Introduction:

Philippians, located in the New Testament, between Ephesians and Colossians, is a rather small "book" of the Bible, if you compare it to one of the Gospels or to Acts, Romans, or Revelation. It is an epistel, or letter, that was (and we are going to go with the mainstream of thought here) written by Paul.



To begin to understand Philippians, we must go back and reference Acts: 15:35-17:1. This is the recorded account of Paul's first mission trip to Philippi. It is in this reference that we find Paul meeting Lydia, and the first record of a convert to Christianity in Europe. It is here that Lydia accepts Christ and leads her entire household to Christ and to baptism. Then, she opens her home up to the leaders.



For a Lydia Ministries Study, what better place for us to start than in Philippians? God's revelations are so good! He pulls everything together in His perfect time and in His perfect order, if we will but allow Him free reign in our lives! I didn't associate Philippians with the story of Lydia when the Lord laid this study on my heart! God is Good!



I suggest that you take time to read Philippians through twice. Don't groan! It shouldn't take you long, at all. It's only 6 pages or so (in the translation that I'm studying from), and only four short chapters.



The first time that you read it through, try to read it as a whole, and not chapters and verses, remembering that this was written as a letter from a man who intimately knew his recipients.



The second time you read it through, keep YOUR eyes open and YOUR ears open for anything that the Lord might be trying to say to you in this letter. Is there anything that just jumps out at you? Perhaps something that you have to go back and read over and over, because something about it is just "niggling" at you. Sometimes, when I'm studying, it is as though God just hits me over the head with it, and I have an "ahh haa" moment. However God chooses to speak to you as you read His LIVING message to you, listen and take notes. His revelations to you are more important than anything that I will have to say!



And, always and in all places, pray-pray-pray! Pray before you begin your study time. Pray in the midst of it, for revelation, understanding, clarity of thought, wisdom, perseverance, and more. Pray when you've finished your study, perhaps for the courage to put into practice what you have learned in the reading and studying of God's word. Just be sure to pray, speaking and listening to the Author of all creation. Now, if you are ready, let us begin.



Paul wrote this letter around 61-62 AD. It was about a year later that Luke wrote the book of Acts, giving an account of the beginning of the church. Again, Acts 15:35-17:1 records Paul's first visit to Philippi, and the onset of the church and ministry there. When Paul writes this letter there is a thriving Christian community/church in Philippi and Paul is writing a letter to this community.



Part 1: Bond-Servants To Christ, Philippians Chapter 1:1



Chapter 1:1 tells us that this letter is from Paul and Timothy. Paul is not alone, he has Timothy at his side, assisting him. Perhaps even acting as his scribe, his secretary. I can see Paul saying, "Timothy, come and help me with this letter to the church over in Philippi." And, Timothy gathering his robes and tunic about him, sitting down with "pen" in hand and writing as Paul dictates his thoughts and feelings, according to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.



Paul says that he and Timothy are bond-servants to Christ Jesus! A bond-servant, hmmm, who would want to compare themselves to a bond-servant? Well, if you read through Philippians, you will have read in chapter 2:7 "...but (Jesus)emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of man." So, I hear Paul saying, "if it was good enough for Jesus, and He being God, to empty himself and become a bond-servant for me, then it's good enough for me to become a bond-servant for Him!"



A bond-servant was owned, lock-stock-and barrel, to coin an old phrase. Paul is stating in unequivocal terms that he and Timothy have sold out to Christ. They are slaves to the Master. They belong to Jesus and Jesus alone.



Let me ask you today, have you sold out to anyone? Sometimes we buy into something, and then we find that we've sold ourselves out to someone or something. This first example is a very minor and understated example, but it's the first thing that comes to mind. It's also a little embarrassing.



I recently received a scam email. At first, it looked very legitimate. I felt sure that it was addressed to my late husband, who was pastor for more than 32 years. It stated that we had been left a large sum of money from a man's estate who had bequeathed it to us in order that we might start a chairty in his name. Well, not being quite so gullible, I did some research. The attorney that the letter was supposed to be from, with a large financial firm, is a "real" person with a legitimate business. So, I looked up the name and email address from the company's website, and discovered that the email addresses were different. In the meantime, though I was sharing this information with my daughter. We both suspected it was a scam, and therefore took time to look into it before sending any reply back to the person who had sent the letter. I would like to have "bought into" the whole thing. How wonderful to be named heir to almost 100 million dollars, money to start a charity with! Had I bought into it, then what I would have been doing was selling out my identity to these scam artists!



Now, as I said, this is a simple thing. There are many other things, lies from the enemy that I have bought into over my life journey.



When I was in Kindergarten my family lived in Tennessee. I guess it was probably not kindergarten back then, but it was a pre-school program, and then I went to first grade. For both of these "grades" I had the same teacher. She was not a very nice person either. Some people just should not be school teachers, and she was one that I would put in my "does not qualify" book!



I was punished by this woman every day when I came into the classroom. Now, before you think that maybe I deserved it, (which I'm sure you wouldn't think that anyway), I'll give my own defense, after all, it's my story!



I was a very quiet child, and very smart. I was a good reader and a "Straight-A" student until I was in the 8th Grade. Every morning when I would enter into the classroom, Mrs. ..... would make me stand in front of the lavatory, look in the mirror that hung at eye-level over it and say out loud, "What an ugly little girl I am." Well, no matter how much I tried not to, I bought into the lie. It took until I was in my mid-20's to realize that it was a lie. I was not an ugly child. I was a beautiful child, both physically and spiritually! I had sandy-blonde hair and great, huge brown eyes. I had clear skin and was very petite. It would not have mattered if I had curley brown hair, or straight red-hair, or bouncy black hair (which is what I really wanted!), and freckles or pimples or dimples and was a little more chubby than the kid who sat next to me, I would still have been beautiful!



But, because of this teacher's abuse, I bought into a lie that affected me directly until I was nearly 25 years old, and in-directly even today! My self-esteem as a teen was little or nothing. I had been convinced that I was an ugly child. It wasn't just standing in front of mirror, day after day, but more importantly, having to do so in front of my peers, and being forced to repeat "I am an ugly little girl".



By buying into the lie that I was ugly and unworthy and somehow less than the other children, I sold out to some other things. I became a slave of the lie. I was in bondage to this lie for many years. I could not speak publicly (before more than one or two friends). I never felt comfortable with the "pretty or popular" girls. I did things that were self-destructive. I hung out with people who were too old for me to be "hanging" with, to get approval from my peers, thinking that it would make me feel whole inside. I was very vulnerable because I was always trying to prove that I was not ugly, that I was worthy of affection and approval, and people who prey on vulnerable children saw that I was an easy target. I was a bond-servant to a lie that I had bought into as a little child.



Have you become a bond-servant to something or someone because you've bought into something that you now realize you shouldn't have?



There is One and only One that we should be bond-servant to, and that is Jesus Christ. He was willing to become a bond-servant to set us free. In Matt. 11:28-30 Jesus beckons us, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and You will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." If we will give those burdens to Jesus, he will set us free. I had to learn from Jesus to love myself. To recognize that I had been the victim of the enemy, Satan himself, who comes to "steal, kill and destroy."



If you are in bondage to something or someone, you may need someone to help you get free. Find someone that you can trust, a pastor of a good, solid, grounded in the Bible, church is where I would go first. If you are a student, and you need someone to talk to you might seek out a school counselor. It took almost 20 years for me to get out from under the bondage of the lie that I was ugly and unworthy. But, God delivered me from it and He can deliver you from whatever bondage you might be in too. You can trust Jesus. He "bought it all for us", so that we could be free in Him.



Praying on The Back Porch:



O' Gracious Father, thank you that we do not have to live in bondage to anyone or anything. Thank you that you sent your Son, Jesus, to buy us back out of bondage, the bondage to slavery and death that is due each of us. Thank you that through Christ Jesus and the debt of death that he paid on the cross for us, we can have eternal life, beginning at the moment we accept this loving gift. Thank you that Jesus is meek and His burden is light, that He doesn't place heavy burdens on us and ask us to carry them. Thank you for allowing us to study your Word, and to hear your voice and to know the Truth. Help us to freely say, "I am a bond-servant to Christ" and then, after claiming it, to live it out in our lives each day.



I thank you, Father, for each one who might gather here "on this Back Porch" and study with me. I pray, God, that you would speak to their hearts and each would know the saving grace of Jesus Christ. If even one is in bondage to something or someone other than to Christ alone, would you set them free, if they desire to be free? If they will cry out to you, I know you will set them free of any slavery that binds them. We praise you, God, for you alone are worthy of our praise and our worship. In the Name above all Names we pray, Amen.



Now, be sure to come back later for the next lesson in our study of the letter to the church in Philippi, better known as "Philippians". And, as we say in the South, "ya'll come back".