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Now, here's today's message from Pastor Skip Heitzik. Over the years, I've had an interesting journey with the church. I grew up having to go to church. I had to go. My parents made me go.
And they even called it my Sunday obligation. And they gave me that term because My church talked about the Sunday obligation. You may not want to go, but you have to go. And so I grew up having to go to church. When I was 18 years of age, I had a real encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, and something changed.
I didn't have to go to church now. I wanted to go to church, albeit a completely different church, but I wanted to go there.
So I went from having to go to church to wanting to go to church. And then, as I grew in my faith, Uh I wanted to plant a church, so I moved. Back east, that's what I told all my friends and family in California. I'm moving east. to Albuquerque.
So I Because the West Coast, everything's east, right?
So I moved 800 miles east to plant a church, and I've had the distinct privilege of pastoring for over 30 years. Yeah. And though I love his church. And I believe that, as Paul said to Timothy, the church is the pillar and the ground of the truth. I believe that.
I also have come to know that sometimes The church can get weird. Am I right? We can get wonky. Right?
So um We as church people Can have a tendency to have all sorts of disagreements over trivial issues. There can be personality disagreements and leadership quarrels. I heard about a church who had a huge Argument over which picture they would agree to put of Jesus in the foyer.
Now, I don't know why anybody would argue about that since we really do not have an accurate picture or rendition of what Jesus really looked like.
Some artists just make stuff up, but it was a huge division in the church over which picture we're going to put in the bulletin. Another church sent a petition around to the congregation. To have all of the church staff clean shaven. Apparently, they didn't like facial hair. Again, they wouldn't do too well in the Old or the New Testament times, but they wanted to make sure their church staff was clean shaven.
And then um There was another church that I read about that had an argument. If the church should allow deviled eggs at their potluck suppers.
Now come on, really? You're gonna go that far. Deviled eggs, like they're demon-possessed eggs or something. There's a magazine that's been around for years called Leadership Magazine, great magazine. And it's very helpful articles.
And Leadership Magazine, a Christian publication. Always has cartoons about Church life. And in one cartoon, they showed a picture, a little cartoon of a pastor, a grim-faced pastor, behind his pulpit. And he had stopped in the middle of the sermon and was reading a note and he Said in the cartoon, we interrupt this sermon. To inform you that the fourth-grade boys are now in complete control of their Sunday school class.
and are holding Ms. Mosby hostage. No, we have never had any of our teachers taken hostage. Yet. But over the years, we've had some very interesting times as a church.
The ministry of a church is always the ministry of people. It's never about brick and mortar or carpet and pews. It's never about property. It's really About people. That's what a church is.
It's a group of people that are called out to be together.
So if a church lives, it's because the people in it are alive. They're vibrant, they're vital, they're involved. If a church withers and dies, it's because the people in it have withered and died. I heard a story about a pastor who went to a little town in Oklahoma to take over a church. It was a troubled church, he'd heard about it.
But he was a young man and he had stars in his eyes, much optimism, and he believed he had what it would take to turn this church around.
So he went. and had all sorts of fresh ideas to no avail. They wanted none of it. They didn't want to change. All of his ideas were shot down.
All of his attempts were pushed away.
So he was very frustrated and he had one final idea. He decided he would take out in the local paper on a Saturday, and add that red The church that I pastor. Has Died. The churches died. Tomorrow afternoon, Sunday afternoon, please come for its funeral service.
We're going to give it a proper burial.
Well, this got everybody's interest, not only in the church, but in the community.
So that afternoon, for the first time in years, the church was packed. Packed to the gills, standing room only. People were on the outside looking in, trying to listen through the windows. And they noticed that it looked like a funeral service. There was a casket up front.
There were flowers draped over the casket. The pastor got up at this afternoon funeral service, gave a eulogy, gave the history of the church, where it's come from, but. He said, it died and we're going to bury it. And then afterwards, the flowers were taken out of the casket. The casket was opened up, and he invited everyone to come down and pay their respects.
To the dearly beloved. As people walk down, To that open casket, and they looked inside of it, they were shocked and they turned their face away because. The pastor had placed a large mirror. In the casket, so that as people walked by, they could see the church that had died. He made his point very, very vividly.
Well, as we read our text in the fourth chapter of Philippians, you will notice. the hint of a problem. that is threatening the church. Verse 1 Philippians chapter 4. Therefore, or furthermore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so standfast in the Lord.
Beloved. I implore. Euodia, and I implore Suntuke, To be of the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also, true companion, help these women. who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also.
and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
You'll notice right off the bat a series of exhortations, refrains. Obviously, by written, written by somebody who has a deep concern for this. Church at Philippi. You'll notice in verse 1 the words stand fast. In verse 2, I implore.
That is, I beg. Verse 3, I urge. And verse 4, the command, rejoice. We can, by reading this, infer that there must have been some. disagreement, some argument, some spat.
Some wrangling between two women that are mentioned here in the text, and their argument is affecting the whole church at Philippi.
So, I have outlined for you what I am calling the anatomy of a healthy church. We're going to sort of look at it. in an anatomical formation And I want to give you five components of a healthy, vigorous, strong church. I'll begin with the first in verse 1. A healthy church has a big heart.
As we read verse 1, I want you to notice something. It's very rare because Paul, what he does, he just sort of piles on these tender phrases toward this church. Therefore, my Beloved. And longed for, brethren, my joy and crown.
So stand fast in the Lord than he repeats himself, Beloved. This is the big heart of a loving leader. In one sentence, he is able to express his gracious pastoral heart toward this group.
Now in affirming them, He provides an example of what is needed in every church. A big heart. People with big hearts. Don't you love that he refers to them, my beloved? Maybe I should just start calling you my beloved.
I love that because it means my loved ones. Loved ones, you are loved by God, you are loved by me. This is Paul's way of saying. I love you. to this church.
And we all know that According to Jesus Christ, the mark. The mark. The hallmark of The church should be love. Right?
Not truth, though that's Super important. Not Um Holiness, though that's super important, but the one that takes precedence over all is love. Jesus said, By this, all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.
Now, why is that? Why is that? The singular most important attribute.
Well, stands to reason. How will you ever preach the gospel of the love of God if you don't practice the gospel of the love of God? You can't just exhort people to love, you have to exhibit love.
So that becomes preeminent. And we have another problem. And that is that our God is. Invisible. And the unbelieving world loves to point that out.
Oh, you talk to me about God. Prove God to me, let me see God. That's just a way that weak people have of getting through a difficult life, believing in a higher power.
So What love does, it takes The invisible God and makes him visible. First John Chapter 4, verse 12. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us and his love is brought to full expression in us.
So you see, if the world could possibly see a community of nurturing, caring, loving, forgiving people that love each other across the barriers of race and rank and age and sex, They might listen. A big heart. This is Connect with Skip Heitzig. When you give to this ministry, you're helping reach thousands of people every day with God's life-changing truth. encouraging them to know him and grow in his word.
And to thank you for your support this month, we'll send you The Making of a Biblical Leader: A Practical Guide to Leading Others by Robert L. Furrow. This practical guide, featuring chapters by Skip and Lenya Heitzig, offers biblical wisdom to help you lead yourself and others with Christ-like integrity. Your gift today helps equip believers around the world to walk in truth and share the hope of Jesus. Request your copy when you give $50 or more to reach people around the world through Connect with Skiff Heitzig.
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Now, here's more from Pastor Skip.
So he says, my beloved, and he says it twice in verse one. But he doesn't stop there. He doesn't say, Now, my beloved, now that I've gotten past that, let me slam you with this. He didn't stop there. Notice he He pours it on.
Therefore, my beloved and longed for brethren.
Now, I was thinking about this little phrase: my longed for brethren. And I was thinking that Paul had known this group at Philippi about 10 years. I tried to figure it out. I'm thinking between 10 and 11 years he had known them. It had been that long since he first went there and founded the church at Philippi.
So he'd known them for at least 10 years, a decade, but he had not seen them for about five years.
So now he's in prison in Rome, you know the story, and he's thinking back to when the church started, the people he knew and met. And he starts longing for them. He misses them. He wants to be with them. And though I certainly don't compare myself to Paul.
I would say I understand that at least a little bit. Because about 13 years ago, I left here for about two and a half years, and I went out west again for a number of reasons, but I was absent from this church. And when I. When I was alone, I would find myself thinking back and greatly missing. New Mexico and and it wasn't just the green and red chili.
Either. Does rank high on the list, right? On anybody's list. It wasn't like Deion's Pizza or something. What it was for me is, I had in my mind, my mind took me back to all.
The people. That I had counseled or prayed with or prayed for or married or dedicated their children. And this. Enormous longing. for them, for you.
Developed in the heart.
So I understand when Paul says, my beloved, my longed for, And then he doesn't stop there. He calls him my joy.
Now here's why this is significant. Because what's the theme of this book? Joy. Technicolor joy, 18 times. He mentions either joy or rejoicing or rejoice in this book.
So The theme is joy, but now in saying this, We understand a part of his joy was wrapped up. In them. in people.
So, this is a healthy, tender relationship. It wasn't a toxic relationship like the pastor putting a mirror in a casket. This was a healthy, tender one.
So, my beloved, my longed-for brethren, my joy. But he didn't stop there. He calls them my crown. My crown.
Now this word crown Is the Greek word Stephanas It is the crown of an athlete. It's a little leaf, laurel. A wreath that is put on the head of somebody who runs a race in an Olympic event and wins.
So it's not the crown of a ruler. Who rules over something, it's the crown of a runner. of an athlete. And who gets a reward?
So when Paul says, you're my crown, he's not saying, I'm ruler over you, he's saying, You're all the reward I need. Knowing you and this relationship of love that we have, that is reward enough. You are the icing on my cake.
So I'm pointing all these out because this verse shows us what a big heart. The founder of this church had toward the flock at Philippi. And that's an ingredient, that's a component of a healthy, vigorous, strong church, a big heart. But that's not all. A big heart needs to be balanced out by a firm stance.
Verse 1. Therefore, my beloved and long-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord. Beloved. All right, now he's asking them to take a firm stand. In the context here, over an issue that is dividing them.
By these two gals mentioned in the next couple of verses, he's asking them to take a stand in healing the division. that has gotten out of hand.
So, what does that tell me? It tells me that a church isn't just a nice place to get a pat on the back and feel good about yourself and feel affirmed and feel loved, though that's important, but it's also a place filled with people who have deep convictions. That keeps them rooted and grounded in a world that is hostile to them. The word standfast. is the word, it's a command, by the way.
Stekate is the Greek word. It means stand in one place immovable. Be stationary. Persevere. It's a military term for a soldier standing in a battle and not retreating.
Now, this happens to be a theme throughout the New Testament. This idea of spiritual stability or perseverance. Yeah. Fourteen times in the New Testament, we are told to stand fast. Or we are told to be steadfast.
So evidently, as a Christian, there are tendencies. To make us not want to hold our ground, but retreat, or hide, or go away, or quit following Christ. In Acts chapter 11. A new church starts up in Antioch. Up in Syria.
People in Jerusalem hear about that, they send Barnabas up. It says, When Barnabas got there, when he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. Why would he tell them that? Because he knew that. In the opposition that they face, they're going to want to not continue in the Lord.
They're going to want to sort of drop off the map and stop following. 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes, My beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
So, if you want any strength in a church, you need a big heart and a firm stance. Spiritual stability because Spiritual instability leads to doubt. Discouragement. Disappointment. Unstable people are crushed by trials.
overwhelmed by circumstances. overtaken by temptations. As James said, a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.
So with a Big-hearted love, we need a firm stance that says, I'm going to follow Jesus. No matter what.
Sometimes, when people come to me for counseling, depending on the issue, I ask them a question that. surprises them. I will say, what would it take for you to stop following Jesus? I go, what? What do you mean?
I said, well, is there some kind of event you can think of, some catastrophic event that, if, like, if God crosses that line or He takes that person away from me, I quit. What would it take? To get you to stop following Jesus? Or are you like the song that is sung? I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back.
No turning back. I'm standing firm. I'm standing fast. Yeah. An African pastor in Zimbabwe.
Was martyred for his faith in Christ by persecutors. After he died, Among his papers was found something he wrote. And it turns out that this was his like philosophy of life. But it's noteworthy. Listen to what he wrote.
He said, My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, but my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in a maze of mediocrity. I won't give up. Shut up.
Let up or slow up until I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for Christ. Yeah, that's how that's how he li that's steadfastness. And it got him killed. I think he was okay with that. I think right now he's going, yeah, I made the right choice.
So a big heart, a firm stance. There's a third component, and that is a warm embrace. A warm embrace. That is, the ability to take two parties that are in disagreement, to embrace both of them, and helping them to resolve the conflict. Verse 2: I implore.
Euodia And I implore Suntuke, aren't you glad you have the name that you have? And pardon me if I offended anyone here named Suntuke, but I doubt that is the case. But I implore these two gals to be of the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also, true companion. Help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers whose names.
are in the book of life.
Now we don't know anything about who these ladies really are. We don't know any details about their argument. They're not mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament. We just know that something between them happened. We do know what their names mean.
Euodia is a word that means good journey or have a good trip. The word suntuke is a Greek word that means fortunate or lucky. Forgive me, but I'm going to give them these names. I'm going to call one Mrs. Good Trip and the other Miss Lucky.
So Mrs. Good Trip and Miss Lucky. Loved each other and were part of this church and fellowship together, and probably brought deviled eggs to the potluck. But something happened between Mrs. Goodtrip and Miss Lucky, and the disagreement got to be so advanced that.
It polarized the church. Groups developed around both opinions. And Paul writes about it and he's had enough of it and he needs to get it resolved.
Something about these women we do know, they were prominent women. They weren't just any women, they were prominent women. How do we know that? Because, verse 3, Paul said, they labored with me in the gospel. That's significant.
I'm guessing, I can't prove it. I'm guessing that they were among the first women who were at the first prayer meeting in Philippi. Remember the story, Acts chapter 16? I'll refresh your memory. Um Paul goes to Philippi.
There is no Jewish synagogue there. The law required at least 10 males, 10 men, to form a synagogue. There weren't any.
So it says: On the Sabbath day we went outside the city to a riverside where prayer was customarily made, and we spoke to the women. There were praying women, Jewish women, at a riverside. That was the first meeting Paul attended. I'm guessing these women. Euodia and Suntuke We're part of that first group.
I love the idea that a church was birthed out of a group of praying women. We talk about the founding fathers. These are the founding mothers of the church. Yeah. We're so glad you joined us today on Connect with Skip Heitzig.
Before you go, remember that as our thanks for your gift of support today, we'll send you The Making of a Biblical Leader, a Practical Guide to Leading Others, by Robert L. Furrow, featuring chapters by Skip and Lenya Heidzig. This resource will encourage you to grow in faith and lead others with wisdom and grace. When you give, you help keep this Bible teaching ministry on the air, connecting more people with the truth of God's Word and the hope found in Jesus. Gift today at connectwithgift.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888 and request your resource when you do.
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