NOW,

TO APPLY CHRISTS EXAMPLE TO THEIR CHURCH SITUATION

LETTER WRITTEN HERE?

FORUM OF PHILIPPI

“GOD FEARING” MEETING PLACE

AFTER CASTING OUT DEMON

PAULS TRAVELS IN GREECE

CLEARLY, PAUL’S MINISTRY PRODUCED GREAT FRUIT

APPLICATION

• READ 2 : 12 - 18

WORKING OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION

• 12-13: “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, BOTH TO WILL AND TO WORK FOR HIS GOOD PLEASURE.”

NOTICE CAREFULLY

• PAUL DOES NOT SAY:“WORK FOR YOUR SALVATION”

• RATHER, HE SAYS “WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION”

• REMEMBER REASON FOR LETTER: ADDRESSING THE “PROBLEM” IN THE CHURCH …E.G. PHILEMON

NOTICE THE CORRELATION

• BASIS: THE OBEDIENCE JESUS SHOWED (PHIL 2:8), AND

• THE OBEDIENCE PAUL EXPECTS OF THE PHILIPPIANS… WHETHER HE IS PRESENT OR ABSENT…. (JUST LIKE THEY HAD ALWAYS OBEYED BEFORE)

• (AND THE OBEDIENCE GOD EXPECTS OF US)• (REMEMBER…ONE MIND, ONE SPIRIT, ONE …)

AGAIN

• PAUL DOES NOT MEAN “WORK SO AS TO EARN YOUR OWN SALVATION”

• WOULD CONTRADICT THE WHOLE OF THE GOSPEL

WHAT DOES HE MEAN?

• IT IS TO SEE GOD’S SALVATION EVIDENT IN EVERY DIMENSIONS OF THEIR LIVES (NOT EASY) ESPECIALLY THEIR CHURCH LIFE

• “THE BELIEVER MUST FINISH, MUST CARRY TO CONCLUSION, MUST APPLY TO ITS FULLEST CONSEQUENCES, WHAT IS ALREADY GIVEN BY GOD IN PRINCIPLE…. HE MUST WORK OUT WHAT GOD IN HE GRACE HAS WORKED IN”

• MULLER

“WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING”

• PAUL IS NOT ASKING ANYTHING NEW….• HE IS NOT TALKING ABOUT “SANCTIFICATION”– WDC

• HE IS URGING HIS HEARERS TO WORKOUT THEIR DELIVERANCE OR SOLUTION TO THEIR PROBLEMS AS A CONGREGATION. SUCH SOLUTIONS WILL BRING ABOUT AN END TO THE DISEASE OF STRIFE AND RESTORATION OF THE SPIRITUAL HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY.

“WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING”

• INDICATES A SPIRIT OF HUMAN INADEQUACY AND THE NECESSITY OF LEANING ON DIVINE P0WER AND WISDOM TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.–(WHAT CHURCH LEADERS SHOULD

ALWAYS DO)

GUARANTEE

• SUCH AN ATTITUDE WILL GUARANTEE EFFECTIVE RESULTS… FOR “GOD IS AT WORK IN YOU”…

• WHAT A CONTRAST WITH THE “WORLD”.. EPH. 2:2 “IN WHICH YOU ONCE WALKED, FOLLOWING THE COURSE OF THIS WORLD, FOLLOWING THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, THE SPIRIT THAT IS NOW AT WORK IN THE SON’S OF DISOBEDIENCE….”

“IN YOU”

• IN THIS CONTEXT, IT WOULD MEAN “IN YOUR MIDST”

• GOD IS AT WORK IN BELIEVERS TO HELP THEM TO DESIRE OR WANT, AND TO ENERGIZE OR ENABLE THEM TO ACCOMPLISH THAT WHICH SEEMS GOOD IN HIS SIGHT OR TO EXERCISE “GOOD WILL”

• THE NEXT PHRASE IS AN EXHORTATION TO PUT AWAY THOSE THINGS THAT WILL DESTROY GOODWILL AMONG THE BELIEVERS.

“DO ALL THINGS WITHOUT MURMURINGS AND DISPUTINGS”

• ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN IT IS GOD THAT ENERGIZES BELIEVERS, PROVIDING THE STRENGTH OF PURPOSE AND THE STRENGTH OF PERFORMANCE NECESSARY TO LIVE A LIFE OF GOODWILL.

• “ALL” … THE ALL-INCLUSIVE NATURE OF THE COMMAND

• “DO” … (PRESENT TENSE)… KEEP ON DOING

“MURMURINGS AND GRUMBLING”

• IN OLD TEST. …. ALWAYS AGAINST GOD• IN NEW TEST. … ALWAYS AGAINST OTHER

MEN AND WOMEN (NEVER GOD)– THE ISSUE IN THE CHURCH AT PHILIPPI… THERE

WERE DIVISIONS… QUIT MURMURING AND GRUMBLING AGAINST THOSE WHO ARE GOD’S CHILDREN.

GOAL:

• ELIMINATION OF ALL THINGS THAT WOULD MAR THEIR TESTIMONY IN THE COMMUNITY OR WOULD DESTROY THEIR EFFECTIVENESS AS A WITNESSING COMMUNITY.

“THAT YE MAY BE”

• RATHER “THAT YOU MAY BECOME” …• (IF YOU OBEY) MAY BECOME “BLAMELESS

AND HARMLESS/INNOCENT”• ACTING LIKE “CHILDREN OF GOD”– UNTARNISHED IN BOTH REPUTATION AND INNER

CONDITION … I.E. “ABOVE REPOACH”

CONTEXT

• “IN THE MIDST OF A CROOKED AND PERVERSE/TWISTED GENERATION”– WE ARE IN THE WORLD, BUT NOT OF IT…..

• PAUL DESIRED HIS READERS TO BE WITHOUT BLEMISH. THUS REVEALIJNG THEIR DIVINE LINEAGE: “CHILDREN OF GOD, SPOTLESS…..”

AMONG SUCH:

• THEY WOULD BE LIGHTS IN THE WORLD (IN CONTRAST TO THE DARKNESS OF THE UNBELIEVING WORLD)

• NOTICE, THEY ALREADY (AT SALVATION) BECAME LIGHTS… AND IN OUR WORLD TODAY, THE CONTRAST OF A LIGHT IN DARNESS IS STARK.

• “DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD….”

AS THEY SHINE

• THEY NATURALLY WILL HOLD FORTH THE WORD OF LIFE… YOU CAN’T HELP IT…

• THE LIGHT IS A GUIDE TO THE TRUTH.– HOLDING OUT FOOD AND WATER TO

OTHERS..DISTRIBUTING THE BREAD OF ETERNAL LIFE.

A PERSONAL NOTE FROM PAUL

• IF YOU OBEY, WILL BE A CAUSE OF GREAT REJOICING AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST.

• WELL…..–DID THE CHURCH AT PHILIPPI OBEY?

IMPACT OF PAUL’S MINISTRY342 AD

BASCILIA A

Archeologists Findings

BASCILIA B

BASCILIA B

PAUL WILL BE (AND IS) GREATLY REJOICING

• IN HEAVEN AWAITING THE GIVING OF REWARDS… HE DID NOT LABOR IN VAIN….