Oakbrook Evangelical Free Church

Introduction

⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. ⁸ God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

⁹ And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰ so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:7-11 NIV)

Phil 1:3-6 I have you in my mind

Phil 1:7-8 I have you in my heart

Phil 1:9-11 I have you in my prayers

I. His Deep Personal Love for Them, 1:7-8

“for me to feel this way” =

A deep settled disposition that includes his whole being.

Based on intimate sharing – “all of you share in God’s grace”

Whether I am defending the gospel – negative

Or confirming the gospel – positive

You are partners with me.

With an oath

“God is my witness” regarding the sincerity and depth of his love

“God knows the reality in my heart: I love you.”

“Only God really knew how strongly Paul longed for his bro/sis in Cx”

He affectionately longs for them

He loves them so much he aches for them.

Longing and yearning for!

“the affections of Christ” – Christ inspired affection

The Almighty God is excited about the Philippians.

God’s face is aglow with affection to them and us

Even with the remnants of self-centeredness and grumbling

Our imperfections can drive us to despair and hopelessness

Zephaniah 3:16-17 “In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: “Do not be afraid…Do not let your hands fall limp. ““The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will quiet us in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”

Proverbs 4:23 “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. ” NASB95

The greatest commandment

Luke 10:27 “And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” ” NASB95

II. A Simple Prayer for Love

If you loved someone so very deeply that you could pray for just one thing in their life, what would your prayer for them be? Very revealing.

He prays for their love-life!

Love is something each of us will experience.

Loving well is something we must learn.

Not something God is forcing on us but something He is doing in us.

Romans 6:17 “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, ” NASB95

The flag of Christ flies over the castle of our hearts.

God is at work in us and we have willingly responded from the heart.

We make resolutions in our hearts. How will they be fulfilled?

God is at work in our love life

Philippians 2:12-13 “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

Should we use our willpower in our love relationships? Yes!

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling!

But be assured that God is at work in you. That is the promise of the New Covenant. Don’t ignore God’s work in you.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 ““Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ““I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. ” NASB95

Philippians 1:9-11 “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, “so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; “having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” NASB95

A. He prays that their love life will grow from one level of love to another.

Abound = abundant, rich, unlimited supply

First – related to God’s work for us in Christ

Used by Paul 26 times to refer to God’s gracious love for us.

1 John 3:16-18 “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” NASB95

Love lies down its life…it does not seek to save face.

Ephesians 1:7-8 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace “that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” NIV

Romans 5:15 “overflowing” – not a trickle

Second, refers to an abundance that flows out of intimacy

2 Cor 1:5 overflowing comfort of Christ in our trials

Romans 15:13 the overflowing joy, peace and hope that comes from trusting God.

We live our lives out of our passions. Paul is praying that their love for Christ and others will develop and grow from one level to another.

That in their love life they will become smarter and wiser.

B. Love that grows in knowledge

Genuine love is not something we “fall” into but “grow” into!

Genuine love rests on real knowledge and discernment!

A knowledge of God’s will

Colossians 1:9-10 “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,” NIV

1 Corinthians 13:6 “love rejoices with the truth”

1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. ”

He is praying that their love for Christ and others will develop and grow and be an expression of God’s will out of a knowledge of God’s Word. Love that is not an expression of God’s will is not love at all but an emotional bondage.

Intelligent and informed love.

Genuine love is a process of learning to think straight…

1 Peter 1:13 “Gird up the loins of your mind”

14 times - “do you not know”

Love should be smart and intelligent!

It should rest on a spiritual understanding of God’s Word.

That’s why refers to “purity” and “blameless”

C. Love that grows in insight

Only here in the NT.

Used 27 times in the OT. 22 X in Proverbs

Wisdom given by God.

Exodus 28:3 ““You shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me. ” NASB95

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” NASB95

Respect and awe for God.

Proverbs 2:3 “For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; ” NASB95 Must be sought for

Discernment about living rightly in relationships

The ability to understand relationships and situations so that you can make practical decisions in a number of situations.

Proverbs 10:14

Proverbs 11:9 Seems foolish to the person w/o God!

Proverbs 12:23

Proverbs 22:12

Comes from a right response to instruction and counsel.

Proverbs 5:11-12 “How I have hated instruction! And my heart spurned reproof! ” NASB95

Proverbs 10:8 “The wise of heart will receive commands, But a babbling fool will be ruined. ” NASB95

Phil 1:10 An ability to discern or decide what things are best in certain situations so that you live a pure and blameless life.

III. What’s The Goal of His Prayer?

A. First, so that you can decide what is best

Approve

Used of testing metals and coins to appraise their value.

To prove through close examination that something is valueable!

A process that involves checking it out over time.

Toward the end result of making a choice about the thing / person in question.

Wow! Look at what I’ve found. Called his friends. Showed it off. Told everyone. All has to do with how we choose to love..

Best = excellent!

Loving the things that God loves!

Turns away from situations and influences that God hates.

Surpassing value

What really matters

What we love makes all the difference in the world.

Summery:

Paul wants their love to overflow

In practical knowledge and wisdom

So that they can make wise choices about what is really excellent

And then choose what is the best plan of action

Paul’s example…what did he view as valuable?

Philippians 3:17 “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. “

Philippians 4:9 “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” NASB95

What is the excellence that love approves?

1. That Christ be honored in my life

Philippians 1:20 “according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” NASB95

Paul was not concerned about what others thought about him.

Paul was not concerned about his prestige or getting his name in the headlines or his picture on the front page.

The question he was concerned about was, “Does this relationship (or whatever choice he was faced with) help me honor Christ.

2. That I might know Christ.

Philippians 3:7-11 “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; “in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. ” NASB95

He was willing to let go of everything for the value of knowing Christ.

Anything that challenged his allegiance to Christ or diminished his love for Christ he let go of.

Does this relationship or choice help me progress in my relationship with Christ?

3. To Advance the Gospel, 1:12f

Paul was not concerned about his rights.

He was not concerned about his comfort or reputation.

His main concern was not how others viewed him or the opinion of his peers. His main concern was that Christ be proclaimed.

His question was not is this convenient for me?

Where do I feel at home?

Will this advance the cause of Christ?

I trust you have a great weekend. Remember what Paul said in Philippians 1:6

“I am confident of this very thing that He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ’s return.”

This was last week’s memory verse.

This week’s memory verse is Philippians 1:20-21.

Why not join me in memorizing some key verses in Philippians during our study.