Thanksgiving for the Church

Intro: Pastor Alan’s Sermon

Well good morning, church family. I cannot express to you enough how thankful I am for this opportunity to share what God has laid on my heart over the last couple of weeks while studying through our morning’s passage. I am extremely thankful for Pastor Chipman’s help and coaching me along the way through sermon preparation. I am extremely thankful for you the body for graciously allowing me to grow as a leader by leading in things such as this.

One reason we can be thankful during our suffering is because God gave us the church

Last week, Pastor Alan gave us a challenge from 1 Peter chapter 4, and that challenge was for the body of Christ to react to trials and sufferings with a heart of thanksgiving. Continuing on with this theme of thanksgiving, today we are going to be studying , and from this text we are going to consider three ways that we can be thankful for the church. Join in following along with me as I read the entirety of our passage, and then we will ask for God’s help.

Paul is in prison:

Look for breaks, and make man made points

Break: verses 8 & 9

Let me briefly read to you how Paul addresses his audience in his letters to other churches that he partnered with, and then I am going to re-read how Paul addresses the church of Philippi. See if you can spot the difference:

1 & 2 Thessalonians: “To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”

1 & 2 Corinthians: “To the church of God that is in Corinth”

“Paul and TImothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”

Galatians: “To the churches of Galatia”

Let me briefly read to you how Paul addresses his audience in his letters to other churches that he partnered with, and then I am going to re-read how Paul addresses the church of Philippi. See if you can spot the difference:

1 & 2 Thessalonians: “To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”

1 & 2 Corinthians: “To the church of God that is in Corinth”

Galatians: “To the churches of Galatia”

Romans: “To all those in Rome”

Ephesians: “To all the saints who are in Ephesus”

Colossians: “To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae”

Philemon: “To Philemon our fellow worker and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house”

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”

Did you notice how in all of his letters to the various churches, Paul’s letter to the church of Philippi is the only letter where he addresses not just the church in general, but he addresses the congregation, the deacons, and the overseers? This is not to imply that the other churches did not have any structure in leadership. The early church would have naturally followed Jewish patterns as they did worship and church life. Many have speculated as to why Paul would then single out the “overseers and deacons” in this salutation, and many scholars have suggested different possibilities.

We will not be spending our time this morning speculating as to why Paul did this, but as we think about thanksgiving for the church, the first point I want us see from today’s passage is that we can be thankful for the church having structure.

So as we think about thanksgiving for the church, the first point I want us see from today’s passage is that we can be thankful for the church having structure. Why should we be thankful for the church having structure?

Consider with me the blessings that come from having church structure. One of the greatest gifts the church has are people within the body that serve either as an elder or deacon. In Acts chapter 6, when the New Testament church was beginning to grow and form, the disciples quickly realized that it became much more challenging to give proper attention to preaching the Word while also giving proper attention to serving the various needs of the body. The disciples knew that both responsibilities were of utmost importance; however, their gifting was to preach the Word and they did not have the necessary time to serve the temporary, physical needs of the body. Therefore, the disciples came together and unanimously agreed that there needs to be a ministry within the church that is devoted to serving the body, thus seven men of good-report were chosen for this ministry of deaconship. As we see from our text and from other texts such as 1 Timothy chapter 3, Elder and Deacon are the primary positions for church leadership, and both positions have distinct responsibilities for serving the church body. Deacons serve under the ruling authority of the elders, who serve under the ruling authority of God. Just like the disciples who delegated responsibilities to the seven in , elders are to delegate responsibilities to the deacons so that the elders can give proper attention to the Word, prayer, and ultimately shepherding the church.

I cannot imagine how our church would function if we did not have elders such as Todd, Alan, and Adam who faithfully minister God’s Word to us, pray for us, and shepherd us on a regular basis. I also cannot imagine how our church would function if we did not have deacons such as Skye and Jim maintaining the various needs of the building, and Julie who serves in multiple ways but primarily leads the homeschool academy, and Glenda who is responsible for all of the logistics for our ministry towards Project Patricia.

I also consider you, congregation, and I cannot imagine how our church would function if we did not have men and women such as yourself being willing to step up and serve in various ways. Whether it is handling our church’s finances, cleaning the building, teaching in our small groups and Equipping Hour, serving as a greeter or an usher, playing an instrument or singing in the chorale, supervising children in the nursery, maintaining the cleanliness of the kitchen, running the projection and sound from the booth in the back, serving and leading in various capacities of our outreach ministry, and anything else that I may not have mentioned..

I consider the men and women who have served in these roles in years past and I also consider those who will serve in these roles in the future to come, Lord willing, people of MCC, are we not thankful to God for the church having structure? God is so good to us.

(overseers and deacons)

Let us continue on. Look with me at verses 3-6.

Romans: “To all those in Rome”

“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.”

The second point I want us to see from our passage is that we can be thankful for the church’s faithfulness over time. In verses 3-6, Paul says that whenever he thought about the believers in Philippi, he could not help but go to God in prayer with thanksgiving and with joy. Why? Because the Philippians have been faithfully partnering with Paul in the advance of the gospel from the moment the Church of Philippi began to the very moment that Paul was penning this letter under house-arrest.

Ephesians: “To all the saints who are in Ephesus”

Acts chapter 16 marks the beginning of the church in Philippi. Paul had a vision where he was told to leave Asia Minor and come to the Roman province of Macedonia, where the colony of Philippi was located (). He took along with him Luke, Silas, and Timothy and they traveled for about two days by sea and by land (16:11-12). When they finally arrived at Philippi, on the Sabbath they went to the river just outside of the city because they assumed there might be a gathering of people who met to pray (a common practice during this time). There they encountered a woman named Lydia along with her family, and Paul shared with them the gospel of Jesus Christ. Right then and there, they put their trust in Jesus, were baptized, and Lydia's house became the center of the first Christian community of the city ().

If you were to continue reading Acts, you would find that the church experienced both high points and low points. High points of prosperity where the church began to grow, and low points of persecution, suffering, and anguish. Roman authority ordered for Paul and Silas to be stripped, severely flogged, and to be thrown into prison because they were accused of "un-Roman” activities (). Anyone who would have defended Paul and Silas would have more than likely joined them in being stripped, flogged, and thrown into prison as well…maybe even killed. But despite the circumstances, despite what many would consider a low point in life, Paul and Silas continued to be faithful to God because they knew that in the eye of the storm, he remains in control. Amen?

In 2 Corinthians chapter 1 Paul himself wrote this, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” You see while Paul and Silas were in prison and were still feeling the immense, sharp physical pain from being beaten and probably felt a level of humiliation from being stripped completely naked in public, they still worshipped God and were joyful.. by singing hymns and by praying. Why? How is this possible? Because they worshipped “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” who was comforting them right then and there in the midst of their affliction…and wouldn’t you know? Because of the comfort that God provided to Paul and Silas, they were able to provide the comfort of Christ to the other prisoners who were listening to them singing and praying ().. and later on to the jailer who lost all hope and considered committing suicide while he was in the midst of his affliction after the earthquake and thought the prisoners had escaped ().

Paul had a vision where he was told to leave Asia Minor and come to the Roman province of Macedonia, where the colony of Philippi is located.

And as we come back to our text here in Philippians, as Paul is penning this letter he is in the midst of affliction yet again, this time under “house arrest” (). And the Philippians themselves were facing severe opposition from without—and a civil war broke out from within. In chapter 4 of Philippians, we see that two members of the church, Euodia and Syntyche, had become divided. But once again, we see here God at work providing comfort through his people in the midst of affliction. Through Paul’s affliction, the comfort of God led him to pen this letter to the Philippians so that they would be comforted and encouraged in the midst of their affliction. Vice Versa, the comfort that God provided to the Philippians in the midst of their affliction, the comfort of God led them to comfort and encourage Paul while he was under house-arrest by sending Epaphroditus to deliver a gift (As recorded in chapter 4).

that the comfort that God provided to Paul

Throughout seasons of affliction and even seasons of prosperity, Paul was thankful to God for the church remaining faithful over time. Some of us, like myself, have not been members here at MCC for too long..but some of us here have been members of MCC for quite a while.. but regardless of how long we have been here at MCC, I am certain that it would not take long for all of us here to think of times of how God has demonstrated his faithfulness through people over time. We would not be here today gathered together if it was not for the grace of God allowing our brothers and sisters in Christ of the past and present remaining faithful in the partnership of the gospel.

I find verse six to be extremely encouraging for us all. “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.”

When they arrived at Philippi, on the Sabbath they went to the river just outside of the city because they assumed there might be a gathering of people who met to pray. They encountered a woman named Lydia along with her household, and Paul shared with them the gospel of Jesus Christ. They put their trust in Christ, were baptized, and Lydia's house became the center of the first Christian community of the city.

If you have truly confessed your sins, turned away from your selfish lifestyle, and have put your complete trust and dependence on Christ alone to save you from the wrath of God that you rightfully deserve, God promises that your name will be found in the book of life.

Verse 6 is a reminder of what our goal truly is. Our main goal has nothing to do with the temporary things of this world; in fact, it has nothing to do about us. Our goal and purpose in life has everything to do with exalting Jesus Christ. God did not do a good work in us so that we will one day be glorified by everyone else. No, rather God chooses to graciously do a good work in us for the sole purpose of presenting us, the church, as a perfect gift for his Holy Son. says “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb (Jesus) has come, and his Bride (the church, that’s us) has made herself ready”. If you have truly confessed your sins, turned away from your selfish lifestyle, and have put your complete trust and dependence on Christ alone to save you from the wrath of God that you rightfully deserve, you can be assured that God did indeed begin a good work in you and he promises that he will get you ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb where you will be given to Christ and for the rest of eternity you will get to enjoy his presence right before your very own eyes.

God does not promise that the ministry of MCC will always exist. There are countless faithful churches of the past that no longer exist today. But, verse 6 does promise us MCC that the Kingdom of God will always exist and that God who began a good work IN each and every one of you, he will bring it to completion. If you have truly confessed your sins, turned away from your selfish lifestyle, and have put your complete trust and dependence on Christ alone to save you from the wrath of God that you rightfully deserve, God promises that your name will be found in the book of life.

So brothers and sisters in Christ, we can be thankful for the church’s faithfulness over time and recognize that it is God who is doing a good work in us, the church, so that one day we can enjoy being in the presence of God, where there is no sin..or pain..or hunger..or stress..or financial hardship..or death..or sickness..or final exams. Amen, students?!

2 co. 8

Colossians: “To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae”

“First Day until Now” God’s faithfulness through people

Philemon: “To Philemon our fellow worker and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house”

There is one more thing found in our passage for this morning that reminds us of why we should be thankful for the church. Follow along with me in verses 7 and 8.

Thankful for the church’s Faithfulness over time

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”

Thankful for leaders

Did you notice how in all of his letters to the various churches, Paul’s letter to the church of Philippi is the only letter where he addresses not just the church in general, but he addresses the congregation, the deacons, and the overseers? From this we can observe that the church of Philippi had structure. Now I am not in any way implying that the other churches did not have any structure in leadership. The early church would have naturally followed Jewish patterns as they did worship and church life. Many have speculated as to why Paul would then single out the “overseers and deacons” in this salutation, and many scholars have suggested different possibilities.

We will not be spending our time this morning speculating as to why Paul did this, but as we think about thanksgiving for the church, the first point I want us see from today’s passage is that we can be thankful for the church having structure.

“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.”

Consider with me the blessings that come from having church structure. One of the greatest gifts the church has are people within the body that serve either as an elder or deacon. In Acts chapter 6, when the New Testament church was beginning to grow and form, the disciples quickly realized that it became much more challenging to give proper attention to preaching the Word while also giving proper attention to serving the various needs of the body. The disciples knew that both responsibilities were of utmost importance; however, their gifting was to preach the Word and they did not have the necessary time to serve the temporary, physical needs of the body. Therefore, the disciples came together and unanimously agreed that there needs to be a ministry within the church that is devoted to serving the body, thus seven men of good-report were chosen for this ministry of deaconship.

Did it stand out to anyone else how Paul used phrases such as, “I hold you in my heart” in verse 7 and, “I yearn for you all” in verse 8? Commentator Gordon Fee says, “The affection that one senses throughout the thanksgiving now spills out as open and unfeigned feelings toward them.” As if it was insufficient for Paul to only declare his love for them in verse 7, he wants God to act as a witness and testify how much he longs for all of them. The church of Philippi more than any other church has actively displayed their support for Paul throughout his ordeals. While many people deserted Paul for various reasons, the Philippians did not; and they went so far as to send Epaphroditus to be his personal assistant as chapter 2 explains. You see, Paul was on trial for his life, and Paul more than any of us needed close companions to be by his side through this difficult situation. Yet, because of Epaphroditus’ health, Paul was planning to send him back, which, as commentator Grant Osborne notes, meant that the one concrete presence in his life of the Philippian church would be gone and that all Paul would have left would be his memories of them. Notice how Paul intentionally includes the word “all” three times in these two verses. Paul does this to make his point clear that he did not want to leave out any believer, including those who were causing dissension.

The language used here in verses 7 and 8 implies that Paul had a very deep, personal relationship with the church of Philippi. It is in verses 7 and 8 where we find our third reason to be thankful for the church: We can be thankful for the church providing deep, meaningful friendships.

Personal term: “I hold you in my heart”

Fellowship in the New Testament comes from the Greek word koinonia, and mere fellowship is participation in what is held in common, being conscious of belonging to one another as those who form a unique community and consequently sharing with one another. For Christians, fellowship is driven by a devotion to Christ and realizing that we all share a common status of belonging to God because we have been placed in Christ by the Holy Spirit (). Koinonia then for Christians communicates that we share the same identity in Christ and that we have a moral obligation to treat each other in such a way that builds one another up in faith and sanctification.

-This implies a deep personal relationship

As we see from our text and from other texts such as 1 Timothy chapter 3, Elder and Deacon are the primary positions for church leadership, and both positions have distinct responsibilities for serving the church body. Deacons serve under the ruling authority of the elders, who serve under the ruling authority of God. Just like the disciples who delegated responsibilities to the seven in , elders are to delegate responsibilities to the deacons so that the elders can give proper attention to the Word, to prayer, and ultimately to shepherding the church.

It is my hope and prayer

[1] Stanley J. Grenz and Jay T. Smith, Pocket Dictionary of Ethics, The IVP Pocket Reference Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 67.

The reason why some of our deepest friendships come from those within the church is because God’s glory is in our presence (). One day, there will be a great multitude of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue fellowshipping with one another before the glory of God (). Although we long for that day when we all will get to stand before God almighty, God’s presence is in our midst whenever we gather. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (). You know what is incredible church family? It is because of the glory of God that we can have a deep fellowship with each other, or with a body of believers on the other side of the world whom we have never met and who speak a different language than us.

We can be thankful for the real, personal relationships with the individuals that we have in the church

I cannot imagine how our church would function if we did not have elders such as Todd, Alan, and Adam who faithfully minister God’s Word to us, pray for us, and shepherd us on a regular basis. I want to read to you an excerpt from a pastor about the app-e-stall-ik anxiety that most pastors have to deal with:

Have you ever gone through a difficult situation and have found brothers and sisters in Christ walking along side you? I know I have.

“These men feel many pressures in ministry—people in crisis, people leaving, people coming, people disappointed by them, people disappointing to them. In the midst of their work, these pastors try to find time for study, prayer, preparation, and family. These men also feel the burden from time to time for all the things they could be doing; more evangelism, more for the poor, more for missions, more to address global concerns, and more to address social concerns. And on top of all of this, every pastor has his own personal hurts, his own personal mistakes, and his own spiritual health to attend to.”

So we can be thankful friends for the deep, personal friendships that we have in the Church.

Pastors, we only know a fraction of the pressures you face on a daily basis. Thank you for your faithfulness.

I also cannot imagine how our church would function if we did not have deacons such as Skye and Jim maintaining the various needs of the building, and Julie who serves in multiple ways but primarily leads the homeschool academy, and Glenda who is responsible for all of the logistics for our ministry towards Project Patricia.

So church:

I also think of you, congregation, and I cannot imagine how our church would function if we did not have men and women such as yourself being willing to step up and serve in various ways. Whether it is handling our church’s finances, cleaning the building, teaching in our small groups and Equipping Hour, serving as a greeter or an usher, playing an instrument or singing in the chorale, supervising children in the nursery, maintaining the cleanliness of the kitchen, running the projection and sound from the booth in the back, serving and leading in various capacities of our outreach ministry, and anything else that I may not have mentioned..

If we are thankful for the church providing structure

If we’re thankful for the church’s faithfulness over time

If we’re thankful for the deep, meaningful friendships within the church,

Let us pray that God would increase our thanksgiving for next year. Follow along with me as I read verses 9-11:

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so 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.”

Lets’ pray that God would increase our love

There are also the men and women of the past who have served in these roles and I also consider those who will serve in these roles in the future to come, Lord willing, people of MCC, are we not thankful to God for the church having structure? God is so good to us.

Lets’ pray that we would be “tethered to and draw sustenance from the true Vine” so that we bear the fruit of righteousness

Let us continue on. Look with me at verses 3-6.

Lets’ pray that we would continue to be faithful “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God”.

“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.”

The second point I want us to see from our passage is that we can be thankful for the church’s faithfulness over time. In verses 3-6, Paul says that whenever he thought about the believers in Philippi, he could not help but go to God in prayer with thanksgiving and with joy. Why? Because the Philippians have been faithfully partnering with Paul in the advance of the gospel from the moment the Church of Philippi began to the very moment that Paul was penning this letter under house-arrest.

Acts chapter 16 marks the beginning of the church in Philippi. Paul had a vision where he was told to leave Asia Minor and come to the Roman province of Macedonia, where the colony of Philippi was located (). He took along with him Luke, Silas, and Timothy and they traveled for about two days by sea and by land (16:11-12). When they finally arrived at Philippi, on the Sabbath they went to the river just outside of the city because they assumed there might be a gathering of people who met to pray (a common practice during this time). There they encountered a woman named Lydia along with her family, and Paul shared with them the gospel of Jesus Christ. Right then and there, they put their trust in Jesus, were baptized, and Lydia's house became the center of the first Christian community of the city ().

If you were to continue reading Acts, you would find that the church experienced both high points and low points. High points of prosperity where the church began to grow, and low points of persecution, suffering, and anguish. Roman authority ordered for Paul and Silas to be stripped, severely flogged, and to be thrown into prison because they were accused of "un-Roman” activities (). Anyone who would have defended Paul and Silas would have more than likely joined them in being stripped, flogged, and thrown into prison as well…maybe even killed. But despite the circumstances, despite what many would deem a low point in life, Paul and Silas continued to be faithful to God because they knew that in the eye of the storm, God remains in control. Amen?

In 2 Corinthians chapter 1 Paul himself wrote this, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

You see while Paul and Silas were in prison and were still feeling the immense, sharp physical pain from being beaten and probably felt a level of humiliation from being stripped completely naked in public, they still worshipped God and were joyful.. by singing hymns and by praying. Why? How is this possible? Because they worshipped “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” who was comforting them right then and there in the midst of their affliction…and wouldn’t you know? Because of the comfort that God provided to Paul and Silas, they were able to provide the comfort of Christ to the other prisoners who were listening to them sing and pray ().. and later on to the jailer who lost all hope and was about to commit suicide while he was in the midst of his affliction after the earthquake and thought the prisoners had escaped ().

And as we come back to our text here in Philippians, as Paul was writing this letter he is in the midst of affliction yet again, this time under “house arrest” (). And the Philippians themselves were facing severe opposition from without—and a civil war broke out from within. In chapter 4 of Philippians, we see that two members of the church, Euodia and Syntyche, had become divided. But once again, we see here God at work providing comfort through his people in the midst of affliction. Through Paul’s affliction, the comfort of God led him to pen this letter to the Philippians so that they would be comforted and encouraged in the midst of their affliction. Vice Versa, the comfort that God provided to the Philippians in the midst of their affliction, the comfort of God led them to comfort and encourage Paul while he was under house-arrest by sending Epaphroditus to deliver a gift (As recorded in chapter 4).

Throughout seasons of affliction and even seasons of prosperity, Paul was thankful to God for the church remaining faithful over time. Some of us, like myself, have not been members here at MCC for too long..and some of us here have been members of MCC for quite a while.. but regardless of how long we have been here at MCC, I am certain that it would not take long for all of us here to think of times of how God has demonstrated his faithfulness through people over time. We would not be here today gathered together if it was not for the grace of God allowing our brothers and sisters in Christ of the past and present remaining faithful in the partnership of the gospel.

I find verse six to be extremely encouraging for us all. Paul says, “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.”

Verse 6 is a reminder of what our goal truly is. Our main goal has nothing to do with the temporary things of this world; in fact, it has nothing to do with it being about us. Our goal and purpose in life has everything to do with exalting Jesus Christ. God did not do a good work in us so that we will one day be glorified by everyone else.

No, rather God has chosen to graciously do a good work in us for the sole purpose of presenting us, the church, as a perfect gift for his Holy Son. says “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb (Jesus) has come, and his Bride (the church, that’s us) has made herself ready.”

Charles Spurgeon once said, “God will never cease to help us until we cease to need.”

If you have truly confessed your sins, turned away from your selfish lifestyle, and have put your complete trust and dependence on Christ alone to save you from the wrath of God that you rightfully deserve, you can be assured that God did indeed begin a good work in you and he promises that he will prepare you for the marriage supper of the Lamb where you will be given to Christ.. and for the rest of eternity you will get to enjoy his presence right before your very own eyes.

So brothers and sisters in Christ, we can be thankful for the church’s faithfulness over time and recognize that our faithfulness over time has come from God who is right this very moment actively doing a good work in us, so that one day we can enjoy being in the presence of God, where there is no sin..or pain..or hunger..or stress..or financial hardship..or death..or sickness..or final exams. Amen, students?!

There is one more thing found in our passage for this morning that reminds us of why we should be thankful for the church. Follow along with me in verses 7 and 8.

“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.”

Did it stand out to anyone else how Paul used phrases such as in verse 7, “I hold you in my heart” and in verse 8, “I yearn for you all”? Commentator Gordon Fee says, “The affection that one senses throughout the thanksgiving now spills out as open and unfeigned feelings toward them.”

As if it was insufficient for Paul to only declare his love for them in verse 7, he wants God to act as a witness and testify how much he longs for all of them. The church of Philippi more than any other church has actively displayed their support for Paul throughout his ordeals. While many people deserted Paul for various reasons, the Philippians did not; and they went so far as to send Epaphroditus to be his personal assistant as chapter 2 explains.

You see, Paul was on trial for his life, and Paul more than any of us he needed close companions to be by his side through this difficult situation. Yet, because of Epaphroditus’ health, Paul was planning to send him back, which, as commentator Grant Osborne notes, meant that the one concrete presence in his life of the Philippian church would be gone and that all Paul would have left would be his memories of them. Notice how Paul intentionally includes the word “all” three times in these two verses:

“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.”

Paul does this to make his point clear that he did not want to leave out any believer, including those who were causing dissension. The language used here in verses 7 and 8 implies that Paul had a very deep, personal relationship with the church of Philippi. It is in verses 7 and 8 where we find our third reason to be thankful for the church: We can be thankful for the church providing deep, meaningful fellowship.

Fellowship in the New Testament comes from the Greek word koinonia, and mere fellowship is participation in what is held in common, being conscious of belonging to one another as those who form a unique community and consequently sharing with one another. For Christians, fellowship is driven by a devotion to Christ and realizing that we all share a common status of belonging to God because we have been placed in Christ by the Holy Spirit (). Koinonia then for Christians communicates that we share the same identity in Christ and that we have a moral obligation to treat each other in such a way that builds one another up in faith and sanctification.

The reason why some of our deepest fellowship come from those within the church is because God’s glory is in our presence (). One day, there will be a great multitude of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue fellowshipping with one another before the glory of God (). Although we long for that day when we all will get to stand before God almighty, God’s presence is in our midst whenever we gather. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (). You know what is incredible church family? It is because of the glory of God that we can have a deep fellowship with each other, or with a body of believers on the other side of the world whom we have never met and who speak a different language than us.

So church:

• If we are thankful for the church providing structure

• If we’re thankful for the church’s faithfulness over time

• If we’re thankful for the deep, meaningful fellowship within the church,

Let us pray that God would increase our thanksgiving for next year. Follow along with me as I read verses 9-11:

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so 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.”

• Lets’ pray that God would increase our love

• Lets’ pray that we would be “tethered to and draw sustenance from the true Vine” so that we bear the fruit of righteousness

• Lets’ pray that we would continue to be faithful “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God”.

Pray

Thanksgiving for the Church

Introduction

Read and Pray

We can be thankful for the church having structure (Vs. 1-2)

Philippians 1:1-11

We can be thankful for the church having structure (Vs. 1-2)

We can be thankful for the church’s faithfulness over time (Vs. 3-6)

We can be thankful for the deep, meaningful friendships that we find within the church (Vs. 7-8)

Vs. 9-11: Prayer for the Future (Application)

We can be thankful for the church’s faithfulness over time (Vs. 3-6)

We can be thankful for the deep, meaningful friendships that we find within the church (Vs. 7-8)

Vs. 9-11: Prayer for the Future (Application)