Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for January 19, 2014
Teacher: Dr. Matthew McKellar
Associate Professor of Preaching/Chair of the Preaching Department
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
“Thinking and Living-Faithfully! Philippians 4:10-23 Bible Study 01/19/14
Phil 4:8-9 provides an appropriate and interesting bridge from the preceding verses to the verses that follow (the focus of our study this morning).Paul is driving home the essential truth that we must think Christianly in order to live faithfully. One commentator expressed it like this: “When we dwell on the right things, the church is unified, the Savior is magnified and believers are fortified.” As you reflect and rely upon the enabling power of Jesus, you can live with consistent contentment and confident generosity.
I. View contentment as a learned commodity (10-13)
-rejoicing in “revival”
-delicate appreciation
-the discipline of Jesus-sufficiency
-a learned “secret”
-empowerment for the assignment
II. Model the gracious character of God (14-20)
-exclusive partnership
-grace-centered commendation
-a fragrant offering
-fullness according to wealth
-directed doxology
III. Go forward in the grace of God (21-23)
-“trophies” in Caesar’s household
-grace: from focus to finish
IV. So what?
-“The power of Christ in Paul was not for the gratification of Paul’s whims but for the carrying out of Christ’s will.” (A.T. Robertson)
-“For Paul, contentment is not found in creating our own security but by abandoning our security to Jesus Christ.” (Sinclair Ferguson)
-Practice the balanced “blessing” of others.
-You can do what God assigns you to do because of the power He keeps pouring into you.
-“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, but sometimes I wonder what he can do through me. No great success to show, no glory on my own, yet in my weakness He is there to let me know…His strength is perfect when our strength is gone, He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on, raised in His power the weak become strong, His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect. We can only know the power that He holds, when we truly see how deep our weakness goes. His strength in us begins when ours comes to an end. He hears our humble cry and proves again…His strength is perfect… (Steven Curtis Chapman and Jerry Dean, Jr.)
