Our verses today came in the context of Paul's call for living out the fruit of the Gospel in the community of believers (2:1-18). Paul uses Jesus as our example for such living.
Paul reminded the Philippians and reminds us of the humility of Jesus - who set aside the fullness of his glory and equality with God to take on the flesh of His creation. He lived a life of humility and suffering and calls His followers to the same life. Communion reminds us that we are to participate in such a life of humility, sacrifice, and even death.
Paul also spoke of how Jesus has been exalted and given a name above all names. At His name every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. As Jesus has defeated death we have a great hope for our future - a future that includes our own resurrection and forevermore with Him - creation redeemed.
Communion is a way in which we are reminded of the Life of Jesus and reminded of our future hope. While Communion does NOT save us and is NOT REQUIRED for our salvation, it is a means through which we commune spiritually with Jesus and participate with Him is His life, death, and resurrection.
Here are a few questions to help you think through your response to this passage:
1. What did you hear God saying through this passage?
2. What does that mean?
3. What is God calling you to do? and/or Who is God calling you to be?
4. What would prevent you from doing or being that?
5. How can we help?
Today's message should be available on the media page of http://www.newcitydowntown.org/ Monday or Tuesday.
Our passage comes in the same context as 1:27-30 - Walking worthy of the gospel. We talked about the radical call of God for the community of Christ followers. We are to be incredibly different - a community who loves one another unconditionally, who shares the same passion and drive, who walks in humility, and a community who is not only concerned with themselves but who is also genuinely concerned for others as well. Paul's "list" is not simply a religious list of do's and don'ts, rather it is a glimpse of what it looks like when the gospel of Jesus Christ is bearing fruit in the community. It is the outworking of this process - God has done a great work for us in Christ - God is doing a great work in us in Christ (transformation) - and God is doing a great work through us > that is the fruit of the gospel that Paul wrote of. So, this is not a "list" of religious things that we MUST do in order to be Christ followers, rather it is the fruit of Christ working in and through his followers.
Today's passage comes in the larger context of Paul's joy in the advance of the Gospel. Over the past couple of weeks we have seen Paul's joy as the gospel is advance by others - even those with bad motives, and Paul's hope and expectation that he would also advance the Gospel in his own body, whether he lived or died.