Partnership

Scripture

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God every time I remember you. 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.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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Big idea: partnership in the gospel:

doing things together

thanksgiving + joy

jesus-shaped community </aside>

Introduction

Please keep your bibles opened, we’ll be going through it together.

Ever since I started the apprenticeship

I’ve been writing a newsletter

I must admit I’m not the most timely at keeping up with writing them

but occasionally, every few months I’ll set aside some time

usually when church and ministry is not that busy

and I’ll write to my prayer and financial supporters,

and people who are generally interested in keeping up with what’s been going on.

but it’s hard to remember what’s happened!

I can’t remember last week, let alone two months ago

so I scroll through my photo gallery

and I begin to notice something

they’re all pictures of people!

something integral to the apprenticeship is that it involves sharing and teaching others about Jesus

Jesus to other people (repeat w/ motion)

walking with people in their lives

if not, then its usually myself spending time with God

studying his Word, meditating on it in all sorts of different places

for this book of Philippians,

not only is it like Paul’s prayer newsletter to his supporters,

it’s the Word of God

the Holy Spirit was inspiring him that as he wrote about Jesus

and how it involves real people

it became God’s word to us

so I want to reiterate

it was God speaking through Paul’s writing to people

but it also is God’s words for us today.

so let’s dive in together

Father, Son, Holy Spirit

take your Word

plant it deep in us

and make it grow.

1. Partnership in the gospel

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

refresh from our video series, how to read and study the bible

who’s writing it? Paul (Timothy as co-sender)

Who’s it to? The people of Philipi, alongside the people likely to read it out in their assembly, the overseers and deacons

Why is he writing it?

like I said before, Paul writes this like as a prayer newsletter to his supporters

encouraging

joyful

he’s in prison! (common theme as with last year when we went through Ephesians)

Philippians is such a gold mine

I thank my God every time I remember you. 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.

Paul opens up with a nice warm hug

“How are you? I’m so grateful for you.”

“I’m so glad you’re in my life.”

Is there anyone that you are thankful for in your life?

it’s so natural to think of the mixed feelings we have about people

you will know this if you think about your parents, or your siblings, or a spouse, or a roommate

yet Paul has gratitude!

Thanksgiving is the mark of a Christian

not taking anyone for granted!

in fact, Paul takes this one step further

He’s keeping the Philippians in his prayers

he values his relationships with other people, and he prays for all of them!

not just the leaders, not just the ones that he gets along with at church or in his inner circle

there must have been God-fearing Jews, God-fearing Gentiles (that is, non-Jews)

but the Philippi church has been with Paul through many seasons

we read in Acts 16:12 onwards

of Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke

on their missionary journey

planting churches by sharing the good news of Jesus’ life death and resurrection.

If you got a transcript of your prayers

you know those “voice to speech” apps?

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what might you hear when you playback the recording?

I think we often ask for prayer when we’re desperate and in need of help

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remembering in prayer with joy

what’s his reason?

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I can think of so many things that are tough with church

but his joy frames everything

not as rose-tinted glasses

but the opposite, that we take off our narrow view of the world and of Jesus and the church

taking off the sunnies

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what does he say? (v5-6)

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.

We get to the heart of Paul’s letter

and it’s what makes this book of Philippians stand out from the rest of the other letters

he calls it a partnership

Why?

Between each other in the church

we might think that there are leaders

and attendees

that might be true in terms of responsibilities

but why does Paul call his relationship with these little, humble house churches of Philippi a partnership?

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illustration: meme with muscular handshake

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Friends, It really is what it means

a two-way relationship

Paul was receiving financial support from the Philippians

they were with him in prayers, in suffering for their faith from opposition

And they were receiving pastoral care and support from Paul as he shared the gospel to them

Paul’s mission was to share Jesus to as many people as he could

but he also couldn’t just do this alone!

he had the support of others, of church members who partnered alongside him

note that he doesn’t impose a hierarchy on them

He doesn’t say that his work is more important than them and their day jobs

Nor does he diminish his mission as any less of what the Philippians are doing

but he encourages them that their partnership is a joy to him!

Sometimes we make the mistake compartmentalising our faith

thinking that it’s a individual thing

“this is my faith, my relationship with God”

There’s truth in that, in which its your decision to

But are you not here because someone at some point shared Jesus with you?

whether its your parents, a friend, a relative, a classmate, a mentor or teacher

My faith is where it is today, because people boldly asked me the tough questions in my life

I remember years ago, when i was 16

Jason took me aside and asked me whether I thought I was saved or not.

and that shook me, and woke me up to really consider whether I really believed in Jesus or not

Instead of partnership, some other translations say fellowship, or friendship

there’s a togetherness about faith, because we walk together

Do you know how encouraging it is too, when you see other friends in faith

let me shoutout Chris, who has been a great encouragement to me, and hopefully to you too

Chris doesn’t let his busyness with raising a family hinder his desire to serve Jesus

quietly helping behind the scenes at church,

or Hong, who handles a lot of the setting up and packing down of our equipment, even when he’s not rostered on

I could go on!

But my point is that these partnerships with each other

They’re hardly transactional

but relational

Paul is so sure.

without a doubt he’s sure that things will work out

where does Paul put his confidence in?

beginning a good work, and bringing it to completion

the origins of this partnership did not begin with us

we aren’t thinking that its something we have to think up of and solve all the problems we see

but that began in Jesus

it’s been predestined planned beforehand

and it will continue with Jesus

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Does God bring you here just so that he could leave you out to dry?

The Israelites in Exodus asked the same question

After escaping their slavery in Egypt and thrusted into the desert

Looming ahead of them was the Red Sea

And they demanded Moses to ask God, “did he bring us out of Egypt just to be masacred by the Egyptians?”

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Completion at the day of Jesus Christ

one day that partnership will be thriving at the future day

when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil 2:9-11)

That’s the hope

That’s the joy that drives Paul

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Again, the apostle Paul at no point feels as though he is doing this alone.

from up front at the pulpit preaching to churches

if he was in prison, they would be with him like they also were in prison

if he was outside preaching, they would be with him likewise

Like what Jesus says in Matthew 25:35-36

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

all partakers with me of grace

what is grace again?

it’s undeserved merit or favour

its when we get something that we don’t deserve

Paul’s view on partnership is because we are all saved by grace alone

we share in God’s grace

under God’s eyes, we aren’t measured by whether we are holier or more spiritual than others

that would mean that we are separated based on our works, by what we do

But when we believe in Jesus, God sees Christ standing next to us

All of his righteousness we inherit.

that is no different between you and I

I hope that you are starting to see that what it really boils down to

is a Jesus-shaped community

through believing Jesus we are saved

if you think back to Ephesians last year

remember Eph 2:8

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

Hope

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”

what’s the hope?

love may abound more and more

with knowledge and all discernment

approving what is excellent

pure and blameless for the day of Christ

filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Christ

If you’ve ever tried living in this way

seeking to show love rather than hate

trying to live “righteously” but falling short

I know those exact frustrations!

and it’s tiring

and you may be wondering whether it’s worth it

But it’s not in our own strength that we become more like Jesus

It’s looking to Jesus that renews us

we can start on this journey to know God because of him

so it is also from him that we can be filled with the fruit of righteousness

join our fellowship groups

how important is it to partner with people in your faith

in your life

because the gospel affects every part of your life!

I’ve had my mentors ask me very directly

how’s this habitual sin going?

how’s your bible reading going?

how’s your relationship with Cath going? any sore points or tensions

first response,

Partnership with Jesus.