Lessons From Philippians
Philippians 1:3-8 (9/27/18)
September 27, 2018 • Benham Brothers
* Married couples should apply these verses to their relationship. * Imagine how your spouse would respond if you wrote a letter like what Paul wrote to the Philippians. * It starts off with him thinking fondly of them. Notice his thoughts: * 1) Thankful (vs 3) - gratitude breaks down emotional walls. * 2) Prayerful (vs 4a) - your spouse is your top priority in prayer. * 3) Joyful (vs 4b) - if you don’t feel joy you need to re-joy by giving of yourself to your spouse (like Hannah). * 4) Fellowship (vs 5) - “friendly association, especially with people who share one’s interest.” Be buddies and do things together. * 5) Confidence (vs 6) - trusting that God is doing something in your spouse and He can be trusted. Also granting trust to your spouse. * vs 7a - Paul recognizes it’s right to think these things of those he’s ministering to. * 6) Empathy (vs 7) - “we’re in this together.” Turn toward your spouse. * 7) Affectionate (vs 8) - we need to long for our spouse with loving affection. Appreciation leads to affection.
Philippians 1:9-10 (9/23/16)
September 23, 2016 • Benham Brothers
• Paul is talking about growing in maturity - he wants believers to mature in their love for Christ and others. • The proper sign of our maturity is two-fold: • 1) We can discern between good and evil. • 2) We can discern between good and best. • We are not to remain infants as Hebrews 5:13-14 says. • We shouldn’t only know God as Father but not friend, counselor, and guide. • A toddler may call every four-legged animal a “bow-wow,” but in time they should be able to discern between a dog and a cat. • To “distinguish” is a mark of maturity.
Philippians 1:12-14 (10/12/22)
October 12, 2022 • Benham Brothers • Philippians 1:12–14
* In life we have both blessings and burdens. * When Satan is in charge, blessings become burdens. * When God is in charge, burdens become blessings. * What’s true about both is that they aren’t ultimately about you! * God made us to be conduits, not cul-de-sacs. * When we are operating under God: * Blessings flow through us to others. * Burdens are converted to blessings for others. * Let’s look at our role regarding both. * Blessings - As God gives to us, we should be looking to give to others. Why? * Because the foundation for love is to give. * “For God so loved the world that He gave…” * When we give we connect to God. * KEY - when God gives us something good (wisdom, knowledge, experience, etc) and He asks us to give it away, don’t balk! * We often say, “I don’t have anything to offer.” * That’s a slap in God’s face. * Let Him use you to do good things. * Burdens - As we go through tough times, we should be looking to help others. Why? * Same reason as above - the foundation for love giving. * The burden is converted to a blessing for others if you find peace in the pain. * A mindset of “I’m going to get through this so I can help others” is the secret to finding that peace. * Paul is in jail - he wrote most of his letters when his freedom was taken away. * Look how he responded: * Vs 12-14 - courage is contagious. * Paul converted his burden to a blessing for others - both believers and unbelievers. * Look at the result: * People were encouraged (vs 14) - courage is contagious! * People got saved (vs 4:22). * Vs 4:21-22 - Bible Knowledge Commentary: * Those who belong to Caesar’s household were probably those who had come to Christ as a result of Paul’s house arrest. This probably included soldiers and relatives of Caesar’s household.” * There were saints in Caesar’s palace because Paul was put in Caesar’s prison! * The stuff that happens to you is so that something can happen through you for others. * So don’t fret where God puts you, just be faithful right where you are!
Philippians 1:27-28 (9/27/18)
September 27, 2018 • Benham Brothers
* If you did something wrong and were brought before a judge you would not be confident. * Why? Because you have truth on your side. * If you were a soldier but sluffed-off in training you wouldn’t be confident in battle. * Why? Because you’re not prepared to fight. * Confidence leads to courageous. * When we claim Christ we enter a battle. * But we can be confident. * How? * 1) By living according to truth - when we’re pure we can be confident God will protect us. * 2) By being prepared - when we study to show ourselves approved God will give us the words to speak at the right time. * Prayer and fasting also prepares us.
Philippians 1:29 (10/1/15)
October 1, 2015 • Benham Brothers
Paul says that we’ve been given a gift - to believe in AND to suffer for Christ. Belief and suffering go hand-in-hand. Belief - wholehearted commitment to the Lord, whatever the cost. Suffering - how God tests and strengthens us to be more like Him. It’s like a football coach giving out uniforms to his players. Belief gets us a jersey, but suffering makes us a part of the team. Today, we want belief, but not suffering. So when the chance to suffer comes along we dodge it. In Paul’s day there was no religious liberty.
Philippians 2:5-11 (10/5/17)
October 5, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* Paul wrote in Ephesians that men are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. * Here in Philippians he gives us a picture of what that love looks like. * Husbands should see Christ’s example and apply it to their lives: * 1) He is humble (vs 5) - humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. * Women naturally do this, but men have to work on it. * When men are humble it melts a woman’s heart. * 2) He is sacrificial (vs 6) - He sacrificed his right for His responsibility. * He let go of His “Godness” so He could experience our “Humanness” - He empathized with us. * When men empathize it breaks down the walls in their wife’s heart. * 3) He is a servant (vs 7) - He washed feet. * A man who serves his wife will have a happy life. * 4) He was willing to be misunderstood (vs 8) - He died a criminal, but this wasn’t true. * A man should be willing to forsake his reputation for his beloved. * *** The results of doing the above: * 1) He was elevated to a place of honor (vs 9) - Jesus is now in the place of honor. * “A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown” (Proverbs 12:4). * She became noble by the way he loved her, and her nobility reveals his royalty (a crown). * 2) He accomplished His purpose (vs 10-11) - everyone can now confess Him as Lord. * A man’s purpose is directly tied to how well he loves his wife. * His prayers won’t be answered if he doesn’t treat her properly (1 Peter 3:7). * If men love their wives as Christ loved the church then they will be elevated to the position of honor (having a wife of nobility) and will accomplish the purpose God set for them. * Marriage is the test of how much you love the Lord.
Phil 2:12-13 (9/29/16)
September 29, 2016 • Benham Brothers
• Paul just explained what Christ went through on our behalf. • Now it’s our responsibility to work out what God has worked in us. • Example - our bodies. We have to work them out. • This will allow us to stay in shape and last longer (endure). • We put our bodies through strain and that increases its strength. • The same is true spiritually. • God will be faithful to start new works inside us and we need to be faithful to work them out. • We don’t have to try to imitate Jesus - we just let Him take over. • How? We don’t try to control the results. • This will allow us to live inside-out. • In math we work problems out. In food prep we work the dough. In farming we work the soil. • All of this involves work, which signifies strain. • God has a finished product in mind for us and we have to work it out, just like a potter with clay.
Philippians 3:7-9 (9/29/16)
September 29, 2016 • Benham Brothers
• Paul was talking about putting no confidence in the flesh. • He used the word “consider” over and over in his writings. • Romans 6:11 - How do we overcome sin? We need to “consider” ourselves dead to sin. • This means to “recognize that we’re dead to sin and act like it” even though we don’t feel like it. • In these verses Paul is talking about how “things” can lure us away from Christ. • These things are “competing affections” and have to be fought against. How? • By “considering” what they really are. • Tempted to find security in a job or bank account? Consider those things in light of eternity. • Vs 13-14 - Paul uses the power of “consider” in a different way. • He’s saying that even though he knows God well he doesn’t “consider” himself to be even close to where he needs to be. • Vs 15 - Paul says that all who are mature in the faith should think like this. • The power of considering is your ability to “reframe” something in your mind. • In doing this you are leading your mind and not letting it lead you.
Philippians 3:17-19 (10/10/14)
October 10, 2014 • Benham Brothers
Paul was warning Christians to watch out for people who claim Christ but don't live Christ. They are people who are constantly indulging their fleshly appetites. Unless they told you they were believers you would never know it by their actions. Prov 23:21 - drunkards and gluttons.......drowsiness clothes them with rags. Thanksgiving lunch - time for a nap! Food is fuel and is supposed to give us energy, but when you overeat your bodily energy is used to break down the food. Your body ceases to function the way it's supposed to function. When you indulge your appetite we cease to function the way we're supposed to function. Applied Physically - When we're asleep we can't work, and if we don't work we don't make money, and if we don't make money we end up in POVERTY just as Proverbs 23:21 tells us. Applied Spiritually - It takes work to grow in the spirit, but if we indulge our flesh we won't experience the profit of working to grow our spirits, which ultimately leads to poverty of spirit (not poor in spirit) - we'll be "broke" spiritually. If we control our appetites God will control our destinies. Just start with the small stuff - learn to say "no."
Philippians 4:2-4 (9/26/19)
September 26, 2019 • Benham Brothers
* These three verses precede the famous verses we all know (vs 4-8). * Satan tries to tear relationships apart because he knows that’s how he’ll win. * You can win in relationships if you wage a war. * You’re meant to fight shoulder to shoulder as allies not face to face as enemies. * When you do you’ll discover the beauty in battle - fighting together draws you together. * Paul is encouraging these ladies to stop fighting against each other but rather alongside one another. * How can you win in relationship when the strain has hit? * vs 4 - “Rejoice in the Lord!” * The Hebrew word for joy is “simha,” which means the “manifestation of divine purpose fulfilled. (Skip Moen) * This call to joy reminds us that any part of creation fulfilling its designed purpose is an expression of joy. * This is why being in nature is so relaxing - everything in nature is fulfilling its purpose. * The opposite is true in an arcade. * Proverbs 27:17 reveals that we are meant to sharpen each other. * So when the strain comes you have to know this is God’s way of sharpening you, and this should bring joy! * When you do this you’ll embrace each other’s differences as assets to your growth rather than threats to your development.
Philippians 4:4-9 (9/29/16)
September 29, 2016 • Benham Brothers
• Paul is giving his final exhortations to the Philippian church. • Rejoice - “find your joy” in whatever situation you are in. • Anxiousness/Worry is a person problem - you’re focused on the problem not the Person (God). • Overcome anxiousness by: • 1) Talk to God about it. • 2) Give your problem to Him. • 3) Be thankful - thank Him for who He is and what He’s done. • This is the secret to inner peace. • When we do this we get two things: • 1) The peace of God (vs 7) - this internal peace is a gift He gives us. • 2) The God of peace (vs 9) - we not only get God’s gift, but also HIM! • Moses wanted Him. • But the battle takes place in our mind, so we have to be proactive in “thinking” good thoughts (vs 8).
Philppians 4:6-7 (10/1/20)
October 1, 2020 • Benham Brothers
Ambition is a strong desire and determination to achieve success. • Anxiousness is a nervous, fidgety, worried, uptight, concerned state of being. • Unharnessed ambition arouses anxiety. • Pressure and ambition are linked - the more ambition you have the more pressure you feel. • EX: my digital entrepreneur biz - I felt constant gut-ache cuz my ambition was spinning out of control (I wanted to do everything). • Then I got a pic from my brother Johnny - “just when I thought life couldn’t get any better…” • Calm the ambition, Cool the pressure, Cure the stress. • You can fail in one of two ways: • 1) Quit - too little ambition - you don’t ever try anything ambitious so you never feel pressure. • 2) Overextend - too much ambition. • So how can you be be ambitious but not allow it to lead to anxiety when it comes to performance? • 7 steps: • 1) Pray - Phil 4:6-7 - no pressure, just peace. • 2) Pace - 1 Corinthians 4:11 - “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life…” Paul knew how to calm anxiety. • 3) Prepare - (don’t procrastinate) - MASTER YOUR MATERIAL! • 4) Practice, not performance - “the rehearsals are filmed” • 5) People - focus on others. The comedian Michael Jr. said his life changed when he focused on “giving” laughs rather than “getting” laughs. • 6) Privilege - view pressure as a privilege. • 7) Profit - focus on the reward. When pressure is properly harnessed it leads to extraordinary profit. (Tua)
Philippians 4:11-13 (10/1/15)
October 1, 2015 • Benham Brothers
We all know Phil 4:13, but how about the verses that precede it? Sweet Spot - the intersection of your greatest talent and your greatest passion. It’s important not to think of your sweet spot, however, as a destination - creates discontentment. You should think of it as a state of being. Wherever you are, make your spot sweet through contentment. Paul learned that wherever he was he learned the secret to remaining content, and on that foundation he could: do all things through Christ Who strengthened him.