Philippians 1B

• Tonight, we pick up where we left off in our exciting journey through the book of Philippians.

  • I say “pick up” because the founder of VBVMI, Pastor Stephen Armstrong, began this teaching nearly 3 years ago.

    • In fact, his introductory teaching on Philippians was his very last message taught before his passing.

    • And we understood that for many who had listened to Steve for years you would be grieving along with us.

    • So, to allow the body to grieve, we tabled this teaching for some time.

  • Now, after three years, we felt that the Lord was leading us back to this book to finish it.

    • So, in obedience to the Lord, we will pick up where Steve left off.

    • In the meantime, I would encourage you to listen to Steve’s intro teaching to the book of Philippians in our single teaching section of the website. (Also included as Lesson 1A of this book series)

  • It is there we have preserved the sermon entitled “Why are we still here?” along with all of Stephen’s extensive library of bible teaching which remains.

    • It is in the teaching “Why are we still here” that Steve covered verses 1-5.

    • So tonight, we will pick up in verse 5, however, I want to cover some key points from the introductory teaching.

  • We were provided an outline of what we would learn from each chapter of Paul’s letter. That chapter breakdown goes as follows: (Slide 1)

    • Chapter 1: Our Purpose is to live for Christ

    • Chapter 2: Our goal is to think like Christ

    • Chapter 3: Our reward is to come from Christ

    • Chapter 4: Our satisfaction is to serve Christ

  • Furthermore, I want to begin this teaching by leading with the fundamental question Steve left us with, “Why are you not dead yet?”

    • And most importantly, “What are you to be actively doing for Christ with the life you have been given?”

  • It is my prayer that we will see the beginnings of that question being answered in part, tonight.

    • If I were to put a tag on our text tonight, it would be: “Partakers of His Grace: Gospel Impact”

  • With that being said, I invite you to meet me in verses 3-5 of Philippians 1 for a quick overview.

Philippians 1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
Philippians 1:4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,
Philippians 1:5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

• As you re-read through the opening lines of Paul’s writing, it’s hard to imagine that he is writing with such love while in such difficult circumstances.

  • He is writing this letter of love and thanksgiving while suffering for the sake of Christ and the advancement of the gospel.

    • And all the while, in his present condition, Paul is thanking God for all his remembrance of this church.

    • You’ll notice that throughout the duration of this teaching Paul will use the word “all” quite a bit.

  • This means that Paul isn’t just speaking to the individuals in the body that caused no issues or his favorite people in the church.

    • Rather he is speaking to everyone, even those who were at odds with one another. (Philippians 4:2 talks of an issue with Euodia and Syntyche’s unity with each other)

  • Remember, Paul’s remembrance, thankfulness, and prayers of joy for this church came about because of his closeness to this church.

    • It’s like a father to his child and seeing them grow over the years.

    • It would have been about 10 years prior to this letter being written that Paul witnessed the growth of the gospel in the hearts of the people there, firsthand.

  • So, we see that even in the midst of Paul’s great distress, being confined to a prison, that he is still experiencing joy.

    • And the way he is experiencing this joy is not circumstantially, rather it’s experientially through Christ, sharing in grace with those in Philippi.

    • This experiential joy is fully known because positionally they are all kept and preserved in Christ.

  • As we will see in the teaching of Philippians, true Christian joy is not defined by the present circumstances, rather it is found in Christ.

    • And it’s in verse 5 that we see the answer to Paul’s overwhelming sense of joy regarding the Philippian church.

      • He mentions it is because of their “participation in the gospel” from the first day until now.

  • The word “participation” in Greek is koinonia which means fellowship.

    • However, when you consider the context of the word, this goes beyond being associated with a group in name only.

    • This is participation fellowship, meaning there is a sense of active sharing in the work of the group –

    • In other words, you are actively involved in some way and not just associating because you’re in the vicinity.

  • So, what does Paul mean when he speaks about their participation in the gospel?

    • Well, he works out his explanation of this compound statement in verses 6-8.

  • Notice, Paul mentions their participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

    • This means that their fellowship with Paul began when they were saved through the message of the Gospel by faith that Paul first preached to them.

    • Perhaps what’s in view here goes back to the events of their initial interaction with the Apostle Paul.

    • Moreover, it begs the question: “When did the church of Philippi first begin? Or at what moment did they begin?”

    • Well, we find the evidence of that in Acts 16.

• In Acts 16, we find that the Lord had given Paul a vision to go to Macedonia where He called Paul and his associates to preach the gospel.

  • So, Paul, Timothy, and Luke travel to Macedonia to a region called Philippi.

    • And Philippi was a Roman colony that was a leading district with great travel that occurred throughout.

  • And it is in Acts 16:13 that, on the Sabbath day, Paul, Timothy, and Luke went outside the gate in Philippi to a riverside. (“We” verses in Acts)

    • They traveled outside of the city because the city was not populated with enough Jews for the city to have regular synagogue.

    • However, individuals were able to gather by this riverside known as a “place of prayer”. (Slide 2)

    • Within our context today, a building does not define the gathering of the people of God being the church – the people are the church. (2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Peter 2:9)

  • So, it is at this riverside, outside the gates, that Paul and his co-workers began to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

    • And at this “place of prayer” a woman named Lydia has her heart opened and her and her household responds to the message of the Gospel.

    • From that point, Acts tells us that Lydia and her household are baptized and invite Paul and his fellow workers into their home to stay.

  • Paul later preaches the gospel to the Roman jailer before he falls on his sword, thinking Paul and Silas escaped, and gets his attention.

    • And when the jailer sees Paul and Silas were still there, he falls to his knees and asked, “What must I do to be saved?”

  • So, within Acts 16, we find that the church of Philippi began with Lydia and her household and the Jailer and his household.

    • This was the start of the church at Philippi, and this is where Paul’s ministry and the Philippians’ participation first began.

    • Notice, however, the text says, ‘until now’. So this means that their participation began with coming to faith in Christ.

    • And that somehow their participation in Paul’s ministry continued even after Paul left Philippi. So, what were they actually doing?

    • We will see what they were doing in verse 7.

  • However, before we see what they were doing, observe the confidence that Paul exudes from seeing their lives and participation in the gospel in verse 6.

Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

• So, Paul’s confidence is rooted in the reality that the “good work” that began in the Philippians would continue until the “day of Christ Jesus”.

  • There are a few things here that we ought to address.

    • The first question is: “Who is the One that has begun this good work?”

    • The answer is clear that it is God who has started this salvific work within the lives of every believer, not just the Philippian church.

  • It is God, in Christ, who has accomplished the work that has made peace between God and man.

    • And knowing that salvation is the means by which the Philippians are able to participate, shows that the good work is salvation itself.

  • Understand that fellowship with any group of people requires that there be unity of mind in particular beliefs or shared behaviors.

    • For example, when was the last time you fellowshipped with an enemy?

    • Chances are you haven’t! Why? Because fellowship requires unity and familiarity around a common interest of beliefs and behaviors.

  • Friends, the same holds true with our salvation in Christ!

    • The reason we can commune together, and worship together is because we serve the same Lord who has brought us all to Spiritual life.

• So, Paul tells the Philippians that the same God that has saved you is the same God that will ‘perfect’ you.

  • This word ‘perfect’ is worth noting. It is the Greek word epiteleo which means to be brought to completion or to finish.

    • This word also happens to be in the future, active, indicative.

    • This means that this process of salvation that has begun in you is consistently at work in you by God and will be fully accomplished.

    • In other words, Salvation is an actively, ongoing work in the believer.

• Paul begins this by saying that it is God who has begun this work within the believer. (Slide 4)

  • This is what we call ‘the first tense of salvation’ which is Justification.

    • Simply put, because of the finished work of Christ on the cross, when you believed in the Lord, it was Christ’s righteousness placed on your account.

    • This is a work that is done at a moment in time when a person places faith in Christ.

    • The only thing that justifies is the perfect sacrifice of a perfect savior – Jesus Christ.

    • And Justification simply means that you are saved from the penalty of sin.

  • After one has been justified, you now move into what Paul expresses here as the “on-going” perfecting state.

    • This second phase of salvation is known as Sanctification.

    • Sanctification is a process that happens over time and is not a one and done thing.

  • Sanctification is an act which requires one to walk by faith through and by the power of the Spirit of God.

    • So, this tense of salvation deals with overcoming the power of sin in your life.

    • We will see Paul talk about this reality further in Philippians 2:12-13 where he says this:

Philippians 2:12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 
Philippians 2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

• Lastly, notice in 6b the duration of this perfecting work. He says “until the day of Christ Jesus”.

  • In other words, there seems to be a finish line or a finishing event regarding the summation of this work within the believer’s life.

    • Notice what the text does not say: It doesn’t say “until the day of the Lord”

    • Rather it says “until the day of Christ Jesus”.

  • Why did I make this distinction? Because terms matter especially when the author uses them in a specific manner.

    • This event that Paul is speaking about is not to be confused with the Day of the Lord which is dealing with the tribulation period.

    • Paul calls this particular event, ‘The day of Christ’.

  • In other words, Paul’s joy is found in knowing that the work the Lord began in them will be fully perfected and realized when the believers in Christ see Jesus.

    • What is Paul saying here? Paul is using the phrase “Day of Christ Jesus” for the event known as the Rapture.

  • Although Paul did not have a set day in mind in which this event would happen, this event becomes the consuming joy that all believers joyously anticipate and work towards.

    • To see Jesus, face to face, in our new resurrected bodies at the rapture or when we die in this life is a reward of great joy in and of itself.

  • So, it’s at the Rapture, where every believer will be glorified and in knowing that day is coming, Paul says we should live well to that end.

    • This third tense of salvation is known as Glorification.

  • So, as we examine Paul’s statement in verse 6 Paul indicates that we have been saved, we are being saved, and that we will be saved.

    • And we will examine each tense of salvation as we walk through this book.

    • But let’s not rush too quickly past this point because remember, Paul said that the Philippians were participating with him in the Gospel.

  • Again, we know that this participation began by the ministry of the Apostle Paul having been sent to them by God.

    • But in verse 5b, Paul mentions that they have been participating with him in his ministry even until now.

    • This means that these believers were somehow actively engaged with Paul in gospel work. How, becomes the question?

    • We now arrive to the answer in verse 7, check out the text.

Philippians 1:7 For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.
Philippians 1:8 For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

• Paul continues by mentioning that his feelings toward the Philippians were of great love in the sense that they were readily on his mind.

  • This is a good place to be friends! That because of their constant dedication to the Lord and engagement in the gospel, Paul had a special bond with them.

    • It’s like raising a child and seeing them grow from their infancy into maturity – it brings the parent great joy.

  • If you ever have recorded or observed your child’s first steps, those beginning moments build greater anticipation of what is to come.

    • And those same affections are what pastors should experience with their congregations.

    • This outworking of joy and gladness that the sheep in which they shepherd are growing in leaps and bounds.

  • Paul expresses this deep love on the background of the members of this church being participants in the gospel work.

    • What should strike us, however, is that all of these members in Philippi did not physically go with Paul on his missionary journeys.

    • They did not physically go to share the gospel alongside Paul.

    • So how can Paul say that, both within his imprisonment and defense of the gospel, they had been partakers?

  • The word ‘partakers’ in Greek is very similar to the word koinania. It is the word synkoinonos.

    • The prefix ‘syn’ deals with this idea of being synchronized or jointly linked.

    • In other words, Paul is saying that as I have suffered in my imprisonment and defended the gospel, so have you.

    • Being that we have established the Philippians were not there physically, means there had to be another means of their co-laboring.

    • We find their means of participation in Philippians 4:14-17. Check out the text:

Philippians 4:14 Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.
Philippians 4:15 You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; 
Philippians 4:16 for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. 
Philippians 4:17 Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. 

• So, how the church at Philippi became partakers of grace with Paul was through their financial giving.

  • Their gospel participation began with them sharing a common salvation to the point that it has now grown to their financial participation.

  • In other words where the Philippian’s feet could not go their finances made a way.

  • Herein lies a biblical understanding of giving! That although I may not be able to go on a missions trip to remote areas, I can be praying or giving financially to those who can.

    • Because it is in my sacrificial giving that I can participate in the gospel work being done.

  • Our bank accounts and 401Ks etc. amount to nothing if there is no Kingdom contribution!

    • We will quickly figure out what is going on with the latest technology or the current moves on wall street, yet this world system has an end.

  • However, when we put our energy, treasure and efforts towards eternal things, the impact of gospel growth and evangelism to the lost has eternal impact.

    • As you’ll see later on in this study, there is a sense that Philippi was Paul’s primary means of financial aid to share the gospel as he traveled.

    • Herein lies how both Paul and the church at Philippi were co-laborers.

  • And even when Philippi could not give as much in their difficult circumstances, they gave what they could.

    • And as we walk through Philippians you will see that Paul will use himself as an example of how to imitate Christ even in distressing conditions.

  • So, Paul saw these men and women as his partners in ministry.

    • More importantly, Paul recognized that the reason why he was able to accomplish the gospel work that he did was because of the giving of others.

    • The reason the gospel could reach other people groups in that day was because of the Philippians’ participation.

  • And might I just say this, that the reason why VBVMI is able provide verse=by-verse teaching for free is because of the gospel participation of each of you.

    • There may be some who say “I don’t have much to give”, but can I say that whether through prayers or financially, the gospel is going forth and lives are being changed to the glory of God.

  • So, we see in verses 7-8 that the deep compassion that Paul had for this church was rooted in their common salvation and gospel progression.

    • From here, Paul moves to his expanded prayer for the saints.

    • And that prayer is set in a place of deep love and affection for each individual in the church at Philippi. Check out verses 9-11.

Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
Philippians 1:10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
Philippians 1:11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

• As we come to the close of Paul’s opening statement, we see that the contents of his prayer encompass his previous point regarding their walk and work as partakers.

  • Remember, their walk in Christ began with them first receiving Christ as Savior for eternal salvation. (v.5)

    • And from the work that God began in their hearts, He would be faithful to continue until the rapture or their death (whichever comes first). (v.6)

  • So, in one aspect we see the Sovereignty of God at work regarding Salvation in the lives of His children.

    • But as we will see within the content of Paul’s prayer, there is also a component of human responsibility in partnership with the Holy Spirit.

    • In other words, because God has done all the heavy work in saving us and keeping us, it does not exempt us from putting in the work to grow.

    • This means that we must put ourselves under the weight of the word of God if we are to see our growth in Christ realized.

    • And in all of this, it is fully accomplished within the bounds of God’s Sovereignty.

  • Paul’s prayer consists of several things that we find in verse 9: He prays that the Philippians will:

    • 1. Increase in love

    • 2. Increase in ‘real’ knowledge

    • 3. Increase in discernment

      • We will take time to break each of these down.

  • The word ‘love’ here is agape which is dealing with sacrificial love and deep affection.

    • In other words, Paul’s desire for this church was for their love towards one another to overflow in an exceeding manner.

    • It’s that type of love that goes beyond the comfort of one’s “boundary” to care for those around them.

  • Understand, Paul is not speaking about an emotional love that is based on conditions and circumstances.

    • Rather, this love is shaped by what Paul says is “real knowledge” and “discernment”.

    • Let’s examine both of these words in the original language to understand what Paul is saying here.

• The word for ‘real knowledge’ is the Greek word, epignosis. The root word here is ginosko where we get the word knowledge from.

  • Epignosis is knowledge that has been applied.

    • In other words, this type of understanding has come by way of living out and doing what the Word says.

  • Furthermore, the word for discernment in Greek is aesthesis.

    • This deals with one’s decision making and understanding based on the knowledge they gained by way of experience.

  • In other words, as you grow in your love for the Lord and pursue His ways, coming under the weight of His Word, it gives you clarity on how you should live.

• If you ever had an old school radio you know that FM and AM stations can be hard to detect.

  • It requires turning the knob to filter through the airwaves to find the right frequency.

    • You could be on the right station, but it requires some adjustments along the way – the turning of the knob to get the frequency just right.

    • But when you make the necessary adjustments to the left and right, you pick up on some familiar sounds.

    • You suddenly realize that as you tuned out the noise of the other waves and frequencies and focused in on the familiar sound of the station, you got the results you anticipated.

  • Friends, in the same way, we must tune out the noise of exterior and circumstantial frequencies in an effort to hear and know God’s word.

    • And this only comes by us having “real” knowledge (turning the knob) and discernment (knowing His Word) which is foundationally rooted in love.

    • And as Paul mentions in his prayer, this love for one another matures us!

    • In other words, the more that our love for the Lord grows the more that our affections and attitudes toward the Lord and others grows.

  • However, the opposite stands true as well. The believer’s lack of experiential knowledge of God reflects in how they deal with others and how they submit to God.

    • The most miserable people in the world to be around are Christians who know about God yet fail to come under the weight of God’s word!

  • Understand that growing in Christ is not an intellectual exercise or pursuit.

    • Yes, a part of growing in Christ is to know His word – that’s irrefutable!

    • But applied knowledge is what develops and nurtures the intimacy in the Lord.

    • Check out what Kenneth Wuest, a New Testament Greek Scholar said regarding this ‘experiential knowledge’:

“A Christian can have an ‘understanding’ knowledge of the Word, that is, be able to explain its meaning to others, without having an experiential knowledge of the same. But when that Christian has put the Word of God into practice in his life, then he has what Paul is talking about here.”

• The difference between knowing your spouse and “knowing” your spouse is the level of intimacy one has with the other.

  • It is out of my love for my wife that I am able to grow more in love with her because we spend time with one another.

  • In the same way, our intimacy with the Lord produces growth in our walk and work for Christ!

    • The church in Philippi was demonstrating this in the fact that both their walk and their works produced something – gospel progression through Paul’s ministry.

    • And this progression not only aided in Paul’s efforts of reaching others, but it also goes to the account of the saints in Philippi.

    • How do we know that? Because it’s in verse 10 that Paul tells us what this growth produces.

  • Paul’s prayer for them growing in real knowledge and discerning love (v.9) is that it will enable the believer to rightly discern situations that will produce fruit.

    • In other words, regardless of circumstances, a proper response in trial matters and is rewarded accordingly based on this life!

    • Your response to those around you will either promote Gospel advancement or hinder your testimony as a witness.

    • Plainly put, how you respond in every circumstance reflects your walk with the Lord and impacts your works for the Lord.

  • So, what’s in view here is a means of evaluation regarding our present response (life and work) for our eternal reward.

    • Remember, the term “the day of Christ” is dealing with the Rapture.

    • Every believer will stand at the Bema Seat of Christ where we will be evaluated on how we lived and what we did for Christ. (Romans 14:10,12)

  • Paul’s point in mentioning things that are excellent, sincere, and blameless is speaking to what that intimacy should produce within us.

    • However, if we are not obeying the word of God and coming under the weight of the word, we leave ourselves prone to a life lacking spiritual growth.

  • The word “approve” in verse 10 is the Greek word dokimazo which means to examine or to approve.

    • This word was used regarding the testing of metals and coins to determine if they met a certain quality standard.

    • In other words, you and I are to examine our motives, what we do, and how we live as if attaining a set standard.

    • This is why Paul uses the phrase “The day of Christ” because upon this event, we will be evaluated on how well we walked and worked for Christ.

    • Therefore, our motives, our ambitions, and our perspectives should be eternally minded and not earthly focused!

  • Friends, when we have a clear view and understanding of the importance of the Rapture, it completely informs how we should live despite where we currently live!

    • That if we learn to have eyes for eternity, how we live, love, work, and lead in this life would completely shift.

    • Furthermore, this reality shows us that there is personal responsibility on the believer’s account in the sanctification process.

  • Do not think that growing in Christ is something that simply happens by osmosis or intellectual exchange!

    • You must depend upon the Lord for the growth that we all need as well as for the work we must do.

  • The reality is, not everyone can be in full-time vocational ministry, but your life is to be a full-time ministry to those around you.

    • Being a father, mother, employee, community leader, boss etc., is a ministry if you see it that way.

    • And the Lord has given us the ability to do that work well!

  • And this can be accomplished when we use the spiritual resources given at our disposal, such as prayer.

    • James 1:5 tells us this regarding the believer’s ability to pray where there is lack:

James 1:5  But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 

• Finally, Paul states that the things in verse 10 can be so because we have been filled with the fruit of righteousness.

  • Notice that it does not say the fruits of righteousness.

  • It is singular because the various results of righteousness produced within us comes from a single Source.

    • It’s like an apple seed that you plant in the ground. That seed will grow over time to produce fruit – and not just any kind of fruit.

    • An apple seed doesn’t produce oranges. It only produces apples.

  • And being that every believer has been justified and deemed righteous by God means that there will be fruit of some sort.

    • For some there will be stunted growth due to a lack of coming under the weight of the word of God.

    • For others, there will be much fruit because those individuals came under the weight of the word of God.

  • However what remains the same for both, regardless of the production of fruit is the fact that both are saved!

    • But understand the hope is that from that Gospel seed having been planted and nourished in the word, that it should produce fruit. (The result of what is within them).

    • What is that fruit you might be asking? Well, it’s what Paul expressed to the church at Galatia as the fruit of the Spirit!

    • Check out Galatians 5:22-23:

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 
Galatians 5:23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

• The backdrop here is Paul speaking to the Galatians on how to walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh.

  • Just a few verses prior, Paul was telling the Galatians how they should walk instead of the ways in which they were walking before.

    • Yet here in Philippi, Paul is telling them that they should continue in their growth of participation in the Gospel work.

    • That as they continue to serve the Lord and give to the needs of ministry work, that they are adding to their account along with Paul.

    • And Paul’s desire for them is that they continue to add to their account beyond their giving, but also in their daily living!

  • And as Paul mentions, both our walk and our work bring glory and praise to God, because at the end of the day He who began the work will finish it!

    • And what you will see in the end will be a result of what you did with the life you have been given in Christ.

    • It will either benefit you greatly or cause you to have missed on the opportunity of great eternal reward.

    • Let’s Pray.