Download Its Character - Harrodsburg Church of Christ

NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH
THE CHURCH AT PHILIPPI
INTRODUCTION
• An important city of Macedonia,
commercially, politically, and historically.
• Philip of Macedonia, Alexander the Great,
great Grecian philosophers made history in
this city.
• Much history and progress and spread of
Christianity centers around the Philippian
church.
• First to be planted on the continent of
Europe.
ITS ESTABLISHMENT
• Events leading
up to it
• Paul’s 2nd tour
– Acts 15:36
“Then after some days
Paul said to Barnabas,
"Let us now go back
and visit our brethren in
every city where we
have preached the word
of the Lord, and see
how they are doing.”
ITS ESTABLISHMENT
• Events leading
up to it
• Visited churches
established on
the 1st tour
– Acts 16:5
“And as they went through
the cities, they delivered to
them the decrees to keep,
which were determined by
the apostles and elders at
Jerusalem. So the churches
were strengthened in the
faith, and increased in
number daily.”
ITS ESTABLISHMENT
• Events leading
up to it
• Spirit intervenes
and prevents
Paul from
turning aside
unto Asia—
journeys to Troas.
– Acts 16:6-8
“After they had come to
Mysia, they tried to go
into Bithynia, but the
Spirit did not permit
them. So passing by
Mysia, they came down
to Troas.”
ITS ESTABLISHMENT
• Events leading
up to it
• Macedonian
Vision and Call.
• God leading him
to the continent
of Europe
– Acts 16:9,10
“And a vision appeared to Paul
in the night. A man of Macedonia
stood and pleaded with him,
saying, "Come over to Macedonia
and help us. Now after he had
seen the vision, immediately we
sought to go to Macedonia,
concluding that the Lord had
called us to preach the gospel to
them.”
ITS ESTABLISHMENT
• Events leading
up to it
• Goes to Philippi
and searches out
Jewish place of
worship.
– Acts 16:11-13
“And from there to Philippi,
which is the foremost city of that
part of Macedonia, a colony. And
we were staying in that city for
some days. And on the Sabbath
day we went out of the city to the
riverside, where prayer was
customarily made; and we sat
down and spoke to the women
who met there.”
ITS ESTABLISHMENT
• The Philippian
church begins
with the
conversion of
Lydia at a prayer
meeting of Jewish
women.
– Acts 16:14
“Now a certain woman
named Lydia heard us.
She was a seller of
purple from the city of
Thyatira, who
worshiped God. The
Lord opened her heart
to heed the things
spoken by Paul.”
ITS ESTABLISHMENT
• Paul preached
• Lydia heard
• Heart open to
give heed.
• She was baptized
– Acts 16:15
“And when she and her
household were
baptized, she begged us,
saying, ‘If you have
judged me to be faithful
to the Lord, come to my
house and stay.’ So she
persuaded us.”
ITS ESTABLISHMENT
• The jailer
converted
• Inquired by
earthquake
• Paul preached
• Jailor believed
and baptized
– Acts 16:25-34
“And he took them the
same hour of the night
and washed their
stripes. And
immediately he and all
his family were
baptized.”
ITS CHARACTER
• Such as to make
Paul continually
thankful to God
whenever he
thought of them
– Philippians
1:3,4
“I
thank my God
upon every
remembrance of you,
always in every
prayer of mine
making request for
you all with joy.”
ITS CHARACTER
• A liberal church
• Gave liberally to
the poor
– 2 Corinthians
8:1-5
“…grace of God
bestowed on the
churches of Macedonia:
that in a great trial of
affliction the abundance
of their joy and their
deep poverty abounded
in the riches of their
liberality.”
ITS CHARACTER
• A liberal church
• Consistent in
their support of
Paul’s preaching
– Philippians
4:10-20
“Nevertheless you have
done well that you shared
in my distress. Now you
Philippians know also that
in the beginning of the
gospel, when I departed
from Macedonia, no church
shared with me concerning
giving and receiving but you
only.”
ITS CHARACTER
• A liberal church
• Gave of their
own accord
– 2 Corinthians
8:3,4
“For I bear witness that
according to their ability,
yes, and beyond their
ability, they were freely
willing, imploring us with
much urgency that we
would receive the gift and
the fellowship of the
ministering to the saints.”
ITS CHARACTER
• A missionary
church
• Fellowshipped in
spreading the
gospel
– Philippians 1:5
“For
your fellowship
in the gospel from
the first day until
now.”
ITS CHARACTER
• Steadfast in
service
– Philippians 1:7
“Just as it is right for me to
think this of you all,
because I have you in my
heart, inasmuch as both in
my chains and in the
defense and confirmation of
the gospel, you all are
partakers with me of
grace.”
ITS CHARACTER
• Zealous and
diligent
• Did not wait for a
large
congregation and
things of this life
to begin to help!
– Philippians
1:3,4
“I thank my God upon
every remembrance of
you, always in every
prayer of mine making
request for you all with
joy.”
ITS CHARACTER
• Growing in
faith and
standing fast.
• Paul confident of
their character!
– Philippians 1:6,
25-30
“And being confident of
this, I know that I shall
remain and continue with
you all for your progress
and joy of faith, that your
rejoicing for me may be
more abundant in Jesus
Christ by my coming to you
again.”
ITS CHARACTER
• Consecrated.
• Others first!
– 2 Corinthians
8:5
“And
not only as we
had hoped, but they
first gave themselves
to the Lord, and then
to us by the will of
God.”
ITS CHARACTER
• Duly organized.
• Followed pattern!
– Philippians 1:1
“Paul
and Timothy,
bondservants of
Jesus Christ, To all
the saints in Christ
Jesus who are in
Philippi, with the
bishops and
deacons.”
ITS CHARACTER
• Strong ties of
brotherly love
and devotion.
• Epaphroditus to
Rome!
– Philippians
2:25
“Yet I considered it
necessary to send to you
Epaphroditus, my
brother, fellow worker,
and fellow soldier, but
your messenger and the
one who ministered to
my need.”
ITS CHARACTER
• Strong ties of
brotherly love
and devotion.
• Longed for them
and receive him
on return with
joy!
– Philippians
2:28,29
“Therefore I sent him the
more eagerly, that when
you see him again you may
rejoice, and I may be less
sorrowful. Receive him
therefore in the Lord with
all gladness, and hold such
men in esteem.”
ITS CHARACTER
• Strong ties of
brotherly love
and devotion.
• Paul’s personal
attitude toward
them!
– Philippians
1:8; 4:1
“For God is my witness,
how greatly I long for you
all with the affection of
Jesus Christ…Therefore, my
beloved and longed-for
brethren, my joy and crown,
so stand fast in the Lord,
beloved.”
ITS CHARACTER
• A happy church
joyful church.
Rejoice and joy
dominant tone
of the
Philippians
epistle.
– Philippians
4:4,5
“Rejoice in the Lord
always. Again I will
say, rejoice! Let your
gentleness be known to
all men. The Lord is at
hand.”
PAUL ENJOINS
• Prayer for
them.
– Philippians
1:9-11
“And this I pray, that your love
may abound still more and more
in knowledge and all
discernment, that you may
approve the things that are
excellent, that you may be sincere
and without offense till the day
of Christ, being filled with the
fruits of righteousness which are
by Jesus Christ, to the glory and
praise of God.”
PAUL ENJOINS
• Manner of life
worthy of the
gospel.
– Philippians
1:27,28
“Only let your conduct be worthy
of the gospel of Christ, so that
whether I come and see you or am
absent, I may hear of your affairs,
that you stand fast in one spirit,
with one mind striving together
for the faith of the gospel, and not
in any way terrified by your
adversaries, which is to them a
proof of perdition, but to you of
salvation, and that from God.”
PAUL ENJOINS
• Unity and
humility.
– Philippians
2:1-11
“Let nothing be done
through selfish ambition or
conceit, but in lowliness of
mind let each esteem others
better than himself. Let each
of you look out not only for
his own interests, but also
for the interests of others.
Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ
Jesus.”
PAUL ENJOINS
• Work out own
salvation—
holding forth
word of life.
– Philippians
2:12-16
“Therefore, my beloved, as
you have always obeyed,
not as in my presence only,
but now much more in my
absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and
trembling; for it is God who
works in you both to will
and to do for His good
pleasure.”
PAUL ENJOINS
• Glory in Christ
and have no
confidence in
the flesh.
– Philippians
3:3
“For
we are the
circumcision, who
worship God in the
Spirit, rejoice in
Christ Jesus, and
have no confidence
in the flesh.”
PAUL ENJOINS
• Be of the same
mind in the
Lord.
– Philippians
4:2
“I
implore Euodia
and I implore
Syntyche to be of the
same mind in the
Lord.”
PAUL ENJOINS
• In nothing be
anxious.
– Philippians
4:6
“Be
anxious for
nothing, but in
everything by prayer
and supplication,
with thanksgiving,
let your requests be
made known to
God.”
PAUL ENJOINS
• Think on these
things.
– Philippians
4:8,9
“Finally, brethren, whatever
things are true, whatever
things are noble, whatever
things are just, whatever
things are pure, whatever
things are lovely, whatever
things are of good report, if
there is any virtue and if
there is anything
praiseworthy--meditate on
these things.”