Philippians overview
In 1940, during World War II, a Christian pastor named
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was arrested by the Nazis and
eventually placed in prison.
You would expect the letters of a man sitting in a prison
cell, cut off from family and uncertain of his future, to be
filled with bitterness, fear, and complaints. Most of us
would understand if they were.
Instead, something surprising happened.
The people who received his letters were the ones being
encouraged.
From a prison cell,
Bonhoeffer wrote about trusting God.
He comforted his friends.
He urged believers to remain faithful.
He talked about hope more than hardship.
One visitor later remarked that Bonhoeffer seemed to
possess a calmness and peace that didn’t make sense
considering where he was.
Think about that.
How does a man lose his freedom but keep his joy?
How can someone face uncertainty without being
controlled by anxiety?
How can a person think more about serving others than
feeling sorry for themselves?
The answer is that his circumstances did not determine
his outlook. His relationship with God did.
Most people believe joy comes when their problems
disappear. But some of the most joyful believers in
history discovered something different. They learned that
joy can survive suffering, humility can flourish in
hardship, and contentment can exist even when life
doesn’t go according to plan.
Today we are going to embark on a study of Paul’s letter
to the Philippian church. Rather than digging right in, I
want to start by giving you an overview of the whole
letter.
This morning we are going to discuss the theme of each
of the four chapters of this letter and see what God
wants to show us.
Before we do that, let’s take a moment to ask God to
speak to us through His word and to show us the truth
this morning.
For context let me remind you that Paul wrote this letter
from prison. We know that being in prison never
bothered Paul.
Acts 16 tells us when he and Silas were in jail they were
praying and singing hymns to God. The result was that
the Philippian jailer and his family were saved.
In chapter one Paul shows us that there is:
Joy in Suffering
He tells the church that he thanks God for them in his
prayers and he prays joyfully for them. v.4
He also is thankful that they are partakers with him in
grace, both in his imprisonment and his defense of the
gospel. V.7
The Philippian church supported Paul both financially and
spiritually. Paul is grateful for their support and continues
to pray for them.
Paul understands that his imprisonment is for Christ.
V.13.
So many times we just want out of our difficult situation
before even trying to understand what God is trying to
teach us.
Paul is thankful for the prayers of the church. He is
confident that his suffering will work out for God’s glory.
V.19
The focal verse of chapter one is verse 21.
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
In the final paragraph of chapter one Paul encourages the
church to let their manner of life be worthy of the gospel
of Christ. V.27
He wants them to understand that suffering for Christ is
a privilege.
Jesus told His disciples “If the world hates you, know that
it has hated me before it hated you.” John 15:18
It’s not enough to just believe in Christ, we must suffer
for His sake. V.29
The second chapter of Philippians is one of my favorite
chapters of the whole Bible.
In chapter two Paul shows us that there is:
Joy in Humility
Jesus was a perfect example of humility.
He put the needs of a sinful world above His own
comfort.
He understood how excruciating the crucifixion would be,
but He was obedient to the Father so that those who put
their trust in Him would be reconciled to God.
It’s not easy to put the needs of others before our own.
Some people are pretty prickly.
Paul encourages the church to be humble and to have the
mind of Jesus Christ. V.4-5
Wayne Barber said that “If Christ is your attitude/mind
then people won’t bother you.”
If Christ is your mind, you will see people as God sees
them.
As a child that God loves and sent His Son to die on the
cross for.
Paul wants the believers at Philippi to have the mind of
Christ. His attitude should be our attitude.
Christ’s attitude was to serve other people and put their
needs above His own.
Paul encourages the church to let God work in them to do
His good pleasure v.13
He tells them to shine like lights in the world by doing all
things without grumbling and complaining.
What if every Christian made v.14 their life verse?
The world would surely be a different place.
In chapter three Paul shows us that there is:
Joy in Knowing Christ
Again Paul mentions rejoicing in the Lord.
He is grateful to write to them to encourage them in their
faith.
Paul points out that nothing on earth compares to
knowing Christ.
He counts every physical thing on earth as loss.
V. 8 and 10 talk about the greatness of knowing Christ.
They also mention suffering again.
Starting in verse 12 Paul writes about striving towards
the goal of knowing Christ and seeking after Him rather
than the treasures of this world. Paul says he forgets
what lies behind and strives toward what lies ahead.
We are to be heaven focused.
When we know Christ we know where we are going when
we die. But while we are here we must strive to follow
the example of Christ.
Paul told the church to imitate him and keep their eyes
on those who walk according to the Christlike example.
V.17
In chapter 4 Paul shows us that there is:
Joy in Contentment
Paul tells the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord always. V.4
He follows that up by telling them not to be anxious
about anything but take everything to God in prayer.
When we pray God gives us contentment, Paul calls it the
peace that passes all understanding.
Have you ever prayed and then the peace of God washed
over you? It’s amazing and encouraging.
Paul tells them what to focus on in verse 8, whatever is
Honorable
Just
Pure
Lovely
Commendable
Excellent
Worthy of praise
He tells them to dwell on these things.
No matter what is happening in our life, we can have joy.
Joy is not about circumstances, it’s about the one we
have a relationship with who is in control of our lives.
His plan is always the best plan.
Paul reminded the Philippians that he knew what it was
like to have plenty, and he knew what it was like to not
have enough.
No matter what God gave him strength to make it
through every circumstance. V.12
When God is your life circumstances are not something to
get worried about.
God is our focus.
Paul also thanked the Philippians for supporting him when
no other church did. He showed his gratitude to them for
their kindness. V.16
This is just a scratching of the surface of this beautiful
letter from Paul to the church at Philippi.
I’m excited to see what God is going to show us as we
dig into the text each week.
My prayer is that you would spend some time each day
looking at Philippians to gain a deeper understanding of
the text.
APPLICATION
Joy is in our Relationship with Christ
When we know Christ and understand who He is and
what He has done, we want to imitate Him.
God tells us to be holy just as I am holy.
Christ is our rock through every trial
Christ is our example of humility
Christ is our goal, we should pursue Him
Christ is our contentment in every circumstance