Well, good morning. It's good to be back with you all today. So many of you have commented in one way or another your appreciation for the opportunity to stay connected, even in the midst of all that's going on in our society today. As far as how long this will last, we really don't have any better idea this week than we had last week. We continue to pray that the end of all this will come soon. But until then, we want to encourage you to stay safe and be wise and continue to reach out to others, even during a time when we're encouraged to not do that, to keep to ourselves. And we've received many just wonderful reports of people who have been contacting one another, reaching out to one another, meeting the needs of other people, and we're greatly encouraged by these reports. On Friday, many of you received our most recent newsletter. Please read through it and especially notice the section on prayer requests that have come up during this time. And I trust that you'll be faithful in praying for each one who's been affected more negatively by this pandemic that our world is facing even now. And I trust that you'll be encouraged, even during a time like this, that as Paul writes to the Colossian believers, that you may continue to be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. strengthened with all might according to His glorious power for all patience and longsuffering with joy. Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light, He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins. We're going to begin our service with prayer, and then we'll sing. Come, Christians, join to sing a fitting exhortation while we're apart. And then we'll worship our King, who is our maker, our defender, our redeemer, and our friend. Shall we pray this morning? Our Father, we're thankful today that You are with us even in our time of afflictions. You've promised in Your Word that You will deliver us. And we're thankful for the promises. Your word has not failed. None of your promises have failed. And we're thankful for this truth. May we cling to this truth during this difficult time. And we're thankful for our time where we can once again be together even though it's not the way we would like to be together, but in this way, we're thankful that you have provided the means so that we can reach out once again into the homes of the folks in our church and connect with them and be a blessing to them as they've been to us and to each other during this time. Would you please be honored by this service today and be glorified, we pray, And I pray that You would cause this time, as long as it lasts, would You please draw us closer to You during it. And we praise You in Jesus' name, Amen. You are still on this earth. you O tremble, ye smiles, O sing of His grace! Beautiful is the light, O tremble, ye spades! His churn is a record in time and place, And for ages hath your love been such a song. Good morning. This morning's scripture reading is found in Ephesians chapter 1 verses 1 through 14. That's Ephesians 1 verses 1 through 14. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have the redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, which he had made to abound towards us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, which are on earth, in him. In him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory. In him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory. This is the word of the Lord. Let us bow in a word of prayer. Our gracious Heavenly Father, your word has brought such comfort through the words that Paul wrote. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. How can there be peace with a holy God? Through the work of your Son on the cross. Not only do we have grace and peace extended to us, but the Father has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ for those who have repented of their sins and turned to your Son in faith. We have gone from being an enemy of God to being adopted into the family of God. Thank you, God, for your salvation and the peace you give to us. From these verses we have just read, I ask that you would keep on the front of our minds your providence and sovereignty. You chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. We can rest in that peace, though the storms rage all around us. Heavenly Father, we know people are hurting. Members of our body here at Meadowlands and people who do not know you as Lord and Savior, prompt us to share the good news of the gospel at this time. Remind us of the peace we have in Christ, of what you have given to us through your Son. Remind us that our neighbours may not know about the gospel and how to have a right relationship with you. Show us ways to be instruments of peace during this time. For those in our body who are hurting, please remind them that they are not alone. The body is a great picture of our relationship with one another. If a toe is stubbed, the whole body feels that pain. Show us opportunities, even from a distance, where we can come alongside others. bring relief, encouragement, and help. The help we convey may be physical needs met or comfort through the comfort we have received from you at similar times. Thank you, God, for the body that we are a part of, our local church. Thank you that we are not alone, and may we be wise stewards of the opportunities that you give to us. When people are watching your church, may we be diligent as your followers to display love, this love that comes from you because of Christ's work on the cross. You are at work in each one of your followers' hearts. Thank you, God, that nothing can ever separate us from your love. Through that realization and with you working through us, May we love one another through word, action, and deed. And may you get the glory and the praise. You are the one drawing us together and empowering us through your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. ♪ Jesus, Jesus, now I trust Thee ♪ ♪ Now I'm worthy more and more ♪ ♪ Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus ♪ ♪ O what grace to trust Thee more ♪ ♪ O what speed to trust in Jesus ♪ ♪ In simple faith to worship ♪ ♪ We could be His empty prayer ♪ ♪ Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him ♪ ♪ How I put Him o'er and o'er ♪ ♪ Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus ♪ ♪ As in springtime in Jesus' heart ♪ ♪ A child's ears shall receive him ♪ ♪ As from freedom simply given ♪ ♪ By repentance and joy in Christ Jesus is born ♪ Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, Lord, Lord, praise and trust Him more. Christ, the Father, lives in us. Precious Jesus, Savior of men. Since I'm preaching by video and not in person, I thought maybe I'd be just a little less formal. I'll do what I often do as I meet with people in my office by sipping on a cup of tea. So I have here my tea cup and I also have a tea bag. Now this particular tea bag doesn't have a label on it. It doesn't say what kind of tea it is. No doubt it came from some container that on that box would have had the ingredients and the flavor that the tea is. But there's one way to find out what flavor of tea this is. It's by pouring hot water over it. As I do that, eventually I'll be able to tell what kind of tea this is. Now when it comes to a tea bag and tea, it could probably stay in a cabinet for months, maybe even years. and still be good. I don't know how long tea lasts, but probably quite a while. And so the contents of that tea bag really remain a mystery until it is used. But one thing's for sure, in the presence of hot water, what's on the inside comes out. And I like to use that this morning as an illustration of a very important biblical truth. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 4.23, Why should the heart be carefully guarded? Because everything in life flows from the heart. Everything. Whether it be your words, your attitudes, your actions, every decision you make, every unplanned reaction, it all comes from one source, the heart. And so this is an important biblical principle that Jesus himself spoke on. He said, those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart. And they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. On another occasion Jesus said, A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good. And an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." You see, our attitudes and actions reveal what is in our heart. And that is especially true in times of difficulty. A person may disguise the contents of his heart for a long time. No one knows what is in there. But when there is pressure, when things seem to spin out of control, when hot water is poured over the teabag, what is on the inside comes out. The heart is exposed. Now, we need to understand that sometimes we don't even know what is inside our own hearts. But God does know. He understands you through and through. And so He often uses hardship and difficulty in His mercy to reveal for us what is inside. It's kind of like looking in a mirror. Maybe after a whole day, you come home and you look in the mirror and you see that there's food smeared on your face. And then you start to think of all the people that saw you after lunch and saw that problem. Now, it's a little embarrassing, but you're thankful for the mirror because the mirror revealed what was really there. And of course, that revelation now gives you an opportunity to deal with it and clean your face. Our gracious God loves us too much to not reveal what is in the heart. He shows us what is in our hearts, often by difficulties and trials, so that when we see what's truly there, we can deal with it. We can make things right. So my question for you today is this. What is coronavirus and the situation that we are presently in revealing about your heart? As you face uncertainty and possible risks and isolation and the disruption of all your plans and the possibility of financial setback, how are you responding? What does this hardship reveal about your heart? Well, this morning, I'd like for us to look at a Christian man who faced many troubles. From some of his difficulties, we can even see parallels to our own condition. How did he respond to confinement, to disappointment? to the unknown future, and even to the lack of money and basic necessities. We find that answer in Paul's letter to the Philippians. Now this letter was written by its founder, the church of Philippi. The apostle Paul was the one who actually went there about 10 years earlier and had preached the gospel. And many believed. And by this time, ten years later, when this letter was written, there was already a fully functioning church. And Paul wanted to visit these dear friends, but he was unable, because he was confined by chains in Rome. This letter is full of practical instructions for the church. But what I want us to primarily focus on is the autobiographical material. What does Paul say about himself and his present situation? And most importantly, how does he respond to the difficulty? Well, we will discover in this letter his response of joy, peace, and contentment. Joy, peace, and contentment. Isn't that what everyone wants? Isn't that what the people of our world are seeking? Most people just want to be happy. And so they are chasing after that happiness, going after pleasure and entertainment. They're seeking after riches and success and popularity. They're looking for something that will satisfy the void in their heart. Deep down, people just want to be joyful and peaceful and content. We want these. That is what our heart craves. But what the Bible teaches is that true joy, peace, and contentment do not come from the circumstances of life. When the happenings of life are favorable, then we're happy. When there's no current conflict, then we're at peace. When we get what we want, we're content for a while. But what happens when life's happenings are not happy? What if we face conflict? How do we feel when we don't get what we want? You see, joy, peace, and contentment come not from the circumstances of life. If you have a temporary joy, peace, and contentment from the circumstances, that is elusive and very fragile. And that is why Paul writes here in Philippians something that is so helpful to us. His circumstances were not favorable. There is no natural reason to explain the joy, peace, and contentment that Paul had. The hot water of hardship was poured out upon Paul. And you know what came out of that hardship? Peace, joy, contentment came out. So what was in Paul's heart? Why was his response so different from what is natural? Well, we find that answer in Paul's personal testimony found in chapter 3 of Philippians. So let's go there. Philippians chapter 3. In verse 3, Paul says that he rejoices in Christ and has no confidence in the flesh. What follows is Paul's resume, we could call it. And Paul lists several reasons why he could be confident in himself. And then he says this. Look at verse 7 and following. But what things were gained to me, Paul says, these I counted loss for Christ. Yet, indeed, I also count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith." Paul is saying that his confidence is no longer in himself. It is now in something else, or rather, someone else. Before trusting in Christ, Paul had invested in all of these earthly things. But then he came to realize that he was placing his investment in things that are worthless, things that would not truly last. And so he counts all of these things as loss. He even says they're rubbish, garbage, compared to what his new passion was. Paul traded everything for a love, a desire, a passion. And that passion was Christ. Compared to Christ, Paul says, nothing else really matters. It was Christ who filled his heart. That was the contents of Paul's teabag. You see, Paul was not seeking after joy, peace, and contentment. Rather, he was seeking Christ. And joy, peace, and contentment were simply the flavors that flowed from his passion for Christ. They're the byproduct of a passion and a pursuit of knowing Jesus. For the next couple minutes, I want to take you through three different difficulties that Paul faced. And I want us to see how Paul responds. How does a passion for Christ affect the way you respond to difficulty? What does hardship reveal about the heart? We find the first difficulty in chapter 1. So let's go there. Philippians chapter 1 verses 7 to 16. Paul here expresses his personal trial with one key word. And that word is repeated four times in these verses. The word is chains. Chains. We see that Paul here is a prisoner. You and I may balk at the possibility of being confined to our homes for a couple weeks, or maybe even a couple months, but Paul here had a difficulty that he had been facing for some time. You see, Paul had been in Jerusalem and was arrested. From that arrest, he was taken to Caesarea. He was a prisoner there and sat in prison for two years, forgotten. After those two years, he finally made appeal as a Roman citizen to appear before the emperor. And so Paul was placed on a ship that set sail for the capital city. On the way there, there was a storm that ended in shipwreck where Paul spent a few months on the island of Malta and eventually made his way to Rome. There he was confined to a room, chained to a Roman soldier at all times. And he spent two more years there before appearing in trial before Caesar. This letter was written at the end of his time in Rome. And so as he is writing these words, Paul is now communicating what trials he has gone through. His imprisonment now had been four full years. And so the people of Philippi were very concerned about Paul. And so as he sat in prison, they sent one of their members, Epaphroditus, He came to Paul with a financial gift and was able to spend time with Paul. And then Paul wrote this letter, gave it to Epaphroditus to deliver back to the church of Philippi. I want us to read some of the things that Paul wrote to them and especially notice beginning in verse 12, Paul's response to his hardship. But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happen to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard and to all the rest that my chains are in Christ. And most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ, even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill. The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my chains, but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preach, and in this I rejoice. Yes, and will rejoice. So Paul says that he was in chains. And to make matters worse, some were even using the opportunity to add affliction to Paul's present situation. Now, we don't know exactly what these people were saying, but it must have hurt Paul deeply. So how does Paul respond? Well, in verse 18 he states, in this I rejoice. Yes, and will rejoice. Now, why was Paul rejoicing? Well, he says in verse 12 that his situation has actually caused the gospel to advance. Even the palace guard had been influenced for Christ. In verse 14, he states that his chains were actually motivating others to preach the gospel with boldness and without fear. So why did Paul have joy? Because Christ was being preached, because the gospel was advancing. And since Paul had counted everything else as loss in order to gain Christ, then he was thrilled that Christ was being preached. Do you see how the heart affects our responses in times of difficulty? Do you see how hardship reveals what is in the heart? Although we cannot fully relate to Paul's situation, he was in prison for four years, and yet we are getting just a small taste of what it means to be in prison. We are temporarily have lost some of our freedom. We're experiencing some isolation. How are you responding? In a free society like ours, we love the fact that we can go where we want, when we want, with whom we want. We can go to theaters and sporting events and concerts. We can enjoy recreation at fitness centers, at parks. We can socialize at restaurants and have other gatherings together. And for a couple weeks, it's all been taken away. But we need to consider how the gospel could spread in this situation. How will the Western world function if its security in these temporal things, including our own money, were to suddenly be gone? You may realize that some of the most powerful nations in the world throughout history have collapsed, not by military defeat, but by plagues and epidemics. These things have wiped out their armies and caused their economy to collapse. And it is also true that Christianity has thrived in these conditions. When the false securities are removed, many people have come to put their faith in Jesus Christ. We pray for revival. But the cost of revival could be our own personal comforts, the loss of material things that we have come to rely on. But if your greatest love is Christ and your passion is for the advancement of the gospel, then you can rejoice even in difficult times. In chapter four, verse four, Paul even commands believers rejoice in the Lord always always we should rejoice now Paul does not say rejoice in your circumstances nor does he say rejoice in your difficulties he says rejoice in the Lord if your greatest joy is Christ and if you have counted everything else as loss then you can always rejoice in Christ because Christ promises to never leave you nor forsake you. As we read a couple weeks ago from Romans chapter 8, nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ. So Paul had joy even in confinement knowing that Christ was preached. Let's look at further at his situation to see a second response. So we'll continue reading beginning in verse 19. For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed. But with all boldness, as always, so now also, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit for my labor. Yet what I shall choose, I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you." Paul here is speaking from the heart. He knows that very soon he will be summoned to stand before the Roman Emperor. And that trial will result in one of two outcomes, release or execution. So Paul wonders to himself what might happen. If he is executed, then he knows that he will go to be with Christ. He even says that death is gain. In verse 23, he says that he desires to be with Christ, which is far better. And this is true for each person who is trusting in Christ as his Savior. You see, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He already tasted death for us. And on the third day, He conquered sin and death. He arose from the tomb. And He offers eternal life to all who believe in Him. You, like Paul, do not need to fear death. Paul says, death just allows me to go and be with Christ. On the other hand, if Paul is released from prison, then he can continue to live for Christ, preaching the gospel, supporting other Christians. Paul is completely at peace. it is he is about to stand in a trial before the most powerful man in the world and that man will make a decision possibly to execute him and yet Paul doesn't seem worried at all he knows that God is in control either he will remain living for Christ on earth or he will die and go to be with Christ in heaven. And in all of this, Paul just has one main concern. In verse 20 he states, I just want Christ magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. And isn't that the response that we should all have? We don't have to worry about the future. Yes, our plans and our schedule, the things that we had an agenda for the future, those things may never happen. The things that we were so sure of a few weeks ago are now uncertainties. Even our health is at risk. But if you count all things as loss for Christ, then what does it matter? Our greatest concern as Christ's disciples is for Him to be magnified in us, and that will bring us peace. Paul instructs believers in chapter 4 verse 6 to be anxious for nothing. Instead of worry, we should make our requests known to God. And what is the result when we do that? The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. Paul not only taught us not to worry, but he gave us an example to follow. So Paul had peace in the unknown future, praying that Christ would be praised. For a third response to difficulty, let's go to the fourth chapter of Philippians. Philippians chapter four. Here Paul is thanking these dear believers for sending him a gift. He wants them to know that their gift met a need. He was encouraged and helped by their gift. But he also wants them to know that Christ has been faithful to him whether or not his needs were being met. Let's begin reading in verse 10. But I rejoice 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 to be both full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Let me just point out a few words to you in verse 12. Abased, hungry, suffer need. Now Paul was certainly thankful when he abounded, and it was a great blessing to him to have a full stomach. But notice that his contentment did not fluctuate with his fluctuating circumstances. Things would change around him, but Paul could remain consistent. Paul testifies that he learned to be content in every situation. Now, I'm so grateful that my basic needs are being met. I have not gone without a meal. I have food, clothing, a roof over my head, and so much more. And if you are lacking necessity, then you should contact your brothers and sisters in Christ. We as a church family should share with one another and care for one another when there are difficult times. Times could get tough. Is your contentment based on your savings account or your job or your retirement investments or your stockpile of toilet paper? Paul's greatest passion was Christ. And since he always had Christ, he could be content at all times. Now, this is not natural. And Paul clearly states this in verse 13. He says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. You see, Paul's response was not natural. Rather, it was supernatural. It was through Christ's strength. And what are the all things that Paul is talking about? Well, the context makes it clear. He is content when he is abased and hungry and suffering need. And he can do that only one way, through the power of Christ. When Paul realized that Christ's grace is sufficient, that His strength is made perfect in weakness, Paul responds by saying this in his second letter to the Corinthians, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." Now, if you are reading or watching the news, then you have no doubt heard best-case scenarios and worst-case scenarios. And as we think of this virus that is spreading, we really don't know what to think and what will happen as a result. And the possibilities are certainly concerning. But I know that I can be a content in whatever happens through Christ who strengthens me. And so can you. So what is in your heart? What attitudes and responses are revealed by hardship? What flavors are coming out of your teabag when hot water is poured over you? Well, if what you see is not pleasing to God, then it reveals that you have allowed other passions to take priority over Christ. You have counted everything loss. Is that true of you? Paul had counted all things as loss for Christ. Have you done that? Is Christ preeminent in all things? Paul just wanted Christ preached. And this gave him joy even in confinement. And Paul also wanted Christ praised, and this gave him peace, even in uncertain future. And Paul wanted Christ's power, and this gave him contentment, even when suffering needs. Joy, peace, and contentment. These are what everyone wants. But you can only have them through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. We're going to bow for prayer and after prayer, we'll conclude by singing Complete in Thee. Our Father, we're so thankful that you love us, you care for us, even so much so that you reveal to us our own heart. And you often bring hardship, difficulties, pressure, hot boiling water into our life to show us what is really there. And we're thankful for that because we can repent. We can seek forgiveness and cleansing. We can change to be more like your son, Jesus Christ. And so we do thank you for difficulties. We also thank you that in Christ we can have true joy, peace and contentment. We realize that most people in this world do not have these, although they are seeking and they are searching, they are looking, but they're coming short because they're looking in all the wrong places. Father, I pray that you would help us as God's people to show the world that true joy, peace and contentment come only one way through faith and obedience in the Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to shine brightly in this dark world. Help us to respond differently in these difficult times. And I pray that the gospel would advance far and wide as we are salt and light for your glory. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Amen. me yes ♪ O come all ye faithful joyful and free ♪ ♪ Let us adore Him, let us adore Him ♪ ♪ O come all ye faithful joyful and free ♪ ♪ Let us adore Him, let us adore Him ♪ I'm sorry foreign