Philippians 3:7-14 + Luke 4:42-44—Scripture Study
By Pastor Chris Simmons – Trinity Lutheran Church, Paso Robles CA
A reinforcement/supplement study to our Sunday service meant for “Building up the body of Christ… the manifold Wisdom of God made known” (Ephesians 4+3)
For the Week of February 23, 2025
This week we conclude our series on the beginning of Jesus ministry. Thus far we’ve witnessed Him turn water into wine, get baptized, go through temptation, almost get thrown off a cliff in His hometown, lay hands on the sick, rebuke demons and fevers… overall it looks like a successful ministry launch.
After all of that, what does He have to show us about starting something new? Don’t let success go to your head and take you off mission, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”. We too are called to keep our eyes down the road, always driving toward our purpose in Christ Jesus. To proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God…. Blessings on your studies.
—Pastor Chris Simmons
Discuss: What jobs have you had where you’ve “moved up” in the company/position? What was it like? What was/is something you did/do “well” at that job?
Luke 4: 42-44
42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
This moment comes at the conclusion of a lot (see introduction). As mentioned, it’s not that Jesus went to be alone because nobody wanted him… if anything there was danger of Him being trapped by the success
36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.
40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.
42 … The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.
After all this success, this busyness, and attention. The first thing Jesus does… is He goes to a solitary place.
Discuss: Why does Jesus find it necessary to retreat at this time?
How does intentional solitary time help you? Does it help you refocus? Gain perspective? Dream and plan? What and why?
Consider for a moment, what we do with people who are famous… we idolize them. Give them endorsements, for some reason give them power and authority, listen to their voices when we make decisions on products or what to think or even who to vote for… The people here chase after Jesus as though they could possess Him and keep Him for themselves. They would have made Him a ruler, desiring to live in His presence with His blessings. And really… can you blame them? They had never before witnessed God’s blessings so greatly…
And if we were in Jesus shows… None of us would mind being desired by people as Jesus was in this moment. He was serving them, and in turn they would have served and given Him anything He would have wanted. We know ourselves… always hard to leave something on top, swept up in success.
Discuss: When you turn to God in prayer, do you ever look to Him for purpose? What do those prayers look like? How have they been answered?
When swept up in success, we can lose sight of what got us there in the first place, and what the real goal was the entire time… in our epistle reading this week Paul writes to the church in Philippi:
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ… 12b I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Paul was a “Hebrew of Hebrews” a “Pharisee of Pharisees” if success was simply the name of the game, Paul had won several times over. Even as a Christian Missionary, Paul planted and built up many successful congregations… yet being “successful” was not his goal…
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
We want to forget our failures, our mistakes, our shortcomings, even our sins… rarely however do we wish to forget and move on past our successes. We seek to dwell at the top of the hill, rather than see it as part of the journey. All of Paul’s gains, he considered a loss, garbage, compared to the destination that is Christ, His saving work for Paul and others. The Goal? To dwell in and share that prize.
Jesus sets that standard in Luke 4. Not to dwell in the success and the admiration of others… but striving for a large goal
“43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.”
His goal, his purpose, what He had to strive to do, was to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Discuss: What do you learn here from Jesus about what it means to “seek first the kingdom of God”? What does that mean for “success?
Abraham Maslow, the founder of Maslo’s Hierarchy of Needs, wrote:
One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.—Abraham Maslow, The Psychology of Science.
Paul tells us in Philippians, that it is a struggle, you have to strive (Make great effort, struggle, fight vigorously to achieve or obtain something) toward Christ. Many things throughout life will try to “derail” you from that Goal. It can be “trial and tribulation” … or “comfort and success”.
Like Christ, we too seek comfort and perspective from God the Father. Seeking to make our purpose and goal clear. Jesus laid aside the temptation of “comfort and success” because we were/are the goal He strove for… That God so loved the World, that He gave His only begotten, that all who believe in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). What Christ strove for… made great effort, struggled, fought vigorously to obtain… was and is us.
Discuss: What does it look like to “strive toward Christ”? What “comforts and successes” can derail us as a church? What is our purpose? (look to Ephesians 3:10-13 for guidance if needed).
Prayer
Personally, what “derails” your relationship with Christ and His purpose for you?
Do you elevate certain successes to highly?
Are there mistakes you feel you can’t forgive yourself for?
Failures you feel holds you back?
If God has chosen to forgive you and forget about them… why do you still hold onto them?
In what ways is God guiding you to “rerail” toward the goal of Christ? Service opportunities? Bible study? Reinvest in relationship with Him?
Lord God, we are grateful for your patience, kindness, and mercy. We elevate ourselves and our successes and lose track of our relationship with you. Help us to see what you strove for… that you sought us out and call us to love others as you have loved us. Encourage us to have your purpose in mind for all we meet. We pray this in your name Jesus, Amen.