Wednesday
Evening Bible Study
September 18, 2002
Introduction
Paul has a great fondness for the folks in Philippi. The church was established under very
difficult circumstances, such as Paul and Silas being beaten and thrown into
jail.
Paul himself is writing this letter under very difficult times, being
currently imprisoned in Rome, under
constant guard by Roman soldiers.
Oddly enough, the theme of this letter is … joy.
Paul has been writing about how confident he is that God is going to be
doing good things for them (Phil. 1:6)
We’ve been looking at how Paul prays for these Philippians.
He is praying that they would have a growing love, a love that overflows
continually.
He is praying that their love would overflow with real knowledge – that
theirs would be a love like that in 1Corinthians 13, one that is patient, kind,
forgiving, enduring.
He is praying that their love would overflow with “judgment” or,
“discernment”. He is praying that their
love would grow in being able to tell right from wrong, in making wise, moral
decisions.
:10 That ye may approve things that are excellent;
This is what results from having discernment.
ye may approve – dokimazo – to test, examine, prove,
scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals; to recognise
as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy
The Greeks in Athens used this
word to talk about approving someone as “fit for office”. It was also used to describe boys who were
examined to be admitted to the rights of manhood.
Lesson
Examine things
Sometimes we can get confused when people say to us, “We shouldn’t be
judgmental about things”. Or, “Don’t judge me”.
We may be confused at times when we think about our love “abounding” and
then “examining” things. But our love
for one another doesn’t mean that we turn a blind eye to problems.
In reality, there are several things we are asked to “approve” or
“examine”.
We are to examine our own selves.
During communion:
(1 Cor 11:28 KJV)
But let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
To see if we’re really believers, if we’re really “in the
faith”.
(2 Cor 13:5 KJV)
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus
Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Your own “works” need to be “tested”.
(Gal 6:3-5 KJV)
For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he
deceiveth himself. {4} But let every man prove
his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in
another. {5} For every man shall bear his own burden.
It’s good to examine the things you do. We are each responsible for what we do.
The “spirits”, the things that people are speaking prophetically:
(1 John 4:1 KJV)
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world.
Deacons, those who serve in the church:
(1 Tim 3:10 KJV)
And let these also first be proved;
then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
All things need to be “tested”:
(1 Th 5:20-22 KJV) Despise not prophesyings. {21} Prove all things; hold fast that which
is good. {22} Abstain from all appearance of evil.
As we test things, we are to find the things that are
“good” and hold on to them.
good – kalos – beautiful, handsome, excellent,
eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable
things that are excellent
– diaphero – to bear or carry through
any place; to carry different ways; to differ, to test, prove, the good things
that differ,; to distinguish between good and evil, lawful and unlawful, to
approve of things that excel, to differ from one; to excel, surpass one
Finding and doing the things that are “excellent” is a component of
learning to abound in the right kind of love for one another.
Lesson
Put excellence into your life
We need to learn to put things in life through a sieve of discernment, and
the “excellent” things that make it through the sieve are the things that we
ought to be incorporating in our relationships with each other.
Not only is this to affect our relationships with each other in how we
“love” one another, but it simply affects our whole life:
(Phil 4:8-9 KJV) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are
true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. {9} Those
things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with
you.
God doesn’t just want us to “think” on these things, He
wants us to do them as well.
When we “do” the things that are excellent, we experience
God’s peace.
:10 that ye may be sincere and
without offence
The purpose of having this kind of discernment is so that we may be:
sincere – heilikrines (“sun” + “judge”) – pure, sincere, unsullied; found pure
when unfolded and examined by the sun’s light
To judge (krino) by sunlight (heile) - maybe even like holding it up
to God's Sonlight to judge it by. We are to stand the test of judgment in His
light
Our English word “sincere” comes from the Latin word “sincerus”, meaning “without wax”.
In Roman times, a person bought a piece of pottery after asking if it
was "sincere", or that there was no wax covering up the cracks (which
potters would do to sell a piece of cracked pottery). We are to be without wax,
without anything covering up our faults
We are also to be like a pure metal, unmixed with another substance, pure.
Lesson
The real thing
God doesn’t want us to be play-actors at Christianity.
He doesn’t want us to be people who say one thing and then do another.
He wants us to be people who mean what we say and do what we say.
Sometimes we mix impure motives with our love, I'm going to love them
because Jesus says to, even though it helps that they are cute, rich, and
popular too.
Illustration
The expression “face the music” is said to have originated in Japan. According to the story, one man in the
imperial orchestra couldn’t play a note. Being a person of great influence and
wealth, he had demanded that he be given a place in the group because he wanted
to “perform” before the emperor. The
conductor agreed to let him sit in the second row of the orchestra, even though
he couldn’t read music. He was given a
flute, and when a concert would begin, he’d raise his instrument, pucker his
lips, and move his fingers. He would go
through all the motions of playing, but he never made a sound. This deception continued for two years.
Then a new conductor took over. He
told the orchestra that he wanted to audition each player personally. One by one they performed in his presence. Then came the flutist’s turn. He was frantic with worry, so he pretended to
be sick. However, the doctor who was
ordered to examine him declared that he was perfectly well. The conductor insisted that the man appear
and demonstrate his skill. Shamefacedly he had to confess that he was a fake.
He was unable to “face the music.”
When we continue to love each other correctly and are putting “excellent”
things in our life, we can always “face the music”. We don’t have to be concerned if people
examine us because they’ll only find Jesus.
Illustration
In his book Living the Christian Life, George Duncan told
of a remark made at the funeral of Fred Mitchell, chairman of the China Inland
Mission. One of the speakers said
this: “You never caught Fred Mitchell
off his guard because he never needed to be on it.” Duncan
called that statement “one of the most remarkable tributes I ever heard paid to
any Christian.”
without offence – aproskopos – having nothing to strike
against, not causing to stumble; of a smooth road; metaph. of not leading
others to sin by one’s mode of life; not striking against or stumbling; metaph.
not led into sin, blameless; without offense, not troubled by a consciousness
of sin
Lesson
Love doesn’t stumble another
We are not to become a stumbling stone to someone else.
(Rom 14:13-23 NLT) So don't condemn each other anymore. Decide
instead to live in such a way that you will not put an obstacle in another
Christian's path. {14} I know and am perfectly sure on the authority of the
Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone
believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. {15} And if another
Christian is distressed by what you eat, you
are not acting in love if you eat it. Don't let your eating ruin someone
for whom Christ died. {16} Then you will not be condemned for doing something
you know is all right. {17} For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we
eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy
Spirit. {18} If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And
other people will approve of you, too. {19} So then, let us aim for harmony in
the church and try to build each other up. {20} Don't tear apart the work of
God over what you eat. Remember, there is nothing wrong with these things in
themselves. But it is wrong to eat anything if it makes another person stumble.
{21} Don't eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another
Christian to stumble. {22} You may have the faith to believe that there is nothing
wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed
are those who do not condemn themselves by doing something they know is all
right. {23} But if people have doubts about whether they should eat something,
they shouldn't eat it. They would be condemned for not acting in faith before
God. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
When you do something that causes another person to
stumble, you are not acting in love.
If I have God's discernment, I can better see situations
that may cause others to stumble; I can better see their weaknesses and avoid
them.
In reality, you’re going to cause people to stumble. People will misunderstand you. Some people won’t like you. But when we walk in love, we won’t knowingly
cause another person to stumble.
If I am having dinner with a friend that I know is an
alcoholic, and I order a glass of wine with the meal (which I WOULDN’T do
anyway), I’m not walking in love.
:10 till the day of Christ;
The purity that Paul desires for them is a purity that lasts right up to
when Jesus comes back again. Sometimes it’s
hard to stay pure just through the day, let alone right through to the second
coming.
We can’t do it without God’s help.
We need prayer. We need to pray
for one another.
:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus
Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
being filled – pleroo – to
make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full; to cause to abound, to furnish
or supply liberally; I abound, I am liberally supplied; to render full, i.e. to
complete; to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure,
fill to the brim; to consummate: a number
the fruits – karpos –
fruit; that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result
righteousness - dikaiosune - in a broad sense: state of
him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God;
integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feeling,
and acting
(Phil 1:11 NLT)
May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation--those good
things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ--for this will bring much
glory and praise to God.
When we let God work in our lives in this way, it will bring glory to the
Lord – and that’s what our lives should be all about, causing others to give
praise to God.
Lesson
Let Jesus do the work
If we’re not careful, we can fall into a trap of keeping a list of things
we have to do today to be pleasing to God.
In reality, we simply need to be close to Jesus.
Jesus wants to do the work in us.
The good things that happen in our lives happen as a result of our
relationship with Jesus.
(John 15:4-5 KJV) Abide in
me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in
the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. {5} I am the vine, ye are the
branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much
fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Jesus produces the fruit in our lives.