Discussion Guide for Sunday, May 24, 2020

STICK TOGETHER

Series: Choose Joy: An Exposition of the Book of Philippians

Big Idea

In Philippians 1:27, the Philippians are described as citizens of heaven, but in Philippians 2:15, Paul challenges the believers to be “children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation”. This was one of Paul’s favorite churches. He loved them immensely, but even the best churches have their issues. People in leadership were motivated by envy, strife, selfish ambition, and pretense. Founding members were in such a contentious disagreement, people were beginning to take sides. False teachers were creeping in leading people astray. To sum it all up, the people of the Philippian church were not behaving like a family. They were brothers and sisters, but they were acting like enemies.

This week’s text is designed to make an argument for corporate unity, and Paul’s point is that corporate unity is an essential part of our public witness. The reason for our corporate unity is that each of us have heard the gospel and responded, resulting in salvation. We have been adopted into the family of God, baptized into the body of Christ, and are experiencing the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. That makes us brothers and sisters, and brothers and sisters stick together. The results of our corporate unity is that because of our common salvation experience, we are all striving to become more and more like Jesus Christ. We are all adopting the attitudes of our Heavenly Father and learning to reflect His character in our everyday lives. We accomplish this by meeting the requirements of our corporate unity. On the one hand, we pay attention to how we see. We don’t do things from selfish motives or for self-glorification. We see ourselves for who we really are, and we see the best in others. Most of all, we try our best to help others when we can. On the other hand, we pay attention to how we are seen. Because of the finished work on the cross, we stand before God and before men with a clear mind, with a pure heart, and changed life. It’s not about being perfect, but doing the best we can to live a spiritually mature life. This leads to our corporate life as the family of God being a shining light in a dark world.

Discussion Questions

• Can you remember your salvation experience? What circumstances led to your conversion? How soon did you connect with a church?
• Paul warns against grumbling (complaining) and disputing (debates). How do you handle conflict in your relationships? What can you do to improve how you communicate with the people you love?

Prayer Focus

Thank You for salvation. Thank You for the power of the gospel to convict and convert the hearts of men. Thank You for the assurance that comes from knowing You in an intimate way. Thank You for bringing me into the Body of Christ, and allowing me to experience Your love and compassion. Teach me to adopt Your attitude and to show Your love in all of my relationships as I hold fast Your Word.

Next Steps

Paul instructs the Philippian believers to “look out for…the interests of others”. This did not mean that they shouldn’t look out for themselves. On the contrary, they are expected to makes sure they honored all of their commitments, but in the process, when they were able to help a brother or a sister who was in need, they were to take the opportunity. This week, look for opportunities to help someone in need. Your act of random kindness may be the seed that God uses to pull someone through a tough season.

Want to Get Ahead?

Read and meditate on Philippians 2:5-13 in your devotional time this week.