philippians SUMMER PREACHING SERIES AT MBC MONTGOMERY COUNTY devotional: week 4 PROCLAIMING CHRIST IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES
MONDAY STANDING FIRM PHILIPPIANS 4:1-3 1 Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. 2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. 3 Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. This passage begins with the word therefore. Look back on Day 5 of last week and remember the pastoral warning of Paul in Philippians 3:15-21. After exhorting the believers to stand firm, he now addresses a conflict in the church. Early on in our series we talked about the importance of striving together for the sake of the Gospel. Multiple times throughout the letter to the Philippians Paul speaks of his relationship to the church at Philippi and how they should relate to one another in light of the Gospel. Paul s exhortation to Euodia and Syntche to live in harmony in the Lord should not be overlooked. Though Scripture does not give us the entire story, we do know that a woman named Lydia was one of the first converts in the church at Philippi (Acts 16). For Paul to mention these particular women by name, they must have been well known within the church. The phrase the rest of my fellow workers indicates they were also in some form of leadership. So, what can we learn from these three verses? 1. Mature believers will have conflict. 2. When conflict arises within the church, fellow believers have a role in preserving unity. 3. Conflict should NEVER be allowed to consume our church and take energy away from us striving together for the work of the Gospel. Practically speaking, we need to remember that living the Christian life out in the body of the Church which is comprised of imperfect people, is NOT about us. Part of what makes us so different from the rest of the world is that we are love one another and point a lost and dying world to Christ. When we allow our differences to take our focus off of knowing Christ and making Christ known, we are compromising the work of the Gospel. We need to focus our time on sharing God s love with a dying world, not sitting within the walls of our church consumed with division and strife. God can use our differences if we are willing to surrender them to Him and learn to work together for the sake of the Gospel. 1. Take some time think about your interaction with your church family. Have you allowed differences to take your focus off of working together for the sake of the Gospel? If so, go talk to the person. Deal with the conflict and together seek reconciliation. 2. If you know of conflict within the body of Christ are you spreading the fire or are you encouraging unity? (Proverbs 26:20) Our role should be to silence divisiveness and encourage one another to live in unity. One major way to do this is by silencing those who talk about conflict with others when they should be going to the person directly. Lord, please forgive me for allowing my preferences, my agenda, and my differences with others to detract from the work of your Gospel. Show me how to strive together in unity for Your sake and for Your glory alone. Help me to love and serve others with a Philippians 2 love. 01
TUESDAY THE LORD IS NEAR PHILIPPIANS 4:4-8 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Paul s bringing the letter to a close. Think back on all we have learned about the Philippians, Paul, and the words Paul has spoken to this point. We have seen themes of joy, humility, and realize that everything we need for living well on this earth and in heaven are found in Christ. Let s look at the structure of vs. 4-8. Paul says to rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS and then says it again. Clearly, this is a main point he wants to communicate. But, verse 5 is the foundation of why we can always rejoice. The phrase the Lord is near is also translated the Lord is at hand. The point that drove this point home for me was watching one of my childhood friends lose his battle with cancer a couple of years ago. While he lost the physical battle, he won so much eternally in the way he glorified God during this trial. In the midst of one of his hardest week s of chemo Matt wrote this entry on Philippians 4:5: The odd thing is that I have never quoted or heard anyone quote verse 5! In verse 5, Paul writes: Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; Don t miss this, verse 5 is the only reason verses 4, 6, and 7 exist! Why should I rejoice always? How can I be gentle to everyone? Why should I not be anxious about anything? Why should I pray? How can my requests even reach God? How can I have peace in any situation? Wow! Verse 5 is like a neon sign shining in the dark of night, screaming the answer: The Lord is at hand! Do you understand the magnitude of this small phrase? This morning I asked my 5 year old son to go to his room and get dressed. He said; Daddy, I m scared. Will you go with me? Just my presence alone was enough to give him peace and cast out fear. I remember as a young boy standing on the tailgate of my father s pickup truck and looking down at what I thought at the time was like peering over the edge of the Grand Canyon. My dad would stand about 3 feet away and say to me, Jump! I would respond and say, Come closer Daddy. When my dad had gotten close enough, I was no longer scared and I would jump without hesitation! Sometimes though, I was not comfortable with him just being close. I wanted him to hold my hand while I jumped. You see, much more than me being at hand for my son or my father being at hand for me, The Lord is at hand for us! This means that you and I can rejoice always, be gentle to everyone, not be anxious about anything, know that our prayers are heard, and have peace in any and every situation. The One through whom all things were created and are held together, The One who spoke the galaxies into existence, The One who left heaven and came here to live a perfect life and die a horrible death to pay the penalty of sin for us, The One who purchased your forgiveness and freedom with His own blood, The One who death could not contain, The One who sits at the right hand of the throne of God the Father, The One who mediates our prayers, The One who will return to make right every wrong, The One who will redeem creation, The One who will reign forever, The One who s name will force all of us to our knees and our tongues will have no other choice than to profess...he IS LORD! THAT Lord is at hand! (used by permission from Heather- Matt s wife) Watching Matt s journey profoundly impacted my walk with God. Diagnosis to reunion with his Lord, only spanned 3 short months. Not near enough time to say goodbye to friends, ministry (he was a pastor) or his wife and 3 kids. In the midst of the most grueling, painful, heart wrenching of journeys He CHOSE over and over and over again to keep His focus on Christ and to point others to Christ. In verse 9 Paul states, The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. May it be so with us. May we choose to know our Lord who is at hand and chose to live our lives in that way. 1. In what areas of my life am I failing to live as if the Lord is near? 2. What are some noble, praiseworthy, true, and excellent things that I can focus my heart on? Lord, please show me how to lift my eyes from my circumstances and keep them firmly fixed on you. Help me to live a life that is a reflection of my nearness to You to a world that so desperately needs to know You are near. 02
WEDNESDAY HE IS ENOUGH PHILIPPIANS 4:10-13 10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Not that I speak from what, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. The secret to life is finding our enough in Christ. In Christ alone we see at the times of our greatest need, there is a secret to being filled. When we allow our circumstances (season in life, financial status, career, hardship, etc.) define us we will starve our soul. Our soul thrives on knowing Christ and being known by Christ. The end of the road is always emptiness when we fix our eyes on anything other than Him. Yet so many times, we get caught up in prioritizing our lives for things that do not count for eternity. To understand how Paul can so boldly state I have learned to be content, let s rewind to how the Gospel came to Philippi. Read Acts 16:11-40. In the story of the gospel coming to Philippi we see how God can use one transformed life to change the story of an entire town. God was faithful to Lydia who had been seeking Him by sending Paul s teaching to help her fully realize the gospel. As a result, her entire household came to know Him. We also see that the imprisonment of Paul and Silas resulted in the prison guard and his entire household s salvation. Acts 16:33 makes me want to cry, And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. Envision that passage for a moment. Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison for sharing the gospel. What did Paul and Silas do? They immediately turned their attention heavenward and started praying and singing. As they were worshipping, God delivers them. Did they take his deliverance as an out for their circumstances? No! Instead they kept their eyes faithfully focused on Him. They shared the gospel with the very person who had beaten them and thrown them into jail. Then, the jailer washes their wounds and his entire household is baptized. So many times, we miss God in the midst of our circumstances. We find ourselves in situations where our hearts are in angst and we are crying out for deliverance. Yet, God isn t about our deliverance. Our salvation is secure. Our momentary circumstances are just the bylines of our story. He is about Christ being proclaimed. Sometimes we are delivered from circumstances and Christ is proclaimed, but if we focus on the deliverance, we will miss the opportunity to proclaim Christ. We will also miss the opportunity to experience the deep abiding peace, joy, and contentment that will come if we can shift our focus to the eternal. 1. Where does your identity currently lie? Some questions to consider before you answer: a. Where do you find your worth? b. How do you spend your time and resources? c. When you feel empty where do you turn? 2. Describe a circumstance that has taught you to see Christ as enough apart from your circumstances. Lord, forgive me for seeing enough in these areas (list specific areas) apart from you. Please show me how to truly see Christ as enough by the power of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for the gift of the cross and thank you that because of Christ I can experience complete joy and life to the full (John 10:10) here on earth. 03
THURSDAY PARTNERING FOR THE GOSPEL PHILIPPIANS 4:14-20 14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. 17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. There is such a joy that comes from partnering with others in ministry. Paul and the church at Philippi found a relationship that was enriched because of the sacrificial giving and receiving from both parties. Paul poured himself out for the sake of the gospel because of what he had received in Christ. The church at Philippi responded when they heard of his need. Consider what you have received in Christ. If you need a specific reminder, take a look at Ephesians 1: 3-15 and list out all the things that have been bestowed upon you as a believer. Our response should be to live our lives poured out for the sake of the Gospel. Some descriptions to encourage you to dive into this passage, in Him we are: 1. Chosen 2. Adopted 3. Blessed 4. Beloved 5. Forgiven As you make your list, note not only what you have in Christ, but description of how that identity is bestowed upon you. God lavishes us with His love through Christ. Our response should be to follow Paul s example. Live a life knowing what we have received in Christ and pouring our lives out trusting that in Christ Jesus God will provide everything we need. And bonus, we get to partner with each other and live this way as a church. We can learn how to sacrificially give and receive of our time, resources and relationships so that God is glorified in our ministry. As we seek to build His church, we can rest in knowing it is about God being glorified as we learn to let Christ be enough. 1. Reflect on Ephesians 1 and what you have in Christ - how does this make you feel? 2. How can you prioritize your time, resources, and relationships so they reflect a life that is partnering with others for the sake of the Gospel? Lord, thank you for the reminder of all that I have in Christ. Thank you for how you have lavished me with your love. Please show me how to live a life that reflects what I have received in Christ. 04
FRIDAY INVESTED FOR THE GOSPEL PHILIPPIANS 4:21-23 21 Greet all God s people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings. 22 All God s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar s household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. As we close our time in the book of Philippians, I encourage you to consider what you have learned and how you can continue to apply these truths to your life. Remember our memory verse: Philippians 1:27a Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. These last few verses remind us of the scope of Paul s ministry. Consider the entire letter. Philippians 1 opens with Paul s prayer for the church at Philippi. Philippians 2 encourages them to treat each other with humility and strive to be examples that shine. In Philippians 3 Paul grieves for the enemies of the cross and in Philippians 4 Paul speaks by name of those who have encouraged him in his ministry. These last few verses at the close of this book speak volumes. Paul is sending greetings from one church to another. As he is writing this letter under house arrest in Rome, the believers with him know about the church at Philippi. Did you catch the especially in verse 22? Caesar s household! Once again, Paul had clearly allowed his circumstance of imprisonment to point others to Christ. Everywhere Paul went he was kingdom minded in pouring into the place that he was physically present, but through his letters and prayers he stayed invested in the other churches in his ministry. He longed to be an example of a life that was worthy of the gospel of Christ. What a picture of a life invested for the Gospel. In this world it is so easy to live a distracted life. The world will do everything in it s power to take our focus off of the eternal and keep us mired in the temporal. However, as we consider Philippians 2, we are reminded of Christ s example. He came for the cross in pursuit of us and did not allow anything to distract Him from that purpose. The key to the invested life is Philippians 2:1-11. Our prayer is that the Montgomery County Campus will be a reflection of one body striving to invest in others for the sake of the Gospel, so that we can say the life of our church body reflected the worth of the Gospel of Christ. 1. Consider your life and today s devotional what adjustments do you need to make so that you can live a life invested for the Gospel? 2. Spend some time thanking God for what you have learned the past month. Praise Him for the work He has done on the cross through Christ. Ask for His strength and the courage to continue taking steps toward Him as you process what you have learned. Lord, forgive me living a life that is distracted. Show me one area this week where I can focus on You and live a life invested for the Gospel. Help me to live out of response of Christ s sacrifice for me. 05