Philippians Introduction

Acts 16:12-40 relates the story of the founding of the church in Philippi, a small, but important, Roman colony in Macedonia, around 51 AD. A part of Paul's second missionary journey, Philippi was the first location in Europe to receive the Gospel. Paul and Silas' miraculous delivery from prison chains while they were praying and praising God at midnight transpired in Philippi.

The epistle to the Philippians was composed around 61 AD, while Paul was in a Roman prison. Despite his immediate circumstances, Paul maintained an attitude of joy, a mindset permeating throughout the book of Philippians. This stark contrast between situation and attitude gives rise to such verses as "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain," "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus," "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!," and "I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

During this time, the church at Philippi had sent their mutual friend and co-laborer, Epaphroditus, to deliver a gift to Paul in prison. The epistle, then, was Paul's response to their demonstration of love and compassion, and illustrates his affection for this particular church.

It is also important to note that this letter was written just a couple of years before Nero began his persecution of Christians. As always, God's timing in the delivery of Paul's words to the church at Philippi was perfect, as they would have still been fresh in their minds when the political and cultural climate turned ugly and violent.

The letter carries several themes, including peace, contentment, thankfulness, and unity. The greatest theme, however, is that of joy.

How would you define the word "joy"?

Our contemporary dictionaries do not do justice to this word. When we think of joy, we tend to think in superficial terms, of fleeting emotional highs which can carry us to great heights for short spans, but which lack the ability to sustain us at that altitude for the long haul.

The Greek word for 'joy' is chara, derived from the word charis, which is the Greek word for 'grace.' This is important to note, for it tells us categorically that chara is produced by charis of God. This means 'joy' is not a human-based happiness that comes and goes...Rather, true 'joy' is divine in origin...it is a Spirit-given expression that flourishes best in hard times. For example, in 1 Thessalonians 1:6, the Thessalonians were under great stress due to persecution; yet in the midst of it all, they continued to experience great joy. In fact, the Greek strongly implies that their supernatural joy was due to the Holy Spirit working in them. Paul even called it the "joy of the Holy Ghost". (Sparkling Gems from the Greek, Rick Renner)

Jesus perfectly exemplified this joy. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2)."

Along the journey to the cross, Jesus saw past the scorn and suffering, past His physical death, to the end result, the redemption of fallen humankind, the reconciliation of God and His children, the millions who would come to the Father through the open door of His shed blood. Likewise, as Paul writes in his letter, our eyes should not be upon the temporary burdens and trials of this momentary life, but upon the things of eternal worth and value. The joy of knowing that our efforts on behalf of Christ here are not wasted, but are achieving something far greater than we can possibly conceive, can help to carry us through our own sufferings.

It is this joy, the author of Nehemiah says, that is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

Nehemiah's exhortation to the Israelites returning from their Babylonian exile were delivered following the reading of the Book of the Law. Yet, just as they were deeply convicted of their sin and wrong-doing from Moses' words, they were admonished not to mourn or weep, but to rejoice. This foreshadows Paul's words to the Corinthians that the law brings death, but the Spirit brings life (2 Corinthians 3:6). The law was intended to reveal to us our sin, but even more importantly, our need for a Savior (Romans 3:20-31); how meaningful, then, are the words of the angel of the Lord to the shepherds in the fields nearby Bethlehem, "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people (Luke 2:10)."

It is my hope that, over the course of the next four weeks, we will all come to a greater understanding of the joy of the Lord which sustained Paul through the worst of circumstances, and which ultimately played a role in the spread of the Gospel among the gentiles. Most of all, it is my hope and prayer, that Paul's letter to the Philippians will have just as much relevance and application to our lives in the 21st century, and that we will conclude this series strengthened in the joy of the Lord.

The Sacrifice of Praise–Pastor Sheila McCoy

A little creation 101. Genesis tells us the story of the creation how God formed the Heaven & the Earth. He created the waters and the land, He created  lights in the sky to divide night from day.  God created every living being, and crawling things in the sea and on the dry land. He created every plant and tree  every flower .

In verse 26 God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness ; 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them."

God loved his creations said it was good…..

trees/flowers/ animals can reproduce

But when it came to man: special ingredients he used

Innate qualities he did not give to any of his other creations( and he could have)

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God  formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed life and man became a living soul.

Spirit, Soul & Body- mind emotion

Now Fido our beloved pet,

Dogs have eyes, yet they can’t read the word of God

They have mouths yet they can’t sing the songs of Zion or use them to give God thanks  --  limited communication……

He gave us instruments of Praise,

God expects us to praise, love and worship him…..

He even made us Instruments of praise.

God created us  for himself- He wants us to choose to love him  and live for him even to hate what he hates  (sin), the only thing he hates.

Psalms 103:4

When we come together corporately it is our reasonable service as believers to Construct a Throne for the King of Glory to come in and  we can feel his presence. Who is the King of Glory the Lord God mighty in Battle. We have many wars that we have to fight every day of our lives and we need the King  that reminds us the battle is not ours but it is The Lords

Parenting101-Spouses  need audible praise

Death & Life are in the Power of the Tongue. Proverbs 18-21

Matt 12:37 For by your words you will be justified and acquitted and by your words you will be sentenced and condemned

Saturate the atmosphere

Teach non-believers how to behave in the presence of the Life- Giving, Life  changing King!!

SACRIFICE OF PRAISE     Is scriptural

• Psalm 27:6 - And now shall my head be lifted  up above my enemies round about me in his tent will  I offer sacrifices and shouting of joy.  I will sing yes I will sing praises to the Lord
• Psalm 54:6 - With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you I will give thanks and praise to your name O Lord for it is good!!
• Jeremiah 17:26 - And they shall come from the cities of Judah,& from places above Jerusalem &from the plain & from the mountains& from the south bringing burnt offerings,& meat offerings and sacrifices and incense & bringing  sacrifices of praise unto the House of the Lord

• Jeremiah 33:11-10 - There shall be heard in this place the voice of Joy and the voice of gladness that says Praise the Lord for the Lord is good and his mercy endureth forever and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of Praise in to the house of the Lord.

• Hebrews 13:15 - Through Him therefore let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His NAME

• Psalm 34:1-3 - I will bless the Lord at all times his praises shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord the shall hear of and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together.

We give honor to whom honor is due:

• In the army-beat your face!!!

• Queen of England
• Pope…kiss his ring
• Sports Enthusiasts

And yet u wont honor Me…

Sacrifice-  Old testament law required animal, grain, incense they did it out of obedience and to atone for sin and to gain favor

Samuel 7:9-10 - The sacrifice and the audible response got the desired results

Heart felt thing - Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart

Abundance of the heart the mouth speaks

2nd Samuel 6:14 - King David danced- The ark represented the Presence of the Lord. Once David found out that Obed-Edoms house was blessed because of the ark David danced before the Lord with all of his might, clad in a linen ephod( a priests upper garment)..He took off his robe to dance and praise God with his whole body!!

Psalm 66:15-20

Luke19:40.…..Stones would cry out In vs. 37 The people were praising God and rejoicing with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen them do. Pharisee want Jesus to silence these folks, Jesus said if they don’t praise..

Benefits for you

In the old testament Reflect on  Joshua and the wall of Jericho

Joshua 6:16-20

What do you think that God had the people shout.

A Jubilant Dance…Praise God with Whole Body…

Weapons of warfare not carnal but mighty----praise is a weapon

Acts 16:20-25-31

Isaiah 61-3  For the spirit of heaviness put on  the Garment of Praise.

What is your Song at midnight, in the midst of depression?

That is what we are supposed to do, but often times we….

• God, I don’t even feel like going to church today……..headache
• A little gas (so high) work next week………
• I would stand but my feet hurt……..
• But I’ve got an ingrown toenail……
• My knee hurts arthritis……
• I didn’t sleep well……..

Well look at you , you made your way into the house of the Lord

But you won’t sing the songs of zion….

You wont, reverence me and stand in my presence…..

You certainly wont lift your hands as a sign of praising me in acknowledging that I am higher than you….

I really shouldn’t expect you to prostrate myself in your presence…

But I sacrificed the ultimate for you I gave you my SON!!

Somebody is going to offer him the sacrifice of praise

Word not return void  Isaiah 55:11

We Praise God for His Power, His Wisdom, His Blessings and the Liberation of his people…. For Salvation…..

God created us for him…free will….  Choose to Love him with your whole heart…..

Open your mouths and bless the Lord  As you offer him the Sacrifice of Praise

Jude 24-25 Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty dominion and power, both now and ever.amen

Finding Peace in Troubled Times

Personal & Congregational Recollections of 9/11

We cannot know God's ways, but we can know His heart

• Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people’s burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night. 17 I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim.
• Isaiah 55:8-9 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
• Ecclesiastes 9:1-3, 11-12 - Our common destiny "This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. 2 The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t." … "11 I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. 12 People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy."
• Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.
• John 11:32-35 - Lazarus / "Where have you put him?", "Lord, come and see," "then Jesus wept" -- Jesus empathizes with us
• Luke 13:1-5 About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. 2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. 4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”

God does not promise us that bad things will not happen, but promises that He will neither leave us nor forsake us, and that our momentary losses will result in eternal gains.

• Olives & Oil, Grapes & Wine, Flowers & Perfume - "Without the crushing of olives, there can be no oil. Without the crushing of grapes, there can be no wine. Without the crushing of flowers, there can be no perfume." When we face pressures in this life, we can allow God to work something of lasting value within us, and through us.
• 2 Corinthians 4:8-5:11 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. 11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you. 13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. 16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever .1 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. 6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. 11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too.

Remember that the battle is the Lord's.

• Romans 12:21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
• Ephesians 6:10-18 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

God, Who sees everything, has given us His perfect peace in Jesus Christ.

• Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
• Philippians 4:6-7 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
• John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
• John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Today, as you are confronted with the memories of that fateful Tuesday morning in September ten years ago, or recent circumstances and situations that threaten your sense of stability and peace, remember and reflect upon the knowledge that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The Parable of the Sower

Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. 5 Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. 6 Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.

Mark 4:26-29 Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. 28 The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. 29 And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.”

Isaiah 55:10-11 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.  They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.  11 It is the same with my word.  I send it out, and it always produces fruit.  It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”

Luke 8:4-15 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: 5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

   ‘When they look, they won’t really see.
      When they hear, they won’t understand.’

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

Matthew 13:24-30,36-43 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

   “‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

37 Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

40 “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

John 15:1-8 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.