Philippians 2: Joy in Holding Forth the Word of Life

PHILIPPIANS 2:14-20

Application: We should rejoice because we have caring leaders and caring fellow workers in the Lord's service.

SOMETIMES IN OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDIES WE HAVE A THEME CARRIED FORWARD FROM WEEK TO WEEK TO TIE TOGETHER WEEKLY STUDY IN A SINGLE THEME.

THIS TERM, FROM SEPTEMBER 10 THROUGH OCTOBER 15, EVERY LESSON IS CONCERNED WITH JOY.

LISTEN TO THE TITLES:

• Joy in the furtherance of the gospel

• Joy in complete submission to Christ

• Joy in having the mind of Christ

• Joy in holding forth the word of Life

• Joy in the high calling of God

• Joy in right personal relationships

THIS IDEA OF JOY IS NOT FOUND ONLY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT BUT BEGINS WITH OUR OLD TESTAMENT TEACHINGS:

• Neh 8:10  “... The joy of the Lord is your strength...”

• Isaiah 12:3 “...with joy shall ye draw water out of the well of salvation”

THIS IDEA OF JOY IS THE 2ND OF THE ITEMS MENTIONED IN PAUL'S FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT OF A SAVED PERSON IN GAL 5.

FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN NEXT IS JOY.

ARE WE JOYFUL?

THIS MATTER OF JOY WAS AMONG THE HIGHEST TEACHINGS OF JESUS WHEN HE CAME AMONG US TO BRING US THE GOSPEL.

JOHN 15:11: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full”.

WE DO NOT SERVE GOD OUT OF FEAR OR GUILT OR EVEN DUTY.

WE SERVE HIM OUT OF JOY, DEEP GRATITUDE, HAPPY FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US.

WE OWE HIM OUR LIVES BOTH HERE AND FOREVER.

THROUGH HIS SALVATION OUR PAST HAS BEEN FORGIVEN, OUR PRESENT HAS BEEN GIVEN MEANING, AND OUR ETERNAL FUTURE HAS BEEN SECURED.

MOTHER TERESA ONCE SAID “HOLY LIVING CONSISTS IN DOING GOD'S WORK WITH A SMILE IN JOY”.

IN THE BEGINNING OF CHAPTER TWO PAUL PROVIDES US A NICE INTRODUCTION INTO OUR STUDY VERSES TODAY.

HE SAYS IN VERSES 2-4 :

“Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than ourselves.

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

PAUL COULD NOT MAKE HIS MESSAGE ANY CLEARER.

JOY IN CHRIST FOLLOWS WHEN WE BECOME HUMBLE SERVANTS.

WE SHOULD BE CAREFUL TO REMEMBER THAT HUMILITY IS NOT THINKING LESS OF YOURSELF, BUT IS THINKING OF YOURSELF LESS.

THIS IS PAUL'S BEGINNING MESSAGE IN THIS CHAPTER, ESTEEMING OTHERS BETTER THAN OURSELVES.

NOW PAUL BEGINS OUR STUDY OF TODAY IN VERSES 14-30 BY TEACHING US PRACTICAL WAYS TO OBEY THIS LESSON.

LOOK AT VERSES 14-16:

“Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I run not in  vain or labored in vain.”

HERE PAUL STRONGLY TEACHES WE MUST HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD, NOT MURMURING OR COMPLAINING AS THE HEBREWS DID CONSTANTLY IN THE WILDERNESS.

HERE IS HOLY ADVICE THAT WE ARE TO TRUST IN THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD, THE GOODNESS OF ONE ANOTHER, AND REMEMBERING WE ARE TO BE A BEACON OF LIGHT IN A DARKENING WORLD.

IN THIS COMMAND THE EMPHASIS FALLS ON “ALL THINGS”, NOT SOME THINGS, OR MOST THINGS BUT ALL THINGS.

IN THIS MANNER WE SHOW OURSELVES TO BE TRUE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS, COMING TO BE BLAMELESS BEFORE HIM IN OUR HEARTS & SPIRIT.

HERE WE SEE PAUL HARKENING BACK ALSO TO A CROOKED AND PERVERSE GENERATION MENTIONED IN DEUT 32:5 WHERE THESE WORDS FIRST OCCUR.

PAUL IS SAYING HERE THAT MORE MODERN CHRISTIANS  SHOULD NOT BE LIKE THE REBELLIOUS HEBREWS WHO WERE CONSTANTLY COMPLAINING AND DISPUTING WITH GOD.

AS WE DO SO, WE BECOME LIGHTS IN THE WORLD, AND WE NOTICE THAT PAUL DOES NOT SAY WE MUST DO ANYTHING ELSE TO SHINE.

SIMPLY BE CAREFUL TO OBEY THIS COMMAND AND WE THEN ARE SHINING.

THIS IS A GREAT TEACHING BY PAUL IF WE THINK OF WHAT LIGHTS IN A DARK WORLD ACTUALLY DO.

LIGHTS ARE USED TO MAKE THINGS MORE EVIDENT

LIGHTS ARE USED TO GUIDE.

LIGHTS ARE USED AS A WARNING.

LIGHTS ARE USED TO BRING CHEER.

LIGHTS SHOW THE SAFE WAY TO PROCEED OUT OF DARKNESS.

AS WE SHINE WE ARE TO HOLD FAST TO THE WORD OF LIFE WHICH IS THE TITLE OF TODAY'S LESSON.

AS WE DO SO, WE REJOICE AND KNOW THAT OUR JOY WILL BE SURE IN THE DAY OF CHRIST.

PAUL IS ACTING HERE AS A FAITHFUL SHEPHERD, STEERING THE FLOCK TOWARD SAFE PASTURE ETERNALLY.

IN VERSES 17-18 PAUL PROVIDES HIMSELF AS A PERSONAL EXAMPLE OF HIS OWN EFFORTS TO PRACTICE WHAT HE IS PREACHING.

HE SAYS HE IS BEING POURED OUT AS A DRINK OFFERING ON THE SACRIFICE AND SERVICE OF THE FAITH OF THE MEMBERS AND HE IS GLAD AND HE REJOICES WITH THEM AS THEY REJOICE WITH HIM.

AGAIN PAUL HARKENS BACK TO HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCRIPTURES AND USES THE EXACT WORDS OF NUMBERS 15 & 28 WHICH DESCRIBE SUCH DRINK OFFERINGS.

A SECOND MEANING IN THESE VERSES IS THAT PAUL UNDERSTOOD THAT HE MAY SOON BE EXECUTED AND THAT HIS OFFERING MAY BE HIS OWN LIFE AS A SACRIFICE FOR JESUS AND THE GOSPEL.

NOW IN VERSES 19-22 PAUL WRITES ABOUT TIMOTHY AND HIS SOON ANTICIPATED VISIT TO THE CHURCH SENT BY PAUL.

HE SAYS HE TRUSTS IN THE LORD, RELYING ON GOD TO SET THE TIMING AND RESULTS OF THE VISIT BY TIMOTHY.

HE SAYS HE THINKS HE WILL BE ENCOURAGED BY THE REPORT BROUGHT BACK BY HIS MESSENGER.

HE SAYS TIMOTHY WILL SINCERELY CARE FOR THOSE IN THE CHURCH AT PHILIPPI AND PAUL REPEATS HERE HIS OWN WISH TO VISIT THE CHURCH HIMSELF.

HE SAYS HE TRUSTS IN GOD TO MAKE THE WELCOME BY THE CHURCH TO TIMOTHY WARM AND NOT TO THINK THAT PAUL DID NOT WANT TO COME.

NEXT IN VERSES 25-26 PAUL ALSO MENTIONS THAT ANOTHER MESSENGER WILL BE COMING TO THE CHURCH AS WELL, EPAPHRODITUS.

THIS MAN WAS A BROTHER IN CHRIST AND A FELLOW WORKER, DESCRIBED AS A SOLDIER WHO HAD BEEN MINISTERING TO THE NEEDS OF PAUL.

EPAPHRODITUS WAS LONGING FOR THE CHURCH AND THE MEMBERS AND WAS DISTRESSED BECAUSE HE WAS QUITE ILL.

PAUL'S DESCRIPTION OF THIS MAN ALLOWS US TO SEE THREE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIPS:

• Brother speaks of a relationship of love to be enjoyed.

• Worker speaks of a job to be done.

• Soldier speaks of a battle to be fought.

SINCE HE HAD BEEN ILL, PAUL'S SENDING OF HIM WILL CALM ANY FEARS THE MEMBERS MAY HAVE THAT HIS ILLNESS WAS NOT IMPROVING.

THE MEMBERS WOULD HAVE PEACE OF MIND TO SEE HIM RECOVERING AND BACK AMONG THEM ONCE MORE.

HE HAD BEEN SICK CLOSE TO DEATH, BUT GOD HAD SHOWN HIS MERCY ON HIM AND HE HAD RECOVERED.

THERE IS NOTHING HERE THAT LEADS US TO BELIEVE THAT PAUL PERFORMED SOME MIRACLE HEALING.

HIS RETURN TO HEALTH WAS GOD'S INTERVENTION TO HEAL HIM.

GOD'S HEALING WAS ALSO A MERCY TO PAUL HIMSELF.

IF EPAPHRODITUS HAD DIED, PAUL WOULD HAVE SUFFERED MUCH SORROW BECAUSE A FELLOW BROTHER, WORKER, & SOLDIER WAS NO LONGER IN LIFE TO HELP SPREAD THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.

SO IN VERSES 28-30 PAUL PROVIDES INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CHURCH AS TO HOW HE WOULD LIKE EPAPHRODITUS TO BE RECEIVED.

HE SHOULD BE RECEIVED IN THE LORD WITH GLADNESS AS THIS MAN HAD MINISTERED TO PAUL IN HIS TIME OF NEED.

HE HAD NOT REGARDED HIS OWN LIFE, BUT CONTINUED TO WORK IN THE SPREADING OF THE GOSPEL SHOWING A NOBLE HEART IN SERVICE.

SO PAUL IS STRONGLY PROUD OF HIM AND EAGERLY SENDS HIM ON THE ERRAND TO THE CHURCH.

THESE THREE MEN, PAUL AND TIMOTHY AND EPAPHRODITUS WERE BLESSINGS TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE WORK OF THE LORD.

THESE THREE DEMONSTRATED THAT SERVICE TO THE LORD CAN BE FOUND IN SERVICE TO OTHERS.

THEY WERE HUMBLE IN SERVICE TO THE LORD, REFLECTING THE TEACHINGS OF THIS CHAPTER THAT WAS WELL TAUGHT BY PAUL BACK IN VERSE 3, ESTEEMING OTHERS BETTER THAN THEMSELVES.

2,000 YEARS LATER THIS MESSAGE IS AS PURE AND VALID TODAY AS IT WAS AT THE TIME PAUL WROTE THESE WORDS.