PRESS ON

[ Christ’s completed work displayed through our lives in Philippians ]

Series Dates: 09/12/20 - 11/21/20

Around 62AD the apostle Paul was imprisoned in Rome in Caesar’s palace.  The fledgling local churches he had planted in recent years were coming under persecution and hardship.  In fact the first church he planted in Europe (Philippi- Acts 16.6-40) was experiencing hardship and there was a looming question concerning the newly forming church of the 1st Century- What will become of the church? Will she survive?  Will she be strengthened and mature and become the flourishing radiant bride Christ see’s her to be?  Or will she whither and become anemic, struggling to survive?   

In our COVID impacted world many are asking these same questions about the church of our day.  What will become of her?  What form will she take?  Will she die?  Will she be found alive and thriving or just surviving?   

From prison, almost a thousand miles away Paul pen’s a letter to encourage the church in Philippi and to remind them that Christ is not yet done with completing his bride.  His answer to the question of the church’s future is that Jesus is not yet finished with his bride, that He will indeed finish the work in her that He started (1.6) but that in this critical time she must be diligent to press on (3.12).  It is not a time for her to slack, become lax and apathetic.  Rather it is time to be more fully equipped and prepared for the field laid out before her. 

Over four chapters Paul encourages and challenges his brothers and sisters in Christ at Philippi to press on, even in the midst of hardship- to become the radiant bride He sees her to be.  Through each section Paul challenges them in Christ to press on through  love (1.9), in suffering (1.29), in humility (2.3), in obedience (2.12), in their identity (3.9) and ultimately to press on by standing firm in unity (4.1), through rejoicing (4.4), contentment (4.11) and generosity (4.14).

Each Sunday at our Online Gatherings we will be taught section by section, each week, in our personal time of solitude with the Lord we will be studying each verse of that section using The Daily. In our Communities we will be discussing one set of verses that were taught on Sunday.  Our Community leaders are equipped with some simple resources to help us make sense of this incredible letter.  This autumn as part of The Daily will also be working through The Gospel Fluency Handbook, a great resource that will equip our church with shared language as we carry the gospel into the places we find ourselves in life.  Finally, this Autumn we are excited to memorize the heart of and motivation of our faith in Philippians 2.1-11 which is a call for us to live humbly as Christ lived humbly.  

This is a moment where God wants to use what COVID-19 has afforded us- an unprecedented opportunity to see the hope of the gospel shine in the world.  And it is going to be a season for us to press on deeper and further in Christ as we become more fully equipped as a family of disciples in preparation for all the Lord has in the days ahead.

grace + peace,

The Downtown Hope Theology Team

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