“Loving One Another Deeply Reflecting God’s Love for Us” CW All-Church Retreat 2017 Session 1 PARTNERSHIP: God’s Plan for the Rest of Your Life (Philippians 1:1-11) Session 2 COURAGE: Chains Cannot Stop Us (Philippians 1:12-30) Session 3 CARING: How to Make a Good Example Work (Philippians 2:19-30) Session 4 PARTNERS IN THE GOSPEL: Through CrossWay Church (Philippians 1:3-5; 4:14-19; 2:3-8)

“PARTNERSHIP: God’s Plan for the Rest of Your Life” Philippians 1:1-11 Session 1 [Friday Evening] All-Church Retreat 2017 © June 23, 2017 Pastor Jim Price 3

PHILIPPIANS 1:1-11 [NIV] 1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 1:1-11 [NIV] 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, 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 for the day of Christ,11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

PARTNERSHIP: GOD’S PLAN FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE 1. Be a partner in the Gospel. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now (vv. 4-5)

PARTNERSHIP: GOD’S PLAN FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE 2. Help God work in your life. 6 …being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (v. 6) “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you.” Philippians 2:12-13

PARTNERSHIP: GOD’S PLAN FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE 3. Make decisions by what really matters. 10 “…so that you may be able to discern what is best.” (v. 10)   “I want you to understand what really matters, so that you can live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns.” (v. 10, NLT)

PARTNERSHIP: GOD’S PLAN FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE 3. Make decisions by what really matters. Four guides to sort out “what is best…what really matters” Think Benefit. Think Long-term. Think People. Think Life Contribution.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS What made the Philippian Christians Paul’s favorite? Thumb through the rest of the book of Philippians and also look at 2 Corinthians 7-8 where Paul uses the “Macedonian churches,” that is, the Philippian church as an example for the Corinthians to learn from. What are some of the needs of CrossWay that persons could step up and take leadership in? How closely tied is financial involvement to Crossway to partnership in the gospel with CrossWay? What other guidance from Scripture is there in this matter? For instance, from Jesus? Evaluate this statement and, if possible, supply personal illustrations: “Spiritual maturity and happiness in the Lord has a direct correlation to a Christians being a partner in the gospel with a local church.”