Philippians: Shine Like Stars – DAY 4
Family Discussions for a New School Year
*This is DAY 4. To read DAY 1: Paul & Timothy & Their Letter, click here. DAY 3: All God’s Holy People, here.
DAY 4/FRIDAY-SATURDAY
Philippians 1:1-2
Overseers & Deacons, Grace & Peace
“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:1-2 (NIV)
Who are “overseers & deacons”?
Overseer is a term that can be used interchangeably with “elder,” “pastor,” or even “shepherd” in the New Testament. An overseer may also be known as a “minister” or “bishop.” [See also Acts 20:28; Titus 1:5-9.]
Deacons are those who serve in a local church with overseers. The Greek word for deacon (diakonos) means “servant.” Often deacons in a church are especially responsible for the care of widows. [See also Acts 6:1-7.]
*The ESV Study Bible, p.2329-2330, 2008, 2016 text ed.; NIV Artisan Collection Bible, p.996, 2021
A Focus on Character
In I Timothy 3:1-15, Paul wrote to Timothy about overseers & deacons. As you read, notice that Paul was more concerned about their character than about their job descriptions.
“Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
8In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
11In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
12A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.”
I Timothy 3:1-15 (NIV)
Whatever their exact jobs and responsibilities, overseers & deacons are church leaders who are expected to have and maintain good, godly character & lifestyles.
What is “grace” according to the Bible?
Grace is…
- favor that you did not earn.
- a good gift you don’t deserve.
Finding favor with others
“They (the believers) devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)
It is likely when Paul writes the greeting of “grace & peace to you” to the Philippian believers, he is expressing his desire that they will enjoy “the favor of all the people” in their community as the believers in Acts 2:47 (above) did. This kind of grace is also from God!
*Vine’s Concise Dictionary of the Bible, 2005
If you ever worry about whether or not people like you, remember that God can give you grace in the form of favor with them according to His will for your life. Knowing this has given me great comfort throughout my life as I tend to care too much about what others think of me.
“Surely, Lord, You bless the righteous;
Psalm 5:12 (NIV)
You surround them with Your favor as with a shield.”
It is by grace you have been saved!
Let’s not forget the most important grace — the grace by which we have been saved!
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
4But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV)
| God’s grace has riches beyond compare. |
| This grace is expressed in God’s kindness to us in Christ. |
| By His grace, through faith, we are saved. |
| We are not saved by ourselves. |
| There is nothing we can do to save ourselves! |
| His grace is a gift to us. |
| We cannot work our way to salvation. |
| No one can brag that they saved themselves, because they can’t save themselves. |
Thank You, Lord, for Your grace to us: for the favor we have not earned; the good gifts that we have done nothing to deserve.
What is “peace” according to the Bible?
Peace is…
- a sense of rest & contentment.
- harmony between people.
- harmony between people & God.
*Vine’s Concise Dictionary of the Bible, 2005
Some things Jesus had to say about peace
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:27 (NIV)
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 (NIV)
| Jesus has His own kind of peace to give us. |
| His peace is different from what the world calls peace. |
| In His peace, our hearts don’t have to be troubled, and we don’t have to be afraid… even when we have trouble in the world. |
| We can have this kind of peace only in Him. |
Peace during trouble?
Why can we have peace when we are in trouble in the world? Because Jesus has overcome the world! He is in control; He will take care of us.
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:37-39 (NIV)
Nothing can separate us from Him & His love. Knowing that gives me a whole lot of peace!
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!”
Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)
DAY 4/FRIDAY-SATURDAY Prayer
Father God,
Thank You for Your Word.
I pray each member of our family will be more concerned with their personal character than with their jobs, whether they are students or teachers, employees or employers, ministers or laypeople, at home or away from home.
Thank You for Your grace! Please continue to bless our family with Your favor as with a shield (Psalm 5:12). Thank You for the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.
Thank You for Your peace! May we lie down and sleep in peace tonight, Lord, knowing You alone make us dwell in safety (Psalm 4:8).
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
*To read Praying Philippians for My Kids, click here.
**To read DAY 1-DAY 3, click here.
DAY 4: Overseers & deacons are church leaders who are expected to have and maintain good, godly character & lifestyles. Grace is favor that we did not earn, a good gift from God that we don't deserve. Peace is rest & contentment in Christ.