The Focused Journey. Introduction Philippians 1:1-11 9/9/2018

Transcription

1 The Focused Journey Introduction Philippians 1:1-11 9/9/2018 Main Idea: Paul s prayer for the Philippians growth in love and quality of character instructs us in praying for ourselves and for others. Lesson Objective: To participate in the work of the LORD. FARMSTEAD BAPTIST CHURCH 1

2 Introduction As your class time begins, use this section to introduce the topic of discussion. Christian Life is a Journey, not an Arrival 1 It has been called the greatest rescue mission of World War II. Late in that war, American bombers were sent on dangerous missions over southern Europe to cripple the Nazis' oil supplies. Hundreds of crews in flying tin cans soared through storms of anti-aircraft shells. Many American pilots were forced to bail from their shot-up planes. The injured airmen drifted by parachute into occupied Yugoslavia, expecting to be captured or killed. Instead, remarkable rescue teams were already in place on the ground. Serbian peasants tracked the path of the floating flight crews. Their sole mission was to grab the flyboys and bring them to safety before the Nazis arrived. Risking their own lives, the peasants fed and sheltered the downed solders. These rescued men were in friendly hands but on enemy soil. They still needed to escape. The story of what became known as Operation Haylard built toward a daring mission, a secret landing strip, and a clandestine evacuation plan. Amazingly, those Serbian peasants rescued every single American airman over 500 in all. Here's the fascinating subplot to the rescue. To travel to the evacuation site, the airmen had to spend weeks following the Serbian freedom fighters, who alone knew the path to the evacuation site. Despite the profound language barriers, the direction, the pace, and the destination were in the hands of their 1 Dave Harvey, Rescuing Ambition, (Crossway, 2010), Taken from illustrations/2010/september/ html FARMSTEAD BAPTIST CHURCH 2

3 rescuers. The men had been saved from their enemy, but the journey had just begun. They still had to walk to freedom. The story of Operation Halyard sheds light on an important spiritual reality: to be rescued from something sets us on the path toward something. For the airmen it was a journey of survival. For us it's a journey of faith. The One who saved us is now calling us to walk. It's non-negotiable. Though snatched from spiritual death, we soon discover that the Christian life isn't an arrival; it's an adventure. Christ rescues us, then he points us to the path of following him. Over the next few months, we will spend our time focusing on the Book of Philippians. As we journey through this book together, we want you to consider learning many Biblical truths that can be used on your life s journey. As we begin our Focused Journey, we want you to prepare properly. The Journey will be hard. Some will have a long way to go and others will not, but everyone has to go on the journey. Our destination is the Kingdom of God. We know how to get there because Jesus has given us the directions, but at times we can get confused with all of the barriers and road signs that plea for us to take a break. But we must keep going. We must stay on the Focused Journey. FARMSTEAD BAPTIST CHURCH 3

4 Grace and Peace 2 Philippians 1:1-2 1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Paul was in prison in Rome, probably about A.D. 63. The Philippian believers had learned of his location and had sent a church member, Epaphroditus, to deliver a gift to him and to stay with him. Epaphroditus had become gravely ill but had recovered, so Paul sent him back with a letter that explained Epaphroditus s early return and gave information about his situation, addressed problems in the church, and expressed appreciation for the Philippian believers support. In the introduction, Paul identified himself and greeted the Philippian believers. His inclusion of Timothy in the greeting does not indicate Timothy cowrote the letter; rather, Timothy was Paul s valued coworker who had been with the apostle in Philippi on the second missionary journey (see Acts 16:1-12). The Philippian Christians knew and respected Timothy. With genuine humility, Paul described himself and Timothy as slaves of Christ Jesus. The Greek word translated slaves literally means bondslaves. The noun probably comes from a verb that means to tie or to bind. A bondslave was totally subservient to his 2 Taken from Opening of Philippians from Lifeway Resources available at FARMSTEAD BAPTIST CHURCH 4

5 master s will. Paul and Timothy were at their Lord s disposal. The phrase Christ Jesus identified Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah and Savior. He addressed his letter to all the saints. The word saint technically means to be set apart. As Christians, we are saints, set apart for God s service and living in the sphere of Christ s love and grace. Saints doesn t refer to an elite category of super-spiritual believers, but to all people redeemed by grace through faith in Christ people set apart for God s service and for living by His lofty standards. We may not feel saintly now, but this is how God views us because we have been justified through Christ. As Christians, we are not only saints, we are also slaves of Christ. As such, we are to live fully given over to Jesus and the spread of His gospel. One of the great paradoxes in the Christian faith is that only through slavery to Christ do we find true freedom. This is a recurring theme in Paul s letters. One of the other themes we ll see in Philippians is Paul s whole-hearted belief that the gospel is more important than everything else in life, whether that be imprisonment, sickness, struggle, relationships, and so on. Paul desired to include all the Philippian believers. He used the word all nine times in his letter perhaps to stress that he excluded no one from his deep love or from his gratitude for the church s expression of care for him. He also may have wanted to underscore at the letter s beginning that the congregation was to be united. The word saints should be understood as a synonym for Christians. All Christians are in Christ Jesus they live in the sphere of His lordship. Paul s phrase in Christ was another way to designate people committed to Christ. Paul included the church s overseers and deacons in his greeting. At this time in church history, these terms primarily designated functions, not offices. FARMSTEAD BAPTIST CHURCH 5

6 Overseers probably were elders older men with leadership responsibilities. Deacons were involved in ministering to church members needs. Paul may have mentioned these church leaders in particular because they had recommended and supervised the collection of the church s gift to him. Paul s consistent prayer for recipients of his letters was grace and peace. Grace is God s undeserved favor His love in action. Peace is wholeness or soundness under His rule. Paul never varied the order of the terms; only on the basis of God s grace is wholeness possible. Through faith in Christ, we become members of His family His children. We live in His compassionate care. Paul s full designation the Lord (Deity) Jesus (Savior) Christ (Messiah) emphasized the Son s role in supplying grace and peace. What title did Paul go by in his greeting to the church at Philippi? What does this title communicate? In your own words, define grace and peace. Why are grace and peace important elements in church fellowship? How are they evident in our church? FARMSTEAD BAPTIST CHURCH 6

7 Partner of the Gospel Philippians 1:3-8 3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version In his conversations with God, Paul remembered his positive, productive experiences with the Philippian Christians. He began by thanking God for them. Paul was thankful because they had remembered him and because he was confident that God would complete the good work in them which he had begun. The word prayer conveys continuous action and has the idea of asking God to meet a need. We can detect a sense of Paul s confidence in the power of prayer. Paul was not merely extending good wishes, but also believed that God would work in their lives. Paul expressed his confidence in the Philippian Christians continued spiritual growth. His certainty was not based on his ability or on their efforts but on God, who had started a good work in them. The beginning of God s good work occurred when the believers placed their faith in Christ. By His grace, God would carry their salvation on to completion (fully finish it). FARMSTEAD BAPTIST CHURCH 7

8 The joy theme is first introduced in the letter here. Paul speaks of more than just a mood. He was referring to a deep confidence that is rooted in God s sovereign control of the universe and the assurance of ultimate victory for those in Christ. Emotional fluctuations would not trouble this source of joy. Note that Paul s imprisonment did not diminish his joy because that joy was grounded in something deeper. 3 What caused Paul the deepest satisfaction was the Philippians partnership in the gospel. The rich term koinōnia denotes participation or fellowship, and expresses a two-sided relation. In its NT uses it includes the believer s participation in the life of God and also the sharing of a common faith. Thus it assumes the existence of a brotherly relationship among believers. The gift was one expression of their partnership, but Paul was grateful and filled with joy over the frequent evidences of the Philippians sharing in the work of the gospel. 4 The gospel was not only the environment of their fellowship, but also its goal. Had it not been for the gospel, they would not have met. Paul generally stated that the tie that bound Christians together was the gospel message. Here, however, the construction suggests that the advancement of the gospel united them. In their support of Paul, they contributed to the work of God in the world through the gospel. When the Philippians were converted, they were given a privilege of promoting the gospel. Through their relationship with Paul, they were true to that aspect of their faith. 5 3 Anthony Lee Ash, Philippians, Colossians & Philemon, The College Press NIV Commentary (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1994), Php 1:4. 4 Homer A. Kent Jr., Philippians, in The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), Richard R. Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, vol. 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), FARMSTEAD BAPTIST CHURCH 8

9 Despite Paul s circumstance, He was still able to have hope for the young Philippian believers. How you do believe Paul was able to remain hopeful? How are you a partner in the Gospel? How can we become more involved in reaching the lost in our community? How can we become more involved in reaching the lost in our world? FARMSTEAD BAPTIST CHURCH 9

10 To the Glory and Praise of God 6 Philippians 1: And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version Having expressed his love for the Philippians, Paul shares his prayer for their pursuit of Christian growth. Having described their love (v. 7), he prays for it to abound. Love is a primary characteristic of Christlikeness. Yet love is more than mere emotion. Love can increase in knowledge and depth of insight. Knowledge is spiritual wisdom found in Scripture. Insight is application of this spiritual wisdom to practical living. Christian love must be rooted in wisdom from God s Word if we are to love both God and man in greater ways. Paul knew what Christian love was like, and he knew there were two areas in which the Philippian church could grow. First, he prayed that their love may abound more and more. Paul was not implying that the church of Philippi had a lack of love for one another, but was praying for them to have even greater love. This prayer was for an ongoing, general growth to be characteristic of their lives. For one to have a mature love, one must be connected to the true source of love- Jesus Christ. When we are close to Him, we receive more of His love in us, and it causes us to mature and grow deeper in love. 6 Taken from Praying for Others from Lifeway Resources available at FARMSTEAD BAPTIST CHURCH 10

11 More than wanting the church to be able to distinguish right from wrong, he specifically prayed that the believers love would mature with knowledge and all discernment. Paul wanted them to choose the best. The Philippian Christians ability to distinguish the excellent from the merely good would enable them to be pure and blameless in the day of Christ. Discernment here is the ability to discriminate, to examine or test things that differ. As we mature as Christians, our abilities to make choices should improve. We are to base our decisions on Scripture so that the best way is selected. The best way is both moral and ethical before God. The meaning of the Greek word translated approve means to test something by trial. It was used to describe the process of testing gold or silver to verify that they were authentic. The term Paul used for pure is a compound word made up of the Greek noun for sun and the verb for to judge. It suggests the process of holding something up to the light of the sun for the purpose of judging or inspecting it. Some things can appear unblemished until examined in the glow of the sun or a bright light, at which point one often discovers previously unseen flaws. Paul s prayer was not for the appearance of purity, but for a true purity that would withstand the closest scrutiny under the discerning inspection of Jesus. Paul wanted his friends to be filled with the fruit of righteousness the qualities that righteousness produces in believers. Righteousness is a right relationship with God through faith in Christ. In that relationship, Christ indwells believers and works to cause their lives to reflect His character. Believers are to be filled with the spiritual qualities that righteousness produces, so that God will be glorified and praised. God s glory is His redemptive character revealed. Behind the Greek word is the Hebrew term that means heavy in weight. The FARMSTEAD BAPTIST CHURCH 11

12 verb form means to give weight to in the sense of recognizing value or importance. We glorify God when our lives give evidence of His redemptive power and draw others to Him. We praise God when we recognize His redemptive character and express our gratitude. When this pattern is observed, our lives are pure and blameless. These words do not mean perfection or sinlessness. They refer to our motives. Paul prays that these Christians would develop a genuine lifestyle, without hypocrisy, before God and men. As in 1:7, the day of Christ refers to the time when Christ will come for all true believers His church. Since we do not know when this event might occur, an incentive for living a pure and blameless lifestyle is living unashamed before Christ, should he choose to come at a time when we least expect him. We are to be ready at all times to face him. As with his first petition, Paul included the result he desired from his prayer the glory and praise of God. Our efforts toward purity, toward blamelessness and being beyond reproach (Titus 2:8), and toward fruitfulness are not to be for our own reputation or recognition, but to give honor and praise to God. The fruit of righteousness is Christian character or moral qualities that glorify God. Paul described these inner characteristics in Galatians 5:22-23 as the fruit of the Spirit. Our righteousness comes through our faith in Christ. As he transforms our lives, we become more like him. A relationship with Christ is necessary to achieve fruit in the Christian life. Therefore, since God is at work in us, the glory and praise belong not to us, but to God. How does your love for other believers need to grow? What can you do to facilitate that growth? FARMSTEAD BAPTIST CHURCH 12

13 Pure, blameless, and filled with the fruit of righteousness which of these is the greatest need in your life right now? Why do you conclude that? Paul did not tie the glory and praise of God to an event (i.e. Sunday morning worship) but to the day-in-and-day-out character of believers. On this basis, what would it require of you to glorify and praise God more than you currently do? FARMSTEAD BAPTIST CHURCH 13