. I feel lost in a fortress deep and mighty, that none may penetrate. I have no need for friendship. Friendship causes pain. It's laughter It's loving I distain. I am a rock. I am an island. Don't talk of love. Well, I've heard the words before it's sleeping in my memory. I won't disturb the somber of feeling that have died. If I never loved, I never would have cried, I am a rock. I'm an island. I have my books and my poetry to protect me. I am shielded in my armor. Hiding in my room, safe within my womb. I touch no one. And no one touches me. I am Iraq. I am an island in Iraq feels no pain in an island never cries. Sort of a hopeless song, isn't it? I don't know why I've liked that song in the past when I started thinking about it. Do you understand how much other people need you? And then a weird question. The reason I think it's such a weird question is that we often think of how much we have needs that other people are supposed to meet. But that's not what I said. I asked this if you ever considered how much other people need you. You see, it's rather startling here. Because Paul saw himself as what it needed others that's obvious from a lot of his writings. He's constantly wanting encouragement and fellowship and longing to be with people. But there's something else is very interesting here, he clearly saw as one who had deeply grasped the ways of God. And as a result of that, he came to realize something is this other people needed him. Now today, it's if your wife get a hobby that meets your needs, and if your hobby make sure your wife meets your needs, if you're a Christian, only God can meet your needs. And we hear all this all the time about everyone, you know, God's gonna meet your needs, and this person is gonna meet your needs, and you got to have your needs met. And if this person isn't meeting your needs, then you ought to find someone who will. That's the constant counseling in today's circles. But here's something to another level, have you realized that other people need you? Now I think that's amazing. Because Paul had said in this passage that we just read, he basically says this, if you've been with us in the weeks before, you'll especially appreciate this, but he basically says this, look, I don't know I'm in Roman prison. And I'm not sure if I'm going to live or if I'm going to die. It may be that they could give me the news and they're gonna cut my throat because I'm in prison in Rome. Or it may be that I'm gonna get news that I'm gonna live for a while. I don't know what it's gonna be. But he says if I'm gonna go on living, it's going to be fruitful labor for Christ and for you. And it is essential that I stick around for you because you guys really need me. That's what he says it look at the word He emphasizes to get in verse 25. Convinced of this, in other words, he comes to the conclusion that he strongly persuaded that he's not going to die, but that he will remain, and he will continue with all of you for your progress and join the faith. So if he's going to live, it's going to mean this, the Philippians are going to make some progress. But if he's gonna die, verse 21, says that we'll be gained. Verse 23, says, I will depart and be with Christ, and look at the next part of verse 23. And that will be very much better. That'll be great. So if I die, it's going to be great. If I stay on would have been, it's going to be for your benefit. You see, they were deeply worried they loved Paul and Paul loved them. And they were deeply concerned about something you know what it was, Paul's in prison, he may die, what's going to happen, we haven't been able to get reports on how he's doing. We're very, very concerned about him. We don't want him to die. He's the one that led us to Christ. He's the one that founded our church where we need this guy. In the Senate Pafford itis, if you can read later on in the book, and we'll see it in a few weeks, he they send to Pafford itis on and they just sent him with a bounty for a bunch of gifts and provisions. And he says in his letter later on, hey, now that a Pafford, itis has come and brought these gifts, I'm amply supplied. Thank you so much. And here's the report and he sent me a Pafford itis back to them with this letter. You see, Paul said for me to die as gained. But the Philippians said, Hey, we don't want you to die. We want you to live because we feel like there's more progress that we need to make. And Paul said, you know, I agree. I agree. And I think I'm gonna come back and be able to really help you guys. In fact, notice verse 25. Now, he says this, convinced of this, I know that very interesting little phrase convinced of this, I am fully persuaded. I've got absolute confidence of this. And I know now it's again, an interesting word for No, it isn't the word that you know, from gaining facts is that it's intuitive knowledge. It's innate knowledge, there was no objective criteria that would give Paul any hope that he would really be able to get back with the Philippians. He just said, as I being a man of God, observe all of the circumstances. I look around and I think you know what, yeah, I would like to die. And that could happen here in the room visit. But it seems to me that you guys have so many needs, what needs the needs that Pafford itis came and told him about? He is the gaze, he brought this love offering. It seems that you guys have so many needs that I want you to know that that I just I just sort of come to this conclusion on the inward part of me it just a conclusion that I've come to I'm pretty convinced and pretty knowledgeable about that. But I'm gonna come back and I'm gonna be with you guys. In fact, he says this. Look at the next part of verse 25. I shall remain and will continue with all of you remain is just the word men Oh, just remain. But I shall continue with all of you is a very interesting new word. It's soon Parlamento is the Ord mineral again, but soon power, as soon as with power is alongside other mineral remains. It's again, it's just a way, as Paul has of saying, I'm confident I'll be right there beside you, physically, he's talking about, I'll be back and I'll be with you physically. But notice the reason he was so confident of this and notice his purpose, or the last part of verse 25, he says, For your progress, and joy in the faith, it's interesting again, the Granville sharp rule, which I'm sure it means nothing to you. But the Granville sharp rule says this progress and joy refers to the same thing. There's one article on the Chi connecting them. And the point is this progress in the faith and joy in the faith is the same thing. And he says, You have a you need to progress in the faith. And if I come and see you, that's what's gonna happen. The word progress is the same word found in verse 12. Go back to verse 12. And look at that and says, Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, do you see that? Advance, hear the words don't progress. And the point is, is to make headway in spite of blows. It's like you're you're cutting through a battle line with a sword, and you keep getting shot out, hit over the head, but you keep your army keeps making progress is the word to be able to prepare a road for by the engineers who would prepare a road for the advancing army. And the idea here is progress in the faith is one of the most important things in the Christian life. And Paul says, My life will probably be spared, I'm convinced to this. And I know intuitively I know that I probably going to be around for a while. For this reason, you guys need to make some progress in your Christian walk. And I'm going to be right back there alongside of you. And that's why I think I'm still going to live for a while. You see, my friends, listen, Paul clearly believed that he would be freed from Roman prison and would be with the Philippians again, so that he might be used of God to help them progress in the faith. Now listen, we often hear this, don't we? No one is indispensable in the kingdom of God. We often hear that and either it is true. Anybody could die in the kingdom of God is not going to stop the gates of hell can't prevail against it. The kingdom of God is going to be further so if Paul happened to be killed you think Paul what's gonna happen to Paul dies, they they had such confidence they see miracles at the hand of Paul they do they do Are such teachings at the hand of Paul. But even though we say that there's always a side for a balance, and let's remember that Paul really believed that they needed him particularly. And he loved them. And he says, I'm convinced I'm going to come back because you guys need me in order to make progress. Paul describes the joy of their union in verse 26. Notice what he says it's going to be abundant. It's going to overflow a bounding, it's going to be in Christ Jesus, His ministry among them would enable them to see the riches of their salvation in Christ. And it would be an account of Paul's ministry. Look at verse 26. He says, so that through my being with you again, your joy in Christ, Jesus will overflow on account of Mina isn't that interesting? Through my being with you again, your joy in Christ is gonna overflow on account of me. Sounds a little arrogant, unless you understand the humility and the the apostles life. Because he says, Look, if I'm with you, and if I'm alongside of you, and if you're, I'm right there with you, then you're gonna make some progress. Now, Paul's personal return was going to be a big benefit to them, he understood that he wanted to go on living and this whole passage is filled several times now with bots if you need me, I will be there and I'm going to make progress. And I'm going to stay around just because I think that there's some needs there in the town of Philippi plus other places. That's the passage we just about finished it. There's not too much more to say that's verses 25 and 26. That's all we're going we're not going to next by the way next time I cannot wait I've always wanted to get to verse 27. That's what I wanted to preach on for a long time that's got Kim coffins name marked on it, I think. But look here, do you know that more and more today as Christians we are becoming isolationist here think about that. There's there's an unbelievable movement that Christians don't need the church. The Christians don't need each other. But you and Jesus can do your little thing and that's all you need. And all he and I don't need church I just I can I can I can have my own little Bible study. That's that's common today. Somehow we have come to think that all our need is only in the Lord. And it has nothing to do with people. No, listen, it listen carefully here. Because if you're not listening carefully, you're gonna miss it. Because some of these things is almost contradiction to what I've been teaching you. But the thing is, there's always a balance to everything. And I'm just emphasizing the other side of the balance. And that is keep your eyes on the lower down on people. How many times you heard this guy screaming up here saying this or you show me somebody who's discouraged, you show me somebody who's quits, I'll show you somebody's got their eyes on people instead of on the Lord. That is true. All that's true. But there's another side to it. And that is this in this Baris, I want to ask you something can you love the Lord who is the head of the church without loving his body? Which is the people of the church can you love the hair but not the rest of them? First John four teaches you can't love God without revealing that as you tree image bearers of God. Me so the there's one part of your body need to help with another part of your body. Oh my goodness, let a week go Thursday, us playing tennis, my calf muscle. I don't know what happened. I kidded with somebody I thought I was shot by a good first that's how bad it hurt. And I fell down. And there was a knot on the back of my calf. And we went we put ice on it. And the next day, I had asked somebody to bring me crutches, they brought me crutches. And I'm going around. And by the end of that first day on crutches, we came here and we had a candlelight community service. And that next morning I get up in my armpits are sore from hobble around on those crutches. And I noticed my left leg is sore. Because it's whenever I wanted to hop around from the bathroom to the couch or whatever places I would be doing, you know, I'd be hopping on my left leg and going upstairs, and my whole body straight. And then as I started to learn to walk on it, I started to learn like I had to walk in a certain position in all other muscles that I never used normally and walking had to come into place. And I started noticing going up a little ramp or up a little up steps or certain angles. I even yesterday, I was out walking with a couple of my friends in a field. I just noticed if the land wasn't just right, I had to watch and had to watch particularly the other words, my mind my eyes, everything had to come into play because one part of my body isn't quite right. If you'd asked my left leg and which is still sore, that's not and that's the good leg. If you'd asked me Do we need that little calf muscle on the back of the right leg? They would say yes, we need that calf muscle. But here's something that is so interesting. The focus that Paul had was not only his needs being met, but upon him meeting the needs of others. Now there is still something here and what you see he realized he needed other people's obedience for him to really be complete. go to Philippians two, two and look what it says. It says in Philippians two to then make my joy complete are my people can make his joy complaint. How is that by being like minded by being humble? He says to the Philippines make my joy complete. You've heard people say that I don't need anyone else in order for my joy to be complete. Oh, come on. Now I know what you mean. But let's just get the true biblical balance here. The apostle John says, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. That was John didn't have his eyes on the water What? No, there is, Listen, you see Christians disobeying God, you see Christians falling into sin, you see Christians, turn away from what you that do just be all the more happy. No, that should cause a sorrow, we should mourn. It shouldn't discourage us, because we love them and we love the Lord. But on the other side, I want you to see Paul had a very clear perception, and I want to get this across to you that other people needed him. And I want to ask you something Do you understand or an impact you can have on others, if you will be faithful to minister to those whom God puts in this in your sphere of influence? What an impact you can have. You see, like Paul did that others need you to help them grow? Nobody is exempt from this. Nobody. If you're a Christian, you're needed, because you're part of the body. And listen, if you ever had a hangnail, you know how that can affect the whole body. You see, I'm just a little hangnail you are needed. You need to see that that's what being assaulted. Right is. That's what's provoking one another is it's the it's how much you're needed. take with me. Take with me about the influence? In the most basic issues of life, they will be about the influence, or the loving, caring spirit filled wife. How about the influence of a loving, caring spirit filled mother? No, by the way, before we go on. The reason I'm using these illustrations, my friends is this i i wanted to get this overhead cut out showing and I forgot but it's one man shaking another man's hand. I may have showed it to you. And he says, I am president pro tem of the Bolton, insert committee in subjection with the worship committee. Its objection to this He's given us and then he asked What's your gift. That's what he says these two guys are shaking hands. And we have the tendency to think this. Everything has got to be done in the context of Sunday at church, or everything has got to be done within the context of of the Bible study group that you're with. But how much of your time is that really taking up a real living? Real life is the influence in the teaching and in the realization that other people need you, I tell you that after this message, it makes me desires to tell my friends and to tell other people close to me that how much I need them. And it's caused me to realize how many times other people have come along and just the right time that have helped me progress in the faith and has brought joy in my life. And I'm gonna give you some illustrations in just a minute. As a result of it. How about a loving, spirit filled mother? When will we be without loving spirit filled mothers that have taught us things? How about the influence of a loving, caring, spirit filled husband, a husband that realize my wife needs me, by the way you think about it. Most of the arguments between husbands and wives. I hope nobody feels bad when I say this, but you just think about it. Most of the arguments, the husbands and wives are this. The wife wants more attention from the man. And guys get all upset about that. Now we get them I think you're crazy. Would you like it the other way? Where she says he gives me too much attention unless you lose me for several days. There's a desire to have some love desire to have some attention. And somehow I feel that went somewhere along one of these two services people are gonna get mad and say you're big, you know, femme, feminist or whatever you say. I tell you that's the truth, though. I'll just tell you what I've observed in counseling. That is the truth. Well, there's one more time we'll think of the influence we can have. Instead of your wife meeting your needs, you can realize how much your wife needs you and how you can help your wife grow and how you can help your wife progress. Or how about the influence of godly friends and friends. iron sharpens iron so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend this week is good example of people being used encouraged me I had some rough goes when I say roof goes I don't know how to say that because I don't want to get into the details but had some really tough days this week. Now tell you something. There are people in this church that God sent my way to say things to me at just the right time that I want to tell you it uh woke me up and stirred my faith and cause me to go on and make progress in it caused me to rejoice in the Lord. Let me give you an illustration. I was just felt like I had been beaten to We'll pull by some people. When I went to lunch with a brother this week in our church, he said to me, Kim, you know what you have forgotten. They said what he says, Kim, you have forgotten that the only responsibility you have before God has to be faithful and obedient. You somehow taken on the burdens that you have to accomplish the work, you can't accomplish it, you just have to be faithful. He was saying that as we were driving to the restaurant to eat, I say, Oh, that's good. He says, You know what I want on my tombstone, Kim, said what he was, he was found faithful, He put a picture, put that picture out across his tombstone. That's all I want. As I did some thinking about that, after he left, I started thinking, you know, more than that, even, is what our Lord's gonna say to us. Because we could write something across the tombstone, the Lord's gonna say, why did you write that? That wasn't you? I mean, we could say that. But what are the words the Lord's gonna say to his faithful servants? Well done thou good and faithful servant. You see, he's going to look at us not by house. By the way. The man said to me over lunch, Kim, is it required as stewards that a man be found? Successful? said no. It just required to stewards the demand, be fair and faithful? I'll tell you, those influences have helped me get to get it. Listen, do you want to know well, how did this my pastor need me? While I want to tell you? Yes, your pastor needs you. Well, what can I do to encourage my pastor, give them money? Well, can I just get a look at this? Verse 17, of the 13th chapter of Hebrews, obey your leaders submit to their authority, they keep watch over you, as men who was given a carrot, obey them, so that the work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. You know, that's an interesting text. I usually don't hear too many people quoting that one. But it says this, that if you're if you're a leader, if your elder that's this is responsible for you, his work is a joy because of your life, then it's going to be an advantage for you at the Judgement Day. But if you're a leader who is overused the way you live in the situations you bring, if it's a burden to him, it's not going to be the advantage to the Judgment Day. So you better take heed as you make sure the throws that are the US submit to their authority, and those that watch over you, heroes, and I'll tell you something, that doesn't mean please, please listen, that doesn't mean you can't come to me with problems. It has nothing to do with you having problems. It has to do this, are you going to be a biblical Christian in handling your problems? I want people to come to me with problems. I want to shepherd and help them. Where are you going to handle them? Are you going to keep fighting them off the whole time as they know there's some other way the influence of people have do we realize that this passage, which I've quoted many, many times on this, it says this, I like the King James Renner, you know, much better than the NIV. It says, provoke one another to love and good works. At don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together, as you see the day approaching as you see things happening that says, hey, we might be in the last days, whatever you do, keep going to church, whatever you do, go out of your way to provoke one another to love and good works there. What does it mean to provoke one another? Now, everybody's sitting close to me is getting a little scared that I'm gonna use them for that illustration. But you don't want to use to provoke you've been provoked, stir up, causing Listen, do you realize that people need you to stir them up? We've got sometimes we are so selfish, we are so self centered, we keep thinking,
Unknown:are they going to notice our family? Are they giving us what we need? Are they going to get gets cut?
Kimber Kauffman:Come on, wake up seconds. And let's get a biblical view here. What about other people needing you are you doing all that you can do? A good friend, I had a privilege to lead this guy to the Lord. And a few weeks ago, I went lower a couple years ago, but a few weeks ago, I sensed from him and from some people, that he was really discouraged. And I couldn't get a hold of him. I happen to do some people that knew how he got discouraged. I checked into the situations and I tell you, I just feel so sad because I love this guy so much. And I could just tell and I tell you he was just sort of far away to sort of be into the kind of sort of ignoring me and that type of situation. Just not not demeaned to me but he was just so discouraged. He just want to say when I tell you something, you know what, I didn't realize it but I had a Philippians 125 and 26 attitude towards that guy. I went on a mission and I said nothing is going to stop me I am going to meet with this guy. There's no way Is anything going to stop me from meeting with him. And I tracked him down and track now. I finally got a hold of can I meet We do they know I'm busy. I'm doing this i Okay. When are you free? Well not. I want him to be free till about 930. Good. That's when I'm free. I'll meet you at 930 such and such a restaurant. What tonight three minutes such as at your restaurant I sat down. I said, How you doing it. And I tell you something. I love this guy. And I knew this, that I can say this, convinced that this guy needed me so that he could make progress and joy in the faith. I knew what to say. And you know what happened? The guy thanked me for the next week. The guy was thanking me thanking me. Thank you all that. Thanks for going after me. Thanks for doing that. My point friends is this. That's not just supposed to be something the pastor does. That's supposed to be something we're doing. We're looking out for one another. We're going out of our way to see somebody let me give you illustration Galatians six, if someone is caught in the sin, you that are spiritual goal and restore situation in the spirit of meekness. But you know, what happens? If someone comes to the typical church today? You see, you got to keep yourself up to par, you got to look right, you've got to do all the right things, you've got to come to all the services. And all of a sudden, you start to go straight. What do people do? Oh, do you know what he's doing? Oh, do you know what she's doing? Or look at them as a taste. And that attitude is subtle. And I'll tell you something, it's true in this church, it's true. I'm not talking about some other church. And you know, what happens we are, we just sort of, we're all those, instead of doing what the spiritual ones go, and they try to restore that person. That means that's the Greek word to mend a broken bone. In other words, if somebody's got a broken arm, you don't just gonna walk up to him and say, Oh, he's a broken bone, and just go out on the ground and see how it works. Now, if some doctors have done that, you don't go back to them anymore. Right? But you look at that, and you it says, In the spirit of meekness, considering yourself also, lest you be tempted. And the point is, people need you. And people need us to go after each other. And people need us to be involved in one another's lives. But it's important that we consider our neighbors, our co workers, our bosses, our employees, our church members, strangers, on and on, you can go up, do you realize that people need you? It's not that you're not being super pious, nor are you being proud to understand that God has given you gifts and abilities to reach out the ministry to other people. What did Christ teach about this? The lawyer says, Well, who is my neighbor, he says, love the word of the guy with all the heart most soul and strength and love your neighbors yourself, who is my neighbor in this very piously, who's my neighbor, Lord Jesus, who's my neighbor, he gives the illustration of the Good Samaritan. What is it? The guy's bleeding and bloody, and among thieves along the Jericho road, or whatever it was? And what happens? The point is this, who is your neighbor? Well, when God puts someone in your path that needs you meet their needs. That's who your neighbors and you know what you do. When you do that you fulfill the Great Commission, you have a great excuse me, the great law of loving God, and loving your neighbor as yourself. What was the first church like people giving of their homes selling their properties going out of their way, all of a sudden, one church that was extremely poor hears about another church that's in dire trouble. This church takes up all their getting ready to make a new building, and no, they give it to another church that's in trouble. In other words, he realized these people need us and out of their poverty they would give the Scripture says, how about the teachings and the Holy Spirit of talks about unity and oneness and ministering to one another? What about heaven, heaven is considered a city. It's highly expressive of a community. Citizens depend on cooperation, they cannot exist in isolation isn't their success depends on the sense of the community spirit, there is no isolationist in Heaven, you will be off on your own doing your own corner doing your own thing. Now, quickly, I need some men or women or whoever is up here closest to pass these out to some people. Just go right down the rows here and I get several of you to start passing these out. So it doesn't take too long. If we run out, we can get you some more. All right. I think in the past one other time, I've given you something similar to this not exactly the same thing. It has to do with some of the one another's in the New Testament now prints, you know what I had to do, just to be pragmatic and so that they could fit on both sides of the page. I had to cut out about 15 of them. So there's more than there are here. And some of them I could have cut out I put three in there about a holy kiss and why I did that I should have left some of those holy kisses out and just left one of them in there but the holy kiss, but look here, go down on the side that says John 13 Okay. A new command I give you that you love one another as I have loved you that you also love one another. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you These things I command you that you love one another. Yeah, you get the point. By the way, in first John and Second John a third jelly cut out five or six they say the same thing. Love one another love one another. These things I commend you that you love one of the Romans 1210 Be kindly affection one to another with brotherly love in honor preferring one another. All Romans 13 eight oh no man anything but to love one another, for he that love with another have fulfilled the law. Romans 15 Seven, wherefore receive ye one another, actually, the NIV does a better job there. It's accept one another, accept one another. And the whole point is in the area of Christian liberty, when there's disagreements except or let the person that has all the rules, accept them and the person that doesn't have the rules, accept them and accept each other. Don't make barriers, but get around it realize that the unifying factor is Christ. Romans 1514 Look at this admonish one other I'm, by the way, this is where they get the word from nouthetic counseling from this verse, and I myself also unpersuaded you, my brother, and that you also are full of goodness, still, with all knowledge able to admonish or new fettle one another. slit one another with a holy kiss. Kelly kiss holy kiss, you need to be practicing now. Okay. The other side Galatians 513. For brother you have been called unto Liberty only use that liberty for an occasion to the flesh but love about it by love serve one another. Because 14 was all always the meekness with longsuffering Forbearing one another in love Ephesians 430 to be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another Colossians 313 Forbearing one another and forgiving one another. If anyone has a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you, forgive the quarrels. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. But it's touching brotherly love you need not that I write into you, for yourselves are taught of God to love one another. Wherefore verse, First Thessalonians 418 comfort one another with these words, isn't it interesting, all the division has taken place over this teachings about the second coming of Christ. And what we're supposed to do is comfort one another with these words. And we've taken it today by dividing over them, we get First Thessalonians 511 wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as you also do, exhort one another daily what is called today, and then Hebrews 1024, let us consider one another to provoke under love and good works. You know what the word consider means there, think about how you could best particularly provoked that person to love and good works. Now, I say all of that friends because of this, somehow, we have taken Christianity and moved it to Sunday mornings the way you do when you go to church, and somehow removed it from interpersonal relationships. You can't do that. This teaching that Paul says, I know you need me, I'm going to stay on and I'm going to keep on living even though I'd rather die and be with Christ. I'm going to keep on living because you need me. To tell you something, if you can't admit that you need other people you're sorry, shape. I will tell you again, and again, how different individuals on specific occasions I can tell you I was thinking about this one time not recently, recently, not not recently, but recently I was thinking about this, that I was thinking through probably 50 or 60 verses of scripture, that every time they come to my mind, I relate them to a certain individual. Do you ever do that? You know why I do that? Because that individual on a certain day at a certain time gave me that scripture. It was just what I needed. I saw in the right way like this one is required and stewards of the man be found faithful I can only think of one person as long as I think of that verse. Chuck's window all rights concerning this. You may have heard of it before he writes this, the neighbor get this it's a little shocking to you. But listen, the neighborhood bar is possibly the best counterfeit there is to the fellowship Christ wants to give his church it's an imitation dispensing liquor instead of grace, escape rather than reality. But it is a permissive accepting and inclusive fellowship. It is unshockable. It's democratic. You can tell people secrets and they usually don't tell others or even want to. The bar flourishes. Not because most people are alcoholics but because God has put into the human heart the desire to know and be known to love and be loved. And so many seek a counterfeit at the price of a few beers. With all my heart I believe that Christ wants his church to be a fellowship, where people could come in and say I'm sunk. And B, I've had it. What if your wife was an alcoholic? Or your son recently told you he's a practicing homosexual. Let's say your husband just walked out or or what if he is sexually abusing your two daughters or you? Who can you turn to if you just got fired, or you just got out of jail, or your 15 year old daughter told you last night that she's pregnant, or you beat your kids and you're scared and shamed or you can't cope with your drug habit any longer, or you need professional help, because you're near a breakdown, you know what you need. You need a shelter, a place of refuge, or food, a few folks who can help you listen to you introduce you once again to the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our affliction. Christianity may be like a mighty army, but we often handle the troops in a weird way. We're the only outfit I've ever heard of those shoots, they're wounded. Paul says in Second Timothy, one, about a nest of forests, all my friends he says, When you see an ESA forest, you remember him because he sought me out diligently when I was in prison, and he found me and he ministered to my needs. God, may You grant mercy on the day of judgment to Anessa force for what he has done for me. The Great. One of the things I want to I'm done on this, this point, I'm finished. But one of the things I want you to see when it comes to other people need you. I want to tell you about a goal that I have in my life. Some days, I'm much better at fulfilling this goal than others. But I'll tell you about a goal. And listen, I wish you would plug it in, because I think it's real true Christianity. When I leave my house, in the mornings, I tried to go over in prayer with the Lord, before I leave my house, every individual in every situation that I know of now I can show you my date time, and I can show you what's coming up next week. And I can say, I take this situation before he enters I think about that person or people that I'm meeting with, I'll pray about the situation or ask for wisdom or ask for guidance. And I'll look for help and strength concerning that particular situation. And pray about every single one of those before I ever leave the house. Why? Because I will tell you, the longer I live, the more I realize I can't accomplish anything myself. But I want to help those people. And one of the thoughts that keep her through my mind, Lord, in this situation, I want to love these people. In this situation, I want to reach out I want to I want to minister to them, I want to learn I'm a little scared about this way because I'm afraid that these this person then liked me too much. And I'm afraid when I have to tell them something in a kind way, it'll just be just the right way I could say it to him, but cover those situations. But then you know what else happens? Friends, listen, then there are going to be situations, there's gonna be people that are gonna come in your life that I call mystery people. And that is you're gonna get a phone call from somebody, someone's gonna stop it and see you, there's gonna be some situation that you had no idea was going to come your way that day. But if you've got it in your mind, before you leave these people that I have appointments with, and these mystery people they're gonna call me It may be your bumper accident or you're in a car, your flat tire, you have to meet somebody or you see somebody alongside the road or a phone call, or some old friend from school or something calls you You never know what it's gonna be. But all of a sudden, there's this rebuild. But if you have this in your mind, people need me today. I need them to, but they need me and I'm on a mission. I'm on a purpose. Some people are all the time looking for some ministry, you've got a ministry every single day. I hate to admit that the Beatles had any truth at all in a minute in a totally perverse way. But I mean, this love the one year with I hope they sang that song. I think they did. They didn't Well, you know that group that some famous group did it. Listen, love the people you're with ministered to them realize, Hey, God is gonna put me in this situation. So I can help people grow. I help them progress. All of them make help there be joy in their faith. Somehow, especially Fundamental Baptist, have gotten this thing in their minds that well when I go to church Wednesday night, or when I go to the ladies missionary meeting, or when I go in, in over in have this official visitation call or something, that's when I'm going to be ministering. Yes, that's true. All those things are good. I don't want to put those down on the slides. But friends, do you see how many people need you? Before you open your mouth and criticism before you start to attack someone before you start to start really getting down on somebody for failure. First off, have you examined your own life to see if you've ever failed it Secondly, are you there to condemn and we're gonna see more of this tonight from Matthew seven one through five? Are you there to condemn them because you're angry? Are you there because you if you have to tell them something that's wrong, you're doing it because you love them so much. You really want to do what's best. I tell you, I hope that you come away realizing this that no matter who you are, you are needed. And you can help people make progress. And you don't have to wait. You can be you can be some of the youngest Christians I've ever known have been the ones that have inspired me the most by the little things that they've said and the little things that they've done well, if we would realize that, that you're on a mission every day and the people that you work with the situations that you're around in every way possible, you can say this, Okay, Lord, today, I'm going to be out there making, trying to make progress, try to do what I can to encourage and to build up and to strengthen and to help those that I'm around. Paul lives for that purpose. Let's pray. Father, there is something wonderful that has happened in my life thinking about this truth and that is this It is so good to know that I am needed. And I realize that Paul understood that for the Philippians. And he wanted to live and go on and get right there with them again, so that he could minister to them. And my prayer and desire is that you would help us see that we're needed and then to take the steps so that people can make progress in in, in big progress in their faith make progress in their joy of Christian life, by us being with them. We pray this in Jesus name for his sake. Amen. Great