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Pastor Thom Keller: What is it that allows you to rejoice when you're in a trial? Here is the answer for those of you who are going through trials right now that you know, barring an absolute miracle, that trial will be with you until the day you die. How can you, in your situation, rejoice in the Lord always? Again, I say rejoice. How can you bring yourself to say that and mean it? Because the Lord is at hand.

Guest (Male): When you know that help is on the way, it can sure make a difference. But when the ultimate help is at hand, that's cause for rejoicing. Well, the Lord is at hand, as we'll be reminded on today's Study the Word. Turn, if you would, to Philippians chapter four, picking up in verse three. Here's our teacher, Pastor Thom Keller.

Pastor Thom Keller: I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the good news. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are written in the Book of Life. Paul says, "Settle your disagreement." Wow, can you imagine getting to heaven and meeting these two?

By the way, Euodia means prosperous journey and Syntyche means happy chance. Kind of positive names for what's going on here. But can you imagine seeing them in heaven, walking up to them and saying, "Hey, I read about you guys in the Book of Philippians. So what was that all about, anyway? What were you guys so upset about?"

My picture of Euodia would be, "Oh," she will say, "I was all wrong." And Syntyche standing by her side, I picture her saying, "No, I was in the wrong. No, I was wrong. No, I was wrong." And I suspect that there will be only two answers that we will offer in heaven concerning every disagreement we had while on earth.

Between parents, siblings, neighbors, spouses, bosses, coworkers, only one of two responses will come across our lips when people say, "What was that all about?" This is what they'll be: either, "I was in the wrong," or, "You know, it really didn't matter." It really didn't matter.

In heaven, do you really think you will still care that your sister got more of your parents' inheritance than you did? Or that Carl got the promotion at work instead of you? Or that you had to wear a mask for a couple of months during the pandemic?

So practically, how can the reality of that thought of the future help you here and now? Listen, when you get upset about something, picture yourself taking one step into heaven at the end of your life, wrapping your arms around Jesus, looking over his shoulders into the glories of heaven, seeing all the saints there with you.

And then, as you do that, turn around one last time and look back across that veil once more, back to earth, back to the issue that you were upset about. Do you think you will really care anymore? From that perspective? Folks, that is a practical tool. You get wound up about something, leave this world. Take one step into heaven. Look into Jesus's eyes. Wrap your arms around him and then look back. It's not going to be that important. It just doesn't.

But these two women didn't do that. They're still on earth and they're still arguing. Verses one to three, he says, "I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the good news. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are written in the Book of Life."

Now, do we know anything about these two women? Not much, except we're told here that they worked side-by-side with Paul as missionaries, telling others about Jesus. What was their point of contention? The Cambridge Bible Commentary says this: "Perhaps their activity and the reputation it won them had occasioned a temptation to self-esteem and mutual jealousy, a phenomenon unhappily not rare in the modern church."

Lightfoot remarks on the prominence of women in the narrative of the evangelization of Macedonia found in Acts 16 and 17. Lightfoot gives proof that the social position and influence of Macedonian women was higher in Macedonia than in most ancient communities.

Vincent, the commentator, says the position afforded women in Macedonia was exceptional. In Greece, generally, a woman's standing was inferior. But in Macedonia, statues were erected to women by public agencies. And in Macedonian inscriptions, records of male proper names are found formed on the mother's name instead of the father's. And also unique is that Macedonian women were permitted to hold property, which was very rare.

But how embarrassing for these women to have this squabble having been read in hundreds of thousands of churches for nearly 2,000 years. And Paul admonishes them by saying, "I beseech you, two precious women, put this behind you." And here's a practical application for us. May I suggest that you and I make it a goal to get to the end of our lives with as few unresolved issues with others as is humanly possible, as far as it depends on us to settle them.

Romans 12:18 says this beautifully: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Make this your goal to get to the end of your life with as few unresolved issues as possible.

Barnes, a commentator, says of this Clement that it speaks of. Barnes says most of the ancients say that this was Clement of Rome, one of the primitive fathers. Barnes says but there's no evidence of this. The name Clement was common and there is no improbability that supposing there might have been a preacher of this name in the church at Philippi.

But the timing could work out for this to be the Clement of Rome. Clement of Rome was born in 35 AD, which makes this a possibility. Alford the commentary says that the Clement here was a Philippian, not necessarily Clement, Bishop of Rome. But Origen, who was born in 185, identifies the Clement here with the famous Bishop of Rome. So when you get to heaven, we'll figure out if that was him or not.

And of these three and the rest of Paul's coworkers, he says their names are written in the Book of Life. The Book of Life. Their names are written in the Book of Life. Now, this is a book that Moses refers to. He said, "You can blot me out of the Book of Life." When the children of Israel frustrated God and God said, "I've had it with them, Moses. I'm going to destroy them and make a great nation of you instead."

So Moses returned to the Lord and said, "Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They've made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin, but if not, blot me out of your book that you have written." This Book of Life that Moses refers to. And God says, "The one who sins is the one who will have their name blotted out, not you, Moses."

And then David knew about this Book of Life as well. In Psalm 69, he says, "May they be blotted out of the Book of Life and not listed with the righteous." And Jesus himself said that we should rejoice that our names are written in this book. In Luke chapter 10, verse 20, Jesus speaking: "However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

And then no doubt the clearest and best reference to the Book of Life is found in Revelation chapter 20, the Great White Throne Judgment. And as we read this, remember this is a judgment only of unbelievers. No believer ever stands in front of this judgment. It says, "And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne, and the books, plural, books, were opened, including the Book of Life. Book of Life is a single book, but there are other books besides.

And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books, plural. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And here it is: anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life, single, was thrown into the lake of fire."

And so this speaks of the final judgment for unbelievers. And the idea is that as a courtesy, God is going to get out the Book of Life, open it up and show them that there was never a time in their life where they accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. Their name will be missing from that book.

And because their name is missing, that singular book, the Book of Life, will be closed. And then God goes and opens the plural books, the book of deeds, the book of remembrances, where it gives the listing of every sin they've ever committed. And the question will be, how will you pay for these sins? You've rejected the plan that I gave to you to deal with these sins through my son, Jesus. You've rejected that plan. How will you pay? And they will pay with their own soul eternally in hell forever. That is the Lamb's Book of Life.

Moving on to verse four, it says this: "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice." Famous words: "Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice." Now, as we read this, remember where Paul is as he writes this and who he's writing to. Paul is in prison in Rome, chained to a Roman guard. "Rejoice in the Lord always."

And the Philippians knew Paul did this very thing when he came to the city of Philippi the first time. In Acts chapter 16, verse 22, this is in Philippi: "A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten and they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape. So the jailer put them in the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks."

Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns. Would you be praying and singing hymns at midnight if you'd just been beaten with rods? Praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. I bet they were. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations.

The doors, all the doors, immediately flew open, all the doors, and the chains of every prisoner fell off. The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, "Stop! Don't kill yourself. We are all here." The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

You know what I love about this story? It says that after the earthquake, the shackles fell off of every soldier, the door of every soldier flew open, and Paul says, "We're all here. No one left." Can you imagine what it would take? 10, 20, 50 criminals who've been in a prison, waiting, hoping they can get out, to find their shackles gone, the doors open at midnight, and they can run, but they don't.

Not one of them leaves. How do we know it? Because Paul says, "We're all here." Why didn't they leave? I think they were so impacted by these two guys and knew that this earthquake and the release was a result of their prayers that they couldn't do anything better than stick around and watch what happened next. Really, I think that's why they all stayed there. Look, we got nothing better going on in our home than this show. We're going to stick around and watch what happened.

But the point is Paul is in prison singing and rejoicing. Who does that? Really, who does that? And what a witness that was to everyone in that prison, guards and prisoners alike. So here's the question for you and me: Is that you? Do you, do I, rejoice always? Always. How do you get yourself to do that? How do you get yourself to think that way?

I think the key is in Paul's next statement in verse five: "Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. The Lord is at hand." New Living: "Remember, the Lord is coming soon." And folks, here is the answer for those of you who are going through trials right now that you know, barring an absolute miracle, that that trial will be with you until the day you die.

Maybe it's a cruel illness like Huntington's disease or advanced Parkinson's or stage four lung cancer or advanced Alzheimer's, or a hundred other possibilities. How can you, how can your loved one walking through this with you, say what Paul says from his heart of hearts in your situation? "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice." How can you bring yourself to say that and mean it?

Because of Paul's next statement: "Because the Lord is at hand. Because that person will soon be in heaven. Because that suffering, that affliction, is only seconds away from being turned from pain into rapturous joy, which will occur the moment that person's feet touches down in heaven."

Romans 8:18 is such a strong reminder: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us." And I believe this is why Paul sandwiches this next thought between "Rejoice in the Lord always" and "The Lord is at hand." If you can put up verse five, he says, "Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand."

Let your gentleness be known to all men. In Greek, the word for gentleness means appropriate, mild, gentle, being patient in trials. And remember, this is God telling you this through Paul: "Let your gentleness, let your patience in your trials, be known, be observed, by all men."

So how does today's lesson apply to me? Listen, if you are going through a monumental trial or a huge difficult situation right now, discipline yourself to keep your emotional focus and eyes on Jesus and heaven. Why? Because God tells you here that this is a key to getting through the really, really hard trials in life.

And God says that if you are successful in doing this, that you will then be gentle in all your dealings with others as you go through that trial. And your gentleness will be evident to all men. In other words, your gentle, mild, appropriate, patient response to the trial will be a powerful witness to those looking on.

Listen, it's not that difficult to be gracious, kind, and gentle when things are going well for us. But when problems and trials come our way, and big ones at that, that is when our gentleness becomes a powerful witness to those watching as they realize that our gentle response to this overwhelming trial cannot be explained in any other way except that it's God.

This story comes from the former USSR in the 1970s. "What kind of men are these?" wondered Nikolai Kamara. "They show joy while suffering. They sing in dark hours. When they have a piece of bread, they share it with someone who has none. Morning and evening they fold their hands and speak to someone who no one can see. And as they do, their faces shine."

For months, Kamara had watched the Christians who shared his cell in the communist prison. Unlike the believers who were in prison for refusing to deny their faith in Jesus, Kamara was there for crimes he had committed. Arrested for robbery, he had been sentenced to prison for 10 years. He describes himself as a man who had no conscience.

One day, two of the Christians sat down with Kamara. He told them his sad story of his life and finished by saying, "I am a lost man." One of the Christians replied, "A lost man, even one who is a thief, has the whole value of a man. He is of such value that the Son of God forsook heaven and died on the cross to save him."

Kamara understood. The Christian said to the robber, "God loves you. You are valuable to him. When Jesus met drunkards, robbers, prostitutes, or others who had committed great sins, he never asked them what sins they committed. Instead, he told them, 'Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven.' I also tell you, Kamara, that your sins are forgiven because Jesus died for you. You only have to believe."

Kamara became a Christian. When he finished his prison term and was set free, he joined the underground church, even though it was in constant threat from the KGB. He became a faithful member of his local congregation. Sometime later, the pastor of Kamara's church was arrested. The authorities beat and tortured him, hoping he would tell the names of his church members and give them information that would help them stop printing the gospel booklets that they had been circulating.

The pastor was tortured, but he told them nothing. If he had, thousands of his fellow believers would have been arrested. After he had beaten the pastor repeatedly without success, the captain of the investigation team said, "We will not torture you anymore. We have a new method." Then they arrested Nikolai Kamara.

They brought him in before his pastor and told the pastor, "If you do not tell all the secrets of your church, we will torture Kamara in front of you." The pastor could not endure someone else suffering for him, and he asked Kamara, "Oh Kamara, what shall I do?" Kamara said, "Be faithful to Jesus and do not betray him. I am happy to suffer for the name of Christ."

The captain said, "We will gouge out Kamara's eyes." The torturers picked up a knife and started toward Kamara. The pastor could not bear it. He cried out to Kamara, "Kamara, how can I look at this? You will be blind." Kamara replied, "When my eyes are taken away from me, I will see more beauty than I see with these eyes. I will see the Savior. You remain faithful to Christ to the end."

When they had finished taking out his eyes, seeing that the pastor had not yet given them the information they wanted, the captain turned to the pastor again and said, "If you do not betray your church, we will cut out Kamara's tongue." In despair, the pastor cried out, "Oh Kamara, what shall I do?" Kamara's last spoken words were, "Praise the Lord Jesus Christ. I have just said the highest words that can be said. Now if you wish, you can cut out my tongue." Kamara died a martyr's death in 1975.

So here's the takeaway, folks. If you are going through trials right now, remember Paul's letter that he wrote to you from prison, where he told you: "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice." Remember, folks, no matter what you're going through, the Lord is at hand.

Guest (Male): We're going through Philippians one verse at a time on Study the Word with Pastor Thom Keller. You can hear this message again anytime of the day or night online at ccleb.com, or subscribe to our YouTube channel at Calvary Chapel Lebanon. If you'd rather have a CD copy, call us at 717-273-5633. Have you been helped by the ministry? Let us know that. It would be so encouraging to Pastor Thom and all of us at Study the Word. Give us a call at 717-273-5633, or write to Study the Word, 740 Willow Street, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, 17046. You can email us through the website as well at ccleb.com.

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