Submission to the Will of God

Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus , To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.  For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.  For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.  For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.  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.
     

Christ’s Authoritative Word to Believers v.1

1.1  Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, 

“Paul and Timothy”,  Christ is Exalted by the Salvation of the Church.

-Paul

Our first question should be, who is this Paul that writes to the Philippians.  Why is he writing to them?  What does he have to say to them?  Why should they listen?  The first time we meet Paul is in Acts 7.58.  Here, he is called a young man.  This word is used to refer to a man who is unmarried and in the prime of his life.  At the earliest, he is 24 years old and 40 at the latest, by the Greek word’s usage.  He wasn't a common man and his story doesn't begin with a common event.  We read in Acts 7.58-8.3  “When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.  They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"  Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" Having said this, he fell asleep.  Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.  Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.  But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.”

1.    He was a (ZEALOUS) Jew, from man’s perspective.
When he describes himself, he says this, (Php 3.4-6) “Although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:  circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.”
A.    He was born an Israelite.
B.    He was trained a Pharisee.
C.    He was outwardly blameless.

2.    He was a (SET APART) Apostle, from God’s perspective.

God had set him apart from his mother’s womb.  Gal 1.5, “God, who had set me apart from my mother’s womb.”  Though Paul was living his life for what he thought God would be pleased with, God was pleased to reveal His Son to Him. 
Acts 22:14-15  "And he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth.  (15)  'For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.  (21)  "And He said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"

Paul became the messenger of God as an apostle.  He had the authority of the Word of God.  “Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” (1 Ti 1.16).

Application: Paul, I thought you said that God separated you from your mother’s womb?  Then, what happened to that time between his birth and his conversion when he was persecuting and killing the saints of God?  Was God not in control?  Could He not control Paul’s bloodthirsty rages?  God controls who will be saved, how they will be saved, where they will be saved, when they will be saved and why they will be saved.  Paul said that he was saved to show the patience of God.  God is willing to let his children rebel to show forth His glory and love.  Trust in the Lord to save my family.  They will never save themselves.

-Timothy
Acts 16.1-3 “Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium.  Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”

Timothy’s Faith was strong because
1)    His Mother and Grandmother were Christians, 2 Timothy 1:5  “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that [it is] in you as well.”
2)    He was taught the Scriptures from His Childhood 2 Timothy 3.14,15, “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
3)    Paul discipled him like a son.
4)    Becomes what is said in Php 2.19-22, "But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. "

1 Corinthians 4:17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

Application:   Mothers, teach the Scriptures, Fathers, teach the Scriptures.  Find someone younger than us and teach them the ways which are in Christ.

Paul mentions Timothy just because he is with him or perhaps Timothy is writing the letter as Paul speaks it.  Paul picks up in verse 3, as “I” and doesn’t  return to “we” until chapter 3 in reference to the church body.

Notice something missing in the next section.  Paul doesn’t refer to himself as an apostle.  Why? 
    He is simply their servant, Paul.  Their relationship is one of intimacy and grace, not authority and rebuke.  (Philemon)  In Philemon, he said, “Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to what is proper, yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.” Philemon v8,9

“bond-servants of Christ Jesus”,  Christ is Exalted by the Submission of the Church

Jesus Christ died 25 years ago.  But Paul says, "He’s my Master."  The skeptic would lift his eyebrow at Paul.  Dead men aren't masters over anybody.  So, is Paul mad?   Are these men are mad?  We can all see and agree that these are not the writings of a mad man; these are the writings of God’s Word.  Christ is risen, indeed.  We are His bond-slaves.  So what is a bond-slave?

A bond-slave, is one bought by Jesus, owned by Jesus, and ruled by Jesus.

·    Bought By Jesus 1 Corinthians 7:23  You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.  We are all His.

·    Owned by Jesus (by creation, through the purchase on the Christ)  Psalms 24:1  A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.  He is our Owner because of Creation.  And He owns the Church by His death for the Church.  We are doubly owned.

·    Ruled by Jesus Galatians 1:10  For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

    So, when it says bond-servants of Christ it reminds us:
In life, it’s not who you are, but whose you are.  Do not be man pleasers.  The world is full of people who say, "I wonder what they will think if I do this.  I wonder what they’ll think if I do that."  Don't be man pleasers.  Be God pleasers.  Live by faith.  Believe that He is and go to Him for reward in everything.  Paul says to the Philippians, I am Paul a prisoner in Rome.  Yet, I am a bond-slave of Christ.  I am doing the will of Christ.  He is being magnified in this imprisonment.  Does his very testimony of submission to God's will and triumph in adversity ring true with Hebrews 11:32-38, "And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,  (33)  who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,  (34)  quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.  (35)  Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;  (36)  and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.  (37)  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated  (38)  (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.”

The world looks at people like Paul and say, “Yuck!  He’s a prisoner.  He’s not worth anything.  He’s a failure.  He can’t even preach now.  He’s useless!”  Yet, the Word of God says that by faith we conquer these things and the world is not worthy of those who magnify Christ by being obedient to His will.