Joyful Thanksgiving. Philippians 1:3-8

Transcription

1 Philippians 1:3-8

2 In Paul s letter to the Philippians, there s this great overarching theme about being in Christ. Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

3 Philippians 3:8 I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

4 Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In Philippians 1:11, Paul told the Philippians that his prayer was that they would be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.

5 In Philippians 3:1, Paul urged his readers to rejoice in the Lord. In Philippians 3:3, he said that those who are in Christ, glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.

6 In Philippians 4:7, Paul told the Philippians that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. In Philippians 4:1, Paul told his readers to stand firm in the Lord.

7 In Philippians 4:19, Paul gives the Philippians great assurance by telling them that God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. As we study Philippians, it s vitally important that we focus on the idea of being in Christ.

8 Philippians 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, When we have the mind of Christ, we will be servants who place the interests of others above our own personal interests.

9 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.

10 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.

11 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. Paul had originally visited Philippi somewhere around 50 AD. He wrote Philippians from prison, probably in Rome, around 62 AD.

12 Paul didn t dwell on what he wasn t able to do. Instead, he did what he could do, and did it with great joy in his heart. Paul began his letter with a very warm and loving expression to his fellow believers.

13 Philippians 1:3-5 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.

14 Paul begins by letting the Philippians know how deeply he feels for them. Philippians 1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

15 Paul s thankfulness and joy are for every single person in the church. When we are in Christ, we don t simply pick and choose who we re going to be thankful for.

16 Our heart s desire should be to have the mind of Christ at all times. Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.

17 Philippians 2:3-4 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

18 Philippians 1:3-5 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.

19 The word partnership comes from the Greek word koinonia (koi-nō-nēʹ-ä). At its heart, koinonia (koi-nō-nēʹ-ä) is about contributing to, participating with, and investing in others.

20 The heart of true fellowship is that individuals, with a shared vision, give of themselves in order to accomplish their goal together. From the first time Paul had visited Philippi, the Philippians were personally involved with his ministry.

21 Philippians 1:6 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. This is almost a definition of what a real Christian is. D. A. Carson

22 Paul is thankful because he s confident that the Philippians are genuine followers of Christ. Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

23 We need to continually press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). In Philippians 3:10, Paul stated that his desire was to share in the sufferings of Christ and to even be like Him in His death.

24 Philippians 1: For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

25 Philippians 1:6 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.

26 Philippians 1:7-8 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.

27 Disunity always causes damage to the body of Christ, because it fails to reflect the mind of Christ. Philippians 1:8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

28 Paul s love and affection for the Philippians came from being in Christ. His prayer was that the Philippians would exhibit the same love for each other.

29 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.

30 Being filled with the fruit of righteousness is the same thing as being filled with the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love