Stand firm in Joy
Series: United by JOY
Speaker: Ash Kwok
Date: 9th October 2022
Passage: Philippians 4:1-23
00:00:00 --> 00:00:07 Thanks, Kel. Morning, church. I don't know if you have ever had a party or an event that you
00:00:07 --> 00:00:13 have been so excited for, so excited, you're so keen that it's changed your whole week.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:20 Everything about that event in the future is what has changed. And I don't know about you,
00:00:21 --> 00:00:26 one of the things is that a lot of people love Christmas. And in our little household of three
00:00:26 --> 00:00:34 friends, something that we like to do is Christmas in July. And I personally am not a particularly
00:00:34 --> 00:00:40 festive person, but for some reason in the month of July, I get a bit festive. In fact,
00:00:41 --> 00:00:46 a week before the event, I start looking at Pinterest. I'm scrolling through to find good
00:00:46 --> 00:00:53 Christmas recipes. I'm also thinking about putting some Michael Bluble in the car. I then remember
00:00:53 --> 00:00:59 about not buying those bonbons in December for July. And I'll call my friend who's never cooked
00:00:59 --> 00:01:06 before how to make custard so that they don't bring scrambled eggs for dessert. And the three of us
00:01:06 --> 00:01:12 have cleaned the house. We've prepared it. We put Christmas decorations. And we've done that because
00:01:12 --> 00:01:20 we are so excited for the next day. We're excited for this Christmas in July hang because it's changed
00:01:20 --> 00:01:27 everything that we do. It's that event tomorrow that I know is coming, but I am living as though
00:01:27 --> 00:01:36 tomorrow is already here. Tomorrow changes how you live. So in Philippians, we're going to be
00:01:36 --> 00:01:45 encouraged about a tomorrow. A tomorrow that is good news. That for the Christian, if you put your trust
00:01:45 --> 00:01:52 in Jesus, your tomorrow shapes your today. And I'm not talking about your meals for tomorrow. I'm not
00:01:52 --> 00:02:01 talking about a big project, nor Christmas in July. For Paul, the big tomorrow is that day when he goes
00:02:01 --> 00:02:06 home and is with his Savior, Lord Jesus. So why don't you join me as I pray?
00:02:06 --> 00:02:14 Greatest God, you are good. So good that you have given us your word this morning. Speak to us today.
00:02:15 --> 00:02:21 Transform us so that we can be more like your son Jesus and that we might know you deeper and deeper.
00:02:22 --> 00:02:29 Amen. So have your Bibles open with me in Philippians 4. Now, Paul's biggest concern in the
00:02:29 --> 00:02:36 previous three chapters have been about the gospel of Jesus, the good news of Jesus. The gospel is where
00:02:36 --> 00:02:44 Paul finds steadfast joy. Jesus is where he finds his hope, even though he is in chains. In fact, he
00:02:44 --> 00:02:50 calls the Philippians to find confidence not in themselves, nor their status or achievements, but in
00:02:50 --> 00:02:55 what Christ has accomplished. He says in Philippians 3 verse 8 that he considers all his achievements and
00:02:55 --> 00:03:04 status as lost. He considers them rubbish that he may gain Christ. Why? Because Christ is his Savior
00:03:04 --> 00:03:11 and his Lord, and he knows his future with Christ. He says it so aptly in Philippians 3. So flip back
00:03:11 --> 00:03:18 with me to Philippians chapter 3 verse 20. Paul says, but our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly
00:03:18 --> 00:03:25 await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything
00:03:25 --> 00:03:32 under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:41 Heaven is his home. Paul looks forward to that great tomorrow. It's the tomorrow that lasts for
00:03:41 --> 00:03:46 eternity, and that's what frames Philippians 4. And we're going to see that Paul's tomorrow shapes three
00:03:46 --> 00:03:54 things, our relationships, our mind, and our everyday. And so right now we land in verse 1 of chapter 4,
00:03:54 --> 00:04:02 and he goes on to say, therefore my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
00:04:02 --> 00:04:10 that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends. James a few weeks ago has already described
00:04:10 --> 00:04:16 the relationship that Paul has with the Philippians as partners in the gospel. But notice how the language
00:04:16 --> 00:04:25 has changed. He calls the Philippians his joy and crown. The image here is not of a king's crown, but it's a
00:04:25 --> 00:04:34 reward given to a winner of a race. For Paul, the Philippians are his crown. The people he's invested in,
00:04:34 --> 00:04:41 prayed for, longed for, discipled, pointed them to Jesus. A big part of Paul's love and longing for the
00:04:41 --> 00:04:48 Philippians is the hope in seeing them in heaven for eternity. But he then moves to something quite
00:04:48 --> 00:04:55 different and something quite bold. So look with me in verse 2. I plead with Iodia, I plead with Syntyche
00:04:55 --> 00:05:04 to agree with each other in the Lord. Paul publicly calls these two women out by name, which he doesn't
00:05:04 --> 00:05:12 usually do, and encourages them to reconcile. He wants their reconciliation rooted in who they are
00:05:12 --> 00:05:19 in Jesus. Now imagine being called out like that in a letter, that you'd almost think that either Iodia
00:05:19 --> 00:05:25 or Syntyche or even both of them are in the wrong, they're the bad people. But Paul doesn't accuse them.
00:05:26 --> 00:05:31 We're not told what happened or what caused the breakdown of their relationship. In fact, Paul in
00:05:31 --> 00:05:38 verse 3 urges the Philippians to help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the
00:05:38 --> 00:05:45 gospel. Iodia and Syntyche are co-workers for the gospel. And from what others have gathered,
00:05:45 --> 00:05:52 they were probably long-time friends. This isn't a matter of bad theology where someone needs to be
00:05:52 --> 00:05:59 corrected. For some reason, they've had a fallout. And what is interesting is Paul's motivation
00:05:59 --> 00:06:04 and his reminder of who they are. End of verse 3, it says,
00:06:05 --> 00:06:18 For Paul, he didn't want them united because he was conflict-averse, not because it made him sad,
00:06:19 --> 00:06:25 even though it would have been, but because they are in the book of life. In other words,
00:06:25 --> 00:06:30 because they have a certain hope, a certain tomorrow and eternity with Jesus, Paul's calling
00:06:30 --> 00:06:38 them to live as though tomorrow shapes their life now, their relationships today. If your confidence
00:06:38 --> 00:06:48 is in Jesus, you're a citizen of, not a citizen of earth. Let me say it again. If your trust and hope
00:06:48 --> 00:06:57 is in Jesus, you are not a citizen of earth. You're a citizen of heaven. If heaven is your tomorrow,
00:06:57 --> 00:07:06 it changes how you view relationships. So friends, can I ask, are there relationships that are in
00:07:06 --> 00:07:13 urgent need in your heart that you must resolve? I'm not suggesting that this is easy by no means.
00:07:13 --> 00:07:21 Often it takes time, but perhaps consider what Paul encourages the Philippian church. Look forward
00:07:21 --> 00:07:27 to the day that Paul is looking to, where we will be united with Christ in his presence forever.
00:07:27 --> 00:07:34 Dwell on the fact that your tomorrow is heaven, where all people in Christ have been reconciled
00:07:34 --> 00:07:41 with God and to each other. But for some of us here, disunity, conflict in the church,
00:07:41 --> 00:07:46 it hasn't been a thing. We think, you know, for ourselves that we're a pretty agreeable person.
00:07:46 --> 00:07:53 We don't make a huge fuss. We think we're pretty likable. But that doesn't mean that your tomorrow
00:07:53 --> 00:07:59 is changing your relationships. Because you can be a friendly person, yet not invest in gospel
00:07:59 --> 00:08:06 relationships. Relationships that are shaped by tomorrow. Your schism might not be worship preference
00:08:06 --> 00:08:12 or a big relational fallout. But perhaps it's that you're not making space for relationships
00:08:12 --> 00:08:19 with Christian brothers and sisters, or investing in Christian community with your time, your treasures,
00:08:19 --> 00:08:25 and your talents. You might not have it in your head, but the relationships you make here in this
00:08:25 --> 00:08:30 church with Christian brothers and sisters, it matters for eternity. If you are serving in a ministry
00:08:30 --> 00:08:34 where you are preaching the good news of Jesus, whether kids' ministry, whether in community group,
00:08:34 --> 00:08:41 whether it's out in your workplaces, it matters for eternity. When you are sharing and making coffee,
00:08:41 --> 00:08:47 building that community here at Morning Tea, it matters for eternity. When you pray for and with
00:08:47 --> 00:08:57 someone, it matters for eternity. So can I encourage you to take one small step? Wherever your journey with
00:08:57 --> 00:09:03 Christian community is, maybe it's finally to say hi to that person who you've been sitting next to for
00:09:03 --> 00:09:08 10 years. It could be to give a person in your community group a ring to check in on them this
00:09:08 --> 00:09:15 week in their devotional life. It could be even to sign up to a community group. If you have an
00:09:15 --> 00:09:23 inkling that someone is falling away from church community, from Jesus altogether, do you go and think,
00:09:23 --> 00:09:30 that matters because Jesus is coming back? Friends, there's always a reason and there's always good
00:09:30 --> 00:09:37 things to use your time with, but Paul encourages the Philippians, perhaps there's a better thing.
00:09:38 --> 00:09:46 Your relationships now affect eternity. Jodia and Syntyche's relationship matters because Jesus is coming
00:09:46 --> 00:09:53 back. Whatever it is, after the service, when you plan your calendar, make space for Christian community
00:09:53 --> 00:09:58 and book it into your diaries. The next thing that Paul talks about is that tomorrow shapes your mind.
00:09:59 --> 00:10:08 So let's have a look at verse 4. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice. Despite the
00:10:08 --> 00:10:16 conflict that's going on, Paul calls them again, like in chapter 3 verse 1, to rejoice. But this time,
00:10:16 --> 00:10:23 always, in all circumstances, on the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, Paul says that the
00:10:23 --> 00:10:30 Christian is to rejoice even despite this conflict. Joy for the Christian isn't only when the sun is
00:10:30 --> 00:10:37 shining and my emotions are stable. Joy is still required when the darkness is set in, the clouds,
00:10:37 --> 00:10:44 and all I can see is darkness. Because our joy is set into something that is hopeful, that is certain,
00:10:44 --> 00:10:49 a tomorrow that is coming. A tomorrow that is coming. And you might not feel that, but perhaps
00:10:49 --> 00:10:59 your joy and your hope is not in the Lord. It might be elsewhere. It might be in getting good grades.
00:10:59 --> 00:11:07 It might be when our kids are happy. Because if you fix your eyes on something that is not certain,
00:11:07 --> 00:11:17 changing, movable, joy can't last. Paul encourages that joy can last when it's fixed on a certain hope
00:11:17 --> 00:11:25 and a certain faith. But what is more is then in verse 6. Do not be anxious about anything, but in
00:11:25 --> 00:11:32 everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And it's really
00:11:32 --> 00:11:37 important to note here that Paul is not talking about anxiety disorder, nor is he talking about
00:11:37 --> 00:11:43 the physiological experience some of us have when we do get anxious. In fact, the word used here is
00:11:43 --> 00:11:51 the same word in the original text used in chapter 2 verse 20, where he describes Epaphrodite's concern,
00:11:51 --> 00:11:58 interest, or anxiety for the Philippians. So the word could actually also be a good thing. In fact,
00:11:58 --> 00:12:05 even Paul himself in chapter 2 verse 28, he talks about himself getting anxious, the possibility of it.
00:12:05 --> 00:12:13 So the anxiety that Paul talks about here in chapter 4 is a worry that sits outside of the Christian
00:12:13 --> 00:12:21 reality. But what is that Christian reality? How does Paul end the sentence? But in everything,
00:12:21 --> 00:12:29 by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Prayer is a posture of
00:12:29 --> 00:12:35 dependence. It recognizes that the reality is that God alone is the one who is sovereign,
00:12:35 --> 00:12:43 in control over everything. Anxiety goes amiss when you lose sight of who God is. He's already got your
00:12:43 --> 00:12:49 whole life mapped out from birth to eternity. Often what happens when I am worried is that I'll
00:12:49 --> 00:12:56 overthink about all the outcomes that might happen. In fact, I am anxious because I realize at that very
00:12:56 --> 00:13:04 moment I am not in control. That moment of anxiety for me is a reminder that I am to be Christ-dependent.
00:13:04 --> 00:13:10 Not self-dependent, but Christ-dependent. And this passage isn't saying to be stoic, have no emotions,
00:13:11 --> 00:13:17 and don't care or concerned about anything in life. Because Paul does. Epaphrodite does.
00:13:17 --> 00:13:25 Their concerns are about God's concerns. And they're placed in the Christian reality. And what
00:13:25 --> 00:13:32 is the Christian reality? What is Paul's encouragement to us? To place our worries in the Christian
00:13:32 --> 00:13:42 reality. God is sovereign. So pray to him. Lean on him. For me, as I kept reading this passage, I thought,
00:13:42 --> 00:13:48 what happens when I don't have that joy, that lasting joy we were talking about before? What do I do when
00:13:48 --> 00:13:57 I'm worried, sick about tomorrow? Have a look at verse 8. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is
00:13:57 --> 00:14:03 noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is
00:14:03 --> 00:14:11 excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. What are the things that you are thinking? Are you
00:14:11 --> 00:14:16 thinking of things that are pure? Is there some self-talk or self-condemnation that doesn't fit with how God
00:14:16 --> 00:14:26 sees you? But instead, let your mind think of all of these things. True, noble, right, pure, lovely,
00:14:26 --> 00:14:36 admirable. And what encapsulates all of these things? It's the gospel. The gospel is from God's true word.
00:14:36 --> 00:14:43 It gives us the means to know the righteous one. The gospel is so shockingly gorgeous, lovely, and
00:14:43 --> 00:14:49 beautiful. It is full deserving of my attention that God would send his perfect son to die on the
00:14:49 --> 00:14:56 cross for a sinner like me. So fix your eyes on the Lord. Meditate on the promises God has given to you
00:14:56 --> 00:15:06 in Jesus. So think of your brain as a piggy bank. Bear with me, be with me. Your brain is to be a gospel-filled
00:15:06 --> 00:15:16 piggy bank. Instead of thinking, I'm not enough, drop this gold in your head. I no longer need to strive
00:15:16 --> 00:15:23 for Christ is enough for me. When you're feeling lonely, meditate on Deuteronomy 31 verse 8,
00:15:23 --> 00:15:30 that God will never leave you nor forsake you. Preach the gospel to yourself daily, that your
00:15:30 --> 00:15:36 piggy bank is full of riches, of gospel knowledge and wisdom. And gosh, I am not saying that I've got
00:15:36 --> 00:15:43 this by no means. And I'm not even close to even being truly a beginner at this. But let's keep gazing
00:15:43 --> 00:15:50 at Jesus, the hope of our tomorrow, because I also need accountability. I need godly community around me
00:15:50 --> 00:15:54 to intervene when I'm grumbling too much. I need people to remind me that God's working and changing
00:15:54 --> 00:16:01 me, sanctifying me when I don't even think it's happening. But there's a promise there for us in
00:16:01 --> 00:16:08 verse 7, right? Have a look. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your
00:16:08 --> 00:16:16 hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Verse 7 is a promise. It's a promise for the one who brings all
00:16:16 --> 00:16:21 this to the Lord. And there have been indeed times for me, and I'm sure for many of you,
00:16:21 --> 00:16:27 where there are sleepless nights, where anxiety or despair just sink in. Paul is not here saying,
00:16:27 --> 00:16:33 you need to will yourself to have the feeling of happiness. Instead, you're encouraged to lean
00:16:33 --> 00:16:43 to Jesus, the one who knows your worries, the one who is in control. God will be the peacemaker in your
00:16:43 --> 00:16:50 heart. We don't know when that day would be, but trust in that promise here, that peace will come.
00:16:50 --> 00:16:58 Maybe not now, but it will come. A prayer I have for my friends whose brains are crippled by anxiety,
00:16:58 --> 00:17:04 and it's a prayer I pray when I'm in good spirits for my future despairing self, is that the Holy Spirit
00:17:04 --> 00:17:10 will intervene in mind and heart to bring hope in the gospel. Because in those moments, it's really
00:17:10 --> 00:17:16 hard to see outside of it. Let's be real. It's really hard. So let's be a community that starts
00:17:16 --> 00:17:23 praying before crisis strikes. Ask the Lord to intervene in your heart and pray for peace. Ask that
00:17:23 --> 00:17:29 he will preach the gospel into your heart in those moments. And our final point is that tomorrow
00:17:29 --> 00:17:39 changes our every day. Paul's partnership with the Philippians has been long, deep, and fruitful.
00:17:39 --> 00:17:45 And the Philippians haven't been able to support Paul physically or financially, but they have now
00:17:45 --> 00:17:53 with a gift. Check out verse 10 with me. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have
00:17:53 --> 00:18:00 revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am
00:18:00 --> 00:18:09 speaking of being in need, for I've learnt in whatever situation I am to be content. Notice in verse 11
00:18:09 --> 00:18:15 that although he is thanking them for the gift, he was not in need of the gift. But simply,
00:18:15 --> 00:18:21 Paul enjoys that the gift represents their renewed partnership. His reason, however, for not being in
00:18:21 --> 00:18:27 need isn't the fact that he's in plenty. He hasn't suddenly won the lottery and now he's content and
00:18:27 --> 00:18:32 no longer in need. It's not like suddenly the bank has given him a massive growth on his compound
00:18:32 --> 00:18:34 interest. No, in verse 12 it says,
00:18:35 --> 00:18:42 I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learnt the secret
00:18:42 --> 00:18:50 of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in
00:18:50 --> 00:18:56 want. Friends, don't forget this is Paul. Paul who is in chains in the hope that the good news will be
00:18:56 --> 00:19:02 proclaimed despite the chains. No, no, no. But more than that, he believes and he's seen that these
00:19:02 --> 00:19:09 chains have served to advance the gospel because his brothers and sisters are being bolder and more
00:19:09 --> 00:19:16 courageous with the gospel. And in verse 12, in some translations, the first phrase of Paul being
00:19:16 --> 00:19:25 neat is actually as Paul being made low, being humiliated. And this is counter-cultural in this era.
00:19:25 --> 00:19:32 An era where power was everything and to be humiliated was the worst possible thing.
00:19:34 --> 00:19:45 So how can someone who in those situations be content? Verse 13, I can do everything through him
00:19:45 --> 00:19:53 who gives me strength. Now this is a commonly known verse and often it's taken out of context to refer
00:19:53 --> 00:19:59 to particularly large, extraordinary events like just before the HSC. I can do everything through
00:19:59 --> 00:20:04 Christ who gives me strength. Before you do a hike to the Himalayas, I can do everything through Christ
00:20:04 --> 00:20:11 who gives me strength. Now it is true that everything I do is because the Lord has graciously enabled it.
00:20:11 --> 00:20:19 I rise each morning because God has graciously given me a new day. But this verse is not talking about that.
00:20:20 --> 00:20:27 Paul's not referring to the wild, extravagant event. Paul is talking about the secret to his contentment.
00:20:28 --> 00:20:33 Paul is talking about the contentment of the everyday, the good everyday, the best everyday,
00:20:33 --> 00:20:40 the awful, the worst everyday, the mundane, boring everyday. He can be content in all of those things
00:20:40 --> 00:20:46 and it's a power that's outside of himself. Because where does Paul find his sufficiency
00:20:46 --> 00:20:55 and contentment from? It's from Christ. Not from himself, but from Christ's strength.
00:20:55 --> 00:21:03 But what does that mean? What does it look like to be content in Christ? We've already seen that all
00:21:03 --> 00:21:11 Paul's life is for and about Christ. If Paul is poor, he has Christ. If Paul is in want, he has Christ.
00:21:12 --> 00:21:22 But even if Paul has plenty, he has Christ. Paul has been so confident in what Christ has accomplished
00:21:22 --> 00:21:29 for him. It's changed who he is. He's so certain about what he has received already in Christ.
00:21:30 --> 00:21:38 But as we've seen, Paul's eyes are fixed forward to tomorrow. He finds contentment in his everyday
00:21:38 --> 00:21:44 because of his tomorrow. In fact, the gift that the Philippians have given him, it's not even the
00:21:44 --> 00:21:50 gift itself that he rejoices, that he's thankful for, but the fruit of the gift. Have a look at verse 17.
00:21:50 --> 00:21:57 Now that I seek the gift, not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.
00:21:59 --> 00:22:06 He hopes that God uses that gift so that the gospel might be advanced. So that God's kingdom is
00:22:06 --> 00:22:12 grown and he knows it. He's confident in it. That God alone would be glorified. And Paul is then so
00:22:12 --> 00:22:18 confident about God who provides for the Philippians in verse 19.
00:22:18 --> 00:22:25 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
00:22:27 --> 00:22:33 You see, contentment is fickle when it's about you and me. At our nature, we will always want.
00:22:34 --> 00:22:41 We've been made to be needy because we have needs. But when it becomes us-centered rather than
00:22:41 --> 00:22:49 Christ-centered, having our needs met in Christ, we won't be fully satisfied. We are all living for
00:22:49 --> 00:22:59 tomorrow. The thing is, what is your tomorrow? Is your tomorrow the whims of life? To have a house
00:22:59 --> 00:23:04 that is finally gorgeous. Is it that perfect relationship that you've been wanting, idolizing,
00:23:04 --> 00:23:14 praying for? Because the answer for Paul is that in all circumstances, none of those are the secret
00:23:14 --> 00:23:24 to contentment. Or is your tomorrow something greater? If you love Jesus, your tomorrow is found in heaven.
00:23:25 --> 00:23:32 The secret to contentment is found in Christ. You no longer need to strive to get into God's good books
00:23:32 --> 00:23:41 because Christ paid the price. And you are already in God's good books. Finished, paid, done.
00:23:42 --> 00:23:46 You've found the most fulfilling purpose in life, which is to treasure him and make him known.
00:23:48 --> 00:23:53 And perhaps you've been listening to this today. You've been reading this passage. You've been reading
00:23:53 --> 00:23:59 the entirety of Philippians and been thinking that you don't currently feel the joy or contentment that
00:23:59 --> 00:24:07 Paul has. The joy that Paul has expressed. You can't help but keep being worried about a particular
00:24:07 --> 00:24:16 matter. But what's Paul said about the source of our joy? This series we've learned already that
00:24:16 --> 00:24:23 biblical joy is a steadfast experience fixed on our salvation in Jesus. You don't need to live
00:24:23 --> 00:24:29 legalistic lives to attain salvation because you can only attain salvation through trusting in Jesus.
00:24:29 --> 00:24:37 For Paul, the only secret to the content life is Jesus. Do you hear it? The key word is Jesus.
00:24:38 --> 00:24:46 If what I described earlier is you, perhaps what you need is to reacquaint yourself to Jesus,
00:24:46 --> 00:24:53 see his character, see his steadfastness, his promises fulfilled in Christ. I want you to listen
00:24:53 --> 00:25:02 really carefully here. If you're trying to find joy, contentment, gospel-centered relationships,
00:25:03 --> 00:25:07 you don't need a new lifestyle. You don't need a new fad, a new calendar, a new diet, a new whatever.
00:25:09 --> 00:25:16 You need the gospel to sink in deeper and deeper. So be bold and share this with your community group,
00:25:16 --> 00:25:21 your Christian brothers and sisters, that you've lost that awe. Because can I tell you, there'll be a
00:25:21 --> 00:25:28 flock of encouragement and people who want to pray and be there for you. Be encouraged that Jesus has
00:25:28 --> 00:25:35 secured your certain tomorrow. And maybe you sat here for this entire talk not knowing who Jesus is,
00:25:35 --> 00:25:41 but wanting to have that lasting joy and contentment, wanting to have that certain forever tomorrow.
00:25:41 --> 00:25:50 Come take your first step. Chat with me, chat with Jess, or the person who's brought you.
00:25:51 --> 00:25:58 We'd love for you to see who Jesus is. Because the tomorrow in heaven that has been made certain
00:25:58 --> 00:26:05 in Jesus changes everything. It changes your relationship. It changes how you think. It changes
00:26:05 --> 00:26:15 your every day. So stand firm. Stand firm in joy and unity. Live as if heaven is your home.
00:26:16 --> 00:26:19 Because that great tomorrow is indeed coming.