Philippians 1:1-18
Bond Servants of Christ – Our description
- Philippians 1:1-2 – Paul and Timothy describe themselves as slaves of Christ. If we were writing a description of ourselves would this phrase appear? These two men voluntarily became servants of Christ.
- Exodus 21:1 – Hebrew slaves were free to choose after 6 years. If the slave loved his master, the slave could make the choice to become a permanent member of the master’s household. The slave then had a physical mark on the body to signify where he belonged.
- Galatians 6:17 – Paul had physical marks to show who he belonged to.
Christian Love- Our Motivation as Servants
- Philippians 1:3-8 – God wants us to experience Christian love.
- John 15:9-17 -Love one another.
- 1 Cor. 13:1-8 – No matter what you do, if you don’t do it from love it is worth nothing. It can be difficult to understand what he true loving action is.
Christian Growth- Our Goal
- Philippians 1:9-11 – Paul is praying that they will grow in love. We need to be perpetually growing.
- 1 Peter 2:1-3 -Long for the word so you can grow. Coming to Christ is the beginning of God’s transforming work in our lives.
- Galatians 5:22-23 – The fruit in our lives that God’s love produces. God’s work develops these characteristics in our lives.
Christ Proclaimed- Our Focus
- Philippians 1:12-18 – We rejoice when Christ’s message is spoken. No matter what our own circumstances we keep focused on God’s message.
- 1 Cor. 2:1-2 -This was the focus of Paul’s message.
- Hebrews 12:1-3 – We must focus on the message of Jesus sacrifice through love for our salvation. Proclaim this life changing message to all!
—Robert Lee, 2-10-08, a.m.
