Plymothian

Philippians 4: 2-9

1. Who needs to agree?
2. What phrase does Paul add to his pleading?
3. Where should our minds be focused?
4. How is unity preserved in the community of Philippi?
5. How is unity preserved by where your thoughts are?

I am frustrated with the merger of Fox River Grove and Crystal Lake Hammers.  My soccer team has merged with another and we look terrible.  I could focus on the players who trot around and don’t carry their weight.  I could focus on the players in the center of the field who don’t tackle.  However, just focusing on criticising will not bring peace or harmony.  I need to focus on why am there.  I need to focus on the efforts that many did put forth.  I need to think differently. In what areas is there a lack of harmony in your life?  How could you think about those areas differently to preserve unity and be an agent of joy?

Going Deeper

Observation

• Who does Paul ask to help these women?
• When should the Philippians rejoice?
• Where is the Lord?
• How are the Philippians to deal with the anxiety they have?
• What will the peace of God do?

Interpretation

• Are these women in church leadership?  How has their problem affected the whole church?
• How do arguments strip people of their joy?
• Was Paul mistaken in thinking that Jesus was coming back soon?
• What is ‘petition’?  How does that affect how we pray?
• Are pure, noble, admirable, lovely things only found among Christians?

Application

• Should women lead the church?  Should The Chapel have a third, female, Senior Pastor in the mix?
• Are you at odds with someone?  Is it a godly remedy to talk it out with a third person?  Is it godly to let them have it out of both barrels?
• Does a lack of rest strip you of joy?  How could you prioratize your life so that the essentials are still carried out and you are joyful, peaceful and rested?
• Do you see God at work in teaching, counseling, homemaking, television, and finances?  What true, noble, right, pure, and lovely things did you see at work today?
• How are you an example to those around you in the way your mind works?

Philippains 3: 12 – 4: 1

1. Why does Paul press on?
2. What should the Philippians live up to?
3. How do many live, whom Paul thinks of with tears?
4. What kind of efforts should mark the Christian life?
5. Do you think or act like you have arrived in your Christian life?

At this point the Minnesota Vikings are winning their games.  The Vikings organisation is doing well and has a depth of talent that other teams would envy.  What does it mean to be a Viking right now?  Imagine if Brad (their coach) gave you a call and asked you to join.  Would you be a Viking if you signed a contract?  Would you automatically then behave like a Viking?

Being a Christian is a once and for all deal.  However, we work out daily what that means.  We never arrive.

Going Deeper

Observation

• What does Paul forget?
• How is Paul’s journey toward what is ahead described?
• Who should take Paul’s view of things?
• What is the god of those who live as enemies of the gospel?
• What will Jesus use his power to transform according to v. 21?

Interpretation

• Does Paul forget his preChristian experience, or does he forget his recent activity?
• How does Paul use athletic imagery in this passage?
• What does this passage have to say about spiritual development?
• How do the pleasures of the senses sometimes lead us away from spiritual maturity?
• How does this passage result in us standing firm?

Application

• How does your past hold you back?
• Could someone easily see your efforts to grow spiritually?
• How does being in community aid growth for you?  Are you committed to meeting regularly?
• What experiences draw you away from growing?
• Is it possible for us to become perfected in this life?

Philippians 3: 1-11 (Before I could post this yesterday my wife inadvertantly wiped it)

1. Who should Philippians watch for?
2. Who does Paul remind the Philippians that they are?
3. What does Paul have more than anyone else?
4. How does man’s effort compare with a relationship with Christ?
5. What evidence is there that nothing compares to Christ in your life?

This passage shows that all the efforts of human beings fall short.  No matter how intelligent, how good, or how happy you think you are – the only thing that really matters is that you know Jesus.  Allison, in our small group was talking about a conversation she had this last week.  She has been busy working in ministry and getting the job done.  But someone reminded her how beautiful it is to just talk about Jesus.  Do you wish that you just had a simple life where you could tell people about Jesus?

Going Deeper

Observation

• What does Paul remind the Philippians to do, ‘finally’?
• Why does Paul write these things to the Philippians?
• In what do Philippians put no confidence?
• How is Paul’s standing with regard to legalistic righteousness?
• What descriptors does Paul use when considering his own achievements?

Interpretation

• How does continuing to rejoice relate to opposing a group of false teachers?
• Why is it acceptable for Paul to use strong, ‘slogan-style’ rhetoric to talk negatively about the false teachers?
• Are all the things that Paul considers ‘rubbish’ bad things?
• What does it mean to be ‘in Christ’?
• What is ‘righteousness’?  Why is it valuable?

Application

• Do you have joy because you avoid false teaching?
• What things do people add to the gospel (like baptism) that are good things which do not save you?
• What are your feelings about being good compared with your feelings about your relationship with Jesus?
• How would you describe the new life that you have in Christ?
• Are your thoughts about faith about the afterlife or the life you have right now, or both?

Yesterday in small group we read Acts 16.  Acts 16 is good preperation for a study on Philippians because it tells of Paul’s time there.

Philippians 2: 18-20

1. Which two people might Paul send to the Philippians?
2. What does Timothy care about?
3. What does Epaphroditus long for?
4. What kind of character do Timothy and Epaphroditus have?
5. If you stopped focusing on yourself, to whom might God send you?

The Philippians, as we have seen, were looking out for themselves in the church.  It wasn’t working out well.  In contrast two people were willing to sacrifice for the sake of others.  One was young and the other had been sick.  However their youth and sickness didn’t cause them to be vain or selfish.  It seems that they lived out the motto, “God first; others second; me last.”

Going Deeper

Observation

• What will happen to Paul when Timothy stops by Philippi?
• What are the others looking out for?
• What is the relationship between Paul and Timothy?
• Why was Epaphroditus sent to Paul?
• Why did Epaphroditus put his life in danger?

Interpretation

• How did people keep abreast of what was happening in different parts of the Roman empire?
• What are he interests of Jesus Christ?
• How did Paul and Timothy grow close?
• Were the people in Philippi obliged to send someone to Paul?
• Does God require for us to go to places where we will be harmed?

Application

• What news would cheer you up right now?  Is it a right priority?
• How do people in ministry today look out for their own interests?
• How would you cope if it was God’s plan for you to be sick or in jail?
• How do you keep in touch with other Christians?
• What is the role of emotions in the Christian life?

Philippians 2:12-18

1. What word connects Paul’s commands here with Christ’s example in the previous verses?
2. What should the Philippians continue to do?
3. What are the Philippians to do according to verse 14?
4. What do Christians argue and complain about?
5. How do you argue and complain?

Sometimes in married life I don’t know how to resolve and argument.  I don’t know how to deal with tension.  I think one thought about an issue and my wife thinks the opposite.  Can I then complain about her to other people?  Should I lose my temper and argue with her in ways that are demeaning?  We may feel better for a while if we argue and complain.  However, the issue is still unresolved and the negative thoughts (founded or otherwise) about our spouse are spread further into the community.  We need to wait for the Lord and look for ways to bring His peace and harmony to our relationships.

Going Deeper

Observation

• What have the Philippians always done?
• For whose good purpose does God work in the Philippians?
• With what should we work out our salvation?
• In what kind of generation do the Philippians live?
• What word do the Philippians hold out that causes them to shine like stars?

Interpretation

• How is obedience a strong theme in the lives of Jesus and of the church at Philippi?
• If God works for his own interests, why isn’t that selfish?
• If John writes that ‘perfect love casts out all fear’, how can we also work out our salvation with ‘fear and trembling’?
• How does Deuteronomy 32: 4-5 relate to this passage?
• How does the word make a Christian more alive?

Application

• Are you conscious of being disobedient to God in any area of your life (especially maintaining unity)?
• How could you measure more of your life as to whether it serves God’s good purpose rather than your own?
• How awe inspiring, knee-knocking, and stomach churning is your view of God?  How could that e increased?
• Watch the WGN news and list the stories that would support the idea that we live in a crooked and depraved generation.
• When you are overworked, tired, confused, and sad – how can you reflect on Philippians and get to a place where you are glad and rejoice?

So my mother felt led to pray that someone would encourage me today.  I didn’t know that.  I just left the house feeling tense and not in the best frame of mind to socialize with a group of educators from all over Chicago.

I sat with my old friend Richard at Starbucks in Dundee on the way home.  As I went to leave this random Starbucks on the edge of a city of millions, Richard rushed back with one last thing to discuss.  If he had not delayed me I wouldn’t have seen Chuck, my professor from National-Louis, who I haven’t seen since I was in his class four years ago.  He wouldn’t have told me how handsome I looked shaved (that’s Chuck).  He wouldn’t have told me how he remembered the map I drew in his class.  He wouldn’t have told me how proud he was of seeing me implement the methods he taught at Moody.

My mother jumped and clapped when she heard the news.  She told me of her prayer that I would be encouraged by someone.  Who would have thought that it would be Chuck?  She was just so ‘chuffed’ at how faithful God is.

Philippians 2: 5-11

1. You should have the same attitude as whom?
2. What did he make himself?
3. Therefore God did what?
4. How does Jesus serve as an example of how we should preserve unity?
5. How can you imitate Christ in this way?

I was at an area meeting of principals today.  I think that I got this passage all wrong.  I was seething at the attitude of the represeentatives from a school who are ‘toffee nosed’ in my opinion.  I felt like I was in a room of white, social conservatives and I told a few people what was on my mind about mistaking religious conservatism with social conservatism.  The area representative for ACSI recommended that we do the Truth Project put together by Focus on the Family – I told him what I thought of James Dobson’s influence on an unthinking populace.  Yes, I think you can say I got this passage as far from my mind as I could.  Now do I have to start writing letters of apology?

Oh, and I guess I’ll give the Truth Project a chance!

Going Deeper

Observation

• What is the nature of Jesus?
• What nature did Jesus take?
• What did Jesus make himself?
• What kind of death did Jesus endure?
• What will every tongue confess?

Interpretation

• If ‘made himself nothing’ is literally ’emptied himself,’ what did Jesus empty?
• If ‘servant’ is literally ‘slave’ how does that relate to crucifixion?
• Does this passage claim that Jesus is God?
• Do spiritual creatures, earthly creatures or powers bow in this passage?
• What is the name that is above every name?  Does it matter?

Application

• Should Peter stop exalting himself over the stereotypes in his mind of people who live in a place where he once lived?
• Do artsy types stand in judgement over the rule-keeper types who judge them?
• Does Jesus stand in judgement over you personally now?
• How would you argue with a Jehovah’s Witness who doesn’t believe that Jesus is God?
• How could you dress up and pretend to be Jesus (figuratively) with those you work with, live with, or play with?  Be specific about actual things you could do.

Philippians 1: 27 – 2:4

1. How should the Philippians conduct themselves, whatever happens?
2. What word is repeated in 1:27 and 2:2?
3. How is unity encouraged through this passage?
4. Where do you see people divided by self-interest?
5. How can you be an agent of reconciliation?

So many churches have split.  When we become closer to people, it is harder to overlook their shortcomings.  We can feel slighted, overlooked, offended.  However, these hurts are overlooked when we stop staring at ourselves and look to the needs of others.  When we rally around a common cause the in-fighting lessens.  Are you able to consider others better than yourself?

Going Deeper

Observation

• In what does the church at Philippi stand firm?
• What should the church at Philippi contend as one man for?
• What will poeple who observe the Philippian church and oppose them know?
• What is the cause and effect relationship listed in 2:1 and 2?
• To what should members of the church in Philippi look?

Interpretation

• Why isn’t spirit capitalized in verse 27?
• What is the faith of the gospel as distinguished from faith in general?
• How will the unity and faith in the Philippian church cause their detractors to know they will be destroyed?
• Is there any doubt that Christians possess the qualities prefaced with “if …” in the passage?
• In what ways might Philippians be looking to their own interests?

Application

• How could you and the Christians you know be of one spirit?
• How could your small group, church, or family contend as one man for the faith of the gospel?
• Who is mocking your faith?  How would your unified resistance cause them to become less confident?
• How could you be encouraged by recalling  things you have in Christ?
• In what ways can you look beyond your own interests to serve the interests of your family, friends, enemies, and community at large?  (Of course, your enemies’ interests must be ones that God would approve)

 Philippians 1: 18b – 26

1. What will Paul continue to do?
2. In what tense is this passage written?
3. What is Paul torn between?
4. What is the foundation of Paul’s rejoicing?
5. What is the foundation of your future rejoicing?

Paul transitions from the present to the future.  It is a future that he knows little about.  He is confident that the outcome of his imprisonment will glorify Christ.  He is not sure whether it will be life or death.  Although Paul personally would prefer death, he would give that up in order to serve the Philippians.  This self-sacrifice is the foundation of the unity that he wants for the Philippians.  Doesn’t it sound strange to our modern ears to give up the chance of dying in order to do God’s work on earth?

Going Deeper

Observation

• What will the Philippians supply that will turn Paul’s experience into a deliverance?
• What does Paul eagerly expect and hope?
• What will living mean for Paul?
• What is more necessary to Paul?
• Why will Paul continue with the Philippians?

Interpretation

• How is the cause of Paul’s rejoicing similar in this passage to the rejoicing in the present that preceded?
• If Paul is killed, what might people think that would still give glory to Jesus?
• Is Paul suicidal? 
• How exactly does Paul model humility in this passage?
• How would the example of Paul in this passage lead to unity?

Application

• Is the main cause of your future rejoicing whether the cause of Jesus is upheld through your life?
• How could your future plans cause people to praise Christ at work in you?
• Can you name any modern martyrs?  Could you be one?
• How can we pray for each other that the Holy Spirit will work in powerful ways?
• How will your future bring happiness to the future of your family, your small-group, church, and work-place?