Besides all that, you know, God wants to do something great. He really does. God wants to do something wonderful in our hearts. He really does. And it's important to see that work because it's all about the continuation of the gospel from your life to another life. It really is. And so it's vitally important that we see that, you know, it's all about the life of Christ in your life. being manifested in the lives of others. So it's really, really important to see and to just know that God is at work. Sometimes we get in the way of God's work and when we get in the way it's good to get out of the way. Get out of the way. Let me work in your life. Amen. And so really, Pastor's been saying, you know, a commitment, you know, it's really important to be committed, a commitment to Christ in our life. Amen. And so it's a vital, it's vitally important. It really is. And so turn your Bibles to Philippians chapter number four, Philippians chapter number four. As we continue looking here in the book of Philippians just some everything that we see here is always about Christ is always about the gospel it really is you know there's you know yeah I mentioned this morning that you can look at this book and and you can see that there's a lot of things that mention about joy but you know joy comes from Jesus from knowing Jesus and where it really comes from and Jesus is the gospel he's the death and burial and resurrection is what he is and so he was the one that gives life and he's the one that gives joy it really is important for us to realize and see that and say yeah I really know I'm one of those who just keep on reinforcing truths reinforcing helping people see and helping them learn, helping them to really understand the fullness of God in their life. And that's really important, helping us to understand the fullness of God in our life. It's vitally important. And so here in Philippians chapter number 4, I want to begin reading there in verse number 8. And the Bible says, Finally, my brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things, those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do." Wow, there's a lot that's being said there. We're supposed to be doing what the preacher's doing. That's what Paul's saying. Hey, you know, God called me. Do what I'm doing. Do the same thing and God will use you. Amen. Well, understand, Paul had a really harsh desire about knowing Christ in his life. And we looked at this morning. It's really knowing Christ and allowing the power of Christ to be manifested in our life. And what we see here in chapter number four, Paul is giving a plea to these believers. And it's really an importance in our life to understand this plea that Apostle Paul is giving to them because he wants them to understand the power only comes from Jesus. Amen. Power doesn't come within man. Power comes from within Christ. Amen. That's where power truly comes. And that's where that power of where we see that life flows through through Jesus Christ, amen? It really does. And so it's really, really important. But it goes on to say here, and he goes on to say, and the God of peace shall be with you. You want God to be with you? It's important to do those things that Paul just mentioned. What are those things he just mentioned? Well, what you have both learned. What have you learned this week? I've given you a lot to think about and I realize that I've only given just an ounce of what could be all learned about Christ. I've only given you an ounce. That's all. It's only a little bit. It's only a little that what I've given to you during this week. And those little things that I have given you is enough for you to learn and to what? Also receive. It's important for you to receive those things. It's vitally important. It's a powerful, powerful thing when you can receive the words of encouragement, the words of comfort, the words that exhort you to really express the life of Christ through your life. It's really important. Amen. It really, really is. And so, it's important for you to receive it. And when you receive it, it's really important for you to apply it in your life. It means live it out. Amen. A lot of times what we say as Christians, oh, we're supposed to be, you know, living just like as Jesus lived. We're supposed to be emulating Christ in our life. And that's really important. It's really important for us to follow the teachings of Jesus in our life. It's really important. I cannot express that enough or give enough of of enough impetus behind that all because it's really important. We are to live like Jesus. We are to let the very image of Jesus flow through our life. Amen? It's really, really important because it's really your relationship. Your relationship with God will actually reveal how much you love Jesus in your life. Amen? Your relationship with God will reveal how much you love Jesus in your life. You love Jesus? Understand, let God continue to form you to what he wants you to be. And that's Jesus himself. We're all supposed to be transformed. Transformed into the image, to be really formed into who he is. Amen? So it's really important to receive. And when we receive, there's an application. There should be an application in one's life. And what we see and heard. What you've heard about God, what you've heard about Jesus, what you've heard, really important to apply. Really is important. All that I've said there's so much that I need to apply. All that's been said it's important for us to learn what we've heard to apply it. But then we also see and see in me. What you see in a man of God. What you see in a servant of God, one that is yes, learning, yes, receiving, yes, hearing. Because what the Bible says about hearing is this. It says there in Romans 10 and verse 17 Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. You know the more we hear the more we are encouraged to live a life by faith. Amen? Because that's where faith comes by hearing. You know I mention a lot back home to our people there that when they read the Word of God a lot of times what the detriment that I've learned in Bible college is speed reading. You learn how to speed read and really you're not getting anything. When you're speed reading, you really don't learn anything. You're just reading the words and it's just going over your head is what's happening. You really don't retain really anything. You're just speed reading. It's all that you're doing. And what I tell the people back home is this. Read the Word of God often. Read the Word of God slowly. It's amazing when you start slowing down your reading how much you will learn. Slow it down, read it, but I also say read it out loud. Because faith cometh by hearing. You hear the Word of God in your life. When you read it out loud your faith is going to be strengthened. Amen. Your faith is going to be enriched because you're hearing yourself. So read it often, read it slowly, read it out loud, but also read it clearly. You know, enunciate the words very clearly. It's amazing how much you will learn just doing that. Because sometimes when we read we actually miss words. And then what will happen is this. What will happen is we will have a wrong application in what Jesus is trying to teach us. Because it's really Jesus who's teaching through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit always points to Christ all the time. doesn't point to the works of the flesh. It doesn't point to, you know, fleshly activity. The Holy Spirit always, always, always, always points to Jesus. Well where do you see that? Well if you turn to John chapter 16 you would see you would really, really see that the Holy Spirit's ministry in the life of the believer is to guide you into all truth. And what does He do? The Holy Spirit does not speak of Himself. Does not speak of Himself. Whom does the Holy Spirit speak of? He speaks of Jesus. Amen? He really speaks of Jesus. He doesn't lift up Himself, He lifts up the Son of God. Because it's the Son of God that made us free. Amen? The Son of God that has given us life. It's the Son of God who empowers and enriches our life. Amen? And it's so vitally important to understand that reading the Word of God is very important in our life. Because that's where our faith is being built up. That's where our faith is being built up, through the Word, by the power of the Spirit of Christ dwelling within us. Amen? And so as we look at the book here of Philippians, it really starts coming to a close. It comes to a close. We see there in verse number 8, he says, "...finally, my brethren." That's what he says. He says, "...finally, my brethren." And it's interesting those words, finally my brethren, because Apostle Paul does that many times as he writes. You notice in Apostle Paul's writing that he'll say finally. And a lot of times when you hear the preacher say, well, this will be the last thing. I'm almost done preaching. You know, and so when Paul says finally, sometimes he says that in the middle of a book. Sometimes he says it like right here in verse number 8. But he's still giving a lot more information before he's done. Because there's a reason behind it. He's trying to help these believers. He's trying to help them understand the goodness and the grace of Jesus in their life. Amen. And that's really important for us to understand that. The goodness and the grace of Jesus in our life. And so we see, I want us to continue reading there in verse number 10. The Bible says, but I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again. were in ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak a respective want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content." Oh, that's a very powerful, powerful position to be in. To be content. You know, we live in a country that is so materialistic. And it's so true. When people come from other countries, they come to Canada, they see you like, these people have so much stuff. And we do. We have lots of stuff. Big house, big truck, big car, all kinds of stuff. You know, this and that and all the knickknacks and all the little nuances and everything. You know, but really it's really important to be content with Jesus in our life. We become far too materialistic in our lives. And so it's important that we have that contentment in our life. Because what Paul says, he says, I know both how to be abased. Do you know how to be abased? A lot of times we here in Canada, we don't understand poverty. We really do not understand poverty here in Canada. Yeah, we may see people that are homeless. We may see people that are without. And we may see people that have, but have little. But we don't understand what it means to be abased. We don't understand what it means to suffer a little bit. I just think about when I was in Bible college. It was tough. We had a tough time in Bible college. It was really rough. Didn't know sometimes if I would ever get home. Really didn't know. A lot of times what would happen is I would actually leave Monday morning because we had to suffer a lot without stuff. Didn't have a big fancy job. I lived 30 minutes away from work and 30 minutes away from church, stuff like that. And a lot of times what I would have to do in Bible college, I'd say goodbye to my wife. I'd leave that Monday morning. I would not come back until Friday night or Saturday night. wouldn't come back. Why? Well, first and foremost what I would do is actually, I only had enough fuel to get to my mother's place and then from there I would actually stay all week long at my mother's place is what I would do. And from there I would actually get a ride to work from one of the employees that live in Morton and I would go to work, come back home, Sometimes it wouldn't. Sometimes I'd actually stay in Winkler is what I would do. Because I had Bible college class and I'd go to Bible college, stay in Winkler, and after Bible college I'd find a ride home who's going to Morden. And so then I would just get a ride home to my mother's place. And then, I did that for a long, long time. Didn't have much. Well that was your choice. Yeah, I know it was. God called me and I'm going to let God use me and I'm going to do whatever I have to do so that I can help others. It's so important how to learn to be a base. It really is. How to suffer a little bit. How to suffer, you know, do you really need the Tim Hortons coffee? You know, you can make coffee at home for less. than paying two bucks or three bucks for a coffee. I don't know why. I don't buy Tim Horton's coffee. I really don't like it. It tastes horrible. I like brewing my own coffee. Way better, way cheaper, and it tastes as good or if not better. I like good black coffee. Blacker the better, when the spoon stands straight up, that's good coffee. That's really good coffee. Good and strong. And, but, you know, it's really important to learn how to be abased. Can you suffer a little bit? So others can have the benefit of knowing Christ. Paul said, Paul, he says, I know how to be abased and I know how to abound. He knows how to abound. He was, understand, Paul said Paul was a tent maker. If he needed help, he would find work to be able to sustain himself. Hey, man. I have to do that at home. I've already got probably like five jobs already booked for spring. And I'm looking forward to be able to do some work. I get a little bit cabin fever in the wintertime. I really do. I get cabin fever. I've already had a few little jobs over the winter. But I like to be able to get out and meet people. And it's really a good thing for me. I love it because I get and make contacts with people. Just love it so much. And so, learn how to abound. Apostle Paul understood that. Everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry. Be hungry. Thinking about Bible college days, you know, a lot of times all We as a family always kind of joke around, oh, we're going to have biscuits? Yep, we're going to have biscuits. All week long? Yep, all week long, just biscuits. Well, we have biscuits and honey. Biscuits for breakfast, biscuits for lunch, biscuits for supper. And we do that for a long time. And sometimes I would go without so the family could actually eat. You know, it's really important. Can you go hungry for a while? It won't hurt you to lose a few pounds. I'll tell you, it won't hurt me to lose a few pounds. Hey, man, it won't hurt anybody to lose a few pounds. I'd have no problem just skipping a meal here, skipping a meal there. I'm not going to die. I'm not going to starve. Hey, man, a lot of people have a lot less. A lot less. You don't always get three square. I don't mind to be a little bit hungry. I really don't. We shouldn't really mind. Paul said, hey, I know how to be hungry. I know how to be full. Oh, my stomach's full. He knew what it meant to be full. He knew what it meant to be hungry. The most important thing is both to abound and to suffer need. But he says there in verse 13, I can do all things through Christ which are in me. I mentioned that this morning. You can do anything. Jesus said there in Matthew chapter number four, he said that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. What you need in your life is the word of God. What you need in your life is to be more conformed, more transformed into the image of Christ. The more of Jesus in you, the more of Jesus will flow through you. Amen. It's so important. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. And so, notwithstanding, ye have done well. He said, hey, believers, you've done well. You've helped me out. You've done so much. You've gone over and above what a lot of other churches have not even done. You met my needs. You gave. so that I would be able to go forth and preach the gospel. You gave so that I would be able to be full where you would suffer a little bit. You would go hungry. You gave so that the gospel could go forward. Wow. Here we are in the middle of a missions conference and looking at giving more. I remember a time in my life I gave more than my tithe to missions. I gave more than my tithe to missions. Actually probably double, triple my tithe to missions. I wanted to see people saved. I gave and I gave is what I did. And God blessed. God worked. You know, you wonder, God, are we going to make it this month? God goes, didn't I tell you that I would look after you, son? Yeah. I'll look after you. You see the lilies of the field. They neither toil nor do they spin. God looks after them. God looks after you. He does. He looks after you. Truly does. You know, I tell our church at home, if I could give more, I would. If I was able to give everything, I would. I'd give everything. Because I know Jesus has given me everything. God the Father gave His best. and He sent His Son to die for all men in the world today. He gave us His very best. Shouldn't we give of our best? I'm not talking just money. I'm not talking money. I'm talking our life. Shouldn't we give our best of our life to God? Amen. Shouldn't we give Him everything? No reservations. No wanting it, receiving it back. But just give God everything in your life. Give Him your heart. Give Him your soul. Give Him your spirit. Give Him your mind, your body. Give Him everything. Because God gave you everything. He gave of His very best so you can have life. And then we're penny-pinching. Well, God, I'll just give you this much more of my life. Well, God didn't do that. He gave of everything. He gave of his richness that's found in Christ Jesus. The spiritual blessings. Oh, wow, that's so powerful. It really is. When you look at the book of Philippians, You see chapter number one and verse number six, being confident. Are you confident? I mentioned this morning, confidence is found in Jesus. Amen. Confidence truly is found in Jesus. Confidence is not found in your ability. Confidence is not found in man. Confidence is found in Jesus. When you look at verse number six, being confident of this very thing, he that has begun a good work in you. He will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. So the work that he started in your life, he's going to finish it, is what he's going to do. He's going to finish that work, not you. Not you trying to make yourself better because you can't get better. in your own ability, in your own fleshly works, understand you're not going to get better. You're really not. It's all about being confident of the work that Christ is doing in your life. Amen. It really comes down to that. It really comes down to seeing that it's His work in you that needs to be manifest. It comes down to that. whole book of Philippians it revolves around chapter 1 verse number 6. It's all about Christ's work in you and the gospel's sake because Jesus is the gospel. He is the grace of God. He is the rich blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Amen? According to Ephesians chapter number one in verse number three. He is all that you need, dear child of God. He is your sufficiency. He is your sustainer. He is your strength in the Christian life. He really is. Oh, dear child of God, give all that you can to Jesus. Amen? It's really because you can do all things through Christ. You can do anything. There's nothing you can't do as a believer in Christ. Nothing. You can do all things through Christ. You can help people in the power of Christ. You don't want to do it in the flesh because that's a fleshly reward. It's what it is. It's a fleshly reward. And so we find your child of God vitally important. It really is vitally important that we see the sufficiency, the strength, and He's the sustainer of our life. Paul understood it. Hey, it's all up to God. Notwithstanding ye have done well that ye did communicate with my affliction. That means they were willing to help in all the distress he went through, in all that he had to face. for the gospel ministry was worth it all. Do we see that in our lives? Is it worth it all? You know, the little bit of struggle that we go through. When we do go through struggles, it's really important to hand that over to Jesus. Say, Jesus, I'm struggling. I need your help. This is a storm that I cannot face on my own. And we can't face any storm on our own. Amen. We can't. We've got to really trust in Him. Apostle Paul used to say, you've done well, dear believer. You've done well to communicate to my affliction. You've done well to help me in my needs. You've done well. Understand what they were doing as they were giving and how they were helping with all kinds of, with putting them in a home. There's more than just money. how the gospel can go forward. It's actually being there for a missionary. Encourage them. You don't know, you have no idea how much discouragement that a missionary faces. No idea. You know sometimes I just think, I think about this, you know, I remember when I was just, you know, when I was sitting in church and missionary after missionary, sitting there at Pima Valley Baptist Church, missionary after missionary would come in and want to get involved, help them out. But sometimes, you know what, it's important, you support six missionaries over there. You support those men. and their families. You know what they really need? They need you to get on the computer, say, hey, I'm praying for you. You have no idea what kind of impact that could have on their life. You don't know what they're facing on the field. Apostle Paul said, hey, thank you, you've done well. You've done well to my affliction. You've done well to communicate. When the word communicate is not just words of comfort, but they actually helped him out. Oh, you need a bed? You sleep in my bed, Paul. I'll sleep on the floor. Wow. That's important in a life of the Apostle Paul, he says, you've done well. And the reason why he says that is because in all that they had done, in all their communication, how they ministered unto Him, people were being saved. Amen. People were being saved. That's what it's about. People being saved. I remember member on deputation raising support to go to Nipawin, Saskatchewan. We were in a church in a conference and you know this missionary he had to come off the field. He was raising additional support. He came on furlough and a lot of things were happening on the field. A lot of things. Not good things. Good things in regards to the church growing But bad things was happening in his family. What bad things? Well, I'm not going to go into that detail. But understand, you know, missionaries do go through a lot of hardship. They really do. They go through so much hard. Paul went through so much affliction just so that the gospel could go forth. His heart was, hey, that person needs to be saved. Okay Lord, I'll tell them about Jesus. Are we that sensitive? We look at people, they need Jesus. It's so important. Maybe you're here tonight, you don't know Jesus. Well, I know Jesus. Okay, let me clarify that even more. Are you born again? You can know Jesus, but not be born again. I mentioned that this morning. This guy believed in God, but I really don't think he saved because of what he kept on saying, well, I hope God forgives me when I stand before heaven's gates and he lets me in. That was a big red flag for me. He's like, he doesn't know Christ. He doesn't know Jesus. He believes. It's really important. Also, Paul's life was all about the gospel. You know, you look at missionaries, their life is all about the gospel. And it takes people in churches to have compassion on people that are out in Africa. people that are out in, you know, China. You realize in China there are so many underground churches. Those people suffer a great amount of persecution. I remember, I got a pastor friend of mine who used to serve in China. They couldn't worship openly. They had to do it behind closed doors. They saw people saved. Saw a church established. Because if the government of that area knew that there was a church they would raid it. And they would force to close that church down. Because it's a dictatorship country. It's what it is. And so he saw people saved, baptized. People were being made free because of the gospel. You have no idea what missionaries face. Discouragement. You know, loneliness. It's real. It really is real, loneliness. Don't know who you can talk to. Don't know if your throat's going to be cut because of what you say. I know what it's like. Truly do. So you just keep on going. You keep on serving. It's all you do. Yeah, people are being set free. A lot of times people don't see what missionaries go through. And it's really important. You know, if you can call them, call them up. Hey, I'm praying for you. Want to know that if there's any need, you let me know. Amen. So important. You've done well, church. Apostle Paul says, you've done well. You've ministered to my needs. Ministered to my affliction. You know, Apostle Paul went through a lot. You look there in 2 Corinthians chapter number 8. All the things he went through. Times of famine. Times of shipwreck. Times of being whipped. He was whipped 40 times, save one. How would you feel being whipped because you preach Jesus? No, we don't experience that today so much, especially in this country. Canada is, you know, such a free country thus far, so to speak, in quotations, but our freedoms in Canada What are your people would do if all of a sudden the government of Canada comes down hard on all the people of Canada and we go into a, you know, really communist country. We become a communist country. You comply or you're going to get whipped. You comply or you lose your head. What would we do? We have no idea about suffering. No idea about suffering. I understand that missionaries, they suffer sometimes. I remember watching a video some time ago about missionaries serving in Africa and how those missionaries, they were thrown into the fire and burned alive. That really happens. Oh yeah, it really happens. People are not aware of what's reality. They live in this fairytale world, and we live in our big houses, we live in our big limousines, and we live with bank accounts to have X amount of dollars, a couple dollars here, a couple hundred here, a couple thousand there. People have different variations, and so no idea. We're so comfortable we don't understand. But Paul says, hey, you've done well. because the gospel went forth. People were saved. Churches were established. That's important. People coming to know Jesus. The old pastor did say something, I believe it was this morning, or was it tonight even, that, how long has it been? you led someone to Jesus. How long has it been you told somebody about Jesus? The greatest thing to see in your life is someone bowing their heads, they repent of their sin, and they believe on Christ. I'm telling you, it does something in you. It really does. It truly does. It does something in you. when you see people come to know Christ. People are being gloriously saved by the power of the gospel. The power of the grace of Jesus in their life. You know, it's powerful. Something to see. People being saved. Are born again. Amen. A lot of times we can use that word, that terminology, saved, A lot of times, well I'm saved from this, I'm saved from that. Well that's when we're down being born again. It's all about being born again. A new life that's found in Jesus. Oh it's so important you're telling me. Also Paul, his impetus, his focus, his agenda, his zeal, his passion was to preach Jesus. That people would be saved. You tell people about Jesus? So important. Because that's what missions is all about. It's all about the gospel. It's all about the gospel. And what the gospel does It forms churches. It's what it does. It forms churches. And then those churches get on fire for Jesus. As we see here in the book of Philippians, these believers were on fire for God. They did everything. They ministered to the needs of the Apostle Paul. They did. He says, you've done well. Dear believer, have you done well in your Christian life? It's really important to get your eyes off yourself and get your eyes on Jesus because that's who really matters in your life. Dear child of God, it's really important to have that focus. You doing well? and having a good focus, focusing on helping others, helping missionaries, helping people. Are you helping? Are you supplying their need? It's more than just money. It's the gospel. It really is the gospel. And I understand it takes money. for a church like this to be here. It takes money to do it. We don't like to hear about money. A lot of times we don't want it. The preacher's going, la la la la. We kind of go like that. He's talking money again. Don't want to hear it. La la la la la. We kind of close our ears and don't want to hear it because money is something that... He's trying to pull my money out of my wallet, out of my pocket. No, not at all. Give willingly. Give from the heart. Give because you love Jesus. Give because it's all about the gospel. Amen. It really is. It's all about the gospel. It's all about Christ. You doing well? Hope so. Keep your focus on helping others. Amen. Keep your focus. Let's pray. Father, do thank you so much for all that you've done in our hearts. I pray. Oh, Holy Father. Lord, I know you have spoken. And I pray you help us. To really apply the things that we've heard. And live it. Lord, me included. You've spoken. You've taught me so much. I thank you. I don't deserve. I don't deserve it, but I'm thankful for it. This is the purpose behind it all. The purpose is Jesus. Lord, I love you. I thank you for all that you'll do in Jesus name. Amen. Pastor.