A Good Work Begun

FULL SERVICE: *See SERMON ONLY below

SERMON ONLY:

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Questions: Message 4 – A Good Work Begun (Philippians 1:6-8)

6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

7 For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.

8 For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

1. In this message “A Gook Work Begun,” we took the approach of a spy who is given the task to discover the characteristics of a real church from observation.  The first observation centered in God’s Promise to them: What He begins, He completes! The Second was about Paul’s journey and relationship to the Philippian Church – Paul’s Feelings: A Church with Crowded Hearts. We are to have the same heart for one another as Paul did for this church. Thirdly, we went beneath Paul’s relationship to the church to the source of that love – Christ’s affection.  These were three observations. If we had a spy do the same for us, what do you think his report would be?
2. Spend some time thinking about v6. What do you think of God’s promise?  
3. If you were asked to say what is going on in these verses from all the perspectives in them (Paul, The Father, Jesus Christ, the Philippian believers), how would you describe the picture combined?
4. These passages are very emotional, aren’t they? But these emotions are rooted in their experience. What is the foundation of their emotions? In other words, what gives birth to their emotional connection?
5. This was certainly a deep affectionate relationship.  Paul links this to “a good work” in v6, and “the gospel” in v7. He sums it all up in the word “grace.” How do you understand that connection?
6. When understanding Paul’s relationship to this church, I said it would be rooted in that “the love of Christ broke the heart of the chief of sinners.” It was the Christ of the gospel that so radically changed Paul. How did that happen? And why?
7. I say that CBC is still in the beginning part of what God is doing in us, like Paul talked about this church in Philippi. How is that both an encouragement as well as a challenge?
8. Read these verse a few times. Then just sit and close your eyes. Allow your mind to capture the journey. The Love of God sends Christ, the love of Christ changing Paul, the love of Paul for this church in Philippi. Is there anything else in all of history that could explain this other than the gospel?
9. Has God begun a good work in you? Your marriage? Your family? Can you trust Him to finish what he begun?