STUDY OF PHILIPPIANS (part-2)

Study of Philippians (part 2)

LESSON TITLE: Advancing the Gospel

One of Paul’s reasons for writing this letter was to tell
the Christians in the church at Philippi about his situation.

They had heard he was in prison, but they didn’t know these things:
    – If his case had come to trial.
    – How he was being treated.
    – The state of his physical condition.
    – If he was still alive.

Finally they received his letter, and the first eleven verses
were directed more toward them (maybe this was because
Paul always thought of others ahead of himself).

PHILIPPIANS 1:

VERSES 12-14:
Question:
How would you describe Paul’s overall attitude?
    – Optimistic?

Question:
How could anyone be that optimistic when in prison?
    – They have a close relationship with God?

Question:
What positive effects of Paul’s imprisonment did he mention?
    – The advancement of the gospel.

    – The people in the palace knew of his
      dedication and service to Christ.

    – Other Christians were inspired to boldly share their faith.
      Question:
      Out of 100 Christians, how many
      would you say could be considered bold?

      Question:
      How would you describe a bold Christian?

      Question:
      What hinders Christians from being bold?

      Question:
      Do you consider yourself a ‘bold Christian’?

Question:
What can we learn from Paul’s example?
    – We can view negative situations in a positive manner?
       Question:
       What are some negative situations facing Christians today?

       Question:
       How can we view negative situations in a positive manner?

VERSES 15-17:
Paul mentions two groups of people who are preaching Christ:
1. One group was motivated by love:
         – They realized God had appointed Paul to defend the gospel.
         – They were probably very supportive
            of Paul in his difficult circumstances.

2. The other group was motivated by selfishness:
         – They were jealous of Paul.
         – They wanted to hurt Paul
            (probably emotionally and possibly physically too).
         Question:
         Do you think they were church leaders?
         Question:
         Would they be considered false teachers? Why, or why not?

Question:
What are some reasons people preach, or appear to be serving God today?
    – Money.
    – Prestige.
    – Ego.
    – Control of people.
    – Guilt.
    – Love.
    – Thankfulness.
    – Called by God (obedience).
    – Concern for others, and their salvation.
    – A sincere desire to serve.

VERSE 18:
Question:
How did Paul summarize the efforts of these two groups?
    – Regardless of their motivation, the gospel of Christ
       was being preached, and that was a good thing.

Question:
Do you think people today who are preaching with the
wrong motivations can have a positive impact for Christ?
If so, how?
    – Many of the listeners may not know of their
       motivation, but are focused on hearing the gospel.

VERSE 19:
Paul felt there were two things that would
sustain him in his current circumstances:
    1. The prayers of the Christians in Philippi.
        Note:
            This is why our class has weekly prayer assignments.

    2. The Spirit of Jesus Christ.
         Note:
             Paul did not rely on his own resources.

VERSE 20:
Paul had two primary desires regarding himself:
1. To be faithful to the Lord at all costs, so that he
    would not be ashamed when standing before Him.

2. That Christ would be exalted through him
     whether he was sentenced to death, or allowed to live.
     Note:
         The King James translation uses the word ‘magnify’ instead of ‘exalted’.
             – Jesus Christ may seem far away for some people.
               As followers of Christ, we need to remember that as a
               telescope brings objects closer and makes them visible,
               we should bring Jesus closer to others through the way
               our own faith is shown in the way we live our lives.

VERSE 21:
Paul had a great perspective on life:
– True life is found through a close relationship with Christ.

The other part of his perspective was – death was not to
be feared because he would gain much through dying.
Question:
What are some things Paul would gain through death?
Note:
    It is a good analogy for us, isn’t it? We will gain much
    when we ‘die to self’ and commit to serving the Lord in
    whatever area He calls us.

VERSES 22:
Even though he had much to gain through death, Paul knew he
would continue to bear fruit if he was allowed to continue living.
Note:
    This caused a dilemma for Paul, didn’t it?

VERSES 23-24:
He explains his dilemma to the Christians in Philippi:
    – Going to be with Christ was the better choice for him personally.
    – But, the young church still needed his guidance, advice, and help.

Note:
    We can see the unselfishness of Paul. Even though we can detect
    his desire to be with the Lord through death, he was satisfied with
    continuing to serve Him while he lived. Why? Because he knew the
    Lord was speaking to others through him.
    Question:
    How is the Lord speaking to others through you? Are you allowing
    Him to speak through you? What does your lifestyle say about your
    faith?
Note:
    Considering the things he had to endure as a result of his faith,
    we can understand why Paul’s personal choice would lean toward
    going to be with the Lord.

VERSES 25-26:
Paul was confident that he would continue to live because the Lord
would use him as a venue for increasing the spiritual maturity and
joy of the Christians in Philippi.
Note:
    As followers of Jesus, we should ask ourselves,
        “How is God using me as a venue to speak to others?”
        “Am I unselfishly allowing God to use me?”
        “Do I know the spiritual gift God has given me?”
        “How am I using the precious gift He has given me?”
        “Am I living totally focused on myself and what makes
          me happy, or am I concerned about the impact the
          Lord can have on others through me and my lifestyle?

SUMMARY:
– As Christians,
  we should expect to participate in the spreading of the gospel.
– We are here not just to live, but to live for Christ.
– Each of us has a responsibility in the advancement of the gospel.
– Paul gives us some insight to
   the benefits of a close relationship with God.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me an opportunity
to participate in what You are doing to reach the lost people
of the world. Remind me of the importance of accepting the
area were You have ‘called’ me to serve. Don’t allow Satan
to convince me to ignore Your calling. Help me to embrace
Your desire for me to participate and become a ‘giver’ and
not just a ‘consumer’ of all you provide . Teach me to use
the spiritual gift I was given when You saved me!”

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