| The Epistle Of Joy – Part 4

Philippians is known as the Epistle of Joy.  Paul’s first encounter with the people of Philippi is found in Acts 16 where Paul received a vision of a gentleman from Macedonia asking him to come over there.  Philippi was a chief city of Macedonia.  It is referred to as a colony, a colony was a Roman city for their war veterans.  The people of Philippi were not Jews but gentiles.   

The theme of Philippians is Joy in the midst of every situation.  Paul suffered imprisonment, yet he had joy.  This joy is above and beyond what the world can have or understand.  

Part 4 – tonight we review verses 9 through 11.

• Knowledge gives us an understanding of our nature in Christ (love) and discernment gives us an understanding of how to apply that knowledge in every circumstance we face in life.
• Knowledge and love working together keep us walking in the grace of God and not in the nature of the flesh which in turn keeps us without offense (not leading into sin, stumbling block). 
• We see from these verses that God has empowered us to grow spiritually and share the gospel no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in.