Telling the Truth

Guest (Male): Today on Telling the Truth, Jill Briscoe continues her series Spiritual Arts, speaking this time about harmony and unity. She begins in just a moment. If you've been feeling overwhelmed lately, like your mind just won't slow down, you're not alone. A lot of people today are carrying anxiety, uncertainty, and questions they don't know where to take.

That's why Telling the Truth is sharing biblical teaching in digital spaces so people can encounter God's truth right in those moments, right where they are. As we approach the end of the financial year, your support is critical to keep this ministry going. Right now, your gift will be doubled through an $82,000 matching grant, helping reach more people searching for peace and direction.

As our thanks, we'll send you Stuart Briscoe's book, *A Peace of Mind*, a resource designed to help you experience God's steady pace when life feels unsettled. Call 262-788-4648 to have your gift doubled by the match or give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now, here's Jill with the start of her message, "Learn to Be Small."

Jill Briscoe: I explained that the epistle to the Philippians by the Apostle Paul in Rome—or as I like to call it, jail mail—written by a free man in chains, is all about being chained to an impossible situation and seeing what happens to you, understanding it so that it happens to other people. In other words, Paul says what happened to me happened for you.

He sees an opportunity in every difficulty instead of a difficulty in every opportunity as some of us do. He said to God, "I don't like it here in this horrible jail," but nothing can happen to a child of God outside the will of God, and so this must be where You want me to be. At the end of his life, an old man, a calm man, a man that wanted to go home but couldn't, a man on trial for his life in a jail in Rome writes a letter and sends it to a beloved group of people called the Philippian church.

He talks about life in the spirit and how you can live that out in a hole in a jail, or you can live it out as a free man. Through your life, the living Christ can be seen so that others are blessed. Paul said, "I'm sitting here in jail, but for me to live is Christ, and if I die, that's gain." I go through the front door, and I see Him face to face. You can't beat a man like that. That's freedom.

You might be chained to sickness, you might be chained to the kitchen sink, you might be chained to teenagers—that's scary—you might be chained to a situation you wish you weren't chained to. I'm chained to a situation I'd rather be free of at the moment, but I have to say like Paul, what's happened to me has happened for them, and that's what we have to get perspective on. Therefore, if I can find freedom in my chains, I have a message for the world because everybody's chained to something that's impossible and difficult and horrible. What are you chained to?

Well, what's happened to you has happened for someone else. Paul was chained to Roman guards, and he began to tell them hour after hour about Jesus. They'd change the guard every two hours, so one after the other would be chained to him and couldn't get away. He led them to the Lord one by one by one. If you read in the last chapter of Philippians, you'll see that Paul signs off with, "We greet you. Timothy greets you. Epaphroditus greets you. Everybody greets you, especially those who are of Caesar's household." How did we get Christians in Caesar's house? Because Paul was chained to the guard, and they told another one, and they told another one, and they told another one. The church was born in Caesar's household right under Caesar's nose as he worshipped his gods.

So, Paul sits in jail and writes some jail mail, and he talks about spiritual art: the art of liberty, the art of serenity. We're going to talk about worry and anxiety and how you can be free from that. That's what Paul's about. He says, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." You can read about that in chapter one. In verse 27, he says, "Therefore, whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." He doesn't know whether he's going to be set free. He's preparing his brief. He has a chance to speak to the highest court in Rome about Jesus, and he's preparing.

He writes to the Philippians and says, "I don't think I'll ever see you face to face again, but I might if God sees fit to set me free. I'll come and see you." As we come into chapter two, he says, "Therefore, if in any way I've given you encouragement in Christ, if in any way my love has consoled you, if in any way you've enjoyed the fellowship created by the spirit, if in any way you've experienced the tenderness and passion of Christ, then make my joy complete." The message renders that: "Make my day. Just make my day. Think alike, love alike, be of one soul, be of one mind."

Even this little church that was near to his heart, we think the best church in the New Testament, an example of so many of the spiritual arts—even this church had problems because there is no church that doesn't have problems. The problem with church is people. If we could just get rid of all the people, we'd have a perfect church. But we live in a fallen world with fallen people, and we have fallen churches, and fallen mothers, and fallen fathers who are raising fallen children. Of course, there's going to be problems.

Paul's heart was breaking because he couldn't go to them and sort it out. There was much problem in the church in Philippi, and it was people problems: one getting over another, and not agreeing on ministry and how it should be done. You can read in chapter four how there were two very wonderful women that had worked with Paul, and they had got across each other: Euodia and Syntyche. Some think that one of those women was Lydia. These prominent, wonderful, founding members of the church had fallen out with each other, and that was splitting the church because people take sides, and that makes parties, and that splits a church.

Paul is in Rome and in chains, and he can't go and have a ministry of presence and a ministry of encouragement. So, he appeals through a letter—the lost art of letter writing, the spiritual art of writing a letter. We now send an email, and that's all right if it can be received, but in two-thirds of the world, that's not possible and won't be for a long, long time. So, he uses every means possible and sends beloved Timothy.

Paul had Epaphroditus with him, who was from Philippi. He had been sent from this little group to Rome with a gift of money. Paul was penniless, and the church at Rome wasn't supporting him. They were rather glad he was in jail, and you can read in chapter one why: because they didn't agree with the way he was preaching and they didn't like the way he was doing ministry. The preachers were rather glad he was there because they could take his meetings. The preachers were saying, "Now we can preach. Good, he's locked up."

That was the church in Rome. There was Paul in Rome, had no help from the church. So, the church in Philippi in Europe sent a messenger called Epaphroditus with encouragement. He was a leader; they sent their best. They didn't just send a little intern or somebody that didn't really matter. They took their pastor, one of their pastors, and said, "Go to Rome." He said, "I'll do it." He came to bathe his wounds, bring him food, bring him some money and help, and maybe a change of clothes. He ministered to him.

He had his beloved Timothy there, just two men. You can read in Philippians chapter one and chapter two, in verses 19 down to chapter three, about how Paul, sitting in jail, writes to the Philippians and says, "I'm going to send Epaphroditus back to you because he got sick; he nearly died doing this." He nearly died. We don't know how he got sick or when he got sick, but he got so sick he nearly died. They heard about it back in Philippi, and they were absolutely horrified. Here's our beloved pastor; we sent him to Rome to help Paul and now he's dying. Paul said, "He's so sorry you heard about it. He's so sorry it caused you grief, but I need to send him back to you." Then he looks at Timothy. Paul has two people with him, and he says, "I'm going to send Timothy with him. I need to send Timothy with you. You need Timothy so much."

Who needed Timothy? Paul. And he sent Timothy, and he sent Epaphroditus back, and he was left alone. Two people left in his life, facing martyrdom, and in grace and in self-giving, he gives the two most precious things away. That's what it's all about because as we come into chapter two, we talk about the spiritual art of humility, the spiritual art of self-sacrifice, the spiritual art of giving your life away, of living your life out loud. Paul lived his life out loud. Everybody heard about it. One of the things they heard about was, "You mean he sent the two people that were ministering to him at the end of his life facing martyrdom back because he cared more about the Philippians than he cared about himself? How do we do that, Lord? How do we do that?" Because that gets attention when we unselfishly give our lives away, live our lives out loud. Paul lived his life.

Guest (Male): Spiritual unity. That's the focus today of Jill Briscoe's message on Telling the Truth. She's coming right back with more. There's a growing hunger for truth in our world today, and more people than ever are searching for real answers. That's why as Telling the Truth prepares to close out another financial year, your support matters so much.

Your support helps take the trusted teaching of Stuart and Jill Briscoe and place it into digital spaces where people are already looking for hope. Right now, an $82,000 matching grant will double your gift, expanding that reach even further in the months ahead. When you give, we'll say thanks by sending you *A Peace of Mind*, a powerful resource from Stuart that shows you how to experience God's perfect peace, even in uncertain and challenging times. Call today to request your copy when you have your gift doubled by the match. 262-788-4648 or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org.

For many, our smartphones have become our social connection, but we want to help you make a spiritual connection with the Telling the Truth mobile app. You can listen to daily programs, engage in Bible reading plans, journal, and share your thoughts and prayers on the community wall. Get the Telling the Truth app through your app store or log on to tellingthetruth.org/mobile-app. Remember, you can also give to support Telling the Truth on our mobile app. Let's hear from Jill Briscoe once again.

Jill Briscoe: And he appeals to them and says, "If I've had a ministry of encouragement, then you be encouraging to each other. If I've consoled you, then you console each other." Paul said, "If I get out of here—miracle—I'm coming. I'm going to have a ministry of presence."

If we're going to maintain unity and harmony, which is a spiritual art, we just have to come, we have to say, "Can I help you two get together? Can I offer to be that third person? Shall we have a cup of coffee? What can we do to be that peacemaker that God wants us to be and have a ministry of encouragement, and a ministry of presence, and a ministry of tears, and a ministry of silence? Because that's what it's all about." Paul could say, "If I come, I'm going to tell you that when something happens to you, it's to happen to other people. What has happened in this argument can be used if we can reconcile, if we can get on our knees, if we can come together. Think what we have to help other people for that are struggling and fighting and having family feuds and all of that."

A ministry of unity is a spiritual art, and spiritual art has to be practiced as much as medicine arts and fine arts and anything else, and we have to do it. This is the theory. You're going to do medicine? You get a book, and you learn it; that's theory. Then you go on the wards, and you practice it. This is the theory of spiritual art. Then we go and practice it. We have a ministry of presence, and we physically put ourselves into trouble, into problems, into people's pain, and we say, "I just had to come. I just had to come." Then that opens their hearts and their lives, and you can say, "Let me tell you what happened to me and how Christ gave me hope and help and consolation and encouragement, and that can happen to you. Happened to me."

We have this hymn in chapter two. They say that it was a hymn, and when the groups got together, they would sing a hymn. I don't know if Paul penned this hymn or if somebody else did, a songwriter. But he says, "Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus, who gave His life away, who lived His life out loud." He was in very nature God, but He didn't consider equality with God something to be grasped. He made Himself nothing. He took the very nature of a servant. He was made in human likeness. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.

God looked at this and said, "This is what you think of My Son? I'll show you what I think of Him." He raised Him from the dead, and He put Him on the highest throne, and He gave Him a name: Jesus. At the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

He writes to the Philippians and says, "Look, you've got to get your mindset right. You people that are against each other, you've got to humble yourselves. You've got to admit perhaps you were wrong." That's hard. Paul says it's hard to say you might be wrong, but let me give you an example. He talks about the spiritual art of humbling yourself. "Make my joy complete. Be like-minded. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. In humility, consider others better than yourselves. Each one of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God," etc.

As I looked at this hymn, I was absolutely overwhelmed. Jesus, known in glory town, walking the golden streets, cherubim and seraphim falling flat on their faces in front of Him, ten thousand times ten angels singing a song that shook the Father's stars in space—and He let it go. He packed a little suitcase with baby clothes, and He came here. He didn't think equality with God, which was His right, was something to be grabbed and held onto. He let it go for us.

The message says, "Don't push your way to the front. Don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourself long enough to lend a helping hand. Jesus didn't hang onto His reputation; He didn't hang onto His glory." He had a scepter in heaven; He had control. He let control go. Some of us are control freaks; we have to control. We have to let that go.

He made Himself nothing. He emptied Himself, not of His deity, but of His glory. And He became a man, and He stepped down. We want to step up; Jesus stepped down. Everyone in America—and I'm out of America all but six and a half weeks of the year now—but everybody when I come back in the church of America, you know what? They want to serve in an advisory capacity, and they don't do feet anymore. Jesus did feet. Jesus stepped down. Jesus came with nothing, and He let it go: His scepter, His glory, His reputation.

So, want to be big? Learn to be small. Number two: remember you're dead. He died on a cross. Do you know what Christianity is? Christianity is the "I" crossed out. That's what it is. The great big "I" crossed out. Even death on a cross, He died to all that was His by right. So, we have to remember we're dead. We are crucified with Christ. A dead man doesn't step up, and a dead man doesn't push his way to the top, and a dead man isn't right or wrong; he's dead. If a habit's got you by the throat, remember you're dead; you do not need to respond to that. Paul says, "I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives in me." Mystery.

So, you want to be great? Learn to be small, remember you're dead, and thirdly, let God give you your throne. Therefore, God exalted Him. God gave Him a position, God gave Him a job, God gave Him what glory He needed to have, and what honor, and what acclaim. Some of us want to choose our ministry; some of us decide what we'll do for Jesus. Some of us say, "Well, I won't do this, I'll do that." We have no right to do that. Let God give you your ministry. Did Jesus choose? No. God gave Him His position. God gave Him His throne. God said, "You go here." And when Jesus went to the cross and was risen from the dead, then God gave Him His throne. Humility is a spiritual art. Read Micah 6:8 when you go home, and list what God requires from His servants. He's shown you, O man and woman, what is good. What does the Lord require of you? Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God. Learn to be little, remember you're dead, let God give you your throne. Learn to be small.

Guest (Male): Jill Briscoe closing out her message, "Learn to Be Small," today on Telling the Truth. What if your generosity today helped place biblical truth in front of someone at the exact moment they needed it most? That's what's happening every day through Telling the Truth. Through social media, our Telling the Truth website, and other digital platforms, people are encountering God's word, many for the very first time, right where they are.

More people than ever are searching for the kind of peace that can only be found through life in Christ. That's why as we approach the end of the financial year, it's so important that we finish strong because your support can help us reach even more people with biblical truth in the coming year. The great news is that a group of generous friends has offered an $82,000 matching grant, doubling your gift to expand the outreach even further. Now is a powerful time for you to step in and help keep God's word going out to the people who need it most.

As our thanks, we'll send you Stuart Briscoe's book, *A Peace of Mind*, to help you experience the peace of God in whatever you're facing today. Just call 262-788-4648 or you can give online when you visit tellingthetruth.org. Now, here's Jill to talk about an important idea from today's message.

Stuart Briscoe: Jill, why is a ministry of presence so vital in sharing Jesus with others?

Jill Briscoe: I think in my life, I've had people presence themselves in my presence. When I've been in trouble, the knock at the door and somebody has been there to help—that's a ministry of presence. They just came. The first thing I say to them is, "You came." Whatever they say, whatever they bring in their hands—maybe a meal if somebody's sick or whatever—the fact that they brought it and that they came means everything. The postman didn't deliver it; they came.

Just knowing what it's meant to me makes me realize what I can mean to other people, having a ministry of presence. Just to go when you hear about somebody losing someone in a car accident or even if their child is sick. Not long ago, here in our area, a little 15-year-old was lost, and the whole community came together and said, "What can we do to help?" I'm sure and know that one of the best things that could be done and was done was that the people close to that family just went.

They just went. In different cultures, some cultures, people just go and sit. If somebody is dying and it's going to take ten days, the whole family, the extended family turns up, and they just sit there, and they're just there. Huge blessing.

So, when we see somebody that is in need, if we just go—we don't need a plan, we don't need to say, "Well, this is what I'm doing when I get there." How do you know what you're going to do when you get there? You just go. When you're there, you'll know what to do, or what not to do, or the little to do, or perhaps the more to do. It is hugely encouraging to just have someone turn up. I know it's against some of our mores—I mean, I'm English. It's hard just to turn up; you have to wait to be invited if you're English. "What do you mean, you just appear on the doorstep?"

But there are ways of doing that, whatever culture you are in and however you've been brought up. You can certainly, if you're not sure whether you should just turn up, you can write a little note: "I'm so sorry to hear so-and-so. I'd just love to come and just have a cup of coffee with you," or "Could I come pick you up and bring you to my house for a cup of coffee?" A ministry of presence doesn't mean you're always on their turf. Just means that you insist physically on being there so you can look them in the eye. You don't send an email, you don't do this virtually, you don't give them a virtual hug. You just go. Very important.

Guest (Male): Thanks, Jill. Before we go, here's something important to remember. Your support this month can help Telling the Truth reach even more people in the coming year. Right now, your gift will be doubled through an $82,000 matching grant, helping extend biblical teaching to people around the world through digital platforms.

As our thanks, we'd love to send you Stuart Briscoe's book, *A Peace of Mind*, to encourage you with the promise of God's peace. So please request your copy when you call 262-788-4648 or you can give online when you visit tellingthetruth.org. Next time on Telling the Truth, more from the Briscoes about how you can experience abundant life in Christ. We hope you'll be listening then.