2010 Jan 17 - How to live in preparation for Heaven (Phil. 3:17-4:1)

Philippians 3:17-4:1 addresses how to live in preparation for heaven.

Regrets

Before beginning the new passage, we reviewed some of the “regret” discussion from the previous week. In addition to regretting some things in the past, we also need to make a clean break from some of our old actions. When we agree that what we did was actually wrong, and then determine not to repeat those actions, this is what we call “repentance.” The word implies a real change, much as a caterpillar becomes a butterfly.

Not all changes are actually 180 degrees, however. God has already been at work in each of our lives, so we are getting some things right. Repentance means that we are ready to get even closer to God, agreeing with Him that it’s time to make some more changes.

Enemies of the Cross

Paul, the author of Philippians, starts the new passage off with negative examples: How some people live as enemies of the Cross. He gives three tests for us to consider.

• Their god is their stomach

These people are controlled by their immediate desires, whether for food, material goods, or fun. The goal is immediate, momentary satisfaction. The term “shopping therapy” came up in discussion, as did addictions, pornography, and even too much television.

The class talked about how everyone has a God-shaped hole in life. When we try to fill it with anything else, we are never satisfied.

• Their glory is their shame

This is a lack of restraint. People are proud of things they should actually be ashamed of. College students who brag about how trashed they were over the weekend have fallen into this trap. Many of our celebrities seem to enjoy flouting any standards that the rest of the world has lived by.

As a Christ-follower, there are places I should not go, sights I should not see, and relationships that aren’t worth building. Of course, this is not to say “abandon anyone who sins.” But if we are going to these places or looking for these sights for the wrong reasons (to shock others, or to defy God), then we are in danger of living as enemies of the Cross. Being a Christian is not about following a set of rules, but about being sure our motives are pure.

• Their mind is on earthly things

We are certainly part of this world. But we need to remember that our main loyalty is to God and His Kingdom, not to this world. Probably the point of Paul’s remark is that we shouldn’t focus ONLY on earthly things. Some suggested that it would be good to remind ourselves that Jesus is next to us, wherever we are and whatever we’re doing. This should help us see beyond our immediate circumstances to what is eternally important.

Destruction

Paul was not holding up the enemies of the Cross to ridicule or judgment. He was brought to tears by the realization that these people were separating themselves from God and each other. If our chief aim is to make ourselves happy, then we will naturally alienate others. And if we refuse to acknowledge God’s leadership, we will do our best to avoid Him, too.

And separation from everyone else is the destruction Paul describes. It is not that God is against those who reject Him. It’s that the rejecters won’t accept His love.

Next week, we’ll look at how Paul says we should live instead.

2010 Jan 3 - Faith heros; and getting in shape (Heb. 12:1-3)

David took a holiday break and led us in a study of Hebrews 12:1-3 this week.

Chapter 12 begins by referring to the “cloud of witnesses” who encourage us. Hebrews 11 listed many biblical examples of faith heroes who are among that cloud.

Who are our faith heroes?

People mentioned family members who had inspired their spiritual lives. Others who were not raised in Christ-centered homes could also recall people who had inspired them.

David mentioned several ways that this passage encouraged us to get in shape.

We need to analyze our lives in order to recognize any hindrances. We may not consider the hindrances actual sin, but if they lead us away from God’s best, we need to take action. TV can be an influence for less than our best. Relationships can guide us away from God. Material possessions are a hindrance for many of us. Even hobby time, innocent in moderation, can keep us away from better things.

“Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off your relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself.”
Susanna Wesley (Letter, June 8, 1725)

And getting in shape is more than avoiding some things. We need to understand their
attraction and deal with those issues.
The spiritual disciplines (prayer, Bible reading, fasting) help us keep our eyes on the
goal, which is being like Jesus.

Perseverance is needed. Being part of the Kingdom is a long-term commitment (even longer than a lifetime), and we need to resolve that we will persevere.

Perhaps the best news is that we are not in this by ourselves. In addition to the encouragement of godly examples, God has put us in a community that would like to help
us on our way.

David then reminded us that the Christian life is joyful. If we find ourselves worrying about rules or failures, we should get back to the joy of following Jesus.

TAKEAWAYS

• Focus again on the priorities, set aside the distractions.
• The promise of blessing to the 3rd and 4th generations: We have the responsibility of passing on a godly heritage.
• Run with joy.

2009 Dec 27 - How do you define success? (Phil. 3:1-16)

How do we define success?

In class, our definitions of success centered around being successful parents and family members. We recognized that may define success in material terms. Paul defined success as being part of Christ’s kingdom, aligned with him in life, in suffering, in death, and ultimately in resurrection.

How do get ourselves back on track when we are off-course?

Those of us in class have every intention of aligning our lives with Jesus, being good citizens of the kingdom. But we acknowledge that we sometimes wander. When we do, what practices help us put Christ’s kingdom back in front?

• Prayer
• Scriptures
• Sermons
• Hearing the Spirit of God speak to our hearts
• “A good, swift kick in the pants”
• Encouragement, help from others (see the video: http://video.yahoo.com/network/100000089?v=5017561&l=100022574)

While that kick in the pants has come to several of us (per testimonies in the class), not every bad thing that happens is the result of our disobedience. Bad things really do happen to good people. But bad things are catapults to good things, whether they were intended as a “kick in the pants” or not.

TAKEAWAYS

• Righteousness can come as an inner transformation or an outer set of laws. Most people find the laws easier to live by (or at easier to pretend to live by). When I act, am I following a law or following my heart?
• Ebenezer: We may not yet be perfect, but we have reached a level of maturity. We should rejoice in how far God has already brought us, but recognize that God has more for us to achieve as well.

2009 Dec 13 - Reputation (Phil. 3:1-11)

Should we care about our reputations?

The end of chapter two had Paul praising Epaphroditus. One explanation is that Paul was being certain that the Philippians understood that Epaphroditus had carried out his assignment well before becoming sick. That is, Paul was rebuilding the man’s reputation.

Last week, we said that one good reason for caring about a reputation was so that we might not hurt our witness for Christ. This week, we added another reason for maintaining a good reputation. It gives us legitimacy when we speak or persuade. Of course, when one makes reputation the highest goal, one can fall victim to pride or to legalism.

Paul called some people “mutilators of the flesh.”

The people Paul criticized as “dogs” and “mutilators” weren’t pagans. They were Christians who insisted that one had to follow Jewish laws in order to be Christian. Of course, that included circumcision for the men. Paul insisted that following Christ was not a matter of following certain rules. Christianity just means allowing the life of Jesus to be formed in us.

How do we become part of the Kingdom?

Paul listed a lot of rules that he had followed. Then he said that they were absolutely worthless to his new life in Christ. The only thing that counted was being made new, trusting Jesus to transform him.

Many of us first look at God as a school teacher. He is giving us a test with all those rules, and we need to get a passing grade in order to get to heaven. But the only “passing grade” is perfection, and none of us can get that grade. In that sense, God doesn’t just grade on our actions, but our attitudes.

The great news is that this isn’t how God’s plan works. Instead, because of what Jesus has done, God simply asks: Do you want to be part of my Kingdom? When we answer “Yes,” He welcomes us in. There is no test at all.

Sharing in Christ’s life: It’s not all fun and games!

When Paul describes the life he now shares with Jesus, he starts off with “suffering.” Apparently part of Kingdom life is putting up with the evil around us. Then he mentions “death.” In one sense, every time we allow God to direct us, we are “killing off” the part of life that God guides us away from. Of course, some Christians are literally killed. But Paul also says that he shares in Christ’s resurrection. Not only will we enjoy heaven someday, but Christians discover that the new life has already begun here on earth. And it is a life that includes peace and joy. (Discussion didn’t bring this out, but Galatians 5:22- 23 also describes this new life as including love, self-control, and many other good things.)

But aren’t there some rules in the Kingdom?

The point of following Jesus is that His Spirit guides us. As we learn to recognize His voice, we are guided into proper actions.

In order to be sure we’re hearing His voice, there are some lists of typical Kingdom actions. We mentioned the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and the two great commandments (Luke 10:27). We discussed the Jewish ritual laws as well, wondering if they might have some role in a Christian’s life. (We may come back to that topic later.)

Takeaways

• The essential “rules” are the Ten Commandments. The real question is not which rules
• we’re keeping, but “Are you living as Jesus wants you to?”
• A reputation should be guarded, but it isn’t everything. We can’t control other people’s perceptions. But what is God’s view of our reputation?
• Yes, our reputation can help us tell others about Jesus. It establishes a basis for others to pay attention to us.
• No, our reputation in a fallen world is bound to suffer. As we stand for what is right (led by the Spirit, not a set of rules), we are going to offend those who are on the side of what’s wrong.

For our next time together, Paul gave us a new definition of “profit and loss.” How do we define “success”?

2009 Dec 6 - What do true Christ-followers look like? (Phil. 2:19-30)

Paul uses this passage to show what true Christ-followers look like in real life. Paul has challenged the Philippians to allow God to carry out His transforming work in their lives. The first part of chapter 2 helped focus attention on the God-directed life of Jesus. Now, Paul mentions two people that the Philippians have known, and he stresses how their lives are devoted to God’s service.

We should let God’s work be obvious in our lives, but as He directs, not as others pressure us.

Timothy and Epaphroditus both lived out their faith, but in very different ways. Timothy worked closely with Paul for many years. Epaphroditus was a one-time visitor who brought a gift to Paul. Timothy was commended for caring about the Philippians. Epaphroditus was praised for faithfully carrying a message for the Philippians.

This should remind us that God uses us in many different ways. We are not to judge others by the assignments God has given us. And we should not try to live up to other people’s ideas of godliness ourselves. Instead, we really need to learn to listen to God’s direction for our own lives. Of course, that raises another question:

How do we know when God is speaking?

Having raised the question, we didn’t spend much time on finding an answer, We did mention that we need to be spurred by genuine love and goodwill, rather than just “somebody ought to do this.” God’s specific directions resonate within us, rather than feel like an obligation.

Timothy’s obedience to God meant assisting Paul for many years. He showed respect and honor to Paul, as well as trust in Paul and vulnerability to his leadership. David read a passage from My Lady of the Chimney Corner, by Alexander Irvine. This emphasized God’s ability to use each person in His plans.

Epaphroditus delivered a gift to Paul on behalf of the Philippians. The reason Paul mentions him is that Epaphroditus became sick, and the Philippians were worried about him. Paul not only assured them of his returning health, but that he had faithfully carried out the task that he had been given.

The final question is very appropriate to Jesus-followers today, especially those who are just beginning careers, families, and relationships:

Should we care about our reputations? Why or why not? To what extent, if any?

Discussion just began, with mention of “Yes and No: Yes, so as not to belittle Christ. No, because if we do His will we can leave the results to Him.

We will take up with this question as we begin chapter three, where Paul dismisses his own reputation as “worthless.”

2009 Nov 29 - God's good purpose (Phil. 2:13-18)

We continued our study of Philippians 2:13-18, starting with David’s ending statement last week:

We can’t transform our lives any more than we can save ourselves.

Of course, we all know folks who have made changes in their lives by will power or as the result of changing circumstances. But changes in action are not the same as transformation. This was compared to the difference between physical change and heart change. Life in Christ offers us a new kind of life, going way beyond just new behavior. And that is only possible through God’s work in our lives.

Why would anyone resist God’s good purpose?

Paul tells the Philippians that God has a “good purpose” in mind for them, and for us. Why do we not all accept that and allow Him to work in our lives? The class mentioned several reasons: Selfishness; fear of change or embarrassment; and ignorance.

God offers step-at-a-time coaching rather than the whole game plan, meaning that we have to trust Him in order to follow Him. We also recognized that knowing His plan would make us less likely to focus on Him. When bad things happen to us, they do not mean that we have missed God’s plan. Even so, most of us are more likely to touch base with Him when life is not going easily.

We are to shine as stars in the universe.

Somehow, God intends to use us as examples of what following Jesus can mean. Even the feeblest attempt to follow God sets us apart. Just as a single farm light can be seen for miles in a dark countryside, any Christlikeness makes a positive contrast with our fallen world.

Even so, the thought that our lives are to be beacons in a dark world is intimidating. We are reminded that we cannot do this ourselves. At most, we can cooperate as God makes us into such “stars.”

Complaining and arguing interfere with God’s good purpose.

Generally, complaining and arguing are inspired by our own wishes, or by envy. There are times we do need to stand up for what is right. (After-class discussion suggested the terms “confronting and debating” as more appropriate for Christians who are challenged by the world’s system.) But such “righteous argument” is marked by peace and purity. It also involves trust in God. We reminded ourselves that once again, attitude is key.

When is it right to brag?

Paul expects to brag about the Philippians. Discussion pointed out the similarity between Paul’s attitude and that of parents. We thought that “deep satisfaction” might be a better term than “pride,” which is so often mixed up with self-promotion in many of its uses. You can be proud (“deeply satisfied”) when your actions have increased God’s presence on earth. Our perspective should include having been “just an instrument” in God’s hands.

2009 Nov 22 - Working out your own salvation (Phil. 2:14)

We made it to Philippians 2:14 this week with quite a bit of discussion.

David summarized the opening verses of chapter 2 again, setting the stage for today’s passage. When we got to “work out your own salvation,” the discussion began with this thought:

We can tell God “no” on our own. We can only say “Yes” with God’s help.

Like any other relationship, both parties have to agree. In the case of God, He has already said “Yes” to us. That’s the reason we have the power to say either “Yes” or “No” ourselves. In that sense, even the power to say “No” is because God has been at work.

Not only has God issued an open invitation to us, but He is persistent. The Hound of Heaven (http://poetry.elcore.net/HoundOfHeavenInRtT.html) by Francis Thompson was mentioned.

How did God invite us to join His kingdom?

We talked about how God’s invitation appeared to each of us. Several mentioned that they were raised in Christian homes and can’t remember a time of open rebellion against God. We mentioned Paul’s experience (Acts 9), which was probably affected by his watching Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7). Seeing Christianity in action does have a strong influence. Others described the invitation as coming through “just thinking” about the meaning of life and realizing God could make a difference. Still others mentioned life changes, such as becoming parents, and wanting God to be involved from that point on.

Many of us began with the faith of a servant, but we now have the faith of a child.

The faith of a servant means that we keep checking to see if we’ve pleased our master. This faith recognizes God as being in charge. But it is centered on “Am I doing everything right?” There is a lot of uncertainty, if not downright fear, in this faith.

The faith of a child means that we relax in knowing that God loves us and is on our side. This is the faith John mentions (John 20:31) when he says that “by believing you may have life.” This includes an assurance that we are saved.

We need to believe in God’s power enough so that we allow Him to change our lives.

We got back to the idea of “fear and trembling.” It does not mean that we are to live in
constant fear that God is about to cut us off. But the following points came out in
discussion:

• We should think carefully about what Christianity means, deliberately and thoughtfully.
• Being a Christian is serious business. We are part of God’s purpose for the world.
• We do need to be aware of the consequences of our choices. This is a healthy “fear.”
• Lukewarm Christians do more damage than unbelievers.
• We are not to compare ourselves to other Christians, though their lives may encourage us to do better.
• God wants to help us avoid sin.

We will begin next week where this discussion left off:

We can’t transform our lives any more than we can save ourselves.

2009 Nov 15 - Working out your own salvation (Phil. 5:12)

“Working out” our salvation is very much like “working on” any relationship.We only advanced one verse (Philippians 5:12) this week, but the discussion was VERY helpful for at least some of us.

We began with a review of the first part of Philippians 2. David added this thought to previous discussions: Perhaps a good paraphrase is “Don’t be preoccupied with your own interests.” In light of last week’s discussion, this seemed a good addition.

If we are to help others with their problems, then it is important that each of us be willing to ask others for help when we need it.

Since Philippians 2:5-11 is the basis for the “therefore” in Philippians 5:12, David asked us to describe Jesus’ attitude. We identified servanthood, humility, and obedience.

Paul uses the phrase, “work out your salvation.” This seemed to fly in the face of the rest of scripture. We are reminded by Jesus and Paul that this new life is a gift, not earned at all. David used the term “synergistic” to describe how people and God work together.

“Working out” our salvation means accepting God’s free gift and making it operable, or getting it into “working order” in our lives.

“Working out” our salvation is very much like “working on” any relationship.

We discussed “prevenient grace.” Even before any of us responded to God’s gift, we recognize that He was already working in our lives to prepare us for what He is offering.

This gift of God involves three things: He makes us right with Him (called “justifying” us); He gives us a brand new life, letting us start all over (“regeneration”); and He makes us His children (“adoption”).

“Working out” our salvation is NOT following another set of rules. Sometimes new Christians are given guidelines based on a “collective Christian conscience,” because some things are just plain helpful and others harmful to the Christian walk. But the goal is to have mature Christians who listen to the Spirit of God directly.

This reminded class members of other images: Rules are essential for children, but we expect our children to grow beyond following rules and to become responsible citizens. God’s new life is compared (2 Corinthians 3:3) to having rules written on our hearts instead of on stone tablets. And the “Thinking Man” becomes a picture of our own Christian lives: We are not to follow a rulebook, but to think through how God wants us to live.

As God matures each of us, we need to understand that we are all treated differently. We must allow Him to work in others’ lives without us judging them. He knows their needs, their circumstances, far better than we can, and we can trust Him to guide them just as He guides us.

2009 Nov 8 - Whose interests? (Phil. 2:5-11)

Mark Tran shared with us about how God’s leadership brought him to Kansas City.

Are we supposed to consider our own priorities after all?

In reviewing last week’s class, it was mentioned that Greek does not have the word “only” in “each one should look not ONLY to his own interests” (Philippians 2:4). Maybe this means we aren’t to consider our own interests? Most translators do have the word “only,” but that may be wrong. Dale promised to check this out when he got home.

Sure enough, there is not any “only” in the first part of the verse. But the second half begins, “rather also,” so that the “only” is strongly implied, even in the Greek. One way of putting it literally would be “not consulting his own interests, instead also the interests of others.” That “also” seems to justify the more common “not only” phrase in English.

Therefore, last week’s conclusion still seems to have biblical support: God has given each of us priorities that we are to follow, and we are right to consider those priorities and where they rank compared to others’ needs.

This week’s discussion points:

We looked at Philippians 2:5-11. We are essentially told to be like Jesus, who emptied Himself of His rights, and who was then rewarded for His obedience.

1. We are to help people with their boulders, not with their knapsacks. This is a modification of Galatians 6, and relates to Christians “setting boundaries” as they are asked to consider others as well as themselves.
2. Attitude affects everything. The sooner we get it set properly, the better our actions will be. That applies literally to each day, as well as to our lives overall.
3. In this passage, “attitude” might be considered “approach to life” rather than “current feelings about circumstances.”
4. One of the class members shared that she has developed her personal mission statement. This keeps her focused on what’s really important in life, allowing her to check her actions by comparing them to her “attitude/approach to life.”
5. Paul tells us what our attitude “should be.” This strongly suggests that we are to be involved. At the very least, we ought to strive for such an attitude. Paul may also be saying, “This is what God will help you to achieve as you follow Him.” There doesn’t seem to be room for any “That’s just the way I am” excuses.
6. Rewards are a legitimate part of God’s plans. Of course, as Jesus said repeatedly in Matthew 5-7, some of those rewards may not be received until we are in heaven. But God does have rewards for those who follow, even in this matter of “attitude adjustment.”

2009 Nov 1 - Kingdom Family (Philippians 2:1-4)

This week, we only got through the first four verses of Philippians 2. (And may I express publicly my gratitude to Reggie Phillips for his insights into the passage a couple Wednesdays ago.)

Among a lot of notes, I find the following "Take-aways" this week:

1. If prayers were more "we-focused" rather than "me-focused," unity in the Kingdom would be easier to achieve. (This reminds me of the discussion a couple weeks ago when we recognized that we are offered the mind of Christ, but often settle for our own perspective as sufficient.)
2. We need to trust that God is at work in those people we disagree with. Unity doesn't mean uniformity. We are all part of the same body, and God expects us and even commands us to use our differences to help each other.
3. One of God's commands is for us to keep our own priorities straight. Paul tells us to look to the interests of others AS WELL AS to our own interests. We do need to take care of ourselves, too.
4. Unselfishness may be the beginning of putting others first, but it is not enough. We need to get beyond the negative ("Don't be selfish") to the positive ("Do what's good for others"). This reminded us of Jesus' story of the house that was swept clean but left empty. We need to fill our lives with positive, not just fight the negatives.

This coming Sunday (Nov 8), we'll pick up where we left off: Philippians 2:5-11.

Unless someone wants to go back and revisit any of the prior issues, of course. (David would like that. He really was looking forward to leading this passage's discussion.)

See you Sunday, if you're not serving elsewhere!

Dale

2009 Oct 11 – God’s Perspective (Phil. 1:19-26)

Veronica Kruse gave us a glimpse into her Kingdom journey.

Prayer is effective, but answers depend on His time in His way. Others’ obedience may also have an impact, raising the question of whether we’re helping to answer prayers that others offer.

Paul never looked at death as an escape. Death means a closer walk with Jesus.

Many of us are too focused on our personal interests, rather than on God’s view of the world and its needs.

When we received Kingdom citizenship, we were given the mind of Christ as well.

2009 Oct 4 – Good Coming from Evil (Phil. 1:12-18)

Brandon Peterson gave his story of healing and protection.

We are all guilty of atrocious motives, but God blesses us and our attempts at Kingdom living. We need to recognize God works in other lives as graciously.

Whatever happens can serve to advance the gospel.

2009 Sept 27 – Developing Discernment about What is Best (Phil 1:3-11)

Melissa Lidzy and Jennifer Blades told us a little of their lives.

We are works in progress. Others can affirm our progress as Kingdom citizens.

Our choices are not just between evil and right, but often between good and best.

The closer you get to Jesus, the more you know that you could still be closer.

We compare ourselves to others too much.

2009 Sept 20 – A Common Bond (Phil. 1:3-11)

Dale Jones explained a little of his and Kathy’s Kingdom adventures.

We should express our appreciation to someone who’s been a Barnabas to us.

God cannot be thwarted. Even after a false start, God can and will bless.

What kind of faith helps you to sing when you’re beaten up? “Full surrender faith,” “No matter what, I trust Him.”

2009 Sept 13 – Becoming Kingdom Citizens (Luke 4:43)

David Wilson introduced himself to the class, sharing about his Kingdom journey.

The Kingdom of God is made up of servants; this world is made up of people struggling for supremacy.

Citizens of the Kingdom of God show mercy. Their positive attitude attracts others to become Christfollowers.

Citizenship may be conferred in a moment of time (in this world and in God’s Kingdom), but it is implemented over time. This means both before and after the moment of becoming citizens.