1

Joy:

Joy of Thanksgiving and Prayer

Philippians 1:3-11

Introduction

Joy of prayer/answered prayer/Thanksgiving

(Or Bible Project video)

Transition: Today we are starting a new

letter of the Apostle Paul to the church of

Philippi. The reason I chose this letter for

our fall is because this letter is the letter of

Joy. The word Joy or rejoice is used over 17

times in the letter.

Context: This letter was written while the

Apostle Paul was in prison. There is some

debate about where and when, but prison

none the less. Some scholars think it was

while Paul was awaiting execution. Paul

had received from this local church a

financial gift to help with his ministry and

the expansion of the gospel. Paul is writing

to say thank you.

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But what is fascinating to me is the word

“joy” and “rejoice” written so many times

throughout this letter while Paul sits in jail.

Listen, 2020 has been one of the toughest

year’s that I can remember. It has created so

much strain around us, but as Christians,

external difficulties do not (Or should not)

rob us of joy. Paul is in prison and filled

with joy. So, we are going to study this

letter together and learn, with the Apostle

Paul, the secret to having Joy in all our

circumstances.

Transition: After his introduction, Paul

starts with a…

I. Prayer of thanksgiving.

Philippians 1:3-4

I thank my God in all my remembrance of

you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for

you all making my prayer with joy, (ESV)

A. Joy in praying for others.

(Remembering others in prayer).

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1. Joy is far different than

happiness.

2. There is a tremendous amount of

joy in taking your eyes off

yourself and your circumstances

praying for another person.

3. There is a tremendous amount of

joy in telling another person that

you are genuinely praying for

them.

4. In my prayer journal I have a page

dedicated to my small group, and I

pray for them….so guess what,

when I see them, I can tell them,

“I have been praying for you.”

5. There is a part of serving others

when we pray for them.

6. I get people all the time telling me

they are praying for me as the

Pastor of CCC.

7. That is just, “Wow”!! Serving

together this church as we pray for

one another – Joy.

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8. It was also a prayer of

Thanksgiving, thanking God for

the people of the church.

9. When was the last time you

stopped and gave thanks for the

people of this church?

Illustration: Your small group leaders, the

people who do kids ministry with your kids,

the people volunteering to do the student

ministry, our food ministry leaders, your

Elders who give great spiritual leadership to

CCC, women’s ministry, and men’s ministry

leaders, first impressions team, our security

team that cares about your safety, our clean

up crew that tries to protect us from Covid-

19, if you have received counsel and

wisdom you have received in and through

the ministry of CCC. So much for which to

be thankful surrounding the members of the

church.

B. Joy in participating in the gospel

together.

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Philippians 1:5-6

because of your partnership in the gospel

from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure

of this, that he who began a good work in

you will bring it to completion at the day of

Jesus Christ. (ESV)

1. Joy in participating together in

prayer.

2. There is joy in actually showing

up and serving together.

3. There is joy in participating

through giving.

4. When we do baptism in a couple

weeks, you participate in that

together as you pray, and serve,

and give.

II. Joy of Concern. (This is some of the

Apostle Paul’s most tender words in any

letter he has written.)

Philippians 2:7-8

It is right for me to feel this way about you

all, because I hold you in my heart, for you

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are all partakers with me of grace, both in

my imprisonment and in the defense and

confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my

witness, how I yearn for you all with the

affection of Christ Jesus. (ESV)

A. Prayer stirs affection.

1. One of the incredible values of

prayer is it stirs affection toward

those for whom you are praying.

2. This affection stirs us to action

and care and love.

Illustration: Start praying for your

neighbors who don’t know Christ – next

thing you know you are crossing paths and

have opportunities to serve and then share

Christ. Start praying for your small

members and the next thing you know you

are caring deeply for them. In fact, Jesus

said this…

Matthew 5:43-44

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall

love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

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44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and

pray for those who persecute you, (ESV)

If your marriage is struggling (Not saying

your spouse is your enemy – but they could

be – start to pray for them – but watch out

God may change you and soften your heart

towards them).

Start praying for the person that hurt you, or

got the job instead of you, or has more

influence on talent that you wished you had.

Start praying for the person that abused you

or hurt you. Start praying for racial

reconciliation and injustice around you –

and watch your heart soften.

B. My concerns for Coastal.

1. I am concerned that some of you

want to come and can’t.

(Underlying health condition,

taking care of an aging loved one.)

I ache for you not being able to

attend.)

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2. I am concerned that some one

could attend get Covid-19 here –

we are doing all the protocols and

cleaning, but we with

asymptomatic transmission we

never know – I am concerned.

3. I am concerned that some of you

have become overwhelmed with

fear. You could come with proper

precautions, but fear has so

gripped your heart that it has left

you paralyzed.

4. In that regard – I am then

concerned about depression,

discouragement, lack of joy or

purpose – I am concerned.

5. I concerned that some have grown

spiritually lazy – just easier to do

church at home (If I want to) or

not doing church or spiritual

disciplines at all – I am concerned.

6. I pray daily for Coastal

Community Church – that is you.

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Transition: Church I am praying for you, I

want you to be both safe, and know the joy

of gathering corporately in worship, as this

is good for our souls. Finally…

III. Prayer for the church.

Philippians 1:9-11

And it is my prayer that your love may

abound more and more, with knowledge and

all discernment, 10 so that you may approve

what is excellent, and so 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.

(ESV)

Main Point: The best way for you to

influence someone is to pray for them. Less

talking and more praying!!

Four things that Paul prays for this church.

These four things will revolutionize your

church and bring joy in your life.

A. Love.

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1. Why does love bring joy – so

many reasons.

2. Love keeps us seeing the best in

people.

3. Our culture right now is careening

out of control with seeing the

worst in people – everything a

person says is perceived as a

micro-aggression that only further

divides. Peter says it this way:

1 Peter 4:8

Above all, keep loving one another

earnestly, since love covers a multitude of

sins. (ESV)

B. Knowledge and wisdom.

1. Praying that the church will have

knowledge of God’s word.

2. Discernment or wisdom is how to

properly apply that knowledge to

specific situations.

3. Literally Paul says: “to approve

what is excellent.”

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4. Many times, in our lives our

choices are not between good and

bad, but better and best.

5. Prayer, knowledge, and

knowledge properly applied brings

spiritual wisdom – approving what

is best (Excellent)

C. Pure and blameless (For the day of

Christ)

1. Paul reminds us that one day we

will stand before God and give an

account of our lives.

2. Being in Christ, of course, is our

righteousness.

3. But stewarding of resources and

living for what is excellent.

4. Walking in our lives in a way that

displays character and integrity.

D. Living in Holiness for the worship of

God.

1. When we live as God has

commanded, because He is good,

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and His ways are best and good

for us:

2. It brings praise and worship to

Him.

3. And it brings joy to our lives.

4. God’s Commands are not

burdensome – they bring joy!!

Conclusion

I remember a couple years ago a major

Hurricane was bearing down on the East

Coast and it was all over the news. A week

out, there was a lot of discussion in my

community about evacuating. I spoke to my

neighbor about it and she said to me, “I

don’t know what to do. I am just so stressed

from watching the news.”

Listen, we live in the information age. Not

all bad, and I am not suggesting we bury our

heads in the sand. But there have been times

in my life (Missions trips) where I have been

significantly disconnected from the news

and have found it incredibly refreshing.

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Many of us are probably ingesting too much

information and not enough spiritual

discipline. Many of us are watching Covid,

pandemic, government, and elections a little

too closely, and it is killing our JOY!!

Church I want you to run to Christ. Love

what Christ loves. He loves righteousness,

justice, holiness. He loves his church, and

his people loving one another, serving one

another, and forgiving one another. I want

you to know the joy, the peace, and the

freedom of resting in Jesus Christ alone.

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy

laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my

yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am

gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find

rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy,

and my burden is light.” (ESV)

Sermon commentary for 9-13-2020 Pastor Nate Weis

Read Philippians 1:1-11 together and answer the following questions.

What is the theme of this passage?

• The love and gratitude that Paul has for the Philippian church. Paul said that he always thanks God in every prayer for this church with joy (v. 3-4). It is clear that he loves this church deeply (v. 8), and is passionate about their growth in the gospel.

• Their partnership (gk. Koinonia) in the gospel. Paul is grateful for this church because of their fellowship in ministry with Him “from the first day until now” (v. 5). He knows that this church is standing side by side with him to proclaim the gospel and make disciples, and he is incredibly grateful for their partnership with him.

• Perseverance of the Saints: Philippians 1:6 is one of the clearest passages of Scripture that teaches the doctrine of eternal security. Paul wrote that he is “sure” that “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” This verse is a clear teaching that God will sovereignly ensure that all true believers will persevere in the faith until the end.

• Paul’s Prayer: Paul closes this section by reporting his prayer for the Philippian church: He prays that they would abound in love (v. 9), grow in knowledge and discernment so that they will approve what is excellent (v. 10), and that they would be pure and blameless, bearing fruit in all of their conduct (v. 10-11).

What challenged you in this Scripture?

• Let a little silence happen as people mull over the message and their response to it. Don’t be too quick to jump in with an answer; some may need a little time to reflect. At the same time; don’t be afraid to let folks know the areas that hit you hardest...it will allow your group members to see your growth as a believer.

• I am challenged by Paul’s prayer in verses 9-11. It is a challenge for us to grow in love, grow in knowledge, and grow in righteous behavior. That pretty much covers every area of the Christian life: Your love for others, your knowledge of God’s Word, and your behavior. There’s something in there to challenge everyone! Read through this prayer with your group and ask them what is challenging to them and how they need to grow.

• I am challenged by Paul’s joy about this church. If we’re honest, joy isn’t always the first word that comes to mind when we think of other believers. Our sinful tendency is toward sinful division, selfish ambition, judgmental thoughts, petty disagreements, etc. Is joy the first thing that comes to your heart when you think of fellow church members?

In what ways does this passage help you savor Christ more?

• Paul mentions the “day of Jesus Christ” twice here (v. 6, 10). We ought to live in light of the second coming of Jesus. Christians are often more likely to debate about the second coming of Jesus, but the New Testament never presents it as a topic of debate but as a perspective that ought to shape the way we live our lives. We take comfort in the fact that God will persevere us until the “day of Jesus Christ.” We are to strive for love, knowledge, and righteous conduct so that we will be pure and blameless in the “day of Jesus Christ.” Strive to savor Christ by meditating often on the fact that He is coming again, and let this push you toward faithfulness.

• Jesus will see to it that we will not lose our salvation but will be completely holy at His return (v. 6, 10). We savor this incredible grace, because without it we all would be lost. Savor the fact that Jesus has us in His hands and will never let us be lost. To discuss this theme, consider reading John 10:27-30 or Romans 8:31-39 with your group.

How is this passage calling you to further obedience in your walk with God?

• Growth in love for one another and partnership together in the local church for the cause of the gospel.

• Growth in knowledge and discernment so that we can approve of what is excellent. We ought to strive to grow in our knowledge of the Word so that we can tell when a teaching is out of step with God’s Word.

• Growth in personal righteousness by forsaking sin and pursuing our relationship with God so that we will be pure and blameless when Jesus returns.

How can this passage of Scripture shape your prayer life?

• Just as Paul “always” prayed for this church, so we also ought to be regularly praying for our local church. What are some specific ways your small group can pray for your campus of Coastal? How can you pray for your pastors/elders?

• Paul prayed for the spiritual wellbeing of the church. Often our prayer requests are about physical needs (healing of the sick, work-related issues, etc) and we neglect spiritual needs when gathering prayer requests. Maybe challenge your group to share a way they need to grow spiritually and pray for that together.

What are three practical takeaways from the sermon you listened on this passage?

Small Group Questions Joy of Thanksgiving and Prayer

Phil 1:12-18 September 13, 2020

*You do NOT have to answer or discuss every question. Feel free to just pick a few. These are meant to guide you in truth. If you are having trouble answering a question, ask your small group leader to help you. They are committed to helping you develop as an authentic follower of Christ.

The COMMUNITY QUESTION:

1. Name some of your favorite places you’ve visited in the states and in the world.

Into the WORD/APPLICATION:

Here are some suggested sites in order to dive deeper into God's Word: blueletterbible.org, desiringgod.org/articles/all, biblos.com, ccel.org, logos.com, connect.ligonier.org, thegospelcoalition.org/channel/bible-and-theology. 1. Read the scripture verses listed above and discuss the following

questions together. What is the theme of this passage?

2. What challenged you in this Scripture?

3. In what ways does this passage help you savor Christ more?

4. How is this passage calling you to further obedience in your walk with God?

5. How can this passage of Scripture shape your prayer life?

6. What are three practical takeaways from the sermon you listened on this passage?

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Coastal Yorktown | September 13th 2020

Don’t forget! Sermons and further resources are discussed on the Post Sunday Podcast (posted each Wednesday). Your question may be addressed there!

PRAYER & QUESTIONS:

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IN RESPONSE TOTODAY ’ S SERVICE . . .

I’d like to know more about accepting a relationship with Jesus.

I. Prayer of T H A N K S G I V I N G .

A. Joy in praying for O T H E R S .

B. Joy in P A R T I C I P A T I N G in the gospel

T O G E T H E R .

II. Joy of C O N C E R N .

III. Prayer for the C H U R C H .

A. L O V E .

B. K N O W L E D G E and W I S D O M .

C. P U R E and B L A M E L E S S .

D. L I V I N G in H O L I N E S S for the worship of God.

I’M INTERESTED IN:I would like more info on Small Groups.

I would like more info for Men of Coastal’s BBQ & Cornhole Tournament.

09.13.20 | PASTOR SHAUN BROWN

Philippians 1 : 3–11

J O Y O F T H A N K S G I V I N G

A N D P R A Y E R