In Jason Dohm's sermon titled 'Bondservants and Saints,' he emphasizes the importance of public Scripture reading, drawing parallels to practices found in Nehemiah. The sermon delves into the identity of Paul and Timothy as bondservants of Jesus Christ, highlighting their devotion and service to the church. Dohm reflects on the transformation of Paul from a blasphemer and persecutor to a devoted apostle, stressing the radical change wrought by God's intervention. The sermon underscores the role of grace and peace as divine blessings, flowing from God the Father and Jesus Christ, and emphasizes the concept of believers as saints in Christ. Additionally, Dohm discusses the function of overseers and deacons in the church, advocating for a structure where these roles are designed to serve and edify the congregation. The sermon concludes with an exhortation for the church to emulate the humility and service exemplified by Jesus, Paul, and Timothy.

It's hard to find another book of this length that has as many quotable things that you've just heard so many times that are just precious phrases of the faith. So pretty much every week we're going to be hitting a precious phrase of the faith and I just can't wait to soak in it. This morning, like we typically do when we start a book, we're just gonna read we're gonna read the whole letter, all four chapters, and It can be hard to do because my attention span leaves something to be desired and maybe yours does too. But I just want to exhort us again. It's worth the hard work to hang in there, to follow along with the words and try to squeeze the last drop of goodness out of it.

Philippians is a letter from Paul and Timothy but there are some letters from Paul to Timothy and in the first one in 1st Timothy chapter 3 verse 15 Paul says this, But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God. So the whole letter is to make sure Timothy understands how things are to be conducted in the house of God and so you have things like qualifications for elders and deacons who should be speaking in the church etc etc and then in in chapter 4 verse 13 I believe all of 1st Timothy is in the conduct of how we ought to conduct ourselves in the house of God. Chapter 4 verse 13, Paul says, till I come, give attention to Reading. Now the NASB and the ESV render it a little differently. Here's how the ESV renders it.

Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture. Devote yourself. Now again, in the context of how ought we to conduct ourselves in the house of God. Here's one way we ought to conduct ourselves in the house of God. We should be a devoted people to the public reading of Scripture.

The NASB and the ESV render it that way because when they look at the usage of that Greek word across Greek literature you very very very frequently most often see it associated with public reading. Of course this fits so well with what we saw in Nehemiah when we were studying Nehemiah. There were several times throughout the book where they say bring the book and they bring it out and they do long readings of Scripture and so should we. So we're devoting ourselves to that this morning. Please turn to Philippians chapter 1 and put your attention span on notice.

Philippians chapter 1, Paul and Timothy, bond servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi with the overseers and deacons, grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you always in every prayer of mine making a request for you all with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now being confident of this very thing that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, and as much as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. In this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and in all discernment That you may approve the things that are excellent that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened 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 preached, and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

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.

Being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again. Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him but also to suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now here is in me." Chapter 2. Therefore, If there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation. Taking the form of a bond-servant and coming in the likeness of men, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Therefore my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure.

Do all things without complaining and disputing that you may become blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world holding fast the word of life so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded who will sincerely care for your state.

For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. Therefore, I hope to send him at once as soon as I see how it goes with me, but I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need, since he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick, almost unto death, but God had mercy on him, not only on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such men in esteem. Because for the work of Christ He came close to death, not regarding His life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me. Chapter 3. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.

For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation. For we are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law a Pharisee, concerning zeal persecuting the church, concerning the righteousness which is in the law blameless. But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

Yet indeed, I also count all things loss 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, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind.

And if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind. Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who set their mind on earthly things for our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself.

Chapter four. Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord beloved. I implore Yodia and I implore Syntyche 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, and I will say, again I will say, rejoice.

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things.

The things which you have learned and received and heard and saw in me these do and the God of peace will be with you. But I rejoiced 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 both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Nevertheless, you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel when I departed from Macedonia no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your count. Indeed, I have all and abound.

I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the thing sent from you, a sweet smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.

The brethren who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar's household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Let's pray.

Our gracious God, our savior, how kind of you to give us these words to give your church starting with the Philippians for another 2, 000 years and forever. Thank you for this word, God. To you be the glory for it. Help Jason now as he brings us, your word preaches to us, help us to understand and to apply and to love you more and be conformed more to our Savior. Amen.

It's so quiet. I guess that's good. So I assume you all got that, all that. The title of the message today is, Bond Servants and Saints. That's what we have in view.

We really only have two verses that we're looking at in detail today, verse one and two. Last week we're in Acts chapter 16, which gives the the history of the beginning of this story. It has Paul and Silas and probably Timothy, although he is not named in Acts 16, and probably also Luke, because it is a we text, and so the author of Acts is probably there. In Philippi, we saw Lydia, a seller of purple, and we saw Cornelius, a jailer. It's hard to imagine two different people.

You have a tradeswoman, a prosperous tradeswoman. You have a jailer, a prosperous tradeswoman who is saved on a sunny day by the river without much tumult at all. And you have a jailer who comes a hair's breadth away from taking his own life. Who also, his heart is opened to the Word of the Gospel and He's saved as well. It just gives us a picture.

God reaches in and claims people from all walks of life and He gives them His grace and makes them free, sets them free from the penalty of their sins. So it was a beautiful account in Acts chapter 16. That probably happened in AD 49 or 50. Then of course he went on to the Thessalonian Church. We've already studied the Thessalonian letters, so we're keeping with the letters to the Macedonian churches.

I'm glad we are. That brings us to the Philippian letter. It's a prison epistle, meaning there are marks in the letter that make it so clear that Paul is writing from prison. He's in prison. It's probably Rome, although that's not explicit, but the hints in the text point very firmly towards Rome.

It's probably written in something like the year AD 62. So with the Thessalonians, he's writing two letters probably within the year of being with them physically. With Philippians it's very different. It's probably a dozen years later. It's much later that he's writing this letter to the Philippians.

But the Philippians have kept in touch with Paul and Timothy. Over the course of a dozen years, and knowing that he's in prison under house arrest, they send help to him. They send a man to encourage him, and to also provide for his needs in various ways. It's probably financial support plus other things. But they send Epaphroditus, and Epaphroditus falls very ill.

He almost dies. The Philippians hear of it. They're very worried about him, and so Paul feels compelled to go ahead and send Epaphroditus back with this letter, both to let them know that he's still alive and to renew his care for them as well, in sending this letter. So that is the introduction to the introduction. And As we come to the text, let's go to the text in prayer.

God, thank you so much for bringing us to this letter to a church. We're a church. We need encouragement, And it's a precious thing to see how this spiritual father continues, renews, and continues his care for this local church, maybe a dozen years after he was there for the first time and founded the church through the preaching of the gospel. Oh, let our hearts be encouraged to God. Let us be built up in our most holy faith as we read these tender words to a local church.

Thank you for these weeks ahead that you've given us to look at this letter in detail. Please bless it. Please help us to be good students in Jesus' name. Amen. Okay, only two verses, so let's look at them one at a time.

Follow along as I read Philippians 1, verse 1. Paul and Timothy, bond servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi with the overseers and deacons. So yes we use the new King James, yes it says bishops, yes I'm refusing to use bishops. Because it has all sorts of baggage that is completely inappropriate. The modern usage of bishops has baggage that's inappropriate to the actual term.

So it didn't always, but it does today. So it's literally overseers and deacons, and So that's what I'm going to say. In this first verse we have the greeting, the from and the to. It is from Paul and Timothy. Who is Paul?

He's the apostle. But he wasn't always the apostle. Because Paul has been so thoroughly transformed, It is hard to remember what he was. But in Paul's letter to Timothy, 1 Timothy 1 verse 13, we read this, I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man. Paul wasn't always Paul.

He used to be Saul. Before God reached into his life and said, you're mine, Paul was a blasphemer. Paul was a persecutor. Paul was an insolent man. But God decided he wanted Saul.

So he miraculously intervenes in his life and calls him to follow after the Lord Jesus Christ. He does and He is radically transformed. It is hard to imagine a more radical transformation than we see in the life of Saul who becomes Paul the apostle. That's who Paul is. Who is Timothy?

Well, we are introduced to him really in this letter. Just look at chapter 2 Verse 19 and then verse 22. Philippians 2.19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. Skipping to 22. But you know his proven character that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.

Timothy was there a dozen years earlier too. He was already serving Paul as a son in the gospel. There was a gospel partnership between Paul and Timothy all the way back in Acts chapter 16. I think it starts in Acts chapter 16 actually. And so these men have been laboring together to advance the gospel.

And he's trusted. As we saw in 1 Thessalonians, when Paul wants to send somebody back to a church where he preached the Gospel and there have been converts and they need to be encouraged and Paul needs a trustworthy report on how they're doing, who does he send? He sends Timothy. More often than not, that's the name. Timothy, his son in the faith.

And they've been laboring together in the Gospel, to advance the Gospel for a long time. I said last week that one of the great themes, I gave you three great themes from the letter to the Philippians, and one of them was a partnership in the Gospel. What I had in mind was the partnership between the believers in Philippi, the Philippian Church, and Paul and his companions. But here we have another example of a great partnership in the Gospel. It's Paul and Timothy.

They keep working together to advance the borders of the Kingdom of Heaven. It's a partnership in the Gospel. Here's one last note on the from Paul and Timothy. In 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, who were those letters from? They were from Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.

And I bet you heard me say those three names in succession a hundred times when we were preaching through those letters. Because as we worked through those letters, it was we, us, our, we, us, our, we, us, our, plural pronouns. And every once in a while, but it was the rare exception during first and second Thessalonians, every once in a while Paul would say, I, me, or my, and switch just very briefly in those letters to the singular pronoun and assert really his apostolic authority. But that was overwhelmingly in the minority. It was almost always we, us, and our.

Now I challenge you, find a we or an us or an our, referring to Paul and Timothy writing together in this letter. You will not find it. It is over and over and over again the singular pronoun I, me, my. Does that mean that Paul is lying? Timothy is not really an author of that letter?

No, this is scripture. It really was written by Paul and Timothy. But overwhelmingly, comprehensively in this letter, Paul is using the singular pronoun to let you know. Maybe Timothy was writing as Paul was speaking. We don't know.

But what we do know is what the pronouns are through these four chapters. We're going to see I, Me, and My. This is predominantly, overwhelmingly the Apostle Paul. Now I can't think of a more prominent apostolic missionary team than Paul and Timothy, Can you? Who's got more of a resume than these two working together as an apostolic missionary team?

So what does that make them in the Kingdom of God? Bondservants of Jesus Christ. That's what they are. This is the top of the apostolic missionary pyramid. What do you call the top of the apostolic missionary pyramid?

Bond servants of Jesus Christ. The Greek word that is rendered bond servants here is doulos. Here's what it means. One who gives himself up to another's will. Devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests.

That's what a doulos is. That's what a bond servant is. In other words, we're here for your will. If we're bond servants, we're here for your will. We are devoted to you to the disregard of our own interests.

We used to look after our own interests, but no more. Now it's your interests that we're devoted to advancing. You own the title deed. That's really what this means. A bond servant, the title deed to the life belongs to somebody else.

That's what Paul and Timothy are saying here. There is a title deed to our lives. But we are no longer in possession of it. The Lord Jesus Christ is in possession of the title deed to our lives. It is His will that we are pursuing.

It is His interest that we are advancing. They have given themselves up to the will of Jesus Christ to the disregard of their own interests. That's what they're saying here. Now listen to 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 5. You might want to note it and come back to it later, but it's 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 5.

You might want to note it and come back to it later. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 5. For we, now who is the we in 2 Corinthians? It's Paul and Timothy. Exact same authors wrote 2 Corinthians as wrote Philippians.

So it's the same we, it's the same authors. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves, your bondservants for Jesus' sake. So I'm unfolding what it means that Paul and Timothy were bondservants of Jesus Christ. Yes, it means that Jesus Christ holds the title deed to their lives, but it also means something else to these local churches that they founded. Now listen to it again, 2 Corinthians 4 verse 5, for we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bond servants Corinthians, we are your bond servants for Jesus's sake so Jesus holds the title deed to our lives but what are the marching orders that he's given to us?

Serve the church. Jesus, holding the title deed, has the authority to say, I set aside you men to serve my people, to serve the church. And so they are the bond servants of the Corinthian church for Jesus' sake, because he holds the title deed, and he can say, you are servants of my church. Finally, who else is a doulos? Who else is a bond servant?

Look at chapter 2, 5 through 7. Philippians 2, 5 through 7. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. In other words, there's nothing inappropriate about Jesus considering himself equal with God. He is God.

Verse 7, But made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond-servant, and coming in the likeness of men. Jesus Christ, though He was God, there was nothing inappropriate about Him being considered equal with God because He is God. He laid that aside, He humbled Himself, and took on the form of a doulos. He took on the form of a bond servant. So what we have here in the introduction, which will be developed throughout the letter to the Philippians, is that Jesus humbled himself to serve.

He humbled himself and took on the form of a doulos. And then Paul and Timothy introduced themselves as, I'm a doulos. Jesus humbled himself and so I imitate Jesus. He owns the title deed, I'm bound to imitate him so we are bond servants. And then they exhort us, the Philippian believers and us at the same time.

Imitate me as I imitate Christ. Jesus took on the form of a doulas, of a bondservant. So you find Paul and Timothy imitating that and calling us to imitate them as they imitate Christ. That's what's here. 2.

That was the from. The from. Paul and Timothy, the bond servants of Jesus Christ. Two. All the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi.

This is who the letter is to. All the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi. Who are saints? But You have to have three miracles. Is it three?

Is it three miracles to be a saint? You do the list, and then you're honored with sainthood. Or you attain. You have a criterion, you attain to the criterion, And then you're honored with the title. Right?

No. The Greek word is literally a most holy thing. A most holy thing. The Greek word is actually hagias. And it's used in holy spirit.

Hagias spirit. It just means Holy, a most Holy thing. The most Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit. That's the Greek word that's used there. There are places in the New Testament where it speaks of Holy Angels.

It's Hagia angels. Now it's to all the most holy ones in Philippi. That's how you should think of saints here. To all the most holy ones in Philippi. To those who have been separated out and consecrated to God, fully consecrated to God.

They were just more pagan Gentiles in a pagan Gentile city. The whole mass of them. God reaches into the paganness, to the sin, and he says, I'm separating you out. You used to belong to the world, you don't belong to the world anymore, you belong to me. I am consecrating you to me.

You used to be consecrating to self-love and self-service. No more. Your title deed is mine. Your title deed is mine. I'm consecrating you to myself.

So all saints are and must be saints in Christ Jesus. There is no other way to be a saint. There are only one kind of saints in this world. The saints who are saints in Christ Jesus. Yes, there is doing to be a saint.

It is Christ's doing. You are a saint in Christ Jesus. Yes, there is attaining to being a saint. It is Christ's attaining. You are a saint in Christ Jesus.

So this letter is to all the saints in Philippi, to all the most holy ones who have been separated out and consecrated to God. All those who fit that description in Philippi. And This letter is to the overseers, I refuse to say bishops, and deacons. To all the saints with the overseers and deacons. We're not going to spend much time on this, but we believe that these are the two offices of the New Testament church.

Meaning, when a local church is functioning as God designed it to function, that local church has a plurality of both. It has a plurality of overseers and it has a plurality of deacons. Does that mean if a church doesn't have one or the other or not a plurality of one or the other that it isn't a real church? No, that's not what I said, and that's not what I mean, and that's not what I think the New Testament teaches. But it means that that church has something to set in order.

That's what we see in Titus chapter 1. Paul commanding Titus, set things in order. And the first thing he says is appoint elders in every city. So there are a few things that need to be said here. First, both Paul and Peter use overseer and elder interchangeably.

This is important. Both Paul and Peter, this is where we get most of our New Testament Church doctrine from, Paul and Peter, use the terms overseer and elder interchangeably. Paul does it in Acts chapter 20. Check behind me. He uses the term overseer and elder interchangeably in Acts chapter 20.

Peter does it in 1 Peter 5. And so we may use them interchangeably because they are speaking of the same office. An elder is an overseer and an overseer is Overseer is an elder. And overseers or elders are a plurality of qualified men who give themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word and shepherding. This is how they serve a local church.

Prayer, ministry of the word, and shepherding the Lord's people. And deacons are also qualified, We find this in 1 Timothy 3, a list of qualifications for elders and a list of qualifications for deacons. Deacons also are qualified ministers to the church, qualified servants of the church. They serve the church in sensitive areas. If you want to see a good model of that, you just go to Acts chapter 6.

The church in Jerusalem, a group of widows is being neglected and the church puts in place six servants, six to serve tables literally, in a very sensitive area, benevolence to widows. And so we have these two offices of the New Testament local church that fit hand in hand. They don't have the same function, but they have absolutely complementary functions. And they work together to serve the Lord's people so that the Lord's people get lavish care. Here's the whole point.

Here's the whole point of overseers and deacons that the Lord's people would be cared for lavishly because Jesus loves His church and bought His church with His blood. Here's what Matthew Henry says. He mentions the church before the ministers. Did you notice that here in verse 1? Who's the letter to?

All the saints in Christ Jesus in Philippi with the overseers and deacons. He mentions the church before the ministers because the ministers are for the church, for their edification and benefit, not the church for the ministers for their dignity, dominion, and wealth. Matthew Henry looks at this text and says, who exists for who? Does the church exist for the overseers and the deacons? May it never be.

It would be so inconsistent with what we see in the New Testament. But no, the overseers and the deacons exist for the church for their edification and benefit. So it is not, I the apostle, send you church leaders a letter with the expectation that you church leaders will dispense the information as you see fit on a need to know basis. A trickle down. Trickle down.

I'm the Apostle, the exalted Apostle, and I will now say things to church leaders in hopes that if a few of you in the congregation need to know something from the Apostle that they will dispense it to you at that time. We saw this in 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 27. Listen to this, 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 27. Paul says, I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren. You see how this works?

I'm writing a letter to the Thessalonians. Don't you dare, church leaders, keep this letter to yourself. I charge you before the Lord, swear before the Lord, that this is going to be read to all the holy brethren. Who needs to know? They all need to know.

They're all the Lord's people. There's not a secret set of instructions passed down through apostolic succession just for church leaders. No! This is the priesthood of the believer. We are together a blood-bought holy nation.

We all get to know it all. So it is actually we, the bond servants of Jesus, send all you saints at Philippi this letter with the overseers and deacons. Here's information that is needed by the Lord's people coming from the bond servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. You better give it to all of them. The overseers and the deacons are not outside and over, even though there is real authority that they possess.

They are not outside the congregation. They are part of the congregation. They are part of all the saints in Philippi. They are a subset of all the saints in Philippi. They are not outside and over, they are inside, given certain responsibilities and authority to be a blessing to the Lord's people.

Now, let's look at chapter 2 verses 3 and 4. We're going to cheat and read ahead. Philippians chapter 2 verses 3 and 4. I just want to look at this in marvel. This is how the local church is to work.

This is how the Lord's people are to relate to each other. Philippians chapter 2 verse 3, Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. And then, in the subsequent verses, it's grounded in Jesus Christ, who took on the form of a doulas. Imagine this world that God has created by shedding his own blood.

It's a world where I don't look out for my own interests, I look out for your interests. You don't look out for your own interests. You look out for my interests. In lowliness of mind you consider me better than yourself. In lowliness of mind I consider you better than me.

Imagine the world where all of us are doing that together, and the joy of it. No wonder it's a letter of joy if that's the world we're going to create together under God's direction by the power of the Spirit. We are a people of serving and esteeming each other. Not serving ourselves and esteeming ourselves, but serving others and esteeming others. And it starts at the top, I mean the very top Jesus.

You want to know how to do this? Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. It's a great place to start. If you want to know what this looks like in action, study Jesus. Talk more like he talks, think more like he thinks.

Do more like he does. Paul and Timothy in verse 1 give the exalted title to the Philippians. Just notice that. That's why the servant is titled, bond servants and saints. Who does the exalted title go to?

The exalted title of most holy ones is given to the Philippians. What title do they take for themselves? Dulas. Bond servants is beautiful. This is beautiful stuff.

Verse 2. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Here we have the blessing. In verse one we have the greeting.

In verse two we have the blessing. We see in the Old Testament, God wants a blessing pronounced over his people. Perpetually pronounced over his people. Where do we see that? Numbers chapter 6.

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face Shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace Grace and peace in numbers chapter 6 the priests are supposed to periodically pronounce this blessing of grace and peace over the Lord's people were in the New Testament, it's the same. God's disposition towards His people did not change between the Old Testament and the New Testament. What is His disposition towards His people in the Old Testament? Grace and peace.

What is His disposition towards His people in the Old Testament? Grace and peace. What is His disposition towards His people in the New Testament? More grace and more peace, but only in light of the cross. It's sweeter grace now because we see it in light of the cross.

We understand it better. It hasn't changed. Grace and peace. This is what comes from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, if you want to trace that up to the fountainhead, where does this grace and peace come from?

It always comes from the same place. Our God and Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the overwhelming disposition of God towards His people. I say it again, this is the overwhelming disposition of God towards His people. Grace, unmerited favor, getting good that you don't deserve.

Hey, you couldn't buy it. You'll never deserve it. But it's served up to you anyway. Grace, unmerited favor. The good you don't deserve, but here it is.

Have it. And peace, our state of being completely reconciled. Completely reconciled. No reconciliation work left to be done. Thoroughly, completely, finally reconciled.

This is with God, but it also serves as the basis with our peace for one another. Our peace with one another is grounded in one thing and one thing alone that we are at peace with God. We have been reconciled to God and that makes it a lot easier to be reconciled to each other. Do you understand how prominent this is with Paul? Paul wrote or co-wrote 13 New Testament books.

Now follow along. Paul wrote or co-wrote, he's either fully responsible or partially responsible for 13 New Testament books. How did Paul begin Romans? Grace and peace. 1 Corinthians, grace and peace.

2 Corinthians, grace and peace. Grace and peace. Philippians grace and peace. Colossians grace and peace. First Thessalonians grace and peace.

Second Thessalonians grace and peace. First Timothy grace and peace. Second Timothy grace and peace. Titus grace and peace. Philemon grace and peace.

Thirteen for thirteen. Grace and peace. Every single letter without exception that Paul wrote author co-wrote, starts, grace and peace, all of them from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. All of them. Grace and peace, and he grounds it in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ every time, 13 for 13.

Now why the repetition? Because these are form letters? No! They're not form letters, this is scripture. Paul wanted to bring the Lord's people face to face with this phrase 13 times.

Actually he ends some of these letters so that number's light. He ends some of the letters the same way. So that number is light. But he wanted every letter to start with an emphasis that God's overwhelming disposition towards His people is grace and peace. That grace and peace flows from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ to His people and keeps flowing and keeps flowing and keeps flowing.

He is the unending fountainhead of grace and peace for His people. Paul wants to drill it into our heads that God has an overwhelmingly smiling disposition towards His people in Christ. That is the most important sentence of the whole sermon, so I'm going to say it again. Paul wants to drill it into our heads through this repetition. That God has an overwhelmingly smiling disposition towards His people in Christ.

Why? Why does Paul want to drill that into your head? Are you a student of this book? Have you read this book? Have you seen what God requires of mankind in this book?

Are you confronted with it every time you go to the book? What God's holiness deserves and what you're like and how feral part they are. Hey for students, for serious students of this book, I mean Christians, there are people who aren't Christians who study this book and they might know it better than you, but that's not what I'm talking about. They do and they don't know it better than you. They might know the facts and figures better, but until you're in Christ you can't know anything about this book.

I'm talking about Christians who come to this book and are real serious students of the book. And they know that God deserves obedience to this book, but they know what crosses their mind. And they know what crosses their lips. And they know what their hands do. And it can be easy to think, how could God ever smile on me?

This is how. In Christ. In Christ. Listen to Paul in Ephesians 1-6. This is such a beautiful verse.

Ephesians chapter 1 verse 6, to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he made us accepted in the beloved. So in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 6, Paul is praising the glory of God's grace. He's just lifting up the grace of God and glorying in it and he says this about the grace of God, by which God made us accepted in the beloved. Who is the beloved? Well, it's Jesus.

There are two times in the gospels that there is a voice from heaven. Both times the voice from heaven says the same thing. This is my beloved Son. So when you come into Christ you have to know that you are accepted in Christ. And the frowning on you is over.

Does that mean that God is never again displeased with disobedience? That's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying, your identity, like God's disposition towards you isn't governed by the rule keeping anymore. It's governed by your position in His Son. And because He loves His Son, and because you have been united to His Son through His blood, He smiles on you.

This is so sweet. This is the Gospel in seed form. We'll give Matthew Henry the last word. He's talking about verse 2 here, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And he is talking about the inner relationships between these different parts of the verse.

Listen to Matthew Henry. Observe. One, no peace without grace. So he is talking, what is the inner relationship between peace and grace? He tells us, no peace without grace.

Inward peace springs from a sense of divine favor. Two. No grace and peace but from God our Father, the fountain and original of all blessings, the Father of lights from whom cometh down every good and perfect gift." James 1.17. So he's calling James 1.17 which says every good and perfect gift comes down from God. So he quotes James 1.17 to say, No grace and peace but from God.

All the good gifts come from Him. Three, no grace and peace from God our Father, but in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ as mediator is the channel of conveyance of all spiritual blessings to the church and directs the disposal of them to all his members. So one, no peace without grace. If it's not for the grace of God, there's no peace for you.

Number two, no grace and peace but from God. God's the giver of all good gifts and grace and peace is a good gift on steroids. And so it must come from God. Three, no grace and peace from God except through Christ. It is the work of Christ that buys that for you.

It is not that God says sin doesn't matter. It is that Christ has stood between you and God and paid your debt if you're in Christ. This is so fundamental to your understanding of the Gospel. The Gospel is not just God being nice and saying it doesn't matter anymore, that you are a rebel. The gospel is Jesus putting Himself between you and God and shedding His blood and taking upon Himself what you deserve.

The grace of God does that and it brings the peace of God. Applications, two quick ones. If you are in Christ, understand the overwhelmingly smiling disposition of God. So easy to lose sight of. You come to your Bible, you see the holiness of God reflected in His Word and in His requirements.

And you consider your own life and it can be crushing. And it can leave you feeling God is always frowning. Paul and Timothy are coming to us and saying, not true! Not true! He's smiling.

For those who are in Christ. Two, if you are in Christ ask yourself this question, am I a saint or a bond servant? The answer is yes. Your book, You get the exalted title, Most Holy One. You are in the world, you are quite happy in your sin and rebellion.

God was merciful, He didn't leave you there. He reached into that and said, You're mine. That title deed belongs to me, Dulas. So it's both. It's both.

You're a most holy one and in his consecration to himself of your life, You're a bond servant. Listen to 1 Corinthians 6.20. I can't think of a way to sum it up better than 1 Corinthians 6.20. For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's.

You want to know about your body and you want to know about your spirit? But. They belong to God. God owns the title deed. To Paul and to Timothy and to all the most holy ones in Philippi and to all the most holy ones in Philippi, and to all the most holy ones at Sovereign Redeemer Community Church, and 10, 000 other churches like us, who have people who are made up of people who have received the grace of God, because God is merciful.

And now he smiles on them. Let's pray. Oh God, such sweet words. Thank you, thank you for the glory of the gospel. What a privilege and a joy to preach the gospel.

That Jesus Christ has died for sinners and has taken a people out of the world, made them clean and free, set them apart to bring himself glory in the world. I pray that Jesus Christ would receive glory from us. Let us spend and be spent that Christ might be exalted. We pray it in Jesus' name. Amen.