1 Kings 2:1-4

 

Last week we started our study of 1 Kings with a usurper.

 

We saw Satan’s puppet, Adonijah, rise to the scene

And do everything he could to usurp the thrown away from Solomon.

 

But of course God reigned supreme and Adonijah’s attempt was foiled.

 

And so this morning we see God’s chosen King take the throne.

It is the man we call SOLOMON.

 

He was the son of Bathsheba.

 

After God took the child conceived in adultery by David and Bathsheba,

God granted favor to her and she bore David another son.

 

2 Samuel 12:24-25 “Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved him and sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah for the LORD’S sake.”

 

David named him Solomon = “His Replacement” or “God is Peace”

Both of which were true for Solomon.

 

God named him Jedidiah which means “Beloved of the Lord”.

Which is also true for Solomon since God selected him,

Even though he was not the oldest of David’s children.

 

But none the less, here is the king we know as Solomon.

The kingdom was united under Solomon,

And was never bigger than when he and David sat upon the throne.

 

You and I know him as

The man who actually built the temple of God

The wisest man to ever lived.

 

1 Kings 4:31-34 “For he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was known in all the surrounding nations. He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish. Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.”

 

We also know him as quite the ladies man.

1 Kings 11:3 “He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away.”

 

That verse also reminds us that Solomon was not perfect.

We will study him as “The King who got Distracted”

He started strong (as we will see today) and he finished poorly.

In fact, you can read the book of Ecclesiastes, written late in his life,

And read the regret that plagued Solomon at the end of his life.

 

At the end of his life, he had come to realize

That too many times he was intrigued by the things of this world,

And that all that glitters certainly was not gold.

 

And so we will have much to learn from this man about

• The importance of seeking God,

• Obeying His word,

• Maintaining your convictions.

 

This morning we see the beginning of Solomon’s reign,

And it is one that started extremely well.

 

There are two main points this morning,

And we will break each down a little further as we go along.

#1 THE SOURCE OF SOLOMON’S CONVICTION

1 Kings 2:1-9

 

Over the first 9 verses, we learn were Solomon got his conviction.

This is a vitally important section of Scripture.

 

For every person must have convictions to follow.

One of the undeniable facts of Scripture

Is that your actions will follow your beliefs.

 

And in our text, we see three places

Where Solomon drew his convictions from.

 

1) THE CHARGE OF HIS FATHER (1-2)

 

“As David’s time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son,”

 

This is the final wisdom from David to his son.

These are those infamous “last words” of David.

Of all the things he taught Solomon, THIS IS WHAT HE WANTED TO STICK

 

(2) “I am going the way of all the earth.”

In that, we are also reminded of a sobering truth,

And that is that great and small all alike die.

David was a giant slayer, and yet he died.

David was a powerful king, and yet he died.

David was a man after God’s own heart, and yet he died.

 

Death comes to everyone, and now it is coming to David.

“I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.”

 

I do apologize if this sermon gets a little one sided,

But there are some things that just cannot be avoided.

 

One is that in Scripture the role of leadership

Almost always falls upon the man’s shoulder.

He is not better than woman, he was just created different than woman.

 

And as is seen in this text,

Not only is man to bear the burden of leadership,

But he must be a man if he is to handle it well.

 

That is why Paul wrote to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”

 

It paints the persona of being bold, courageous, and uncompromising.

 

Earlier in life David had told Solomon

1 Chronicles 28:10 “Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act.”

 

What a charge!

This life is filled with obstacles and hardships.

And those obstacles are magnified if you step into leadership.

 

The Bible is clear that leaders are vitally important.

• They are meant to be visionaries, protectors, providers, and guides.

• They are problem solvers and examples that are worth following.

 

History almost always remembers the great ones in glorious fashion.

But that is history.

 

History loves them, but generally the present cannot stand them.

Most leaders are hated and opposed during their reign

And only achieve greatness after they are gone.

 

• They are the ones who must make the tough decision.

• They are the ones who must be willing to make somebody mad.

• They are the ones who risk the blame for something going wrong.

And often they are hated for it.

 

And so a leader must be a man who has conviction,

For most of the time he will stand alone.

 

David knew that, and here he prepares Solomon for it.

“Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.”

If Solomon was to be King, he would have to be tough.

 

In fact, look at VERSES 5-9

 

David gives Solomon three tasks.

In regard to Joab (6) “do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace.”

 

Joab was the commander of the army, and if you will remember,

He wasn’t all that easy to get rid of.

 

David tried a couple of times and it never worked.

That is why Joab killed Abner and Amasa.

Both threatened to take his position.

 

And yet as David is dying, he gives Solomon the tough job

Of unseating Joab and punishing him for his heinous crimes.

 

There was no way he could handle Joab if he wasn’t willing to be tough.

 

In regard to Barzillai, – “show kindness…and let them eat at your table;”

 

And the reason for this kindness is given,

“they assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother.”

 

It may not seem like much to reward someone, but be careful.

For as sure as you reward someone, OTHERS BECOME JEALOUS,

And it can easily become a difficulty.

 

In regard to Shimei of whom David said, “do not let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to Sheol with blood.”

 

Of course Shimei who cursed David and even threw stones at him,

And yet David did not retaliate.

 

But now, the duty of dealing with such mockery has fallen to Solomon.

And not only does Solomon require STRENGTH to bring him to justice,

But also WISDOM to know how to handle it.

 

No doubt this was a tough assignment.

 

And so you see what Solomon would have to be tough man.

“Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.”

 

There was a second source of conviction that Solomon received

2) THE COMMANDS OF HIS GOD (3)

 

Now of course this is still a part of David’s charge,

But in it, David is telling Solomon where else to look.

 

I told you that the kings is really about the word of God,

And few verses illustrate that like this one.

 

Notice how many times David references God’s word in this verse.

“His way” “His statutes”

“His commandments” “His ordinances”

“His testimonies” “Law of Moses”

 

There was an obvious standard that Solomon was to follow.

 

And this is a very fitting next step to Solomon’s conviction.

 

David wanted him to be “a man”

BUT WHAT IS A MAN?

 

A hard worker? A fighter? A womanizer? A High pain tolerance?

 

David gives Solomon insight by telling how to be a man, and very simply,

You only become a man by becoming a man of God.

 

Lance Harris wears a shirt that says,

“To be a man, you’ve got to know the Man”

 

True manhood is found in the pages of the word of God.

 

WHY? Because that is the source of true conviction.

 

Any body can try to look tough

While conforming to the pattern of this world.

Only a real man can go against the flow,

Turn his back on the culture, and follow the precepts of God.

 

In short one could say, “You have to be a man of God before you can be man, and you have to be a man before you can be a man of God.”

 

Solomon was going to have to let the word of God shape his convictions.

He was going to have to let God’s word be his authority for all things.

 

And even though Solomon stumbled in life,

At the end, he was still holding on to this precious truth.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

 

And you can see why David pushed this so hard.

“that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn,”

If you want to be successful in life, follow the blueprint in God’s word.

 

Adrian Rogers said, “Men are like rivers, they become crooked by following the path of least resistance.”

 

You will never find the success you are looking for,

Until you align your life with the word of God.

 

The Charge of his Father The Commands of his God

3) THE COVENANT FOR HIS FAMILY (4)

 

Here David gives another reason to rest your convictions in God’s word.

 

“so that the Lord may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.”

 

David says, you have to be a man of God’s word,

“so that the Lord may carry out His promise.”

 

God has made a promise to our family,

But that promise hinges upon our faithfulness to His word.

 

And think about the motivation this must have supplied for Solomon.

Your conviction not only affects your kingdom in the present,

But will also affect those who come after you.

 

If Solomon didn’t get it right, it could ruin it for all of his ancestors

 

But think about that, in your areas of leadership.

Think about that in your family, or in this church.

 

If you tolerate certain sins, it will only make it

That much more difficult for your children to overcome them.

 

Exodus 20:4-6 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

 

God was reminding Moses that what one generation

Does greatly affects those who come after him.

 

And as David is about to die,

He is most concerned that Solomon be a man,

And be a man of God, so God will be able to keep His promise.

Those three things are the source of Solomon’s conviction.

#2 THE SCOPE OF SOLOMON’S CONVICTION

1 Kings 1:10-46

 

Now let’s see what he does with his conviction.

 

VERSES 10-12

After 40 years of service, David’s torch officially went out.

But you will notice, this passage is not about the passing of David,

It is about the beginning of Solomon.

 

(12) “And Solomon sat on the throne of David hi father, and his kingdom was firmly established.”

 

That is a key phrase and I want you to remember that.

David left to Solomon a solid kingdom.

 

And then we begin to see what Solomon would do from here.

 

We see Solomon handling four incidents.

1) DECEPTION (13-25)

 

Of course we covered this last week,

So we won’t spend much time here this morning.

 

But Adonijah was the usurper. In chapter 1,

He tried to steal the throne from Solomon.

 

Of course the plan failed, and after asking Solomon for mercy,

He was allowed to go on his way.

 

However, Adonijah’s arrogance would not allow him to leave it alone.

He actually goes to Bathsheba (Solomon’s mother) and asks her

To ask Solomon if he can marry Abishag the Shunammite.

 

This was another attempt to steal the throne, and Solomon recognized it.

VERSES 23-25

 

And so we see that Solomon’s convictions are standing strong.

Here we had a deceiver, a usurper,

And one that threatened not only Solomon’s kingdom,

But also God’s chosen kingly line,

And Solomon had the conviction to deal with him.

 

2) DISOBEDIENCE (26-27)

 

Here you will remember that Abiathar was one of two high priests

And he had actually taken sides with Adonijah

In case you didn’t realize it, by aiding Adonijah,

Abiathar was actually committing an act of treason against David.

 

This was a clear act of disobedience and disloyalty,

And Solomon deals with it swiftly AND JUSTLY.

 

For he doesn’t kill Abiathar, “because [he] carried the ark of the Lord God before [Solomon’s] father David, and because [he was] afflicted in everything with which [David] was afflicted.”

 

Instead he banishes Abiathar.

And you will also notice that not only was Solomon dealing with a clear case of disobedience, BUT ALSO FULFILLING PROPHESY.

 

Solomon not only followed his convictions, but the word of God as well.

 

3) DEPRAVITY (28-35)

 

VERSES 28-29

 

Next came the villain.

Joab was a wicked man, who had clearly transgressed the Law of God

• By continually shedding innocent blood,

• And by flaunting it by not even changing his blood splattered clothes

 

He was a major inhibitor to God’s blessings on the nation.

 

Solomon minced no words, that Joab should die.

Solomon flees to the altar and eventually dies there.

 

VERSES 31-33

 

And there you learn that this was not an act of revenge,

But a conviction of Solomon that as long as Joab was unpunished, God was not able to send peace to Israel.

 

Solomon answered with enough conviction

To remove this depravity from his kingdom.

 

Deception, Disobedience, Depravity

4) DISRESPECT (36-46)

 

Solomon doesn’t immediately kill him, but rather gives him a test

To see if his mocking, disrespecting ways have changed.

 

VERSES 36-38

But if you read on, you will notice that one Shimei’s servants ran away,

And Shimei broke his word to go and find them.

Solomon confronted his rebellious spirit and then said:

VERSES 43-46

 

And so there Solomon dealt with disrespect.

 

Again this was not revenge, for Shimei had an opportunity,

But by mocking King David, he was mocking God’s anointed,

And by ignornig Solomon, he was disregarding God’s authority.

 

Such must be removed.

 

You see how Solomon started his kingdom on the right foot.

 

He removed Deception, Disobedience, Depravity, and Disrespect

 

He knew that those things would destroy his kingdom.

Those things had to be dealt with,

And he had to be man enough to deal with them.

 

Verse 46, “Thus the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.”

 

Now that is interesting.

I thought we already read that back in verse 12.

(12) “and his kingdom was firmly established.”

 

Verse 12 spoke of the kingdom David left to Solomon,

Verse 46 spoke of Solomon’s conviction to keep it that way.

 

It didn’t matter how secure the kingdom was,

Had Solomon not been a man of conviction, and let these matters slide,

His kingdom most certainly would have faltered.

 

Solomon understood the need for a man to take charge,

Deal with those things that threaten the purity of the kingdom,

And to establish the kingdom.

 

Certainly in life he reiterated that in his Proverbs.

Proverbs 25:26 “Like a trampled spring and a polluted well Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.”

 

Proverbs 20:26 “A wise king winnows the wicked, And drives the threshing wheel over them.”

 

Proverbs 21:12 “The righteous one considers the house of the wicked, Turning the wicked to ruin.”

 

Proverbs 22:10 “Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out, Even strife and dishonor will cease.”

And this morning, we would all do good to learn the passion of Solomon, but I especially would challenge our men today.

• You are the leaders in our society…

• You are the leaders in our schools…

• You are the leaders in your household…

• You are the leaders in this church…

 

“Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn,”

 

We must be men

We must be men of God

 

There are some things that just cannot be tolerated.

There are some cancers that cannot be allowed to fester.

I’ve been guilty of letting some remain in our own Church at times.

 

I know it is not pleasant to have to deal with some tough issues,

But that is why you have to be a man to be a man of God.

God’s word is worth obeying.

God’s word is worth standing upon.

God’s word is worth enforcing.

 

Let God’s word be the source of your convictions,

And then let your obedience prove that it is so.

 

And may you “succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn”

 

It was the key to the establishment of Solomon’s kingdom,

And it is the key to God’s hand of blessing in your life.

 

Learn it, trust it, obey it, preach it, and watch it work.

 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

 

1 Kings 1:5-8

 

This morning we begin a new study,

And it is one that is extremely intriguing to me.

 

We are going to study 1 & 2 Kings.

 

Since I have been here, we have not yet studied a book like Kings.

Kings is written as a narrative. (story)

 

And so as you read the story as a whole,

You must then determine what the main point is.

 

AND I WILL GO AHEAD AND TELL YOU,

It is NOT about the men who were the actual kings of Israel and Judah.

 

In fact, they aren’t even the main characters.

The book doesn’t divide based on certain Kings,

It divides based on the prophets of God.

 

In 1 Kings the prophet Elijah emerges as the hero…

In 2 Kings his protégé Elisha emerges as the hero…

 

What these books are really about is the importance of God’s word.

 

With some notable exceptions 1 & 2 Kings focuses

Primarily on wicked Kings who led God’s people astray,

And the prophets of God that called the people back.

 

And so the themes of this book are simple:

SEEK THE PRESENCE OF GOD

OBEY THE PRECEPTS OF GOD

TRUST THE POWER OF GOD

 

And as we study these two books,

These themes will continually rise to the top.

 

This morning we begin our study at the end of the life of David.

He is very old, and the end of his life near.

READ: 1 Kings 1:1-4

 

You can see that not only is the King old,

But it blatantly obvious that he is about to die.

And so the entire country knows that Israel is about to have a new King.

 

Now the decision should have been a slam dunk decision.

God had already named the next King.

 

1 Chronicles 28:1-8 “Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the commanders of the divisions that served the king, and the commanders of thousands, and the commanders of hundreds, and the overseers of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, with the officials and the mighty men, even all the valiant men. Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brethren and my people; I had intended to build a permanent home for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God. So I had made preparations to build it. “But God said to me, ‘ You shall not build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ “Yet, the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and in the house of Judah, my father’s house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. “Of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. “He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a father to him. ‘I will establish his kingdom forever if he resolutely performs My commandments and My ordinances, as is done now.’ “So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek after all the commandments of the LORD your God so that you may possess the good land and bequeath it to your sons after you forever.”

 

And so, there is no reason why the nation should have had any confusion

It had already been announced that Solomon would become king.

 

BUT SOMETHING HAPPENS

In steps a Usurper

 

No doubt, in order to thwart God’s eternal plan,

Satan rises to the occasion with the intent of

Usurping God’s throne with his own chosen King.

 

Now Satan is never mentioned anywhere in our passage,

But upon studying this text, you will find his fingerprints everywhere.

 

He is at work to mess up God’s plan.

And his puppet of choice is one of David’s sons known as Adonijah.

 

AND THE MAIN SATANIC ATTRIBUTE WE FIND IN OUR TEXT

IS THAT OF ARROGANCE.

 

So this morning let’s talk about “The Kind who Exalted Himself”

#1 THE EVIDENCE OF ARROGANCE

1 Kings 1:5-8

And as we look at these 4 verses,

You will see his arrogance in 3 ways.

 

1) HIS ASCENSION (5)

 

Notice what it says immediately about Adonijah.

The Scripture says he “exalted himself”

How did he exalt himself?

He said, “I will be king.”

 

He even took the next step and “prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him.”

 

And so you see the rise of Adonijah.

No one told him he was king.

No one asked him to be king.

 

He granted himself the position.

“exalted himself”.

 

AND THIS IS EXTREMELY FOOLISH FOR ANY MAN.

For no one has the right to be his own judge.

 

Paul wrote this about himself.

1 Corinthians 4:3-4 “But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.”

 

HAVE YOU EVER FILLED OUT AN APPLICATION WHERE THEY WANT YOU TO EVALUATE YOURSELF?

 

But I always find that strange, and difficult to answer.

Because while we do examine ourselves regularly to push ourselves to improve, it really doesn’t matter if we declare ourselves acceptable.

 

You see, some day when you stand before God,

He is not going to hand you his evaluation sheet and say,

“Here, you fill this out.”

 

You are not your own judge.

It is God who rewards, and it is God who punishes.

 

But Adonijah wasn’t concerned about that.

• He wasn’t concerned what God thought.

• He wasn’t concerned about who God wanted.

• In his eyes, he thought he would make a good king, and so he assumed the position for himself.

 

That is a major fingerprint of Satan.

Isaiah 14:12-15 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.”

 

And it is the same attitude of Adonijah.

 

We see his arrogance in his ascension.

2) HIS ASSUMPTION (6)

 

Some would ask, why in the world would Adonijah

Assume that he had the right to become king?

There were three things that caused him to think that way.

 

HIS BEAUTY

“And he was also a very handsome man”

 

Apparently when Adonijah looked at himself in the mirror,

He just assumed he looked like a king.

 

It was not hard for him to picture himself wearing a crown

Being led through the streets with fifty men to run before him.

In his mind he looked kingly.

 

That was one of Satan’s dowfalls.

Ezekiel 28:11-13 “Again the word of the LORD came to me saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. “You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared.”

 

Just like Satan, apparently Adonijah’s beauty went to his head.

 

And we do this all the time.

We think we are someone important because of outward success.

Beauty or Wealth or Wittiness or Ability

 

But we would do good to remember that the true Judge

Is not impressed with any of those things.

 

1 Samuel 16:6-7 “When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’S anointed is before Him.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

 

Dizzy Dean once coined the phrase, “If you can do it, it ain’t bragging.”

 

Well, that might be true,

But just because you can do it, doesn’t mean God is impressed.

Do you think God is impressed because you have long golden hair?

Do you think God is impressed because you have 10 million dollars?

Do you think God is impressed because you can throw a baseball 100mph?

Do you think God is impressed because you kick a football?

 

Your outward attributes are not what impresses God,

But they certainly can lend to arrogance.

 

Adonijah’s beauty caused him to assume he deserved to be king.

 

There is more that led to his assumption

HIS STATUS

 

Notice what verse 6 says about him, “and he was born after Absalom.”

 

WHAT DOES THAT MATTER?

2 Samuel 3:2-4 “Sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; and his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;”

 

David’s oldest son was Amnon.

But remember, he raped Absalom’s sister Tamar, and Absalom killed him.

 

David’s second son was Chileab (called Daniel sometimes),

And most scholars believe Chileab died in his youth.

 

David’s third son was Absalom, who also tried to usurp the throne,

But he was killed by Joab while hanging in a tree by his hair.

 

And the fourth son was Adonijah.

“he was born after Absalom”

 

That means that Adonijah was the oldest.

And by his calculations his status

Gave him the right to the throne of Israel.

 

This is also one of Satan’s fingerprints.

Ezekiel 28:14-17 “You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. “You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. “By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you.”

 

Satan had that same high position, and thought that entitled him to more.

No doubt Adonijah had the same thoughts.

Because of his status as the only son, he thought it entitled him to more.

 

We would do good to remember

That we are entitled to nothing on this earth but judgment.

It is only by God’s mercy that we ever receive anything good.

 

But Adonijah looked at his status and assumed he should be king.

 

And there was one more thing that attributed to this arrogant assumption

HIS FREEDOM

 

Notice how verse 6 begins, “His father had never crossed him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?”

 

I suppose you could pin the blame on David here for not taking charge,

But let us not forget that David is barely alive,

And probably didn’t know a whole lot about the situation.

 

But either way, Adonijah took his father’s silence as approval.

 

Notice how Satan operated.

Ezekiel 28:18-19 “By the multitude of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade You profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of all who see you. “All who know you among the peoples Are appalled at you; You have become terrified And you will cease to be forever.”‘”

 

Satan just continued to take liberty,

And because he was not immediately destroyed he assumed it must be ok.

 

And people do this today.

They take the fact that God doesn’t immediately stop them

As though God were giving them permission.

“It’s easier to get forgiveness than permission”

“God hasn’t convicted me of that yet.”

 

That is an arrogant assumption.

 

It is not God’s job to give permission or deny permission

For every thing you think you want to do in life.

 

He gave us His word, and He expects that you will have enough fear and reverence that you will make sure you don’t cross Him.

 

David had already announced that Solomon would be king,

That should have been enough.

 

But because David didn’t immediately stop him, he assumed it was ok.

So we see evidence of his arrogance

Through his ASCENSION and through his ASSUMPTION

 

There is a third area that we see evidence of his arrogance

3) HIS ALLIANCE (7-8)

 

Notice what it says.

“He had conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest”

 

If Adonijah really wanted to know if he should be king, why not seek God?

At least, why not talk to David.

 

Adonijah did neither.

Instead he had already “conferred” with two other men.

 

This is not seeking God, this is scheming.

He was working stealthily.

 

Even though God and David had already revealed the next King,

Adonijah was so certain that he deserved the position

That he was willing to lie and scheme to get it.

 

It is an arrogant man that thinks he knows more than God,

And is willing to scheme get his way over God’s way.

 

Yet this is precisely how Satan works.

Psalms 10:8-11 “He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the hiding places he kills the innocent; His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate. He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair; He lurks to catch the afflicted; He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net. He crouches, he bows down, And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones. He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”

 

That is precisely what Adonijah is doing.

And you will notice that there were some who recognized his evil plot.

 

(8) “But Zadok the priest, Behaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.”

 

There were those who saw through his little plan, and would not help,

But it did not stop Adonijah.

HE WAS FILLED WITH ARROGANCE.

• Because he was beautiful…

• Because he was the oldest…

• Because he thought he could get away with it…

He willingly sought to usurp the plan of God and the throne of David.

And it appears as though it is working.

 

The Evidence of Arrogance

#2 THE EFFECT OF ARROGANCE

 

At this point in the story, Nathan realizes what is going on.

READ: 1 Kings 1:11-12

 

Nathan goes to Bathsheba and gives her some counsel.

 

In short, she is to go in to King David and ask him if he really intended to make Solomon King, and then to inform him of all that Adonijah is doing.

 

And while she is giving this report,

Nathan will come in an confirm her words to the king.

 

And this is precisely what they did.

 

Now David vows to Bathsheba that Solomon will be king,

And notice what he does.

 

READ: 1 Kings 1:33-35

 

Now that is the way to become King.

 

Later that day, as all the commotion of Solomon’s coronation would break out, Adonijah and his guests were in the middle of their celebration.

 

READ: 1 Kings 1:41-43

 

He is so arrogant, he can’t imagine anyone else undoing what he has done.

 

Well, once the news spreads what David has done,

All of Adonijah’s followers flee

And Adonijah runs to the temple and takes hold of the horns of the altar.

 

Solomon then offers mercy.

READ: 1 Kings 1:52-53

 

NOW IT SHOULD HAVE ENDED THERE.

Adonijah should have learned his lesson.

 

But arrogance has a way

Of not letting a person accept disappointment.

 

So, after David dies, Adonijah tries it again.

 

READ: 1 Kings 2:13-25

 

And now you see the effects of arrogance.

All because Adonijah was unwilling to accept God’s will,

And thought he deserved better.

 

It is no wonder that when Solomon penned the book of Proverbs,

He made so much reference to arrogance.

He had seen firsthand the effects or pride and arrogance on a life.

 

Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.”

 

Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.”

 

Proverbs 29:23 “A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.”

 

Proverbs 25:6-7 “Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of great men; For it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,” Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.”

 

Jesus taught this very same truth.

Luke 14:7-11 “And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. “But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

 

In fact, the New Testament also teaches:

1 Peter 5:5 “You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”

 

In our lives we must understand something.

God is God, and He is the sovereign ruler over this world.

 

• When creating this world, He did not ask for your input.

• While sustaining this world, He does not ask for your help.

• He does not need your advice, nor does He require your counsel.

 

In fact in Romans we just learned:

Romans 11:34 “For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR?”

 

 

 

The Lord said through Isaiah:

Isaiah 55:8-11 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

 

God does not need your help, nor does He ask for it.

All God asks is that you humble yourself

Under His mighty hand and trust His word.

 

This is the one thing that Adonijah would not do.

He could not help but think that God had made a mistake

And so he took matters into his own hands.

 

This morning, as we begin our study,

I want to ask you to do what Adonijah would not,

 

Humble yourself under the mighty had of God.

Seek His will for your life.

And follow His will whatever that might be.

 

And that begins with a relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

Do you realize that there is no more arrogant decision you can make than the decision to reject Jesus?

 

Not only are you rejecting God’s ordained plan of salvation,

But you are also saying you can do it on your own without any help.

 

And that is arrogance which will end in destruction.

• Only Jesus lived a sinless life…

• Only Jesus shed His blood for you…

• Jesus is the ONLY way for salvation…

 

This morning humble yourself under God’s mighty plan,

And let God exalt you at the proper time.

 

James 4:6-10 “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

 

AUDIO COMING SOON!  (Philippians 1:12 and following contain audio)

 

The Church at Philippi

Philippians 1:1-2

September 8, 2013

 

Well tonight we are going to begin a new book study together,

And probably a book that you are already pretty familiar with.

 

Philippians is one of the more popular books in the New Testament.

Partly because it is short and

Partly because it contains one of the most well-known verses in the Bible.

 

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

 

The reason we are studying it is because it follows

A natural chronological flow from what we’ve been studying.

 

We have most recently been in the book of Acts and followed the ministry of Paul right up to arrest, trial, and now incarceration in Rome.

 

Last Sunday night we read in Acts:

Acts 28:30-31 “And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.”

 

Well, while Paul was there in Rome,

Aside from ministering to all who came to him,

Paul also continued to remember the churches where he had been.

 

So while Paul was in Rome he wrote 4 prison letters.

• He wrote Ephesians

• He wrote Philippians

• He wrote Colossians

• He wrote Philemon

 

And since we have already studied Ephesians together (all be it 10 years ago) we are going to begin a study of Philippians.

 

BUT TONIGHT WE BEGIN PHILIPPIANS.

And before we get into a verse by verse study of this wonderful letter

I always like to make sure and take a “bird’s eye view” first.

 

I’ve told you before, but it is always important in these studies to first see the forest before you start examining each individual tree.

 

• It is important to know who wrote the letter, and the circumstances of their life at the time.

• It is important to know who the letter was written to, and their circumstances at the time.

• And it is important (as best we can) to know the main reason why the letter was written.

I always envision there being one real catalyst to the writing of a letter.

• The author heard something…

• The author remembered something…

• The author experienced something…

 

That stirred his spirit to sit down and say,

“You know I think I’ll write them a letter.”

 

Now he may indeed speak of more in the letter than that initial prompting, but there had to have been at least one thing that prompted his writing.

 

So, before we dive far into the text, let’s examine some of those things.

 

Well first, as you already know, the author was Paul, and you know his circumstances.

 

He has been on quite a three year journey.

It started with a commitment to deliver an offering to Jerusalem

To help the saints who were there.

 

• Despite numerous warnings, Paul pressed on and arrived in Jerusalem.

• Once he arrived he was forced to humble himself and partake in some Jewish customs to pacify the Jewish believers who were there.

• Upon rendering these customs he was apprehended, beaten, and eventually arrested.

• He had three bogus trials and ultimately appealed to Caesar

• After a shipwreck, a snakebite, and a winter in Malta, Paul arrived in Rome

 

That began his two year prison stent.

 

And so Paul’s setting is not hard to figure.

This man has walked through his share of frustration and suffering.

 

When he writes at the end:

Philippians 4:12 “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”

 

We have some pretty good insight as to how he “learned” contentment.

 

This man has all the experience and criteria in the world

To be able to write to others in difficult circumstances.

 

And that brings us to the RECIPIENTS of this letter.

 

You probably remember how the Philippian church began.

 

Paul was on his second missionary journey,

Just after he and Barnabas had parted company.

 

And Paul was sort of roaming around Asia looking for a place to minister,

But was not having much success.

 

Acts 16:6-8 “They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.”

 

Paul had sort of zig-zigged north and south from the east to the west all across Asia minor and was now pressed against the Aegean Sea without a place to go.

 

That is when he saw the vision.

 

Acts 16:9-10 “A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

 

At that point Paul crossed into Europe and came to the city of Philippi.

The unique thing about Philippi was that even though it was not in Italy, it held the distinction of being a Roman city and thus enjoyed all the Roman benefits.

 

It’s nard hard to understand then,

That Philippi had a lot of Roman patriotism.

 

They had Roman patriotism, but not much Jewish patriotism.

When Paul arrived in Philippi and stayed for several days in the city,

But found no synagogue there.

 

10 Jewish men were required to have a synagogue and Philippi obviously did not have that many,

 

• So on the Sabbath Paul went out of the city to the river and found a group of Jewish women gathering for a place of prayer.

• There Lydia was saved.

• Shortly after Paul cast a demon out of a slave girl and was indirectly thrown in prison as a result.

• That night God sent an earthquake to deliver Paul and Silas, but instead of escaping Paul witnessed to the jailor and the jailor and his whole family were saved.

 

These were the beginnings of the church in Philippi.

The woman Lydia and the Philippian jailor.

 

And then Paul left.

 

The other fact we know about the Philippian church

Is that they were a poor congregation.

 

In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians he references the offering

That he was taking to Jerusalem when he was arrested.

 

He wrote:

2 Corinthians 8:1-6 “Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well.”

 

They were a church described as a church in “deep poverty”

And yet despite their poverty, they were a very generous church.

 

Not only giving to this offering,

But even later in the letter to the Philippians Paul writes:

 

Philippians 4:15-16 “You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs.”

 

And that really tells a tremendous story as to who these believers were.

 

They were poor, but they were obviously grateful

For the salvation that God had bestowed upon them,

And they definitely wanted to do their part in helping the growth of the kingdom.

 

Their offering is comparable to that of the “widow’s mite”.

 

Now some other things we learn about this church from this letter.

 

• One positive thing is that unlike the rest of Paul’s letters the Philippians had warranted NO REBUKE.

 

The only negative incident occurs at the end of the letter

When Paul addresses a riff between two of the leading women.

 

Philippians 4:2 “I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.”

 

But beyond that, this church had no issues.

They were faithful believers.

 

• Now they did face STRUGGLES.

 

We find in chapter 1 that they dealt with opposition to their ministry.

 

Philippians 1:27-28 “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents — which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.”

 

Their faithfulness to God was certain to come with opposition and they faced it.

Paul instructed them not to let the presence of opposition

Discourage or alarm them.

 

Their opposition as merely a sign of doing things the right way,

But they faced it none the less.

 

• In chapter 3 we find that they were also dealing with the same FALSE TEACHERS that seemed to plague all the churches.

 

Namely those Judaizers that sought to convince everyone to live by the flesh.

 

Philippians 3:2-3 “Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,”

 

And that gives you insight as to the type of church we are dealing with.

 

It is a faithful church that faced plenty of hardship and opposition.

Not only did they deal with poverty, but also false teachers.

 

Now why did Paul write them a letter?

 

• Certainly he loved them as he mentions in chapter 1.

• Certainly he desired to encourage them as you see throughout the letter.

 

But perhaps the main reason Paul wrote was out of GRATITUDE.

 

Philippians 4:10-14 “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.”

 

The Philippians had managed to send a gift to Paul all the way in Rome

And he rejoiced in their faithfulness.

 

This is a church that had touched Paul’s heart

And Paul rejoiced to tell them that God would bless them for it.

 

So we have here a very positive, encouraging, and gracious letter.

 

Paul is thankful for this church and sends a letter back

To encourage them to continue to be a great church.

 

And as he writes to this end, one theme seems to continually reemerge. That theme is JOY & CONTENTMENT.

 

I say joy & contentment, but Biblically speaking the two are almost identical.

Both represent a determined happiness in one’s present circumstances.

They indicate a person who has learned to enjoy where they are in life.

 

And no doubt this was a relevant letter from an experienced writer.

The Philippians were poor, and Paul was in prison.

 

He knew about joy in adversity, he knew about being content,

And he writes to a church that also needed to know it.

 

15 times in this letter we here Paul use the word “joy” or “rejoice”

 

From this letter comes the famous verse:

Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

 

It was a command given independent of one’s circumstances.

• It didn’t matter if they were rich or poor…

• It didn’t matter if they were loved or ostracized…

• It didn’t matter if they had false teachers or not…

• It didn’t matter what they faced…

 

Still they were commanded to rejoice.

And throughout the letter we hear Paul command joy and exhibit it.

 

THIS LETTER THEN IS AN ENCOURAGING ONE.

 

We have a faithful apostle in tough circumstances,

Encouraged by a faithful church in tough circumstances.

 

And so this faithful apostle writes to this faithful church

To encourage them by saying, regardless of our circumstances

We all have a reason to rejoice.

 

AND THAT IS A GOOD MESSAGE ISN’T IT?

 

Regardless of our circumstances we all have a reason to rejoice.

 

In fact, this is one of the ways that believers

Distinguish themselves from the world around them.

 

Worldly joy is forever linked to circumstances.

• The world rejoices when they win, or get what they want, or experience the right emotion or mood.

 

• But let their circumstances change and instantly the world goes into rage, and discontentment, and depression, etc.

 

That is what sets believers apart.

 

We have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling inside of us

And one of His fruits is “joy”.

And the reasoning isn’t hard.

• On your worst day, when all is crashing around you.

• On your worst day as a believer you must realize that you still have it better than you deserve.

 

• You are still alive,

• You still have forgiveness of sin,

• You still have a Savior who lives you,

• You still have a home in heaven,

• You still have a body of believers to encourage you.

 

Regardless of your hardship, you are not alone,

You are not forgotten, and you are not finished.

 

A believer can always find reason to rejoice.

 

I’m mindful of Job.

He had a couple of really bad days.

 

Lost his livestock…

Lost his children…

Lost his health…

Lost his high reputation…

 

But Job responded:

Job 1:20-22 “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.”

 

Now, was Job happy?

Absolutely not.

 

But don’t confuse happiness and joy.

• Happiness is an emotional response of the flesh to favorable circumstances.

• Joy is a spiritual response of the Spirit regardless of circumstances.

 

Joy is a deep-seated satisfaction

That despite my circumstances God is enough.

 

It is what Asaph prayed:

Psalms 73:25-28 “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”

 

Asaph’s joy and contentment ran together.

And that is what Job had.

 

He certainly didn’t like his circumstances

But he never grew dissatisfied with God.

And that is part of the message that Paul has for the Philippians,

And I think it is a message we could always stand to hear.

 

Now tonight I just want to quickly give you the introduction to the book.

 

This is really Paul’s greeting, but it also manages to

Give a good foundation to the letter.

 

Paul ultimately wants the Philippians to rejoice.

The first two verses remind the Philippians of four reasons they have to rejoice.

 

#1 THE LORD THEY SERVE

Philippians 1:1a

 

“Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus,”

 

We’ve talked about this type of introduction before.

• Paul could have referred to himself as their apostle or their father or their mentor or their leader.

 

• He could have boasted in his great education or vast missionary experience.

 

But he chose merely to identify himself as a bond-servant.

 

The phrase is rooted in an Old Testament reality.

 

In Exodus 21 Moses explains that after a Hebrew slave serves for 6 years, on the 7th he must be set free.

 

The only objection is if the slave chooses to voluntarily stay and continue to serve out of a love for his master and family.

 

If he chooses to do this, the master takes the slave and pierces his ear with awl and that man becomes a slave perpetually. He becomes a bond-slave.

 

That is how Paul identified himself.

At his highest peak he was nothing more than a servant of Christ.

 

1 Corinthians 3:5 “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.”

 

Now just being a servant was not something to boast in

Unless your master was someone worth boasting about.

 

And that was true not only for Paul but for all Christians.

Paul’s Master was “Christ Jesus”

 

“Christ” of course is another name for “Messiah”

 

Paul was a servant of THE King.

Paul was in the direct service of the Savior of the World.

Paul answered directly to the Most High God.

That is far from a service, that is a privilege.

 

And incidentally it is a privilege shared by every believer.

WE CAN REJOICE BECAUSE OF WHO WE SERVE.

 

We serve a Risen Savior

We serve a Victorious King

We serve a Gracious Master

We serve a Returning Conqueror

We serve a Faithful Friend

We serve a Merciful Redeemer

 

To be considered a Christian is a very high honor.

 

When all else fails and all around you is falling,

Rejoice in the fact that we are servants of the King.

 

Paul reminds of: The Lord they Serve

#2 THE LIFE THEY’VE RECEIVED

Philippians 1:1b

“To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi”

 

Again, I’ve told you this before,

But it is such an important reality to remember.

 

Too often today we hear believers boast in the fact that they are sinners.

“I’m just a sinner”

“We’re all just sinners”

 

Now, I understand the implication.

• That is saying that I am unworthy, and that is true.

• None of us earned our salvation.

 

None of us had any merit by which Christ should have chosen us.

BUT HE DID

 

And when He did, He didn’t leave you as a filthy sinner.

 

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

 

Yes you were a sinner.

You were as vile as the most vile.

You were as filthy as the most filthy.

 

All your righteous deeds were like a filthy rag.

BUT…

“but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

 

We saw a practical illustration of this a couple of Wednesday nights ago

When we studied Zechariah 3.

 

There we saw Joshua the high priest standing before God

And Satan there accusing him of sin.

 

The problem?

Joshua was sinful.

He was clothed in filthy garments.

 

But Christ interceded for him,

And Christ imparted new righteousness to him.

Zechariah 3:4-5 “He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by.”

 

Joshua was filthy, but not anymore, he was washed.

 

And you, you were filthy, you were a sinner, but you were washed.

WHAT ARE YOU NOW?

 

“saints”

 

Not by your own doing, but by His doing.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

 

You were made new.

Before you were a sinner who occasionally did good things.

Now you are a saint who may occasionally do bad things.

 

But we aren’t talking about what you do,

We are talking about what you are.

 

Colossians 1:13-14 “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

 

It’s important that you know what you are, so you’ll act like it.

 

Too often believers today want to identify with sinners.

When the goal should be exemplify the power of Christ to change a life.

 

WE ARE NOT SINNERS ANYMORE – WE ARE SAINTS!

You want something to rejoice about?

Rejoice about that.

 

Regardless of your circumstances rejoice that God took a filthy sinner like you and washed him until he was a saint.

 

The Lord they Serve

The Life they’ve Received

#3 THE LEADERS THEY FOLLOW

Philippians 1:1c

 

“including the overseers and deacons”

 

Now certainly these men were also part of the saints

But Paul goes out of his way to mention that they do exist.

 

Remember this was a town with such a small Jewish population that

They didn’t even have ten Jewish men to form a synagogue.

 

And yet as the church, not only had God supplied men, but enough men to have “overseers and deacons”

 

These were the men whom God used to give leadership to the church.

 

The “overseers” were those who did just that.

They oversaw the church, they were the elders

Whom Paul said in 1 Timothy 5 “rule” the church.

 

They were those mentioned in Hebrews 13:17

As those who “keep watch over your souls”

 

They were the Holy Spirit appointed shepherds who guarded the flock.

 

The “deacons” were the servants of the flock.

Those who took care of the ministry needs

Like waiting tables and feeding the widows.

 

And these believers should rejoice that they are there.

 

• I am thankful for those people in my life who take time to guide and encourage me.

 

• I am thankful for those people in my lie who serve my interests to help me be who God intends me to be.

 

And on your worst day you can rejoice in that too.

You have a church family.

You have a pastor, you have deacons.

 

You may walk through hardships, but you won’t walk through them alone.

Paul reminds them of:

The Lord they Serve

The Live they’ve Received

The Leaders they Follow

#4 THE LIBERTIES THEY ENJOY

Philippians 1:2

 

What is God supplying?

“Grace…and peace”

 

Don’t ever forget the value of those.

 

Walk through a hardship, walk through a trial, and next to total deliverance there is nothing more valuable than “grace…and peace”

 

And our God supplies them.

• He gives grace that is sufficient.

• He gives peace that passes all understanding.

 

And what a tremendous reminder that is to those in hardship.

So you’re in poverty…

So you’re facing opposition…

So you’re confronted with false doctrine…

 

Isn’t it wonderful to know that the God of the universe

Has not abandoned you, but is in fact “FOR” you.

 

And that is a reason to rejoice.

1 Peter 5:10 “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

 

 

 

And so there you get just a brief glimpse of this letter to the Philippians.

 

They were a poor church facing hardship,

But they were a faithful church and had reason to rejoice.

 

 

 

You have reason too.

• You serve the Lord of Lords

• You have been given new Life in him

• God has supplied you with those around you to look after your soul

• And in your struggle He will supply grace and peace

 

“Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, ‘Rejoice’”

 

AUDIO COMING SOON! (Philippians 1:12 and following contain audio)

 

Praying for the Philippians

Philippians 1:3-11

September 15, 2013

 

Without a doubt one of the simplest

Yet most important spiritual disciplines is that of prayer.

 

We have at our disposal, access to the God of the universe,

In order to petition His help into our present situations.

 

And that means one of the greatest gifts we can give to fellow believers

Is to petition God’s help into their present situations.

 

We know prayer is effective.

James 5:17-18 “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.”

 

We know that prayer is commanded.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 “pray without ceasing;”

 

And we know that God delights in our prayer.

Luke 18:1-8 “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. “There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘ Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ “For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

 

So we all know that prayer is an important aspect of the Christian life.

 

And we could spend time looking at the life of Jesus.

Not only did He continually petition the Father,

But His role as our intercessor is one of the most valuable assets we enjoy.

 

We love it when people pray for us

We certainly are called to pray for others

 

However, at times we can feel a little incompetent in our prayer life.

• It’s not that we doubt the power of prayer…

• It’s not that we doubt the faithfulness of God to answer prayer…

 

But sometimes it is just so hard to know what to pray for.

 

In fact often times our prayers are limited either to the lost, or to the sick.

Obviously they need it, but one of the reasons for this

Is because at least with them we know what to pray for.

 

But sometimes we find it more difficult for our brothers and sisters

Who don’t have any obvious needs.

They aren’t lost… They aren’t sick…

 

What do I pray for you?

What do you pray for me?

 

Well to some degree we never really know what to pray at all.

(even for the lost and the sick)

 

Romans 8:26-27 “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

 

There are some issues that become obvious to us,

But there are many that we just don’t or can’t know.

 

And for that the Holy Spirit steps in, who knows the perfect will of God,

And He prays according to God’s will for us.

 

However, we still want to pray.

• We are still called to pray without ceasing.

• We are still called to intercede for one another.

• We are still called to devote ourselves to prayer.

 

So the question remains: what do I pray for?

How do I pray for other believers?

 

Well, to gain some insight in this regard tonight we look at Philippians 1.

Here we have Paul outlining his prayer life for the Philippians.

 

Here is a great place to start.

 

I want you to recognize 3 things about the way Paul prayed.

#1 A THANKFUL PRAYER

Philippians 1:3-6

 

Paul here has a thankful prayer.

And specifically he is thankful for God’s PAST and PROMISED work.

 

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,”

 

And we gave the background last week so I won’t carry you through all of that again.

 

And you remember that in Philippi there was no synagogue,

There were only a few women meeting for prayer outside of the city limits.

 

But God began to move in a special way.

(When we studied Acts we even talked about God’s providence in Philippi)

Acts 16:13-14 “And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.”

 

Lydia was the first ever convert from Europe.

 

But did you notice how Lydia came to have faith in Christ?

“the Lord opened her heart to respond”

 

The only reason anyone in Philippi believed

Is because God started breathing life into that place.

 

Remember what we learned in Ephesians

Ephesians 2:1-5 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ ( by grace you have been saved),”

 

No one comes to Christ apart from God opening their heart.

God did that for Lydia.

 

Remember the next recorded convert in Philippi?

The Jailor

 

How did he get saved?

• Well God sent an earthquake.

• Then God working through Paul and Silas caused this jailor to see something

different and want to be saved.

 

There is only one reason there is a church in Philippi.

That reason is the sovereign hand of God.

 

So it is only fitting that when Paul begins praying for the Philippian church the first thing he does is thank God for them.

 

Every time he remembers that church, he was moved to gratitude

Toward God for the word He did in starting that church.

 

“always offering prayer with joy in my ever prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.”

 

Paul said every time I pray for you, I thank God for you.

Because He not only made you a church, but obviously caused you to be a participant in the gospel and the gospel ministry.

 

 

• It was God who opened their hearts to believe.

• And it was obviously God who moved in their hearts to contribute.

 

None of those things were normal human desires.

None of those things were the result of human ingenuity.

 

The Philippian’s were an example of God’s work in the lives of people.

 

And that wasn’t all.

(6) “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

 

Paul knew that God wasn’t finished.

 

It is another foundational truth in regard to God’s sovereignty,

That God finishes what He starts.

 

Romans 8:29-30 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

 

None fall short of that.

If God begins a good work, God finishes that work.

 

He has no scrap pile of broken people that He just had to toss aside.

He finishes what He starts.

 

And so when Paul thought of the Philippians

The first thing he had to do was stop and thank God for them.

 

• God was the reason they were saved

• God is the reason they served

• God is the reason they are secure

 

Now there is a way to start your prayer for fellow believers.

• Thank God for saving them.

• Thank God for prompting them to serve.

• And thank God for promising to finish His work on them.

 

Pray thankfully!

 

A Thankful Prayer

#2 A JOYFUL PRAYER

Philippians 1:7-8

 

Now you will notice Paul starts out saying, “For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all”

 

Feel what way?

Look back up at verse 4, “always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer”

 

When Paul thought of the Philippians,

He was not only moved with gratitude to God,

But was also overcome with joy.

 

He rejoiced when he thought about the Philippians,

And here he says, that joy is only natural.

 

“It is only right”

 

So Paul prayed thankfully because of God’s Past And Promised Work.

Here Paul prays joyfully because of God’s Obvious Grace.

 

(7) “For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.”

 

Now on one hand we are thankful for grace

Because of the salvation it produces.

 

We are all saved by grace, and just the thought of it should obviously lead to rejoicing.

 

But that is not all that Paul has in mind here.

• Paul didn’t just use grace to get saved.

• Grace was important in his life in far more ways than that.

 

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me — to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

 

That grace came in response to a trial.

I firmly believe there is a grace that can only be known through hardship.

 

There is a grace that you just can’t partake of unless you are suffering.

 

For example:

• You can’t know God is provider, if you’re never in need.

• You can’t know God as healer, if you’re never sick.

• You can’t know God as defender, if you’re never in danger.

 

There are certain avenues of grace you just can’t enjoy unless you suffer.

 

 

Paul had this partly in view later in this letter when he says:

Philippians 3:10 “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;”

 

Again, there is a fellowship in suffering.

 

We understand this.

Every year Spur has a relay for life.

And cancer survivors walk a lap around the track.

 

There is a fellowship among that group

That those who have never had cancer can never know.

 

It is the same way with the grace Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians 12.

It is a grace given in response to suffering.

 

I also want you to recognize the effect of that grace in Paul’s life.

2 Corinthians 12:10 “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

 

What did that grace produce in his life?

Strength.

 

So we know about salvation.

That is grace given in response to faith that produces forgiveness.

 

But this grace is given in response to suffering

And it produces strength.

 

This caused Paul to boast about his weaknesses

And be well content with his hardships.

 

That is what Paul is talking about here in Philippians.

 

The Philippians were “partakers of grace” with Paul.

Not just salvation, but also the grace

That is given in response to hardship.

 

For notice what he says:

“both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.”

 

There was a fellowship forged between these two

Through common suffering and common grace.

 

And the result?

(8) “For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

The result of this fellowship of grace was tremendous love.

There was joyous fellowship between the two.

 

• So when Paul prays, He prays with gratitude, thanking God for what He did in the lives of the Philippians and for what He will do.

 

• And when Paul prays, He prays with joy because of the fellowship forged through suffering and the common grace they understand as well.

 

Now, when you pray for your brothers and sisters.

First, thank God that they are your brothers and sisters.

He is the only reason they are saved.

 

And when you pray, pray with joy over them

Because of God’s obvious grace in both of your lives.

 

• These people have walked with you through various hardships and trials…

• These people were in the same fire with you a number of times…

• And they know about God’s grace in those situations just like you do…

• There is a fellowship there…

• There is a camaraderie there…

 

So when you pray for them, pray thankfully and pray joyfully

 

A Thankful Prayer A Joyful Prayer

#3 A FAITHFUL PRAYER

Philippians 1:9-11

 

Now we actually get to the specifics of the prayer.

• I get it that we are supposed to be thankful…

• I get it that we are supposed to rejoice…

 

BUT WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO PRAY FOR IN THEIR REGARD?

Well, here it is.

 

Now first I want you to notice the faithful nature of Paul’s prayer.

“And this I pray”

 

• He doesn’t promise to pray…

• He doesn’t intend to pray…

• He doesn’t hope to pray…

• HE PRAYS

 

In verses 3 and 4 he said:

“in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer…”

 

The implication is that every time I remember you, I pray for you.

 

Paul was faithful to pray for the Philippians.

WHAT DID HE PRAY?

 

“that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,”

 

What is he talking about?

• He is talking about their love for Christ.

• He knows they are real.

• He knows they’ve received grace.

• He knows they love Christ.

 

But he wants their love to “abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment”

 

What does that mean?

 

Let’s see if we can illustrate this a little.

• I love my wife.

• And I want to love my wife in such a way that she knows I love her.

 

So what do I do?

 

FIRST I NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES HER FEEL LOVED

(Read a good book called “the Five Love Languages”)

 

Gifts

Service

Words of Affirmation

Physical Touch

Time

 

If I really want to show love to her,

I had better find out how she feels loved.

I HAD BETTER GET TO KNOW HER

 

My love has to “abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment”

 

I have to learn what was pleasing to her.

 

That is what Paul is praying for the Philippians.

I want you to love Christ, but I want you to love Him in knowledge.

 

I want you to strive to know what pleases Him.

 

To the Colossians Paul said it like this:

Colossians 1:9-10 “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

Paul was praying that the Colossians would get knowledge

So they would know how to love.

 

That is what he is praying for the Philippians.

 

So Paul wanted their love to “abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment”

 

WHY?

“so that you may approve the things that are excellent,”

 

In other words, I want you to know Christ better

So that you will have a better grasp on what is pleasing.

 

Let’s go back to the illustration of our spouse again.

I got to know her better so I could have a handle on how she feels loved.

 

Now Carrie’s love language is service.

But let’s say it’s “gifts” just to make an easier illustration.

 

So I learn that I need to give Carrie a gift.

WHICH GIFT?

 

Well, that is why I got to know her.

I talked to her, I walked with her, I listen to her

 

So that when I come across a potential gift

I will be able to either approve it as something she will like,

Or disregard it as something she won’t like.

 

(And she will tell you – just 4 months early)

 

So it is with Christ.

 

I spend time with Him, finding out the things He desires.

So that in this life when faced with decisions I will be able to “approve the things that are excellent”

 

Well, Paul says here, I want you to pay attention

So that you will know how to live a life that pleases Christ.

 

WHY?

“in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.”

 

Now you understand this too.

• Guys you didn’t pay attention, so you didn’t get the right gift.

• Instead you brought home the “slap chop” you bought on TV and the moment

arrives, you give the gift….

And you can see it on your wife’s face.

That is not what she wanted.

Oh she said she liked it, but you know better.

 

On that day, you were not blameless.

You messed up and you knew it.

• Your love didn’t abound in real knowledge…

• So you weren’t able to approve what was excellent…

• And now you aren’t found blameless when you stand before her…

 

Well, as humans we do this a lot, and that’s part of being human.

 

But what Paul is hoping for is that when we stand before Christ

We won’t have any of those moments.

 

He is praying that we will know what Christ likes

So that we can approve what Christ wants,

And having done it to stand before Him blameless.

 

And he even explains what blameless is

 

(11) “having been filled with the fruit of righteousness [good works] which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

 

Paul wants the Philippians to stand before Jesus blameless,

Having pleased Him, full of good works which He enjoys,

And fully glorifying to God.

 

Now there is a way to pray for your fellow believers.

• Pray faithfully for them every time you remember them.

• Rejoicing in the common grace they share with you.

• Thanking God for saving them and continuing to work on them.

 

And since this is God’s desire,

Pray that they will get to know Christ better,

And will thus be able to live a pleasing life,

So that they can stand before Christ blameless, full of good works,

Having glorified the Father.

 

So we don’t have to know specific needs to be faithful in prayer.

We are given an example of how to pray for each other.

 

Philippians 1:3-6 “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”