Jesus Our Joy Philippians 1 Praying for a Really Great Church

Last Week.. 1 – Our IDENTITY in Christ (Servants and Saints) 2 - Our ASSURANCE in Christ 3 - Our PARTNERSHIP in Christ All this was true of the Philippians from day 1 - in Acts 16 – and it remained true.

Philippians 1:9-11 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.

Paul’s secret for a REALLY GREAT CHURCH! Are you satisfied with your Christian life? Do you want to be closer to God? Do you want to be more excited by the gospel? SO WHAT SHOULD WE PRAY FOR?

Pray for... Fads? Gimmicks? A Spiritual ‘shot in the arm’? Paul’s answer is simple – just three things. It avoids the HIGHS and LOWS of spiritual instability. It’s Paul’s solution for ALL the Christians in Philippi – despite their many different temperaments and characters. So what is it?

Paul Prays for… MORE LOVE MORE KNOWLEDGE MORE UNDERSTANDING 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…

1 - MORE LOVE, LORD This Church was LOVING. Paul prays for MORE love. Love must “Abound” – to bubble up like a spring. In 1919 Laurence of Arabia, toured in PARIS with Arab wartime friends. For them the most amazing sight in Paris was a water tap at their hotel!

What lay behind the tap? What lies behind Christian Love? When we pray to God for MORE Love in our Church are we ready for God to answer? How will his answer change me?

Can You Finish This Text? Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. What verse comes next…? For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

2- MORE KNOWLEDGE, LORD To LOVE according to the Bible we need to THINK biblically! “That your love may abound more and more in knowledge…” Let’s get technical with language…

Paul’s Technical Word-box This is not just KNOWING (gnosis) but special-knowing, SPECIALISED KNOWLEDGE (epignosis). In the New Testament this is always spiritual knowledge – truths discovered in the Bible. Luke 1.4, so that you may know; Col 1:10, Growing in the knowledge of God.

So – No Bible, No Love. Don’t set up mind and heart (feeling and knowing) as enemies. Do Beware a Christianity that is all talk, all words and no passion. Keep up your STUDY or you will forget basic Christian truth.

3 - MORE UNDERSTANDING, LORD Knowing the bible leads to RIGHT APPLICATION. That demands discernment, understanding, depth of insight. “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…”

This Is a Repeated Prayer… Colossians 1:9-11. 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. 10 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, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might

Understanding Saves Your Blushes "So that you may be able to discern what is best" (v.10). Where there is an absence of discernment in the church, there can be gullibility. We can settle for the good, not the best. Understanding leads to a planned Christianity, full of purpose, bearing fruit.

Remember How Fruit Grows MORE LOVE; KNOWLEDGE; AND UNDERSTANDING… We are not like Christmas trees - trying to tie sweets on our branches. In Christ, we are new plants, connected to Christ, bearing his fruit. More love leads to more knowledge…

Show Christ You Love Him… Depend on Christ for your fruit (John 15 – without me you can do nothing). Thou art coming to a King, Large petitions with thee bring; For His grace and power are such, None can ever ask too much. John Newton

Psalm 63:1-5 (p. 295) Lord, thee my God, I’ll early seek: my soul doth thirst for thee; My flesh longs in a dry parched land, wherein no waters be:

Psalm 63:1-5 2/4 That I thy powèr may behold, and brightness of thy face, As I have seen thee heretofore within thy holy place.

Psalm 63:1-5 3/4 Since better is thy love than life, my lips thee praise shall give. I in thy name will lift my hands, and bless thee while I live.

Psalm 63:1-5 4/4 Ev’n as with marrow and with fat my soul shall fillèd be; Then shall my mouth with joyful lips sing praises unto thee:

Please join us in the hall for tea and coffee God Calls Us to delight in Christ and to Share His Hope.