STUDY OF PHILIPPIANS (part-9)

Study of Philippians (part 9)

LESSON TITLE: Willing to Share

When God blesses us with His salvation, we should expect to have
radical changes in the way we live. Changes in our words, attitudes,
actions, emotions, focus, priorities, etc. One important measurement
of our new life is our attitude regarding encouraging and sharing with
others, and especially fellow believers.

Question:
When is the last time you made a special effort to do something
for another believer with no expectations of anything in return?

Question:
What are some things others do for us that we should be thankful for?
    Question:
    What are some ways we show our gratitude to others?

Question:
What are some things God does for us?
    Question:
    How can we show our gratitude to Him?

PHILIPPIANS 4:

VERSE 10:
Paul knew the meaning of gratitude. He was grateful for
the way others had shared in his ministry. In this letter,
he was thanking the Philippians for renewing their love
and concern for him.

Question:
Had they intentionally neglected him? (probably not):
    – They may have wanted to give, but lacked the resources.

    – They may have lost track of Paul,
       and didn’t know how to reach him.
           – He was a man on the move.
           – He visited different cities.
           – He was involved in shipwrecks.
           – He endured stays in prison.
           – Overall, his schedule was hard to pinpoint.

Regardless of the reasons, Paul was thanking them
for seizing the opportunity to express their love for him.

VERSES 11-12:
Paul wanted them to understand
that he had no hidden motives for thanking them.
    – His joy and peace did not depend on possessions or prosperity.
    – He knew what it was like to have a lot.
    – He knew what it was like to be in need.
       (KJV – “abased”) – means to be humbled or brought low.
       He had learned to be content regardless of his circumstances.
       Question:
       How do we compare?
           – What do we have in our pantry and refrigerator?
           – How many suits, dresses, pairs of shoes, etc. do we have?
           – How many vehicles, televisions, radios, etc. do we own?
        Note:
            It is important for us to know
            the difference between our wants, and our needs.
        Note:
            If we aren’t careful, our possessions will possess us;
            and when they do, they will rob us of our joy and contentment.

Question:
How did Paul find the contentment in his life?

VERSE 13:
    – He was dependent on Christ,
      who gave him everything he needed for every situation.

Note:
    We are listening to the words of someone who had a
    relationship with Christ that we, as Christians, should also have.

Question:
What would it say about Paul if he had only said,
    “I can do everything”?

VERSE 14:
Paul assures the Philippians that their support is important.
    – They had sympathized with him in his
       hard times and helped make them more bearable.
Question:
How important is it to encourage and support those serving
the Lord today? Is it more or less important than in Paul’s days?

VERSE 15:
The Philippians were the only ones supporting him.

Both Paul and the Philippians benefited from their support:
    – The Philippians gave Paul material support.
    – Paul gave the Philippians spiritual support (he shared the gospel).

VERSE 16:
After Paul preached at Phillipi, he moved to
Thessalonica and Berea; later he went to Athens and Corinth.

As he moved from place to place,
the Philippians continued to support him.

Note:
    Thessalonica was the capitol of Macedonia and a city of
    greater significance and wealth than Philippi; this shows
    the significance of their support.
    Question:
    Why did they support Paul? Were they inspired by the Lord
    to support this patriot of the faith? Was it a spiritual gift?

VERSE 17:
Paul reminds them that the support they provided was a
benefit to them as well; they would be blessed for their giving.

Paul was not looking for their gifts, but he knew their
spiritual account would be credited as a result of their efforts.

Question:
Why should we give to the Lord’s work?
Is it because God needs our money?
    – No, We are actively obeying Him and
      we will receive blessings as our reward.

Note:
    Since God owns everything anyway, it is only right that
    we should give Him the tithe He asks us to give, right?
    If we don’t, God says we are robbing Him.
        “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.
        “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In
          tithes and offerings. You are under a curse (your
          whole nation) because you are robbing me. Bring
          the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may
          be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD
          Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the
          floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing
          that there will not be room enough to store it.
          (Malachi 3:8-10)

VERSE 18:
Paul wanted the Philippians to know he was not asking for more.

Question:
What do you think Epaphroditus brought to Paul?
    – Money?
    – Food?
    – Clothing?
    Note:
        Whatever the gift was, Paul viewed
        it as an act of sacrificial worship.

VERSE 19:
As Paul praised them for their encouragement and
support, he reflected on God’s gifts to obedient believers.

Note:
    He didn’t say God “might”, “could”, or “ought to”
    meet our needs, he said God “will” meet our needs.

Note:
    He says, “my God”, it shows
    the personal relationship he had with God.

Note:
    He says God will give “according to His riches”, not “from His riches”.
    Comparison:
        – A millionaire gives $20.00 to feed the poor; he gives from his riches.
        – If he gave according to his riches, his gift would be much larger.
          His gift would be based on how much the Lord had blessed him.
Question:
What could be the reason for any Christian to withhold what
belongs to the Lord? No believer should want to wear the
moniker of, “I robbed God”.
Note:
    Satan wants us to focus on the amount of the tithe rather
    than our obedience to God’s commands, and realizing the
    magnitude of how He has blessed us.

VERSE 20:
Paul gives glory to God.

Question:
Why do you think he did this at this point?

Note:
He says, “our God”, again indicating a personal relationship
with the Lord, and a brotherly relationship with the Philippians.

VERSES 21-23:
Paul concludes his letter with a greeting, and a prayer of blessings.

He greets everyone in the church at Philippi, including the two
women whose actions were upsetting the unity of the congregation.

He also sent greetings from those who were with him.
Note:
    This group included his trusted worker,
    Timothy, and others who labored in Rome.

“Caesar’s household”
    – Apparently some believers were employed in the emperor’s
      service (either by force as a slave, or as a free person).
      Note:
          This was probably encouraging news for the Philippians.

Paul ends his letter in much the same way
he began (Verse 1:2) by referring to God’s grace.

SUMMARY:
– We can express our gratitude with words;
   we can confirm our gratitude through our actions.

– We show spiritual maturity when we acknowledge
   and accept the fact that God is in control.

– God provides us with the strength required for serving Him.

– Not only does God bless us in many ways, but He also provides
   a way for us to obediently express our appreciation through
   tithes and offerings.

– When we give to God what is rightfully His, we receive His blessings.

– When we do not give our tithes, we break one of the Ten
   Commandments (“Thou shalt not steal”). More importantly,
   we are stealing from God, who is the very One Who blessed
   us in the first place.

– Our tithes help to support missionaries at home and
   and abroad (just as the Philippians supported Paul
   in his ministry).

– Sharing our resources can be viewed as an
   act of worship of God, and an act of service to others.

CHALLENGE
– Honestly evaluate our obedience to the Lord, see where
  we are falling short, and decide what we need to do about
  it. Tithing is one way we can express our obedience, but
  we can also show the sincerity of our faith by giving our
  time in serving the Lord, encouraging others, etc.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, how could I ever thank You enough
for how You have blessed me? Forgive me if I have been
withholding what You have commanded of me. Remind
me that I will be blessed when I obey Your commands.
Show me where and how I can be supportive of those you
have called to share the gospel with others, and especially
those who are in harm’s way. Replace any selfishness that
I have, with a selflessness in the manner of Jesus.”

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