If you missed Sunday's broadcast, please catch up by following the link below. (For the foreseeable future, we be running our Sunday morning services digitally. Please go to our website on Sundays at 10:30 to join in)
‘Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons’ (Philippians 1:1)
Paul’s vision of the local church is that they are ‘together with…overseers’. The church has spiritual leaders. Every Christian should know who their elders are.
‘Together with overseers…’ is not about hierarchy or domination. Overseers are alongside the church. They teach, lead, bring correction, gently. We read,
‘Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.’ (Acts 20:28)
RESPONSE
To overseers - Do you love the church? Are you a model for others? Are you prepared to correct and protect?
To the church - Do you receive spiritual authority? Do you pray for and receive teaching and direction from your team of elders?
COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY – A LIFE WORTH LIVING IS...'TOGETHER WITH'.
Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
Quiz Night
We are planning to hold an online quiz night on Tuesday 7th July starting at 8pm.
This therefore means that Community Groups won't be meeting for that week.
More details to follow!
Suggested opener/Ice-breaker
Please share from your experience, what has been the greatest lesson you've learned about the importance of working in a team?
Introduction - please share in your group
‘Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons’ (Philippians 1:1)
Sunday's message was entitled 'together with'. A key theme of Philippians is pursuing unity. There was relational tensions that were threatening the health of the church. The phrase 'all of you' occurs 5 times in the first 11 verses. The author Lightfoot writes, 'there is a “studied repetition” of “all” in the letter '.
The church is like a good meal - it has different ingredients that, in unity, create something that is beautiful.
There are four relationships that we are 'together with':
1. Together with...Apostles - This means that we seek to live under the teaching of the Apostles in the New Testament.
2. Together with... one another – Our unity is based on being 'God's holy people in Christ Jesus'. We were equally sinful, equally needing forgiveness and grace.
3. Together with... overseers - Overseer is a term interchangeable with elders. These are the spiritual leadership team in a local church.
4. Together with... deacons - Deacon, means 'to serve'. These are ministry team leaders. A Community Group leader is a good example of a deacon.
In what ways can we seek to improve our 'together with' relationships in each of these four relationships?
Finally, read Paul's encouragement to us,
‘Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.’ (Philippians 1:27).