Christ the Believer's Strength

Good morning, brothers and sisters. Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus.

I want to continue in our little study of the book of Philippians, and we'll be looking at the last chapter today.

And before we actually look at that chapter, I just want to refer back to chapter two. I found something interesting about chapter two there. It contains what is to be believed as one of the early church's very first hymns.

And some refer to it as a hymn, and others call it the Messiah poem.

And you probably know which verses they are. They are verses five through eleven. And I'd like to read them. Chapter two of Philippians five through eleven is this portion of scripture that is believed to be that was a hymn or a poem.

And as I read it, I agree. I just never thought of it as being such a but it is such a beautiful portion of scripture concerning our Lord Jesus. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, verse five, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

So I like that thought of being a hymn or a poem whenever it just knows short verses describes our beautiful Lord Jesus. Just really, really blessed with that.

Okay, as you all know, Philippians has the four chapters. Each chapter has a theme. And we are going to look at the last one here. Of course, the first one was Christ, the believer's life. Chapter two, Christ, the believer's mind. Chapter three was Christ, the believer's goal. And today, Christ, the believer's strength, taking from verse 13 of Philippians four.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Now, that verse can be taken out of context quite easily. And so I just want to bring that out before we even get into the chapter, that this verse doesn't mean we can do as we please and ask God to supply the strength. Let's keep that in mind.

A lot of people will do it. Many people take it to mean you can do all the things you desire through Christ, whatever you want to do. And that's not what it's saying.

I think we need to understand that we need to live out this verse within the context of God's word. And hopefully, as we look at this here, this chapter in verse four, that we can see how to do that. But keep in mind that this verse is not saying that, oh, I can just do anything I want to do and God will bless it and he'll give me the strength to do it.

No, I would think we need to make that very clear that that's not what he's saying here.

Okay, I'm going to read chapter four of Philippians. Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, as we read this, you see again the beautiful relationship that Paul had with his church. He just, I don't know if he had extra love for them or not, but he sure did love this church. He really, really appreciated them.

And so it really comes out here. Longed-for brethren, he says. Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. I implore Eudia, and I implore Syntyche. I don't know if I said that right or not. To be of the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice.

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things.

The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again, though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content.

I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you, Philippians, know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving, but you only. For even in Thessalonica, you sent aid once and again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed, I have all in abound.

I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar's household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

I find that interesting, that verse 22 there, that all the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar's household. I'm not quite sure what to take from that, but apparently, some of Caesar's people, of his household, responded to the gospel, and they were sharing their greetings. That was really encouraging to me when I thought about that. Here are these people that have responded to the gospel. So Paul really has a lot to rejoice about when you think about it. In prison, and yet these people responding to the gospel.

All right, let's look at our theme here, verse 13, and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The word strengthen has the idea of to empower, to enable, to make strong.

In the natural world, how do you strengthen your body?

By being a couch potato?

By sitting there? Laying down? Well, no. It is by good old hard work. That is what strengthens your body and muscles. I think that's probably why there are so many fitness centers around. Even the non-Christian recognizes what it takes to be strong in body.

Millions of people, lots and lots of people, have desk jobs. And we have to have them. I mean, that's the way it is. And jobs where there is not much physical activity, you know, and they realize, people of the world realize that they're going to get flabby if they do not exercise.

They need to do what? They need to bring a little pain into their experience. That's what they need to do. And it's interesting that exercise here, the meaning of it is to use again and again in order to strengthen or develop.

And so just going to for one physical workout, do you think that's going to do it? No. Not going to do it. So if you're in any kind of a fitness program or a diet or something like that, if you only do it for a week, forget it. It's not going to help you. It's not going to do much for you. So it says here that you have to do it again and again and again. It's a constant, constant thing.

And I was struck with how some of the areas that we need to exercise in order to be strong in them, and obviously I'm referring to the spiritual side of things, to be strong spiritually, you are going to have to exercise yourself.

Not just on Sunday, not just on Monday, but seven days a week, constantly. If you expect to have the strength of Christ in your life, you are going to have to exercise and do that. Well, the first thing I see, and these come from this chapter, the first thing I see is be of the same mind, excuse me, be of the same mind.

Paul talks about these two people. I don't know if they're women or men. I'm not quite sure. I couldn't quite figure out the names there, but I implore them to be of the same mind in the Lord. The same mind in the Lord.

What's it take to be of the same mind?

It takes time. It takes effort. It takes a lot of input into to be of the same mind. Now, obviously, you can get in a group setting and maybe not everybody has the same mind so much. But the important thing is that if you're not sure if you agree with what is being said or something like that, and you're not quite the same mind, don't just throw it to the wind.

Consider it. Think about it.

You know, really positively take a close look at what is being said and see if you can come to the same mind as others. Obviously, I'm not talking about, you know, someone that wants you to do something that's wrong, but I'm talking about in a church setting, Paul is telling us to be of the same mind, and it doesn't come naturally.

We often make up our own mind about things and almost refuse to consider what another person's mind is on the matter. So it takes exercise. You've got to continually work at this thing of being the same mind.

Another thing that we need to exercise is rejoicing.

How often does Paul say that we should rejoice?

Always. That's right. Always. And he emphasizes again, he said, "Again, I say rejoice."

How many times do you think that rejoice or joy or rejoicing or all of that is mentioned in the book of Philippians?

It's mentioned 16 times.

Chapter 1, verse 4. Chapter 1, verse 18, he mentions it twice. Chapter 1, verse 25. Chapter 1, verse 26. Chapter 2, verse 2. Chapter 2, verse 16, 17, and 18. Chapter 2, verse 28. Chapter 3, verse 1. Chapter 3, verse 3. Chapter 4, verse 1, we just read it.

Chapter 4, verse 4, two times. And Chapter 4, verse 10.

How many of you find it easy to rejoice?

I'm not putting my hand up either.

Because we don't like to rejoice whenever something isn't going quite the way we would like it to go, do we? We don't like to rejoice. Why would I rejoice in that situation?

According to this, there should be rejoicing.

You know, I'm not in the situation, but rejoicing in Haiti? Rejoicing with all these people that are persecuted all over the world? Rejoice?

I need lots of exercise in that one. I need to really get on the treadmill on that one to get myself strong in this thing of rejoicing. But Paul mentions it 16 times in this just this short book of Philippians, to rejoice.

All right. Another thing that we need to exercise in order to be strong in them is to be gentle or gracious or forbearing.

Verse 5. Let your gentleness be known to all men, the Lord as it is at hand. Gentle.

An attribute that is, again, doesn't come natural. Doesn't come naturally. We have to have to exercise it in order to grow in it and to become strong in it. To be a gentle person. And there in our Sunday school lesson, referring to exhortation or rebuke, rebuke especially, my tendency is to get pretty heavy about the whole situation, get upset. Why can't you get a hold of this? What's your problem? Why don't you just simply do what you know you should do?

No, that's not what it's saying. Be gentle. Gracious.

And it takes a lot of exercise.

Another area is do not, don't be anxious, but pray about any given situation.

There in verse 6. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. Anxiety.

How do you get rid of anxiety? Or how do you overcome anxiety? Well, he just answers our question. The question there is, take it to God in prayer. If you're anxious about something, if you're experiencing anxiety in your life, exercise yourself in prayer.

Spend a lot of time in prayer about whatever is causing your anxiety. Now, I know sometimes that can be a physical problem, and I don't want to just give a blanket statement here. But a lot of times, anxiety comes from a choice that we have made or something like that, and we need to exercise prayer on behalf of anxiety.

And what's so wonderful about that, this exercise has a promise with it. Verse 7. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. A beautiful promise if you just simply lay your anxiety down and let God take care of it.

I want us to understand that none of us are immune from any of these things that we're talking about. We all experience these things, but it's what you do with them is what I'm trying to bring out this morning. It's what you do with them as to whether you're going to be able to overcome them and be strong in them. Have the strength of Christ.

Another thing that we need to exercise is to think or meditate on good things. Yeah.

Well, that word think means there in the original, in Greek, means to take an inventory. Take an inventory. When you hear something new, put it to the test. Is it true? Is it noble? Is it just? Is it pure? Is it lovely? Is it of good report? Is there virtue in it? Is it praiseworthy?

We need to be like the Bereans. What did they do?

They searched the scriptures. How often? Remember, we said that this idea of exercising is doing it again and again and again. What's the scripture say that they, how often they searched the scriptures? Daily. Every day, they searched the scriptures to see if those things were so, what they were hearing. And I don't know if they would have had this scripture yet, but they seemed to put it to the test. They took inventory of what they were hearing. Is it true? Is it right? Is it pure? Is it praiseworthy?

And that's what we need to do in order to be able to think good things. We need to take inventory of what we are hearing and what we are. And I hope that you go and take inventory of what I'm saying here this morning and search the scriptures to see if they're so.

All right. Another thing that we need to exercise is contentment. Verse 11.

Not did I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. Oh my.

Am I content with what comes my way in life?

What is my reaction to issues that come up that are not very pleasant, that rub me the wrong way? Is my testimony, verse 12. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things. I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

To me, contentment only comes by making a deliberate decision that I am going to accept the circumstances that have come my way. If you do not make that deliberate decision, you are going to be overcome, overrun with discontentment. You are going to, you're just going to not know what to do.

So it's really important to exercise this thing of contentment. It's really important because to be discontent is not a very nice thing, just not very nice at all. You all know that, don't you? I know that.

Just unhappy and touchy and, you know, don't tell me about it. You know, I know what I want to do. Let me alone.

Contentment really does that to you. If you're just, yeah, discontentment does.

And the seventh thing on what we need to exercise in order to be strong is being a giver. Being a giver, verse 15. Now, you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving, but you only.

Yes. We like our money, don't we? We like our money. I'm just using that. There's other things you can give. Don't get me wrong, but I just want to use this as an example. You know, I worked hard for this money.

I worked hard for it. It's mine. I did a good job and I deserve it.

I deserve it and I want to use it for my desires.

Being a true giver comes by being deliberate again about your giving.

You make that deliberate decision that I'm going to give this instead of keeping it for myself. Instead of buying something that I really, really want. I just really like to have that thing. But you deliberately make the choice to give it to a need or to someone that has a need. You need to, this thing of exercise is a deliberate thing. You got to do it again and again. It's, it's so, and we really need to exercise in this area of our lives.

And what's so interesting about this thing of giving is as you exercise this area of your life, you will find out what a benevolent giver God is. I find that interesting. Verse 19. Let me read it. And my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I don't think you'll ever find out how benevolent God is with his giving until you are willing to be a giver.

And I'm not, I think I like to refer to as giving till it hurts.

If you, and you will find out, that's a real blessing to me. You will find out how great, a wonderful giver God is. He is just such a wonderful giver. But you are going to have to exercise yourself in truly giving in order for that to happen.

And you have to do it before Christ will really give you the strength to be a real, true giver in all of those different areas.

Let's go back to talking about strength again.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And I hope I can bring out what it takes in order to experience this strength. What has to happen in the making of a steel beam to make it strong?

What's it have to go through? Fire has to go through fire to make it strong. You just take a regular piece of steel before it is put through the oven or the fire. It's no strength to it. It just, it'll just sort of buckle and just won't do much for you at all.

But when that, the reason, that's the reason they have to put it through a fire in order to strengthen that piece of steel. That's what strengthens it. It's just an unchanging law. It has to go through the fire. It has to, in a sense, if you can say suffer.

It has to suffer. And what about spiritual strength here that we're talking about is, let's turn to Hebrews and look at Christ. Hebrews 5.

Hebrews 5, verse 7 to 11.

I think I'll read verse 6 with it. And as he also says in another place, you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death and was heard because of his godly fear, though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered.

And having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him, called by God as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek, of whom we have much to say and hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing.

Christ had to go through the fire.

Is that what we're saying? Christ had to learn what it means to be strengthened.

Yes, he did.

On this thought of obedience, what is the best way to teach your children obedience?

Apply some pain into their experience when they disobey.

And you will begin to see them grow in their willingness to obey in the next situation. So you see what I'm saying each step along the way. You might not have to apply quite as much pain the next time. Or you might not have to apply any in some situations.

But to me, it's just simply an unchanging law of God. Suffering is what makes us a strong, obedient child of God. And I need to believe that and you need to believe that this morning.

Don't look for an easy life. Don't look for an easy life.

It becomes easier as we are willing to go through the fire and to be made stronger. But again, this just seems to be an unchanging law. I mean, Christ had to do it. So why do we think that we wouldn't have to? It's an unchanging law that suffering is what makes us strong. The fire is what makes us strong.

That strengthens us, the suffering. Matthew 3:11. Just a quick verse there about John, what John the Baptist was saying.

These people came out to be baptized and John in verse 8 says, "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance and do not think to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our father, for I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

And now, even now, the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I. Whose sandals I am not worthy to carry, he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

I don't know if I know the full reason why John the Baptist added fire to the end of that statement. But I think I have a little bit of an idea. When we think of fire, could it be this idea of suffering? And we know that fire also has lots of power. It gives heat.

And if you take a rocket, if you ever watched a rocket launch, I've seen, I've never been right there where one did, but I've saw some videos of it. And such tremendous power. If they wouldn't have that fire in that thing, coming out of that thing, it would never move off the spot. It takes that fire to move that thing into the air.

Fire also cleanses and burns out the dead stuff in our lives so our spiritual bodies can thrive. Do you ever hear of a controlled burn?

They do it all the time in your mountains and in your forest. Now, obviously, the fires that were taking place this summer out in California, in those places, were not controlled at all. But they do that in order to to to burn out the old undergrowth and all the junk that is under there that hinders the real for the trees and all of that to to grow. And it's called a controlled burn. And I like to think of that. That's what Christ does with us.

He brings situations into our life and controls them. But he does not kill us as it were. The fire does not do us in, but he knows the amount of fire that needs to, or the amount of stuff that needs to be burned out. And he controls that through situations that we face.

Are you willing to believe that he is doing it to make you a strong person? You need to believe that. You really do.

John 15:1 to 8, I'd like to read that.

I am the vine and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes that it may bear much fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I've spoken to you. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, except you abide in me.

I am the vine. You are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit. For without me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered, and they gather them and throw them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. By this, my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit. So you will be my disciples.

Isn't that interesting? I don't know if we have any orchardists here, but I think we have people that have orchard, or I mean, fruit trees and small orchards maybe.

But if you want a strong fruit tree and one that gives tasty fruit, you have to apply some pain.

Obviously, the tree, I don't know if it says outch or not, but anyway, you have to apply some pain. You really do.

Do some pruning. And I find it interesting that Christ didn't say every branch of me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that bears fruit is, you know, you'll just continue to bear fruit. No, he doesn't say that.

It says he prunes it. He gives it a little bit of pain. It makes it go through a little bit of suffering. And yeah, you need to apply some pain to the tree. Do some pruning. Do some cutting.

Do some cutting.

And I maybe said this before. I've never forgot. Years ago, Brother Mail and Diller was teaching Sunday school and I'm not sure what the subject was, but he talked about he had a vineyard or he had a vine. Yeah, grape vineyard there. And he read that, you know, if you really want to get some some beautiful grapes, he said the article told him to cut. And I mean, cut deep. And so he did. And as he was cutting, he's, man, is this enough? The other book said, no, go deeper. He's not sure he had killed the thing as much as he pruned off of it. But he said he has never seen such beautiful grapes in all his life the next time around.

And so that's the way it is.

In order for you to be strong in Christ, to be strong in your spiritual walk, in your spiritual life, you are going to have to allow some suffering, some cutting.

You know, it's kind of funny here maybe, but can't you just hear the tree crying out, please don't cut so hard. It hurts. Quit cutting. But the vine dresser says to the tree, just trust, trust me. Trust me.

You will become a beautiful, strong, productive tree if I do some pruning, if I apply some pain to your experience.

And so yeah, strength can only be found or can only be a part of your experience is if you allow suffering and pain to be a part of your experience. Because you need to believe that that is where your strength will come from.

And I want to put in another strong appeal as I do maybe too often, but another strong appeal to becoming, being a part of a body of believers. We need the strong parts of each other. I don't have all the strength. You don't have all the strength. But together, we have this wonderful strength that God so much wants to give us.

There's a book out there and I don't know if I've mentioned this one time in my devotions or anything. It's called The Hidden Life of Trees.

And I don't think the author is a Christian. I can't even say his name. I think he might even be an evolutionist. But anyway, what he has to say though really applies to this. If you...

Just a crude drawing there. Trees are in a forest, especially are like a community of believers. It should be. What you don't see is these roots that are down underground. The reason that these trees might are so beautiful and so so productive and all of that is because of this root system that is underground. And these two trees do not even have to be the same, what do you say, brand?

The same species. Yes, thank you. They don't have to be even the same species, but these roots intermingle and grow over top of each other and do all kinds of things underneath there. They feed each other. They give, if one that maybe is looking a little sick or something like that, they can draw from those other roots for it to go up into their tree and help to overcome the disease or whatever might be there.

It's just phenomenal.

And also if they experience a tremendous storm, it's these roots down here that they have wrapped around each other that keeps them from toppling over. Now I know that might not hold true completely. I mean, a tree can be out here by itself and might not be blown over, but it has a better chance of being blown over. I think of that tree there just up past Harvey's turkey house. It's been there for as long as I can remember.

It's still standing. It's a big tree and it probably has some roots that are way down in there. But as a whole, these trees need each other, believe it or not. And he brings that out in this book. It's really a lot of Christian principles are shown in that book. But it's... I just want to really drive that home to us. Your roots go down real strong in one area of life. This other person's roots go down real strong in another person's. And then they intermingle. They intertwine and they help each other and they give strength to all of us.

So I'm just really blessed with this thing of I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

You know, our... Today we're in this country, for the most part, we're not physically suffering so much. Although I don't know how long that's going to last. But anyway, so our suffering will not be so much physical as emotionally and psychologically.

Let's remember that. My encouragement is to be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. But do not shy away from from suffering. I want to really drive that home and encourage you all not to shy away from that because that is what makes you strong in Christ.