Introduction to Philippians

Introduction

Our focus this year is to lean into prayer and outreach as a church. We want to lean in closer to God and then go out further into the lives of the people who regularly surround us.

And this is a good goal for our church. This will be a good way for us to grow this year as we seek to be faithful in our worship of God—But life will not stop for us while we pursue these goals.

And the truth is that reorienting our lives in a way that gives us the space to draw near to God and the space to reach out to others will increase spiritual warfare in our lives. Our own sinful flesh and our enemy does not want us to draw near to God because the flesh knows that as we draw closer to God the flesh will suffer.

What do I mean—I mean that selfishness will be diminished. Our own comfort will not be ruling our decisions. The closer we draw near to regular relationship with God the more we become like Jesus which is far different than our flesh.

And the enemy will fight against this drawing near because the more our eyes and hearts take in the glory and love of our God the more we will be discontent with the things of this world. We will hunger for the eternal kingdom in such a way that we are not content to “wait” to get there but will work to “bring” the kingdom down.

We will want to fill our lives with worship and prayer and evangelism. We will want to talk about God and study God and display God with our lives because where God is there Heaven is.

And this is an affront to the enemy. This steals territory from the enemy—and so we can expect some oppression and push back as we do this.

So with all that in mind the elder and soon to be elder think that the best book we can be in as we start off 2023 pushing into these two focuses: prayer and outreach: is Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

So this morning our sermon will be an introduction to this letter, highlighting why it will be good for us to dwell in for a number of weeks.

So let’s look now at 5 themes in Philippians that will minister to us as we embark on these focuses of prayer and outreach in 2023.

I. Philippians is about Fellowship

If you were with us last week we were looking at the church in Acts 2:42-47 and we saw that they were devoted to fellowship.

And fellowship is not just eating but is more lIke J.R.R Tolkien’s fellowship of the ring—a group of people bonded together by a great undertaking—a striving together toward a worthy goal.

This kind of fellowship cements the bond of friendship and family. A pastor in New Mexico in writing on Philippians commented that the church could be called “The Fellowship of the Cross”.

As we study Philippians together this bond—in Jesus Christ is highlighted again and again as Paul is grateful for the Philippian church in how they have ministered with him in the proclamation of the gospel. In making much of Jesus.

And we as individual believers—and as a church—need our fellowship to be united in Christ.

God’s word says in Philippians 2:1-2 “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”

Friends, the reality is that many churches have fellowship but not all fellowship is built on Jesus.

Some churches fellowship based on a pleasing aesthetic—they like the way the church looks, it’s graphics, it’s social media, the look of its members appeals to them— “these are my kinds of people. I want to be in a church that looks and feels like this.”

Some churches fellowship based on a certain kind of outreach— “this church has AWANA. This church has a coffee shop ministry. This church has a thriving women’s ministry. Or this church is in the nations.” And this draws people in.

Or it could be something else—and I’m not saying that these things are bad. Churches who draw people together is great. Churches that have thriving ministry’s are great. We want to be that kind of church.

But these things must not be the basis of our fellowship. We must not unite around trinkets and baubles when we have the true treasure of Christ and his gospel as our fellowship.

Philippians will help us see that in all things—in every stage of church and Christian life—Christ and his gospel—the glorious truth that God saves sinners in Jesus the messiah—that this is the basis for our true fellowship.

Programs will come and go. The people who worship in our chruch may change and so the look with them. But what never changes is the rock solid truth of Jesus Christ.

On this profession Christ says, “I will build my church—and on this profession we have our true fellowship with one another.”

Philippians will help ground us in true fellowship so that as we draw near to God in prayer and reach out to our communities with the gospel we have this solid foundation by which to build on.

II. Philippians is About the Joy of the Gospel.

Friends—you and I could use more joy in our lives—amen?

Joy is different than happiness. Happiness has everything to do with our circumstances. What is happening around us affects our happiness but it doesn’t affect our joy.

And as I say this maybe it sounds foreign to you—maybe joy and happiness feel the same—all too often what we do as a people is we try to find our joy in the outward circumstances of life. We cast our joy on the rising and the falling of our happiness.

Philippians reminds us that joy is to be centered on the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Which never changes.

Despite our circumstances the truth of who the children of God are in Jesus Christ does not change. When happiness eludes us—joy is present.

Paul writes Philippians while he is in Roman jail. And I can guarantee that Paul was not happy to be imprisoned. But he was joyful in Christ.

Paul uses the Greek word for joy or rejoice 16 times in Philippians which only has 104 verses in its four chapters.

He consistently from a Roman prison to an oppressed church in Philippi says rejoice, rejoice, have joy.

And Pauls source of joy is found is the truth of the gospel.

He says in Philippians 3:12 “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”

The joy of the gospel is that Jesus Christ has made us his own.

The larger narrative of Scripture is that we as a people have rebelled against our God. We have died in our sin. We are hopelessly lost and unable to come to God. But God who is rich in mercy has lavished His love on us in Jesus Christ.

I was lost but now I’m found. I was dead but now I’m alive. Hell was my future but now Heaven is my home.

Because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

And Paul’s words in Romans 8:38-39 ring true—“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We belong to God—he has purchased us with his own blood—and nothing can separate us from the love that God has for us.

This means when life is going good—when everything is lining up, when we are happy our joy is rooted in the love of God for us displayed through Christ.

And when life is not so good—things seem to be falling apart and happiness is hard to find—our joy is abundant because it is rooted in the love of God for us displayed through Jesus Christ.

In Philippians 4:11-13 Paul says—“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Philippians will help you and I center our lives around the joy of the gospel and not the circumstances of life.

III. Philippians is About Gospel Spread

You might not know this about me but I desperately want to hike the Appalachian Trail. It has been a goal of mine since I was a teenager. Someday I’m going to attempt what is called a “Thru hike”.

That’s when you hike 2,200 miles through 14 states from Mt. Springer in Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine in one go. It takes anywhere from 4-6 months depending on how fast you hike.

It’s a goal I have. I want to spread my friends ashes on Mt. Katahdin. I want to challenge myself. I want to spend time in God’s creation. These are all good reasons to hike the AT.

But sometimes it’s an escapist fantasy for me. When life gets hard I day dream about hitting the trail and leaving the world behind and hiking from Georgia to Maine and then from Main to Georgia—endlessly like some kind of mountain hermit.

Can you relate? Maybe your fantasy is not the same as mine. Yours probably doesn’t involve sleeping on the ground for months at a time. But I know you too feel the pull to escape this world. If you are a Christian—you have felt the pull to escape this world—maybe you have often uttered the words “Come quickly Lord Jesus”.

Because the reality is that this world is not our home. It is broken and hard and twisted and so we long for the better reality of our future home.

But friends we must not lose sight that you and I are not meant to escape this world but we are meant to influence this world.

Philippians helps remind us that our call in this world is to join in the gospel work of Christ.

Every believer who is saved is called to join the family businness.

2 Corinthians 5:20 is the call on our lives.

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

Philippians encourages us in this gospel mission that we have been called to. And it reminds us that in the sovereignty of God that mission is to be carried out exactly where we are.

We often think about “mission trips”. Or being called away on mission. But Philippians teaches us that the we are to live “mission lives”.

Paul is imprisoned in Rome and he is not soured by this as if he has been removed from the mission field. Her writes in

Philippians 1:12-14 “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”

Philippians reminds you and I that in the daily patterns of our lives there is a “praetorian guard” that needs to know Jesus.

Our good and sovereign Father has not mistakenly placed us anywhere—we are to be the hands and feet and light of Christ right where we are.

We are to about the spread of the gospel. This is what is true and whether we are operating in that call or are from from it currently—Philippians will push us in our pursuit of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.

And so it will be good for us. Also....

IV. Philippians is About Christ

Philippians is a warm letter between the apostle Paul and the church he planted in Phillipi. And it teaches in all the ways that we have talked about so far this morning but it also contains precise theology about God the Son.

Philippians shows us the love of Christ, the power of Christ, the humility of Christ, and the victory of Christ.

The core of all that Paul and the Philippian chruch are rejoicing over is Jesus.

And to go back to my earlier point we have the tendancy to make our faith about other lesser things.

Philippians helps our gaze and focuse remain transfixed on Christ. It helps us remember who we are in the gospel. And that all of our life should flow from this reality of who we are in Jesus.

Paul begins his letter by saying, “To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi...”

His introduction roots them in Jesus.

Philippians helps us remember that we are—as followers of Jesus—defined by Jesus.

And we need this in our lives because we too easily want to define ourselves by things outside of Jesus.

Our own flesh and the enemy whispers to us that we ARE our jobs—our dreams. Or we ARE our failures and our shortcomings.

We are encouraged by a thousand sources to do and be and become mimics of anything and everything but Christ.

But for the follower of Jesus any other identity that you try to carry is just thin paint over the reality of who you are in Jesus.

And we need to be reminded of this.

Ask someone who they are and it reveals where they find their identity.

I am a teacher. I am a mother. I am an electrician. I am a person. I am a cynic. I am retired. And the list can go on and on and on.

But all of these things are temporary. You a teacher only as long as you teach. You are an electrician, dent repair man, or pastor only as long as you function in those roles. You are parent only as long as you have children.

All of these things change but what never changes—and who you really are—is a child of God bought by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. And nothing can ever change that. It is not based on circumstances. For the follower of Jesus it is who you truly are at your core.

Who are you? You are Christs!

And this morning if you are listening I hope that this is true of you. That you belong to Jesus because He has paid for your sins with His blood.

Maybe you are a guest today or you are listening online and you’ve never heard that before. What does it mean?

It means that all of us people are in need of a rescue. We make a mess or ourselves by sinning against God.

The Bible tells us that we have all fallen short of God’s standards for us. And as I’m saying this—you may not have said it the same way—but you know what I’m talking about.

We all have regrets. We all have moments in our life that we would rather not have other people know about. We all have walked away from situations where we were the bad guy in the story.

The good news of the Bible is that God knows everything you'be done and will do in your life and he loves you. And He desires to rescue you.

Jesus of Nazareth was born for people just like you and me. Jesus is God who took on flesh so that He could fulfill all the requirement of God’s righteous law on our behalf. Where we failed Jesus suceeded.

And Jesus also took the punishment of our sin on our behalf. Even though you and I shoula stand guilty before a good God for our lives—in Jesus we don’t because He did.

The gospel is really summed up in 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

This morning I want you to know that God wants you to embark on this journey with us into Philippians as a rescued child of God. Jesus is the offer from God to you for the forgiveness of all your mistakes and regrets—your sin— and to instead be covered by the perfect righteousness of Jesus.

This morning if you know that you need this let me know. If you’re online reach out. All our contact info is on the website. Even if you are watching this on a different day than it was preached. The Bible says today is your day of salvation—so do not delay.

Philippians helps us see the supremacy of Christ in all things and so It will be a great blessing to us it ground us in eternity.

All of life can pass away but Christ will never fade.

Philippians as it focuses on Christ and encourages us to be rooted in Christ will give us a greater desire to define oursleves by Jesus over all other things. And this is good.

Conclusion

I hope this morning our appetite for God’s word in Philippians has been whetted. I’m excited for us as a church to dive into Philippians verse by verse in the next couple of months.

But before we end this morning I want to encourage you in two ways.

Number 1: To fix your eyes on your eternity.

One of the reasons I love the woods is because for me—it forces me to see what is real and what is not real.

It helps me to refocus my life on eternity.

I want to encourage you to decide this year to fix your eyes on eternity. You and I do not know what the next day holds but in a strange way we do know what all of the rest of existence holds.

Though our day to day is veiled to us—our eternal future is not.

It reminds me of a story.

A new pastor preached his first sermon at his new church highlighting how everything belongs to God. And afterwards a hard working/rich man wanted the pastor to be put in his place. He took the preacher and showed him all that His work had gained him. He showed him cars and houses and land. And standing on a vast farmland overlooking rolling hills the man said, “Preacher all that you see my hands have earned for me.” And the pastor asked the man, “When you die will you possess all these things?”

And the question shold sharpen us to know that we can spend our lives working to build a kingdom that will not last. What are you buidling your life on?

I want to encourage you this morning to seek God.

Matthew 6:19-21 ““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Commit this morning to ask God to show you the treasure of your heart. And ask God for the strength to lay aside every pursuit that is building up treasure in this earthly kingdom.

If we are to pursue God in prayer and if we are to be about the work of the gospel this year we must have our eyes fixed on our eternity and we must lay up treasures in that eternal kingdom that is more real and is truer than any terrestrial pursuit here.

Number 2: Know that God is worth the discomfort that comes with pursing him.

If you commit to draw near to God in prayer this year and if you commit to draw near to God in reaching out to the lost this year...

You will experience discomfort. Fighting the flesh is uncomfortable.

But it is so worth it.

It may not show but the there was a time in my life when I was deeply committed to martial arts. And in order to grow in my capabilities I had to stretch my body.

It was painful and at times felt torturous as I pushed my muscles to stretch beyond their limits.

But the payoff was huge—it allowed me to be a better practitioner—it kept me from injury—the pain paid off.

Friends know that any time you commit to growin in Christ there will be discomfort—even pain.

But it is so worth it. On the other side of these things is a closer walk with God that you will not regret.

Church you will never regret growing closer to God. Though there be pain on the road. Though it will change your life. You will only every rejoice as our brother Paul does. You will only rejoice as our brothers and sisters in the Philippians church do.

So now as we stand on the precipice of Philippians let us commit to growing this year in our pursuit of God in prayer and our pursuit of God in mission knowing that every step will bring us closer to the God we love.

Pray with me.