Introduction to Philippians February 13, 2022

Introduction

Today we get to dive into Paul's letter to the church in Philippi. I'm excited to teach through this book for a couple reasons. First of all, I’m excited because. as a church we believe strongly in the value of teaching the bible. We believe there's great value in you understanding God's word better and that's why we take time to teach through different books of the Bible. I hope that by spending time studying this book each week you will come to have a better mental understanding of how the book of philippians has inspired Christians throughout history.

Secondly, I'm excited about this book because Paul right in philippians about how when you and I have the mind of Christ we find the capacity to live with great peace and joy regardless of our circumstances. Perhaps this year as we talk about and honor people for their work this book will inspire us to find joy even when work is just work. Perhaps this year as we face sicknesses, deaths, disabilities, and disappointments, we will find a peace that passes understanding as we pursue the mind of Christ that Paul talks about in this book.

Background

This letter was written to a city named philippi. Many of Paul's letters in the middle part of the New Testament are named after the city that they're sent to of course right. The city of philippi is located in the North East of Greece.

The city was named after Philip of macedon who took over the settlement around 300 BC and it was later annexed in 168 BC by the Romans. Philip of macedon was the father of Alexander the Great the great conqueror. this city proved to be both an economically important area for the region and a crucial place for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be shared around the world.

Paul's visit to Phillipi

When Paul visited Phillip I it was his second missionary journey and he actually visited Philippi because God sent a vision calling him to visit the city.

Acts 16:9–10 ESV

9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

I love watching this story of how Paul responded to God's call. Immediately after receiving the call and the vision to go into Macedonia Paul immediately makes plans to go. Do we have this kind of faith? Do we have the kind of faith that responds to God's call with action? Most often God does not call us to travel to another city but to act in service to someone else to check in on someone else to love someone else.

And as we C Paul enter Macedonia and more specifically the city of philippi we see people encounter him and bind their lives changed by the power of God working through Paul and the church starts to grow.

Let's take a look at this chapter and see the story of several different encounters people have with Paul and Silas and the power of God.

Acts 16:11–15 ESV

11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

First of all they encounter women praying outside the city. It's the most casual and common way of sharing your faith it's to go where people gather and engage in conversations. And did you see what happened? Someone comes to faith in Jesus. And not just any person this is a person who sells valuable goods. She's a businesswoman with the ability to help.

The next person they encounter is a slave girl possessed by a demon.

Acts 16:16–24 ESV

16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Monica activity was quite common in those cities and at that time period perhaps it's more coming today than we give attention to that. Nevertheless, when Paul save that girl by the power of God it immediately made him and Silas persona non grata in the city.

But you know what I love about Paul and his heart for God? He trusted God completely in every circumstance. And in the next section we are about to read we are going to see the same heart for God and the same capacity for joy that Paul writes about 12 years later when he sends a letter back to this important city.

Acts 16:25–34 ESV

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

Through the miraculous work of God Paul is saved but more than that the jailer and his entire family comes to faith in Jesus.

Of course after all this drama and jail time Paul and Silas his visit to philipi comes to a very quick end when the leaders of the city realize a significant mistake they made.

Acts 16:35–40 ESV

35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

You know God used the Roman citizenship of Paul to allow him to do ministry in some powerful ways. But it was still Paul's willingness to trust God completely that enabled him to be used by God fully. And it was still paulus willingness to find joy in all circumstances that enabled him to keep doing the ministry laid out in front of him.

The letter

Paul doesn't write his letter to this church for another 11 or 12 years. This actually is the second of the letters that Paul writes from prison with ephesians being the first one he writes. It's most likely that as Paul writes this little letter he's in prison in Rome.

Paul wrote this letter to report on what's happening in his ministry to express appreciation for the concern of this church and how they've been generous towards him. He also wanted to encourage them to fulfill the duties that God had called them too. And finally we're going to see some warnings against the danger of false teachers.

we will probably spend a couple months in this book tackling a number of different topics but one of the most continuous and constant themes in this book is this theme of joy.

Philippians 1:18 ESV

18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,

Philippians 3:14 ESV

14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4 ESV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

Paul found joy in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. He found joy despite great opposition. And you know sometimes in our lives it can be hard to find joy. Sometimes we can be depressed by the problems of life. Or how simply boring and repetitive life is. But when we find our hope in Jesus we will find a limitless source of joy.

In 104 verses of philippians Jesus is your referred to either specifically or in a pronoun 69 times.

Paul found joy in Jesus.

but another common word in this book is the idea of the mind. Paul referred to the mind or minds or thinking multiple times. He was very concerned about what we think about and who we think about.

In our world today many people search for happiness. They think if they have a better job they will be happy. They think that if they are with the right person they will be happy. They think that if they are... fill in the blank they will be happy. The Christian mindset is or at least it should be to pursue the thing that gives happiness. That truly brings peace. That's Jesus.

Paul is going to show us that a byproduct of living for God is true happiness.

Paul wrote this letter back to the church in philippi to remind them that regardless of what they are going through if they set their minds on Jesus and have the mind of Jesus they will find a peace that passes understanding. As we live our lives today let us turn our hearts and minds to Jesus.

Conclusion

As we celebrate the holiday of love tomorrow let us remember that the greatest love for anyone of us is a relationship with our father in heaven. Our greatest satisfaction and peace and happiness and joy will come from pursuing God.

And as we watch the Super bowl tonight and encounter multimillion dollar commercials encouraging us to buy this or that or watch this or that let us remember that the only thing that will truly complete our life is peace that comes from pursuing God.

And as we set out into our week impacted by so many different influences let us set our minds on God's word and anchor that is the faith we have in our savior Jesus.