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Philippians 1:1-2
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 16:6-15
6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
Watch the Sermon
Summary: This week, we will begin a series looking at the book of Philippians. Philippians is a short epistle written by the apostle Paul to the church in the city of Philippi that he helped plant (see Acts 16-17). This letter was written to the Philippians while Paul was imprisoned. Even in difficult circumstances, the apostle's faith sustained him and gave him contentment. Paul's joy in Christ is evident throughout the letter, as well as his view of Christ as triumphant and worthy to be worshipped and praised regardless of the cost (see Philippians 3:1-11). As we begin this series, we would encourage you to read through or listen to the entirety of Philippians once a week during this series. Reading the whole book with some repetition will help you to have a better working and comprehensive knowledge of the letter, which will help you understand the text being preached. We are looking forward to studying Philippians together over the coming weeks!
Review & Apply
Read through Acts 15:36-16:40. How does this background help you understand Paul's relationship with the Philippian church?
From your reading of Acts 16, what are some of the results of God closing the doors for Paul to Asia but opening doors to Macedonia? How do you explain the role of the Spirit in the planting of the church?
What does it mean that God opened Lydia's heart to Paul's message? How would you explain God opening your heart?
How do Paul and Timothy describe themselves in their letter to the Philippians? What can we learn from this about where to place our identity?
After reading the book of Philippians, what was a key lesson you can take away and apply to your life?
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