generousity (phil 4:14-16)

philippians 4:14-16

yet it was kind of you to share in my trouble. And you philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.

The giving of financial/material/physical aid is referred to as "sharing in trouble", "partnership in giving and receiving", "help". Are these the things that mark our Christian communities? Why are Christians know for being stingy rather than financially generous? It's because we don't recognise that everything is a gift. We don't believe God is sovereign - and so I think I need to look after myself. And we don't believe that God is good - we don't trust that God's plan is for our good. The worst thing that most people can imagine is that god would ask them to give away their money!

contentment (phil 4:10-13)

philippians 4:10-13

I rejoiced n the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. Indeed you were concerned for me but had no opportunity. Not that  am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Paul exhibits contentment, a totally counter cultural attitude in today's society. Everyone wants to be content but we have all been conned into thinking we need x/y/z to be content. The advertising industry is built around creating discontent in us. We tend to be materially discontent and spiritually content, when it should be the other way around.

Paul is content in any situation, in any and every circumstance, when he is brought low and when he abounds, when he has plenty and when he is hungry. How? through Him (Jesus!) who gives Paul strength. It is because his contentment is found in Jesus, not in physical circumstances.

v13 is not some sort of "if you believe it you can achieve it" type thing, as if often gets used. It's not about you succeeding in sport, business or family life. It's about being content in every circumstances. Sadly, this verse is often used in a way that suggests God will help you to achieve the "plenty" that you "need" to be content!

practice (phil 4:9)

Philippians 4:9

what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

• Are we looking for examples of godly men and women to follow? We should see someone growing in their relationship with God and find out what they do, learn from them, listen to them, observe them. Why do we think that we've got all the answers in ourselves?
• Also, we should expect to practice these things, we can't expect it just to happen. relationships build through time and effort, not because we have to do that, but because we desire to.

positive thinking (phil 4:8)

philippians 4:8

Finally brothers, whatever s true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

We tend to spend more time thinkng about the negatives rather than the positives. "Don't do this" dominates our thinking rather than "How can I do this good thing?". We should be looking for evidences of God's grace, not always going straight to the problems. We should spend tme dwelling on things that fall into the categories listed above. Of course, the perfect example of all of these things is Jesus. He is truth, honourable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise. We should spend time thinking about Him!

stand firm part 4 - anxiety vs prayer (phil 4:5b-7)

Philppians 4:5b-6

[stand firm thus in the Lord (v1b)]... The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

The person who s not standing firm in the Lord is anxious - everything depends on them, how can they make sure this turns out alright? I must control this, what about this thing that I can't control. The person standing firm in the Lord knows that God is at hand, he is near. the person standing firm in the Lord knows that we are not in control, but God is, and he can be trusted. The anxious person gets stressed when something goes wrong, running it over and over in their mind - praying to themselves, but still unable to do anything about it. The Christian reacts by praying to God, the person who can do something about it. The anxious person is assuming that they know best. The Christian knows that God actually does know best. The anxious person doesn't know if they can trust someone else to do what they're supposed to do. The Christian knows that God can be trusted. So, through prayer, God gives us peace. that peace surpasses understanding because the situation may not have change, the circumstances may be terrible, but the source of our peace is not crcumstances, it is tthe fact that God is near to us.

stand firm part 3 - be reasonable (phil4:5)

Philippians 4:5

[stand firm thus in the Lord (v1b)]...Let your reasonableness be known to everyone

Reasonableness here means "big heartedness", a forbearing spirit, contentment, reasonable with people, showing goodwill, being gracious. Are Christians known for this? Every relationshp and interaction we have with people should be marked by grace. That's not the same as being "nice" or being well-liked by everyone - Jesus was the most gracious person that ever walked the earth and he got killed! It does mean that we should be people who do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than ourselves, that we should look not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of othesr (ch2v3-4)

stand firm part 2 - rejoice (phil 4:4)

Philippians 4:4

[stand firm thus in the Lord (v1b)]... Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice

Paul says twice that we are to rejoice "in the Lord". This is a recurring theme in this letter and the key is that the rejoicing is in the Lord. Our circumstances may or may not give us any cause for happiness but we can rejoice in the Lord because of the gospel. Looking back at the cross and looking forward to Christ's return is the only sure source of joy.

stand firm part 1 - work for unity (phil4:2-3)

Philippians 4:2-3

[stand firm thus in the Lord]... I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have laboured side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life

Paul is going to address a number of things after the general command to "stand firm in the Lord". Firstly, to stand firm in the Lord is to work for unity. That is why Paul is urging the two women who are in dispute to agree in the Lord and the rest of the church (or an indivdual - "true companion") to help them. This is obviously not a matter of doctrine, otherwise Paul would have said which of these women were right. It is also clear that they are christians - they have laboured in the gospel alongside Paul and their names are in the book of life. This is not unity at all costs, Paul disagrees sharply with anyone who opposes or changes the gospel (he's called them dogs earlier in this letter!). But in secondary matters - styles, traditions, music, bible translations, favourite authors/preachers - we should work hard to agree "in the Lord" for the sake of the church. Working for unity in these sorts of disagreements cultivates humlity in ourselves and builds relationships that help us to stand firm in the Lord. Being divisive over these sorts of issues does not.

joy and crown (phil 4:1)

Philippians 4:1

Therefore my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm in the Lord, my beloved

Paul's affection for the Philippians has been clear throughout the letter. These are not impersonal service users as he fulfils his "job" of planting churches. He loves them. He describes them as his joy - his joy is not dependant on selfish criteria, but other people walking with God brings him joy. He describes them as his crown - his recognition is not financial achievement or political status, but that God has used him to build His church. He cares for them. They are important to Him. And now, as he starts to bring the letter to a close, he wants to encourage them to stand firm in the Lord, which he will give them some advice about in the following verses.

future motivated (phil 3:20-21)

Philippians 3:20-21

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to himself.

rather than having minds set on earthly things (v19) Paul encourages us to remember that we are citizens of heaven, and that future focus should affect the way we live in the present. Am I anticipating the day when Jesus returns and transforms me? Or am I too concerned with this life. Paul is looking forward to Jesus' return (see 3v11, 14 as well as this verse). that affects the decisions he makes today. Are my decisions motivated by my focus on today?

enemies of the cross (phil 3:18-19)

Philippians 3:18-19

For many, of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

It seems like a terrifying thing to be described as an enemy of the cross of Christ. Their god is their belly and their minds are set on earthly things - satisfying their own desires for money, power, security or sex become the motivating factor in their lives. Success or failure, satisfaction and happiness are defined by these goals. They glory in their shame with a kind of perverse pride in disobeying God and their end is destruction - they are willfully cutting themselves off from God, the author of life.

This might be fairly easy to recognise outside the church, but applying these criteria to churchgoers can often reveal the same thing! We might be attending the church services, reading the bible and praying but we might still be motivated by earthly things - using God to try and satisfy the "god" our belly, wanting Him to meet my desire for a successful career, or a healthy life or a secure family life. Or we may be proud and self-righteousness, thinking that God is pleased with our moral efforts, when actually we are glorying in our shame

This is walking as an enemy of the cross of Christ. At the cross we can find life instead of destruction. At the cross we see that, while we were worshipping the god of our belly, the God of the universe loved us so much that he died in our place. At the cross we see the depths of our shame and the heights of His glory. When we look at the cross, we see something greater than those "earthly things" that occupied our minds.

imitation (phil 3:17)

Philippians 3:17

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example they have in us

Paul telling others to imitate him may seem like a bold claim, but it is not arrogance when what Paul is telling them to imitate is his total reliance on the gospel for his righteousness before God. He is asking us to join him in counting whatever "gain" we had as loss and rely on God's grace. We should be looking to follow the example of people who are doing this, not necessarily trying to imitate those who seem talented or skillful or together, but those who are humbly trusting in God and not themselves.

not moving (phil 3:16)

Philippians 3:16

Only let us hold true to what we have attained

We should never be moving on from the gospel. We don't move on from the righteousness that we "attained" through Jesus death on the cross. The way we have grown is by the Spirit, everything we have acheived is his work in us, and that is how we will continue to grow.

mature thinking (phil 3:15)

Philippians 3:15

Let those of you who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.

We might judge Christian maturity in a variety of ways, but one of the ways that Paul evaluates it here is are they thinking in this way. What is THIS way? The ideas he has been covering in the previous verses: Considering everything as loss compared to Jesus, knowing that our righteousness comes through faith and not to law, pressing on towards Jesus. 

Paul also indicates that if immature believers are to mature in this way of thinking, it will be God who reveals it to them. We can't even take credit for mature thinking as a believer, it is only because God has revealed it to us!

humble pursuit (phil 3:12-14)

Philippians 3:12-14

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own becase Christ jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own, but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus.

Paul is humble in this passage (making it clear that he does not think he has already become holy etc) but also is totally commited to pursuing holiness. Usually for us, we are either humbly aware of our sin and not bothered to fight it, or we are wholeheartedly commited to the pursuit of holiness and self-righteous at the same time! As Christians we should have no reason for self righteousness as we are keenly aware of our own sin which made the cross necessary. But also we should be motivated to live holy lives by the love that compelled jesus to go to the cross. Paul is pressing on to make it his own because Jesus has made Paul His own. Our justification motivates our sanctification (which is still only possible by the Spirit!). This is grace-driven effort. 

"Paul answers by using the illustration of a runner. What must the runner do to succeed? He must not concern himself with some awkward mistake or misstep at the beginning of the race. He cannot run well if he is thinking about how poorly he broke from the blocks, or, on the other hand, how splendidly he covered the first few yards. He must be good at obliteration, wiping such thoughts from his mind. And he must focus his concentration completely on the goal line, driving towards it with everything his body has to offer and straining every muscle.
Here is a picture for every Christian to etch into his or her mind. We must approach the Christian life in the same manner. We must not look back to our failures or successes. We must keep ever in mind that our goal is to know Christ better, and we must daily put forth the effort to reach that goal.
We admire this kind of devotion in every area of life except the spiritual realm. When Olympic athletes begin to discipline their bodies and hone their skills, we heap praise upon them. When someone shows total dedication in the areas of medicine, science, music or drama, we approve and applaud. We applaud, for example, the violinist who explained her success in this way: ‘I deliberately planned to neglect everything else until my practice period was completed. That program of planned neglect accounts for my success.’
But when we hear of someone doing this in the area of Christian living, we are inclined to dismiss him as something of a fanatic, who, as someone has observed, will not change his mind and will not change the subject.
Why do those who are focused on knowing God bother us? Is it not because they remind us that our own priorities are not what they ought to be? Most people are living such cluttered, distracted and fragmented lives. Our lives are not integrated around a single, unifying purpose. We often embrace the ‘shotgun’ approach to life, trying to find happiness and satisfaction by scattering our time and energies over a wide range of interests and activities. We want to try a little bit of everything, and we do not want to miss out on anything.
Paul suggests we use the ‘rifle’ approach by finding the singular priority that makes life worth living, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, and give ourselves unreservedly to it."

Ellsworth, R. (2004). Opening up Philippians (66–67). Leominster: Day One Publications.

I want to... (phil3:10-11)

Philippians 3:10-11

that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Paul wants to:

• know Jesus - this is the ultimate goal, this is what makes all his religious credentials seem like rubbish.
• know the power of His resurrection - Jesus resurrection proves His power, and without that power we would be powerless to defeat sin, to become like him, to make disciples
• share his sufferings - Do I want to do this? When we see the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus, our attitude to suffering changes dramatically
• be resurrected like Jesus - returning to the whole idea of death being gain that he explored in chapter 1

Are these the things that I want to do? Are these the things that motivate me?

righteousness comes through faith in Jesus (phil 3:9)

Philippians 3:9

... not having a righteousness of my own that comes through the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God that depends on faith.

Paul has spent the last few verses describing how the "righteousness" that comes through the law is rubbish and the only gain, or profit, is the righteousness that, as he describes here, depends on faith in Jesus. If we are working away at a righteousness that is based on the law it either results in failure and feeling condemnation or, we think we have suceeded and we become self-righteouss.. which is actually failure. I need to be reminded every day to not look to my own righteousness but to the righteousness of God that depends on faith.

religion stinks (phil 3:8-9)

Philippians 3:8-9a

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.

Everything is loss compared to knowing Jesus. Everything that Paul thought was good (see previous section) he now realises is rubbish compared to Jesus. And those things weren't necessarily things that would be traditionally be thought of as sins. There's nothing wrong with circumcision, nationality, or trying to keep God's law. But if that's what we are relying on, then it isn't helping us get to God, it is hindering us. That is religion, not the gospel. Religion is rubbish, trash, dung, excrement! It's knowing Jesus that counts! That's why in Jesus' parable, the man sells EVERYTHING he has in order to buy the field with the treasure. Or sells EVERY pearl he has in order to get the best one. We come to Jesus with nothing in our hands. If we do come with some sense of our own acheivements... we are bringing him a pile of crap.

what I thought was gain... isn't (phil 3:5-7)

Philippians 3:5-7

circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the law a Pharisee, as to zeal persecuting the church, as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Here Paul lists out his religious accomplishments, his reasons that he, above anyone, could have confidence in the flesh, confidence in himself:

• circumcised on the eighth day - born a Jew, not a convert
• of the people of Israel - God's chosen people
• of the tribe of Benjamin - a tribe from Rachel, the wife that was loved
• a Hebrew of Hebrews - both parents being Hebrews, a thoroughbred!
• as to the law a Pharisee  - the strictest law keepers
• as to zeal persecuting the church - so committed to God that he was actively persecuting the threat of this new sect
• as to righteousness under the law, blameless - following all the ceremonial laws, no one would be able to find fault with him

But, although he would have counted that all as great gain, he now counts it as loss! Why? For the sake of Christ. His nationality means nothing compared to Jesus. His upbringing and pedigree means nothing compared to Jesus. His efforts to make himself righteous mean nothing compared to Jesus. His (misguided) enthusiasm for God means nothing compared to Jesus. His good deeds (of which there will have done plenty) mean nothing compared to Jesus. It is not about Paul and his accomplishments or me and mine. It is about Jesus and what He has accomplished. All of that stuff which seems so important, was actually loss - it hinders us from coming to God. The only thing that can be classed as gain, the only thing that helps us come to God, is Jesus Christ.

I should be confident (Phil 3:4)

Philippians 3:4

[we ... place no confidence in the flesh] though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more...

Paul is not arguing from a position of "I haven't got this... but you don't need it anyway". The very things that Paul is telling the Philippians that they don't need are the very things he had! As he is about to explain in detail...

Christ alone (Phil3:3)

Philippians 3:3
For we are the circumcision, who worship by the spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh

Circumcision was a sign of belonging to God. What does Paul say is the sign of being Gods people now? Worshipping by the spirit of God, glorying in Jesus and having no confidence in the flesh. The advocates of circumcision were saying that we needed to do something. If we start to evaluate our standing before god based on our actions we are not worshipping by the spirit, we are defining the way which we think we can worship god. We are not glorying in Jesus but in ourselves. And we have confidence in the flesh, in something about ourselves, rather than confidence in Jesus. The biblical gospel is not Jesus + ... it is Christ alone. 

threat to joy (phil3:1-2)

Philippians 3:1-2

Finally my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write these things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.

Paul obviously wants to remind the Philippians to rejoice but it seems like an abrupt change to warning them about evildoers. This would seem to suggest that the greatest threat to their joy are these "dogs", evildoers, mutilators - advocates of circumcision. The biggest threat to the joy of these Christians was "Jesus PLUS something else". Joy will be killed whenever we revert to the law - we have to do something. Joy comes from knowing that, while we were unable and unwilling to follow the law, Jesus was obedient to it and has set us free from it's condemnation

honouring others (phil 2:29-30)

Philippians 2:29-30

So receive him (Epaphroditus) in the Lord with all joy, and honour such men, for he almost died for the work of Christ, and risked his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me

Do we give honour to people who are risking their lives (or reputation, or money, or status, or comfort, or control) for the work of Jesus? Our tendency is to honour to people who have more obvious gifts - good speakers or musicians - or, even worse, base it on worldly standards of success - numbers of people, human praise, reputation, money, possessions. That's not how Paul evaluates things, and neither should we, because neither does God!

people before programs (phil 2:26-28)

Philippians 2:26-28

for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious.

Paul thinks it's necessary to send Epaphroditus back to Philippi, even though he seems to be doing a great job (v1) because they were worried about him being ill - and that causes both of them distress. This is people before programs! Paul could have legitimately thought it was more useful for Epaphroditus to stay where he was, but they are concerned about people, not just the most effective strategy. For Paul, the most effective strategy is loving God and loving others.

Epaphroditus (phil 2:25)

Philippians 2:25

I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need

Epaphroditus is described as a brother to Paul, showing the deep affection shared between the two, that has been formed and forged by working together in gospel partnership, engaged in the same conflict (see 1v30). He has been sent by the Philippians to Paul as a messenger and minister - helping him on their behalf. So often, the relationships we see in churches are superficial and shallow, talking the christian jargon but concealing what's going on deep down and with no real shared mission other than getting what we think we "need" from the church. Gospel partnership forges deep bonds as we strive to see the gospel advance.

plans (phil 2:23-24)

Philippians 2:23-24

I hope therefore to send him to you just as soon as I see how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also

Paul makes plans but doesn't take anything for granted. He's not going to be surprised if he gets released and wonder what to do, because he's already got it planned. But if he doesn' get released he wont be devestated because, in making those plans, he's mindful that God may have something different in mind!

philippians chapter 1

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proof (phil 2:22)

Philippians 2:22

But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father, he has served with me in the gospel.

We judge people's worth by what they say, or how they look, or their success. Timothy's worth has been proven because he is a servant for the cause of the gospel, he loves God (v21) and others (v20) more than himself. This should be the criteria we are using to evaluate our own sanctification.

examples (phil 2:21)

Philippians 2:21

For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ

Timothy is an example of someone following Paul's instruction in 2v4. Paul is showing the Philippians someone who is seeking Jesus' interests before their own as an encouragement to them to do the same. How do I learn from the example of others.

people person (phil 2:20)

Philippians 2:20

For I have no one like him [Timothy], who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare

Timothy is genuinely concerned for the Phillipians, which Paul appears to think is quite rare. We might show concern to be polite, but are we actually bothered? Are we genuinely concerned for people's welfare? Am I a people person?

self-centered (phil 2:19)

Philippians 2:19

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you

It brings Paul joy and encouragement from news of them continuing to follow Jesus. This is the opposite of the twisted and crooked generation that operates out of envy and rivalry (mentioned earlier in the chapter/book). Our society looks on others doing well and is envious, and takes a twisted pleasure when things go wrong for others. Do I rejoice alongside others as their faith grows and develops? That's a good test of whether we are looking to the interests of others and not just ourselves (v4)

offerings (phil 2:17-18)

Philippians 2:17-18

Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Paul describes his life as a drink offering, being poured out to honour God. The Philippians' lives are described as a sacrificial offering - laying down their lives, dying to themselves and living for Jesus. People could look at this drink offering or sacrificial offering of a life as a waste, but it brings Paul joy because that's what our lives were designed for... something more than ourselves. The hardship and suffering is worth it for the joy that it coming, the ultimate example of this being Jesus who "for the joy set before Him, endured the cross" Heb 12:2

holding fast (phil 2:16)

Philippians 2:16

Holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ i may be proud that I did not run in vain or labour in vain.

We desperately grasp and hold on to to all sorts of things that promise life but deliver nothing. Instead, we should be holding fast to the thing that literally brings life - God's word. That's what Paul's looking at as some sort of measure of his ministry - not how many people are in the Philippian church, not how attractive their worship services were, not if everything was going "well" for them, but were they holdiing fast to God's word, because that is where they will find life.

shine (phil 2:15)

Philippians 2:15

that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.

It's funny to think that not moaning (v14) will make us shine like lights (or stars NIV) in the world! There definitely should be a noticeable difference between the lives of Christians and unbelievers - not that Christians get everything right, but more in how we respond to our own failures. Because we see our own sinfulness and know we have been forgiven through Jesus death because of God's great love for us, that means we have less (or nothing) to moan about! Even though we are guilty, we are made blameless and innocent because the blameless and innocent one died. As this starts to change our hearts, our behaviour changes and should stand out in the middle of a crooked and twisted generation which is desperately trying to hide it's faults and failures and pretend it's got everything together, searching for acceptance from others doing the same thing. That's what shines out as a light.

moaning (phil 2:14)

Philippians 2:14

Do all things without grumbling or questioning

Just like 2:3 (do nothing out of rivalry and conceit) is totally counter cultural, so is this! we live in a moaning and grumbling culture, moaning helps you to fit in at work, it seems like there's something wrong if we've got nothing to grumble about. The questioning isn't referring to sincere evaluation but the sort of pointless, selfish questioning that arises because we don't want to be obedient. We can only start to live like this because of God's work in us (v13)

desire to serve (phil 2:13)

Philippians 2:13

for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure

It is God who gives us the ability to work for Him, to serve Him, but not only that, He gives us the will to do it, the desire to please Him. Begrudging submission does not honour God, but when the Holy Spirit transforms our hearts through the power of the gospel, our deepest desire is to serve and please God.

fear and trembling (phil 2:12)

Philippians 2:12b

work out your own salvation with fear and trembling

What part does fear play in my relationship with God? Do I have what McArthur calls "a healty fear of offending God"? God shows up in the old and new testament and people fall on their faces and think they're going to die. We think we get a nice warm fuxxy feeling inside?!

show up for training (phil 2:12-13a)

Philippians 2:12 - 13a

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you

Do I expect sanctification to just happen while I sit around doing nothing? Do I expect god to just download "patience" into me while I sit passively? Training is involved. The bible teaches that God is fully in control, but that we also have responsibility. We need to show up for training. We need to gather the kindling and ask God ignite it. we need to be like the hardworking farmer who does everything he can to prepare the land and then prays for rain.

This does not say work FOR your salvation. God does the work IN us and we are just working OUT the results of that.

He is Lord (phil2:10-11)

Philippians 2:10-11

so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We should be on our knees at the name of Jesus - honouring Him, in awe of Him. If he turned up right now we would be terrified . It's looking at Him that kills pride and cultivates humilty in us. Recognising he is Lord. Our tongues should confess this as well. Our words matter. Jesus should be Lord of our lives in what we say and how we act - our entire lives.

Jesus' name (phil 2:9)

Philippians 2:9

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every other name

Jesus name is highly exalted, it's above every other name, every knee should bow at it (v10). This is not about me, it's about Him. It's not Jesus making much of me, but His love should lead me to make much of Him. Christianity is not man-centered, it's centered around Jesus. It's his name that's important.

Jesus did what we wouldn't (phil 2:8)

Philippians 2:8

And being found in human form he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

We are proud when we've got nothing to be proud about, but Jesus humbled himself! We don't like to be obedient, but he was obedient to the point of death. The death on the cross that we deserved because we wouldn't humble ourselves or obey God.

preaching the cross

"Either we preach that human beings are rebels against God - who are lost and under judgement and can only be saved by Christ bearing their sin on the cross - or we emphasize human potential and human ability, with Christ brought in only to boost them up! If we choose the latter, then there is no necessity for the cross except to exhibit God's love and inspire us to greater endevours"

Alistair Begg, Preaching the cross

became nothing (phil 2:7)

Philippians 2:7

... but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

We can't comprehend how big a "step down" it is for God to become a man. He made Himself NOTHING. We are nothing and are desperately trying to make ourselves something. He is THE thing, He is God, but He made Himself nothing.We think we deserve to be served. We don't, He does, but He became a servant to us.He could have come as a man, but he was born as a baby, humbling himself by learning to walk and talk. This is the attitude that we are encouraged to have in v5. The one who WAS everything, gave it all up for us. In response, it should be easy for us to give up what little we have for the sake of others.

equality with God (phil 2:6)

Philippians 2:6

who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped

We want equality with God. We think we deserve to be in the position of God in our own lives. We operate as if that's the position we occupy. We pray as if God is our consultant or our co-pilot, we still try to retain the authority ourselves. This attitude is the root of our sin. We sin in a particular situation because, in that moment we think that we know better than God. This shouldn't catch us by surprise us because it's exactly what happened to Adam and Eve, the serpent telling them that, if they eat the fruit which God had told them not to, then "your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" Genesis 3:5. They wanted equality with God, and so do we.

Fortunately for us, Jesus, who had equality with God, gave it up on our behalf. This verse tells us that Jesus didn't consider equality with God something to be grasped, as we try desperately, and pathetically, to grasp it. He had it and he gave it up, becoming a man to ultimately die in our place, because of His great love for us.

active or passive? (phil 2:5)

Philippians 2:5

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus...

The ESV (above) is quite different to the NIV/NLT which say that our attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus, which seems to put the focus more on what we should do, rather than what God has done. Maybe the ESV goes to far the other way and conveys that we already have this attitude if we would only just realise it, leaving us passively sitting back waiting for God to zap us. The NKJV seems closer to a middle ground: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

We should have this attitude and should be trying to cultivate it, but recognising that the only way we can have it is through Jesus' work for us and in us, not just us looking at his example and trying to follow

self serving? (phil 2:4)

Philippians 2:4

Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.

Again, my motivation is regularly my own interests. What do I want to do in this situation? How will this serve me? What would my life look like if I primarily looked to the interests of others?

humility (phil 2:3)

Philippians 2:3

Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humilty count others more significant than yourselves.

Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit? What? Almost everything we do is motivated by these two. How will this affect me? What's best for me in this situation? What will others think of me if I do this? That person has got this, I should get one? I know I sin, but at least I'm not as bad as he is. The world operates through rivalry and conceit!

Instead we are to be humble. We often misunderstand what humilty is. we think that its the sort of "false modesty" that protests when recieving a compliment or doesn't boast about acheivements. Actually, humilty is "counting others more significant than ourselves". It is not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less (Warren)

unity (phil 2:2)

Philippians 2:2

... complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Because all the stuff in verse one is true THEN we should be united. Unity should be the mark of people trusting in Jesus but that doesn't mean that we should pursue unity as if it is the ultimate goal in itself. We are united around Christ. Unity should be motivated by Jesus (the things described in v1), it is only possible because of those things. Man made pursuit of unity is always fragile because it is built around us. Gospel centered unity is the only lasting unity and that is why it brings Paul joy.

because He love us (phil 2:1)

Philippians 2:1

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the spirit, any affection and sympathy...

"If there is.." is not really a question, more like a statement "because there is...". We should be massively encouraged in Christ, the fact that he did not leave us dead in our sin but became a man and went to the cross on our behalf. We can be comforted by His love because we see it demonstrated on the cross, not a feeling but a fact, that will never change. Our participation with the Spirit is that he has opened our hearts to understand the gospel and we are continually being sanctified through His work. He cares for us, has compassion on us, prays for us! 

There is massive encouragement in Christ, complete comfort from His love, transforming participation with the Spirit, perfect affection and sympathy. That is the motivation for the exhortation to unity found in the next verse.

suffering (phil 1:29-30)

Philippians 1:29-30

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Their suffering has been granted to them! The opposition they are facing has been given to them by God as an opportunity for them to bring Him glory in and through it! Do we view opposition in the same way?!

Like the Philippians and Paul, we are in conflict, not with God, not with the suffering, not with the opponents, but with the enemy who seeks to turn our eyes away from God through the suffering and/or opposition

community as a sign (phil 1:28b)

Philippians 1:28b

This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

What is the clear sign of destruction/salvation? The life described in the previous verse. Perservering gospel partnership. Unity between natural enemies. Peace in the face of opposition. Opponents see that and start to realise it's not going away. Seeing the Christian community in action is a powerful witness to non-christians

live worthy of the gospel (phil 1:27-28b)

Philippians 1:27-28b

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents.

what does a life worthy of the gospel look like? Standing firm in one spirit, one mind, striving together for the gospel, not frightened. It is perserverance, communal (not individualistic), unity around the gospel, gospel partnership!

We have a tendency to drift rather than stand firm. To be selfish rather than of one mind. To procrastinate rather than strive together. To think individually rather than stand side by side.

miserable comforters

"There is a way of using theology and theological arguments that wounds rather than heals. This is not the fault of theology and theological arguments; it is the fault of the “miserable comforter” who fastens on an inappropriate fragment of truth, or whose timing is off, or whose attitude is condescending, or whose application is insensitive, or whose true theology is couched in such culture-laden clichés that they grate rather than comfort. In times of extraordinary stress and loss, I have sometimes received great encouragement and wisdom from other believers; I have also sometimes received extraordinary blows from them, without any recognition on their part that that was what they were delivering. Miserable comforters were they all."

DA Carson, For the Love of God

to live is Christ (phil 1:22-26)

Philippians 1:22-26

If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me. yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

For Paul, to live is Christ and todie is gain. But that life in Christ is not about his own personal fulfilment, it is about others. The reason given why death is gain is simple - he gets to be with Jesus. But the reasons given for continuing to live are all about others:

• so that he will continue in fruitful labour
• it's more necessary for them
• for their progress in the faith
• for their joy in the faith
• so that they may glory in Jesus

Again, we see that Paul sees his life as a tool in God's hands to bless others. Do I see my life like that?

death is gain (phil 1:21)

 Philippians 1:21

For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

This is a crazy statement to the world's ears. Everybody is living for something and for that "something" dying is loss, not gain. If you are living for money, you lose it when you die. If you are living for power, you lose it when you die. Only living for Christ will turn death into gain, because we go to be with Him.

"Only Christ makes dying gain...only Christ, otherwise it's loss. " McArthur

honour christ (Phil 1:20)

Philippians 1:20

as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honoured in my body, whether by life or by death.

Death is a real possibility for Paul here but he just wants to honour Jesus whatever happens!

I know (Phil 1:19)

Philippians 1:19

[yes, and I will rejoice] for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance, 

When Paul talks about deliverance here, is he talking about being released from prison? Maybe, but he knows that ultimately he will be delievered

"I do know that that what I'm going through now is temporary and the future holds my deliverance, whether it's vindication in court, release from prison, well-being, or eternal heaven, I'll be delivered out of this." McArthur

How does he know this so confidently? Because of God's promises, God's word. Paul is quoting Job 13:16 - echoing that we might not understand our suffering but we know that God is working through it. He is also confident because of their prayers for Him and dependance on the Spirit. If he was only depending on himself or on his friends or the church then the full confidence of deliverence may not be there. But we can trust that God will do what he says through the Spirit.

Rom 8:28 For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose

rejoice (phil 1:18)

Philippians 1:18

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

It's almost unbelievable that Paul says he rejoices in the fact that the gospel is being preached, despite the wrong motives... despite the fact that people are doing specifically to "afflict" him (v17)! This shows once and for all that he does definitely care more about the advance of the gospel than anything else - more than his own suffering and more than slander and personal attacks against him. Two of the things that we hold in high regard - comfort and others thinking well of us - may be the source of joy for us, but not for Paul. Comfort and reputation are nothing to Paul compared to the gospel and its advance!

motives (phil 1:15-17)

Philippians 1:15-17

Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

Paul's imprisonment has inspired others to preach the gospel but different groups have different motives. Some are doing it out of love, for God, others and Paul. They understand that he sees his own imprisonment as an opportunity for the gospel to advance and they do as well. But anotger group does it out of selfish ambition and jealousy. They are envious of Paul and see this as an opportunity to step up and get a bit of recognition themselves. We need to examine our own motives. when we speak about Jesus to others, christians or non christians, are we doing it out of love for God and others or to make ourselves look good, to give that person a certain impression of us, to impress that person with us rather than God? Are we envious of other people or churches, becoming angry when things go well for them and secretly rejoicing when things go badly for them? I need God's help to operate out of love, not envy or rivalry.

without fear (Phil 1:14)

Philippians 1:14

And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

We might expect that the fact that Paul was in prison would make the others less bold to speak the word, more fearful for their own safety. But in fact the opposite is true, in persecution and hardship people see the reality of the gospel at work and nothing else matters to them. How does that reflect on our fear when it comes to speaking God's word when we face comparatively little threat of persecution? Their confidence comes from the Lord, the more I see of Him, and Him at work in others, the more bold I will be

imprisoned for christ (Phil 1:13)

Philippians 1:13

so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to all the rest, that my imprisonment is for Christ

Everyone there knows that Paul is imprisoned for Christ! When asked why he is there he doesn't just say its some sort of religious dispute, or talk about what he was falsely accused of. We know from his various defenses in Acts that he uses the opportunity to tell his story and preach the gospel. Does everyone around me know that when am I suffering, I am holding onto Jesus? Does everyone around me know that when something goes well, I am thankful to Jesus? Does my life, my actions, words and attitudes, make more of Jesus than of me?

advance the gospel (phil 1:12)

Philippians 1:12

I want you to know, brothers, that everything that has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel

Paul sees everything that happens to him as an opportunity for the gospel to advance. Imprisonment, persecution, suffering, restriction of personal freedom - Paul views them all as opportunities for people to hear the gospel and see it in action. He sees opportunities where we would be consumed with self pity. We might pray that God would use us to advance the gospel, are we prepared for him to do that in ways that might not be comfortable for us?

for God's glory (phil 1:11)

Philippians 1:11

filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God

Paul has been talking about sanctification (the process of us becoming more like Jesus) for the last few verses. He describes it as growth in love, knowledge and discernment (v9) so that we can be more like Him (v10 and 11). This sanctification is not effort based self improvement, it comes from Jesus (v11), it is the fruit, the natural product, of righteousness (v11) - not our own righteousness, but Jesus', which has been imputed to us. Whay does all of this happen? To bring glory to God (v11), and so that we (and others) will see that glory and praise Him

sanctification (Phil 1:10)

Philippians 1:10

so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

the progression from the last verse is that our love grows as our knowledge of Him grows. As our knowledge grows, we grow in discernment, recognising the truth and accepting it (approving), conforming our lives to it and becoming more like Him (pure and blameless). The christian life is not supposed to be static but there should be constant growth and sanctification. This is not "self-improvement" but a natural outflow of our love for him which comes when we understand what he has done on our behalf on the cross.

love is not blind (Phil 1:9)

Philippians 1:9

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment

Paul wouldn't recognise the attitude that can sometimes exist today that says "I love God, He loves me, and that's all that matters" and avoids any further "theology" than that. Loving God is tied up in knowing Him. Without growing knowledge of his character and actions on our behalf, then we wont be growing in our love for Him, or we're growing in our love for a self-made "god". The more we know Him, the more we love Him. They feed each other. I want to know everything about my wife because I love her, and the depth of knowledge fuels that love.

With love and knowledge is discernment - the more we know of how God has revelaed himself, the more we will be able to discern the real thing, the truth from the lies. The more we love Him, the more we'll want to discern the real thing, because we only want the truth.

Affections (Phil 1:8)

Philippians 1:8

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

The words used here (yearn, affections) again communicate Paul's deep feelings for these people. He refers to the affections OF Christ. That is the reason for his deep feelings towards them, because God inspires that in him and because that's how God feels about them. This is not like normal human affections which usually attach to people who can do something for us and then expire rapidly. This is God given, unconditional love because they are people who Jesus died for, just like Paul. If this is how Paul feels about them, imagine how much Jesus feels towards them. We can't even begin to comprehend it, but we see it in action on the cross.

partakers of grace (Phil 1:7)

Philippians 1:7

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 the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

Paul loves these people. This is not a job for him, it is the definition of personal ministry. It is his love and joy that motivate his constant prayers for them.

He feels this strongly about them because they all share in God's grace - in suffering (he is in prison), and in proclaiming the gospel. Being on mission together (gospel partnership) and being "forced" to rely on God's grace develops these strong bonds between people as our dependance on God becomes more obvious to us.

good work (Phil 1:6)

Philippians 1:6

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.

God BEGAN a good work in us - this is not conversion then killing time until you go to heaven but ongoing progressive sanctification, being made into his likeness. This is a GOOD work, although often it wont seem like it to us! Again, God is more committed to our good than we are. Who is doing it? Jesus. If you include this reference to "he" that makes 5 times Paul has mentioned Jesus in the opening 6 verses, including twice in the first verse alone. We are left in no doubt about who the focus of this letter is. Not Paul, not the Philippians, not us, but Jesus. It's all about Him.

gospel partnership (phil 1:4b-5)

Philippians 1:4b-5

making my prayer with joy beecause of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

What brings Paul joy is not their material prosperity, or the enthusiasic nature of their worship services etc. It is their partnership in the gospel. This partnership is a gorup of people united around a goal and pursuing it with everything that is within them, not the fellowship that we think takes place over a cup tea after a sunday morning service but more like a rugby team at training camp before the world cup or a group of soldiers during basic training - singlemindedly working together to acheive a goal. But this is not partnership around any cause, not unity based on similar interests or backgrounds, or even being united around the goal of unity! This is partnership in the gospel. Working as a body to proclaim the gospel to each other and those who haven't heard it. There's no individualistic, lone ranger type of christianity here - the gospel leads to partnership (in the gospel!)

remembering with thanks (Phil 1:3-4a)

Phil 1:3-4a 

I thank my God in all my rememberance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all

Paul is thanking God for the Philippians every time he remembers them. Do I tend to remember and reflect mainly on the things that I'm NOT thankful for concerning people? Or should I be thanking God for what he's doing/done whether it's good or bad things I remember? Eg. that person insulted me but I can thank God that enables me to understand the gospel more clearly as it breaks down pride in me, highlights my desire for man's approval and reminds me that the cross is the biggest insult I will ever recieve, and the greatest affirmation I will ever get.

Also, he's obviously praying for them regularly. Paul is crying out to God all the time for loads of different people. The "world" of my prayer life seems narrow in comparison!

grace and peace (Phil 1:2)

Phillipians 1:2

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Grace and peace might sound like just a polite greeting to us, but this is no throwaway statement from Paul. Grace is the Christian life. we are saved by grace and we are sanctified by grace. 

Peace is not just the absence of conflict, but shalom, a wholeness, everything being how its supposed to be. We misunderstand this if we think it refers to peaceful circumstances, our lives will have many situations that aren't "peaceful", Jesus promises as much. But throughout all of that, we have peace with God, a peace that He initiated while we were His enemies.That peace allows us to face any external situations.

God is described as our Father. God chooses to identify himself this way. Whether our earthly Father was good or bad, God is the perfect Father. Totally loving, always acting in our best interests and more commited to our good than even we are

Jesus is described as Lord, a position of authority over us. He is not our genie in a bottle, there to make us feel better and give us things as if we were in authority over Him. If He is our Lord, we serve Him and obey Him, not expecting Him to serve us.

in vs at (Phil 1:1)

Philippians 1:1

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons

The saints are IN Jesus, they are just AT Phillipi. Their identity is found in Jesus, not in their town/city, nationality, race, class etc. We are in the world but not of it. Our identity is in Him.

saints and servants (Phil 1:1)

Phillipians 1:1

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Phillipi, with the overseers and deacons.

We are saints. Saints are not a special brand of Christian, people who impressed God because of the "exemplary way they lived their lives". All Christians are saints. How can I be considered a saint when I now what's going on inside me? Because I am a saint IN Christ Jesus. Jesus took my sin and gave me His righteousness. I can enter God's presensce freely because I am clothed in Jesus righteousness.

We are also servants. Paul was a senior leader but he considered himself to be a servant of Jesus, and that involves serving the church in Phillipi. Leadership is not lording it over people, it is lovingly serving them as part of our service of Jesus. Loving them enough to bring hard words if necessary, as Paul often does, but also words of encouragement, as Paul also does. Jesus deserves to serve but said that he came to serve, we don't deserve it but often think others should be serving us!

rest

Hebrews 4:1-11

The Israelites wandering around in the desert did not enter God's rest (at first) because they didn't believe God could give them the land He had promised . "the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith." v2 (see Numbers 13 and 14). We have heard the invitation from God to enter into His eternal rest, do we believe what He is saying? Do we believe that He has got something for us which is better than anything the world can offer? Do we believe that we enter His rest not by working to please Him but by "resting" in Jesus' completed work on the cross? Hear the message and believe it!

hard hearts

Hebrews 3:7-19

⁷So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, ⁸do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, ⁹where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. ¹⁰That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' ¹¹So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.' "  

¹²See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. ¹³But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. ¹⁴We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. ¹⁵As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."

 ¹⁶Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? ¹⁷And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? ¹⁸And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? ¹⁹So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

It's easy to look down on the Israelites at the time of Moses. They were being led by a pillar of cloud and fire, they were having food provided miraculously on a daily basis and still the regularly grumbled, complained, questioned the goodness of God and, as it says repeatedly in this section of Hebrews, hardened their hearts. When we hear God's voice are we going to listen or harden our hearts? When we hear what He reveals about Himself in the Bible, are we going to listen or harden our hearts? When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin are we going to repent or harden our hearts by justifying our behaviour? When we are challenged to forgive, confess, give, serve - whatever it might be - we have a choice to be obedient or not. And when we disobey, our heart is hardened a bit more, moving towards the sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from God (v12). As verse 13 says, let's encourage each other, so that our hearts wont be hardened. Today, if you hear His voice... listen!

the builder

Hebrews 3:1-6

¹Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. ²He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. ³Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. ⁴For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. ⁵Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. ⁶But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

 Moses was a faithful servant in God's house but Jesus is a faithful son over God's house. Jesus is worthy of greater honour than Moses (or anyone/anything else) in the same way that the builder of a house has greater honour than the house itself - it's a totally different category. Jesus is not just the best thing in the house. He is in a totally different category. He built the house! He's not just the best thing part of our lives - He is our life. He's doesn't just love us - He is love, He defines what love actually means. He isn't just a teacher telling us how to get ourselves right with God - He is the way we get right with God.

Therefore, we are told to fix our thoughts on Jesus (NIV), consider Him (ESV), take a long, hard look at Him (Message). We are his house (v6) - He built the thing, He owns it, He rules over it

movements

"A movement is marked by an attractive, clear, unifying vision for the future together with a strong set of values or beliefs. The content of the vision must be compelling and clear so that others can grasp it readily. It must not be so esoteric or difficult that only a handful of people can articulate it. Instead, it must be something that all members of the movement can understand and pass along to others. By contrast, "institutionalized" organizations are held together by rules, regulations, and procedures, not by a shared vision.
This unifying vision is so compelling that it takes pride of place. First, the vision leads to sacrificial commitment. Individuals put the vision ahead of their own interests and comfort. They are willing to work without high compensation, power, or perks. The satisfaction of realized goals is their main compensation. There is no more practical index of whether you have a movement or not. If the leader is making all the sacrifices, you don't."

Tim Keller, Movements

paradox

I am obsessed with running my own life, but it's only in dying to myself and receiving the life made possible through Jesus' death that I can really start to live. I can try to ignore my sin, justify it or try hard to stop it but it's only in accepting that it deserves death that I can really recieve the grace that deals with sin. I can try to become rich, in material or spiritual terms, but it's only in recognising my absolute (spiritual) poverty before God that I can recieved the eternal riches that He has for me.

" Let me find your light in my darkness,
your life in my death
your joy in my sorrow,
your grace in my sin
your riches in my poverty
your glory in my valley"
The Valley of Vision (language updated)

like us

Hebrews 2:10-18

 ¹⁰In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. ¹¹Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. ¹²He says,

   "I will declare your name to my brothers;

      in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." ¹³And again,

   "I will put my trust in him." And again he says,

   "Here am I, and the children God has given me."

 ¹⁴Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. ¹⁶For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. ¹⁷For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Jesus was God, but also man. If we fail to remember Jesus' humanity, we end up thinking of Him as a superman who died, but barely felt a thing because He was God. That is not what the Bible teaches. Jesus shared our humanity, he was made like His brothers (us) in every way, He suffered and He was tempted. Whatever situation we are in, the God of the universe knows exactly what it is like. Even though we rebel against God, Jesus didn't. While we enslave ourselves to sin and go chasing after idols, He didn't. While we give into temptation and choose something else over God, Jesus didn't. While we allow our suffering to lead us to become bitter towards God and others, Jesus didn't. So while we deserve death for all of those things and He didn't, He died to atone for all of that stuff, so that we can live. That's our merciful and faithful High Priest.

out of control

Hebrews 2:5-9

v8-9:
In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. ⁹But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Everything is under God's control but at the moment it doesn't look like it from our point of view. So how do we know everything is under His control? Because of Jesus - because He became a man and died on our behalf. That's done, so we know He's in control of everything else. See How can you believe God's in control, by Ben Parker for a more detailed look at this idea.

grace driven effort

“People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, and obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.”

DA Carson, For the Love of God

jesus is better

In Hebrews 1:4-14, Jesus is compared to angels. We are left in no doubt about who is superior in that comparison.

• Jesus is called God's Son, which has not been said about any angel (v5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"?)
• The angels are there to worship Jesus (v6 "...when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him".)
• The angels are servants, while Jesus is the king sitting at God's right hand (v7-9, 13-14)
• Jesus is eternal and was involved in the work of creation, angels are created beings (v10-12)

It doesn't get any better than Jesus, the angels recognise that and worship Him. Whatever it is that we are pursuing: money, image, family, friends, sex, power, religion, status, comfort, control, angels... Jesus is better


It's all about Jesus from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.