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0:58As I read Paul's opening words to the Philippian believers again, I could not help but think about this church. Kim and I are very thankful that God brought us to Texas and to Emmanuel Baptist Church two years ago and for the wonderful friendships that we've made. Paul wrote in Philippians 1, verses 3 through 6, I thank my God in every remembrance of you, always. In every prayer of mine for you, making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this: that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ.

1:51Kim and I have special memories of our times in ministry and fellowship over those last two years. First Fridays, Michelle, John, everybody else that serves, down on the streets of Bryan, handing out tracts and cookies. We had a wonderful time on Friday night, and it was a blessing to see those who came out. I would encourage you, those who do Friday nights or have not yet done Friday night ministries, First Fridays, come on out and help us. It's a fun time to be able to meet your neighbors and your friends on the street and be able to share the gospel. Pilgrim days, man camp coming up soon, the expositors' workshops, adult Sunday school classes, men's and women's nights, family nights, and so many more opportunities to serve and spend time with one another. Many of these brought us great joy, and others brought us to our knees in prayer.

2:55And during his imprisonment in Rome, Paul had a lot of time to. To think, to write, and to remember. Paul remembered his brief time with the Philippians. He remembered the prayer meetings by the riverbank. He remembered the salvation and baptism of Lydia and her household. He remembered the face of the young woman after the demon was gone from her body. He remembered the earthquake in the prison and the salvation of the jailer and his family. He remembered the gifts of the Philippians that they had sent him in Thessalonica and other times. Paul remembered everything that the Philippians had done for him, and his grateful prayers turned to joyful praise.

3:50As Paul moves from his greetings and prayer for the Philippians, as is common in his letters, Paul tells the Philippians about his own situation. And in many of the other letters, his comments are very brief. He only describes just a few things that are going on with him. But in this case, it's actually very lengthy. Verses 12 through 26 are a little summary about what's going on in Paul's life. And like Paul's other letters, his comments are saturated with the gospel. Let's pray as we look into God's word this morning. Father, thank you so much for this day. Thank you again for allowing us to come to this point in our worship service.

4:39God, where we can look into your word. And Lord, you've given us the book of Philippians, written by the hand of Paul. But Lord, it's a letter from you, a letter that describes how we are to live in this world, regardless of our circumstances. And God, help us to remember that you are a sovereign God, that you are in charge of this entire world and this universe, and nothing happens by chance. But all things work together for our good to make us more and more like your Son, Jesus Christ.

5:20Father, we would ask that as you teach us this morning through your word, Lord, may it resonate with many circumstances in our lives, those God-given appointments that we might not even understand how you're working. But Lord, help us to be tender. Help us to be sensitive to those around us and allow us to share the hope that is within us about why we love you and why we know that we can be saved and why we know that we have a future with you.

5:51God, that is such a wonderful and encouraging thing that we think about. And we know that others would also be encouraged by our word. Father, help us to be faithful witnesses wherever we go. Bless us now as we study this morning, and we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. More than anything else, Paul wanted to go to Rome. He wanted to preach the gospel there. If he could preach the gospel in Rome, it would mean reaching millions with the message of salvation. In Acts chapter 19, verse 21, Paul said, After I have been in Jerusalem, I must see Rome.

6:37And at the very outset of the book of Romans, Romans 1:15, Paul said, So for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome. Paul wanted to go to Rome as a preacher, but God had other plans. He went to Rome as a prisoner. And again, I want to emphasize that Paul's letter to the Philippian church is primarily about Christian living, about how Christians should live regardless of their circumstances in life. As we all know, our circumstances change from moment to moment. Good circumstances in our lives tend to make us happy.

7:28Difficult or bad circumstances. Circumstances tend to make us unhappy. But our happiness and our joy are not the same things. Our joy in Christ is not based upon our circumstances. And I know right now you're in the book of Philippians, but if you'd like to look back at the book of Luke, Luke chapter 10, I want to just show you something that Jesus brings out regarding the source of our joy. Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10 begins with Jesus going to Jerusalem. And he had his disciples with him, many of them, actually. There are 70 disciples. Some manuscripts say 72. But these 70 disciples were going with Jesus, and Jesus sent them ahead of him, two by two, into every city that he would come as he was going to Jerusalem. And he wanted them to preach the kingdom of God. And he gave them many instructions and things that they should do as they went along the way. If they received you, be welcomed into the city, live with a family, eat the things that they gave you. If they didn't receive you, well, dust off your feet and keep on going. But don't quit. And they did some wonderful things as they were on their missionary journey, as they were going before Jesus. And when they came back, when they came back, Back to Jesus, beginning in verse 17. It says, the 70 returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us through your name. And boy, they were so excited. They were casting out demons and they were doing so many wonderful things, healing the sick. And they were just pumped up because of what was going on. And Jesus said, and I said to them, Jesus, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Not necessarily when Satan was kicked out of heaven, but the strongholds of Satan. His power was being knocked down as they went.

9:40He says, Behold, I give you additional authorities to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, he says, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject unto you. Well, why? That would be a pretty cool thing, right? If we could go and we could cast out demons and people's lives could be turned around, that would be some pretty exciting stuff. Well, there might be another time when you can't do that. If you remember the other story when the disciples were trying to cast out a demon and they couldn't do it, and Jesus said, Oh, you have little faith. And he came and he cast it out. And they're like, Why couldn't we do it? What's wrong with us?

10:30He said, this kind comes out only but by prayer and fasting. So I would imagine the disciples were kind of down at that point. So even a casting out of a demon is a circumstance. So Jesus says to them, don't rejoice because the spirits are subject unto you, but rather, why? Why should they rejoice, guys? Because your names are written in heaven. Because your names are written in heaven, because you have, as a Christian, a personal relationship with the creator of the universe, Jesus Christ, a relationship that will never change, and a future that is ever certain.

11:19And this relationship that you have, this eternal relationship that will never change, gives you abiding peace and joy in Christ. That's the reason for our joy, is because we have a relationship with Jesus. And if somebody says to you, rejoice evermore, rejoice without ceasing, how can you do that? Well, if you think about this, if you have an abiding relationship with Jesus that can never be taken from you, what will you always have? You will always have joy. And sometimes that can pull you out of the deep. Deepest, darkest circumstances, realizing that there is a God up there that loves you and cares for you more than anything else, and it can turn your circumstances around and especially your perspective. That's what Paul was thinking about as he was thinking about joy.

12:22In verses 12 through 14, let's read about Paul's chains. Paul's chains. Now, I want you to know, brethren, Philippians 1, verses 12 through 14. Now, I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole Praetorian Guard and to everyone else. And that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.

13:07Apparently, the church in Philippi was concerned about Paul's welfare as a prisoner, as they should. So they sent one of their own, and his name was Epaphroditus. And Epaphroditus is mentioned a little bit later in the book of Philippians. In Philippians chapter 2 and verses 25 through 30, we learn a little bit more. About Epaphroditus. As a matter of fact, he got very sick when he was visiting Paul in Rome, almost to the point where he died. And so the Philippian church was very concerned not only about Paul, but about Epaphroditus. And they wondered how things were.

13:45And also in Philippians 4:18, we learn about him once more. And Epaphroditus ministered to Paul. He brought some supplies, he brought some money for Paul. Because as Paul was a prisoner in Rome, he wasn't necessarily in a dungeon at this point, but he was in some rented quarters. And I'm sure it wasn't very much, but it probably cost a little bit of money in order to stay there. And so the church in Philippi sent them a gift of money. And they probably sent along some food because, as prisoners of Rome, they didn't have the welfare kind of thing that prisons have today of giving you food every day. And it was not a nice place. So they brought food and other things for Paul the prisoner, for which he was very, very grateful. But he lived there for two years.

14:40Two years in his own rented quarters and welcomed all who came to see him. And Paul proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. It says in Acts chapter 28, verses 30 and 31. And as a prisoner of Rome, Paul was required. To be chained to a Roman soldier 24 hours a day. And the Praetorian Guard, if anybody ever heard of those guys? Most of us, if you've done some reading about Rome, they were the elite soldiers. They weren't just your common soldiers that fought out on the battlefield, although some of them may have come from that environment. This Praetorian Guard was an elite group who specifically cared for the needs of Caesar and of his interests. And for some reason, Paul's case had imperial interest.

15:36Paul's chain was an 18-inch long chain that connected the handcuff of Paul to the wrist of a Roman guard. A Roman soldier was just 18 inches away from the Apostle Paul for two full years. And it wasn't always the same guard. Each soldier's shift was for six hours at a time, which meant for those two years that Paul came into contact with several, dozens, if not hundreds, of imperial soldiers. Most prisoners would have despised the soldiers that were sitting next to them. But Paul saw this as a God-ordained opportunity to share the gospels with those hardened men. And can you imagine the guard who leaned over? To Paul and said, So, what are you in for?

16:35Paul smiled as he began to respond. I am in these chains because I serve the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was made flesh and born in Bethlehem of Judea. In humility and obedience to the will of God, Christ died for sinners like you and me on a Roman cross under Roman authority in Israel 30 years ago. He was buried and laid in a tomb guarded by Roman soldiers. But three days later, Jesus arose alive from the grave, demonstrating his power over death. After remaining with his disciples for 40 days, he ascended into heaven right before their very eyes and is at this very moment seated at the right hand of God. Not long after Jesus returned to heaven, I was persecuting his followers for corrupting the Jewish religion, putting them in chains just like these, and even approving of their deaths. And then on my way to Damascus, Jesus Himself appeared to me in a blazing light, and I fell to the ground blind. And Jesus spoke to me and told me that I would be his messenger to preach his good news to men. You and me to strengthen the churches that I once tried to destroy.

18:08He restored my sight. And since that day, I have been preaching about the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And those like you who turn from your own self-righteousness and trust in Christ can escape the punishment of God and can be forgiven of their sins. And one day soon, this same Jesus will come again in the clouds and take us to be with Him forever. And as I told a Philippian jailer many, many years ago, and I tell you now, Centurion, Roman guard, I tell you now, believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved and your household. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. And as the soldiers spoke with Paul and observed his character, they learned that he was not in prison for being a criminal, but because he was preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul's words spread throughout the whole Praetorian guard, it says in verse 13, and to everyone else. They thought all this guy has to do to be released from this prison is to deny his teaching. About Jesus of Nazareth. Just say it's all fake and phony, and you can go.

19:37But Paul wouldn't do that. Paul would never do that. He would rather lose his head than stop preaching about Jesus. And over time, an amazing thing began to happen. God began to grant these soldiers repentance and faith in Christ. As Paul concluded his letter to the Philippians in Philippians 4:22, he says, All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household. These soldiers got saved. As they were there listening to Paul, God blessed his words and they became Christians. That's such a praise.

20:26An old pastor once told me, Wherever you are, Kevin, God put you there for a reason. Bloom where you're planted. And I'm sure that wasn't original with him, but that really stuck with me all of my life. And all of the moves that we have ever made, bloom where you're planted. Some of you are here as college students, and maybe you're just here for a few years. This is your new garden. This is where God wants you to be right now. Get involved in God's work and bloom right here. There's pioneers. There's many other opportunities in our church where you can serve. Bloom here. Let God use you. Paul's imprisonment also had another effect. Verse 14, those who had been reluctant about speaking for Christ in Rome gained a new boldness for Christ.

21:29When they saw how God was spreading the gospel through Paul, they thought, if this guy can do this in prison for Christ with Caesar's guards right next to him, then I can certainly do the same thing in my neighborhood. I think we all can say the same thing. If Paul can do this for Christ, we can tell our neighbors about Jesus. And that's the other result. Not only were the soldiers being saved, but people were recognizing that Paul's circumstances in prison were doing something wonderful. Paul's circumstances in prison were doing what his circumstances outside of prison could have never done.

22:12And Paul might have said this very same thing: wherever you are, bloom where you're planted. Let's next read about Paul's critics. Paul's critics, verses. 15 through 18. Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from goodwill. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice. Yes, I will rejoice. Because of Paul's boldness in sharing the gospel of Christ while in chains, many others began preaching the gospel as well. But they did so with various motives. Some preach Christ out of goodwill, it says in verse 15. Their motives were pure and out of love, verse 16. Knowing that Paul was appointed by God for the defense of the gospel. That word for defense is actually the Greek word apologia, which we get the word apology or apologetics to defend the faith. That's what Paul was doing here. He was there defending the faith in front of the soldiers as well as anyone else who would come and visit with him. Others saw Paul's imprisonment as an opportunity. To promote themselves, they preach Christ out of envy and strife. Strife means rivalry or contention, along with envy, which suggests some kind of bad relationship. These self-seeking preachers declared Christ in such a way as to cause anguish to Paul's imprisonment. And as I read that, I thought, well, that's kind of hard to understand. It's like, why would a fellow Christian do something to cause other people pain? And then I started to remember the many years that I've served in churches.

24:44Not everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus will get along. And that's so true. While their motives were wrong, the true gospel of Jesus Christ was being preached. And because of this, Paul rejoiced. However, Paul could not condone a false gospel that was being spread by a group of individuals called the Judaizers. And some of you may have read or heard about those folks. They were the ones who said that the Gentile believers must keep the Mosaic law as well as circumcision in order to be a believer. And Paul absolutely said no. That is wrong. That is not the gospel that was delivered unto us. He says in Galatians chapter 1, verses 6 through 9, I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel, which is really not another gospel at all. Only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed.

26:07As we have said before, and I say now again, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed. But these self-seeking preachers that we read about in Philippians were not the Judaizers. They were preaching the true gospel. And Paul really couldn't do anything to change that circumstance. But he could decide how he was going to respond to it. And rather than being bitter and resentful of those who were trying to make him look bad or feel bad, Paul decided that he would rejoice that the gospel was reaching people.

26:53In verse 18, it answers that question. Paul was not pleased with the motives of these self-seeking. Seekers. He rejoiced when someone heard the gospel of Christ. And it didn't matter what the preachers thought about Paul. It only mattered that the gospel was being preached. God would judge the motives of those individuals, not Paul. And Paul left the matter with the Lord. Oh, if we could often do that ourselves. If we could just take our burdens to the Lord, as the song says, and leave them there. But too often we grab those burdens right back and try and solve them ourselves. Just leave them with the Lord and let Him take care of the results.

27:41Paul's critics. Now let's move on to Paul's crisis. Paul's crisis in verses 19 through 26. This is a little longer section. Verse 19, for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

28:18Here's this famous verse that we've all memorized, verse 21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in this flesh, This will mean fruitful labor for me, and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions. Having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is that much better, yet to remain on in the flesh is much more necessary for your sakes. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.

29:05At this point in Paul's life, he did not know whether or not he was going to be executed or be released by the Roman government. Every day was that tension that he had. Is this the day that I'm going to die? Or is this the day that they're going to let me go? Paul wrote, I know that this will turn out for my deliverance. That term deliverance can be used in a number of different ways. And here, Paul may mean my deliverance to heaven, or it may mean my deliverance from this prison. But Paul was certain of one thing. He wanted Christ to be exalted in his body, whether by life or by death. This was Paul's expectation and his hope. These are the thoughts of a man who has been in prison. For a very, very long time. And I'm sure Paul was very introspective at this point, thinking about his own situation, his own end, his own ministry. And if you're faced with imminent death every single day or imminent release and you don't know what to do, Paul was probably going down those roads of what ifs? What ifs? What would I do?

30:28But more than that, Paul was concerned about the testimony that he would leave for his Lord. His release would allow him to continue preaching Christ, and his martyrdom would also advance the cause of Christ. This brings us to our oft-quoted statement: for to me to live as Christ and to die is gain, a verse we inscribe on our coffee cups and carry them about our day. But that verse is so, so much more than that. Paul's main purpose in living was to glorify Christ as Christ was the essence of his life. Paul had faced death several times before he was imprisoned in Rome. And Paul wanted the Philippians to understand that death for the Christian was not loss, but gain.

31:24Death was the bridge between physical life and eternal life. In the presence of the Lord. And as Paul sat there next to his guard, he thought about the benefits of both. Live and have a fruitful ministry, or die and be with Christ. Life in heaven, he thought, would be so much better, but life on earth would be more beneficial for the Philippians. It says in verses 23 and 24. And Paul concluded that if given the choice, he would rather choose to remain on the earth and a continued ministry with the Philippian believers. Their spiritual progress and maturity would bring them and him much more joy. And that's why he was writing this letter, to encourage them in Christ until he could be with them again. We see in verses 25 and 26.

32:35In our last section, verses 27 through 30, let's read about Paul's challenge to the Philippian church. Paul's challenge to the Philippian church. It says in verse 27, only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you. And that you're standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, in no way alarmed by your opponents, which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you. And that, too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now here to be in me.

33:34Whether Paul would be released or Paul would remain in prison, whatever happened to him, Paul wanted the Philippians to honor and glorify Christ. It's interesting that Paul's challenge to the Philippian church in this passage reflects a very military theme. And it's maybe not so hard to understand. If you've been sitting around with a soldier for the last two years, you've probably been hearing a lot of stories about those military things that these guards had been doing. Many of these words and phrases that Paul used here would have resonated with the Philippian believers too, because Philippi was a Roman colony, primarily made up of former Roman soldiers. When Caesar first established that particular city as a Roman colony, he had a lot of soldiers that were coming off the field and he needed something to give them. He didn't really have a lot of money to give them anymore, so he gave them a place to live. You guys all go to Philippi, and we will make you Roman citizens. And one benefit: you won't have to pay Roman taxes if you move to Philippi. Oh, they went in droves because they didn't have to pay taxes. And so, Philippi was thronging with former Roman soldiers, and many of them now had come to Christ, and they were part of the Philippian church. So, these words that Paul was using really meant something to them.

35:04When Paul tells them to conduct themselves in the New American Standard, this is a political word that literally means to live as good citizens, which is what you would expect of a Roman citizen. Live as a good citizen in your community, in your palace. Do what's right, live in a way that is worthy of the gospel of Christ. In Ephesians 4:1, Paul makes a very similar statement. Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, he's writing this at about the very same time as he's writing Philippians, I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling which you have been called.

35:46And as Paul spent those many hours chained to that Roman guard, I'm sure he asked questions about the guard's life, about his family, about his military service. And many of the elite Praetorian guards. Again, they were once former soldiers in the legions. They might have participated in battles all across the Roman Empire, learning and developing their skills as a soldier. And in addition to their swords, most Roman soldiers carried a large rectangular shield called a scuta.

36:23If you're curious, the plural is scutum. One is scuta, two is scutum. Which was made of wood and covered with leather or metal. The scuta provided protection from enemy weapons and could also be used as a weapon in close combat. And this shield had a slightly curved edge that could overlap with the shields of the legionnaires on either side. And this shield wall that they would make as an enemy was attacking was called a testudo. A testudo is a Latin word for tortoise. So basically, they were making a turtle shell formation around themselves. They would guard themselves as they would pull those shields together. And you may have seen these in movies. As they're protecting themselves from an attacking army, from chariots, from spears and flaming arrows, they would put their shields on top of them and around each other to protect themselves from the attack.

37:27This formation turned out to be very Very effective. And all the soldiers had to work together as one. They had a better chance of survival if they all worked together. Their commander would call them into formation when the enemy approached. And at the very last instant, he would holler out, as one! And as they did that, click, they pulled their shields into formation and they built their little turtle formation. And the soldiers, the spears and arrows, and things that were hurled at them, would bounce away, only to having to turn and reform again as the army returned to attack. Any soldier who left that formation and went out on their own, how do you think that turned out? Not so good. Because they weren't protected by their friends. They were off on their own. And usually they got stuck with an arrow, and that wasn't a good thing. And Paul wanted the Philippian believers to be standing firm. See that back in our text?

38:32When I come to see you or remain absent, I will hear that you are standing firm. How? In one spirit, as one. Standing together, striving together with one mind for the cause of the gospel of Christ Jesus. Just like the Roman soldiers in this tortoise formation, locking their shields and standing with one another in the defense of his brother. Paul wanted the Philippian believers to work together as one in their lives and in their ministries. Another interesting thing is that prior to battle, a lot of the soldiers would dip their scuta, their scutum, in water to get them kind of wet so that it would put out the flaming arrows that would hit their shields, which also reminded me of another passage that Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 6, verse 16, taking up your shields of faith, extinguishing all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Paul wanted the Philippians to live courageously for Christ in the midst of coming opposition and persecution of the evil one.

39:50It's not a matter of when or if persecution will come to a Christian. It's a matter of when. Persecution is just part of a Christian life. People don't like our message when we talk to them about sin. We talk to them about sin in their own lives. Now you're getting too personal for me, Kevin. I don't really want to go there. We need to go there. Because if there is no repentance, there is no salvation. You have to be saved from something.

40:21And we must talk about sin. Sin in our own lives. Sin that needs to be forgiven. And it can only be forgiven through Jesus Christ. So, when we talk to people about that, that message will cause opposition. That message will cause frustration. But God said, that is part of what being a Christian is. Paul challenged the Philippians not to be frightened, not to be alarmed by those who oppose them, verse 28. Frightened here means a startled horse, one who bolts away from conflict. Too often, when we're sharing the gospel and we're startled by something that someone says, we retreat and we're like, well, I'm not going to talk to that one anymore. That was scary. No, stand firm. Stand firm and do not be frightened. If the Philippian believers stood fast against their opponents, their steadfastness would be a sign of destruction to their opponents and a sign of salvation or deliverance by God for the Philippians. Paul reminded the Philippians again that suffering, because of the opposition they faced, was given or granted by God, verse 29. It came as a gracious gift from God.

41:40They were suffering for Christ's sake, not because of who they were, but because of what they were. They were suffering because they were Christians and had the privilege of sharing the gospel to those around them. And some will accept, and others will laugh. And scorn. As Russell McGee shared with us last week, we are to sow our seeds of the gospel. Those precious seeds will land on various types of soils. And as Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 3, verses 6 through 8, it is God who gives the increase. It's our responsibility to be sowers. It's our responsibility to share the gospel. But God is the one who does the work. Jesus told his disciples, if the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you. John 15, verse 18. And the Philippians had seen how Paul handled conflict in his own life, both in Philippi and now in Rome. And they could also do the same. And so can you and I.

42:59As we wrap this up, to each of us here, we need to stand firm. We need to strive together as one body for the gospel of Jesus Christ. The world has many religions, but it only has one gospel. So take that gospel to the world, to wherever you go, and grow where you're placed. Planted. If you're here today and you'd like to know more about being a Christian, come and find me after this service. And I'd love to show you from the Bible how you too can believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.

43:47And there's one very special song that kind of wraps up this whole theme: In Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm from the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace. When fears are stilled, remember, do not be frightened. When strivings cease, life can be striving. My comforter, my all-in-all, here in the love of Christ, I stand. Let's pray. Father, thank you for this passage of Scripture.

44:43Thank you for the Apostle Paul, who endured much for your sake. And sometimes we think Paul might have been some kind of superhuman, but in reality, he's just like us, frail. Weak, would eventually die. But Paul had determined in his own heart and his own life that he would serve Jesus Christ at all costs. God, we love you and we love your Son. Lord, help us to glorify Christ in all that we do, in all that we are. Wherever we go, God, please help us let people see Jesus in us and have an opportunity, God, to share with them why we love you and why you have done such great things for us.

45:40Father, bless our day. Thank you, and we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.