This morning's text is a warm address from Paul to the Philippian Christians for whom he had great affection. Underlying this passage are some doctrines that are very basic and probably familiar to a Reformed congregation but which are also vital. The Scripture has, for 6,000 years, taught the same doctrines and sometimes they repeat. That repetitiveness is part of God's grace, allowing us to be reminded continually of 'basic' truths that underlay the faith. In this passage, Paul speaks from the perspective of: 1. Predestination-knowing that things have happened according to God's own predestined plan. 2. Purposeful Creation-the knowledge that all creation was made for a purpose. 3. The Chief End of Man-the truth that every person's primary purpose in life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever 4. The truth of the often misused phrase, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." This is a truth but it is so often mis-ued by Christians and religious people who want to view the world through rose-colored glasses. If we really know what we were saying when saying this phrase, we would be communicating deep, profound truths. Instead, the message usually is "Come to Jesus and everything will be better. Marital problems? They'll get better! Financial stress? It will get better! Relational problems? It will get better. Dealing with sickness? No problem. Life's gonna be rosy!" Paul, in this passage, expresses and teaches about Christian joy but it doesn't sound like that. He describes his own 'Christian journey' that includes being beaten nearly to death (several times), brutal imprisonment, loss of freedom, a shipwreck. Through this he teache
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