Philippians 1
14 Outlines
Philippians 1:1 etc.
THE CHURCH
When the Bible speaks of
"the church" it is either referring to the universal church or the
local church. The universal church is
made up of every person who has been saved.
The universal church consists of those who know they are going to heaven
because they have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.
The local church is a
group of Christians who meet in a specific area. Where I live we have the local church that I
pastor in
Our Lord Jesus has
promised to build His Church. Matthew 16:18
Please remember that the
church is made up of people, and that the church will only be as strong and
effective as you, the individual, is! If the church is made up of just one age
group, then eventually the church will dwindle down to nothing.
Let us consider three
things about the local church that involve all of us.
THE CHURCH IS
TRANSFORMED - PHILIPPIANS 1:1
First of all, let us
think about the Biblical meaning of the word "church". The word is
made up by combing two other words, "called" and
"out". In the Greek the term
was often used for an assembly of people who were meeting for a specific
purpose.
We as a church are a
group of people who meet for a specific purpose. We meet to worship and serve
God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
As a group and as
individuals we are given a special title in Philippians 1:1. Those who believe
on Christ are called "saints".
Phil 1:1 - Paul and
Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus
which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Some of us come from a
religious background in which a "saint" was some sort of holy person
with supernatural influence who was declared a saint by the church. But this is
not how Paul used the word, or how the Philippians would have thought of
themselves.
The term saints was used
in Paul's day to refer to all Christians.
Today, we might use the
terms, "believers" or "brothers and sisters".
The term has to do with
separation.
A saint is someone who
is set apart for God.
Or, we might say that a
saint is someone whom God has set apart for Himself.
You became set apart for
God in Jesus Christ the moment you were saved.
Before being saved, we
were set apart for Satan and his work. Ephesians 2:2-3
A big change or
transformation took place the moment you came to Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Christ has made you new!
You have a new nature on
the inside.
You have a new
forgiveness.
You have a new hope of
eternal life.
You should have a new
desire to please God.
You should have a new
hatred for sin.
You should have a new
desire to live a holy life. 1 Peter 1:15-16
The church is made up of
changed people!
Not one of us is the
same as we were before coming to Christ.
Now we are to live like
we are saved.
Those who do not know
Christ should look at our church and see people who are saints set apart for
God.
Our words are set apart
for God.
Our attitudes are set
apart for God.
Our actions and
activities are set apart for God.
Those who do not know
Christ should look at our church and see people who are different from what we
used to be, because we are changed. We have been transformed.
THE CHURCH IS A TEAM
We love sports in the
The Yankees are such a
good team because they have 25 men who know their jobs on the team. Not
everyone has the same job. They play different positions, and some play more
often than others.
The church is also a
team. We do not all have the same jobs.
We do not have the same
jobs because God has given us different "gifts" or supernatural
abilities. Romans 12:3-8 explains this.
There will be gifted people in the church who need to use their abilities for
the glory of the Lord. Although we should all give, show mercy etc., there will
be people who will have expertise in these areas. If someone is not using their
gift there will be a lack in the church just there is a lack in a human body
when a body part is missing or not doing its job.
Here is another thought.
Every team has leaders. They are often called managers or coaches. Our Lord Jesus Christ has provided men to be
leaders in the church. Those of us who lead need to be good leaders. Those who
follow are to be good followers. 1 Peter 5:1-5, Hebrews 13:7,
THE CHURCH IS A
TESTIMONY
As a church we are to
spread the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In order to do this we must have a good
testimony.
Those who are
unbelievers should be able to look at our church and see something good,
something positive, and something that they want to be part of.
How can we, as a church,
be a good testimony?
As Christians we are to
love other Christians as Christ loved us. John 13:34-35
Christ gave for us in
love.
Christ taught us in
love.
Christ went to the cross
for us in love!
Christ forgave us in
love.
We are to do the same!
Unsaved people should be
able to tell we belong to the Lord Jesus by the amount of love we show!
Another way the church
gives testimony to the unsaved is by our actions. Matthew 5:16
And a third way the
church gives testimony is by its words. 1 Peter 3:15
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Philippians 1:1-2
JUST WHO ARE WE ANYWAY?
I suggest you begin this message by talking a little
bit about your church's history. Tell how
the church started, the first pastor, the different buildings and/or building
programs, and some of the key events that have taken place.
Then announce that this information only tells a
little about who we are. As a local
church, we find out more about our identity, as Paul addresses the local church
at
WE ARE SAINTS - "...to all the saints in Christ
Jesus which are at
Many think of saints as special holy people with
supernatural influence, designated by some church as "saints". In the Bible, all born again Christians are
designated as saints. The word saint has
the idea of being "set apart".
As saints we are set apart unto God in Christ for Godly living! A saint has experienced a changed life! (See
1 Peter 1:15-15 and 2 Corinthians 5:17).
WE ARE SERVANTS - "Paul and Timotheus, the
servants of Jesus Christ..."
A servant was a bondslave. He had been purchased by his master.
We have been purchased with the precious blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter
WE ARE SUPPLIED - Vs. 2
Grace (Ephesians 2:8-9) and peace (Romans 5:1) were
initial gifts at the moment of salvation. However, grace and peace are
available to us on a regular basis. We
can only accomplish great things for God by His grace (1 Corinthians
15:3-4). As we serve God we need His
peace, which is a result of prayer (Philippians 4:6-7). We are supplied with
grace and peace so we can act well as servants and saints!
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Philippians 1:2-11
A PASTOR'S HEART
In order to serve a
congregation well a minister should have a pastor's heart. Our Lord Jesus
Christ had a pastor's heart. (Psalm 23, John 10) The Apostle Paul also had a pastor's heart,
as this passage shows us. A person with
a pastor's heart is:
CONCERNED FOR THE SHEEP
- Vss. 2, 7-8
THANKFUL FOR THE SHEEP -
Vss. 3-5
CONFIDENT IN GOD - Vs. 6
PRAYERFUL FOR THE SHEEP
- Vss. 9-11
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Philippians 1:3-8
THANKFUL INTERCESSION
When we intercede for others in prayer, we are to be
thankful. That's easy enough when we are
getting along with someone, but hard when we are not on good terms with another
Christian. In this passage, Paul shows
us his own thankful heart for other believers.
THE WHO OF THANKSGIVING - Vs. 3
Who is to be thanked for the people who enter our
lives, good and bad, Spiritual, and unspiritual? God is! Paul thanked the Lord
for almost all the churches, even though they were filled with imperfect
people. Romans 1:8, 1 Corinthians 1:4 (A very immature church.), Colossians 1:3
(A church plagued by some false teachers, Gnostics.)
THE WHEN OF THANKSGIVING - Vss. 3-4
"...upon every remembrance of you, always in
every prayer of mine for you..."
See 1 Timothy 2:1-4 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17
THE WHY OF THANKSGIVING - Vss. 5-8
Paul gives three reasons for giving thanks for the
Philippians.
1. FELLOWSHIP - Vs. 5 - They were Paul's partners in
Gospel ministry. Every believer is your
partner in Christ.
2. FAITHFULNESS - Vs. 6 - God began a "good
work" in each believer. Each
believer will be completed at the rapture of the church. God is faithful to preserve and keep us. See Hebrews 12:2, 1 Peter 1:5, Ephesians
3. FONDNESS - Vss. 7-8 - Paul was fond of the
Philippians. As we develop the same fondness for other Christians, we too, will
be able to pray for them thankfully.
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Philippians 1:3-11
A GOOD
A good mentor will guide people in their walk with God
in their Christian lives. Paul, in dealing with the church at Philippi, showed himself to be
a good mentor, and worthy of imitating.
A GOOD
A GOOD
A GOOD
A GOOD
***************************************************************************Philippians 1:9-11
PRAYER REQUESTS
FOR DISCERNING PASSION
Philippians 1:9 - And this I pray, that your love may abound yet
more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
FOR DEFINITE PRIORITIES
Philippians 1:10 - That ye may approve things that are
excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
FOR DELIGHTFUL PRODUCTIVITY
Philippians 1:11 - Being filled with the fruits of
righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
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Philippians 1:12-18
SPREADING THE GOSPEL
Paul was in prison but the Gospel was being spread
anyway.
DEFINITIVE ADVANCE – Vss. 12-13
DIFFERENT MOTIVES – Vss. 14-17
DELIGHTFUL RESULTS – Vs. 18
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Philippians 1:12-18
We have an expression in
When opportunity knocks, we find that there are great
chances to accomplish something. When a
person has the chance to make some extra money through work, that is
"opportunity knocking". When a
Christian has a very good opening to share the Gospel, that is opportunity
knocking. Although Paul was a prisoner
in
opportunity knocking.
OUTREACH Vss. 12-13
(You might want to review the things which happened to
Paul, including his arrest, imprisonment, appeal to Caesar, trip to Rome etc.
See Acts 22-28)
Paul was under Roman guard 24 hours a day, under the supervision of
Caesar's crack troops, the Praetorian Guard.
He took this opportunity to spread the Gospel.
OVERFLOW Vss. 14-17
Paul's preaching influenced others to preach the
Gospel.
Some did it out of sincerity, others were hoping that
Gospel preaching would make things harder on Paul.
OPTIMISM Vs. 18
Paul could have gotten very upset by the wrong motives
of people, but he didn't. He simply
rejoiced that the Gospel was preached.
In light of Revelation 20:15, we should have the same
joy when the Gospel is proclaimed.
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Philippians 1:12-21
MINISTRY DURING ADVERSITY
PAUL THE MESSENGER – Vss.
12-13
PAUL THE MOTIVATOR – Vss.
14-16
PAUL THE MAGNIFIER – Vss.
17-21
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Philippians 1:19-26
AT THE CROSSROADS
It was winter of 1989.
In January another key
family left. A few had already left. There were not many people attending.
Moral was low. The only publicity we seemed to get in the community was
negative.
It was a time of
decision for myself and other members of the congregation. We were at the
crossroads. Were we to give up, or were we to go on? One of our men said that
he was staying until the church closed its doors. He was committed. Another one
of our men took on leadership responsibility. I came to the conclusion that
even if I had to take a part-time job, I would stay.
That church still hasn't
closed! I stayed at the church for 10
1//2 years, never had to take another job, and God turned it around. Today one
of the people who joined the church under our ministry is now the pastor. We
were at the crossroads, but made the right decision.
In this life you will
often find yourself "at the crossroads". It will be a time when you must make an
important decision. Such decisions might involve marriage, schooling, family,
employment, church or other things.
When we come to the
"crossroads" it is easy to get depressed, worried, uncertain,
confused, and out of sorts. The crossroads we face usually don't bring us much
joy. Paul, however, faced a crossroads
in his life and he was able to handle it with joy.
PAUL HAD A PROBLEM -
Vss. 23-24
Paul's crossroad was
simply this. He wanted to leave earth and go home to be with the Lord. But he
also realized that it was necessary for him to remain a while longer to help
the Philippians and other churches under his care. It was a tough decision.
PAUL HAD A PLAN - Vss.
20-21
Paul could handle the
crossroads in life because he had a plan.
His plan was to magnify
Christ no matter whether he lived or faced death.
Nothing else really
mattered.
Paul's plan meant that
life was centered on Christ. For Him to live was Christ, and to die was gain!
PAUL HAD A PRIORITY -
Vss. 19,24-26
Paul's priority was to
do what was most important for the Lord.
Paul realized that
although he'd rather have Jesus take him home, it was more important for the
Philippians that he be delivered and continue to minister.
Paul's decision at the
crossroads was centered around the Lord's will and doing what was best for
others.
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Philippians 1:21
A FORGOTTEN VERSE
We are all forgetful at times. Did you hear about the preacher
who performed the whole wedding ceremony, introduced the newly married couple, sent
them down the aisle, and then heard the matron of honor say, "You forgot
the kiss."? This story is
true. Last Saturday I forgot to have the
groom kiss his bride. Such forgetting is embarrassing, but really harmless.
There is a kind of forgetting that is not harmless.
Forgetting to be kind, or to remember a kindness shown is not harmless. To
forget Godly principles that you once lived by is not harmless. And to forget to live by key Bible verses is
not harmless.
I want us to consider a verse that many Christians
have forgotten or have never learned.
"For to me to live is
Christ, and to die is gain."
Concerning this verse, please note:
THERE ARE DECISIONS TO BE MADE
Eternal life is through faith in Christ. One must
decide to believe on Him. Paul left behind trying to earn his way to Heaven in
favor of faith in Christ. Philippians 3:4-9, John 3:36
After deciding to trust Christ, a Christian must also
decide to live for Christ. Christ is to become the center of all the Christian is, and all he hopes to be. Romans 12:1
THERE IS DEATH TO EXPERIENCE
Just as Jesus died to give life to millions, it is as
we die to self and let Christ live through us that we will truly learn "to
live is Christ."
John 12:24-25, Luke 9:23-24, Galatians 2:20a.
THERE IS DEVOTION TO PRACTICE
"and the life which I
now life in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God , who loved me,
and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20b
My life is to be devoted to Christ, "who loved me
and gave himself for me."
THERE IS DISCIPLINE INVOLVED
I can type because of years of practice, and some
training.
In order to say, "For to me to live is
Christ," also takes the discipline of practice.
I must practice prayer.
I must practice Bible reading and study.
I must practice Bible memorization and meditation.
I must practice walking in the Spirit.
As I practice, I must depend on the Lord's help. John
15:5, Philippians 4:13
THERE IS DESTINY AHEAD
"...and to die is gain."
See Philippians 1:23. Paul looked forward to departing
and being with Christ. We have that same
hope of being with Him when this life is over.
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Philippians 1:27-30
TAKE A STAND!
During the summer a few years ago, I received a
disturbing phone call. It was disturbing that I received a report that someone
was planning to open an "adult", pornographic book store in
I asked at the
new "store" what they were going to sell. When the man was done
explaining, I said, "Sounds like an adult book store to me." The man
confirmed what I suggested.
I informed the mayor about the problem and made
arrangments to attend the next village board meeting..The three local ministers
were there, including myself, plus many other people. The press was there as
well. The mayor, the village board, and almost everyone else was opposed to the
store. For me, it was like making a snow ball, and pushing it down a hill. The
opposition to the adult book store gained momentum.
At that point, I, more or less stepped aside, and
other people in the community took over. There were boycotts and pickets. The
Village Board passed an ordinance. And the great majority of the town was
against this store. The end result - THE ADULT BOOK STORE NEVER OPENED BECAUSE
PEOPLE TOOK A STAND FOR WHAT WAS RIGHT!
As Christians, we are to stand for what is right. In Philippians 1:27-30
we find Paul encouraging the Philippians to take a
stand.
STAND AS CITIZENS Vs. 27a
"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the
gospel of Christ:"
The word "conversation" here carries the
idea of citizenship.
Paul wanted the Philippians to act as good citizens of
Heaven.
Philippians 3:20, Hebrews 13:14
STAND IN PARTNERSHIP Vs. 27
"that whether I come and see you, or else be
absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one
mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;"
STAND WITH BOLDNESS Vs. 28
"And in nothing terrified by your adversaries:
which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and
that of God."
Stephen is a good example of standing boldly. (Acts
6-7)
STAND THROUGH SUFFERING Vs. 29
"For unto you it is given in the behalf of
Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;"
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Philippians 1:27-30
LIFE PATTERNS
BE CONSISTENT – Vs. 27a
Only let your conversation be as it
becometh the gospel of Christ:
BE COMPATIBLE – Vs. 27b
…that whether I
come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand
fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the
gospel;
BE COURAGEOUS – Vs. 28
And in nothing terrified by your
adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of
salvation, and that of God.
BE CONSCIOUS – Vss. 29-30
For unto you it is given in the behalf of
Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Having the
same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
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Philippians 1:27-30
JOY UNDER PRESSURE
There are many pressures
in the world today.
There's the pressure of
meeting a deadline. Something must be done at the prescribed time, like a book
report for school, or a quota or report for work.
There's the pressures
that come from disagreement or the job, in school, at work or at home. Often
there is pressure when we do not agree.
There's the pressure
that comes from living. That includes paying bills, raising the family,
planning for the future, dealing with the neighbors, and being active in a
church.
There's the pressure
that comes from uncertainties. Since the
terrorist attacks on the
There is also the
pressure that comes from taking a stand as Christian. 2 Timothy
One of the themes found
in the book of Philippians is joy. In the passage before us, Paul tells the
Philippians and us how to have joy under pressure.
BEHAVIOR - Vs. 27
Please note in these
verses that joy under pressure is not an individual activity. It's not
something I usually handle alone, although sometimes I must. The way Paul is
writing here, he's writing to the whole group and expecting a group
response. Of course to have a group
response, everyone in the group must respond individually.
Our behavior should be
becoming or complimentary to the Gospel of Christ.
Our behavior should also
mean taking a stand for Christ "in one spirit, with one mind striving
together for the faith of the Gospel."
BOLDNESS - Vs. 28
In effect, Paul is
telling us here not to let our enemies scare us.
BENEFIT - Vs. 29
The benefit of being under
the pressure of persecution is that it is a privilege to suffer for the one who
suffered on the cross for us.
BROTHERHOOD - Vs. 30
It is a mutual conflict.
Rest assured that you
are not the only under pressure.
Never think that you are
alone.
Don't' think that you
are the only person or congregation that might suffer.
Elijah thought that he
was alone, yet there were 7,000 who had not submitted to idol worship. 1 Kings
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