"Real, Gritty Joy: No One Else Like Him" - Week 6

Week 6 in our series on Paul's letter to the Philippians.

A Summary: "No One Else Like Him"

Starting in this passage (Philippians 2:19-30), Paul's defense for enduring joy moves from doctrine to example. This passage contains the remarkable descriptions of selfless love and sacrifice in Timothy and Epaphroditus. From these examples we learn much of what it means to live in the oneness for which Jesus prayed in John 17:21,23.

Who were these men? What were their primary motivations and interests? Can self-sacrifice like their's lead us to joy?

Why is the life of the church important in redemptive history? How do we know if our relationships are exemplary of the gospel? If they aren't, how do we change?

Listen to the message here.

Additional Resources

Discussion Questions

"It is church life like this that really conquers the world, as it did the ancient world. Men and women saw something in the Christian society that they had never seen anywhere else. We get glimpses of it here, but just imagine its effect on any township or village or country district! And this has been repeated many times in history; every revival reproduces this kind of thing, and this, it seems to me, is the thing that is greatly needed in the world at this present time." (Martyn Lloyd Jones, commenting on this passage in The Life of Joy and Peace)

"So whom will you follow? What contemporary Christians will serve you well as good models? Emulate those who are interested in the well-being of others, not in their own. Be on the alert for Christians who really do exemplify this basic Christian attitude, this habit of helpfulness. They are never the sort who strut their way into leadership with inflated estimates of their own importance. They are the kind who cheerfully pick up after other people. They are not offended if no one asks about them; they are too busy asking about others." (D. A. Carson, commenting on this passage in Basics for Believers)