PHILIPPIANS EXHORTATIONS

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Stephen Banks
5 years ago
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1 PHILIPPIANS EXHORTATIONS Review: Jesus is fully God and fully man o He experienced all that we might experience o His humanity enables us to begin to understand how incredible His life, His suffering and His sacrificial work on the cross truly are His humanity makes Him uniquely qualified to intercede in our behalf In forgiveness In faith In strength His example of humility through the eyes of Paul give us some insight into what it means to live a Christian life o Paul now ramps up his message of Living the Christian life 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, Grumbling/Murmuring.a quiet internal argument with God. The arguments you have with God that you keep to yourself. Complaining about circumstances Disputing.questioning what is true a reference back to the Jews in the wilderness o Complained to Moses o Complained to God All was provided to them by God s grace then Not relying on my strength but Christ s Word 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Day of Christ rapture 1 Thessalonians 4:13 18 (ESV) 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

2 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. Paul has great ease finding joy, knowing he has served God well, not wasting time or energy Even if he were to face execution he could do so with joy, knowing he has done his best serving God. He longs for them to be able to have that same joy and confidence TIMOTHY 19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also. EPAPHRODITUS 25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.

3 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. Sending Epaphroditus back as a healthy man would give the Philippians great joy They loved him as a brother and as a missionary doing the work for Christ they could not do. Paul has given the Philippians three examples of how to serve Christ himself, Timothy and Epaphroditus..foundations for the Christian living instructions he is next to deliver. PHILIPPIANS 3 1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Rejoice in the Lord o to rejoice exceedingly. o Immersed in Him This is to be a full-time deal a continuous state of mind not occasionally but at every opportunity o What do you feel that might accomplish in your life? o Where are your areas of no joy getting in the way of your SPIRITUAL WORSHIP (Romans 12:1-2) safe for you o These instructions were to safeguard them from some of the known threats and distractions LOOK OUT FOR THE DOGS 2 Look out for the dogs (metaph. a man of impure mind, an impudent man.), look out for the evildoers (troublesome, injurious, destructive), look out for those who mutilate the flesh. (ar reference to circumcision) The Judaizers gave Paul the most grief. They embraced salvation but insisted that it had to be paired with Law o Foremost was circumcision an essential outward sign of covenant with God

4 Genesis 17:9 14 (ESV) 9 And God said to Abraham, As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant. Paul is exhorting them to keep focused on the unique nature of God s grace and salvation by faith not works of o Circumcision o Baptism o Keeping of feasts and holidays 1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV) 22 And Samuel said, Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the absolute doctrine he fat of rams. The Absolute Doctrines Of The Church Areas where today s church must Look out for the dogs 1. Theology - The Trinity: God is one "What" and three "Whos" with each "Who" possessing all the attributes of Deity and personality. 2. Christology - The Person of Jesus Christ: Jesus is 100% God and 100% man for all eternity. 3. Eschatology - The Second Coming: Jesus Christ is coming bodily to earth to rule and judge. 4. Soteriology - Salvation: It is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. 5. Bibliology - The Scripture: It is entirely inerrant and sufficient for all Christian life. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh Writing to Gentiles, Paul made it clear that he and they were the true circumcision. This was because they had no confidence in the flesh and instead worshiped by the Spirit of God and gloried in Christ Jesus alone..[bkc]

5 Paul now make a sarcastic argument; 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. He lays out his credentials that would get attention and respect from men knowing they are of little value in eternity 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith This is Paul s personal example of emptying It s not that Paul doesn t value the stuff of life a warm bed, friendships, a savory leg of lamb. It s that he has learned to not value them above Christ o If we can gain that perspe4cvtive I believe we can more easily make righteous decisions.not distracted by the worldly passions. Next week, Paul states what that attitude accomplished for him

In My Absence. Phil. 2:12-30

In My Absence. Phil. 2:12-30 In My Absence Phil. 2:12-30 Paul Desired the Philippians To continue their faithful obedience To serve in a way that would cause him joy whether he lived or died To benefit from the ministry of faithful