Joy While Apart
Notes
Transcript
Growing While Apart
Philippians 1:1-8
ILL- two men running toward the finish line on a track. One man is running much faster than other one. What would you conclude?
One man is faster than the other.
One man is trying harder than the other.
One wins and the other loses.
What if you didn’t have all the information. In fact, one man was running a 100m sprint for the first time in his life and the other was just finishing a marathon. Your impression quickly changes.
Which one was lazy.
Who was the winner?
We can be quick to judge when we do not have all the information.
What would be your thought if you received a letter from someone in prison?
ILL- Not long after I stopped working as chaplain at OSP I received a letter from a prisoner.
What about a prisoner writing a letter about joy?
Could it be he is getting out?
Paul was in house arrest in Rome awaiting execution.
House arrest 2000 years ago is a little different than quarantine in modern USA.
No running water.
No welfare or stimulus checks.
Social stigma for those who would identify with a prisoner.
Spiritual perspective. Paul saw things differently.
READ Philippians 1:1-8
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.
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.
Philippi was
founded as an Augustan city by Antony after a military victory.
He left many of the soldiers there.
It was a city exempt from most taxes.
it was a thriving commercial and agricultural center.
First Church Paul founded in Europe. Becomes one of the strongest churches.
30 years after this John is given a message to them during his Vision while in prison.
Revelation 2:2-5
“ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.
I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
Paul doesn’t throw around his authority like he had to in some other churches.
verse 1- servants
Church had a special place in Paul’s heart and his letter was one of JOY.
verse 3-4
3 Reasons for Paul's Joy
Their Partnership (5)
Their Partnership (5)
Financial
Phil 4:15-16
And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.
Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.
They are on the same team.
Even though they are miles apart they are together.
Because they are on the same team, accomplishing the same purpose.
ILL- Episode 2- The Last Dance- Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippin- on same team but their last year together they were after different purposes.
Paul and the Church at Philippi were separated by distance and freedom but were on the same team
APP- we are not meeting in person together right now. But our Togetherness is not based on proximity. It’s based on purpose.
Philippians 2:2
complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
We are called to unite around engaging Bartlesville and the world with the Gospel.
Their Growth (6)
Their Growth (6)
God was completing the work Paul had started in them.
Sanctification to glorification.
Ephesians 4:11-16
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Paul was an example
Philippians 3:13-14
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
It gave him joy to see them growing in their faith.
ILL- I can relate to the joy and sorrow of those who I pastored in the past.
Their Grace (7-8)
Their Grace (7-8)
They shared in the same grace Paul was receiving because they were partners.
“I hold you in my heart”= strong emotional ties. Blending of hearts because they were “Together’ yet apart.
“partakers of grace” - Grace here refers to the blessing given from God. Rewards.
2 Ways.
In his imprisonment- negative
They were in prison with him because of their unity.
When our partners in ministry suffer- we all suffer.
Christians are blessed through persecution. When we help the persecuted we share in their grace.
In his Ministry- positive
They were partners in the fruit of his ministry.
ILL- His fruit was their fruit.
Cooperative Program- support over 3600 missionaries.
CONCLUSION
Paul continues, verse 8, “how I yearn for you” - This is said like an oath.
We may be serving together on the same team but I miss you horribly.
We miss each other… but we are still together.
We are united through Jesus Christ. We are united by purpose.
We makes the church special is that we have been united by Christ, first through our common salvation.
Have you ever accepted this common salvation?
Have you ever accepted this common salvation?
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 10:9
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Are you united with God’s people in purpose?
Are you united with God’s people in purpose?