Creekside Community Church
Citizens: The Book of Philippians - Sermon 6 - Three Reasons to Put Others before Yourself
Creekside Community Church Citizens: The Book of Philippians March 10, 2019 John Bruce
Locations & Times
Creekside Community Church
951 MacArthur Blvd, San Leandro, CA 94577, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
1.To Please God (vs. 12-13)
2.To Benefit Society (vs. 14-15)
3.To Prepare for Eternity(vs. 16-18)
For further thought and discussion:
Getting Started
1. What was helpful to you in this week’s sermon? What didn’t you understand?
2. Can you think of an example from your own life where self-concern gets in the way of obedience to Christ?
Going Deeper
3. Please read Philippians 2:12-18 and answer the following questions.
a. Vs. 12 begins, “So then my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but also in my absence…” What does this suggest to you about the following list of commands Paul gives to the Philippians? What’s the connection between what has come before in 1:27-2:11 and what follows?
b. What do you think Paul means by “work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who is at work within you both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (2:13)? What does this verse tell you about salvation? What’s God’s part? What’s our part? What’s the difference between working forour salvation, working onour salvation and working outour salvation? How have you seen God will and work for His good pleasure in your life? How does this command fit into what Paul has already written? Why would following Jesus’ example of putting others before ourselves give God pleasure? Why would it give us pleasure? How does this verse change the way we see what will make us happy?
c. In vs. 14-15, why should we do all things without grumbling and disputing? Paul is talking about conduct worthy of the gospel and the necessity of Christian unity. What’s the relationship grumbling and disputing and unity? When are you most likely to grumble or argue? How does your attitude affect others? According to vs. 15, how does the Christian’s refraining from griping benefit society in general? Can you think of an example of this from either your own life or from someone you have observed? What helps you to stay positive rather than to become negative?
d. In vs. 16-18, what do you learn about being lights in the world? Why does Paul want the Philippians to be lights? What do these verses reveal to you about Paul’s motivation for serving them? If what will be most important to you the day you meet Jesus was most important to you today, what would change?
Application
What is one thing you have learned from this passage and how will you apply it to your life?
Getting Started
1. What was helpful to you in this week’s sermon? What didn’t you understand?
2. Can you think of an example from your own life where self-concern gets in the way of obedience to Christ?
Going Deeper
3. Please read Philippians 2:12-18 and answer the following questions.
a. Vs. 12 begins, “So then my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but also in my absence…” What does this suggest to you about the following list of commands Paul gives to the Philippians? What’s the connection between what has come before in 1:27-2:11 and what follows?
b. What do you think Paul means by “work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who is at work within you both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (2:13)? What does this verse tell you about salvation? What’s God’s part? What’s our part? What’s the difference between working forour salvation, working onour salvation and working outour salvation? How have you seen God will and work for His good pleasure in your life? How does this command fit into what Paul has already written? Why would following Jesus’ example of putting others before ourselves give God pleasure? Why would it give us pleasure? How does this verse change the way we see what will make us happy?
c. In vs. 14-15, why should we do all things without grumbling and disputing? Paul is talking about conduct worthy of the gospel and the necessity of Christian unity. What’s the relationship grumbling and disputing and unity? When are you most likely to grumble or argue? How does your attitude affect others? According to vs. 15, how does the Christian’s refraining from griping benefit society in general? Can you think of an example of this from either your own life or from someone you have observed? What helps you to stay positive rather than to become negative?
d. In vs. 16-18, what do you learn about being lights in the world? Why does Paul want the Philippians to be lights? What do these verses reveal to you about Paul’s motivation for serving them? If what will be most important to you the day you meet Jesus was most important to you today, what would change?
Application
What is one thing you have learned from this passage and how will you apply it to your life?