That Your Love May Abound

In this part of the sermon: He introduces Philippians 1:9-11 as Paul's petition, clarifying that it's not a word-for-word transcription of a prayer nor a mere prayer list, but rather the distilled essence of…

Martin uses the analogy of dictating a letter to a secretary for word-for-word transcription to explain that Paul's prayer is not a literal transcription but the 'distilled essence' of his burden.

First of all, we must understand that these verses are not a transcription of His prayer. That is, what we have in verses 9 through 11 is not a word-by-word account of exactly the very words that the Apostle prayed when he prayed for the Philippians. When I take my dictating machine and begin to read the Philippians, and begin to read the Philippians, and begin to read the Philippians, and begin to read the Philippians, and begin to dictate into it and say the next letter should go on church stationery, Mr. So-and-so, and give the address, Dear Brother So-and-so, the responsibility of the secr...

6:04 - 7:31 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He introduces Philippians 1:9-11 as Paul's petition, clarifying that it's not a word-for-word transcription of a prayer nor a mere prayer list, but rather the distilled essence of…

He contrasts the idea of a prayer list with multiple items to the singular, overarching passion of Paul's prayer, clarifying that the prayer is one central request with related goals.

from the Apostle under the guidance of the Apostle is the distilled essence of the main thrust and burden of his prayer. In other words, if we were to listen to the Apostle pray for the Philippians over a period of time and then were to read these words, we would recognize that what we were given in these words was the overall passion and burden of the Apostle's prayer, not, a word-for-word transcription of that prayer as though every time he prayed for the Philippians, he prayed precisely in the language of verses 9 through 11. And then secondly, we need to understand that we do not have a pr...

7:31 - 8:38 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The immediate burden of Paul's prayer is that the Philippians' love may 'abound yet more and more,' emphasizing that this is his singular, central concern for them.

The miracle of the loaves and fishes, where there was much left over, is used to illustrate the meaning of 'abound' or 'overflow' in the context of love.

Well, he tells us, look at the language of the text, not these things I pray, you see if he had a prayer list, he would have had to use the plural, these things I pray, but he didn't say that. He uses the singular, and this thing I pray, whenever I pray, I do so with thanksgiving upon every remembrance of you Philippians, and then he launches into that account of the basis and the ground. Now when he returns to tell them what it is he prays for them, he apprises them at the outset that there is one grand central passion and burden of his prayer, this thing I pray. And what is it that he prays?...

13:32 - 14:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The immediate burden of Paul's prayer is that the Philippians' love may 'abound yet more and more,' emphasizing that this is his singular, central concern for them.

The rich casting in of their 'abundance' in the story of the widow's mites is used to further illustrate the concept of 'overflowing' or 'abounding'.

There was an abundance. Speaking of the rich people, in that incident of the widow and her mites, the rich cast in of their abundance, the same word is used. And so this great apostle, with this large, large, large, large, large, large, large, large, large heart, who had known from the first day of his contact with the Philippians something of their love, their love to Christ when their hearts were opened, as was Lydia's, to receive the gospel, love to one another, as expressed when Lydia opened her home to the servants of Christ, love that had been manifested in their going on in the faith an...

14:45 - 16:01 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Ignorance is the mother of vice and of sin. It is truth which is the mother of devotion.

Love is personified as having 'handmaidens' of knowledge on its left arm and discernment on its right, emphasizing their inseparable connection.

But he is very careful to record this, I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all discernment. In other words, he is praying that they may abound in a love that will always be found in conjunction with two other commodities. Knowledge and discernment. If I may use an analogy, he is praying that their love may abound, but never a love that will stand alone, but a love that will find linked to its arm on the left, knowledge, and to its arm on the right, discernment. And that's his prayer, that their love may abound not in isolation, not in detachment, but their l...

21:28 - 22:45 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Ignorance is the mother of vice and of sin. It is truth which is the mother of devotion.

Martin refutes the common saying 'ignorance is the mother of devotion,' asserting that 'ignorance is the mother of vice and of sin,' and 'truth which is the mother of devotion'.

Well, again, because he understood this great truth of Holy Scripture, that a heart in which there is darkness, a heart in which there is darkness and ignorance, a heart in which there are misconceptions about God and man and the world of reality is a heart in which love to God and love to man cannot exist and it cannot grow. We've often heard it said, ignorance is the mother of devotion. No, it isn't. Ignorance is the mother of vice and of sin.

23:13 - 23:46 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Paul prays for love to abound not in isolation, but 'in knowledge and all discernment,' meaning full, genuine knowledge of spiritual realities and a highly cultivated sense of…

The example of someone's choice of tie, shirt, and jacket is used to illustrate the concept of having a 'good aesthetic sense' or being 'neutered aesthetically,' drawing a parallel to moral discernment.

Now when we speak of someone having a good aesthetic sense, what do we mean? Well, we mean with respect either to musical sounds or to colors and things that impinge upon the eye. They have a sense of rightness. There are some people who obviously are totally neutered aesthetically.

25:55 - 26:13 Read in full sermon

Driving home: the great burden and central passion of his prayer is that the Philippians may have a burning heart accompanied with a well-instructed head, accompanied with a piercing and a sensitive eye.

The combination of a 'burning heart' (love), a 'well-instructed head' (knowledge), and a 'piercing and sensitive eye' (discernment) is used as a comprehensive metaphor for the desired state of the Philippians.

In other words, if I may put it in the simplest terms possible, the great burden and central passion of his prayer is that the Philippians may have a burning heart accompanied with a well-instructed head, accompanied with a piercing and a sensitive eye. And when all of those things come together, the burning heart, beating with ever-increasing measures of love, love to God and man, a clear, well-instructed head, more and more furnished, not with shadows of human theories, but with the substance of truth, life interpreted by the living God Himself. Well, as that burning heart is more and more f...

29:23 - 30:51 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The practical goal of this abounding love, knowledge, and discernment is the ability to 'approve the things that are excellent' or 'distinguish the things that differ,' enabling…

Martin quotes Professor Murray's judicious comments on the meaning of 'distinguish the things that differ,' clarifying that it refers to discerning Christian virtue from counterfeits and making fine moral judgments.

They will have the ability to distinguish things that differ, or if the proper rendering is that they may, putting things to the test, actually approve the things that are most excellent, that's the end result. So there's really no difference, and the translational problem is not a problem in coming to grips with the central thrust of what is here given. Perhaps the best thing I can do to pull the thoughts together for you is to read what I have found to be the most judicious comments on this part of the text from a man who lived and labored in another generation, but this is what he says, sum...

32:45 - 34:08 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The practical goal of this abounding love, knowledge, and discernment is the ability to 'approve the things that are excellent' or 'distinguish the things that differ,' enabling…

The 'middle wall of partition' and the detailed precepts of ancient Israel's law are used to contrast with the New Covenant's broader moral principles and the need for internal discernment.

Ancient Israel, was separated from the nations geographically. God put up this wall to keep the nations out and also to keep Israel into itself, that middle wall of partition. And all the facets of their life were regulated by a precept from God. Right down to what they ate and how they ate it and when, under what circumstances, every detail.

35:56 - 36:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Use apostolic prayers as a framework for your own personal devotions and prayers for fellow believers.

Matthew Henry's quote, "God has recorded the prayers of the apostles for others that we should know how to pray for ourselves," is used to introduce the application of Paul's prayer as a model.

This is why the Apostle prayed what he prayed for the Philippians. Now, in order to keep the balance of Scripture, I would love to go on and expound the latter part of verse 10 and verse 11, what I'm calling the ultimate concerns of his prayer, because he didn't separate them, because that would mean I would have preached a sermon without application. My conscience won't let me do that. So as I have prayed to abound in love with the handmaidens of knowledge and discernment, with respect to this very sermon, I'm constrained at this point not to go on and give you the last half of the prayer, bu...

38:50 - 40:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Use apostolic prayers as a framework for your own personal devotions and prayers for fellow believers.

The absence of modern communication like '747s' is mentioned to highlight the limited specific information Paul had about the Philippians, yet he still had ample fuel for prayer.

They'll say, well, I'd like some specifics so I know how to pray for you. Well, how many specifics did Paul have from the church at Philippi? The distance between the two. Between Macedonia and Rome was a long distance.

40:47 - 41:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Mothers, pray for love that is determined to deal with children's problems, even when inconvenient, and for knowledge to interpret their actions through Scripture, along with moral discernment for fine-tuning discipline.

Martin contrasts looking at a child through the 'jaundiced eyes of modern child psychology' with looking through the 'eyes of Holy Scripture,' emphasizing the need for knowledge in parenting.

God, fill my heart with a love that's determined, even though it's contrary to my flesh, to stop in the middle of making that dress, to stop in the middle of kneading my bread, to deal with that problem. Lord, give me love that loves my kids enough to be inconvenienced and to have my schedule interrupted twenty times a day if necessary. Lord, give me that kind of love. But, oh, Lord, furnish me with knowledge so that when I go to deal with the problem, I'm not looking at the kid through the jaundiced eyes of modern child psychology, but that I'm looking at that child through the eyes of Holy S...

42:57 - 44:10 Read in full sermon

The point: If you feel you are so advanced in knowledge that one dose a week is sufficient, be humbled and convicted by God.

Martin shares his personal feeling of ignorance and need for more knowledge of God's Word, contrasting it with those who feel 'advanced enough' with only one dose of teaching a week.

They've got enough knowledge and get enough coming once a week. I envy you. I do. I envy you.

47:31 - 47:38 Read in full sermon