PHILIPPI
Willie Dickson
Philippians 1: 9-11; 2: 1-5; 3: 20,21; 4: 4-9
I thought, beloved brethren, it would refresh our hearts at this time to have a look at a model assembly. I sometimes wonder if there is such today, and yet I think that the characteristic moral features could be found. It may not be where there is a wealth of gift or outstanding administrative ability, but there would be some tangible expression of what morally represents a model assembly. It could be in just a little company, two or three, yet having the features spoken of in these passages. I suppose it would be right to say that the Philippian epistle gives us the substance of what ''the life of God" (Eph 4: 18) would mean. What is unfolded in these chapters is affection for the truth and regard for the Lord's servant and for one another; they give us some impression of the area where the life of God is known.
So I thought we might look at these chapters for help. It is well known that Philippians is the outcome morally of Ephesian teaching - "as the truth is in Jesus", chap 4: 21. The Philippian had indeed learned the Christ, and the epistle in substance reflects the teaching of the Ephesian epistle. The first feature I would call attention to as marking a model local assembly is discernment. It says, ''that your love may abound yet more and more in full knowledge and all intelligence, that ye may judge of and approve the things that are more excellent". The practice of discernment in regard to things that are more excellent is a very choice feature in assembly life. In speaking of Philippians we have always to recall the inception of that local meeting. It was by the river; that is an indication that all that ultimately worked out in Philippi stood related to the Spirit of God, and this feature of discernment must of necessity have come from the liberty that the Spirit of God had, and so he says, "in full knowledge and all intelligence, that ye may judge of and approve the things that are more excellent". Now, that is a test. We can usually discern the things that we might feel are not quite what they should be, but the underlying state and the discernment that marked the Philippian assembly were that they were able to discern and approve the things that are more excellent. That would involve the truth as in Jesus; that is, that everything which is for the furnishing and development of life in the assembly relates to Christ. He is the great source of life, of power, and of blessing. The divine standard of excellence is in Christ, and if the Philippian believers had to consider any matter that called for discernment, the truth as in Jesus would be their divine plumb-line by which matters were measured. What a standard comes before us! It says, "in order that ye may be pure and without offence for Christ's day, being complete as regards the fruit of righteousness". The reference to Christ's day is interesting in connection with the fruit of righteousness because the outstanding moral feature in the world to come will be righteousness, and the outstanding moral feature of the present dispensation is righteousness. We should ponder that. The truth as in Jesus. involves what it cost God in the death of Christ to establish the standard of righteousness that would be in keeping with His own throne and His dwelling amongst His people. So the apostle is exhorting this assembly that when Christ's day came it would be seen that they had discerned the excellent thing in the pursuit of righteousness. Righteousness is not to be construed as a principle of inflexible demand. Righteousness is a feature of refinement in the things of God, because it is measured in relation to Christ, and in our desires to bring things about for the divine pleasure in our localities we should think of what it cost God, in the death of Christ, to establish conditions in which He can dwell with His people in complacency and love.
In chapter 2 it says, "If then there be any comfort in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit". While it is too full to go over in detail (not that one is able for it) I should like to dwell on that expression, ''fellowship of the Spirit". That is what characterised Philippi as a local assembly, the fellowship of the Spirit, not a fellowship dictated by human affiliations or governed by race, by nationality, by environment or any of these things that distinguish the fellowships of this world. The fellowship of the Spirit involves an area in which everything is in accord with the truth as in Jesus, this feature of love and unity marking the saints.
We should perhaps pay more regard to the organic working of things among us. In our exercises to secure things for the divine pleasure do not forget that the Lord is Head of the body, and, in virtue of that, there is organic operation amongst the people of God. Any spiritual person, whether a brother or a sister, would never, in their exercises for the maintenance of the truth, overlook the principle of the organic working which lies in localities and amongst the saints generally. That is the fellowship of the Spirit, the same thing in principle as in 1 Corinthians 10, the fellowship of the Lord's death, not quite that (though it is that too) but a refinement as to this area where the life of God is known. So, dear young people, if the world entices you to its fellowships, and associations, remember that it may be that the enemy of your soul is opening a door for you. The fellowship of the Spirit is one of the most treasured possessions that the people of God have and we should know the affection that marks it. The apostle then proceeds on to the mind which was in Christ Jesus. This is another instance in Scripture in which there is a reference to the manhood of Christ accompanied by a touch as to His deity. It speaks of that manhood and the depths to which it went in suffering love, but like the cherubim covering the ark, it says, "subsisting in the form of God". You will see that all through Scripture, even in the references to the Messiah in the Old Testament prophets: whenever the Messiah is brought on to view in His manhood, the Spirit of God inserts a touch as to the glory of the Person who became Man. What treasured thoughts these are to dwell upon with spiritual minds, that the greatness of them might be known in our conversations together. Beloved brethren, how rich our conversations together would be if we dwelt upon these wondrous matters.
Then in chapter 3 another feature of the model assembly is that it is a company with a heavenly outlook. This expression, "our commonwealth'', can be used as to our relations in the area where the life of God is known. The word "our" is emphatic. It says it has "its existence in the heavens, from which also we await the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour". Beloved brethren, a feature of a model assembly is that it is waiting for the rapture. We are pilgrims here, our outlook is towards the Man in heaven, waiting for Him to come soon. There are no shackles that tie such to the earth, none at all. "Our commonwealth" that we enjoy here in the life of God has its existence up there where that blessed Man is. Our expectation is to be there and enjoy fully all its wealth and the glory of divine thoughts. Are we like that? We come back to what Mr Darby was told when he complained about the state - Put it right by one man. These are heavenly things we are speaking about, they are moral things. The Philippians had to deal with moral things. It is obvious from this chapter that there were enemies of the cross of Christ; Paul warned them: he says, "I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ". You say, Such a thing in Philippi? They were not in Philippi, but they were encroaching on the divine territory, and Paul, in his desire to preserve that choice garden for the Lord, brings up in chapter 1 this matter of discernment as to the things that are more excellent. You can never really separate what is spiritual from what is moral. That is basic to the Christian faith. The two matters are intertwined to the extent that the workability of what is spiritual amongst us must have its bearing upon what is moral and a judgment of the things that are more excellent. He says, "the heavens, from which also we await the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, who shall transform our body of humiliation". It does not say here 'our body of death' but "our body of humiliation". Have you ever felt that? Often on a Lord's Day morning at the service of God, when it goes higher and higher and you feel the whole meeting is being transported, despite the body of humiliation you feel you want to remain where the Lord is, to be with Him. But we find that the body of humiliation hinders us - not the body of death but the body of humiliation - but if we fix our eye on that blessed Man up there, we know He is coming soon, and our commonwealth which we enjoy now down here amongst the people of God will be our eternal portion.
In chapter 4 Paul says, "For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true". Is it of any significance, beloved brethren, that the list is headed by the word “true"? It is a wonderful list, and what heads it is the word "true". That takes us back to Ephesians 4, what is true. In an assembly such as the Philippian, what is true must remain at the top of the list - true in our relations with God, with the Lord and the Spirit, and with one another. The street of the heavenly city was of transparent glass, and we should be able at all times to look one another in the face and shake hands with one another, and be true. We should be true to the fellowship and to one another, and to the truth. Then he says, "whatsoever things are noble, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are amiable, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if any praise , think on these things": think on them. Then he says, "What ye have both learned". Paul did not say to the Philippians, 'What I have taught you’, no, he says, "What ye have ... learned". A Philippian assembly should in substance have some person who can say "What ye have ... learned ... in me". It is not my knowledge of the truth, or the ability to give a good address or anything like that, but to be able to say ye have learned that of me. Oh, brethren, what have we learned? Let us learn something about the area of the life of God. The responsibility for keeping it lies in our hands, for the Lord's pleasure, an area in which the Supper can be celebrated and where the truth under the Spirit can flow. May I appeal to the brethren? I trust we have learned something, not only the sorrows, but the Lord's faithfulness and love. There has been much blessing. Young people have confessed the Lord and have asked to break bread; it is not all sorrow. Let us learn to pray more and learn something from the history of the testimony for the Lord's glory. Amen.
BUCKHURST HILL
8 August 1992
TIMELY CHILDREN
As you probably realise, it is really the sun in the heavens that governs our time-keeping although we have clocks and watches worked by electricity and by clockwork. Even the younger children will have at some time seen a sundial showing the time getting later as the shadow of the gnomon moves down.
King Hezekiah of Judah once wanted a sign that God would bless him. He was told by the prophet Isaiah to choose between the shadow going down or backwards on the dial of King Ahaz. Wisely he chose the latter so that he could gain ten degrees of valuable time equivalent to forty minutes, the time of a Gospel address!
Even if we have wasted precious time, God's grace is still towards us. In the glad tidings of our Lord Jesus Christ we are told to redeem, or buy back the time, because it is so precious.
Do you value time?
J.C.Evershed
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