Untitled Sermon (6)

Hey! Good morning, church. We’re camping out in Philippians chapter 1 and verses 3-8 today. That’s Philippians…chapter 1…verses 3-8.

Go ahead and take a look at your seat neighbors. Say, “Hi, neighbor!” Now, I might be wrong but I’m pretty sure you only said hi to one person. Look another way and with the same joy and excitement and love, say, “Howdy, partner!” We use those words “neighbor” and “partner” because we all share something, yeah? In this case you’re sharing a row or seating section or maybe even a pack of gum. The great news is it goes a lot deeper than that in Christ’s church.

We ought to be able to extend that same sort of greeting to anyone because we love them. We love *everyone*, don’t we? But what if that person doesn’t seem to love us back? How good are we at loving others when we’re pretty sure they hate our stinky guts? I’m not telling you anything new when I say that’s an all too familiar feeling anymore, especially with anonymous strangers we see on the internet or cable news. People spew hate at each other over differences big and small, whether it’s about their favorite NFL team, who they voted for, or the God they do or do not or would never worship in a hundred million years. What’s worse is that even if we agree on two out of those three hot-button topics, it’s oftentimes just as likely that unkind words and deeds will be hurled over the one point we don’t see eye to eye on.

Christ shows us we aren’t supposed to operate that way, not only through his teachings but also through his actions. We share the same assignment: loving God and loving our neighbor (or partner, if you’re a rootin’ tootin’ cowboy.) That’s what Paul is reminding the church at Philippi of in this passage, and he does so with encouraging language that’s colored with joy and hope. He takes this tone even when answering hard questions like, “Why should we keep doing this together when other people make it so hard?” Christ restores our broken partnerships. Let’s stand and read from God’s Word:

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Let’s pray.

…

If you’ve never read Philippians before, I may be about to spoil the ending for you. There are two church members in the ancient Greek city of Philippi that can’t seem to get along. This is causing a rub that goes beyond their relationship and sends ripples throughout the entire church body. Paul won’t mention that until later on and we’re at the very beginning of his letter here, but just know he’s writing with this conflict in mind the whole time.

We don’t know exactly what they’re arguing about, but I doubt it was Chiefs vs. Eagles. I don’t think it was Biden vs. Trump either, or Baptist vs. Pentecostal. While these specific areas of division are nothing new in the context of recent years, they’re fleeting when you look at life with an eternal perspective. You might wonder how that is when Christian doctrines differ so drastically in some areas, but I can’t find anywhere that Jesus said any of our modern denominations are right all the time. Just the same, I seriously doubt Jesus would tell us to die on a hill for any politician when instead we should do that for the one that literally died on a hill for us. I’m talking about Jesus!

He’s all that matters. If we’re loving him, then we’re loving our neighbor because it’s impossible to truly honor him without caring for other people.

Paul places huge emphasis on the Philippians’ partnership with him in the gospel in verse five. He points to that being the reason he thanks God with joy every time he remembers them in his prayers. That’s nice, and it seems like Paul really likes these folks, right? Thing is, this partnership goes way deeper than personal favors and surface-level support. It’s holistic.

I don’t mean “holistic” in the sense that they share organic recipes via mail or prescribe essential oils to each other for headaches that are actually better cured by drinking more water. It’s holistic in a way that’s clearly defined by wholeness and completion. They share everything in their lives: money, clothes, property, food… so then again, maybe they did rant and rave about hummus. Who are we to say? Either way, it was a partnership that involved full participation with one another for the sake of advancing God’s Kingdom through sharing the gospel.

These relationships didn’t exist prior to Christ, at least not in their final form. They might have known each other and even liked each other before, but there’s no way they were sacrificing their own societal standing for the greater good of the gospel. This formed a bond that was deeper than any man-made friendship; these people that were once striving to elevate themselves individually in Roman honor-shame culture are now elevating each other as brothers and sisters. It’s a restoration of the partnership humanity was created for all the way back in Genesis 1-2, one that saw God and people dwelling together and ruling over creation.

I know that sounds like some hippie-dippie concept. What were Paul and the Philippians ruling when this letter was written? He was in prison, for goodness’ sake. If anything, people outside the partnership would see him as being ruled over by the Roman empire. But that’s not the way Paul sees it. In Ephesians, another letter he wrote while in chains, Paul says that God “raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…” This dude obviously had a different view of reality.

This is the same partnership that Jesus’ followers engage in today. Whether or not its depth is fully realized in every case is another conversation, but the framework is there for us to share in everything we do for the common goal of Christ. It’s what the church is meant for—and notice I say “the church” rather than “our church” or “other churches.” We’re not talking about physical buildings here. We’re talking about the global community of believers that might have nothing in common except for Jesus, and because of him, we’re closer with them than we are with blood relatives who aren’t in Christ.

With this in mind, we can be encouraged knowing that our partnership in the gospel today can and should look like Paul’s with the Philippians in the first century. It ought to involve a collective effort that takes on both intangible and practical forms. That means supporting one another’s pursuits for God’s Kingdom through prayer and action alike, connecting on a spiritual level that helps bring about results in the physical world.

Now, not every part of this is some grand-scale endeavor. It’s often a collection of more minor daily battles that contribute to a larger picture where we help each other realize Christ’s love for us. A lot of times, that’s where the practical collaboration comes in. It’s caring for other members of this partnership deeply enough to pray that they can pay this month’s rent and then helping them find odd jobs to make ends meet. It’s listening to their most pressing pain and entering into their suffering without rushing to a proposed solution, missing the source of their sorrow altogether.

This sounds more complete and whole than friendships that exist solely for Saturday nights, doesn’t it?

Paul goes on to say in verse six, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” What’s this good work that he’s talking about, and where does it come from? It might read to you like a vague statement, or some sort of religious phrase that’s meant to be reassuring but lacks depth without any context. Thankfully, Paul already gave us that context in verse five. He’s waxing on about the partnership that was introduced in the last verse, speaking about it with hope and certainty.

It’s clear to Paul this partnership in the gospel was created by God. It’s a community of people that continually serve one another for the sake of the good news. The newly established unity among the people at Philippi represents what humanity was created for from the beginning. While sin separated humanity from God all the way back in Genesis 3, Jesus reunited Him to His “very good” creation and, in turn, began this good work.

Paul’s purpose in identifying God as the Creator of this good work serves more than one purpose. At first, it reads as a general statement of encouragement—it’s impactful in that sense, though it picks up steam later when we learn about the conflict in the partnership. It’s meant to remind Euodia and Syntyche, the two church members that aren’t getting along, that their relationship is rooted in something greater than themselves.

When looking at Spirit-strengthened relationships through this lens, it reorients the people involved to recognize the significance of their unity. We have distinct character traits but we share the same identity because of the same Spirit that dwells in each of us. This partnership in the gospel is so deeply seated that even the tightest bonds we create can’t come close. Everything is shared communally, not only finances and possessions or even belief in the gospel but all that’s entailed in advancing God’s Kingdom.

You don’t need me to tell you about the hurt you suffer when relationships fracture. It’s especially painful when we see the relationship as essential. Oftentimes they are because the ones that undergo conflict clearly matter enough to fight for, right?

It’s crucial not to put that lens away. Without it, we not only lose sight of who began this partnership but also the reason we’re joined together to start with. Usually, in that case, the situation takes a shape that’s entirely different from what’s intended. Rather than considering what we can do collectively to participate in maintaining unity, it becomes lopsided. We sometimes only focus on what others should to make it up to us as individuals or, on the flipside, what we as individuals can do to fix what we broke after we’ve genuinely apologized and the other is unforgiving.

We’re going to hurt and be hurt in our families, friend groups, and yeah, even our church. It’s for that reason we can’t focus solely on how to perfect one side of conflict. Knowing we will make the wrong decision and also fall victim to the wrong decisions of others needs to inform our view of these partnerships. It’s possible to share common ground, even if you can’t see yourself committing the same specific offense that’s been done to you.

This gives no one the right to abuse the partnership that God established, or the person on the other end of it that’s created in God’s image. Trauma isn’t made null and void so we can all get along. That rises to a level that’s different from personal differences, and it tears partnerships even deeper. God doesn’t expect us to shrug off degrading behavior at the hands of others, nor is that what Paul insists you should do. Instead, we must handle those cases with the utmost care for victims because God’s kingdom elevates the oppressed.

Knowing that God cares so affectionately for the brokenhearted should speak to His intent for these partnerships. When they’re disrupted by the pursuit of personal gain of status, pleasure, and money, they no longer represent the good work. That’s just one example of why the familial structure is in place.

These partnerships only grow more complex when we take it upon ourselves to manage them alone. It’s completely possible to operate with good intentions of maintaining what God created and inadvertently cut Him out by relying on yourself to do the next right thing. That isn’t what He’s asking us to do, though. He established these relationships that are rooted and grounded in love for Him and each other so we can serve together with Him as our Father.

Paul makes it clear right off the bat in Philippians that he puts God at the center of this partnership. He thanks the Father in his remembrance of his brothers and sisters in Christ from a place of joy. Paul’s joy exists despite the conflicts that are distracting them in the moment, knowing He who created the good work will bring it to completion.

God creates partnerships in our lives for clear and sometimes unclear reasons, though it’s not always our responsibility to determine the why. Instead, we’re meant to maintain and participate in the good work that God began in our community of believers. We reflect God when we exemplify mercy and reconciliation, just as He does through His son.

Paul is not only grateful that this good work began in the first place, but he’s also confident that God will bring it to completion. He started it, and He’ll finish it so all this communal sharing achieves what it’s meant to. It’s important to note that even with the goodness this partnership has already brought about—the practical and intangible support—it isn’t finished yet. There’s more to come in the form of salvation.

We know by now that God is the only one who could’ve brought this multi-ethnic people group together. At the same time, He’s the only one who can accomplish the good work He set out to do. Arguably the most beautiful part is that God plans to accomplish said good work through His people, restoring humanity’s original purpose to have perfect union with Him and each other.

This is what Paul joyfully thanks God for. This right here. Paul lives with confidence and hope knowing that this partnership in the gospel is confirmation that the Creator is at work. He can clearly see that the Father has salvation in store for these participants “at the day of Jesus Christ.” Don’t think of this as finally getting to the good part; think of it as the best part of life in Christ.

Again, Paul is writing this knowing the conflict that exists in the church at Philippi. The two members’ fighting doesn’t shake his assurance that they’ll be included in that finished work. Rather, he knows that because God initially created the partnership they’re struggling to maintain right now, God can restore it because he’s already done it on a massive scale.

It’s easy for us to read “he who began a good work in you” from an individualistic perspective. That reading makes us feel warm and cozy with the certainty we’ll be taken care of, no matter what’s going on out there. Really, though, Paul doesn’t mean “you” specifically—he means “y’all.” Any time it’s translated as “you” in this section, it’s communal, not singular. Paul is very much writing with this newly unified humanity in mind.

Paul’s eternal perspective is more than attractive for us as Christians; it’s imperative. We operate knowing that every day is high stakes because we’re either contributing to unending death or everlasting life. Thankfully, God has created a network of believers that we can do the latter with during our time here. All these people have been given new hearts and a common Spirit to serve God and each other because of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension.

Any worry or doubt is washed away by God’s grace and promise of the new creation. Paul writes about a future day of Jesus Christ when all the hurt dealt by others—as well as the hurt we’ve inflicted on others—will be consumed by His complete and whole presence. This strengthened the Philippians in their pursuit of the gospel and it’s the same promise we share in today.

Our relationships with people we care about most are going to splinter. Each of us is imperfect to the degree that can’t be redeemed by our work alone. That’s really, truly, honestly the best part about it, though—Christ is enough. Because of Him and the good work God has started in us, we can see genuine healing in our most broken partnerships. It’s what he does!

I’m pleading with you to see the value of our unity so we’ll stop letting earthly divisions squander it. Let’s make it our goal to love the person on the other side of the field, the other side of the voter’s box, and the other side of the sanctuary or the other side of town of in a different congregation. God’s plan for us was jumpstarted into motion with Jesus, and He’s going to see it through. Take rest in knowing that and believing we will have perfect unity with our Father in the end.