The Meaning of Life - Philippians 1:1

Something missing. By the way, in his opening introduction here. It's easy to miss in every letter but just to give Paul, an apostle of God. Paul called to be an apostle of God not here just call why when I told him I think if you review the letter, you discover that he's not writing from the perspective of an authority in the church is writing as a friend to these when Paul sat down to write this used in formal language. Is there something about this church or Paul's feelings for this church that makes it unique.

Welcome to wisdom for the heart.

Today Stephen Davey returns to the very first verse of Philippians where we begin to get a glimpse of Paul's love for this church, as Stephen mentioned a moment ago. The book of Philippians is Paul writing to a group of friends.

Sure Paul was their pastor and he founded the church but he loved these people dearly.

As we look at Paul's tender compassion for them will be encouraged regarding God's love for us as well. Stevens calling today's lesson the meaning of life that Paul is writing this letter as a missionary church planter.

He's writing it from use under house arrest. It's been a rather wild journey that brings him finally to Rome or he'll die a few years.

It started out with being arrested in Jerusalem accused of causing a riot in Paul did riot swing everywhere. Paul with. They followed him. He finally faces an improper court proceeding after being arrested in Jerusalem and eventually appeals to Caesar and accepted 25 every Roman citizen which Paul was had the right to present his case to Caesar doesn't mean that Nero would actually hear his case, but it did guarantee that robes highest court would soak in. In our culture you can appeal to the Supreme Court did know that your case would eventually be be heard what Paul really wants, however, is simply the opportunity to preach the gospel in Rome screamed about four years and he finally arrives. Having survived several attempts on his life, riots, a shipwreck trials now in change, so to speak. He arrives that is a traveling preacher free to roam. But as a prisoner accepted 27 given the benefit of the fact that Paul is under house arrest.

This means that he can receive visitors lives in rented facility or apartment he can write letters and he can receive mail as well. One of the challenges he faces, however, is he has to pay for this rented apartment and he also has to pay for the cycle of guards military guards that come into his home and garden party will win many of them to faith in Jesus Christ.

We get to the end of this letter is so by the way, the guards and Caesar's households in so for Paul about writing to these believers in Philippi, he writes with great affection merely because, among other things, they were the only church that helped pay his rent and pay for those guards. They had stood with him over the years, and this letter to the Philippians is among other motives, a missionary, thank you letter something missing.

By the way, in his opening introduction here. It's easy to miss is highly significant. If you know the word you probably Artie figured out by now it's missing is any reference to the fact that he's an apostle. In every letter but just to give Paul, an apostle of God.

Paul called to be an apostle of God, prescriptive segment is Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, not here just Paul, why, when I told think as you review the letter, you discover that he's not writing from the perspective of an authority in the church is writing as a friend to these faithful friends.

Just pull he does something else that's unusual.

He simply moves on and introduces another man as if that man is his equal, a young man notice Paul and Timothy as if to say, we wrote this letter together, which they did. This is Paul's writing since his letter the first time Timothy appears in the Bible to turn back to acts again in chapter 16. That's the chapter that introduced us to the charter members of the church. Remember that if you're with us last Lord's day.

Now were introduced to the cofounder of the church along with the apostle Paul put this point in time, as were introduced to him was is the young man verse one will get back to Philippians Paul came also at the Derby and solicitor disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek contrast with that junction is intended to charge you just don't.

Paul arrives in Timothy's hometown of Lister or Leister. Most New Testament scholars believe Timothy was in his early 20s, perhaps 20, 21, 22, some believe he is as young as 19 he's already a believer. At this point, when you're introduced to him were never told exactly when Timothy became a believer, but if you put the clues together Timothy's mother and grandmother had become believers during Paul's first visit to their hometown earlier inch in chapter 14 of the book of acts. Paul and Barnabas are our preaching that Lister of performing miracles.

One thing leads to another and there you have another riot they actually stone.

Paul to death. They believe he's dead. Only then did they stop throwing rocks at him just outside the city and they leave a few disciples that are there dared to come along. Gather around Paul were told is lying there is bones broke and his body bloodied and God miraculously restores his life and held. In fact, there are some New Testament scholars it believes is a verb to arise.

The same word used of Christ rising they would believe that he literally came back from the dead. It would certainly be miraculous enough to have been stone nearly did that be able to stand up bones recovered instantaneously by the power of God, and Paul goes back into the city now you, but after nearly being stoned to death by an angry mob to God miraculous restore me. I'd assume that it's time to move on. Paul thinks it's time to stay on goes back to these teaching churches established in the disciples strengthened in the Lord in two of the converts in that scene were two women mother and her daughter named Lois in unison at that point in time the raising a little boy named Timothy. I want to pull some things out of his biography very quickly and some observations that I hope will be encouraging. Certainly to us as a church to keep in mind as we look at this, cofounder of the church. Philippi number one disobeying God in the past doesn't eliminate the potential of honoring God in the future, disobeying God in the past doesn't eliminate the potential of honoring God in the future. There's an unwritten volume of strife and pain and disunity in this text.

In acts 16. Truth be told if Eunice had a faithful Jewish parents. Their hearts had been broken when she married a Gentile and not a Gentile proselyte, a follower of God, which Lydia was that we were introduced to us for the butt, but a pagan unbeliever, strict Jew would refuse to accept this as even a legitimate marriage, they would not honor it or acknowledge it effectively.

Jewish girl married a Gentile boy.

Her parents if they were faithful Jews in that era would regard her as dead. In fact, the more strict Jews would actually perform a funeral service that carried out symbolizing the two then she died. We don't have any details, but twice. What we do have Luke writes here. This account is this the statement Timothy's father, but Timothy's father was a Greek X 61 Gentile pagan unbeliever of the got a favorite Luke, puts in!

In bold letters in verse three. Look there.

Everyone knew that Timothy's father was a Greek is like saying everybody know that the universe was raising this boy to love God and she was virtually alone in the process were not told when, why, even before Eunice heard the gospel preached by Paul at that miraculous resurrection she had in her heart.

Years earlier returned to the Old Testament Scriptures and had begun to follow them. Fact Paul will confirm her commitment to God and second Timothy 314 where he writes to Timothy, reminding him Timothy you remember how you work as a little boy from the earliest days of childhood raise in the Scriptures. New Testament scholars believe he's actually telling Timothy remember you were taught to read by reading the Hebrew Scriptures literally understood you were taught the Hebrew alphabet from the Hebrew Scripture Eunice had disobeyed the law of God in marrying an unbeliever untold heartache, no doubt came from that Gentile who did not honor God. But she evidently returned to the Scriptures, and later when Paul arrives in Lister up. She hears the gospel and the dots are connected and she places her faith in Messiah and is highly telling, though, that prior to that, she named her little boy Timothy one who honors God as if she's applying the naming of that boy with this kind of marriage with her kind of past illicit. I didn't honor God when I was Jewish bride during the Gentile unbeliever, but I want to honor God now, and I want my boy to grow up to on to. She has discovered the meaning of life is just to get married, you just have a home in just have child. She reveals it in the naming of her son and her heart's desires to see him honor and obey and love God. For with you and that you discover the core of the meaning of life give you another observation worth making in regards to this future leader in Philippi.

Number two. The absence of a godly father does not forfeit the potential of godly children you remember. Perhaps if you're older, the faint Paul is writing to two women who are married to unbelieving husband is in Corinth and there wondering. We know now we come to faith in Jesus we get to start over our husbands don't care about God, we do were new creatures. I guess we get a fresh start writing positive no go back to that home and be a holy sanctifying influence. It won't be easy at times impossible with God will strengthen you first review chapter 7. By the time Timothy grows up here in acts 16. Perhaps at the age of 20 or 21 he's already distinguished himself as a result of that holy sanctifying influence of his mother and grandmother because Paul calls him here in acts 16 verse one. A disciple that is a devoted follower of Jesus Christ his father agree should unbeliever, you could just sort of put that in contemporary terminology with that would mean is that his father would stay home on the Sabbath and read the newspaper or maybe go play golf all day while Eunice and her mother Lois took Timothy along to the synagogue so Marcus while while growing up Timothy's father would never have been able to give him spiritual advice would never be able to encourage him in his spiritual walk. Whenever they got together, it would never be able to get beyond the weather and maybe the upcoming gladiatorial games Olympic game or maybe the newest Roman senator. Maybe you can identify with its far you can get the absence of a godly father did not forfeit the potential of godly son. We give you another observation. Three.

The dedication of a godly mother can overcome the disadvantage of a broken home. Don't get me wrong, there is an indispensable blessing to have spiritual leadership from a father and a husband is following after God for all of us men. That is the model God intended for us to seek after who build our families and homes. According to his two his word we speak today to mother. Many who are single, perhaps divorced many today who don't have a believing spouse or or maybe a spouse who claims to be a believer but there's never any spiritual leadership or wisdom pressure wondering is there some disqualifying disadvantage in all of this will handicap my children from their potential for Jesus Christ as disciples of his will, they will.

They never really fully be able to seize the meaning of life that finds its core value in finding and following Jesus Christ is that even a possibility. Taken from the opening line of a letter from Paul that the flipping me introduce to you one of the leading men of the New Testament church. The young man from a spiritually divided home with an unbelieving father, a young man who will live up to his name and honor God that groomed by the apostle Paul himself to take that mantle eight years ago I received a letter from a woman whose life it been totally turned upside down in her letter she wrote that she was grateful to found us assembly. She wrote I want you to know I'm praying for you to stay true to Christ and she explained why she was the mother of two young children.

When she began to suspect her husband wasn't being faithful to her. She finally got up the courage to confront him.

He admitted that it was true, but it wasn't another woman was another man he admitted to her his homosexual lifestyle. He kept secret for years. In that same conversation he told her even more devastating news. The other man was her father. One conversation and one should her life just fell apart make matters even worse for husband and her father were in full-time pastoral ministry secretly living sinful line. All of that mean she's going to effectively lose what she had in a relationship with both of them who refuse to repent. Eight years ago, she slipped into his seat in here. Perhaps next where you sit.

She began to readjust everything she's ever known to began to rediscover in a brand-new way of life and its meaning. Strength for the next day she put her two sons in your children's classroom as they grew, they may have been in your Bible study she came in here and say with him as the Christ. She walked past you in the hallway she attended Bible studies with many of you women. She began life in many ways all over again.

Never forget that letter written in anguish and especially that one line that referred to the fact that her husband was a pastor and her father was a pastor and they had broken my trust. She wrote I've been coming here now for a while. I think I can trust me tell you how that way on the one receiving care to try. That was the grace of God in her life. I received a second letter from her just a few days ago eight years in between. I couldn't believe it had been nearly a decade, I would've said maybe it two or three years and eight. She brought interfaith. She admitted that it was difficult, especially in the earlier years. She wrote how grateful she had been to find a home here.

She found refuge and hope she went on to include a photograph and an explanation of how just a few years ago God had brought into her life genuinely godly man. They been married now for over a year sons young men were committed to Christ as a family. They were involved in serving Christ in and through a local church in their new hometown. She wanted to write tell me that she moved away to let me know some of what happened in the last decade of her life, say farewell say to all of you to me. Thank like Eunice, by the grace of God.

The disadvantages were not insurmountable. She was raising sons who were walking after her example after her commitment to Jesus Christ. So would Paul mentions, and Timothy slowed he's referring to a faithful young man who showed himself worthy to the Philippian church a letter by the way, that would be read by all the churches and you can you can believe it.

In one particular congregation, perhaps back it was there would've been a mother sitting out there listening to that quietly thanking God for his grace and that this had not been insurmountable. After all, may make one more observation from this opening line the blessing of older influential believer cannot be underestimated. The blessing of older influential believers cannot be underestimated.

Pulse treatment of Timothy here in this letter as a as a coequal is deeply gracious. Certainly and listen deeply deeply appreciated by Timothy affected one of Paul's letters to Timothy we have a go at second, Paul writes to Timothy, my beloved son.

Imagine what that choice of terminology meant to Timothy. Paul could've easily called him to Timothy, my beloved brother, my beloved Comrade, my beloved co-laborer no, my beloved son miss the choice of words. Imagine talking to colonial day payment on your children, your daughter or your son that you know what your your my beloved my beloved's imagine what it would mean if your son or daughter didn't have a daddy didn't have a Christian we can imagine the joy in the heart of Eunice and her mother Lois both limited and deeply involved in teaching young Timothy. The truth of God's word. See that baton taken up by somebody like the apostle Paul. God intends this to be a spiritual relay team. You never really liked all the time. You're the mother of the father right you do sort hang on somebody else has to reach for to invest in the life of your children as they continue to grow. Last night we had a reception for our son Seth and his bride Megan and it was interesting and wonderfully gratifying for Marsha and I to hear people share their testimonies of how they invested in the life of our side and friends from Megan's life and in her life as well as children. Whether the youth leader or a teacher or a neighbor or even appear.

Fact is, apparently you get old enough to realize that even telling them to do stuff for a long time and it's when somebody else tells they get. Tell them that you like God intends it intends this assembly this family to provide influencers in the lives of your children, let them carry that baton the glory of Christ, God intends you put together the clues of Timothy's testimony and you discover that he is a godly young man ultimately because of the grace of God, but it will be the grace of God through a mother and a grandmother and an apostle and other members of the church and those who cared about him and wanted to hear and update house house to be getting along can imagine how encouraging that Paul is just writing to the Philippians here is this letter opens ascending Timothy a message to go back later noticed the end of the first phrase in Philippians 1 verse one Paul and Timothy note this servants of Christ Jesus, that translation servant is unfortunate. It softens that it's from the Greek now do Lawson means slave anybody right that in the margin of your Bible slave was Paul saying I didn't hire on the right benefit package to complain about the terms are the hourly way or the hours that one of the road. It's only as a person becomes the slave the creator that he begins to experience true freedom and life.

Another offer from the 1800s read it this way slavery to God is true liberty, freedom does not mean doing what you like. It means liking what you all, Paul is redefining her freedom is turning all upside down. Paul, the great apostle Paul, the renowned church leader church planter. Paul, the courageous missionary statesman Paul the kinda guy there would be stone merely the data go back and preach a sermon number three or four or five Timothy's faithful partner in ministry. Timothy, the young man being groomed for leadership. Timothy the bold and courageous, we were all know Paul and slave of Christ wasn't that a great reminder today it's easy for us to get caught up in the trap of trying to make a name for ourselves. You've been listening to wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi.

Today's lesson was called the meaning of life.

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