One Purpose (Philippians Intro)

One Purpose: To Live Is Christ – Intro to Philippians Pray & Intro: A. Pondering Life’s Purpose B. Famous People on the Meaning of Life (attached) C. One Purpose: To Live is Christ – The steel cable that tethers Paul to His God, to His task, and to His fellow believers in Philippi; what are the threads and how do they intertwine to compose this cable?  Another metaphor: melody and the flow of recurring notes and chords Read Passages & Discuss: (selected verses: progress through, reading marked verses and commenting on overall content) – Christian T-shirt central A. A letter of favor (Philippians stands out as the single of his Epistles that does not have a clear specific issue or issues that need to be dealt with in the church. – First church he planted in Europe, was on his second missionary journey, recorded in Acts 16.) 1. Writing to say thanks and to encourage and reassure them about himself and Epaphroditus 2. (The church is doing well. Relax and rest? NO! “The world is too perilous, and the gospel too glorious, for them to be content with past achievements.” ESV Study Bible)  Paul takes opportunity to challenge, to impress upon them again that life has a single purpose and that we purpose accordingly to live as citizens of heaven. – “For me, to live is Christ.” Jesus is life. 3. Of course, there’s room for improvement that goes hand in hand with this single purpose as well. There’s always a need for growth and increased maturity, since the church is made up of people, and people are made up of imperfections. (progress in the faith, growth in grace, active evidence/fruit-bearing) – mature think this way (3:15) B. The centrality of the gospel (1:5,7b,12,16) 1. Message: “The gospel of Christ takes first place in Paul’s mission and his letter. The content of the gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Hansen)  Jesus is the gospel. 2. Model – Follow the example of Christ, then also of Paul and of Timothy and Epaphroditus a. The Christ hymn – 2:6-11 (the heart of the letter – praise for Christ’s humility and exalting Jesus as supreme Lord b. 3 other examples to follow: “They exemplified the Christ-centered, gospel-focused life Paul wanted the Philippians to live.” (ESV Study Bible)  The highest commendation Paul gives of his co-workers is that they “served with me in the work of the gospel” and “contended at my side in the cause of the gospel” (2:22, 4:3). (Hansen) 3. Method: communicate it and live it out (1:14 and 2:15c)  Speak the word boldly without fear, and shine as lights in the midst of a twisted and crooked generation (Mt. 5:14-16) C. Opposition & Suffering (just as Christ faced opposition & suffering 2:8, so with Paul and the Philippians) 1. Opponents (without or within) a. Intimidating powers (1:28) – Why was Paul in prison? b. False teachers – two types (Judaizers – “who mutilate the flesh,” thereby putting confidence in the flesh, 3:2; “enemies of the cross,” who live for self-gratification, 18-19) c. More friendly fire – “ambitious preachers”  like the ball-hog teammate d. Finally, the enemy of disunity  Opposition without or within is due to self-gratification and selfish ambition rather than a holy ambition to know Christ and to make him known. (Paul’s opponents are characterized by envy and selfish ambition. The false piety of the false teachers is rooted in selfish ambition, 3:2, and self-gratification, 3:18. AND Disunity within the church is due to the same, thus its antidote is to be humble and selfless like Christ.) 2. Suffering (last 2 weeks, speaking of the universality of suffering) – Jesus uses suffering to promote the gospel and purify His church. Christ is honored when we suffer with Him, like Him, for Him.  Yes, such suffering might even lead to martyrdom. Whether by life or by death, Christ is our purpose. D. Stand Fast & Be United (1:27) 1. Standing fast depends upon WHO you stand, WHO holds you, and WHOM you cling to… -- Active: “Living according to the gospel is a process of pressing on to apprehend the surpassing worth of Jesus Christ and being apprehended by him (3:12).” (Hansen) 2. Woven inseparably into the fabric of Jesus as Lord and the centrality of the gospel is the them of community in Christ. a. Partnership in the gospel – Harmony btwn Paul and his readers as they work together in the cause of Christ.  “Paul encourages his friends, assures them of his affection for them, teaches them lessons from his own circumstances, and adds to their knowledge of the Christian way. He prays for them, warns them about false teaching, exhorts them to steadfastness in the Christian life, and sends Timothy to them.” (Carson & Moo) – Their partnering with him in giving and sending Epaphroditus. b. But being unified is often not easy.  The fight for unity: *** c. Specific example of two who need to be unified, not divided, toward the end E. Tone – joy – joy five times; rejoice 9 times  Where is joy found? Living is Jesus. Loving is Jesus. Lasting joy is Jesus. F. What is our goal? 1. Joy and exaltation in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 2. A challenge to deeper maturity. (Growing up in Jesus to true Christian maturity) 3. And a single unifying message, method, and model to live by as a community of believers.  The “day of Jesus Christ” is approaching, and we know not when, but we know that each day is an opportunity for us to live according to the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” as Lord. May we be a church so captivated by Christ that we live according to the unifying truth that.. For us, “to live is Christ”! G. (Transition to taking the Lord’s table together…) Unified around our Savior, our central purpose for existing and new life and our as we purpose together to live for him; communing together around the Lord’s table in fellowship with one another and our Lord