01 - Introduction Philippians {The Christian's Guide To Joy} 2012 By Pastor Jeff Wickwire Notes

Of all the letters written by the apostle Paul, Philippians is perhaps the most personal and heartwarming in nature. It is so revealing of Paul's character that it has been called "a window into the apostle's own bosom."

THEME: Paul’s joy in Christ.

KEY VERSE: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (1:21).

KEY WORD: "Rejoice"

Throughout the epistle, the repeated message is "JOY.” Note how frequently the word "joy" (or a variation of it) is found: Ph 1:3-4; Ph 1:18; Ph 1:25; Ph 2:1-2; Ph 2:16-18; Ph 3:1; Ph 4:1; and Ph 4:4.

In view of this, we can understand why some call this epistle "Paul's hymn of joy.” As we study this very short epistle, we’re going to see the VALUE this book has for us, especially in light of today's culture.

THE SEARCH FOR PEACE OF MIND

“Peace of mind" is something people are desperately looking for today. To find it, many are swallowing tons of tranquilizers. In addition to DRUGS (both prescription and illegal drugs), there are tranquilizing BOOKS, like the best-sellers promising secrets to having peace of mind.

But such "peacefulizers" often do more harm than good, for in many ways they fail. They fail to provide LASTING PEACE in the face of life's harsh realities. They fail to deal with the PROBLEM OF SIN, the root cause of much of our anxiety.

They do not provide PEACE WITH GOD, the only true basis for lasting peace of mind. Those trusting in tranquilizers, whether books or pills, are trying to ESCAPE rather than face reality.

What, then, does all this have to do with the book of Philippians? This small book is written by a man who had found true peace of mind.

Even though he was imprisoned at the time! - Ph 1:12-18

Even though he might soon be a martyr! - Ph 2:17-18

He had the joy that comes from peace of mind, and wanted to share it with others! - Ph 4:4-7; Ph 4:11-13

So here are some good reasons for studying the epistle to the Philippians.

It reveals the NATURE of true peace and joy! True joy is found only "in the Lord" - Ph 4:4

The peace God gives is one that "surpasses understanding" and is like a fortress - Ph 4:6-7

It reveals a MAN who provides an example of what produces joy and peace (again, the epistle is like "a window into the apostle's own bosom.") - Ph 4:9

It also reveals:

His love for his brethren - Ph 1:8

His devotion to his Lord - Ph 1:21; Ph 3:7-11

His striving for perfection - Ph 3:12-14

His concern for the enemies of the cross - Ph 3:18

It reveals the CHRIST, Who is the ultimate source of this joy and peace, along with the mind-set of Christ who provides this peace and joy, and the exaltation of Him who gives this peace and joy- Ph. 2:9-11.

These are some of the reasons why this epistle is very relevant for present-day living!

Do you have the PEACE that "passes understanding"? The JOY that comes with being on a winning team, the JOY that is "in the Lord"? If not, I hope you will glean the wisdom found in this epistle of joy.

Now, some quick background. Paul arrived in Philippi fresh from Troas where he had just seen a vision of a man from Macedonia urging him to “come over…and help us” (Acts 16:9).

At this time in history, Europe’s level of paganism was horrific. The gods of paganism were demons. Take the Greeks and their well-known mythology. Their gods are all man-made with human and sinful dispositions.

Zeus, the pagan thunderer of Olympus, was a lustful, vengeful god; the gods of Syria and the Orient were carnal and cruel; the gods of Egypt were a strange conglomerate of sun and serpent, cows and crocodiles, cats and dogs, beetles and birds.

The Romans to whom Paul was sent possessed a hybrid of Greek and Roman mythology. These false god “left man powerless against his passions, and only amused him while they helped him to be unholy,” says one commentator. There was no example of holiness, no power of redemption, no God like the God of the Bible, Who says of Himself in Scripture,

“Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior.”—Isaiah 43:10

“I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”—Is.44:6

“Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any.”—Is.44:8

“…there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside me.”—Is.45:21

And my favorite passage, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:”—Isaiah 46:9

This is the God Paul preached with incredible effect. This God, Paul would tell them, sent His only Son to die for their sins, then to resurrect Him on the third day. And this is the God they would all face in judgment if they refused to repent.

When Paul stepped ashore at the town of Neapolis, the port of Philippi, the East was behind him and the West was before him. Nine miles from the port was the town of Philippi, which Luke called “a chief city” (Acts 16:12). He and his team journeyed there on foot.

At every turn the missionaries were confronted with Rome: Roman houses, Roman officials, Roman soldiers, Roman togas, Roman speech, and Roman merchants. We read of Paul’s experiences in Philippi in Acts 16.

He first met a small group of devout women meeting by the river for prayer on the Sabbath. He told them the story of Jesus and met with instant success. His most prominent convert was a woman named Lydia, who the Bible calls a “God-fearer.”

Lydia sold purple fabrics in Philippi, seems to have been wealthy. She put her home at the disposal of Paul and his colleagues for the duration of their stay.

Paul next encountered a demon-possessed slave girl whose owners made merchandise of her “psychic” abilities which, of course, were Satanic in nature. Paul set the woman free, casting the demon spirit out of her in Jesus’ name.

Her owners were furious, seeing their source of income vanish. They immediately stirred up the entire city against Paul and Silas. The two men were arrested, beaten, thrust into stocks in the inner prison, and left in that cramped and painful position.

How did they respond? They decided to sing! And as they sang hymns of praise to God, a sudden earthquake rocked the prison. The prison doors were flung open. The prisoner’s chains supernaturally fell off.

The jailer, thinking he had lost them all, considered suicide until, to his astonishment, he discovered they were all still there. He immediately asked how he could be saved, called on the name of the Lord, and experienced a midnight conversion.

The next morning the magistrates pleaded with Paul and Silas to leave the city. They went first to the house of Lydia and had a farewell meeting with the believers. Then leaving Luke behind to do follow-up work and organize the church, Paul, Silas, and Timothy left for further work in Europe. The first western church had been taken by storm!

When Paul later wrote to the Philippians, he was a prisoner awaiting trial in Rome. The purpose of the letter was to thank his friends for their financial support and to ask some of them to put aside their quarrels.

When he wrote, he was expecting his case to come up before the Roman tribunal to which he had appealed. It may be that by this time his confinement was stricter than before, but it did not dampen Paul’s victorious Christian life. Come what may, he was on the winning side!

His prayer was that all God’s people might catch the vision of a triumphant life in Christ. If he could experience joy in his dire circumstances, anyone could and should!

When his letter was opened and the congregation gathered to hear it, the whole church must have leaned forward expectantly. Here was a letter from the great Apostle Paul himself!

Paul begins his greeting:

Phil. 1:1 “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:”

As always, he identifies himself and his co-laborers as “slaves” (doulos) of Jesus Christ. He identifies next the targets of his letter, “the saints (holy ones), bishops (ep-is’-kop-os—overseers or elders), and deacons (servants over practical matters).

1:2 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul spoke his blessing over the congregation. His blessing of grace and peace may have been particularly pointed because of the squabble between two prominent women in the Philippian church. Their contentious conduct was disturbing the peace and it would take grace to restore the peace.

Where there is grace there can be no commencement of hostilities. Where there is peace there can be no continuation of hostilities. Grace means war is impossible; peace means that the war is over.

1:3-4 “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,”

It is interesting to note that Paul often connected his memory of people in his past with thanksgiving. If we are thankful of others, it’s hard to be critical of them. No doubt Paul mentioned his habit of being thankful in hopes that others would follow his example.

He also prayed for them “always.” Paul told the Romans, the Corinthians, the Ephesians, the Colossians, the Thessalonians, Timothy, and Philemon that he “always” prayed for them!

And at the end of verse four we find the first mention of the keynote word “joy.” He prayed for his friends and churches, not begrudgingly, but “with joy.”

He next mentions how they had ministered to him:

1:5 “…for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,”

The Philippians had stood by Paul, supported him, and followed him with their prayers. They had become his partners in the gospel. They had done for him what Jonathan had done for David—“strengthened his hand in God” (1 Samuel 23:16). They had let him know: “We are with you, Paul, all the way. You can count on us.” They had proved their friendship in a practical way with their financial support.

Paul smiled as he thought back on his fellowship with his Philippian converts. “From the first day” Lydia had opened her home to him, “from the first day” the jailer had opened his home to him, they had been his faithful friends.