Unbreakable Unity
Church,
These are dark times that we are faced with. Political unrest, social divisions, and even financial insecurity all contribute to a rising sense of anxiety and distress. How we respond to the darkness reveals the depth of our faith. The real quality of a Christian is not seen when times are ideal; rather, when the going is rough – then a person’s true character is revealed.
The culture in Philippi during the first century was similar to the culture that we face today. Followers of “the Way” were regularly singled out and oppressed. As we read in Acts 16, Paul experienced this type of persecution first hand. That was certainly some of what prompted him to write to his beloved Philippians. He wanted them to know the key to being a shining light in a dark culture.
Pastor Joe is taking some time off after an extremely busy summer of ministry. He’s asked me to fill in for him so, over the next three weeks, we’ll be looking at the book of Philippians and discovering how we can be a Shining Light in an Increasingly Dark World. I’m excited to see how God works in and through our lives as we begin to apply these simple truths in our everyday relationships and activities.
Take some time to read the passage below and consider some of the questions that follow.
Love you all!
See you Sunday!
Danny
UNBREAKABLE UNITY
Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter to the church in Philippi. This church was dear to Paul’s heart as it was the first church he founded in Europe.
The overall theme of this letter is one of joy. It was Paul’s desire that the joy of knowing Jesus that he experienced, even while imprisoned in Rome, would also be known by his Philippian friends. He knew that, in order to experience this joy, they would have to resist the temptation to live lives of radical individualism and chose instead to live lives of mutual service to each other.
Read the following excerpt from Paul’s letter to the Philippians and then discuss the small group questions that follow.
Philippians 2:1-11
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal.
Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death– even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow– of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth– and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Small Group Questions:
Open:
- Who in your family hogs the bathroom or makes the biggest mess? Who cleans it up?
- What is your pet peeve at home?
Dig:
- Reading between the lines, what was wrong with the church in Philippi?
- What does it mean to consider someone as “more important than yourself” (v.3)?
- How does humility differ from being a doormat?
- What do you think it was like for Jesus to leave heaven and become human? To take on himself all of the sin of mankind?
Reflect:
- How does this passage challenge society’s definition of success?
- Who do you admire because they truly put the interests of others ahead of their own interests?
- When have you been in a fellowship that cared for one another like Paul describes here?
- How would things change if verses 3-8 marked your family life? Church life? Work life?
- What is one specific way you can imitate Christ’s humility this coming week?
- How can we best pray for you?
