Topic: Christlike; Philippians 3

Purpose: To help us understand how to know Christ thus allowing us to model Christ.

Objectives:

Christlike.

towards the goal.

Materials:

Bible

A open heart

Bible paraphrase The Message

Lesson Plan:

Step 1: History of Philippians 3

- Philippi was located in eastern Macedonia, 10 miles inland from the Aegean Sea.

- Thus it had supplies and was a established city in the Roman empire.

- It was named after King Philip II who was the father of Alexander the great.

- It was a Roman military post.

- Silas, Timothy, and Luke cofounded the church in Philippi. Paul regarded this church as on of his favorite.

Step 2: Do Away With the Old

- First, it is not a overnight conversion

- Moments of instruction are needed. Just like an apprentice acquires skill by daily and intimate association with the master so to must we be willing to invest our time with God

- In v 4-16 Paul lists his Jewish privileges as if he were counting them on his fingers. Really what he is doing is explaing what he had tried to gain but should not have.

- Circumcised, Tribe of Benjamin (which was second only to the tribe of Juda), a Pharisee (highest sect of Jews which knew the law inside and out.)

- In v 7-11 he explains his true feelings about all that he has gained.

- He says in a manner these privileges are worse then useless they are a dead loss.

- If Paul felt this way then how much more should we feel today? Have we in our society not tried to gain more then what Paul did?

- Paul points to what ever man wants: Righteousness with God. He in a sense outlines one wrong and one right way to being more Christlike.

- Law righteousness: by law (he says this is a lost cause due to his Pharisee experiences)

- Faith- righteousness: by faith in God and God’s path set before us.

Step 3: Press on Toward the Goal!

- Some may study the Bible every day, know the books by heart, but still you do not know God! As a result of your knowledge you are then in the words of Paul (v 15) “Mature”.

- Paul also says this about those who are not yet mature v 15. God will help you know him.

- Paul moves on to say not to stop, we must not sit on what we know but become more intimate with God. The point is the minute you think you know God you have stepped of the course laid before you.

- V 12 Paul is saying he is not a complete Christian but pressing on to the goal of knowing God!

- Paul uses the word reaching or straining which in great means having eyes for nothing but the goal. In other words we should have nothing before us except God!

Step 4: To Know

- In order to be like someone must we not know him or her first? Must we not

understand them in order to act like them? (magazine story)

- The word Paul uses in v 10 is know. From the Greek word Ginoskein which means personal knowledge.

- This same word is used in Genesis 4:1 in which “Adam knew his wife; and she conceived”.

- Paul wants to know God just as intimately as we know our husbands or wives! Do you really know God? Think about this for a moment.

- Thus Paul is saying to be Christlike we must intimately know God.

- Read v7-11 again after they know this definition.

Step 5: Conclusion

- According to Paul we must do these things to be more Christlike:

- Do Away With the Old

- Press on Toward the Goal!

- Expect it to take a lifetime of preparation to know God. We must study His words and seek the helper or Holy Sprit.

- Faith- righteousness or by faith in God and God’s path set before us is the only way to become Christlike not Law-righteousness.

- We need to know God just as intimately as we know our husbands or wives! Do you really know God? Think about this for a moment.

- We must give up what we feel is right so that we may know God. He listed all of his credentials but says he had to lose them before he could gain a Christlike quality. What can you do to become more Christlike?

Christlike(philippinas3)

Bible

A open heart