Praying for God's Best

This past Sunday, I continued my exposition on the book of Philippians with a message on the prayer report of Paul recorded in Philippians 1:9-11.

Here is the sermon skeleton.

TITLE: Praying for God’s Best

TEXT: Philippians 1:9-11

SERMON SERIES: PHILIPPIANS: PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL

THEME: A prayer for spiritual growth and maturity

POINT: Pray for God’s best. (God accomplishes his best with our partnership through believing prayer.)

TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE: Philippians 1:9-11 teaches us three ways to pray for God’s best.

OUTLINE:

I.    Pray that love may abound (1:9)

     A.    True love goes beyond the boundaries: "And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more"
 
     B.    True love stays within the boundaries: "with knowledge and all discernment"

        1.    Love should be governed by knowledge.

        2.    Love should be governed by discernment.

II.    Pray that excellence may prevail (1:10)

    A.    God wants you to know what is best: "so that you may approve what is excellent"

    B.    God wants you to do what is best: "and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ"

        1.    Live with sincerity

        2.    Live with integrity

III.    Pray that fruit may grow (1:11)

    A.    The priority of the fruitful life: "filled with the fruit of righteousness"

    B.    The power of the fruitful life: "that comes through Jesus Christ"

    C.    The purpose of the fruitful life "to the glory and praise of God"

       1. We are to exalt the majesty of who God is: "glory"

       2. We are to exalt the power of what God has done: "praise"