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’”
