SOULJournal

Philippians 4

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

There are two quick thoughts about this verse that challenges me.  The first is that Paul lived in such a way that glorified Christ that he could say with all confidence - do as I did.  How many of us live in such a way that we can say, "Live the way I live because it is an example of a life surrendered to Christ." 

The other challenge to me is that we are required to put into practice what we have learned, heard and received from our spiritual leaders and from God's Word.  Again the question is, "Are we truly putting into practice what we know and have heard in regards to life as a believer?"  Or are we guilty of knowing and not doing?

In both cases we see that the living according to God's standards is a requirement of the believer - so that our lives are a living testimony to others and because it is really the only way we should live. 

Philippians 3

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

It is funny how we as humans are always looking to put Christianity into a set of hoops that we must jump through in order to prove our status.  For the Jews in Paul's time the big deal was circumcision.  This outward act had become the measure by which people were considered Christian or not.  When I was growing up it was not going to movies, dances. no drinking and no card playing.  If you did those things publicly then you were a good Christ-follower.  Didn't matter if love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control were never evident in your lives. 

Paul continues to remind us that it is an inward work of God that translates itself to a transformed life on the outside.  When Christ does a work in me I will not want to do what is displeasing to Him but what pleases Him.  As the Holy Spirit is at work in me I begin to be transformed from the inside out and things like love, joy, peace, patience and kindness begin to naturally flow out.  If those things are just an outward show with no inner change we are only fooling ourselves.

And we cannot live on yesterday's victory.  We can't build a house on last week's mountain top experience but we must continue to press on.  Too many of us camp out on the incredible thing that God did in our lives when we were young, or when we first experienced His presence in a real and powerful way.  We talk about it and make it our badges of honor and seek only to replicate it in the lives of others.  After all if they dont experience what we experienced then they are not really "mature" like we are.  Paul says, "the past is the past, learn the principles and live by them but they are not grounds for somehow feeling like we are spiritually superior." 

There is more that God would like us to experience, don't camp out on yesterday's excitement, God has much more in store for those who seek Him and obey Him.  As the country bears would say..."Let's kick it into gear."

Philippians 2

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

As he continues in this chapter Paul tells the Philippians how they are to live in a manner worthy of the gospel.  He speaks to them about living in true biblical community, encouraging them to strive towards some things that would make "doing life together" incredibly fruitful and rewarding.

He gives them the motivation we have for unity of the body.  The motivation comes from being united with Christ, having experienced God's love and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  From that comes the desire to live in the unity of the Spirit.  Here is how you can encourage unity:

Be like-minded:  not yes people but people who are committed to the same cause and mission - to glorify God in every way possible.  Like-minded is also about living by the example of Jesus, showing love and honor to one another.

Honoring one another:  the example of Jesus shines here.  The motive of Christ was not selfish, not looking to exalt Himself but to help others.  That is the kind of attitude we must have.  Not a prideful, self-serving approach to life, but looking out for the interests of others.

I wonder what our GROW groups and communities would look like if we chose to live this way.  Putting others needs above our own.  Honoring one another and esteeming others more highly than we esteem ourselves.  It would be revolutionary.

Paul exhorts the Philippians (and us) to work hard on this approach to life and that we can do it because God is at work in us - giving us the desire to do what is right and the power to accomplish it.  We can do it through Christ who strengthens us.  So no more excuses let's get to loving one another and living in true biblical community.  As we do this it will be a living gospel that draws people to Christ.

 

 

Philippians

Intro to Philippians
Wiersbe Expository Outlines of the New Testament

The City
Philippi was a Roman colony, governed by Roman laws and subject to Roman rule. It was a little Rome in the middlet of a Greek culture, just as the church is a “colony of heaven” here on earth.  The original city, named after King Philip, who had won it from the Thracians, was noted for its gold as well as its farming. Its soil was very fertile. Check your map to see its location in Macedonia.

The Church
The first church founded in Europe was planted by Paul in Philippi (see Acts 16) on his second missionary journey. After Paul moved on to Thessalonica, the Philippian believers sent him support (Phil. 4:15, and see 2 Cor. 11:9). Five years later, while on his third journey, Paul visited Philippi on the way to Corinth, and then on the return trip (Acts 20:1-6). There was a deep love between Paul and the people at Philippi. Certainly their church gave the apostle little trouble! No wonder he enjoyed fellowshipping with them!

The Letter
The church had heard of Paul’s house arrest in Rome and wanted to send him aid. They sent one of their men (perhaps an elder) named Epaphroditus to carry their offering to the needy apostle in Rome. The journey from Philippi to Rome usually took about a month. Epaphroditus remained with Paul in Rome and ministered to him and with him, so much so, in fact, that he became ill (Phil. 2:25-30). Apparently when Paul wrote his acknowledgment to the church, he mentioned his friend’s illness. The church then became concerned about him as well as Paul. It is also possible that Epaphroditus stayed with Paul a few months too long and was criticized by the church for his tardiness. At any rate, when Epaphroditus regained his strength, Paul sent him back home with the letter that we know as the Epistle to the Philippians.
Paul had several purposes in mind when he wrote the letter:

1. to explain his circumstances to friends who were concerned about him;
2. to explain Epaphroditus’ situation and defend him to his critics;
3. to thank the Philippians again for their generous support;
4. to encourage them in the Christian life;
5. to encourage the unity of the church.

The Emphasis
One of the key themes in Philippians is joy. “Joy” is mentioned in one way or another nineteen times in these four brief chapters. Another emphasis is the mind. As we read Philippians, note how many times Paul talks about remembering and thinking.

We can summarize the theme of the book as “the Christlike mind that brings Christian joy.”

In each chapter, Paul describes the kind of mind Christians must have if they are to enjoy Christ’s peace and joy. Certainly our thoughts have a great influence on our lives, and wrong thinking leads to wrong living.  Of course, we should not conclude that this is the only lesson to be gained from this wonderful letter.
Paul teaches us much about Christ in this epistle: Christ is our life (chap. 1), our example (chap. 2), our goal (chap. 3), and our strength (chap. 4). The word “sin” is nowhere mentioned in Philippians, and the only suggestion of sorrow is in 3:18, where Paul weeps over the professed Christians who are worldly minded and thereby dishonor Christ.

Philippians 4

Susan Souther

The theme of this chapter is peace.  Starting with telling 2 Philippian ladies to get along, and ending with a description of the absolute contentment Paul has no matter what his circumstances, his words are an exhortation to walk in that same kind of peace.
 

• Phil 4:6-7 (Berkeley version)--"Entertain no worry, but under all circumstances let your petitions be made known before God by prayer and pleading along with thanksgiving.  So will the peace of God, that surpasses all understanding, keep guard over your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus."

 
Entertain no worry!  How do I NOT worry?  By doing something productive instead.  Paul says that prayer and pleading (KJV supplications)--I think that means some serious, do or die kind of praying--when they are intermingled with gratitude to God, are EXTREMELY productive.  We walk away knowing God cares, He heard, and He is in control.  And the first thing God does in response to our prayer, is to supply His peace.
But He doesn't just give us His peace to replace the worry.  He gives us His peace to do a job.  The peace we now have is put on guard duty---guarding our heart from the lies, doubts, anxieties that Satan will try to sneak in.  Our focus becomes taking our needs to God and thanking Him for His mighty, outstretched arm constantly working on our behalf.  That kind of focus ushers in God's peace to keep constant watch over our hearts.
 
I need to change my thinking about prayer.  I need to realize that even though serious prayer takes more of a concious effort than worry, both of them take energy.  Worry just saps my energy without me realizing it.  Prayer takes time and effort, but the end result will be: no worry, no fear, hope for tomorrow, faith that God is working for my good, and more energy to walk the path God's carving out for me day by day.
 
Anybody out there want to pray?

Philippians 3

Gladi Wilmes

• Philippians 3:8 through Philippians 3:11 (NIV) ⁸What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. ¹⁰I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

 

Paul gives his personal testimony that one must not put his confidence in his own achievements but must rely entirely on God and understand that no personal achievement will earn a place in heaven.

 This is a pursuit of intimacy with God.  Is this my consuming focus and desire?  Is my main goal in life to "know" God?     Will this quest require a personal sacrifice from me?  

 Aim to achieve the goal God has set to knowing "Him"    

 Am I a man or woman after God's own heart?

Philippians 2

Russ McQueen

Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke had previously ventured to Philippi on a missionary journey, after Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia asking him to "come... and help us." (Acts 16:9-10). Here in chapter 2 of Paul's letter to the Philippians, he gives them some beautiful encouragement concerning their attitude and their joy in Christ. I cannot read this without taking personal inventory: how is my attitude today? Am I joyous in Christ, regardless of what may be going on around me?

Paul starts by encouraging the Philippian believers to make his joy complete by being in one spirit and purpose with him (verse 2), and later in verse 18, Paul repeats this encouragement by saying "...you too should be glad and rejoice with me." Thus, verses 2 and 18 form a scriptural "joy sandwich."

Between verses 1 and 18, as Paul expounds on themes of servanthood, obedience, humility, purposefulness, joy and gladness, we find some of the great memory verses in the New Testament, such as verses 3-4: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Verses 12-13 is another: "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

The section from verses 5-11 is, according to many scholars, actually a psalm, or song, and it is a truly beautiful testimony of the love of Christ, ending with the timeless and beautiful words: "...at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord..."

Philippians

by Eugene Petersen

This is Paul’s happiest letter. And the happiness is infectious. Before we’ve read a dozen lines, we begin to feel the joy ourselves—the dance of words and the exclamations of delight have a way of getting inside us.
But happiness is not a word we can understand by looking it up in the dictionary. In fact, none of the qualities of the Christian life can be learned out of a book. Something more like apprenticeship is required, being around someone who out of years of devoted discipline shows us, by his or her entire behavior, what it is. Moments of verbal instruction will certainly occur, but mostly an apprentice acquires skill by daily and intimate association with a “master,” picking up subtle but absolutely essential things, such as timing and rhythm and “touch.”

When we read what Paul wrote to the Christian believers in the city of Philippi, we find ourselves in the company of just such a master. Paul doesn’t tell us that we can be happy, or how to be happy. He simply and unmistakably is happy. None of his circumstances contribute to his joy: He wrote from a jail cell, his work was under attack by competitors, and after twenty years or so of hard traveling in the service of Jesus, he was tired and would have welcomed some relief.

But circumstances are incidental compared to the life of Jesus, the Messiah, that Paul experiences from the inside. For it is a life that not only happened at a certain point in history, but continues to happen, spilling out into the lives of those who receive him, and then continues to spill out all over the place. Christ is, among much else, the revelation that God cannot be contained or hoarded. It is this “spilling out” quality of Christ’s life that accounts for the happiness of Christians, for joy is life in excess, the overflow of what cannot be contained within any one person.