Good evening to the book of Philippians in the first chapter. Philippians chapter 1. Ultimately I'm going to read the opening 11 verses, not straight through. I'm going to read the opening 8 verses and then later on verses 9, 10, 11. Our series that we've been in is regarding ministering to one another, and I've emphasized building a close connection with one another. In a sense, we'll be emphasizing that a little bit tonight, but the focus of my challenge tonight is praying for one another, but maybe not as we might think of it. So let's begin with a word of prayer, and then we'll get into the challenge tonight. Dear Father, we come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. We are praying for one another. We pray for these various health issues that we're aware of, the spiritual issues that go with it. We pray for Brother Collins. Very often with an open-heart surgery, people struggle with depression, anxiety coming out and through that recovery time. So we pray that you would help him during that time and pray for his healing and wisdom in treating him in the days ahead. We do pray for Jane and the fact that she has this tooth that is now broken and the pain that she's struggling with. Brother Jack and his recovery from the accident, Brother Clark and his shingles, and the list goes on and on. Father, we appreciate Paul's heart in praying for people, and I think he really teaches us something about prayer. So help us to pray for one another, not merely just for the request, bearing one another's burdens that way, but really praying for the strengthening of the body of Christ in a different way. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You read the writings of Paul, I come to several conclusions. Now, I'm just going to give you a couple that I come to. I think you can make a number of conclusions. I think Paul is a very passionate man. As you read his writings, you read how he talks with people. You read that while he's waiting for people, he's engaging other people in conversation about the gospel. I think he was a very passionate man concerning the things of Christ and concerning other things as well. I think Paul was a very loving man. I think while he was a passionate man, he was also a gentle man. You read the opening of his epistles, so often they're open with words of love. And Philippians is one of the key ones that we're going to focus on and dwell on tonight. Probably one that sounds like he's almost the closest to. is the church that was at Philippi. But I think he's also a very loving man. His expressions that he would use regarding people, not only people of the churches, but also fellow laborers that would labor with him in his midst. But also I think he's a very wise man. And I think that in the fact that he saw the spiritual needs and the spiritual concerns that maybe some other people would overlook. We would often pray for one another, and maybe this week you will use either the prayer sheets that we print up and give out listing all the families, or maybe you'll use that prayer sheet that you were given tonight to kind of direct you in your prayer request for this upcoming week. And praying for various people, and as you go through the body of Christ, you might pray for specific needs that you're aware of. But I think Paul draws our attention to some other requests that are very important as well, that I think unless we're reading the Bible, we may not even think about praying about. So I want to talk to you about tonight. I want to look at two things tonight. First of all, praying for one another out of love. And what I want you to see initially is just Paul's love for this church of Philippi. Now I'm going to read the opening eight verses, but what I would like you to do is follow along And there are at least four phrases that I think are in there that show that he has a love for the people of the church of Philippi. So I'm going to read through the opening eight verses, and I'm going to try to get one of those phrases from different ones of you to see how you think Paul expressed his love. Look at what it says, beginning of verse number one. Paul and Timotheus. the servants of Jesus Christ to all the saints that are in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making requests with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Verse 7, Even as it is meet for me, or fitting for me, appropriate for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. For God is my record. how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ." Now, just give me one. Somebody give me one phrase there that stands out, kind of an expression showing that he has some type of a relationship, appreciation, or love for these people. Who will be the first? Wendy? Okay, look at verse number 7. I have that one marked as well. I have you in my heart. And so this is not just a Christian that he's praying for, but someone he has in his heart. He has built a relationship with them. Brother Greg. Yeah, I've got it marked as well. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. And so whenever he would bring them back to mind, he was just thankful for the people there. Someone else. Brother Jim? When Paul prayed, he prayed for the joy of the Lord in his heart. Okay, and where do you see that? Very good, very good. Making requests with joy. And so again, there was a joy in his heart as he prayed for them. Anyone else? These are the four key ones I found, but there are some other statements. Miss Lois? We're saying, for how long have you all been in the bowels of Jesus Christ? And I have that in Mark 2, maybe we haven't brought that one up yet. How greatly I long after you all. And the ideas, yearns for them, wanting to be in their presence. Good. Beth, did you have a different one? That was it. She took it from you. Well, don't be angry about that, okay? I'll have to preach one of the Sunday morning services to you. Yeah, Brother Scott. an idea of being close to the Lord in jail, in prison, in chains. Yeah, and here he is. He's in jail, in prison, and yet he is an affectionate heart toward them. So here, when he prays, he loves these people. He has a fondness for them. He's not just praying for them as maybe he would even the church of Colossae. The church of Colossae, he never got to. He never met the people one-on-one. He still prayed for them. That's mentioned in the book of Colossians written to them. He was praying for them. He mentions that we are praying for you, almost as if they've received the news collectively, but they were never there. Here, he's really expressing the love that he has. And I really think when we have a love for someone, we will pray for them. Having a relationship with them, developing a relationship with them will cause us to pray for them more carefully. So praying for one another out of love. But I want you to see a second thing. Praying for more than just requests for one another. Again, I think the requests that we share on a Wednesday night or through the email system throughout the week are very important requests. Sometimes in Sunday school, I'll begin with a few new requests that might be here in the body of Christ. And these are things that we ought to pray for. But these are specific. These are unique. I mean, we're only praying for Clark Balfour shingles. Not everybody and their shingles. We're only praying for Jack Wentzel and recovery recovery from his accident and so forth. Here are some requests that really we can pray for anyone about that is in the body of Christ. Look beginning in verse 9. And this I pray. Number one, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment. The word judgment there has the idea of discernment. Now, notice something that really didn't stick out to me initially. He says that your love may abound yet more and more, but notice what he doesn't say. That your love may abound for who? And so because of that, one of the things that we can pray for one another is that we'll love one another more and more. That was written to the church of Thessalonica. He praised them for their love for one another, but then he encouraged them to allow that to abound even more. So they were showing love for one another, but he wanted them to even be encouraged to do it more, exhorted them to do it even more so. So one of the things that we ought to pray for one another is that we'll love each other, but also, of course, a love for God. Just because we're a child of God doesn't mean we naturally love God with all of our heart. In fact, it has to be a commandment, the greatest. Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind, strength, body. We are to love Him with the fullness of all we are. And so one of the requests that we ought to be praying for one another is that we would love, our love would abound. Notice it says in knowledge and in all judgment. Again, there's some qualifying factors to that love. More and more knowledge. Having a greater knowledge of them. And in all judgment or the idea of discernment. And just understanding how to love the Lord and how to love others more. He gives a second request. And this is also a second request that we ought to be praying. That ye may approve things that are excellent. So he is praying also that as these Christians go forward in their Christian life, they will be putting things to the test. I have written on here a prayer to examine and make excellent choices. And what we ought to be praying for one another is this, that as born-again Christians, we will have discernment. We, as Hebrews chapter 5 talks about, we use the Word of God to help us judge between that which is good and that which is evil. And we exercise that. And so we ought to be praying. And this is something we could pray for every one of us. That we will approve the things that are excellent. Meaning that we will make wise choices as Christians. Again, this doesn't fit in the normal category of prayer requests. A broken bone, an illness, or something like that. But these are very necessary. Again, I think the wisdom of Paul comes out when he's praying for these people that he would pray that they would approve the things that are excellent. And then he gives one more. That, middle verse number 10, that ye may be sincere and without offense until the day of Jesus Christ." And this is really talking about purity of life. Again, I think things all build. Someone who loves the Lord will want to make the proper decisions which will lead to a pure life. It's not like you pray for one and don't have to concern yourself about the others. I think there's a connection here. And what he is encouraging them by is saying this, hey, I'm praying for you. I'm praying that your love will abound. I'm praying that you'll approve the things that are excellent. I am praying that you'll be sincere, the idea pure, and without offense until the day of Christ. Remember, verse number 6, He which hath done a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. So the Lord's going to help you. The Lord is going to help to purify you. Did you ever look at your life and disappointed by what you see? Anybody? You like that? Look at your life, you're disappointed in one aspect or another. Now, I don't want us to brush that aside. But at the same time, recognize God isn't done with you yet. And you're in this approving relationship, you ought to be in this building changing relationship. And so please recognize this. We're not going to be perfect until we see Him as He is. 1 John 3. And so, He recognizes we're not done. So as you see those things, take heart. God's not done with you yet. But He does want us to make wise choices so that we'll be sincere and without offense. And then look at the connection then into verse 11. I really studied this out. And again, boy, you read the commenters on these passages and they don't give you a whole lot of help. But understand this, let's back up to the middle verse number 10, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Jesus Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ. Remember, we are to bear much fruit. Well, the fruit comes by being connected to the vine. And through that vine relationship, we're able to bear much fruit. So I don't think verse number 11 is a fourth request. I think verse number 11 is really the result of God answering the other three requests. You're then going to be filled with the fruits of righteousness How did you get those? By Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. Do you remember what the Lord said when teaching there in John 15? He says, He is glorified when we bear much fruit. Notice again the connection here. The fruit, the need for Jesus Christ, and the glory going to God. I think it's a great passage to cross-reference over to John 15 and cross-reference John 15 to this verse, especially verse number 11. So I don't think verse number 11 is a fourth request. I think what verse number 11 is stating, boy, I'm praying for you that you'll love the Lord, you'll love one another. You also make excellent choices that are going to lead to a pure life that isn't offensive. And in that, you're going to be able to bear fruit by Jesus Christ and God's going to get the glory. Now stop and think about it. I would assume, looking at this crowd, a majority of you have had some prayer time this week. It may have been short. It may have been in passing. It may have been long. It may have been agonizing. It may have been on your knees. But I think sometimes requests like this we overlook. And I want us to understand, like Paul did, boy, requests like this are really needed. We ought to be taking people before the throne of grace. Loving people enough to pray for them concerning more than just the illnesses and the accidents, but praying for them that, boy, they'll love the Lord. When's the last time you prayed for someone else to love the Lord more? No doubt throughout your life that you have prayed, and maybe recently, that the Lord will give you wisdom in making a good decision, a wise decision. When's the last time you prayed? I mean, other than a decision for a job, a decision for an apartment or a house or something like that. When's the last time you prayed for someone that they would make decisions that would be pleasing to the Lord? Pure decisions. So that they would be sincere and without offense. When's the last time you prayed that someone would be living a pure life? Unadulterated. Not offensive. And again, the ultimate end being filled with fruit because of what Jesus Christ is able to do and God gets the glory for it. So let me encourage you. One of the ways you can minister to one another. You don't need a prayer sheet. Maybe you're away and you forgot your prayer sheet. Or maybe you have some extra time and you want to go to prayer, but the prayer sheet's at home. You don't need a prayer sheet to pray these requests. Get out maybe an app on your phone if necessary. Turn to Philippians chapter 1 to remind yourself if necessary. But just think about in a Christian life what we need to be praying for each other regarding. Let's uphold one another in prayer. And let's uphold one another in prayer regarding requests like these. Now, I'm just going to bring out these and these alone tonight. And I don't look at like in my series I'm going to be bringing out others in the weeks to come. But you turn to Ephesians chapter 1 and Ephesians chapter 3, you'll find some more requests. Colossians chapter 1, you'll find some other requests. And so Paul makes a number of requests. Paul asks that the Lord would reveal himself to people, help their eyes be open so that they may understand the Lord better, that they'd have wisdom. And so there are many requests that we can be praying for one another. And again, I would encourage you to do that. Let's pray for one another. More than just request. Let's pray for the spiritual health and well-being, growth and change for the glory of the Lord. Alright, let's take some prayer requests. I'm going to go ahead and do that since Zach's away. Or is this your month, Zach?