Part 02

A Church With Vitality #2

Philippians 1:3-11

We have all at some level been involved in a team. Maybe sports, work, etc. It’s great to be a part of a team because you go through stuff together. You win together, you lose together, you have this common bond. You stand up for each other when someone from the opposition takes on one of your team members. In a church context we are part of a team that has this amazing thing in common. We are all sinners saved by God’s grace and mercy. Those of us who are Christians here have that in common, and we have that in common with Christians all over the world (the worldwide Church).

We are part of a team that has very high stakes, much higher than a world cup or some big million dollar deal. And we are part of a team that is managed by the God who has created and controls all things. Our purpose as a team is to glorify Him. Those sitting around you this morning are part of the team that God has picked for you. Your partners in the gospel.

Paul addresses the partnership that we have in the gospel. Specifically the partnership that he has in the gospel with the Philippians. But effectively if you’re a Christian, you share in this partnership.

Vs 3 & 4: I thank my God every time I remember you. (4) In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, (6) being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

We firstly see that it’s a partnership that makes him thankful and joyful. Here you have Paul writing this letter from prison. Not being sure what is going to happen to him. He’s there because of sharing his faith and spreading the gospel. But in the midst of what he’s going through, he is thankful. He is joyful. And here is something that he is particularly thankful for and joyful about. Verse 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. and then in verse 4 and 5. I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel.

Eg. Missionaries – Rodger and Linda Beadle coming to St Matthews in a few weeks time. Ross – Epic; Syd Eaby – Prison ministries; Bryan Gerard – hospital; Lisa Craye – Hands with Words. It’s a great encouragement to them to know that they have people who are partners in the gospel. People who are thinking of them and praying for them and supporting them. People who encourage them.

But if you look at this passage you’ll see that this isn’t the only thing that is an encouragement to Paul about his partners in the gospel. He is encouraged by what God will do and is doing amongst the Philippians. Vs 4-6: In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Can you see what Paul is also encouraged by regarding the Philippians. Paul is encouraged by their sanctification. He is encouraged by their holiness. By the fact that they are growing as a church. By the fact that they are functioning as they should, by God’s grace. And he has great confidence in the fact that they will keep growing, and keep doing what they should be doing. Because God is working in their lives. He is encouraged by what God is doing in their lives. He is encouraged by what God is going to be doing in their lives. In other words. This gospel partnership isn’t just them sending money and positive thoughts and prayers. Which are all good by the way. But Paul and Timothy, are encouraged by them getting on with gospel work where they are. He is encouraged by them growing in their faith where they are.

How can you be an encouragement to missionaries, and those doing gospel work in other places? The best encouragement you can do, is to get on with gospel work where you are, be fully committed to the gospel, be kingdom focussed. For them to see that even though you’re far away, in some other part of the country, or some other part of the world. we have this gospel focus. We’re all committed to God who has saved us, and we’re committed to his kingdom. It’s always encouraging when we attend our annual Synod and hear stories from around the country and in parts of Africa about what God is doing, and about how people are being faithful to the gospel.

And just take a closer look at verse 5 and 6. So he prays with joy vs 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, (6) being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Paul planted the church in Philippi. He would have seen them receive the gospel. He would have seen them come to faith in Christ. He would have played an active role in their salvation. An active role in the planting of the church in Philippi. So he can say with all sincerity, their gospel partnership from the first day until now. But then there’s verse 6. Which is a very encouraging verse for any Christian. It’s a very encouraging verse for any church. (6)being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Now I think we all realize as individual Christians that we are not there yet. We have this amazing sinless status before God, because of what Jesus has done. But then on the other hand you know you’re not sinless. You know that you’re a sinner. You know that you do things that you shouldn’t do. Hopefully you see growth and progress in your life.

When you grow in your holiness, there’s this tension, where you are made more aware of your sin, which is part of growing as a Christian. You become more and more aware of how sin offends God. But the flip side of that is that we become more and grateful for what God has done for us. We become more and more grateful for Jesus.

People often get upset when we talk about us being sinners, or we make a big deal about sin. Imagine a doctor downplaying an illness you have. You’re not going to see the need for the medication. You’re not going to appreciate how effective the medication is. It’s like that with the gospel. Only when you have a true appreciation for what God has done about sin, and a proper understanding of what sin is. Only then will you have a true appreciation of what Paul is saying here. Paul is saying here is that God starts a work in the lives of sinners, and God completes that work in the lives of sinners. Paul sees evidence of this in the church in Philippi.

The goal of every Christian is to become like Jesus and if God has began that work in you, he is faithful to complete it. None of us going to be like Jesus until eternity. But hopefully, we are becoming more like him, and God is working in your life to make you more like him. Paul had seen evidence here in the Philippian church that God was working in them.

And so Paul continues to show them how much they mean to him. He shows them how much their partnership means to him. It’s not just some impersonal connection, but he has them in his heart. vs 7. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. (8) God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

He sincerely has the Philippians in his heart. These Gospel partners. Wherever he is, whatever he is doing, whatever he is going through. He knows that there are these people who are praying for him. there are these people that are also spreading the gospel, doing gospel work. These partners in the gospel. Sharing with him in God’s grace. He longs for them with the affection of Christ Jesus. The love and affection that he has for them is a Christ like love and affection. He’s modelling an affection here that we need to feel for each other. And the original Greek word that is used here means really really deep. It’s a word that is used to refer to our inward parts. It comes from deep within. It’s an affection that is there because of Jesus.

Eg. MW Smith ‘Friends are Friends Forever’  2^nd verse. “With the faith and love God’s given, springing from the hope we know. We will pray the joy you’ll live in, is the strength that now you show.” More than just sentiment, He’s expressing deep gospel sentiment.

And that’s what Paul is expressing. An affection for these fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. People with whom he shares in the grace of God. But instead of writing a song, he’s put it in a letter. And verses 9-11 are like his second verse. Which is his prayer for the Philippians. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. (10) So that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, (11) filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Now if Paul had to pray for us, he would pray the same thing. This is something you would want to see in any church, amongst any community of believers. You would want to see their love abounding more and more. Interesting that he says here that their love must abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. When we love others as a church. When you love someone as a Christian. Our affection, our love for others, is at it’s best when driven by our knowledge of God. when driven by our knowledge of God, which means our personal relationship with God and insight into His character and what he’s done for us.

It’s the same when he prays for us to be able to discern what is best so that we may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. If you don’t know God and his character, you won’t be able to discern what is good and right and pleasing to him. We need to keep praying for discernment. But discernment goes hand in hand with knowledge. Love goes hand in hand with knowledge. And the result will be the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.

We need to note, that although we need to make some effort, and we need to do the work of trusting that God will bless those efforts. This is all God’s work. God is the one in verse 6 who has begun a good work in you and will bring it to completion. It’s God’s grace that we share in as partners in the gospel. It’s knowing God personally, and knowing His character that drives us to love. It’s knowing God and his ways that helps us to discern. The fruit of righteousness comes through Jesus Christ, vs 11 to the glory and praise of God.

A Church with Vitality, has a right view of who does the work. A Church with Vitality has an affection for one another, and it is expressed in Gospel partnership.

Home Group Questions:

Read Philippians 1 vs 3-11

1. What is Paul and Timothy thankful for?
2. Why do you think they are encouraged by the Philippian Church?
3. How can we be an encouragement to missionaries and others who are doing gospel work?
4. What is Paul’s prayer for the Philippians? (vs 9-11)
5. Pray this prayer for one another, for missionaries that you know of, and pray it for St Matthews.