Philippians 1:3-11 | Joyful Connections: Paul's Encouragement to Us

Exalting Jesus in Philippians The Happiest Man in Rome (Philippians 1:3–8)

What do you think will give you joy? The quest for it is built into the fabric of the United States: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Yet many could take as their anthem “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”

Paul seems to have found happiness, but not just that he has found something more he has found real and lasting Joy

Paul begins his letter to the Philippians expressing his thankfulness to God for them. His first reason for this thankfulness is their…

Fellowship through the Gospel (1:3-5, 8)

Philippians 1:3–5 ESV

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

Joy of Prayer

James 5:16 “16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17 “17 pray without ceasing,”

Are you an intercessor??

Are you Super Critical??

Are you Thankless?

Paul is the happiest man in Rome, while being chained to a prison guard!!

JOY = Order (Jesus, Others, Yourself)

Joy in Partnership

Koinonia = shared mission and goal as well as affections

C. S. Lewis said friendships are discovered when you say, “What, you too?! I thought I was the only one” (Four Loves, 248)

Galatians 3:28 “28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 3:11 “11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”

Philippians 1:8 ESV

8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Yearn = Bowels - deep seated longing

Philippians 1:23–25 “23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,”

Are you cultivating fellowship with the body through the gospel… If you are detached, it may be because you are not actively seeking attachment… If someone seems detached are you actively seeking to invite them in?… Are you earnestly praying for one another, praying with one another?? Real joy is found in fellowship through the gospel!

Paul’s thankfulness for them is also found in the…

Faithfulness of the Gospel (1:6)

Philippians 1:6 ESV

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Joy in Progress

Divine Grace

God started… God completed

Physical Evidence

2 Corinthians 5:17 “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

1 Corinthians 6:11 “11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Joy of Permanence

Completion - fullness - fulfillment - accomplish

1 Corinthians 15:54 “54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.””

Drive by a housing development on a road you used to live on and see the houses that are there. There is change, there is development, but there is no joy because you had no hand in it.

Go to that same development with a man who helped to build those houses and he will tell you which ones he worked on and what he did at each. He has pride, satisfaction, and even joy at seeing the finished product… He may even have a sense of loss and sorrow if one of the homes he helped build is now being allowed to fall into disrepair.

When we are close to one another, striving together, we will witness the faithfulness of the gospel in one-another. We will be used as tools in the hands of the potter to shape one another. We will have first hand front row seats to the power of God, in the faithfulness of His gospel. We will like Paul rejoice in the progress and permanence of His work, not only in ourselves but in others!!

Paul gives us a third reason for his thankfulness. It is their…

Fearlessness in the Gospel (1:7)

Philippians 1:7 ESV

7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

Joy in Persecution

Defense = apologetics

pluralistic deities

Caesar is King

Confirmation = verification

Joy of Perspective

Community

Continuence

Romans 8:31 “31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

2 Corinthians 4:17 “17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,”

Because they know him, because they know his God, because they have not only have fellowship with Paul but Christ through the spirit, because they have witnessed the power of the gospel both in Paul and in themselves they are able to mirror the same attitude that Paul did when he first came to them. They are able to stand in the face of persecution because there perspective has been forever changed!

The Jailor would not soon forget these praising prisoners!

The girl who was a slave would not turn her back on Christ’s freeing grace!

Are you fearless in the gospel today? Or is your joy being clouded by worry, doubt, pain, or fear? Look to Jesus my friend and be restored! Cling to the redeemed perspective of your heavenly king, your eternal reward and recognize that your future is secure and so live in Joy

Paul’s final reason for thankfulness of his friends at Philippi is actually a prayer that they might obtain…

Fruitfulness by the Gospel (1:9-11)

Philippians 1:9–11 ESV

9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Joy of Predilection

Superlative Love

knowledge / discernment

approve what is superior !!

apatites change !!

Joy in Practice

Practices change

pure / blameless

1 Peter 1:16 “16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

Joy in Praise

Filled = plethora / various / overflow

Fruit of Righteousness

Romans 6:21 “21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.”

Paul has a big God who deserves all praise, honor, and glory forever! Because of this he desires that they be prolific in their praise! He desires that they produce a harvest for their King! Paul prays over these dear saints that the fellowship they share in Christ by the faithful work of God in them would cause them to be fearlessly commited to the gospel and so produce a harvest of righteousness among them. That God would continue that which He began in them and so maximize the glory that He would receive in them through Christ Jesus!

He is thanking God for them, for the work He is doing in them, and petitioning God on their behalf that they would be the good soil that Jesus spoke of and so produce a harvest fit for the King which they serve, and all this he is doing while in prison out of joy. A joy that only those in Christ can know!

If you want to be filled with Joy you must be filled with Christ!

Group Questions

Where do people typically look to find joy, and how is this different from Paul’s view of joy in Philippians 1:3-8?

How can prayer lead us to experience and deepen joy in our lives?

How do people in your local church perceive “fellowship”? Does it mainly involve mission or just socializing? How does this compare to Paul’s understanding of fellowship in the Gospel?

Why are gospel partnerships important for our spiritual growth and mission?

What are some problems or challenges associated with trying to live out the Christian life without community?

What are some enemies or obstacles that hinder us from enjoying biblical community?

Does Philippians 1:6 encourage you personally? If so, in what ways?

How do Philippians 1:6 and Philippians 2:12–13 complement each other in understanding the relationship between faith, grace, and works?

Do you often think about “the day of Christ”? How might reflecting on this future event daily influence your attitude and actions?

While Paul is known as a great theologian, how does he speak about his “affections” in his writings? What can we learn from him about balancing thinking and feeling in our faith?