Welcome Home

Title: Welcome Home

Text: Philippians 1:3-7

D.T. How do we become a blessing for the people who need a beacon in the darkness?

Introduction: Today we are kicking off our “Welcome Home” theme. The objective of this theme is to work to establish what we can do to make Central Church feel like a welcome home. If you were to google “what makes up a welcome home” you’d get a lot of answers. Most of them are based upon presentation. “Using soft colors, eliminating sharp corners, having comfortable seating, having plant life, and cultured art. You really get an idea of what the world at large believes makes up a welcome home. Much of the world believes the basis of a welcome home is found in presentation. Today I would like to make an alternative suggestion. A welcome home isn’t found in presentation, it’s found in the character of its people. So what are the characteristics of a welcome home? The best place to find these welcome home characteristics are in the book of Philippians. We’ll get started by reading Philippians 1:3-11. As we study this passage we are going to establish the goal and purpose of this message. How do we become known for being a welcome home? What do we want to accomplish by becoming a welcome home?

READ Philippians 1:3–7

Philippians 1:3–7 ESV

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.

The book of Philippians is often referred to as one of the most positive books in the New Testament. It’s obvious that Paul really loves the people of Philippi, he clearly regards them as an important part of his life. This is abundantly clear in the first few verses of Philippians. Paul says he thanks God when he remembers them and he prays for them, and is thankful for Joy he brings them.

Paul continues explaining his thankfulness in verses 9-10 where he prays the love of the Philippian people may abound more and more, he prays they are able to discern the will of God.

The application of this text to our lives seems obvious. This application comes in the form of a question. How do we become like the church of Philippi? Paul seems to regard the church of Philippi as a welcome home, so how do we embody and live out everything Paul just spoke about? One of our goals is to become known for being a welcome home. Everything Paul talked about in this passage would help cement Central Church as a Welcome Home.

How do we become a church that people thank God for when they remember us? How do we become a church that people feel compelled to pray for? How do we become a church regarded as worthwhile Gospel partners? How can we encourage the love of this church to abound even more?

The way we should apply this text is pretty clear right? We live out all the attributes Paul just discussed. However there is an aspect to this text we haven’t discussed. We haven’t discussed why Paul's happy demeanor is such a big deal, and we haven’t discussed how remarkable the people of Philippi must have been.

Paul was in prison when he wrote the book of Philippians. He even alludes to this fact in verse 7 where he mentions he is in prison because of the gospel. Since we live in Fulton, many of you have worked closely with the state prison system. You know what prison can do to a person in regards to their psyche and mental health. You may have seen the way the prison can break a person and seemingly remove all hope from their lives. Which means you know how remarkable it is that Paul wrote his most uplifting and happy of letters from within the confines of a prison.

This is what a first century prison looks like. I don’t know about you, but it would be hard for me to find anything to be happy about in a place like this. I wouldn’t be thinking about how happy certain people make me, and how I thank God for them. Instead muy mind would be laser focused on how I am going to get out.

Yet the Apostle Paul called this place home, and he was able to focus his mind on what lifted his spirit.

From within walls not dissimilar to these Paul thought about how thankful he was for the people of Philippi. From within these walls Paul intentionally prayed for the people of Philippi. From within these walls Paul held them close to his heart.

It becomes pretty clear that one of the reasons Paul was able to have such a happy demeanor in a place like this was BECAUSE of the Philippian people.

If someone tells you they thank God and pray for you everytime you cross their mind, you’ve done right by that person. If a person thanks God and prays for you everytime you cross their mind, while they are surrounded in the despair of darkness, then you’ve gone beyond doing right by them. You’ve become a beacon for them, you’ve become a refuge in the darkness, you’ve become an answered prayer.

I hope we never underestimate the importance of being an answer to someone's prayer.

Yet that is what the Philippian church had become for Paul. That is how God used the Philippian people for Paul.

How did the Philippian church pull become that beacon in the darkness? How did they become an answered prayer?

Paul regarded them as a place where he was welcome. To Paul Philippi was a welcome home.

So what is the goal and purpose for being known as a welcome home? We become a beacon in the darkness. Early in this message we made known the application of this text. How do we become a blessing for people? Such a blessing they thank god for us and pray for us when we cross their mind, yes that’s a question we should ask ourselves. However, we shouldn't stop there. How do we become a blessing for the people who need a beacon in the darkness? If I’m not mistaken Jesus tells us to become a well lit city on a hill, he tells us to shine our light for all to see. Jesus is the light of the world, and the church is his conduit.

We become a blessing for those in darkness by giving them a welcome home.