Lesson 27 Philippians 3:12-4:1. Continuing from our last study

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1 Lesson 27 Philippians 3:12-4:1 Continuing from our last study Prayer Start by praying over the passage and asking the Holy Spirit to give you fresh insights and wisdom in understanding it. Then read through the entire passage two or three times. The depth of theology is so great that I would strongly advise using the New Living Translation for one of your Scripture readings. Scripture Meditation/Memorization One of the most fundamental and rewarding Christian disciplines that pays back in full spiritual dividends is Bible meditation/memorization. It is an absolutely fundamental in the formation of your spiritual development, spiritual walk and faith growth. In Psalm 1:1-2 (NLT), the Psalmist warrior, King David said, Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. Memory Verse [13] Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV) ~ 1 ~

2 Format Change We have all had weeks in which the time available for preparation of our Bible study evaporates under an unexpected event or a pressing project at work. To enable everyone to complete the study, even when time is at a premium, the daily questions are being divided into two categories: essential and expanded. The essential questions are those necessary to understand key points of the passage. The expanded or growth questions help expand knowledge and gain deeper insight into the Scripture. Philippians 3:12 16 Pressing Towards the Goal I remember vividly the math problem from third grade: A snail falls to the bottom of a ten-foot-deep well and every day he crawls two feet uphill to get out but, every night he slides back one foot down the well how many days does it take for the snail to get out of the well? As Christians, we are very much like the snail either advancing forward and becoming more Christ like, or regressing asleep in the light. Paul reminds us of that in this passage. The word used by Paul for pressing on was used to describe a runner going hard to reach the tape at the finish line. The word used for perfected is teliosis which means completed and was the final utterance of Jesus on the cross ( It is finished ). Essential Questions: 1. What is it that Paul is pressing on to attain as he is already justified and righteous (Ephesians 1:13 14 and 2:6) before God? (Romans 8:29 might help.) 2. Commentators are somewhat divided on the value of forgetting those things which are behind. Paul obviously remembers his former sinful state. It seems Paul is advocating selective amnesia remembering some things while forgetting others. What things do you feel Paul is advising us to leave behind? ~ 2 ~

3 3. *One commentator shared about forgetting past achievements in that, while we do find Paul occasionally relating some of his ministry achievements, we don t find him using past victories as an excuse not to press on in the present We should be grateful to God for all of His blessings, recounting them like the psalmists (e.g., Ps 103:1-5), but don t use past victories as an excuse to live complacently today Move on with life in the present season. 1 a. What can you do to avoid living or being stuck back in the glory days, while making every effort in the present count? 4. What are some ways we press on to the goal? a. 1 st Peter 2:1 3 b. Romans 12:1 2 Expanded Question: 5. When the church is under attack from the liberal media, cultists, and other religions, it is heartbreaking to hear of dissension within the body of Christ over minor issues. These dissensions often lead to divisions within the church. According to verses 15 and 16, how should these be resolved? 1 Question taken from Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Philippians, B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, Tenn., 2014 ~ 3 ~

4 Philippians 3:17-21 Citizens of heaven Part of discipleship is behaving in such a manner that new believers should follow your example. I recently heard a pastor say, Walk as I walk, but not as I drive. The image Paul uses here of heavenly citizenship would be very familiar to his readers in Philippi. Philippi, though located 1,200 miles from Rome, was considered a Roman colony. Its citizens were Roman citizens speaking Latin, dressing as Romans, and following Roman customs making them distinctly different from the local population. Essential Questions: 1. Paul tells the Philippians to follow his example. a. What would this mean to you? b. What additional insights do you get from 1 Corinthians 11:1? c. What do you gather from 1 Thessalonians 1:6? 2. Carefully reading verses 18 and 19, what do you think was the doctrinal error(s) of those Paul calls enemies of the cross of Christ? ~ 4 ~

5 3. As followers of Christ, we have dual citizenship, although we reside on planet Earth our true citizenship is in heaven. a. Knowing that, what difference does it make in our daily life? b. A foreign ambassador represents his home country in the land of his temporary residence. What does 2 Corinthians 5:20 teach us about being ambassadors for Christ? Expanded Question: 4. Hebrews 11 is often called the Hall of Faith. It contains a brief reference to the spiritual giants of the Bible. It includes a diverse group of leaders, kings, prophets, and martyrs. One common belief or attitude motivated their actions that landed them in the Hall of Faith. Read Hebrews 11:13 16 and describe their common belief. Lesson 27 Summary/Take Away The purpose of this section is to distill all that we ve studied and learned from the Scripture this week into a single application that we could use in our own walk with the Lord. I can still remember how each man shared, through the filter of their circumstances, how the Spirit convicted them about which portion of the passage to put into practice that week. Now, years later, I am blessed to see how these applications have played out through time in the lives of these men bringing them into greater spiritual maturity as they live the victorious joyful life God intended for His followers. ~ 5 ~

6 Memory Verse [13] Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV) Key Words/Phrases Write out the definition of these key words. You can use a regular dictionary or go to one of the Greek sources listed in the Tool Box at the end of the study. You may also use a concordance to see where else and how the word is used in the Bible. Our Citizenship Is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20) ~ 6 ~

7 MESSAGE NOTES Teacher: 2015 Mark Newton. All rights reserved. Express permission granted for use and reproduction by Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, CA. *Added questions by Warehouse Christian Ministries, Sacramento, CA ~ 7 ~