We Are Family: A Call To Commitment & Accountability Within The Church of Christ

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Philippians 1:21-

Sermon Scripture

Philippians 2:19–24 ESV

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

THE HISTORY

The book of Philippians is a thank you letter of sorts. The church at Philippi had sent Paul a gift upon hearing of his imprisiment in Rome. Paul in writing this letter/epistal to thank the church at Philippi, take the occasion to

Report his own circumstances

encourage the Philippians to stand firm in the face of persecution and rejoice regardless of their circumstances (the soverignty of God)

Exhort them to humility and unity

Comment Timothy and Epaphroditus to the Philippian church

Warn the Philippians against Judaizers (legalist) and antinomians (libertines) among them.

Now...

In the second chapter of Philippians we have a variety of different things addressed as to unity and protection of the church and how they are to be found, known and exercised within the church of Christ.

Let me ask this to you who are in Christ…Have you ever in Christ sought, encouragement, comfort, participation, affection, sympathy? Have you sought the completion of joy or wondered where it comes form or a unified love? What about hope or a secure trust?

It seems that these things would be used to describe a utopian of sort home and family life. Like a Rockwell painting of the family around the dinner table with the sun shinning in the window, smiles upon the faces, with everyone together as the steam carries the smell of turkey to all, that is the impression and/or description that these words give.

Philippians 2:1 ESV

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ” is how begins. Can you picture in Christ…that is, within the family of Christ, the church, believers. And what is described henceforth is described in a descriptive and assertive manner. That is, it is described with the thought that indeed it ought to be as described. Within the home, the fellowship, the gathering of believers there must be...

encouragement - in Christ

The encouragement in Christ is in the example of Christ. The highlighted point of the example of Christ is His willing submission.

comfort - from love

The love is found and applied in selflesness, which is able to be done by a firm trust in God’s perfect will. This unified unselfish love is what has brought us to be able to in joy and comfort rest in Christ.

participation - in the Spirit

To be of something is to participate in it. We each through the submission of Christ, an by the love of Christ have been given opportunity to participate in the things of Christ, the things of the Kingdom of God, that is the family of God.

This is indeed the description of life in Christ and as such it is also a description of the godly family. Just as Christ is head of the church, so husband/fathers you are the head of the home. Your submission to God and to His commands and to His church order and service must be demonstrated. And in this, I say to the wife and mothers, that you indeed play no less of a role. for you submission and honor to Gods established order is either a great stregnth to the family when faithfully adhered to, or a great crutch when rebelled against. Just as submission demonstrated Christ as the rightful head of the church, so also is that submission a necessary requirment of the godly home and all godly position and offices to be held. But why do we submit to God’s designed order? Is it under compolsion? Absolutley not. It is in love. When you go into a house and feel a legalistic dominance or a passivist neglect, then you can be certain what you won’t feel is comfortable. It is because when love is absent, when self sacrifice is absent and personal interest are supreme then a home grows cold, as affection for one another fades. When this happens the the very unity, the single mindedness, the identitiy, the spirit of the family is lost. When a mother and father submit to their God givien position, and oporate in love then the comfort of a home is unmatched, and what follows is a unified identity, where just as mom and dad oporate, so does everyone in the home have a God given position that helps to make up the identity and blessing of the home. And just as this is true in the family, it is true in the church. And when these things come together then the home, the church becomes filled with...

affection - a true, a real caring

sympathy - a compassion

a full joy - a deep breath, a all is right with the world, a pride absent of conciet

oneness of mind - lonliness and purposless defeated. (a recent study showed this generation of young, at home on their facebook, twitter accounts with a million different activities going on are the lonliest generation that we have seen)

unselfishness - people not living for themselves but for the glory of God, for the fulfillment of the calling that He has given them

humility - more than our own instant grativication, we want a smile upon those whom we love.

hope - in Christ

trust - in Christ

So now hear God’s word on our example in Christ of submission of the mind. I say the mind, for when the mind submits, so then does the heart and with the heart so does our being.

THE EXAMPLE

Philippians 2:1–11 ESV

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. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Now following this, Paul continues with submission by explaining the dynamics or mechanics of it.

Philippians 2:12–18 ESV

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

When one submits it means that they...

Do all things without grumbling or complaining.

To be disciplined in this, guides us as children in protecting our innocence even in the midst of a crooked generation.

Hold fast to the word of life

Rejoice

Now having been given an example of submission and shown the mechanics of it within the Church, the family of Christ, we continue on in our text.

Philippians 2:19–24 ESV

“In this paragraph Paul is still discussing the submissive mind…Paul introduces us to two “ordinary saints,” men who were not apostles or spectacular miracle workers. He wants us to know that the submissive mind is not a luxury enjoyed by a chosen few; it is a necessity for Christian joy, and an opportunity for all believers.” - Wiersbe

Philippians 2:19–24 ESV

I cannot now preach the remainder of this message without first highlighting something of the time and season that we are at as the church. By time and season I am meaning generationally what has been passed down and what we must be aware of.

In the 60’s through the 70’s of the church there was a huge movement called “the Jesus movement”. There were many good things that took place and many bold and faithful Christians. However within this movement, this hippie-ish Jesus movement there was an attack or a minimizing of a few things within the church that for the past 40 years the church has been increasing seeing the maturation of (in a negative sense).

You see when you think of a movement you think of something that comes and goes. When you think of the hippie era, you think of free thinkers, free movers and so on. If anything is held to “faithfully” it is an ideology or a cause, not a authority or people. What was minimalized then in the church around this era was accountability and commitment.

I have seen it first had. I have seen those who have such great gifts and talents and passionate hearts for the Lord seem to spin tires because life and ministry was spent chasing a movement and avoiding accountability and commitment to the church body.

You have all seen it and heard it… “I am commited to Christ alone” is often the modo. The issue is that you cannot be commited to Christ without also being unyieldingly commited to His church, and you cannot be commited to His church without knowing her faces and submitting yourself to her members in full commitment and accountability. The church is a body and one cannot be a blessed, thriving, healthy part of it by physically removing themselves from it, or by opporating outside of how God has fashioned the church body to oporate.

We have seen the sad effects of commitment and accountability within the church. In this era of the past 40 or so years since such submission, commitment and accountability was abandoned we have seen it effect our families, our ministries and the churches elders and pastors.

We have seen divorce and the very fabric of the family fall apart (not just in the world) but in our very churches.

We have seen scandals on the rise.

We have seen ministries based on fad rather than command

We have seen commited lifetime pastors become increasingly obsolete, just as we have seen multi-generational lifetime church member communities abandoned as the church becomes a seasonal try on, like a work out routine, or a gym membership, the church local is a dating game for what the individual can get, more than a family to encourage, comfort and participate in.

I have seen pastors crushed and paranoid by abandonment of the saints.

I have seen saints embittered by the abandonment of pastors.

i have seen children lost in depression and anxiety by the abandonment of their parents.

And at the heart of much of this I have seen “on fire believers” caught up in a Jesus movement while fighting against and dodging every call of submission and ounce of accountability or commitment to the church that comes their way.

I tell you today my friends it is one of the greatest under-minding attacks on the church in our day, and it has left the church greatly vulnerable.

Seminaries have not helped, but in our day have rather become increasingly liberal and separated from the church, serving as an escape root, where those who are unwilling to submit to the church and faithfully serve, can hop around and wave a certificate for accreditation rather than a life of righteousness and faithful service.

I have heard far too many times an individual remove themselves from accountability by saying “God called me to this.”

An abstract calling of God does not free one from the definitive calling of God found in the scripture. I’m not saying that one cannot have a calling of God, or certain thing or ministry impressed upon their heart by God. But it is complete arrogance and not humility if one things that calling frees them from all other commands of God to His church and somehow raises them above. Even Paul kept himself accountable to the church that he might not become a stumbling block and might remain fully usable by God to His blessed church.

Our (often unknowing) disreguard for the high regard and commitment to the church as found in scripture, has served to destroy the comfort once found alone in the institutions of God such as the church and family (and I would even offer government). It has made the church rather than a family, a place of paronoid, embittered entertainers, ceo’s, staff, consumers and attendees. And this rips me apart.

Now having said all of this, allow me to rejoice in God for you. In many ways through your faithfulness we as a church have been spared, but we are not immune to it. As a matter of fact Paul was not even immune to it and had to be himself aware of it, even when he was not the one doing the dodging or abandoning. In other words it has to be known as wrong less it be percieved as noble.

Now of all the people that were with Paul to minister with Paul, Paul is only here able to speak of two as in a faithful since.

One was Epaphroditus. He was ill, and longing to go back to the church of Philipi to show that he was well so that they could be encouarged. Paul thought this to be necessary and so Epaphroditus returned “for the encouragment of the church”. Now Paul could have used Epaphroditua encouragment and company for his own encouragment but he placed first the encouragment of the church.

The second is who our text is centered upon. That is Timothy. Now in introducing Timothy we are given insight into the faithful Pastor and what his hope is. In the text we find two things to be the hope of the faithful Pastor or, I would say the faithful Christian.

A PASTOR’S HOPE:

The Lord Jesus

I hope in the Lord Jesus are Pauls words. He is hoping to send Timothy, but he is hoping not in his own hope but in the Lord Jesus. We don’t hope in ourselves, or hope for what we desire, but we hope in submission, we hope in Jesus the head of the church. Why?

The faithful church

The why of hoping in the Lord Jesus is found in his genuine concern for the health and good of the church. This passage is saturated with concern for the church as necessary for the servant of Christ our Lord. Indeed a lack of sincere concern for the local, visible church of Christ and a seeking of self interest is seen here as a disqualification for usage in the ministry of Christ to the church.

Now having identified Pauls hope as not of or for himself but that of the Lord Jesus, we will see how directly that plays into the who of who he sends to minister to the church:

A FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN:

Genuine concern for the welfare of the church

Does not seek self-interest

Seeks the interest of Christ

Faithful, humble, submissive

Brotherly service in the gospel

These attributes, and this faithful service (not a certificate, not Greek and Hebrew) but faithful service, commitment to the seeking of Christ over self interest, humble submission, accountability and commitment, has proven the value of Timothy to the church of Christ. Now get this…Timothy is proven to be a value to the welfare. What Paul is saying is that Timothy has proven to be naturally concerned for the state of the church.

The concern for the state of the church, or for the welfare of the church is as defined in the text as well as defined in the life and ministry of Paul, Timothy and Jesus our Lord.

It is all of the things described in chapter 2 and in the entirety of Philippians.

It is that the church would:

Live for Christ (P.1:25)

Live as Christ (P.1-11)

Hold to the gospel (righteousness through faith P.3)

Strain toward the goal of the resurrection (P.4)

Timothy is therefore accredited to serve the church in this way because he has exemplified the very things that he will be protecting within the church.

If you want a buisness church then you get someone who has succedded in buisness

If you want an entertainment church then you get someone who has suceded in entertainment

If you want a weekly crowd or to spark the latest movement then get someone who has succeeded in public speaking, has carasmatic appeal and is trained in community organization.

and on and on you can go...

but if you want a faithful church, then be faithful to Christ and let this be your one true concern and seeking. Be a Kingdom first church. Be a faithful, submissive, accountable and commited people, to Christ and to each other in the things of Christ.

Let your encouragment come from Christ

You comfort from love

And you participation be in the Spirit.

Do all things in the service of God and His church...

without grumbling or complaining, holding fast tot he Word of life, and rejoicing always.

And by the grace of God let us be the church filled with affection, sympathy, a full joy, oneness of mind, unselfishness, humility, hope, trust

sympathy - a compassion

a full joy - a deep breath, a all is right with the world, a pride absent of conciet

For it is my prayer, and my hope in Christ in whom I trust that we will and shall be a true family in Christ Jesus our Lord and that this place will be filled with the encouragement of Christ, the comfort of love, and the joyful participation in the Spirit of God and that will shine forth as a city on a hill for the glory of God and blessing of you all, the church of Christ.

unselfishness - people not living for themselves but for the glory of God, for the fulfillment of the calling that He has given them

humility - more than our own instant grativication, we want a smile upon those whom we love.

hope - in Christ

trust - in Christ

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THE HISTORY

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A PASTOR’S HOPE:

A FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN: