“Joyfully Fellowshipping with One Another”

Welcome everyone. On this bright sunny morning. We haven't seen sunshine for a while, so we should all be excited. If you are a visitor, those packets in front of you as far as though and more information about our church and you're welcome to look at that. And then we're going to go into any announcements that our church has any announcements.

What about Joy's? Other than the sunshine? Anyone else have wakened you this morning, perhaps the day's Dawning, the smell brewing coffee, the noise of the alarm sound sounds of waking children or the song of a bird or a bark of a dog. So now, we gather with awake and Spirits to worship together, the creator of this day. Something moved, you this morning, we left behind, sufficiency of sleep, or maybe a restless night, We engaged in eating and dressing we left our home for worship. And now, we got the here to worship Christ. Who moves among us through the spirit, who leaves us towards love and service Maher. Arvest vfa. That is awake. And moving as we serve God, and one, another, let us pray Play the God. We Gather today, as people have different needs and different gifts, become as a people with Joyce, and concerns with light Spirit, sand Heavy Hearts, ashes into your presence, As We join together and worship, may, we know the comfort of casting our cares upon you got our rock, may, we know the joy and Bliss of your compassion shown through your people. Maybe your people hear your Whispers and fill your nudges, to offer the love. We have experienced two others and the name of the Holy One, we pray. Amen. Please stand for opening him in my heart. There Rings. A Melody as found in the celebration hymn. Number 502, and we'll be doing versus 1 2 and 3. Thank you.

You may be seated if you want before I am.

Dear Lord. We know that everything in this world is a gift from you. Oh God, we still hungry. We turn a portion of these gift to you. We pray that these gifts may help this church to change people's lives and dispatch a message of Salvation. He met

Thank you, Lila.

A scripture today. If you guys could, please stand, appreciate it. Is in Philippians 1, 1 through 11, that can be found in a few Bibles page 1138.

Paul and Timothy Servants of Christ. Jesus to All God's. Holy people in Christ Jesus at Phillipi together with the overseers and deacons Grace and peace to you from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God. Every time I remember you and all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day. Until now, being confident of this that he who began a good work in, you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you since I had you in my heart and whether I am in Chains or defending and confirming the gospel all of you share in God's grace, with me, God can testify how I longed for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer that you love me about more and more knowledge and depth. So that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and the praise of God. May God bless the scripture and please stay standing for our him peace like a river. It was celebration him 750 and we going to be doing versus 1 2 and 3.

I got.

I've got joy like a.

You man, you may be seated this morning.

I invite you to turn to Philippians chapter 1. The passage was just read moments ago, there's a Bible in front of you or you brought your own Bible, maybe half of that on electronic device. Whatever the case Philippians chapter 1, verses 1 through 11 is our Focus today. I want to start at a new series in the Epistle of the Philippians often. The the Epistle of Philippians is called the Epistle of Joy or the letter of joy. Out of all the New Testament scriptures, this one speaks Joy multiple times all the way through the book and every chapter there's something connected to Joy or rejoicing that type of thinking. So, We're going to dive into this pretty quick, and and see what the Lord would have for us as we go through this book together. Well, let's jump in there, right away versus one and to give us the basically the informative, greeting and informative, greeting, Paul, and Timothy Bond, Servants of Christ. Jesus says to all the saints and in Christ, Jesus, who are in Philippi including the overseers and deacons who wrote the book. We know, Paul Paul, the Apostle wrote it to Timothy was was with them. Maybe he was the one that was jotting down. Paul's words, that's certainly a possibility, but Timothy was a very close associate of Paul and it's like, anytime he would send Timothy out. It was like sending his own heart, his own passion out to a church, to help them out. And so far. I saw the Philippian church was started by the Apostle. Paul, he wrote this letter from prison, he was in prison for a couple years. This would be his first imprisonment. This is an imprisonment where he's there for two years and then he has gospel. If you will defense of the Gospel before seizure, but he's waiting for that and now and then there will be another Roman imprisonment later on, in his ministry, which he actually loses his life at the end of that, under the reigning emperor of narrow. But here it's around 60 to 80. It's about a decade after the Philippian church was planted. The Philippian Church Shadows that were connected to it. Where the first thought in the European continent that were connected to the face and it was the Apostle Paul and Silas. And Timothy was a part of that team as well. That went there to Phillipi and ended up sharing the gospel. And there were multiple people that came to Christ. We know Lydia who was originally she was there. I heard some ladies down towards the the Waterfront got to hear the gospel. The Lord open up her heart. She trusted Christ. As his savior, they were there to worship God but they ended up coming to know the Lord that in a very personal way there and fell apart by. There's multiple people in Phillipi that Are worth mentioning as we go through our Sherry's together. But as far as the writer it's Paul it's a it's the one the most personal letter to a church. He has a personal letter to Philemon that and we looked at that back in the summer and that would have been written in the same time. As of the Philippian the letter to the Philippians. But this is a most personal letter to a church. He expresses his emotions expresses, his, his heart, his desire, his thinking, and so forth. And so on, obviously all under the influence and guidance of the holy spirit because he's our God inspired words. That's why we have them in our Bible. But what else do we know? He says Identify himself and Timothy Bond Servants of Christ. Jesus. They have given up their their rights, are their living for the Lord. Their living for the cause of Christ their living for the gospel. Say,

A person that was a bond servant back in the Old Testament, they would have their ear pierced at the doorpost of a home. So he would, he's saying to the to the master, you owe me for life. I'm here to serve you and and so far. So he sees himself and sees Timothy as Bond Servants of the cause of Christ. In, for the purpose of the person of Christ, the recipient, the Philippian Church, notice what he says, and how he tries? He says, to all the saints that some of us depending on our background thankful, that's some special person that gets sainthood that gets some kind of y'all their Saints, Ellen. So but the way it's used in the New Testament from the Bible, is a saying is a Holy One? Or is it one? That's Call Val, but one who Belongs to the Lord. Now that means every Christian every True Believer, every person that knows Jesus Christ as their lord and savior is a saint. So, Paul when he uses the word, the Saints and Phillipi, he's using a word that says all believers that are there living in Phillipi at that very time, all those who belong to the church. So and a real sense, if we could use a the phrasing you could put the word Saint in front of your name if you know Christ you know Saints. So and so you know just take your name and and and foot. Put Steve in front of it, and it got to give you an idea of the point is that these are believers in Phillipi and for us, and you speaking to us today because if we're saints, that were Believers in Christ. That means us OST, Brad for me, you know, it sounds kind of funny, but, you know, just put your, put your name right there and so forth. It doesn't mean that every person every believer lives saintly, sometimes, we don't live up to the title that we have and that's obviously for a reason, a good reason to confess our sins. Tens and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That's a promise to Believers in the Lord and then he says these Saints in Christ Jesus. We are rooted in price through his gospel, through trust and faith in Christ in Christ alone. That's a pure Act of Grace and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Then he says, including the overseers and deacons the word overseers, you might have a different translation. You might just have the word Bishops that says, they're the overseers or the Bishops or those that they oversee at the ministry. These are leaders in the church at the word. Pastor, the word Elder, the word bishop, or overseer. It's all the same individuals that's being referred to here when we use the phrase, the overseers and the D. Ken's. The deacons are the ones that are serving the church if he can look at it. From the one perspective would be to say, okay, the past, the Packers or the Bishops, are they Elders? They are primarily focusing in on the spiritual needs of the congregation and then we use the word. Deacon is simply means one who serves. Are there, only one who served in the historical context. The picture is one, who serves the church, and they are quite often with the physical needs of the church, whether that's a benevolence or that's food or clothing or taking care of a particular, part of a program in the church. And we seen in the early church and Acts chapter Sex. I believe it is that in Acts chapter 6, we see some deacons or the Prototype of the deacons coming together to serve the widows that were in Jerusalem in the Jerusalem Church at that point had several thousand people. So there was a huge need to take care of but the deacons are listed here as well. It's a great way of saying everybody. Paul uses a, some former phrasing of you all six times and 8 verses on the first 8 verses that we have to show that he's he's speaking about all of them. He is highly And loved and motivated by the Philippian church because they are so close to his heart. And then there's the citation blessing and that is Grace to You Verse to grace, to you. Peace from God, our Father and our Lord, Jesus Christ, peace, Grace, and peace. Are things that are both qualities and characteristics of Our Lord, but also we are recipients of God's Grace Grace is God's Divine, unmerited, favor. When we say we are saved by grace, we're saying we're not shaved unto ourselves, we are not saved by our work. We are safe purely by God's Divine favor shed on us and showed on us. Just like when it says, Noah found Grace in the eyes of the Lord, Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord. That was the Lord response to know are not based on what Noah was. Doing are performing but simply that God's choice of Noah and he ends up using him. Literally just save the world back in the flood. His family was the only ones that made it through the flood in the ark. And, you know, that story. So we won't belabor point is Grace, is needed. And Grace, comes to us, from God, our Father, through our Lord, Jesus Christ at Salvation, Grace is shed on us and pieces. Given to us. We have peace with God, the moment of Salvation. Meaning, we are placed in a right relationship with the Lord. We are no longer at enmity with Tim, we're no longer is enemies. We are no longer at war with them, but we have laid down if you will metaphorically. Speaking spiritually, speaking. We have laid down our arms, we have laid. Down our hostility and we have embraced Jesus Christ. And as a result of that, we are reconciled with God, we're putting a right relationship with God. We can only be right with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. There are no exceptions. Jesus makes it clear. He says, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father, except through me. What is he saying? He's saying he's the only way of Salvation. That's what we preach here. That's what we teach here and that's what we believe here. Why? Because that is what price tells us. He is our Lord, Our Savior. He's the sinless sacrifice to send the substitute on the cross for us. He took on our sin that and As a result of that, we are no longer at War, but we are at peace with God. So I want to move just a moment here to the insight for Joy. Filled opening, if you will verses 3 through 11 is where we'll camp out, the rest of the rest of the message here but that will jump right in here but these three verses chose Paul and the Philippians as true and True Fellowship, they have Fellowship because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The good news of Jesus Christ about his death is burial his resurrection and other that we can be in a right relationship with him for all of eternity and of course having as a free gift but it is Paul says in these vs. And in so many ways that they are in his mind. They are in his part and they are in his prayers. And so as we flush these versus out just think about that. Paul says, you're in my mind I'm thinking about you. I'm I'm confined in my in my imprisonment, it's a house arrest. I have two guards on each side of me, chained to two guards, but it's in a rental quarters, there, and Rome as he awaits, to his defense of the Gospel before Caesar, or before Caesars court. And but he's saying, I've got you in my mind, I'm thinking about you and I, and I'm joyfully thinking about you, and I'm joyfully flushing out from my heart, my love for you, in my care for you and concern for you, in celebration of you. And then, of course, he has prayers. And we'll look at those the prayer that he shares. Let's go ahead and start out here. Paul's joy-filled Thanksgiving. Paul's joy-filled Thanksgiving for the Saints, verse 3. I thank my God, and all my remembrance of you. Can you just imagine? Paul is imprisoned, in Rome, he's awaiting that time that have the appearance of the trial, the court that all that. But he's, what's he doing? He's he's not just meow, whatever counting the days, he's making the days count. And what does he think of when he's connected to these chains and he's Limited in this confined to this one quarter for so long. And he was there from 80 6262. Paul was pretty confident that he was going to get out, and he did get out eventually, but he was confident. He'll Express that confidence later in Philippians but the point is he's thinking about that. He's thinking warmly about them, Where is the fellowship that he had with them in person and they still buy extension? Have Fellowship because they are still engaged with one another because of the Gospel. But he says, I thank my God and all my remembrance of you. He's got a few will, he's got a smile that comes to his face as he mentally think through the Believers. And he knows a lot of them but all the Believers there and Phillipi. He knows many of them by name and of course he knows them by reputation and you know that by being engaged and Truth Fellowship. When we say somebody has Fellowship, we simply means they have something in common with one another, a certain groups get together and they have a pocket of interest and it sent you can say while they're they they have a fellowship around that interest maybe they're trained lovers or maybe their car lovers. Maybe they're crochet lovers or whatever it is, or they like the right letter or whatever, it might be. But this in this sense of something in common means that the common is Jesus Christ. We have in common, our Lord Jesus Christ. We have in common, the gospel that saved us is the gospel that saved our neighbor right next to their believer in Christ or when they become a believer in Christ, whatever the situation is. But as he thinks about them, he thanks God. At the same time. He thinks about him members down and you'll think about he's like maybe he's thinking going through his mind. Maybe Lydia and her family that got shaved out that week that he was there and at the Philip I maybe he's thinking that also the Philippian Jailer now we don't have a name for him. But we do know that what happened as a Philippian Jailer, remember Paul and Silas. One of the other team members was chained up in the middle of the prison at midnight. What are they doing? Are they licking her wounds that they know. They are singing joyful, Joy, praising the Lord, and suddenly the Jailhouse Rock's and that's the first real house rocks. And suddenly the chains fall off Paul. And all the other prisoners are freed from their checking the jail or he wakes up and he's panics and he's ready to take his sword and literally kill himself and Paul yells out, you know, not to harm yourself. We're all here. So forth and so on, and the Jailer runs to where Paul is at where Paul and Silas has he dropped to his knees. You can imagine and he says You know, what must I do to be saved? Is it believe on the Lord? Jesus Christ and you will be saved and he and his household later on that evening. Did believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, and he, the Jailer, who thought he was free watching over. Prisoners was actually, he himself was spiritually freed from his prison between he and God, he is part of the family, but as Paul thinking, he's thinking about the church Elders, he's thinking any of the overseers, he's thinking about the Saints, Was thinking about the deacons and have developed and and helped and so forth. He might be thinking about a password itis, who was one of them that came and brought a gift, will look at that another time, but he brought a gift to him and he just, he almost lost his life for the sake of the gospel, and trying to help Paul through the Philippians generosity Yoda and send tacky that are mentioned in chapter 4, Matt, who might be the the friend that helped the audience and tacky when they are having a difference with one another, they were gospel members. They now I know the Lord but they were heavily involved in the gospel Ministry of the Apostle. Paul. So he's thinking about them as well and online I'm sure the list could go. What about us and the leader And the East Chippewa church just as an example. Truly thank God for them. I thank God for myself for East, Chippewa church and the lay leadership that is here and the encouragement and the impact that they have in my own life. Now Paul realizes it's not a one-way Street it wasn't simply. They were ministering to Paul and it was during this prison time that he really got to see just how deep their love is. How Deep Is our commitment is to the gospel and also to the Apostle Paul and his ministry of Grace. Know what about us when you think about people and our church family? Do you think of them with a smile? Do you think of them with the tenderness with your? Do you think of that? They are Ministry partners he realize you're sitting next to Ministry Partners, you're sitting next to someone most likely who has trusting Christ or is considered Christ and and that's huge. We need each other and even a missionary, they're not really alone. When we think about the, our missionaries that we have listed of course, in our bulletin here today, I with Larry and Kay Mills and Eric, and jam news art and your family are not simply isolated on their own. They are connected us and we are connected to them and that yes, sure, thousands of miles away when they're on field and on Mission and so forth. But we are Part of that, we are an extension of them and they are extension of us. They are doing something spiritually and physically there to help get the gospel forward to a people that needs the Lord. And And so are we? But as we pray for them as we give to them as we think think about them and and if you have the ability or opportunity literally to visit them and so forth. It's an important thing that's move on. Paul's joy-filled Thanksgiving to the Saints, but he has more pause. Joy-filled intercession to the same for the same vs 4 & 5, always offering prayer with joy. There's that word again, he says in my every prayer for you all and do of your participation in the gospel from the first day. Until now, another word for the last 10 years, you have been engaged. You have been involved with me for the sake of the Gospel. That is our fellowship, nugget of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our relationship with him. But knows, he says, he offers up prayer, always offering prayer. He sees prayer as a sacrifice of praise. He sees it as a sacrifice of Thanksgiving, they sacrifice of petitioning. The Lord on behalf of somebody. In this case the Philippian Church intercession he prays for the church, he prays for the leaders, he prays for the deacons, he prays for the Saints. She prays I'm sure for their testimony and their Outreach and their faithfulness and and so forth and he's got some particular prayers that he offers a little later on in this, this passage. But he says, notice he says in my every prayer for you, all he's a southerner means all of them and then in view of your participation for your fellowship, or your practice, in the gospel, for the first day, until now, up until that point City penso's words, he sees the faithfulness, he sees the engagement, he sees the involvement, and he prays for them Faithfully, pause joy-filled. Session is due in part then to their faithful and fruitful participation and partnership in the gospel.

Let us ask ourselves on this point.

How are my prayers doing? As I have started a new year how high are my prayers doing a my lifting up, others in prayer with joy and with concern. We have that little phrase, let's share our Joys and concerns but my lifting people up that have certain concerns are going through trials or struggles or or if maybe they're just they have the joy but they need our prayers. Do I see myself as part of the larger gospel team? We are in Mission together as mentioned earlier to reach lost souls and trained. Christian followers in Christ. That's what a church is to be about and then pause and her session doesn't stop there. But also Paul's joy-filled anticipation, joy-filled anticipation for the Saints. Notice Bruce 64. I am confident of this very thing. He who began A good work in, you will perfect it or will bring it to completion on the day of Christ Jesus or it till the day of Christ, Jesus, Paul is confident. He joyfully filled with confidence that and is this great anticipation that what God has started and that is salvation. He's giving us salvation, he will bring that to its fullest completion on the day of Christ Jesus. When Christ Jesus comes back for us at his people, that day, he will bring all of our Salvation to completion. We, the phrasing can be like this. We We are saved. We are being say we will be save, we are Sanctified. We are being Sanctified and we will be Sanctified. There's that pass the present and the future feel and thought of of that activity. But he says, I am confident now and that you belong to the Lord, but that's what he starts. A complete. Here's the great thing. God doesn't our scuba God does finish what he started. That is a, that's a guarantee that's something that each of us should praise the Lord. For not only that, he saved us, where he found us, but he takes us where he wants us to be. He loves us too much. To leave us. How he found us. How did he find us? Well, we were sinners in need of a savior. What what did he do? While he saved us. He delivered us, he rescued us. From our deepest problems from our deepest issues. What are our, deepest issues is shin, send an alien Asus from God, but he saved us from sin, from the devil from Hell, and from God, himself and his wrath because God is perfectly. Holy and righteous, and therefore, we need him. And the sacrifice that he provided, what was his sacrifice, his son. He sent his son into the world to die for us. Do you know Jesus Christ as your lord and savior? If you do here is a guarantee what he has started in your heart. What do you started in your life? He will complete it to the end. He will complete it to the day of Christ Jesus. We are to anticipate that day when Jesus returns, and we will be like, in for, we will see him face to face.

And 1st John 3:2 and 3 that reminds us now that we'll see him one day face-to-face. But the having that hope in Christ as all believers do I will seek to purify ourselves as he is pure growing in Christ likeness, got always complete what he started in the life of the believer, so he doesn't have half projects. He brings us to completion. Salvation is from The Lord of course, and he will bring our Salvation to the proper assured completion. Let's praise God for his Rich, the richness of this truth joyful and thankful for this promised reality so that he has a joy-filled anticipation of what God is doing and what he will do and what he will complete. And the Philippians live. So we too should have that kind of joy-filled anticipation towards one another what God is doing in our own life, at what God is doing to our neighbor to the left, to the right to the front, to the back of us today as well. And then we move on here. Has had a joy-filled Thanksgiving joy-filled intercession joy-filled anticipation for the Saints at Phillipi. But now Paul has balls joy-filled affection for the Saints. Look at verses 7 & 8. It is only right for me to feel this way. About you all says, because I have you all in my heart, since both in my imprisonment, and in the defense, in the confirmation of the Gospel, you are partakers of Grace with me for God is my witness. How I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. This is simply sentimentality, but Paul in the depth of his heart. He has affection. He has true humble emotions that he is expressing towards the Saints. He feels another saying, I feel very deeply. Literally, what it says about the heart, it's actually the word for bowels. It was a way of the ancient world to say when the deepest part of me, I yearn for you in this case or I have affection for you. I love you so deeply. I'm trying to express the depth of my heart, so it's he says, you're in my mind and now he's saying you're in my heart and so it's a, it's a beautiful moving picture. He says, it's only right for me to feel this way and he used the word feel. So there is affection, there's a human emotion. Paul is not a detached person from his Emotions. He pretty much like King David expressed emotion at time and here is Paul expressing those emotions right now to all the Saints at Phillip. Why? Because he has them in his heart. Why both in my imprisonment where he's probably a Pisces writing and he says in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel, they are partakers of Grace with him. They are part of the ministry of Grace often. Paul would use Grace different ways, obviously, salvation way. But he also used race, as referring back to his ministry. That was given to him by the grace of God. He was, God chose him as an apostle, and primarily As an apostle to the Gentiles, which the Philippian church, not all of them were Gentiles but the majority of them were it was a retired military City that had an opportunity to kind of rule over itself. They had some presti George about them. But Paul says, he has this deep emotion because they are involved with them, they are fellowshipping with them. In the gospel, they are partakers of Christ. There are Partners In Christ and the the gospel that they're getting out is together. So Paul is move because he's in prison, he receives a gift from these guys. He says that he know he accepts. The gift is not that, it's that I have one other need of the gift but it's for your sake, it's fruitfulness and it's It's to your benefit will. Look at that much later in chapter 4, but we today are in the gospel Ministry together. None of us actually work alone. We're actually a body of Believers, where are unit, where it used to monitor, where a team, where a family of Believers, living out the gospel in our daily lives and proclaiming the gospel. When opportunities arise even our missionaries, like I said before, or Not Alone, we're all connected in various ways Willits to finances. And prayers are words of encouragement, letters of encouragement and support, or even showing up on the field and encouraging. But the affection is strong. Do you have strong affections? Chords. fellow Believers in our church family, do you Think about them. Maybe you know if they're after struggling maybe you you drop a tear for him, you feel for them and you express that feeling towards down that you care about them or that you're praying for them or that your concern for them or that you're there for them or however you express emotion, that is Meaningful and not simply mushy gushy stuff, but truly meaningful and helpful. Pause joy-filled affection for the Saints. Next one is Paul's joy-filled prayer for the Saints and this is where we will bring things to a close. After this point says, verse by verse 9 in this, I pray, this is Paul's petition. This is Paul's prayer that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge, and all the cermet. So that you may prove or approve, the things that are excellent in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ, having been filled with the fruits of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise the god. I like what is perhaps the deepest Christian fellowship and Joy are we can experience in this life is at the Throne of God, praying with and for one another info praying with and for one another A church that prays together. My friends stays together, there is a significance about that, Paul's personal spiritual prayer if you will for them as he pens the words. But his prayer for them is that God would bless them with all. That is needed to live successfully for Christ Jesus and his gospel commission that is given to us. The petitions are all spiritually essential, they seem to be Progressive in nature. Look at Paul specific partitions here on their behalf. Let's go ahead and jump in a petition for our love to increase being Guided by biblical, knowledge and discernment. That's what he saying and verses 9 and 10. He says here's my prayer. My prayer isn't that you have love, he already knows they have one. And he is deeply moved out of his own, love for them, but his prayer is that their love will continue to increase to a bound to unfold to make sure to grow that your love would grow. How does it grow and grows deeper? And that grows taller, that grows deeper the roots to God and our love for God. And then that brings us out to the fruit that we love one another and we love others. And we want, we love people. Not because they are lovely because sometimes people can be really nasty, but we love them because we are commanded to do so and God loves them and God sent his son into the world for them. Therefore, he came into the world for us and as Believers, we can say, we carry on that mission of sharing the good news. That others would come to know him and experience his love not simply is wrath, but come to know him for the love of him for God. So loved the world that he gave his only begotten, son, whoever believes in him, will not perish but have everlasting life words of Jesus to us found in John 3 verse 16. Pause prayer. Here is not that they would start loving each other then but that their love would increase. I would say Obviously as he's writing Paul the wear of there's a little tension between two, ladies in the church that are butting. Heads will go to that another time and in in Philippians chapter 4, but you already had some tacky. So he knows that there's some disruption going on. Even though overall we would say, the Philippian church is a very healthy Church. A very Godly true church that you would like to be a part of if you were there at that time, but the love is rooted in God and noticed what he says. He says that your love me about, I'm still more and more aside continues to increase and it says in real knowledge and all the sermon. So if somebody says if love is the river, that is Flowing, then the two a Riverside's, the two boundaries are there, found in this passage and that is right there in the verse where it says, More and real knowledge and all discernment. The real knowledge is knowledge of the Lord Knowledge from the scripture, we grow and depth and under standing of who Jesus Christ is and what our role is, what our mission is what our purpose is, what our gifts are and so forth and so on. But he says may that loving crease but may it be rooted in knowledge, may be rooted and godly knowledge and maybe also rooted or Guided by discernment. If you will excuse us a Discerning love. It's it's huge. It's a Christlike love, and I just put a note here. Christ-like love is not blind. Nor is it? Ignorant love rejoices in the truth lives. The truth. Speaks the truth. Celebrates the truth. Love does not ignore the truth or four miles the truth. But love graciously lovingly discerns, and then appropriately applies. The truth to life situations and two living relationships. If you're asked yourself what is the loving thing to do in this circumstance? I find myself in that should be rooted in. Okay, what am I trained in the scripture? What have I read from God's word? How do I take God's word and apply it to this circumstance and situation? Sometimes we find ourselves in an awkward situation where you know the truth, you love the truth and you love the person that needs what you have. And then you say Lord, help me to speak the truth. In what in what help me to speak the truth in love. Help me. Not to be a lawn, mower and mow mow over the person, but how many to gently discerningly wisely? Apply your truth to the circumstance. Now, if you're in the middle of the circumstance, in your part of the circumstance, you start with yourself. You always start with yourself but then you go and try to help the other person. And so forth, result of love, abounding and increasing even more and more with Biblical knowledge and discernment is at the faith of them would, of course, Deaton deepen, but individual Saints and the church as a whole, would continue to grow and increase to notice what it says after verse that verse 8, verse 9 verse 10. I mean, says, so that you may approve the things that are excellent in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ. As we grow in love and everything else will begin to fall in place and we will become more like Christ. No says, in order to be sincere that sincere means to be without wax. We've we've seen that before and other messages but are blameless is a another way to put it, but there is that sense in which Paul as sane as you grow in. Love for one another and you grow in knowledge and discernment, you will also grow in Christ. You'll be sincere in your faith and you can have your whole life revealed and it's okay because you're blameless not sinless, but you're blameless there's not something of accusation that's coming at you. And then, lastly, and the last verse there, and verse 11, having been filled with the fruits of righteousness, which comes through Christ, Jesus or Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. He said, look that we would grow or that they would grow and their fruitfulness that in their, their walk with the Lord. But let me think about fruitfulness, we think about the fruit of the spirit, the Holy Spirit, grows the the fruit of the spirit in our life. Love joy, peace, patience, kindness, kindness, Mercy self-control, I guess that's things. There is no law those but there's also the fruit of our lips. There are others, the the fruit of our service when we serve others that were serving Christ, he wants, if you will ask to have Christian character, if you will sincere and blameless. But now he's saying now, he wants us to be or them to be fruitful. These are things are personal praying for our own love to increase and Ferb. Local knowledge and discernment to deepen among us here. At least Chippewa church is needed and always appreciated. Let us allow God's Divine love to flow, more greatly through us to him first and then to one another. And then to those who are outside the body of Christ, I eat our neighbors, that still need to hear the gospel in order for them to come to know God through Christ Jesus. We want the fruit that he wants like, what Swindoll says, related is Versi and verse 11 says, don't confuse this with self-righteousness personal piety or self-motivated Works pause referring to the righteousness of Christ working in Us by the end Welling Holy Spirit to produce fruit in our lives. That's what he's praying. And then it you notice it's all for the praise and glory of God, everything we do whether we eat or drink all that we do is for the praise and the glory of God May Our Lives be modeled that way in Christ. Jesus for his praise His glory, his purposes in conclusion Mio. Paul's joy-filled fellowship with a Philippians is rooted in his personal relationship and partnership with them. His ongoing Fellowship in partnership with them was Express to them through his what Thanksgiving is prayers. And of course, his Praises for them. But how about me? How about, how can I better express? My joy filled Fellowship in partnership in love to my brothers and sisters in Christ this week. What would God have me to do or just say to be an encouragement? Someone this week. Let's pray. Father, we pray that the prayer that Paul prayed that these are the characteristics of the petitions that we just looked at, would be ours that we would grow. And in love, in the depth of that love and the expansion of that love towards towards you. And towards others that we would grow to be more like Christ that we would have fruits of righteousness, fruits, that are beneficial for the work. The plan you have Listen to us as a church. And as individuals may we this week Express to other fellow Believers in Christ. He's chip or otherwise, our our love, our appreciation are words of encouragement. We all need to be encouraged and we're thankful for everyone here and all that each does for the body of Christ. We pray in, Jesus name. Amen. Let's just turn the 503. It's a short song him. It's since Jesus came into my heart, you know that song and many of us have this probably memorized the list and together and sing this, and then Linda will come close.

Heavenly father, I pray that we may set aside our own self life and live into Fellowship of The Gospel with our Brothers and Sisters in Christ, help us discover the inner. Holy joy that comes from holding. All the saints of God in our Loving Thoughts and lifting them up in prayer within our hearts. May our love for all believers in Christ. Overspill internists prayer for them all Lord. We pray that all believers. Learn to prove, that was just good. And excellent. So that sincerity and Truth. We always grow in Grace and leave live blamelessly before you until the return of Christ. When we see Jesus and we shall be like him for, we shall see him as he is. Eternal God bless this church. You have called us to be members of one body. Join us with those who at all times and places have Praise Your Name. That was one heart and mind, we make sure the unity of your church and bring honor to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Maybe.