Philippians - Session 12


Philippians Study – Session 12
(Philippians 3:1-11)

            The famous Westminster Catechism defines the chief purpose of humanity as “…glorifying God and enjoying Him forever.”  In other words, our primary purpose is to live in relationship with our Creator.  Augustine, the 4th century philosopher/theologian described us as being created with a God-shaped blank in our heart and he said our heart is restless until it finds its rest in God.  The creation story in Genesis makes it clear that we were created to live in fellowship or relationship with God.  In that beautiful story, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were driven from the Garden of Eden.  And that symbolizes the loss of fellowship with God that all humanity experiences because of the choice we all have made to disobey rather than obey.  The Bible calls that choice sin, and the result of sin is that we are estranged from God.  The great quest of all humanity is how to enter into or to renew our broken relationship with God that is the result of our sin.
            Historically, all efforts to restore the broken relationship between humanity and God can be divided into to large categories.
  1. Some say the relationship can be restored on the basis of what we do.  This is the way of works.  Just do enough good things and God will accept you back into fellowship with Him.  This method emphasizes self-righteousness.
  2. Others say the relationship can be restored only on the basis of what God has done on our behalf in the person of Jesus Christ.  This is the way of grace.  This method emphasizes God’s righteousness.
            From my understanding of Scripture, it seems clear to me that this second method is the way to restore our relationship with God.  As I see it, only two things are required to renew our broken relationship with our Creator.
  1. We have to let go of something.  Essentially, we have to let go of the idea that we can do anything to mend the broken relationship between God and us.  There is nothing we can do to be worthy of being accepted back into God’s good graces.  As the Scripture stays in Romans 3:9 – “There is none righteous, not even one…” and in Romans 3:23 – “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”  To restore our broken relationship with God we must divest ourselves of the idea that we can somehow earn our way back into God’s favor by our actions.
  2. We have to cling to something.  Essentially, we have to cling to or accept into our lives what Romans 3:22 describes as “…the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ…” 
I share all that because it has a direct bearing on our understanding of the first part of Philippians 3 at which we are going to look in this session.  In the first eleven verses of Philippians 3, Paul speaks of that of which he had let go and of that to which he clung in order to restore his broken relationship with God.

Philippians 3:1-7 – In these verses Paul says, in effect, that to enter into personal relationship with God he had to let go of the idea that he could earn that relationship through his own efforts.
Verse 1“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.  To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.”
“finally” – This is not the final finally of  Philippians!  He uses the same word again in 4:8. 
“rejoice in the Lord” – This is a repetition of the command in 2:18, thus the statement at the end of this verse about writing “the same things again…”
Verse 2 – This verse refers to a group of Jews in the early church who were insisting that for Gentiles to become followers of Christ, they first had to become Jewish proselytes and submit to the rite of circumcision.  When the gospel first began to spread to non-Jewish people, that caused a great controversy in the church.  In Acts 15 a conference was held in Jerusalem of the key church leaders to address this issue.  The consensus was that Gentiles did not need to submit to the rites of Judaism to become followers of Christ.  But that did not satisfy some of the Christians who came from a Jewish background and they continued pressing the issue wherever Paul ministered.  Much of Paul’s writings in the New Testament and virtually the entire book of Galatians, were written to counter these people who were teaching that salvation required both law and grace.  In this verse Paul says some very strong things about this group that became known as Judaizers.
“beware” – The repeated use of this word, which means to be on guard or watch out for, adds strength to this statement.
In this verse Paul uses three very strong terms to describe these people who had infected the early church and who were teaching that a non-Jewish person, a Gentile, could not become a Christian without first becoming a Jew.
“dogs” – The orthodox Jews would sometimes refer to Gentiles as dogs.  Paul turns the tables on them and uses this pejorative term against them.  One writer says that like dogs “…these Judaizers snapped at Paul’s heals and followed him from place to  place ‘barking’ their false doctrines.  They were troublemakers and carriers of dangerous infection.” [Wiersbe, p.93]
“evil workers” – They were teaching the Gentiles were saved by works plus faith.  The good works they were advocating were actually evil because they were barriers to people coming into fellowship with God.  They did not understand the basic Christian truth that good works are the result of salvation, not the cause.  Or, as Dr. Curtis Vaughn put it, good works are the fruit, not the root, of salvation.
“false circumcision” – This is actually a play on words in the Greek that does not translate well into English.  The word translated “false circumcision” actually means mutilation.  These people were teaching that Gentiles had to become Jewish proselytes and be circumcised before becoming Christians.  Paul is saying their teaching is false and that no external religious practice—be it circumcision or baptism or tithing or taking the Lord’s Supper—is sufficient to cleanse a person from his/her sins.  Those who advocate such are spiritual mutilators!
Verse 3 – In this verse Paul contrasts himself with the false teachers of verse 2. 
“true circumcision” – As opposed to those who mutilate the idea of salvation by grace through faith by insisting on physical circumcision to gain God’s approval, Paul focuses on the condition of one’s heart. (see Romans 2:28-29)
“worship in the Spirit of God” – Instead of relying on his outward works, Paul casts himself on the mercy of God.
“glory in Christ Jesus” -  Those who depend on their works for salvation quite naturally are always looking at their works and finding comfort in them.  Those who depend on Christ for salvation quite naturally look to Him and glory in His work.
“put no confidence in the flesh” – Paul normally uses the term “flesh” not to mean our physical body but our old, sinful nature.  He is saying here that there is nothing we can do in and of ourselves to restore our broken fellowship with God.  We are incapable of dealing with our sin problem in our own strength.
Verse 4 In this verse Paul turns the tables on the Judaizers.  In effect he says, “Okay.  If you want to insist that we can earn salvation by what we do, I have done as much, if not more than anyone.  If anyone has a right to think they could be dedicated enough to gain God’s approval, I have that right!”
Verses 5-6 – In these verses Paul makes an impressive list of his accomplishments. 
“circumcised the eighth day” - Converts to Judaism were circumcised in adulthood...descendants of Ishmael were circumcised at age 13...only pure-blooded Jews were circumcised on the 8th day...stresses the fact that Paul was born into the Jewish faith and had known its privileges and observed its ceremonies since  birth...
“of the nation Israel” - When Jews wanted to stress their special relationship with God, it was the word “Israelite” they used... in using the word “Israel” Paul was saying he could trace his ancestry back to Abraham through Abraham’s son Isaac, the father of Jacob who was renamed by God, Israel...that ancestry was considered superior to those who were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother, or Ishmael, Abraham’s other son...
“of the tribe of Benjamin” - Not only was he a true Israelite, he  belonged to the elite tribe of Israel...Benjamin was the child of Jacob and Rachel...he was the only one of the 12 patriarchs to be born in the Promised Land...this was the tribe from which Saul came, the first King of Israel...
“a Hebrew of Hebrews” - Some debate about what this phrase means, but probably referring to fact that Paul retained his Jewish culture and continued speaking the Hebrew language though the world in his day was dominated by Greek culture...
“as to the law, a Pharisee” - To the Jews of the 1st century, a Pharisee was one who had reached the absolute pinnacle of religious achievement...the Pharisees were orthodox in their doctrine and meticulously faithful in carrying-out their religious duties...Pharisees were considered the religious elite...if anyone were going to heaven, it would be the Pharisees...
“a persecutor of the church” - May seem strange that Paul would list this as an achievement...but point he is making is that he was so zealous for Judaism, he was intent on destroying by any means its opponents...
“as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless” - There was no part of the law as interpreted by Paul’s peers in which he was lacking...
Point of all that is that in eyes of his family, his friends, and those who trained him, Paul was a model person.  He was no doubt admired, respected, looked up to, and emulated by others.  However, none of that was enough to restore his broken relationship with God.
Verse 7 is an amazing verse.  Paul says that all the things that he once valued so highly, the things for which he had striven for all of his life, he had to give up.  He “counted as loss” those things “for the sake of Christ.”  The word translated “counted” in verse 7 and used twice again in verse 8 carries the idea of evaluating or assessing.  Paul looked at his life realized he was depending on the wrong thing to restore his broken fellowship with God.  That relationship could never be restored on the basis of what Paul did.  It was restored on the basis of faith or belief in sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf.

Philippians 3:8-11 -  In these verses Paul tells us what he gained as a result of his faith commitment to Jesus.  He says he gained three things:
1.      He gained a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus
1.      The essence of being a Christian is living in relationship with Christ...just as it is impossible to understand—
--marriage apart from the husband/wife relationship...
--parenthood apart from the parent/child relationship...
it is impossible to understand Christianity apart from the relationship between an individual believer and Christ...what does it mean to be--
--married?...means to have a personal relationship with your husband or wife...
--parent?...means to have a personal relationship with your son or daughter...
--Christian?...means to have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ...to know Him and be known by Him...
2.      Twice in the verses just read Paul refers to that intimate relationship Christians have with Christ...
--in v.8 speaks of “the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord...”
--in v.10 describes the goal of his life with the statement “that I may know Him...”
...and the words translated “knowing” in v.8 and “know” in v.10 come from a word which almost always refers to more than merely intellectual knowledge...it refers to the kind of knowledge which comes as a result of personal experience...it’s a knowledge which operates not just in the realm of the intellect or the mind...instead, this kind of knowledge also operates in the realm of the emotion  or the heart...
3.      In the Septuagint, the Greek version of the OT used in NT times) this word was used to describe the intimate relationship between a husband and wife such as in the statement, “Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived and bore Cain.” [Gen.4:1]...and when Paul uses this word to describe our relationship with Christ he is saying, “One of the things we have gained as Christians is an intimate, close, personal relationship with Christ.”
2.      He gained righteousness
1.      “Righteousness” is one of the great words of the NT, used more than 90 times...the root of the word carries the idea of being correct or innocent...in the NT to be “righteous” means to be “right with or innocent before God”...and that was the goal of Paul’s life...
2.      In v.9 Paul uses the word “righteousness” two times and in doing so sums up the NT teachings on the subject...
--in first part of verse 9 speaks of “...not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law...” - Before coming to faith in Christ, Paul tried to gain “rightness” with God or God’s approval through his own efforts...he thought if he kept enough laws and rules and regulations, observed enough religious rituals, persecuted enough Christians he could earn or merit righteousness...but none of that worked...
--in the last part of verse 9 speaks of “...the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith...” - NT teaches over and over again that being right with God does not come as a result of what we do...it is the result of what Jesus did on our behalf...the only way to right standing with God is through accepting by faith what Jesus accomplished for us through His life, death, and resurrection...
3.   We don’t earn righteousness...it is conferred on us, given to us as a gift from God...it’s one of those things we gain in Christ...
3.      He gained resurrection power
1.      Twice, once in v.10 and once in v.11, Paul makes a reference to the resurrection...
--in v.10 speaks of knowing “the power of His resurrection...”


--in v.11 speaks of attaining “the resurrection from the dead...”

2.      Without question, the key event of Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus...it is what sets Christianity apart from all other world religions...and Paul reminds us here that because of the resurrection, we have gained two things...

--first, have gained power for living today...that’s the idea behind the phrase “the power of His resurrection”...we have available to us the same power which raised Jesus from the dead...[read  about an event which happened in a New Year’s Day Tournament of Roses parade...one of the beautiful, flower covered floats suddenly sputtered and came to a complete stop because it was out of gas...and ironically, the float which ran out of gas was sponsored by one of our nations’ major oil companies...think of the irony of that....] but, that’s no more ironic than Christians, we have the very power of God in their lives, going through life dejected, defeated, and discouraged...the next time you--

--get discouraged...

--feel like can’t go on...

--are up against what appears to be insurmountable barrier...

remember that you have in your life the same power which raised Jesus from the dead...

--second, because of His resurrection we have the assurance that we too are destined for a resurrection from the dead...the blessed hope that we have as Christians is that our existence is not confined to this world...we have the assurance for ourselves and our loved ones that their is life beyond this life...for believers, death is not defeat, it is victory...

Philippians - Session 11


Philippians Study – Session 11

(Philippians 2:19-29)

A Bible Study Led by Dr. Larry Reynolds
Denton, TX


In these verses we are introduced to two people.  One plays a key role in the New Testament and the other makes only a cameo appearance only in the book of Philippians.  Verses 19-24 focus on Timothy.  There was no person closer to or more valuable to the Apostle Paul than Timothy. 

·        Timothy is mentioned approximately 20 times in Paul’s letters. 

·        Two of Paul’s letters in are addressed specifically to him. 

·        2 Timothy 4 indicates that Paul viewed Timothy as his successor in the faith, expecting Timothy to carry-on the work he began.

We know quite a bit about Timothy. 

·        He was the product of a mixed marriage.  His father was Greek and his mother was Jewish. 

·        He did not grow up in one of the major political or educational or religious centers of the 1st century world like Rome or Alexandria or Jerusalem.  He was from the area of Derbe and Lystra and Iconium, rather small, insignificant towns in Asia Minor.  

·        He was not educated in a prestigious school as was Paul who studied under Gamaliel in Jerusalem. 

·        He was not by nature a very aggressive person.  As matter of fact seemed to be rather timid and retiring.

Verses 25-29 focus on Epaphroditus.  In contrast to Timothy, we know almost nothing about Epaphroditus.  We do not know whether he was married or single/young or old/rich or poor/educated or illiterate.  He is mentioned by name only twice in the Bible, both times in Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi.  When the Christians in Philippi heard that Paul was in prison, they sent gifts to Paul to help him during that difficult time.  Epaphroditus, a member of the Philippian church, was selected to deliver the gifts.  In Philippians 4:18 Paul tells them, “I have received everything in full, and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent...”  Having received the gifts Epaphroditus delivered, Paul sent him back to Philippi, probably bearing the letter to the Philippians.

            I think there is a reason Paul spends 11 verses at the end of chapter 2 of Philippians focusing on Timothy and Epaphroditus.  At the beginning of this chapter he wrote of the importance of living an others-centered life as opposed to a self-centered life.  Timothy and Epaphroditus are shining examples of what an others-centered life looks like.



Timothy – Philippians 2:19-24

Timothy shows us three characteristics of an others-centered life.

An others-centered life genuinely cares about others

1.      Florence Nightingale was born into a wealthy, aristocratic English family...very early in her life she began to think of becoming a nurse...in those days nurses were looked upon as questionable women with questionable motives...her parents were horrified at the thought of her being a nurse and attempted to discouraged her at every turn...her fiancé was also appalled at the idea...but Florence Nightingale left her family and walked away from the man she loved to train as a nurses...when asked to explain her actions she simply said, “My mind is absorbed with the idea of the sufferings of [people].” [Brian’s Lines, July/Aug. 2001, p.15] 

2.      I think Timothy would have understood her sentiment...notice what Paul says about Timothy in the last part of v.20...he tells the Philippians that Timothy “...will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.”...the emphasis in that statement is on the word “genuine”…Timothy’s caring for others was not forced or artificial or pretend.  He had an unfeigned interest in the welfare of others. 

An others-centered life is unselfish


1        V.21 is a sad verse...it contrasts Timothy with the other Christians around Paul when he wrote this letter...of those surrounding him Paul says, “For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus...”...what a tragic thing...instead of being able to see the larger picture, their only concern was what interested and what would benefit them...instead of having a kingdom vision, they had a selfish vision…they—

--didn’t care what others thought; they only cared what they thought...

--weren’t concerned with what others needed; they were only concerned with their own needs...

--weren’t concerned with what was best for the larger body; they selfishly pushed their own narrow agendas...

2.      Timothy had the kind of unselfish heart which enabled him to put aside his personal preferences, desires, biases, tastes for the larger good...and how rare it is to find such a person and how needed in our world!

An others-centered life is humble


1.   In v.22 Paul says a wonderful thing about Timothy...he says, “...he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.”...in other words, Timothy willing to let Paul have the upper hand...Timothy was characterized by a humility which made him perfectly content to serve in the shadow of Paul...

3.      And, contrary to popular opinion, Paul was characterized by that same kind of spirit...

--notice how he worded v.22...not, “Timothy served me...” but Timothy “served with me”...that is, “Timothy served alongside me...”...even though Timothy was content to serve under Paul, Paul elevated him to a position of equality with him...

--and then back in v.20 Paul described Timothy as a “kindred spirit” with him...that word is a compound word literally meaning “equaled souled”...

And while Paul could have easily placed himself in a position of authority and superiority over Timothy, his son in the faith, he graciously elevated Timothy to his level...

4.       In the book A Call to Excellence there’s a beautiful story about D.L. Moody, the famous evangelist...he invited a group of pastors from Europe to a Bible conference in the states...following the European custom of the time,  each guest put his shoes outside his room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. But of course this was America and there were no hall servants.  Walking the dormitory halls that night, Moody saw the shoes and determined not to embarrass his brothers. He mentioned the need to some ministerial students who were there, but met with only silence or pious excuses. Moody returned to the dorm, gathered up the shoes, and, alone in his room, the world’s only famous evangelist began to clean and polish the shoes. Only the unexpected arrival of a friend in the midst of the work revealed the secret.  When the foreign visitors opened their doors the next morning, their shoes were shined. They never know by whom.[Gary Inrig, A Call to Excellence, (Victor Books, a division of SP Publ., Wheaton, Ill; 1985), p. 98]



Epaphroditus – Philippians 2:25-29

Notice what Paul says about Epaphroditus in the last part of v.29....”...hold men like him in high regard...”...in other words, Paul is saying, “Here is someone you can look up to...someone after whom you can model your lives.”...what was there in the life of Epaphroditus that made him such a good role model for others? 



Epaphroditus was a balanced Christian

1        In verse 25 Paul describes Epaphroditus with three phrases - “...my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier...”...each of those phrases emphasizes an important part of the Christian life…

·        Fellowship or relationships with other believers...he was a “brother”...

·        Service and ministry - He didn’t sit on the sideline...he did his share...he was a “fellow worker”... 

·        Defending the faith against attacks from those who would tear it down...put his life on the line for the gospel...he was a  “fellow soldier”...

2.      However, the special thing about Epaphroditus is that while he was a—

·        “brother” who enjoyed fellowship with other Christians, his entire focus wasn’t just on fellowship...

·        “fellow worker” who understood the importance of serving, his entire focus wasn’t just on serving...

·        “fellow soldier” who willingly defended the faith, his entire focus wasn’t just on defending the faith...

Epaphroditus had the unique ability of keeping these three expressions of the Christian life in balance in his life...

3.      It is deadly for us to lose our balance in the spiritual realm of life...if we get out of balance and  focus too much on —

·        The fellowship side of the Christian life we can become self-centered and elitist and superficial...

·        The ministry side of the Christian life we can become prideful and even develop a “poor me, look how much I do” martyr complex...

·        Defending the faith against every real or supposed, we can become negative, mean-spirited, always striking out at or attacking others...



Epaphroditus was a committed Christian

1        At the end of v.25 Paul says a lovely thing about Epaphroditus... he describes him with this phrase: “...minister to my need”... the word translated “minister” in that phrase is not the word normally translated minister or servant in the NT...that word is diakonos from which our word deacon comes...the word Paul used in v.25 is  leitourgos...in using that word, Paul was communicating a special truth about Epaphroditus which the Christians in 1st century Philippi would have immediately understood...

2.      This word was used in two specific ways in the ancient world—

--in a religious sense was used to refer to service in a temple...our word liturgy comes from this word...taken that way, Paul would be saying that as Epaphroditus carried out his ministry to Paul, he was in the process performing an act of service to God...

--in the secular sense was used to refer to someone who went beyond the call of duty in public service...in ancient days wealthy people would undertake at their own expense certain civic projects...it might be financing a public play or outfitting a warship or paying a crew to serve on a ship...the word leitourgos was used to describe a significant act of generosity...taken that way, Paul would be saying, “Epaphroditus is a man who has done something significant, something important in ministry...you would do well to imitate him.”



Epaphroditus was a compassionate Christian

1        Like Timothy, Epaphroditus was concerned about others...he, too, was one of those people who was focused more on the needs of others than his own needs...

2.       While he was in Rome with Paul, Epaphroditus became ill...some speculate that perhaps he fell victim to the notorious Roman fever which sometimes swept through the city killing hundreds of people [Barclay, p.61]...his illness was so severe that Paul says in v.27, “...he was sick to the point of death...”

3.      But the interesting thing here is Epaphroditus’ reaction to his illness...he wasn’t concerned for himself...he was concerned because he knew his Christian friends back in Philippi would be worried about him...Paul tells the Philippians in v.25 that Epaphroditus was “...distressed...”...that word carries the idea of bearing a great burden, being heartsick...it’s the word used to describe what Jesus felt the night before his crucifixion as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane...and why was he “distressed?”...v.25 tells us he was distressed because the his friends in Philippi “...had heard that he was sick...”

4.      And that little statement speaks volumes about the kind of person Epaphroditus was...instead of viewing his illness as an opportunity to draw attention to himself, he viewed it as an opportunity to express concern for others...



Epaphroditus was a courageous Christian

1        V.30 speaks of Epaphroditus “risking his life”...that phrase probably refers to more than just the illness Epaphroditus contracted...more than likely it refers to the risk he took in being openly associated with Paul, a Roman prisoner who could be executed...      

2.      The word translated “risking” to stick one’s neck out...to take a chance...Epaphroditus was not a man who played it safe...

--he willingly made the risky journey from Philippi to Rome, along the way guarding and protecting the gifts the church was sending to Paul...

--upon arriving in Rome, he freely and openly associated with Paul, even though he risked sharing Paul’s fate for doing so...

3.       There’s a lesson in that for us...one writer put it this way: “Too often too many of us play it safe.  Fear of failure keeps us from stretching and breaking new ground for Christ.  We need to realize that trying and failing is not as bad as not trying at all.  Living in a world of radical change and great need, we must be willing to use that change to meet those needs in the name of Christ.” [Harbour, Notes on Philippians]

4.      Christianity needs more people like Epaphroditus...people who are willing to take risk to break new ground in doing God’s work in the world....

Conclusion

1.      Philippians 2 is one of the great chapters in the Bible.  Every person lives either by Philippians 2:4 (“...do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others...”)  or Philippians 2:21 (“For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.”)...

2.      The last paragraph of this great chapter tells us that Timothy and Epaphroditus were Philippians 2:4 kind of Christians.














Philippians - Session 10


Philippians Study – Session 10
(Philippians 2:12-18)

Philippians 2:12-13 - In these verses Paul makes two statements, which on the surface at least, seem to be contradictory...on the one hand he says in v.12 he says to “...work out your salvation...”...on the other hand, in v.13 he says “...it is God who is at work in you...”...actually, instead of contradicting each other, those two statements compliment each other…they are like two sides of the same coin…

“...work out your salvation...” (Verse 12)
  1. Want you to focus on that phrase...it would be very easy to misinterpret what Paul is saying here and many people do...it is very important that we not misread this statement...notice the statement does not say “work for your salvation”...Paul is not at all implying here that salvation is something we earn through good works...the Bible teaches that we don’t achieve salvation, we receive it from God...salvation is a free gift from God to those who trust their lives to Jesus as Lord...the people to whom this letter is addressed already had salvation...in Philippians Paul addresses them as “saints” (1:1), “citizens of heaven” (3:20), and “beloved brethren” (4:1)...
  2. And Paul does not tell them to “work for your salvation”... instead, he says to them and us “...work out your salvation...”...The key to understanding this statement is understanding the word translated ”work out”...the Greek word Paul used carries the idea of—
--making the most of something...
--fulfilling a goal or purpose...
--carrying something to its ultimate conclusion...
...this exact word was used in ancient times to describe--
--operating a mine in such a way that as much of the precious metal as possible was recovered...
--conducting a harvest in such a way that as much of the crop as possible was taken...
3.      And in using this particular word Paul is saying, “When you came to faith in Christ, God infused you with great potential...your life in Christ is like a rich gold or silver mine...it is like a field ripe for harvest...”
4.      There’s an important lesson here about the Christian life which we must not miss...one of the primary tasks we have as followers of Christ is “working out” or using to full advantage the potential God has placed in us...and that is a task/responsibility with which we are never done...some Christians seem to have the idea that we can reach a point in our Christian walk where we can relax, live on the afterglow of yesterday’s victories, and just coast...but that is a sure formula for spiritual impotence and failure...I like how one writer put it: “...for the Christian, there is no yesterday.  We all live in an eternal today.  What counts for God is what we do today.  What is essential is how we serve God today.  What determines our spiritual maturity is how closely we walk with God today.” [Harbour, Philippians sermon notes]

“...for it is God who is at work in you...” (Verse 13)

1.      The word translated “work” in that statement is the word from which our word “energy” comes...literally Paul is saying, “It is God who energizes you to work for Him.”....what a wonderful thought... God never asks us to do anything He does not energize us to do! 
2.      In my reading I came across a statement which really rang my bell...it’s something I’ve known for most of my life, but never saw it stated more clearly and succinctly...listen to what Warren Wiersbe wrote in the book Be Joyful...”God must work in us before He can work through us.”...that is so simple but so profound...listen to it again [repeat]...and then Wiersbe points out that God cares more about the worker than the work...and if the worker/Christian is right with God, then the work/the things which happen through that Christian’s life will be right as well...

Philippians 2:14-16


Verse 14 instructs us to  “Do all things without grumbling or disputing...”...the wording of that verse is interesting...it is not enough to do all things...we must do all things with the right spirit, the right attitude...
1.      In the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life, we often see Him in conflict with the Jewish sect known as the Pharisees...the Pharisees were a legalistic group bent on preserving and keeping every detail of OT law...in the conflicts between Jesus and the Pharisees, seldom do we see Him criticize them for not doing the right things... seldom did He question their outward deeds...but He looked beyond their outward actions to their hearts, their motives, their attitudes and said, “Something is lacking there.”...
2.      Here Paul is reminding us that God always looks beyond our outward actions to our hearts...He is as concerned about why we do something as He is what we do...and when God looks at our hearts He should not see an attitude of--
--”grumbling and complaining”...word translated “grumbling” doesn’t refer to loud, outspoken rebellion... refers to an almost under the surface murmuring or complaining which arises from an unhappy spirit...this is the only time in Paul’s writings this word is used...but in the Greek version of the OT which was used extensively in Paul’s day, this precise word was often used to describe the attitude of the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness questioning Moses and ultimately questioning God...they had done what God wanted them to do--left Egypt and began journey toward the Promised Land--but they weren’t at all happy about it...
And that is exactly how many of us do what God wants us to do... we’re like that little boy I read about this week was standing in a chair...his mother, concerned for his safety,  told him to sit down and the little boy refused...she lightly tapped him on the leg and told him to sit in the chair, but again he refused...then she whacked him on the leg and told him for the third time to sit down...this time he did sit down but he folded his arms across his chest glared and his mother and said, “I may be sitting on the outside but on the inside I’m still standing up!”
3.      That kind of obedience is not pleasing to a parent and it is not pleasing to God...God desires for us to do the right things with the right spirit...



Verse 15 in this passage reminds us that the world should see something different, something appealing, something special in the lives of those who are followers of Christ...
1.   Notice that this verse says three specific things about the example of Christians...we are to be—
--”blameless and innocent” - “blameless” refers to our reputation, to how others perceive us...”innocent” refers to our character, how we actually are...
--”above reproach” - There should be nothing in our lives that will reflect poorly on the Lord we claim to serve...
--”lights in the world” - In a world darkened by sin, we as God’s people should not be adding to the darkness...instead, we should be reflecting the One who called Himself “the light of the world”...
2.  The sum total of all that is God desires that His people be positive examples, Godly examples to our world...

Verse 16 speaks of Christians “...holding fast the word of life...”...there are actually two ways the verb translated “hold fast” in the NASB can be interpreted...


--the word can be translated “holding forth” in the sense of extending something, offering something to another...this is the word used in 1st century to describe the act of offering wine to a guest...taken that way, the phrase “holding forth the word of life” would mean that instead of offering or holding forth to the world grumbling and disputing and a bad example, we are to offer to the world “the word of life”...
--or the word can be translated “holding fast” as he NASB translates it...taken that way, it means to hang on to something...to cling tightly...to not let go...I think that meaning best fits the context of this paragraph...it seems to me that Paul is saying to the Philippians and to us, “Don’t allow yourselves to become distracted...don’t let anything or anyone sidetrack you...keep your focus on the “word of life.”
  1. What is “the word of life?”...it is the gospel...the good news of Jesus...and if we keep our focus on the good news of Jesus and on offering that good news to our world, we will not waste our time and resources and energy on lesser things... 
  2. It seems one of the great tragedies of our day is too often God’s people spend themselves in petty arguments over things which are in reality trivial while all around them is a world full of people who have never heard with understanding “the word of life”..while we argue over theological minutia, the vast majority of people in our world have no idea what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus...it is God’s desire that we keep our focus on that which is most important...”the word of life” and that we share that word with our world...
           
Philippians 2:17-18  - The Scripture makes it clear that God desires for His people to be characterized by an attitude of joy...nowhere can that been seen more clearly than in Paul’s letter to the Philippians...when we first begin our study of Philippians, I told you that the theme of this letter can be stated in a single world...and that word is JOY...this letter is often referred to by biblical scholars as the epistle of joy...in the four chapters of Philippians the words joy and rejoice (which means to be full of joy) are used 16 times...four of those 16 uses occur in these two verses... joy is the result of two specific things...

Joy is the result, the by-product of right relationship with God
1.      Most people in our world do not and will never understand this concept...our culture says that joy is found in financial security or vocational achievement or satisfaction of our physical appetites or recreational activities...and we run ourselves ragged trying to achieve those things thinking they will bring joy to our lives...and when we get there, while we may experience some temporary satisfaction, the joy is still lacking...
2.      Paul understood that real joy does not come from the outward conditions of our lives...it comes from our relationship with God...in v.17 speaks of his being “poured out as a drink offering”...phrase doesn’t mean much to us, but would have been crystal clear to the 1st century Christians who received this letter ...a “drink offering” referred to a sacrifice, sometimes of blood and sometimes wine, that was poured out on the ground in pagan temples to honor a deity...
3.      When Paul wrote “Even if I am being poured out as a drink offering...” he could have been referring to the possibility that he would be martyred for his commitment to God...after-all, when he wrote these words he was in prison, probably in Rome, awaiting trial before Caesar...he didn’t know what the outcome of his trial would be...
4.      But there is another way to interpret that phrase...the two words translated “Even if” can also mean “Even though” or “Since”... taken that way, Paul would be saying, “Since my life is being poured out ... I rejoice and share my joy with you all...”...and it seems to me the thing Paul is saying in v.17 is, “I have found joy in a life of relationship with and commitment to God...and I gladly share that joy with you...”
5.      The principle I want you to see here is this: Joy is not found in what you do or in what you have...joy is found only in relationship with God...joy is the by-product, the result of knowing Him...living in relationship with Him...being obedient to Him...
6.      Tucked away at the end of the 16th Psalm is a wonderful statement which says it so well...in Psalm 16:11 David makes this perceptive observation...”In Thy presence is the fulness of joy...” ...if you want to experience real joy, the only way to do so is through the abiding presence of God in your life...we don’t not find joy by seeking joy...we find joy by seeking God....when—
--your heart is right with God...
--your priorities are God’s priorities...
--you love what God loves...
Then, and only then, will you begin to experience the kind of joy Paul is referring to in this passage...
7.      But not only is joy the result right relationship with God, but...

Joy is the result, the by-product of right relationship with people

1.      It is obvious from these verses that a special relationship existed between Paul and the Christians in Philippi...many scholars contend that this was Paul’s favorite of all the churches he started...perhaps that was because this was—
--the first church Paul founded outside of Asia Minor...Philippi is in Macedonia in northern Greece on the continent of Europe...
--the only church which supported Paul’s 2nd missionary journey with financial contributions...
For whatever reason, a close bond of fellowship existed between Paul and the Philippians...
--he told them “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you...”[1:3]
--he called them “...my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown...” [4:1]
2.      And both Paul and the Christians in Philippi found great joy in their relationship with each other...that can clearly be seen in the last part of v.17 and in v.18...
--in v.17b he speaks of his rejoicing and sharing his joy with them...
--in v.18 he speaks of them rejoicing and sharing their joy with him...

3.      Now, what is the lesson in all that for us?...it’s that one source of joy is our relationships with others...Paul rejoiced in knowing that his friends in Philippi were progressing and growing in the faith...and as we learn to rejoice at the successes and victories of others, we  tap into an inexhaustible source of joy...


4.      There is a wonderful story about Magic Johnson, the famous former basketball player...for many years, when Johnson played for the Los Angeles Lakers, his coach was Pat Riley...one of Johnson’s teammates was Kareem Abdul Jabbar...Riley says that on the night that Kareem Abdul Jabbar broke the all-time NBA scoring record, Johnson said to him, “I want to be the guy who passes you the ball when you make the record-breaking basket.”...Pat Riley, the Laker coach describes what happened this way: “...when it was about time for Kareem Abdul Jabbar to score that record-breaking basket, Magic got off the bench, put himself in the game, and dribbled down the floor, passed the ball to Kareem Abdul Jabbar, the ball went through the hoop, and the record was shattered.  If you’ll look at the video-tape of that event, you’ll see Magic Johnson leaping into the arms of Kareem Abdul Jabbar.  And if you’ll look closely, you’ll see tears streaming down his cheeks.”...and then Riley adds this statement about Magic Johnson: “He is the most unselfish basketball player I’ve ever seen.”[Sermon Central]

5.      And as we unselfishly seek the best for those around us, we will discover great joy in the successes and achievements of others... joy is a by-product, a result of healthy relationships with others...

6.      No doubt you’ve seen the little acrostic made by the word JOY...I’m not sure who first thought it up, but I believe it sums up well what is being taught in this part of God’s Word...J...O...Y...

 J - esus

O - thers

Y - ou

Joy comes to us as a result of a right relationship with God and a right relationship with others...