Intro to Philippians

Lisa Edwards • May 4, 2022

Notes from Pastor Ky's message on Philippians 1:1-7.


As we begin our journey through another new book of the Bible, it can be helpful to first stop and get some background information on it before we dive in.


Philippians is a letter that the apostle Paul wrote from prison to a church he had planted in Philippi, which was a Roman colony. Philippi was populated mainly by retired Roman military personnel. As citizens of Rome, these people would have enjoyed more political rights than their Jewish neighbors, and likely were somewhat affluent. As Christians, we know that Earth is not our home and thus our treasure should not be in our earthly possessions, so part of Paul’s purpose in writing to them was to remind them that even though they enjoyed the benefits of being citizens of Rome, their true citizenship was to the kingdom of Heaven.


Paul founded the church in Philippi along with Silas on his second missionary journey. Previously, Paul had chosen his ministry route according to wherever he thought made the most sense to go, but we know from the book of Acts that this journey was different. God had shut many other doors for ministry that Paul had tried to walk through and had specifically called him to this new place. There was no synagogue in the city when Paul and Silas arrived, so instead they went to the riverbank, where they met a woman named Lydia, who became their first convert and original host of the new church plant. While in the city, Paul cast a demon out of a slave girl, who had been earning a great deal of money for her masters by telling fortunes. Because her owners were enraged by this, they had Paul and Silas thrown into jail. We see here the famous story where Paul and Silas, while imprisoned, worship God in song, and God causes a great earthquake that opens their cell doors and loosens their chains. They are set free but remain in their cells so as not to cause trouble for the jailer imprisoning them, who then turns to them and asks, “What must I do to be saved?”. Paul answers him simply: “Believe in the Lord Jesus”.


There are several indications from this letter that the church of Philippi may have been Paul’s “favorite church”. The letter is overwhelmingly positive and is free of the typical corrections or condemnations that are often the cause of Paul’s letters to other churches we see in the New Testament. He refers to the Philippian church as “my joy and crown”, and says also that “I hold you in my heart” and “I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus”.


The centerpiece of the book of Philippians is in chapter 2, verses 5 through 11. Here Paul summarizes the gospel by restating what Christ did to secure our salvation. This leads into the main theme of the letter, which is joy. Just like Jesus is at the center of Paul’s letter, Jesus is at the center of Paul’s joy.


In Philippians 1:1-7, we see three different encouragements Paul gives to the Philippian church that can be an encouragement to us as well today.


The first is to maintain plural leadership. This means that the Philippian church had not one single pastor or leader, but rather a group of pastors/elders who collectively led the people together. This is something that Crosspoint values and has seen the benefits of since its inception. When you have a single leader, it can be easy to fall into the trap of putting that person on a pedestal. This can lead to that pastor feeling alone with no one to share struggles with, as well as to people becoming attached to that specific person rather than to the teaching of the Word that is being preached. It is never good for one’s faith to be dependent upon any one pastor, and a plurality of leadership helps circumvent that issue. When pastors and elders work together to shepherd a flock, they can lean on each other and use their gifts to the benefit of all. This is the model we see consistently throughout the New Testament in the early Church.


The next encouragement we see from Paul in this passage is to be thankful for faithful brothers and sisters. We should ask ourselves, am I walking in a manner such that the overseers in my life are able to lead me in joy and gladness?


Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you”.


The church of Philippi was that kind of congregation to Paul, and he praised God for them. Paul also told the church exactly what his prayer was for them, which was that they would abound in love and grow in knowledge and discernment. It can be such an encouragement to be told exactly how someone is praying for you!


The final encouragement that Paul offered the Philippian church was that they trust God for their perseverance. It is not uncommon for Christians to wonder if they will be able to “make it” to the end of the race God has called us to run. In His wisdom, God has given us many assurances that act as evidence of our faith. One such assurance is the fruit of the Spirit. Just as plants yield fruit based on their kinds (i.e. an apple tree will never produce oranges, only apples), so we can see the proverbial fruit of the Holy Spirit’s regenerative work inside of ourselves in the form of love, joy, peace, patience, etc. We also have faith alone as our assurance that we will be able to persevere through to the end. Just as the Philippian jailer asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” and Paul answered him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ”, we too can know that our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior is what will maintain us until the end.


We may also find ourselves worrying not only about our own faith but that of those we love. But Paul addresses that fear both here in Philippians and in multiple other letters. In Galatians 3:3 he says, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”, and in Romans 8:30, “And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified”. There is no point in that plan that God outlines for us where we can fall through the cracks and be lost because of any misstep or lapse in faith. In Philippians 1:6, Paul writes, “And I am sure of this, that He Who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ”. Paul was not confident that the people of Philippi could persevere, but that God was faithful to persevere for them!


Whenever you purchase something, you take responsibility for maintaining and protecting your investment. If we as people guard our temporal, Earthly possessions that are bought with mere money so well, how much better will God steward and protect us who were bought with the blood of His precious Son? When we are born again, we are given brand new life from the Holy Spirit. The One Who is powerful enough to achieve that faith is strong enough to sustain us to glorification.


Let us trust God for the perseverance of our faith, just as we have trusted Him for its inception.

Arm Yourselves

June 11, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:1-6 Prepare to suffer Is. 50:6-8a I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. 7 But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He who vindicates me is near. The martial language indicates that discipline and grit are needed to live the Christian life, particularly in view of the suffering believers encounter. -Thomas R. Schreiner Some people won’t like you if you follow Jesus When a culture abandons biblical standards, when extramarital sex, cohabitation, and birth outside of marriage become normal, people attack the church for its moral snobbery and judgmentalism. Peter warns us that if we do take a stand, we need to expect slander, not applause. -Daniel M. Dorian This is one of the hardest things a new Christian has to face. Your friends liked you because you shared in “the same flood of debauchery.” It seemed great fun at times, but then you came to embrace Christ… But your friends have not… They will be surprised when you say “No.” -Juan Sanchez. Keep an eternal perspective Our outcome is glorious Suffering is good for us Let’s remember that suffering accomplishes God’s purposes. It exposes what or whom we are trusting (1 Peter 1:6–7). - Juan Sanchez Ecc. 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Discipleship Questions: Verse 1 tell us to arm ourselves by thinking as Christ did about suffering. How did Christ arm himself for and against sufferings? What does it look like for us to do that? Have you ever lost friendships (or had them change) because you were following Jesus? Do you fear that we (or our kids) will experience greater persecution in the future? If yes, how should we handle that fear?

I Believe That We Will Win

June 3, 2025
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:18-22 Jesus suffered and died in order to bring us to God Jesus conquered death by his resurrection “A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.” —Martin Luther Problem #1 - he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison —Jesus preached through Noah to those who lived at that time (1 Peter 1:10–12) —Jesus proclaimed His victory to evil angels (see Genesis 6:1-4) Problem #2 - baptism now saves you —Scripture is clear - we are saved by grace not works —baptism pictures our salvation from God’s judgment through the resurrection of Christ “The waters of baptism, like the waters of the flood, demonstrate that destruction is at hand, but believers are rescued from these waters in that they are baptized with Christ, who has also emerged from the waters of death through his resurrection. Just as Noah was delivered through the stormy waters of the flood, believers have been saved through the stormy waters of baptism by virtue of Christ’s triumph over death.” —Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude —in baptism we are appealing to God for a good conscience "This appeal is an act of the heart looking away from itself and from all human instruments and calling on God, appealing to God, for grace to save.” —John Piper —in baptism we are pledging to God to live in a manner worthy of the gospel Jesus ascended to heaven and now reigns over everything “We can face suffering as Christians with confidence rather than panic, and hope rather than despair, because the road marked with Christian suffering is, no matter what its twists and turns are, the road to vindication and glory. The God who vindicated Jesus will vindicate you, and he will sustain your faith until that day.” –Juan R. Sanchez, 1 Peter For You Discipleship Questions: How does Jesus’ death and resurrection encourage us when we suffer? Why did we need Jesus to suffer and die to bring us to God? How does Jesus’ victory over death give us eternal hope? What are your thoughts regarding some of the problems in this passage? How does what Peter says about baptism elevate the importance of baptism? When were you baptized and how does this passage inform your understanding of baptism? How does knowing our victory is secured help us with all the things this life throws at us?

Who Can Be Against Us?

May 27, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:13-17 Nobody can (truly) hurt Christians Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Rom. 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? The train of thought is as follows: “No one will be able to harm believers on the future day if they are zealous for good” (v. 13). Indeed, even present suffering is not a sign of punishment but of blessing both now and especially in the future, on the day when God rewards his people with eternal life. -Thomas R. Schreiner Honoring Christ Erases Fear Share your faith with strength and gentleness Embrace balance Be prepared to share The truth of the gospel is a public truth that can be defended in the public arena. This does not mean, of course, that every Christian is to be a highly skilled apologist for the faith. It does mean that every believer should grasp the essentials of the faith and should have the ability to explain to others why they think the Christian faith is true. -Thomas R. Schreiner Be prepared to suffer “I’ve spent a number of years in India and Africa where I found much righteous endeavor undertaken by Christians of all denominations; but I never, as it happens, came across a hospital or orphanage run by the Fabian Society [a British socialist organization], or a humanist leper colony.” -Malcolm Muggeridge Be bold! We will likely suffer as Christians in this world, but that suffering is slight and temporary compared to the eternal inheritance that awaits us. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we die and receive our promised inheritance. Can you imagine how emboldened Christians would be if we only believed what Peter is saying? -Juan R. Sanchez Discipleship Questions: Does the fact that nobody can (truly) harm us comfort you? What would change if we lived like we really believe that? Are you a more confident person as someone who knows Christ? Does your security in Christ embolden you to take some risks in life, knowing that the worst that could happen is death? How equipped / prepared are you to give a reason for the hope that you have? What would grow your confidence and competence in that? Have you considered joining Michael Clark one day for evangelism at the harbor? Well….you should….
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