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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for you to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the Bibleignmenistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Take your Bible, turn to the book of, you know, when Paul went to the Philippines. You know he went to the Philippine Islands? That’s where the book of Philippians comes from, ain’t it? Well, the book of Philippians, the book of Philippians, you know the Bible tells us that we’re supposed to serve the Lord after we trust Him as Savior. And we think, well, what does that really mean? And the Bible talks about, you know, love God and love one another.

And sometimes it’s easier to love God because we don’t see Him. mankind. I mean we see, they’re not worth 11, are they? There’s so many people, they’ve got so many faults and so forth except us of course. And they just got so many faults. They do, they do. And so some people are lovable. Some people are not so lovable. But here in the book of Philippians, Paul is in jail and he’s writing a book on how, how really to serve the Lord.

How we’re supposed treat somebody. And I thought it’s interesting in chapter 4 we make the statement, rejoice always and again I say rejoice. And you say well I say easy for you to say look who you are. Yeah but you just see where he is. He’s in prison. And so in chapter 4 you see there in verse 4, rejoice in the Lord when everything’s going your way. See that’s the way we like to read it isn’t it? Rejoice in the Lord once in a while.

Always. And again I say rejoice. He said well you just don’t know what I’m going through. You just don’t know my life. You don’t know how I’m hurting. You don’t know this. You don’t know that. I don’t see as He put any you know, stipulations after. They just said, rejoice. And so it’s amazing, sometimes I’ve been in the hospital, I’ve seen people, you know, really hurting. And someone owned their deathbed. And they’re just as happy as a Lord. Just as joyful.

And the one that has really impressed me the most of all the people that I’ve had funerals for is my sister Liz, my sister Liz. I led her to the Lord and she just had a habit of smoking. She just couldn’t stop. She stopped drinking, but she just couldn’t lay down those cigarettes. So I told her, she says, Liz, you know that one of these days they’re going to drive you to an early grave. She says, yeah, but I’m going to die happy.

She says, it doesn’t really matter, yank. I’m going to heaven and I can’t wait to get there. So I couldn’t, you know, talk any sense into her. Anyway, I was in the motorhome and we were coming down to Florida. She was going to die. I talked her on the phone and she says, I’m going to be going to be with the Lord tomorrow or tonight. No, it was tomorrow night because they’re going to take her off the life support thing.

And I said, well, I’m on my way, Liz. I didn’t want her to die. Well, I’d be being there. I wanted to be there. So I jumped on a plane flew to Atlanta in an hour before I got to the hospital she died. And so my daughter and son and all of my brother, Lou Mann and all of them came and everybody was there. And she was just having a party. She was so excited. And she was telling them, I didn’t go home.

I’m going to go home. And they couldn’t believe it. And she was just all excited about it. So they wanted to have a party. So they do some kind of a little party and they, everybody was excited. And everybody was telling us that now when you see Mama tell her this and you see grandpa tell him this and you see father. You tell him this. She said, I can’t remember all of this. But she was just excited to go and I missed all of that.

But they just each one of them told me their version and it was awesome to be so excited about. going to heaven. I’ve seen people, you know, they know they’re going to go and they accept it and they just flow with it. But she, I guess you say overreact? I don’t know if it’s over react, but just excited about it. The Apostle Paul talks about just rejoice always. Now what I want you to see there in chapter 1, chapter 1 is he writes this letter to these people, in Philippi.

Notice how Paul doesn’t talk about himself so much as he’s talking about them. In other words, everything he did is for them. So you notice what he says in verse 3 of chapter 1, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. I thank the Lord. Every time I remember you, I thank the Lord. But now those what else he says in verse 4, always in every prayer of mine for you, says for you all. That’s Georgia Talon. Making requests with joy.

In other words, I am filled with joy, making requests for you, praying for other people. Now if there’s anything you’re supposed to learn from serving the Lord is the concern that you have for others. It was neat that while I was up there I got a chance to spend some time with both of my grandsons. One of them is 31 or 32 and the other one is 14 years old, both grandsons. So I told one, I said, I’m going down to Burger King, just Give me some coffee and read a little bit.

Can I go? Can I go? Yeah, you can go. Of course, when you want to get there, buy them a wap or whatever they want, you know, and get something. And I tell one of my sisters, I’m gonna take a granda, the biscuit express in the morning. I’ll meet you there. What time are you gonna be there? You know, it’s a joy when the grandkids 1945 meet and sit with Papa. Just talk. And so we talked. And it’s such a joy because for years you don’t get a chance to do that.

They’re on their lives and they don’t have the time and they’re going and running and so forth. And sometimes I feel like the same way. But just sometimes just to stop and just see what happens. And just to talk about the things of the Lord. It was good. But notice what he says here in verse 5, 4, and you ought to underline this word, your fellowship, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. So it’s because, see, he led them to the Lord and he was set for the defense of the Lord and says, from the day that you trust the Lord until now, I think of you always.

I remember you. I pray for you that you may have fullness of joy. That’s Paul in prison who cares for them. Then he makes a statement in verse 6, being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform until the day of Jesus Christ. Now many believe that this is a reference to, they used to be able to financially support him and then for some reason they didn’t for a while. Now he says, your care of me has flourished again.

Look there in Philippians in chapter 4 where he makes this statement in verse 10, but I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at your, the last, your care of me hath flourished again wherein you were also careful but you lacked opportunity. Sometimes you don’t always get the opportunity to do the things you want to do. And then sometimes the doors open up and you can. It’s like do what you can, where you are, with what you have. You can’t always do everything that you want, but you ought to be able to do something.

And so he says, what you used to do, he says, I’m thankful that your care, because of Paul traveling around and preaching and so forth in jail. And he got out and wound up preaching in other places, but it’s just good to remember. Look at the attitude that he has toward. These people there in Philippi. Look what else he says there in verse six. He says, being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you.

So he recognizes that the good work that was being done in them was done by the Lord. See, it’s the Lord who lives on the inside of you. And I believe the best form of follow what work is leaving a person that’s clear enough to understand that they have eternal life. life and that the Holy Spirit living within them can also follow them up. I led this one guy to the Lord yesterday and I don’t know if I’ll ever see him again.

But at least for that one day, that one moment as we all eyes passed, he trusts the Lord. I was with my grandson up there. He was looking at something and so I had a few minutes. I was just standing around watching. So I I walked over to this person and I asked him, I said, do you know where you’re gonna go and you die? Well, they didn’t know. So while he’s doing that, I led him to the Lord, but he saw what I did.

And then I took my granddaughter to a store. She wanted to get some socks. You know, that’s really exciting to me. To go to a store while she picks out socks. She didn’t like the colors and some of them. Then she was counting them. Then they had to be the right size was stretched big enough, you ever see a girl to take forever to find socks? So I asked a lady that was sitting there and I says, you’ve got a few minutes, nobody else didn’t hear it.

I says, do you know where you’re going to go in your diocese? No. I said, wouldn’t you like to go to heaven? You know, yeah. I said, can I tell you? She said, yeah. So I explained it to her, she trusts the Lord. So even though I’m there doing something with And then all they know is Papa was with me. Papa was there. And nothing else mattered. As long as I was with them. And Betty told me, she said, you ought to be thankful.

And why? She says, just because they wanted to spend time with Papa. And I says, I know. Because sometimes you think, well, they got their own lives and you’re not important. But when it comes close to Christmas, We know that. They just love you because they just love you————————————————. Enter into your mind. That’s it. But anyway, good time. Look whatdule says in verse 7. It is me, or necessary for me to think this of you all because I have you in122.

He talks about you. It’s about you. It’s about you. And what I’m going through is for your benefit. So he says down there in verses eight, for God is my record, how greatly I long after you, all in the bowels of the tender mercies of Jesus Christ. In other words, I’m thinking about you. I care about you. I’m praying for you. And so he’s always talking about these things for them. And then you notice in verse nine, and this I pray your love may abound yet more and more.

You will love more and more. See, this is when you pray for somebody, this kind of gives you an idea what to pray for people about. Pray for their love, that they all love more. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everybody just loved everybody the way we should? You know, we wouldn’t have to have policeman, there would be no wars, there would be no, I didn’t see stuff, you know, people trying to steal your identity, there would be none of that stuff.

There would be no prisoners, no jails, if people just loved everybody, and treated everybody the way God says to them, then we wouldn’t have to worry about it. But everybody’s got that old sinful nature, they’re loaded with greed and they want something for nothing and you’ve got it and And I want it and I’m going to take it. And if you don’t make the punishment hard enough, they’re going to do it. Look what else she says. You see there in verse 10, their discernment.

In other words, trying to help them to have the knowledge by which they can discern the things that are good, better, best, never let it rest to you. Good is better and your better is best. You got that. You wrote that down, didn’t you? I know you did. But he’s talking about in verse 10 that you may approve things that are excellent. In other words, learning discernment. Learning between right and wrong. Between those things that are good and acceptable and excellent.

In other words, you can just make decisions just to try to improve a little bit, stay out of trouble. But don’t you want the best for your life? Don’t just try to make good decisions, make the right decisions for your life. This is how Paul was trying to encourage these people to do what’s right. We talked so much about Christmas, Christmas, Christmas, and the Christmas spirit. This is the application of the Christmas spirit. This is whenever you apply it in your life and you do it and it’s real to you.

But notice what else he says. Down in verse 11, he’s also concerned about how they lived their life, not how you just make right decisions But you actually put it into practice. You know, you can make a right decision and never fulfill it You decided I’m gonna take and do this. I am gonna go on a diet. I have decided You ever heard anybody say that first of the year well next year Well next year So you can make decisions easy, but can you follow through with it?

Can you do something? Learn the wisdom of making right decisions and then make the right decision. See some people know what’s right. They know what’s wrong, but they won’t make the right decision. They still make the wrong decision. So he says here in chapter 1 verse 11, be in the field with the fruits of righteousness. So does he want every Christian to have fruit? Yes. And the fruits of wickedness or the fruits of righteousness, the fruits of righteousness. But you can’t have the fruits of righteousness if you don’t have the discernment that you need to make the right decision.

That’s why verse 10 is written before verse 11. And he says in verse 12, I would that you should understand. Now he wants him to understand something. Understand that the things that have happened to him so that they’re not down and discouraged and depressed because look at Paul. He dedicated his life to the Lord to serve the Lord and look what happened to Paul. And when you read 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 at all the thing, chapter 11, all of the things that happened to Paul, would you want to serve the Lord?

He got beat up all the time, stoned, and caddin’ down tails. I mean, all kinds of things that happened to him. You say, well, if I serve the Lord, will that happen to me? Yeah, well, I don’t know if I’m going to serve him or not. Well, it may not happen, but you should be willing to go anywhere in the world, though he may never lead you. Are you willing to go to Siberia? Are you willing to go to Russia.

You’re willing to go to China. You should be willing to go wherever God wants you to go, though he may not lead you there. But you’d be willing to if he was open the door and says, this is what I want you to do. You see, it’s the submissive spirit that we’re supposed to have, but he said, now the things that have happened to me that would turn most people off, he says, have happened unto the furtherance of the gospel.

In other words, all these things that seems to go wrong in my life have given me more opportunities to preach the gospel. That’s why in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 he says, I became as a Jew to end the Jews. I became as a Gentile to end the Gentiles. And I became as a man under the law to win those that were under the law. I became all things to all means that I might by all means all means whatever it takes to save some.

So this is what he did. So in verse 12 I would you should understand brethren that the things which have happened in the me have happened for the furtherance of the gospel. So then he finally gets down to look at where I met. I’m in bonds. In In Christ, our manifest in verse 13, and all the palace in another place, he saysKnown the palace have heard the gospel because of where God has placed me. So in other words, instead of cursing the dark, light a candle.

You get a lemon, make a lemonade. You’ve heard all of that. When you see like everything’s going wrong, well, find out what you can do that’s right. Have people treated you wrong big deal. So what? Now what? As long as it was rg that treated you wrong andiberal.* notWAYS olean Isn’t that better? You can’t be responsible how people treat you, but you can be responsible how you treat others. You just treat people right because you know and God knows and God will take care of everything.

You have to worry about it. But see, people like you and make people love you and make people worship you and make people respect you. It ain’t going to work. You have to earn it, and then even if you earned it, they may not give it. Because praise and glory is something that comes from people, and they can take it away. You ever seen a quarterback make those passes and man, he’s right on the money and he’s winning. Yay!

And then he throws three interceptions, killed a quarterback, get him out of the game. See, they gave it, but then they can take it away. Praise, honor, and glory. things that people can give. But God says if you serve Him, then He won’t give you praise on glory at the appearing of.”. Christ. So it all depends on who you want it from. So this is what He said. And you’ll notice as He goes down through here, He’s talking about a lot of things that are going to happen and all the afflictions that He went through.

But the thing is, is more people wound up here in the gospel wherever he went. You see what he says there in verse 14, and many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds are much more bold. So in the words what happened to Paul and his attitude encouraged other people to be confident and to be bold and to do the same. And some would do it and they’d speak the word without fear, not afraid of the consequences because of the attitudes that Paul had.

So Paul says, the things that happens to me is opportunities for people to see, hey, this is worth it. We get more opportunities to preach to gospel. Then he makes a statement in verse 15, some indeed preach Christ, even of envious strife, some of good will. One One preached Christ of contention not sincerely, supposing to add afflictions to my bonds. The other of love known that I am set for the defense of the gospel. But whatever Christ has preached, more people hear the gospel.

Regardless of their motive, if they’re preaching the truth, if they’re preaching the truth. He says, and I was used by God to help challenge and motivate them because of the things that happens to me. So then he says, all this is because it will supply. In verse 20, according to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but there will all boldness as always. So now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.

So he is trying to encourage Christians that are struggling in their walk. And the things that happen to me, well, things are going to happen to you too. And Paul had people leave him, but he says, the Lord’s never leave me. The Lord’s always with me. And so he was giving them words of encouragement. See, that’s serving the Lord. You’re not always witnessing to somebody and trying to get them saved. Would it be great if we could keep all of those who are saved serving the Lord?

But some are always because of negative, bad attitudes. They see the things that happens to them as so negative and they despise it so then they get mad and ugly and sharp and critical and bitter and angry. Well, those are all the works of the flesh, which is the opposite of what God wants His children to do. Now notice what he says down here. He says in verse 21, for me to live is Christ the day is gained. So if I live, Christ lived through me.

So if I die, I went. But he says it’s also more profitable if I stay here for you. See in verse 24, nevertheless abide in the flesh is more needful for you. It’s, you need me. And I want to help you. I’m praying for you and that you’ll have discernment in that you’ll have more love than that you’ll have more fruit of righteousness. So Paul is letting them know how much he cares for them. Then you notice in verse 25, And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your, get that, your furtherance and joy of faith.

If the things that happened to him was for the furtherance of the gospel, then I’m praying that what happens to me will encourage you in the furtherance, in the joy of your faith so that you’ll be stronger, more courageous, with more boldness. Because see, you’re trying to encourage other people because you care about others and not just yourself. One of the things that we find when the college kids is that the teachers have to practice what they preach. Because they who they are, they’re watching and examining the preacher, they’re jamming all the teachers to see, do you practice what you preach?

Or is it just a message? Or is just notes of the teacher getting to the notes of the students without getting to the minds of either one? So people want to know are you for real? So he makes a statement here. And all this is about you and I learning how to think. how to love somebody else and to pray for others. This is why should we as a church, really, should we pray for each other? I mean we ought to wait till you have a problem and then pray for you.

You know when you really have a problem, if you have a serious problem, then we’ll pray for you. Do you know you can’t always tell when somebody’s having a serious problem. Somebody faces problems differently than other people. Some people just have a problem, and they just sailPrevot them. Some people can have everything going right, and they’re loaded down with burdens and problems, and they just say, hey, there. And you’d be surprised how everything can be going along fine. It’s just that they’re just miserable because they’re not either their their heart’s not right with the Lord.

You can be in the right place on the right thingUCTION. All you bills are paid, got money in the bank and all that stuff and McAuliffe. miserable Christian pray for every, every time.orage. All the time upon remembrance of them. Some people use a prayer list. Sanders some people just can remember and I have done this. I’ve come in here now. I’ll come up here now dealing from Cosmetic View. Ipend to visualize every person in the church and I pray for them as I state them in my mind.

I was up there in Georgia and I’d go in there and I would pray and I’d look out there and pretend like I could see all the people that are sitting there. And I pray for every individual. Now that takes some time. Sometimes I canduration that while I’m driving my car. I don’t close my eyes. 803. I was driving with this one man up there in Duluth, Minnesota. And he picked me up from the airport and he he wasHarris going toStats to their church.

So he picks me up and we got a little ways to go. He says, and he’s driving and you know, it’s cold outside I’m talking….. How wonderful the Lord is and how gracious. He said, let’s just go ahead and pray. And so I’m out the way way way way way waypse. started to pray and Lord thank you for this day. How wonderful it is to be able to go to church today and he just went on and prayed and his eyes are wide openporaryorld 89 receivables and, and he just having a good time.

Now I don’t mind that long as I stay open. And he did alright. I was in fear there for just a little bit enthusias.cluded Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the Gospel of Dr. Arnold? Well if you’ve You’ve never contacted us before. We want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many haha questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and.

This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want, all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the, the Gospel-Driven Man. The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline.

If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound,… and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today, and every day. Believe it that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.