Sunday Praise & Worship 10:00
Christian Education - 10:00 - Casual Dress - Loving Childcare
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Paul begins his letter to the church at Philippi with encouraging and inspirational words. I thank God every time I think of you, he dictates, and calls the saints gathered at Philippi his partners in spreading the Good News. God knows how much I love you. Wow. Read that again. That work is not complete, of course, and so Paul encourages the Philippians to overflow in love and to keep on growing in knowledge and understanding—to be filled with the fruit of their salvation: righteousness produced in their lives by Jesus Christ.
Like so much of our lives, the church gathered at Philippi cannot rest easy, having completed their mission. But though the work of following Christ is not complete, Paul assures them that the One who began this good work in them will be faithful to complete it. We often lament the insignificance of our own faith—and rarely think of the faith that God supplies. Imagine it! God’s faithfulness and righteousness and love alone can fill our lives to overflowing. This God called us in the first place—loves us first, and knit us together in our mother’s womb.
This God began a good work is our lives. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Our righteousness does not attract God to us. God loves us because God created us for communion and companionship. At some point in our lives, we begin to believe in the extravagant worth God invests in us—having given his life to purchase freedom for everyone (1 Timothy 2:6). For you.
God will finish, complete (perfect) this work that God has started in our lives on the day when Christ Jesus returns, Paul promises. We live into that promise not by trying to be “good”, but by living a prayerful existence, in constant communion with our God who has given us new life and whose love overflows our lives into the lives of others. With each step, each action or inaction, we call God’s presence and power into reality in our lives.
The contemporary theologian Dallas Willard has said that the Kingdom of God exists wherever God’s will is perfectly done. Jesus told his disciples that whatever he (the Son) was doing was what he saw the Father doing—he could not possibly do anything else (John 5:19). We have looked at several facets of prayer in the past few weeks, but perhaps the most comprehensive definition of prayer is this concept of watching and imitating God—praying in actions inspired by God.
God gives us the power to mirror God’s movements in this world. When we give God complete permission to animate our souls and our bodies, the Kingdom of God establishes itself wherever we are. People who come into contact with us experience the touch of God. We don’t merely communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world—we are the Good News—the very Body of Christ in this world.
Questions for Reflection
1. When
did God begin a good work in your life? What special or high moment in your life
signifies the time when you realized you were not alone? If you don’t feel like
you have had such a moment, ask someone who loves you to tell you about such a
time.
2.
How do you experience prayer as overflowing the quiet, alone places in your life
into the more public places of your life? In what ways does God inspire you to
action in a conversation that takes place in the midst of “life” (at work,
school, among friends or family, or strangers)?
3.
Now that our seven week prayer focus comes to an end, how have you grown in
knowledge and understanding at Skyline throughout our prayer series? Please take
the time this week to share these new understanding with someone who needs to
hear from God (through you).
For Next Week: We begin our series on Community. Please read Romans 14:10-13; and 15:7 (they key verse is 14:13). We will focus on the supportive community that God has created at Skyline through the safe, non-judgmental sanctuary we become by welcoming everyone in love. How have you experienced this environment? How have you helped create it?
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Key Verse:
Philippians 1:9 “I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and
more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.”