Phillipians 2 Bs

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A Call to Unity

1 L A S T

W E E K . . .

Last week we examined three themes in Chapter 1 related to “Paul’s Heart.”

Now, let’s look at the impact of a person who has a heart for the gospel. At the end of a weekend conference for our college ministry, everyone shared with

What were they?

the group what the weekend meant to them, what they learned, etc. A student, John, stood and told how God had used each person there in his life. He said that even though he was new to the group, he felt loved and accepted. He felt What did you learn from our study?

befriended by many. He went on to share how he had come to the retreat. Four weeks ago, Rick came to my room and explained the gospel to me. As a youth, I had never heard about a personal relationship with Christ. Once I understood Rick’s explanation of the key scripture related to knowing Christ, I invited Jesus into my heart. What can I say? I knew for the first time that Christ lived in my heart rather than up in the clouds somewhere. I was confident of eternal life. If it hadn’t been for Rick, I’d be

C H A P T E R

O V E R V I E W

PHILIPPIANS 1:27–2:30 Unity is the Proper Conduct for the Gospel 1:27-30 Unity Involves Mind, Emotion and Will 2:1,2 Unity is Attained by Humility 2:3,4 Humility: The Example of Christ 2:5-11 Humility: The Example of Paul 2:17,18 Humility: The Example of Timothy 2:19-24 Humility: The Example of Epaphroditus 2:25-30

lost. Thanks Rick! Later, I came to some of your meetings and met Robin. She was nice to me and invited me to this retreat. From the time I arrived, I have felt loved unconditionally by all of you. I have never felt loved by anyone before. My parents, brothers, and sisters don’t love me. They can barely tolerate me and don’t try to hide it. I’ve always felt rejected by my family. These last four weeks have been great, thanks to the Lord and thanks to you. Keep reaching out to people like me.

Everyone realized that a life had been changed by Christ right before their eyes. All of us rejoiced, and there was not a dry eye in the group.

How might JohnÕs life be different if Rick had not had a heart for the gospel?

A Call to Unity

CYCLING AND UNITY

What things drive a group of people apart or prevent them from connecting?

What are some of PaulÕs concerns in 1:27-30? Why is he concerned?

What insights do you gain about unity in 1:27-2:2?

Why is the unity of the believers in Philippi important to Paul? Why should unity be important to all believers?

How is humility described in 2:3,4?

What is the connection between humility and unity?

Serious cyclists know the benefits of unity. In the major tours of 100-mile races, cyclists rely on each other to conserve energy and increase speed. They travel in what is called a peleton. In a peleton, a group of anywhere from 4 to 50 cyclists will work together to decrease wind resistance by having the rider in front of them block the wind. Plus they continually switch leaders so one person isn’t doing all the hard work. The need to be fluid and in sync is important because unless the cyclists are six inches or less from the person in front of them, the tactic is useless. With two people drafting each other, they conserve only 15 percent. Five to ten riders can conserve 30 percent. In larger groups, the cyclists can conserve up to 60 percent of their energy. Also speed is normally increased by up to five miles an hour. A team identifies one or two people with the best chances of winning the stage or race and then cradles them between them. The team members work harder for the one person so they can win or place, which wins points for the whole team. As the team of cyclists travel in a line, individual cyclists take the lead for a short time, then move to the left and then all the way to the end of the line as someone else takes the lead.

What do you learn about humility from ChristÕs example? EpaphroditusÕ example? PaulÕs example? What are the benefits of unity? What are the consequences of disunity? TimothyÕs example?

L I F E C H A N G E Imagine that you are in a group where there is conflict instead of unity. What could you do as an individual do to promote unity? In the opening story of John, what might have happened if the students at the retreat had been in cliques and no one had let John into their group? Discuss what it might mean for your group to have Òconduct worthy of the gospel.Ó What are some things you can do to promote unity within our small group or within our campus movement as a whole?

ISBN 1-885702-36-1

©1996 WSN Press; Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc.

( 741-055S Distributed by Integrated Resources 1-800-729-4351