May 28, 2006
"What Are You Trusting?"
God's Not Finished With You Yet—Part 6
Philippians 2:25-3:11
Epaphroditus: Ordinary man, extraordinary ministry!
1. He loved people.
Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother...Now I am sending him home again, for he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill.
—Philippians 2:25-26 (NLT)
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
—Proverbs 17:17
2. He worked hard.
...a faithful worker...And he surely was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him - and also on me, so that I would not have such unbearable sorrow.
—Philippians 2:25 and 27 (NLT)
3. He was a servant-leader.
And he was your messenger to help me in my need. Welcome him with Christian love and with great joy, and be sure to honor people like him.
—Philippians 2:25 and 29 (NLT)
4. He took a risk for the advancement of the gospel.
...a courageous soldier...Indeed he was ill, and almost died. Honor men like him...For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while trying to do for me the things you couldn't do because you were far away.
—Philippians 2:25, 27 and 30 (NLT)
Question: Will you allow the Spirit of God to reproduce "the attitude of Christ" in you?
What are you trusting?
1. Watch out! They want to make you "fit in".
Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.
—Philippians 3:2
2. I used to try and "fit in".
I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
—Philippians 3:4-7
3. It's time to "fit together".
A whole new focus!
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
—Philippians 3:10-11
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
—Galatians 2:20
This is what faith in Christ does for us: it leads us out of ourselves, freeing us from ourselves and the expectations of others, binding us to Christ and to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Lifework
Don't try too hard to be part of the crowd. Don't work to fit into a cookie cutter mold. Don't ask to live like everyone else. Don't fit in—fit together! Unity not uniformity!
For to me, to live is Christ...
—Philippians 1:21
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ... (he) made himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant...
—Philippians 2:5, 7
I want to know Christ...
—Philippians 3:10
Do you want to know Christ?
"God Is Not Finished With You"
Personal and Small Group Study
Getting Started
- Not to blow your own horn, but, what one thing can you do better than most people you know?
- What are your spiritual gifts? How did you discover those gifts?
Digging Deeper: Read Philippians 3:1-11
- What accounts for Paul's change in "tone" from verse 1 to verse 2? What accounts for Paul's change in "status", from basing his confidence before God on performance and privilege to completely on Christ's grace?
- Who are the "dogs" Paul is warning about? What is their issue? What is their deception?
- What problems would the church at Philippi struggle with if this group and their teaching had gone unchallenged? How would this have hurt the church and individual Christians?
- The world has always admired self-effort and looks up to the self- sufficient. What is good about these and what is deceptive about these?
- Why is sincerity, as important as it is, never sufficient by itself?
- How many times is the idea of being counted righteous mentioned in these verses? What does justification mean? What is the opposite side of the same truth? What is not being counted against the believer?
Applying It To My Life
- How much confidence would you assign to each "confidence in the flesh": Good looks? Good works? Reputation? Religious traditions?
- Do you find yourself taking pride in your friends, career, talents, abilities, or position? Take some time in prayer to tell God that you value Him most of all.
- From this passage, how can a person know that they are "found in Christ"?