June 02, 2023 | Be On Mission
Worthy of the Gospel of Christ
Scripture: Philippians 1(NIV)
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.
27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
Devotional
On Paul’s first visit to Philippi, he made converts of a wealthy business woman, a fortune-telling slave woman, and a Roman jailer. The house churches begun by these and others like them made Paul and Barnabas subject to the accusation that they were “throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice” (Acts 16:20-21). In Philippi, Christianity was more of a threat to the Roman’s Hellenistic way of life than the Jewish way of life seen in earlier stops.
Now a decade later, Paul wrote this letter to the Philippian believers while he was under house arrest in Rome. When in a Philippian prison, God miraculously freed Paul with a violent earthquake. But when under house arrest in Rome, Paul remained chained and guarded for two years. In verses 12-14, what was Paul’s attitude about this long imprisonment? Why did he say, “And because of this I rejoice” in verse 18?
Paul did not know if this imprisonment would end in freedom or death. So he boldly stated, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (v. 21). How do you view life? How do you view death? How do you view life after death? In thinking about life and death, Paul told the Philippians, “I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body” (v. 23-24).
Paul hoped to live so that he could come and find them “striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you” (v. 27-28). Apparently the city of Philippi was still in an uproar a decade after Christianity first took root there. Who is someone who had a major impact on you becoming a faithful follower of Jesus? How would you respond if they messaged you and reminded you to conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ?
Poem
We Greet You With Grace And Peace
As the dawn breaks color-chrome
Across the eastern sky
We greet You with grace and peace
Our eyelids not yet unveiling
Life
We rest in the blankets of Your love
Fully accepted
Before one task is
Begun
Executed
Accomplished
Here we rest
Having rested
As the coffee perks and the toaster lifts
Amidst the stirring home
We greet You with grace and peace
Serving the temples which house us
Life
We tend to the altar to Your devotion
Fully cleansed
Tasks routine
Chewing
Brushing
Draping
Here we dress
Having been clothed
As we enter the day beyond
Confronting the unknown
We greet You with grace and peace
Neighbors, tasks, challenges yet unknown
Life
We walk in the power of Your Spirit
Fully alert
Tasks bombard
Labor
Relationships
Tests
Here we harvest
Having been harvested
As we close the day depleted
Sitting to dine at Your table
We greet You with grace and peace
Sustenance feeding places unknown
Life
We return to the rest of Your presence
Fully exhausted
Tasks yet to be completed
Examen
Breathing
Bathing
Here we live
Having lived
