A Study Of The Book Of Philippians: Philippians 4, "Thinking Yourself Joyful

  

THINKING YOURSELF JOYFUL

Philippians 4

 

LET LOVE BE YOUR OBJECTIVE

V:1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!

 

The Love for brothers and sisters in Christ brings joy in all their activities.

When I am around my grandchildren, I find joy in their growth and development.

I find joy in their conversations, their questions, and their answers. I find joy in

holding them close and encouraging them.

 

That is the attitude Paul had toward the Philippians. He was their father in

Christ. He was their teacher of the Word of God. He cared for them deeply.

He watched them change from students of the law to doers of the Word in Christ.

He watched them change from slaves of the law to freedom in Jesus. It gave Him

great joy to see their growth and maturity.

 

The Bible is the source of truth that we have been blinded to by the world.  I am

always amazed at insights the Word gives us on how we relate to others.

We should have that same joy Paul had as he watched his church grow

and mature.

 

There is joy in the work of God because people change and their circumstances

change. We have the opportunity to God work in the lives of others. We are blessed

when our prayers are answered and people are comforted. We are called to give our symphony and to help.

 

There is joy in associating with other believers. We all have a testimony. We

encourage each other with our stories. We learn from each other's experiences

 

There is joy when we watch church families grow in the Lord.

God is love. It is the Love of God and the Love of those around us is

the source of our Joy.

 

 

 

 

 

PROMOTE UNITY

V:2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

 

There was a disagreement between two women who loved serving with Paul.

God does not tell us what the disagreement was but it disrupted the unity in the

church. We should not allow our difference to spill over into the Church.

The source of disagreements is pride and lust influenced by Satan. We must remember that he came to steal, kill and destroy. What better display of Satan's influence than disagreements among outstanding church members? A house divided can not stand

(Mark 3:25).

 

Those who work for Christ should be quick with counsel to resolve the conflicts

for sake of unity and love. How can we promote the gospel of Jesus Christ if

we cannot get along? Selfish ambitions oppose brotherly love

 

COMMAND TO BE CHEERFUL

V:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

 

The Greek word for rejoice is to be cheerful. There is no way for people in a

disagreement to be cheerful with each other. Paul is commanding us to lay

aside our disagreements and be cheerful. Whatever the disagreements are

they can be resolved with a cheerful heart. If it's about doctrine, study the Word. If

it's procedures, change the procedures. If it's personal opinions, agree to

disagree. When we meet, come to be cheerful.

 

Joy is a personal choice. It is a state of mind that overrules all circumstances.

It is a state of mind that has its strength in our hope in the Lord. We have to

practice being joyful. We cannot control our circumstances, but we know a

God is in control. We must let God control that which we cannot handle.

 

ELEMENTS OF JOY

V:5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Paul gives us the elements of joyful living.

   a. Be gentle. Be patient in all circumstances, not quick to react, trusting

       the Lord.

  b. Place all your cares in the Lord’s hand.

  c. Be constant in prayer.

  d. Don't give place to worry.  It will not change anything.

  e. Take all your needs and wants to the Lord with thanksgiving.

      Thanksgiving is based on the confidence that God the Father cares for us

       as a son with His love and favor.

  f. Be a peace knowing that God is in control.

  g. Christ your elder brother guards you against all danger.

 

 

JOYFUL THINKING, MIND CONTROL

V:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

 

a. Know the truth, think about the truth.

b. Be honest in all your thinking.

c. Think about the righteousness of God.

d. Think clean and innocent thoughts.

e. Show yourself as friendly to others.

f. Thing well of others. Find the good in the situation,

g. Give God the praise.

h. Think about the goodness of the Lord.

I. Put God's Word into practice.

j. Be assured that God is with you.

 

LEARN TO BE CONTENT AND GRATEFUL

V:10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last, you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

 

As members of the body of Christ, we should express our gratitude to those who

show concern for us and help in times of need. Those who show up

in our time of need do it out of love and respect.

 

We must learn to be content with our circumstances whether good or bad. Whatever

God allows to happen to us will eventually work for our good. We must learn to be

content in times of need and in times of plenty. The Secret to being content in all

situations is to trust God. We have to learn to endure hardships to get to God's

promised blessings. To be joyful we have to rely on God's strength and not ours.

 

 

THE BLESSINGS OF GIVING, AN ACCOUNT WITH GOD

V:14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. 17 Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

 

Give and it will be given to you, pressed down and running over. When we give

to God, we are storing up treasures for a later time. The more we give to God the more we will receive from God. We owe those ministers of God who bless us with Word

material blessing. Jesus set the example of giving to preachers. Judas was assigned

the job of keeping the money supplied by Jesus' supporters in a bag ( John 12:6).

 

According to Paul whatever we give to the Church is credited to our accounts.

We should not serve for the purpose of getting something back. We serve because

of what God has already done. The fact is God loves a cheerful giver.

Our selfish sacrifices to God are fragrant offerings.

 

The Philippians Church set the example for supporting a pastor.

You and I can set examples for supporting our pastors for others to

follow. Paul restated the promise of Jesus for supplying all of our needs.

Paul said MY GOD WILL. We must make God our personal banker

by making regular deposits.

 

 

 

 

A GOOD ENDING

V:20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

 

21 Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. 22 All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household.

 

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

 

If you make up your mind to be cheerful, you will come together with a

cheerful heart and can end with a cheerful state of mind. Our objective

is to glorify God the Father and not ourselves. The Gospel is not about

us but about Jesus Christ. It is not about how good we are, but how good God is.

 

Notice, the greeting is in Jesus not in us. We change, but Jesus is the same.

Jesus sees the best in us. We tend to look for faults. Paul was in prison

in Rome, unjustly accused, yet found reason and purpose for cheerful greeting.

His cheerful attitude toward Christ drew others to Christ. Not only were the Christians

in Rome drawn to Paul, but members of the Household of Nero the cruel emperor

of Rome were drawn to Christ. A cheerful attitude draws people to you and

through you to Christ.

 

We should pray for an abundance of God’s grace for all in the body of Christ.

It takes the grace of our Lord Jesus, love, and unity to promote the Gospel.

 

 

Paul reminds us to be joyful.  No matter how bad our situation is, the Lord

says to rejoice. Find something to be cheerful about. I bet that there is someone

who will gladly change places with you.

 

If you don’t like your job, there is someone who would love it. If you don’t

like your house, someone is waiting for you to move out. If you have

some health problems, there is someone with the worst problems.

 

It is all from your perspective.  Make your perspective joy.

 

 

 

CLASS QUESTION

 

PAUL SAID I HAVE LEARNED THE SECRET OF

BEING CONTENT.

 

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO CONTENTMENT?

 

WHAT REASONS HAVE GOD GIVEN YOU TO BE

CONTENT?

 

 

 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Your Brothers Keepers", Galatians 5:18-6:10, 2/26/2023

 YOUR BROTHER'S KEEPER

 

Galatians 5:18-6:10

 

 

BE LED BY THE SPIRIT

V:5.18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

According to some theologians, there are 613 commands in the law.

Those under the law are obligated to keep all the commands to not be

condemned by the law (James 2:10). All believers in Jesus Christ are not

under the law because all the requirements of the law were fulfilled

with His death on the cross.  We are under grace.

 

The law points to our sins, Grace covers our sins

Therefore, we must decide to be led by the spirit. If we are led by

Holy Spirit we will follow God’s commands out of obedience and not for

fear of condemnation.

 

 

 

THE SINS OF NATURE

19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can resist the sins of the flesh.

To fight the sins of the flesh, we must know what our sins are. Paul said we are sins

are obvious, but to the world, they are normal actions. It is good to review God's list

of sins so we will know how we must improve.

 

         Sexual Immorality    Adultery, married but sex outside of marriage

 

         Fornication                Sex between single and unmarried people

 

         Impurity                     Unnatural practices, sodomy, bestiality

 

         Debauchery                 Extreme bodily pleasures, including sex, drugs and

 

                                              alcohol

         Idolatry and witchcraft   Worship of idol gods, Use of spells and incantations

                                                to heal or destroy the enemy.

 

         Hatred                  Opposition to brotherly love and kindness

 

          Discord               Open acts of contention

 

          Jealousy         Strife to set up one’s self at the expense of another

 

          Fits of rage           Disturbing the harmony of the mind

 

          Selfish ambitions    Lifting ourselves above others

 

          Dissensions             Divisions into separate parties

 

          Fractions                  Scandals, offenses, and stumbling blocks

 

           Envy                        Pain felt at the sight of others excellence or happiness

 

           Drunkenness           Lost of control of oneself due to abuse of alcohol

 

           Orgies                      Sexual encounters involving many people

 

Before Christ, our lives were entangled in these sins. Being created new in

Christ, these things we strive to put aside for the righteousness of God. We

must work continuously to control the temptations of the flesh.

 

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

V:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking, and envying each other.

 

Being created new in Christ we are equipped with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Our focus has changed from us to the unity of the body of Christ. It takes time and

maturity to grow in spirit.

 

God gives us a list of the fruit that characterizes believers in Christ

 

       Love     The most important command in the Bible

                     Love God first, then your neighbor as yourself

 

       Joy        Joy is a personal choice. We must focus on the goodness of the 

                     Lord to experience Jesus' Joy.

 

       Peace    It is not the peace of the world, but the peace of God that surpasses all

                     understanding.

 

       Patience    Learning to wait on the Lord, trusting Him in all our circumstances

 

       Kindness    Showing acts of kindness to others in all situations

 

       Goodness    Doing the things that are good to others, overlooking

                          the bad in others

 

       Faithfulness   Trusting in the promises of the Lord

 

       Gentleness      Developing an attitude of gentleness toward others

                               with regard to their well being

 

       Self-control   Allowing the spirit to guide and direct all your activities

 

 

Being led by the spirit, our focus is promoting the gospel of Jesus Christ and

unity in the body. Learning to be submissive to the Spirit is a continuous process.

of practical applications of the elements listed to produce the desired fruit.

 

The Christian life is a continuous work to rid ourselves of the sins of the flesh and

replace them with the fruit of the spirit. 

 

BE OUR BROTHER'S KEEPERS

V:6.1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5 for each one should carry his own load.

 

There are times when any of us can get caught up in the evil of the world. It may

happen unknowingly or by mistake. It is the job of mature believers to come

alongside a brother and counsel him in the right way. We must be careful that

we don’t discourage but lift them up in the Lord. We may help them bear the burden.

of sin with fellowship and prayer.

 

While counseling another, let us not see ourselves in a better position but

subject to the same sin.  It not our strength that holds us in check, but the

Power of the Lord lives within us. We find our contentment in the Lord and

not in the failure of others.

 

SHARING WITH YOUR TEACHER

V:6 Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.

 

Our teachers are subject to the same pitfalls as everyone else. When we have good

news, we should share testimonies with them. We teach with confidence the

in the Lord. But it is good to be encouraged by others in what they have learned

and experienced. As a teacher, it gives me joy when I see others maturing and

handling life’s problems successfully.

 

 

YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW

V:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

 

When I was growing up, I spent my summers on the farm with my grandparents.

I was there when they used a horse and a plow to prepare the fields for planting.

I remember walking the fleshly plowed rows and dropping corn seeds.  I watched

the seeds planted sprout and grow corn stocks with five to ten corn ears each.

Indeed we reaped what was sown. The good news was, my grandparents, reaped

a thousandfold more than was planted. There was corn for flour, meal, and corn

bread in the oven.

 

Likewise, when we plant spiritual seeds of the Word of God into our families and

those around us, we will reap a harvest of God’s goodness. When we sow seeds

of love and kindness, we will reap love and kindness.

 

On the other hand, if we sow bad seeds of corruption, we will reap corruption.

We sow our future by what we do. The good we do for Christ stores up

treasures for a generous harvest.

 

Rev. M. Mitchell

 

 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Called For God's Glory". 2 Peter 1"1-14. 2/19/2023

 CALLED FOR GOD’S GLORY

 

 

2 Peter 1:1-16

 

SEE YOURSELF AS A SERVANT OF CHRIST

V:1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

 

We need to know we are, whose we are, what our position is, and, what our

job is.

 

     His name:     Simon Peter, the name Jesus assigned to him

     His position:   A Servant

     His job:          An apostle, a delegate of Jesus Christ

 

There is more to us than the name our parents gave us. We have a connection with Jesus

that elevates us out of this world and places us in heavenly places. We got a position more than the 8 to 5 job. Our work is for Christ. The earthly job we hold is the avenue God placed us in to draw unbelievers to Him. The purpose of our

earthly association is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

We did not begin this work, Christ did.

 

Philippians 1:6

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

 

We are responsible for the strength, energy, or resources to complete the work

we are assigned, Christ is.

 

We are not even responsible for the success of our calling, Christ is.

All we have to do is to submit ourselves to the work of Christ.

 

 

The driving force of our work is our faith in Jesus Christ and all His promises.

As we serve Christ we recognize how precious our relationship is.

 

 

THE BLESSINGS OF GOD’S GRACE

V:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

 

It's my opinion that one of the greatest prayers is grace and peace in abundance from

the Lord. If we have God’s favor, what else do we need? If we have God’s peace, how

much more assurance do we need? We should be in the habit of wishing the very

best for those around us. We never know who God has placed in our midst to help.

 

I am sure Peter knew the trouble the church was experiencing. God's grace overrides

trouble. God’s peace allows us to endure trouble with joy while we wait on the Lord.

The Lord is our help.

 

 

WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED TO SERVE

V:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

 

We need a daily regiment of the Word. I suggest we pray for understanding, read the

Word then meditate on the Word for Holy Spirit enlightenment. God’s promises are

in the Bible. To make God's Word the driving force of your thinking, decision

-making, and actions, you have to know the Word for yourself. You have the power

to understand all things living within you. With the Word of God as our guide,

we know how to live a Godly life.

 

God called us out of the world for success, not failure. Success is found in living

according to God’s Word with the assurance of His provisions for life.

We participate in God’s divine nature by resisting evil thoughts and desires.

Our own lust will tempt us, but we have the power within us to overcome the

influences of evil.

 

 

QUALITIES FOR EFFECTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE WORK

V:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

 

God has made available to us the power and knowledge to be effective servants.

 

         FAITH:  Without faith, it is impossible to please God

 

         GOODNESS:   The courage to profess faith in Jesus

 

         KNOWLEDGE:  The true wisdom to practice our faith

 

         SELF-CONTROL:   Keeping every sense and action under proper restraint

 

         PERSEVERANCE:  Enduring all trials and difficulties under the strength

                                          and power of the Lord

 

        GODLINESS:           Fearing the Lord in worship and actions that give Him

                                           glory

 

        BROTHERLY KINDNESS:   Treating the brothers and sisters in Christ with

                                                        tenderness, kindness, compassion, and helpfulness.

                                                        Always praying to God for an abundance of His

                                                        grace and mercy toward them

 

        LOVE:                      Loving God first, then our brothers and sisters in Christ and

                                          our enemies with unselfish sacrificial kindness. Treating

                                          everyone with equality, forgiveness, and compassion

    

We have all the tools, we have examples thought out the Bible of the use of the

tools for Christian living to influence the world to Christ. It is our commission to

make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, The Son, and The Holy

Spirit. Neglecting to do so is forgetting the purpose of our calling to Christ.

         

LIVE UP TO YOUR GODLY CALLING

V:10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

Be mindful always that we are the examples and role models for Christ.

Do all that you can to proclaim the Gospel, teach the Gospel, and live  the

Gospel for all the world to see. Let your words and action promote Godly

behavior. Let all your thoughts be centered around the Word of God so

your life’s works exemplify the Lord Jesus. Notice, we have guarantee of

success if we follow God’s guidance.

 

 

REFRESH YOUR MIND

V:12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

 

Each day refresh your mind in the truth you know in the Word of God making all

effort to be a living example of Christ’s Love and compassion. Let all your work and

activities be unto the Lord so the world may see the Word of God in action.

 

 

Be always mindful that the time is drawing near for the return of our Lord

and Savior Jesus Christ. No man knows the time or the hour, but be

sober and ready to enter into His glory

 

Matthew 24:36

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

 

Matthew 24:42

 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come

 

Live each day glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Rev. M. Mitchell

 

A Study of Philippians: Let The Lord Be Your Joy, Philippians 3

 LET YOUR JOY BE IN THE LORD

 

Philippians 3

 

 

YOUR DUTY TO BE JOYFUL

V:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

 

It is the duty of the Christian to be joyful. His nature has been changed to one focused

on the Lord. It is part of your spiritual DNA

   a. We should rejoice because we have a savior

   b. We should rejoice because through the savior we have eternal life.

   c. We should rejoice because we have a Lord we can trust.

   d. We should rejoice because we have the Word of truth.

   e. We should rejoice because we have a Lord over our troubles.

   f. We should rejoice because we have a Lord we can take refuge in.

   g. We should rejoice because our strength is in Him.

   h. We should rejoice because Jesus is the Lord of our provisions.

 

Every day we need to remind ourselves not to seek joy in circumstances,

but to seek the joy that surpasses all understanding.  

 

It is the joy that we have that is a safeguard against sadness and frustrations.

It is the joy in The Lord that we have that overlooks envy, criticism, and hateful

behavior.

 

GUARD YOUR EARS, THE DOGS ARE TALKING

V:2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

 

There are two types of dogs in the Bible. There were those who were pets (Matthew 15:27), and those considered unclean (Matthew 7:6).  The unclean dogs were strays,

those without a master. According to Barnes' notes, the term dog was used to describe

a person who was shameless, impudent, malignant, snarling, dissatisfied, and

contentious. Some Jews who followed the Law considered non-Jews as dogs.

 

Here Paul is referring to dogs as the Jews who opposed the Gospel of Jesus Christ and

advocated the circumcision of all male Gentile believers to be accepted as Jewish proselytes.

Paul fully understood that attitude, because, before his conversion, he persecuted

the Church for their belief in Jesus as Lord.

With the death of Jesus on the cross, the definition of circumcision was changed

from circumcision of the flesh to circumcision of the spirit. Justification is not by

works of the flesh, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Every person who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior has been circumcised in the

spirit. We are made clean by the Word of truth (John 15:3).

 

Even today there are those who hold on to a doctrine of work salvation.

There are those who discredit you because you do not measure up to their

standard of righteousness.

 

We use the word dog today most often referring to men who abuse women and

families. We have to be careful not to judge people by what we don't know or

by what someone said, thus becoming dogs ourselves. Beware of the dogs, don’t

let it be you.

 

PURSUE HUMBLENESS, NOT PRIDE

V:4b. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

 

There are times we need to look in the mirror before we point the finger at someone.

Paul confessed his past sins of pride. He himself had been a dog. His resume of

pride included his birth family, his race, his nationality, his education, his connections,

his works, and his self-righteousness. He was a troublemaker until Jesus called him

out (Acts 9:3-9)

 

We are not all that. We got some sins we need to work on. What sins we see in others,

we have been that and more. Thank God, Jesus keeps calling us out.

 

BEFORE JESUS WE WERE STRAY DOGS, NOW WE ARE HOUSE PETS

V:7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead.

 

Paul was high on the horse. But Jesus had to knock him down and showed him how

blind he was. Paul had considered himself a model citizen and the perfect

example of Jewish righteousness. His knowledge and zeal for the Law were above

his peers. He had such a high position that he was granted permission to take soldiers

to seek out followers of Jesus and bring them to be persecuted.

 

Once his eyes were open to the spirit of the law, he was able to see Jesus as Lord

and Savior. Paul was taught by one of the best Jewish teachers of the Law (Acts 22:3),

but his teaching was void of spirit. Once his eyes were open and he was filled

with the spirit, he was able to see Jesus through the Old Testament scriptures.

 

When Paul looked at the pride he had before his conversion, he counted it as

garbage. Once Paul knew the truth, he was set free from the condemnation of

the law.

 

Like Paul, whatever we lost from our past before Jesus, is nothing compared to

what we gained in fellowship with the Lord. There is no experience we will

ever have greater than the Love of Jesus. I remember how proud I was of my

college degree and my position and status in the corporate world. It was not until

all that was lost that I found joy in my commitment to Jesus.  As I look back

I know without a doubt that it is Jesus that has taken care of me and my family.

 

 

STRIVE TOWARD THE UNLIMITED GLORY OF CHRIST

V:12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

 

What we need to understand is the unlimited power of Jesus. We might be able to

estimate the weight of the sun, moon, and stars. We might have some limited

understanding of what keeps them in orbit. We have no knowledge of what it took

to create them from nothing and put them in orbit. We can estimate and guest and

that’s all we will have.

 

I know of no man that died, laid in a grave for thee days dead, and was resurrected

to life again other than Jesus. I cannot claim to know what power it takes to

bring a person to life after death. But I am proud to be made part of Jesus's

death and resurrection. I am favored by the mercies of God to press toward the

goal of being like Jesus.

 

We know we have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. Like Paul, we must

forget about the past and press toward the prize of eternal life.

 

ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE YOU

V:15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if at some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

 

All believers have some knowledge of the Word. Your maturity is based on your

study of the Word and what you have learned from the personal application.

Anything we don't know and don't understand will be made plain through the

indwelling of the Holy Spirit. If anyone teaches a word that is different from the

Word of truth you know, the Holy Spirit will alert you to its deception.

 

We should not live by the standards of the world. We should live by the Word of

truth we know. We should allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us to things

unknown to us. With the Holy Spirit guidance will come to the right understanding.

 

 

FELLOWSHIP WITH BROTHERS/SISTERS IN CHRIST

V:17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

 

Be careful who you listen to. We have the Word of truth in print. We have

examples of Christians living in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The

Philippians had only the teaching of Paul and maybe one or two other Apostles

as their example of the Gospel truth.  It was unlikely that the average believer

had a copy of the Old Testament. They relied mostly on oral traditions.

 

We have no excuse for being ignorant of the Word of God. It is our choice to

study or not study the Word. Those who do not study are susceptible to the

lies and deception of the enemy. The enemy can be anyone. Preacher, teacher,

or person on the street who uses the Word of God to promote their agenda.

The only agenda the believer has is the agenda of Jesus.

 

 

HEAVEN NOW, HEAVEN FOREVER

V:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

 

I think it is difficult for us to understand that this world is not our home. We spend

all our time building homes and careers. All of our stuff is located here. We accumulate

stuff and buy more stuff. We are not ready to leave.

 

No matter how much we attain, we can’t take it with us when we die.

There is no doubt that we are headed for a physical death before obtaining immortality

in our eternal home. We have temporary residence on this earth.

This is not our home, we are just passing through. The best we can do before

we die is to leave a legacy of God’s righteousness on the minds of those around us.

 

Our faith in Jesus has made us aliens to this land. We are just passing through on

our way to heaven. Jesus is coming back to take us to a new home in heaven

that He has prepared for us. We will be transformed from mortality to

immortality to eternal life with Him. (John 14:1-3)

 

Our goal is to stand fast on His promises and wait for His return while rejoicing

in fellowship with Him.

 

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS!

 

CLASS QUESTIONS

 

IN TIMES OF PEACE, WHERE IS YOUR JOY?

 

IN TROUBLED TIMES, WHERE IS YOUR JOY?

IS THERE ANYONE YOU CAN BE MAD WITH?

 

Rev. M. Mitchell

 

This Weeks Sunday School Lesson, "The God Of Our Comfort", 2 Corinthians 1:3-11, 2/12/2023

  

THE GOD OF OUR COMFORT

 

2 Corinthians 1:3-11

 

 

PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS COMFORT

V:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

 

My brothers and sisters, I encourage you to start each day with praise and worship

of the Lord. There is no better way to start your day. Psalms 22:3 tell us that God

inhabits our praise. There is never a time that we don’t need the presence of God

in our lives. God is aware of our situations, but He delights in hearing from us in

prayer.

 

He is the Father of compassion, the source from which all mercies flow. He favors us

each day with health, strength, and protection. He knows what will happen and prevents

that which would be to our detriment.

 

When trouble comes our way and it will, He is there to comfort us with the assurance

that He is in control and will work things out for our benefit. Even Jesus our

Lord and Savior while He walked on earth went to Father in prayer for comfort.

 

The Lord comforts us so we can comfort others with the assurance of God’s

tender mercies. Our comfort is our testimony to the power of God over all

circumstances. We must be encouraged in our troubles so others see in us the

work of God.

 

OUR SUFFERING IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS

V:5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you are firm because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

 

Christ set the example as our suffering Savior. He went to the cross and suffered in

death for you and me. He was lied to for you and me. He was beaten with a whip

mingled with pottery chips and rocks until there was no skin on his back for

you and me. He was nailed to the cross for your comfort and mine.

 

The suffering of Christ was His mercy and compassion in action for our

comfort. You should never take it for granted that your life doesn't matter.

You should never take it for granted that the lives of others don’t matter.

We matter to Christ and we matter to others. We should never take it

for granted that our suffering matters to Christ and others.  Our suffering is

for the comfort of others.

 

Suffering is the work of Christ to produce patience and endurance in our

lives. In Acts 16:22-34, Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in jail for

preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  At midnight, Paul and Silas began

singing and praying. God caused an earthquake that rattled the jail

and the gates opened and their chains fell off.  As a result, the jailer and

his family received Christ. Their suffering was to bring salvation to those

in jail.

 

God works the same way in our lives today. All you have to do is consider

what God has done for you as a testimony to others. Our hope and confidence

are in the Lord. That same confidence is what we are to proclaim to others. It

is our hope in Jesus that breaks chains and opens doors.

 

 

 

TROUBLE FORCES US TO RELY ON GOD

V:8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

 

We may not know all the troubles Paul experience preaching the Gospel. We do know

that in Lystra, he was stoned and left for dead, in Thyatira he and Silas were beaten. He

was tried in Jerusalem and sent to Rome where he was beheaded. He was commissioned by

Jesus to suffer preaching the gospel so it would spread throughout the world. Indeed,

his suffering was for our comfort.

 

When we are weak God is strong. Paul was a gifted, preacher, teacher, and leader,

yet God did not allow him to escape suffering. He suffered beyond his ability and

saw only death if God didn’t step in. He learn to rely on God and wait patiently to be

rescued. There are some situations we cannot get out of on our own. God designed

it so we would know that it was Him and not us.

 

 

 

 

PRAYER WORKS

V:10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him, we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us with your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

 

The prayers of the righteous do much good. When we pray for others, God acts on

their behalf. It does us good to see the success of our prayers through the power

of God. We help others with our prayers. We don’t know how many prayers of

others we stand on today.

 

It is the favor of God to hear our prayers. It's the favor of God to answer our prayers.

It is in the favor of God to bless us with encouragement through our prayers.

 

 

THANK GOD THAT WE MATTER TO HIM AND OTHERS

 

Rev. M. Mitchell