SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON PLAN 6 - Phil. 4:1-9 - STANDING TOGETHER
LAST WEEK: In Phil. 3:1-14, 17-21, we heard Paul share some emphatic personal insights about how we should define ourselves as true followers of Jesus Christ. First, he warned us of spiritual predators he termed as dogs, evil workers, and false circumcision, making the point that true Christians must rid themselves of reliance on anything other than Christ for salvation. After describing his credentials as a Jew, a Pharisee, and a former persecutor of Christians, he declared that all those works became useless garbage next to the saving grace he received from his encounter with the risen Christ. Based on that, He said that our number one goal in the Christian life should be to "know Christ" so that we will become more and more like Him. Using the imagery of an athlete running a race, he warned that in order to grow as a Christian, you've got to be "in" the race-you must have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior in order to qualify. Finally, he reminded us that, as "citizens of heaven," we should be living-out our lives in ways that demonstrate God's saving grace and Christian love RIGHT NOW!
THIS WEEK: In Phil. 4:1-9, we'll conclude his letter as we hear Paul encourage them to stand in unity for the sake of the gospel, which is the theme of the entire chapter. He will talk about how church members should reconcile their differences by agreeing to have the same mind-set for the sake of the gospel. When Paul exhorts them to "Rejoice in the Lord always,' he explains that true Christian joy isn't based on present circumstances but in trust in God. He tells them, not to be "anxious" (worried) about anything and instead be at "peace" because God is sovereign and has it all under His control- already understands your situation. Finally, Paul ends the letter by giving them a list of godly virtues that they should put into practice based upon what they've seen and heard from Paul's own example.
Read Phil. 4:1 - STAND FIRM IN THE LORD
1 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, whom I long to see, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
v. 1a: "Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, whom I long to see, my joy and crown" - The word "Therefore" refers to Paul's closing remarks in Ch. 3 about following his example to be more and more like Christ. The expressions, "beloved brothers and sisters, whom I long to see, my joy and crown," are all illustrative of Paul's deeply felt affection and love for these Philippian believers.
v. 1b: "stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved" - Standing firm relates back to what Paul taught last week in 3:20-21 about our new birth as "citizens of heaven." As citizens of heaven, we are duty bound to live-out our earthly lives in observable ways that bear witness to God's saving grace, in us, so that we will be "lights" in the dark work that surrounds us.
Read Phil. 2:2-3 - LIVE IN HARMONY IN THE LORD
2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. 3 Indeed, true companion, I ask you also, help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement as well as the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
v. 2: "I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord." The phrase, "live in harmony in the Lord" also translates to "agree in the Lord." Notice that the disagreement between Euodia and Syntyche was serious enough to be read publically in this letter. The source of their tension isn't explained, but scholars suggest that the women worked together in woman's ministry. Notice also that Paul is a model of tact, not taking sides. He tells them "to agree in the Lord." What this means, simply, is that we don't need to agree with each on every small detail, but we do need to agree in the Lord, that is, be united in Christ and work together as partners in the gospel. This implies that Euodia's and Syntyche's conflict was over non-essential matters-personal differences.
v. 3a: "Indeed, true companion, I ask you also, help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel" - Reconciliation often requires third-party intervention, referred to here as the "true companion," whom Paul doesn't name. Paul was especially interested in seeing Euodia and Syntyche reconciled because both "shared my struggle," i.e., were very valuable and committed workers in their area of Christian ministry.
v. 3b: "together with Clement as well as the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life" - Nothing is known about "Clement," a common Greek name. The "book of life" refers to the eternal record where the names of the redeemed are written by God (Dan. 7:10; Rev. 3:5).
APPLICATION 1: Agree with one another in the Lord. Disagreements between church members, if allowed to fester, can result in conflict. We don't need to agree on every small detail, but we do need to agree in the Lord, which means we are united in Christ and prepared to work together as partners in the gospel. When third-party intervention is needed to initiate reconciliation, the third-party should be a mature Christian who is objective and trusted by all participants.
Read Phil. 4:4-7 - REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known
to all people. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
v. 4: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" - Notice the emphasis, "rejoice" at the beginning and end of the verse. Joy and rejoicing is a common theme that runs through both the OT (see, Psalms in general) and the NT. And Paul, locked in jail and faced with an uncertain future, models the very kind of joy he's calling on these Philippians to demonstrate. The kind of joy Paul is calling for isn't happiness based on circumstances but a deep and abiding contentment based upon trust (hear that?) in the sovereign, living God, who is always there for us, even in difficult times.
APPLICATION 2: Christian joy is a decision. Christian joy isn't happiness based on circumstances but a deep and abiding inner-contentment based on our trust in the sovereign God who never leaves us.
v. 5a: "Let your gentle spirit be known to all people" - Christ-like consideration for others is a practical example of having a "gentle spirit" and is an essential quality for church members who hold leadership positions (see, 1 Tim. 3:3). Gentleness, coupled with self-control is also listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 3:23. The Greek term for these two words can also be translated [as in the ESV] as "reasonableness," which is a temperament of a person who seeks what's best for everyone.
v. 5b: "The Lord is near" - Here, Paul reminds them that the next great event in the prophetic schedule is the return of Christ. It is "near" for every generation of Christians in the sense that from God's perspective, a thousand years are as a day, and it could happen before I finish this sentence.
APPLICATION 3: A gentle spirit is always evident. This describes a person who always shows Christ-like consideration to others and consistently seeks to do what is best for everyone.
v. 6a: "Do not be anxious about anything" - Here, Paul echoes Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, when He said, "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Mt. 25:31-33). So, In this regard, Paul is not saying that these things are unimportant, but that an unnecessary preoccupation with these concerns is counter-productive to their work in spreading the gospel.
v. 6b: "but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" - Paul identifies the antidote to worry: prayer. Anxiety and prayer are the two great opposing forces in the Christian life. In "everything" defines the scope of our prayer life and tells us that God is interested in every detail of our lives. A "pleading" isn't sorrowful begging for something but an organized request-i.e., making a case-for our material needs and emotional concerns. We should always approach God with "thanksgiving" in our hearts, thanking and praising Him for who He is, regardless of our circumstances. And no request is too trivial or unimportant-God wants to hear it. Taken together, our prayer life should be planned, well-organized, thorough, and persistent.
APPLICATION 4: The solution to worry is prayer. Anxiety and prayer are the two great opposing forces in the Christian life. Giving prayer this level of authority in our lives entails both time and commitment, which translates to a prayer life that's well-organized, thorough, and persistent.
v. 7: "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The "peace of God" isn't merely a psychological state of mind but an inner tranquility based upon being at peace with God. This is a sense of well-being derived from a deep relationship with God that comes from being a born-again believer in Jesus Christ-we know and trust in God as our eternal Father. The sheer scope of God's love and concern for every Christian believer is so huge, so vast that it "surpasses all comprehension [or understanding ESV]" on a human level. That God will "guard" our hearts and minds brings to mind the military concept of an eternal, all-powerful and all-seeing sentry who unceasingly watches over us. God needs no rest.
Read Phil. 4:8-9 - THINK ABOUT, PRACTICE THESE THINGS
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
v. 8a: "Finally, brothers and sisters" - In four chapters now, Paul has been telling these Philippian Christians what they need to do to "work out their salvation" (2:12-13). The word "Finally" indicates this will be his last list of instructions to them about their spiritual growth, with some very practical guidelines on how they should think, their mindset-call it mental discipline. All of the points he makes really pertain to how we "program" our own thought processes. Very simply, if we feed our minds with garbage, it will produce garbage in our lives; but if we feed our minds with good things, it will yield good things in our lives. So, Paul encourages us to think good thoughts like:
• "whatever is true" - This is total honesty-in-fact: a true person is sincere and his or her word can be depended upon, and the reality is that a person who guides his or her with what is true and real will enjoy a better and far more peaceful life than those whose lives are riddled with falsehoods.
• "whatever is honorable" - This envisages someone who is worthy of respect: it portrays a person who is recognizable for his or her honesty, integrity, and godly wisdom and known for and providing wise and trustworthy counsel to others.
• "whatever is right [or just (ESV)]" - This describes a person who strives to live his or her life in accordance with God's will. This goes back to what we are feeding our minds with-garbage or good things. If we are engaging in ungodly entertainment or socializing with ungodly people, it's certain to influence the way we think. But if we are filling our lives with godly forms of entertainment and godly friends, it will be reflected in our thoughts and actions, which all translates to an upright character.
• "whatever is pure" - This refers to filling our minds with things are morally pure, things that are not tainted with any type of sin. It goes hand-in-hand with what we watch, read, listen to and who we associate with. It describes a careful person who evaluates all of their thinking according to a Biblical litmus test: is true? Is it trustworthy? Is it completely free of sin? Does it honor God? Have I carefully considered the source? Example: About 30 years ago, I cancelled my American Express card when I learned that supported Planned Parenthood.
• "whatever is lovely" - These can be anything in accord with God's moral standards that are pleasing to our senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch) or endearing to our thoughts. These are things that often evoke a sense of love: Oh, I absolutely love that food, song, taste, aroma of, etc. or the beauty of that sunset, or those mountains, or the smell of a seashore, etc.
• "whatever is commendable" - This speaks of something worthy of praise or having a good reputation. Off the top of my head, I think the efforts our church made during the Pandemic to make services available online via Facebook were commendable and gave comfort to a lot of people, and I think our Family Pastor, Phillip Johnson, deserves special commendation for (1) setting it up and (2) keeping it running smoothly from week to week. I also think the efforts made by our deacons to stay in touch with their flocks during this time were commendable.
• "if there is any excellence" - Excellence in a church can mean different things. On an individual level, it means exceeding expectations or consistently performing your service to the church in an above-average manner. On a church level, it can mean doing multiple things right: evangelizing the lost, making new disciples, ministering to ill members, seniors, and others in need, ministering to children and their families, supporting various missions-that's the short list.
• "If anything worthy of praise" - Two weeks ago in 2:19-30, we Paul heard give well-deserved public praise to Timothy and Epahroditus for their service. Awarding this form of praise to church members is important on two levels: First, it identifies and praises people who deserve it because their service to the church falls into the excellence category mentioned above, and second, it encourages and motivates others in the church to perform their service with the same level of dedication.
• "think about these things" - When Paul says "think" (Gk. logizomai), he doesn't mean a passing reflection that's soon forgotten, he means purposeful thinking that uses analysis, reasoning, and judgment to determine how the eight virtues listed above can be applied to the work of the church. The simple truth is that people who apply these eight things to their thinking are better witnesses.
APPLICATION 5: Control your thoughts. Whether we fill our minds with garbage or with good things, like the virtues listed above, is a deliberate choice. Doing this requires purposeful thinking, reasoning, and judgment that enables us to distinguish good things from garbage.
v. 9a: "As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me- The "things" they have "learned and received and heard and seen in" Paul not only include the virtues listed above, but also the stunning example of humility that Christ rendered to the world by being born in human form and submitting to death on a cross, and he exhorts the Philippian Christians to emulate the mindset that enabled Christ to do this. Paul also shared the example of his own personal journey from being a Pharisee under the Law and a persecutor of the church to being a disciple of Christ who sees himself being poured-out as a sacrifice for the sake of the gospel.
v. 9b: "practice these things" - Here, Paul means putting them into practice by incorporating them into their way of thinking and the way they do things to serve in their church and spread the gospel.
v. 9c: "and the God of peace will be with you" - this is the promise: the reward for faithful discipleship. Implied in the words, "God of Peace," is the promise that God will bring peace to them, both peace in their relationships with others and peace within their own hearts and minds.
APPLICATION 6: Living the Christian life is a continuous process of learning. Ask yourself the same question that Paul asked these Philippians: did you learn anything from Paul's letter? In other words, did you do more than simply listen and leave? Did you learn something that you plan to put into practice? Think about it. The spiritual reward for learning and receiving is the "God of peace," which is not only peace with God but peace in relationships with others and in our own hearts and minds.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for allowing us to freely gather together this morning to learn from the truth of Your Word. I thank You, Father, for this good church and the good fellowship we share as member of the Body of Christ. I thank You also, God, for giving us Your written Word to guide us and teach us as we work together to accomplish Your will for us , both as individual believers and as a church. Paul's overall message to us this morning is powerful and convicting: He says the living the Christian life is a continuous process of learning and putting what we learn into practice. So I pray, Dear God, for myself and every person in the class that we will do more than just sit and listen to Your lessons-I pray we will take them to heart and act on them now. And it's in the name of Jesus, I ask all these things, AMEN.
