Philippians Series Sermon #2 1:7-11 (A Prayer for Spiritual Growth)

Text: Philippians 1:8-11

Crowd: Keene Baptist Church Sunday Afternoon

Subject: What does Paul desire for the spiritual growth of the Philippian believers?

Complement:He desires that their love would grow in discernment so that they would live pure, fruitful lives that bring glory to God.

CIT: Paul expresses his deep love for the Philippians and prays that their love would grow in discernment, leading to purity, righteousness, and a life that brings glory to God.

Big Context: Paul’s Thankfulness for the church (1:1-26)

Introduction

(Read Text and Pray)

A little review from the last message. The church at Philippi has sent Epaphroditus to take a financial gift to Paul and to support him in prison. Paul sent this letter back with Epaphroditus to say thank you for the generous gift and address the community.

Paul was a passionate man and that he had a heart that was filled with love for the church.

He was not afraid of sharing with the church just how he feels about them in 1:7 and how he longs for them in 1:8

Give the illustration: A fruit Tree

Imagine someone planting an apple tree in their yard.

When they first plant the apple tree, they don’t just hope the tree survives—they want it to grow strong and produce good apples.

So they: Water it, give it sunlight, prune the branches, care for the soil

Why? Because a healthy tree should eventually produce beautiful apples.

But if the tree grows wild with no care:

the apples may be small, bitter, or sometimes there may be no apples at all

The person caring for the tree wants the best apples possible.

How does this connect to Philippians 1:8-11?

That’s exactly what Paul is expressing for the Philippian believers.

Because he loves them deeply (V.8)

Their love would grow more and more (V.9)

They would discern what is excellent (V.10)

They would be pure and blameless (V.10)

And their lives would be filled with the fruit of righteousness (V.11)

Paul isn’t satisfied with them just being saved.

Like a gardener caring for a tree, he wants their lives to grow into mature, fruitful christianity that brings glory to God.

Paul’s Deep Love For The Believers (VS 7)

1. Paul Mentions The Passion (V.7)

Paul starts this verse by saying “Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all” → It is right and proper for me to care for you and think highly of you.

Many of use have heard of the saying ‘’absents makes the heart grow fonder’’ well, with Paul even with the distant that did not stand in the way of Paul’s love for the church.

‘’When you feel ‘the love of Christ shed abroad to you in your heart by the Holy Spirit ,’ you will find yourself immediately drawn to others who love in the same way.’’

Consider somethings with Paul’s love for the church:

They was in his thoughts (V.7)

The mind and the heart cannot be separated. Real love and concern come from both together and reflect the whole person. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he strongly emphasizes having a holy mind and right thinking (Philippians 1:7; 2:2, 5; 3:15–16, 19; 4:2, 7–8). When Paul uses the word “think,” he means more than just thinking with the mind. It also includes a caring, sympathetic concern for others.

b. They was in his actions (V.7)

Real love goes both ways. Paul had the Philippians in his heart, and they also cared deeply about him. This love was constant, not something that happened only once in a while.

Paul showed this concern in two situations.

First, he thought about them while he was in prison. Even though he was under house arrest and chained to soldiers, he still cared for them and remembered them (Acts 28:20, 30).

Second, he showed concern for them when he defended and supported the gospel. When Paul stood before Roman authorities, he spoke and acted as a representative of the churches. He defended the truth of the gospel with clear and logical explanations, and he confirmed it by the way he lived and spoke.

So Paul showed his love not only in his feelings, but also in his words and his actions.

The Letter to the Philippians II. Prayers for Partners (1:3–11)

From a human perspective, it would appear that Paul and his friends had entered into such a partnership based upon Paul’s skills to evangelize and the Philippians’ financial ability to support him in his work. But Paul did not view this partnership merely as a common human relationship. God’s grace is the origin, basis, and purpose of this partnership. Yes, Paul and his co-partners were sharing their wealth and skills, but this sharing was viewed as a sharing in God’s grace. God’s unmerited, undeserved favor was the source of all that they were, all that they did, and all that they had.

Paul’s Desire For The Believers (V.8-11)

He Longed for them-

It was witnessed by God. (V.8) ‘’For God is my record’’

This means that God is Paul’s witness. Paul wanted the Philippians to know that his love and longing for them were genuine and not fake. By calling God as his witness, he was emphasizing that his deep care for them was completely sincere.

The Letter to the Philippians II. Prayers for Partners (1:3–11)

verse 8, where Paul actually takes a solemn oath that God is the witness of his longing and affection for them. This passage is all about Paul’s heart for the believers. Though geographically distant, Paul held them in his heart. Paul was not a friend who followed the common practice: “out of sight, out of mind.” This kind of friendship is uniquely possible for Christians in with each other and with the Lord.

c. It was an intense desire (v.8): “How greatly I long after you all.” This shows how deeply Paul missed the Philippians. The word long means he had a strong and sincere desire to see them again. His love for them was not shallow; it was deep and heartfelt.

d. It reflected Christ (V.8) “in the bowels of Jesus Christ.”

The desire Paul had for the Philippians was “in the bowels of Jesus Christ.” In Bible language, the word bowels refers to the deepest part of a person where feelings come from. It represents deep love, compassion, and tenderness. Paul’s love for the Philippians showed the same kind of compassion that Christ has for His people. In a sense, it was not just Paul loving them, but Christ showing His love through Paul.

e. He Prays for Their Love to Grow (v.9)

The Letter to the Philippians II. Prayers for Partners (1:3–11)

So far Paul’s report of his prayers for his friends focuses on thanksgiving. Now the focus shifts to intercession: And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. Paul told his friends that whenever he made his urgent requests he gave thanks for them (1:3–4). Now he lets them know that the content of his requests is related to the reasons for his thanksgiving. He gave thanks to God for them because they shared with him when he was in chains and because he longed for them with the affection of Christ Jesus. In other words, their love for him and his love for them were the reasons for his thanksgiving. Now he prays that their love will grow. Although he gave thanks for the authenticity of their love, he prayed that the quality and generosity of their love would abound more and more. Paul viewed love not as a static possession, but as a dynamic process. True love is not something you possess; true love constantly grows and increases

“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.”

Paul assumes that love already exists among them and focuses on its growth.

This love is not just a warm feeling, but is guided by knowledge and discernment, growing in wisdom and understanding.

The goal is that their love develops in both depth and quality, becoming increasingly effective and mature.

Paul’s love and longing for the Philippians show us what it means to care for fellow believers deeply, even from a distance. Like Paul, we are called to hold one another in our hearts, pray for each other, and demonstrate love that is genuine, Christ-centered, and active—not just a warm feeling.

Genuine Love is Seen and Witnessed

Just as Paul called God as his witness to show that his love was real, our love for one another should also be authentic and visible, rooted in Christ.

At Keene Baptist, this means our care for one another is more than words—it’s seen in our prayers, our encouragement, and our service.

Love is Intentional and Persistent

Paul “longed” for the Philippians with deep affection. True Christian friendship is not out of sight, out of mind. We are called to intentionally pursue relationships, support one another in trials, and rejoice together in blessings.

Love Reflects Christ

Paul’s love “in the bowels of Jesus Christ” reminds us that our love should reflect Christ’s compassion. We are vessels of His love, letting it flow through us to others in the church and beyond.

Love Grows and Develops

Paul prayed that their love would abound more and more in knowledge and discernment. Love isn’t static; it is meant to grow in wisdom, understanding, and practical expression.

At Keene Baptist, this means continually nurturing our relationships—praying for one another, helping one another grow spiritually, and showing love in ways that build others up.

In short: Paul models a love that is deep, Christ-centered, active, and growing. At Keene Baptist, we can follow his example by holding each other in our hearts, praying intentionally, and letting Christ’s love guide everything we do as a church family.

Paul’s Desire for Their Discernment and Development (v.10–11)

Here are somethings with Discernment:

A. Discernment Produces Right Choices (v.10)

“That ye may approve things that are excellent”

Paul wants their love to grow in knowledge and judgment so they can recognize what is best.

Application idea:

Christians face many choices in life.

Not everything is sinful, but not everything is excellent.

Spiritual maturity means learning to choose what honors Christ most.

Tie to your illustration:

Just like a gardener removes things that harm the tree so it can produce better fruit, believers must learn to discern what is best for their spiritual growth.

B. Discernment Produces Pure Character (v.10)

“That ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ”

Two ideas here:

Sincere – genuine, pure, tested by light. Without offense – not causing others to stumble.

Application idea:

God cares not just about what we do, but who we are becoming.

Discernment protects our character and testimony.

Fruit tree connection:

A healthy tree produces clean, good fruit, not rotten fruit.

C. Discernment Produces Spiritual Fruit (v.11)

Notice somethings about this fruit:

Stand United in Joy: An Exposition of Philippians 1. Its Nature

1.

Stand United in Joy: An Exposition of Philippians 2. Its Source

2.

“Being filled with the fruits of righteousness”

This is the result of everything Paul prayed for.

When love grows and discernment develops:

righteous living follows

godly fruit appears in life.

And the final purpose:

“Unto the glory and praise of God.”

Application:

The goal of the Christian life is not just personal growth, but God’s glory.

Fruit tree connection:

A fruit tree does not exist just to grow leaves — it exists to produce fruit.

Likewise, the Christian life is meant to produce righteousness that brings glory to God.

Conclusion:

So now what?

As we come to the end of this passage, we see that Paul was not satisfied with the Philippians simply knowing Christ. He wanted them to grow in Christ.

Like the fruit tree we talked about at the beginning, a healthy tree is expected to produce good fruit. No one plants a tree hoping it will stay small, weak, and fruitless. The goal is that it grows strong and produces good fruit.

In the same way, when God saves someone, He does not intend for that life to remain spiritually immature. His desire is that our love would grow, our discernment would deepen, and our lives would begin to produce the fruit of righteousness.

Paul’s prayer for the Philippians is a prayer we should have for ourselves and for one another here at Keene Baptist Church:

That our love would abound more and more

That we would grow in knowledge and discernment

That we would live pure and blameless lives

And that our lives would be filled with the fruit of righteousness

Ultimately, the goal of all of this is not our recognition, but the glory and praise of God.

So the question for each of us tonight is simple: Is my life producing the kind of fruit that brings glory to God?

If we want that kind of fruit, we must stay close to Christ, grow in His truth, and allow His love to shape the way we live.

And when our lives begin to bear that fruit, the result will always be the same— God receives the glory, and the gospel is put on display through our lives.