Joy Unrestrained
Notes
Transcript
Notes:
Notes:
Introduction:
Picture of my dad:
Joy Unrestrained: Om Frank
Doesn’t stop Paul!
1. Partners in the Gospel (v. 5)
Who are the Partners?
Paul and Timothy: “Servants” of Christ Jesus
Lit: “Slaves.” Philippi, Roman Colony
“To all the saints in Christ Jesus...”
“Overseers and deacons”
“Christ the King”
“Christ Jesus”
“Christ Jesus”
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
If you didn’t know who Jesus was, you’d wonder why his name is there 3x right of the bat!
Phil 4:2: Syntyche and Euodia: conflict
Phil 4: 3: Clement, and the “rest of my co-workers”
Epaphroditus (Phil 4:18 “18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.”)
Practical reason: A Thank you Letter
Phil 4:22 “All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.”
Soldiers, slaves, royalty. Household encompassed a lot of people!
Wrote Philippians=61 AD
Third Missionary Journey=51 AD
Lydia: Crazy Rich Asian!
Originally from Asia minor.
Foreign
Wealthy
Control over his household.
Slave Girl: Young Exploited fortune teller
Totally out of control: Exploited by her ‘Lords’
Young
Rather than being an influencer, she’s being INFLUENCED by the ’Spirit of Python’
Many slaves in Philippi: Roman Colony.
Jailor: Low vocation male
Dragged to the agora. Marketplace and center of public life.
Brought before the strategoi (two praetors).
II Corinthians 11, Paul mentions three flogging. This may have been the first of three.
The Philippians Church: A site for Sore Eyes:
Lydia’s Household A Slave Girl Jailor’s Household
Race, Gender, Nationality, Economics, Employment, Status Wealth
Hotbed of Conservative Roman Nationalism
Encouragement to keep pursuing good work
“We’re all in this together”
Who are our partners of the Gospel?
Slavery, royalty, business owners, civil servants,
Partners of the Gospel: International partnership
Calls them all PARTNERS IN THE GOSPEL!
Koinonia in the Gospel: “companions, partnership”
“The acts of sharing activities
How we talk about other Christians is really important?
Parters with the Gospel doesn’t have to be institutional!
What do we unite around?
Partners of the Gospel
2. Partakers of Grace (v.7)
7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Partakers=koinonia! Sum. Joint partners. Partnered together? In what? In grace?
Partakers with me of grace?
NIV: “All of you share in God’s grace with me.”
All together, the total sum our our fellowship, is grounded in the saving POWER OF JESUS CHRIST’S ATONING WORK ON THE CROSS!”
Notice how Paul describes his relationship with these Partakers of Grace.
Intimacy:
“I hold you in my heart”
“How I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”
Earlier: “To all the saints in Christ Jesus”
Philippi is covered!
In Christ! In Paul’s heart
Holding one another in our hearts
They are like a well-functioning family. All different, but deeply loved.
And Paul reminds them: You are in Christ. You are in my heart. We want you to feel protected, secure, and safe as we partake in grace.
Such intimacy. So sweet.
No coincidence that a major theme in this book is joy! Paul sprinkles the word “joy” all over this book...
Someone wise told me recently: “Joy comes out of safety.”
I want you to just think about this phrase: “Joy comes out of safety.”
Joy comes out of safety.
You look at the happiest children, the most joyful children, they are in safe homes.
Click on poster: Not perfect, but here’s the thought:
No matter our physical condition, we can experience joy when we feel safe spiritually.
Paul is in chains! He has every excuse to complain.
But instead, out of his joy IN CHRIST, he reminds the Philippians how safe they are by being inside Christ, and even being in Paul’s heart...
Safety brings intimacy, which brings joy…
Paul may not always be happy in jail, but he does experience joy. Happiness is external, joy is internal.
Happiness depends on what happens, and joy comes out of feeling safe and secure.
Question:
Flip this phrase: If you do not experience joy all that much, do you experience safety?
“Abide” in Jesus
Love by their leaders:
Tell the congregants: I love you! I love working with you! I’m so privileged doing ministry with you!
“Dear ResLife,”
3. Prayers for Growth (vv.9-10)
Spiritual Maturity=Keep it growing!
9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Paul calls them Partners of the Gospel
Paul calls them Partakers of Grace
And then we have this beautiful description of how he prays for them:
“That your love may about more and more...” That you may grow in intimacy with one another...
Along with Love, “with knowledge and all discernment.”
Love, and truth, and discernment: Wisdom!
Purpose Statements:
v. 9: That you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ...
v.11: “[so that you may be] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
Lots going on in these 3 verses: Often times, the thanksgiving sections in Paul’s letter serves as a foreshadowing of the themes he’ll be dealing with through the letter.
Joy comes out of safety.
But truth also much come out of love...
Paul wants their love to grow more and more BUT
Needs to grow in intimacy with knowledge and all discernment…
Result #1: It makes you a better decision-maker!
Approve what is right, what is holy, what is blameless.
Result #2: You will be filled with the fruit of righteousness.