cg recap/summary (3)

The CHRIST Factor (1)

Opening Question:
What/who do you live for?

Bible Passage:
Phil 1 and 2

Chapter 1: Christ is our life
v 1-2: Paul writes this letter from jail in Rome but he and the believers in Philippi are united through Christ.

v 3-8: Paul is in prison, has every right to be bitter and complain but what does he say? "I THANK my God" "I always pray with JOY"
- Why does he pray with joy? "Because of your partnership in the gospel"
- Partnership = fellowship (v7-8 Paul's affection for his bros/sisters in Christ)
- Paul and the believers at Philippi have a common passion --> gospel and this shows that they are true believers (v6)
- What is your passion?

v 9-11: Paul's prayer for them: to be holy! (link back to previous studies)

v 12-18: "The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice."
- Paul is able to rejoice even in jail because his chains further the Gospel and mean freedom in Christ for those who believe.
- The Gospel cannot be chained up! God is able to work even through difficult circumstances.
- Are we willing to sacrifice our own comfort and happiness for the sake of the Gospel?

v 19-26: For Paul, Christ is central: only Christ can satisfy! (v21)
- How can you live for Christ? For Christians, we are able to rejoice in suffering because we have no fear of death. "For to me... to die is gain"

v 27-30: "Whatever happens" --> suffering, trials, persecution- what matters is not what happens but how we live: worthy of God!
- This is how we are to live for Christ. United as a family of believers, we are to live holy lives (through ALL circumstances) showing God's grace and power to non-believers.

Chapter 2: Christ is our example
How do you live a life worthy of the gospel? How do you walk fearlessly united for the gospel in the face of opposition? Paul says - you do it by humbly loving each other - you do it by putting each other first - you do it through humility.

A call to be number 2:
v1-3: We can't be united when everyone tries to be "great" --> doing things out of selfish ambition and vain conceit. People think that greatness comes from reaching success.

v4: But Paul says that greatness comes from humility --> helping others to be first, not ourselves. The road to greatness is to learn to be number 2.

The only way up is down:
v5-11: Christ is our example of ultimate humility. Jesus is God - he possesses the very nature of God, yet he did not take what was his.
- Unlike Adam & Eve who reach out to take what is not theirs - remember they desired to be equal with God - Jesus in contrast does not take what is his - he does not assert his rights.
- These days people are always trying to get up the corporate ladder, trying to be the best, trying to get more money, more material possessions...but for Jesus he came onto this earth destined to die.

This is the reason why we are to put others before ourselves: because Jesus did exactly that for us! This is God's way for you and me - to have the same mind in life, to humbly love each other, to put each other first, and to contend side by side united for the gospel.