We Are Emmanuel

Stephen Dawson - Begin with Prayer // Colossians 1:9-14 by Emmanuel

The Advent Series 3 // Knowing God - Tobi Ford-Western // John 1:14-18 by Emmanuel

The Advent Series 2 // Receiving God - Stephen Dawson // John 1:10-13 by Emmanuel

The Advent Series 1 // Seeing God - George Benson // John 1:1-18 by Emmanuel

Paul instructs the Philippians ‘rejoice in the Lord always’. This is one of his greatest concerns - that they would experience the joy of the Lord. This can be hard to hear when we walk through difficult seasons.

Paul wants all christians to grow in our understanding and application of grace. We are often taught that grace means that our sins are forgiven and we don’t have to work for our salvation. But, Paul says ‘I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’ He is showing us that perseverance does not mean working FOR our salvation, it means working OUT our salvation.

Joy Has A Name // 9 Riches In Christ - Stephen Dawson // Philippians 4:10-20 by Emmanuel

As alien as the context and content of this passage may seem to contemporary hearers - even Christians - Paul is referring to a very familiar universal trait: the human proneness to self-reliance. Explain it in any which way you will (sin, instinct, evolutionary behaviour, etc.) but human beings seem inherently self-focused and will do anything they need to do to survive and work for their own self-interest. We must come empty-handed to Christ, and the more we have in life the more we might be tempted to trust in it instead of trusting in Christ.

The way that God works in our hearts to grow and mature us often involves pain and suffering. It is not often that progress comes from a context of comfort. Paul describes Timothy and Epaphroditus as a slave and a soldier, implying that they have experienced pain. Here Paul is wanting to encourage the Philippians to look at mature Christians who display Christ-likeness in order to learn from them.

‘Work out your own salvation’ can be a confusing sentiment for the grace-filled Christian. ‘Fear and trembling’ don’t sound too fun either! What does Paul mean? Isn’t he leading us on the path of joy?

A common question that people ask about Christianity is, why, if God is real, does He not make His existence more obvious to us. We ask this question because we want things to be simple and straightforward. However, we see in the bible that God chooses to reveal Himself on His own terms, through Jesus.

The humility of Christ (which is about to be unpacked in the following passage) is a demonstration of the other-person focus of the Gospel. Love is selfless, not selfish.

Obedience to Jesus when we believe true joy is found elsewhere is drudgery. But when we see Christ for who He is, and believe that in Him is true joy, following Him with our lives is full of meaning and purpose and joy.

The sovereignty of God and the supremacy of Christ. Again, Paul demonstrates a provocatively joyful attitude. In the face of his unjust imprisonment and even ‘gospel advocates’ trying to make his life even more difficult, he still rejoices. He does so, because he chooses to see life from a Christ-perspective. If Christ is glorified, then I am more than happy! What happens to me physically doesn’t even matter, even death!

Joel looks at the union and unity that Christ brings us into. As a provocation to our current society, Paul and the Philippians rejoice not in themselves or selfish joy/pleasure they have found (Paul is in prison, remember!), but by revelling in the fact they are part of something much bigger than themselves that even involves the glory of God.

Glen Scrivener is Director and Evangelist at Speak Life, an organisation that exists to revive Christians, resource the church and reach the world with the good news of Jesus.

Kenny McCoosh leads Emmanuel Belfast which is part of our global family of churches

Malcolm Gamon leads Cornerstone Church, Bath which is part of our global family of churches

Stephen Dawson is an elder at Emmanuel and leads the Clarendon Centre location

Terry Virgo is the founding pastor of Emmanuel and Newfrontiers, an international network of 1500+ churches in over 60 nations.