Jesus live for EIGHT STUDIES IN PHILIPPIANS
Introduction 1 1 when you feel alone 2 2 when you feel afraid 5 3 when you d rather get ahead 8 4 when you d rather stay the same 11 5 when you re already good 14 6 when you re already satisfied 18 7 when you ve got worries 21 8 when you ve got money 24
LIVE FOR JESUS Whatever happens, act as citizens worthy of the gospel of Christ. Philippians 1:27 INTRODUCTION Philippi was no ordinary Greek city. It was founded by the Roman Empire as their colonial base in Greece. It was their Rome away from Rome (pardon the pun). If you lived in Philippi, that brought the privilege of having a special place in the Roman Empire. But for all those who d heard the preaching of the Apostle Paul, and who now believed in Jesus, that was a big problem. The start of the problem was the Gospel Paul preached. Not everyone thought it was good news. In many different nations, to many different people, Paul announced: Jesus is the true Saviour and King of the whole world. Of course, some people believed him. They gathered together into little communities in various cities throughout the Roman empire. Philippi was one. But most people hated Paul s announcement. Jewish authorities arrested and beat Paul. They hated him preaching that even Jews needed Jesus to save them from their sins. They especially hated his claim that Jesus can save non-jews in just the same way! Roman authorities imprisoned and tortured Paul. They hated him preaching that Jesus is the ultimate King. That claim was reserved for the Roman Emperor! In fact, it was one of these imprisonments that led Paul to write to the followers of Jesus he d left behind in Philippi. That s the problem Paul s letter addresses. As Paul dictates this letter to the Philippians, and Timothy writes it down for him, Paul sits chained hand and foot in a Roman prison cell, probably in Rome itself, the capital of the empire. And the Philippian Christians are close friends with Paul, followers of Jesus living in a Rome away from Rome. What s going to happen to Paul? What s going to happen to them? What will it look like to live for Jesus now? Should they live for Jesus now that it s so obviously dangerous and unpopular? You may have noticed, Australian society today is rapidly turning against the Christian message. The idea that Jesus is the only saviour from sin and the ultimate authority over everyone is a message which is now not just ignored but increasingly despised. So how should followers of Jesus respond? With despair, or with joy? By compromising, or by standing firm together? By finding other forms of validity in our society, or by focusing even more exclusively on Jesus? What will it mean to live for Jesus now? Should we live for Jesus now? Each study begins with a quote on living for Jesus, to get the mental juices flowing. Then each study has four sections on a part of Paul s letter: explore, explain, experience, express. It s my prayer that no matter what s happening around us, no matter what everyone else values, no matter what we each face personally, we ll each come to understand, and really feel what Paul meant when he said: For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). Jeremy Wales August 2015 1
1 EXPLORE Listen to or read Philippians 1:1-11, listening for Paul s mood. 1. Paul is currently in chains (v7, 14, 17), away from his friends, quite likely facing death (v20). How do you think you d you feel in the same situation? 2. According to v3-4, how does Paul feel when he remembers his friends in Philippi? 3. What is it about the Philippians that makes Paul feel that way? v5 v6 4. What does Paul pray for them? v9 v10 v11 2
EXPLAIN 5. How would you reconcile Paul s prayer in v9-11 with his joy in v3-6? 6. How would this opening of the letter encourage the Philippians to keep going in Jesus? Paul partners with the Philippians in the gospel by praying for them, letting them know how much he needs them, and encouraging them to go even further in living for Jesus. 7. So how do they partner with him? Each person find one of the ways and report back. 1:19 1:27-30 2:14-16 2:25 4:14-16 3
EXPERIENCE 8. Are you partnering in the gospel with anyone? Who are you partnering with and who s partnering with you? 9. Do you find joy in gospel partnership like Paul did? Why or why not? 10. What holds us back from partnering with each other in the gospel? 11. How could we deepen our partnership in the gospel with each other? EXPRESS 12. Think of and write down someone you know who needs to hear more about Jesus. You can keep praying for them through this series. Your group can partner with you in praying for them now. 13. How could we adapt Paul s prayer for the Philippians to be our prayer for each other? 4