8.2.26 Showing the Love of Jesus

Scripture Focus: Philippians 1:3-11

Introduction: The Power of Praying Scripture

The pastor began by sharing how this sermon’s direction was a last-minute change from God, moving him to focus on the book of Philippians. He connected this message to the previous weeks’ sermons, which have focused on the prayers of the Apostle Paul.

• Prayer is a powerful gift from God, but sometimes we don’t know what to pray for, especially for people or situations we have been praying about for a long time.

• A “safe” and effective way to pray is to pray Scripture. An even more specific way is to pray the prayers found within Scripture.

• The pastor has been using this method, adapting Paul’s prayers from Colossians and Ephesians to pray for the congregation.

  • From Colossians: A prayer for the church to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to bear fruit, to be strengthened with His power for endurance and patience, and to give thanks (Colossians 1:9-12).

  • From Ephesians: A prayer for the church to be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit, for Christ to be at home in their hearts, to be rooted and grounded in love, to comprehend the immeasurable love of Christ, and to be filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16-19).

This week’s sermon focuses on Paul’s prayer for the Philippian church. The central theme, revealed to the pastor while texting, is moving from knowing the love of Jesus (last week’s theme) to showing the love of Jesus.

Context of the Book of Philippians

• Paul’s Relationship with the Philippian Church: Paul had a uniquely close and personal relationship with the church at Philippi. They were partners with him in the gospel, supporting him financially and emotionally.

• Paul’s Circumstances: At the time of writing, Paul is in prison in Rome. He is contemplating his own mortality, unsure if he will be released or executed. He expresses this struggle in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

• The Overarching Theme of Joy: Despite his imprisonment and personal struggles, the dominant theme of Philippians is joy. The pastor highlighted a quote: “The happiest man in all of Rome was stuck in prison.” Paul’s joy was not dependent on his circumstances, and a significant source of that joy was his relationship with and prayers for the Philippian believers.

Analysis of Paul’s Prayer in Philippians 1

Thanksgiving and Joy in Prayer (Philippians 1:3-4)

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy…”

• Who God Is & How We Should Live: We should begin our prayers with thanksgiving. Paul consistently finds something to be thankful for, even when writing to a troubled church like the one in Corinth. A thankful attitude is a key part of showing God’s love.

• Finding Joy Beyond Circumstances: Paul’s joy was not based on his situation (imprisonment, being chained to a guard 24/7). His joy came from focusing on others and on God’s sovereignty.

  • If we only focus on our own hurts, pains, and struggles, there is no joy.

  • When we shift our focus to praying for others (e.g., for someone’s healing, for our children), our joy comes from knowing we can lift them up to God, who is in control.

  • Joy is found not in the circumstance itself, but in the truth that we can trust God, who is still in control and has a purpose for everything we go through.

Partnership in the Gospel (Philippians 1:5)

“…because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

• How We Are to Live: This “partnership” is the Greek word koinonia, meaning fellowship, closeness, and sharing together. The Philippians’ partnership with Paul was centered on the gospel—they invested in his ministry, and this shared mission created a deep bond. We are called to partner with fellow believers in advancing the gospel.

God’s Promised Completion (Philippians 1:6)

“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.”

• Who God Is: God is faithful and He is a finisher. The God who starts a good work of salvation and sanctification in a believer will see it through to the end.

• Who God Says I Am: As believers, our transformation into the image of Christ is a guaranteed project that God Himself has undertaken. This promise is for us, just as it was for the original members of the Philippian church. This connects to Romans 8:28-29, which states that God works all things for the good of those He loves and has predestined them to be conformed to the image of His Son.

• Context of the Philippian Church (Acts 16): The pastor reminded us of the diverse and unlikely founding members of this church:

  1. Lydia: A wealthy, devout seller of purple goods.

  2. The Slave Girl: Delivered from a demon, likely losing her economic value and facing an uncertain future.

  3. The Philippian Jailer: A Roman guard who had tortured Paul but was converted after witnessing God’s power. Imagine the tension he must have faced in his job after his conversion.

1. Pastor’s Example & Application for Today: The pastor shared an analogy of watching his home team, the New Orleans Saints, win their only Super Bowl. The first time watching, it was stressful. But re-watching it, knowing the final outcome is victory, removes the stress even during the difficult moments of the game.

   • As Christians, when we go through struggles, we can face them differently because we know the end of the story—that we will be victorious in Christ. We are fighting from a standpoint of victory, not for it. Knowing God guarantees the outcome should change our entire perspective on our present struggles.

   • This doesn’t promise an easy journey, but it guarantees a faithful God who will see us through.

The Heart of the Apostle Paul: A Shared Grace (Philippians 1:7-8)

• Context: The pastor highlights the deep, personal connection Paul had with the Philippian church. Paul says, “It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart” (Philippians 1:7).

• Relationship: Even though the Philippians weren’t physically in prison with Paul, they were partakers with him in grace. They supported him, sent provisions, and encouraged him through Epaphroditus. This demonstrates the vital need for Christian community. We were created by God to need one another. Knowing you are not alone in your struggles changes everything.

• Affection of Christ: Paul states, “For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:8). This profound affection is not something that originated with Paul himself. It is an overflow of the love he first received from Christ.

The Overflow of Christ’s Love

• Who God Is: God’s love is immeasurable—its height, length, depth, and width are beyond our full comprehension (Ephesians 3:17-19). This love is not meant to be contained or just to make us feel good individually. It is so vast that when we truly experience it, it must overflow into the lives of others.

• Who I Am & How I Am to Live: We are conduits of God’s love. We can only love others in the way Christ loved us after we have personally experienced that love. If we think Christ’s love is just for us, we are missing its enormous purpose. The experience of His love is what empowers us to love others.

Paul’s Singular Prayer: Love with Knowledge and Discernment (Philippians 1:9-11)

The pastor emphasized that in this passage, Paul makes only one specific prayer request for the Philippian church, which was already known for being a loving church.

• The Prayer: “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment” (Philippians 1:9).

• Loving the Right Way: It is possible to love in a wrong way. Love without knowledge and discernment can be harmful.

  • Example: Someone can be so loving and giving that they end up enabling a person, preventing them from growing out of a difficult situation. They act out of love, but without discernment, their actions cause more problems.

• Discernment: We need discernment to know how to love people correctly in different situations. Sometimes a person needs a hug; other times, they need a “kick in the butt.” Loving with discernment is what allows our love to be effective and pleasing to God.

The Goal of Abounding Love: A Life that Glorifies God

• Purpose: Paul prays for this discerning love “so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:10-11).

• How I Am to Live:

  1. Our love, guided by knowledge and discernment, should directly impact how we live daily. It leads us to approve what is excellent and live pure and blameless lives.

  2. This process is part of God’s sanctifying work in us, conforming us to the image of Christ between now and “the day of Christ.” It connects to Philippians 2:12, “Work out your own salvation.”

  3. A life impacted by this love will be “filled with the fruit of righteousness.” The primary evidence of this is the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

  4. This fruit cannot be faked. Sincerity comes from a genuine experience of Christ’s love. The fruit is of the Spirit, not of our own effort.

1. The Ultimate End: The entire process—from experiencing Christ’s love to letting it overflow with discernment and produce righteousness—is for one ultimate purpose: “to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11). If my life is not bringing praise to God, I am not where I need to be.

Application and Reflection

The pastor concluded by reading Philippians 1:3-11 in its entirety and asking the congregation to reflect on how God was speaking to them personally through the scripture.

• Key Question: How does this passage speak to you? What is the one thing you can draw from it that you need to listen to?

Congregation Responses & Further Applications:

• God’s Work in Me: One person was encouraged by the promise that “He who began a good work in me will bring it to completion.” It’s a reminder that even when we mess up, God’s work in us doesn’t stop because it is His work, not our own.

• Just Show Up: Another felt God was telling them to “keep showing up,” and God would provide the words and wisdom to help others, rather than trying to figure it all out on their own.

• The Source of Affection, Patience, and Forgiveness: The pastor reflected on his own life, asking, “Do I have the affection of Christ for others?” He concluded that if we struggle with showing affection, patience, love, or forgiveness, it’s often because we have lost sight of how much God has shown those same things to us. The solution is not to try harder in our own strength, but to go back to the source—Christ—and experience His grace for ourselves. What prompts us to forgive is remembering how much He has forgiven us. That experience is what then overflows into the lives of others.