Philippians 1 1-11 The Fellowship of Christ
The Fellowship of Christ: Philippians 1:1-11
June 25th, 2006
I. Intro
A. People are hungry for joy PAUSE
1. In 1957, Charles Shultz, creator of the famous Peanuts cartoons, unwittingly spawned an international cliché.
a. Schultz drew a cartoon with a character hugging snoopy with the final panel saying:
(1) “Happiness is a warm puppy.”
b. Well, the world caught on to that line of thinking and there has been a dizzying flurry of “Happiness is ---“ quips.
c. Among the more likely sources of happiness:
(1) One company in the United Kingdom one said:
(a) Happiness is a warm-earpiece.
(2) George Burns said, “Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”
(a) Albert Schweitzer said:
i) Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.”
d. These weak attempts at defining happiness~~
(a) Shows how far the world really is from understanding true joy and true happiness.
(b) These attempts to find happiness are so far from the abundant joy Christ promises us. PAUSE
2. The world does not know true joy.
a. They may laugh, but their laughter ends in sorrow.
b. Proverbs 14:13 says, Even in laughter the heart may be in pain, And the end of joy may be grief. (NASB95)
c. Most of us would attest and agree to this.
(1) As adults, most of us careened~~
(a) On the crazy train of life~~
i) And came to a crashing halt.
(2) Only by God’s grace and in His mercy,
(a) Were we able to climb off that train and follow Christ. PAUSE
3. On a couple of occasions~~
a. I’ve had conversations with young people~~
(1) Who were in the final stages~~
(a) Of leaping with both feet~~
i) Into the dizzying passions of the world.
(2) In each case, my heart cried out to them
(a) “I was in the world!”
(b) I left the world!
(c) The world’s illusions have no lasting joy!
(3) How tragic it was to watch each teenager walk right into the darkness I was so glad to have left.
TRANSITION: So where is joy to be found?
4. The answer is simple, in Christ alone.
B. Today we are going to examine the words of a man who found the secret to joy and peace.
1. The Apostle Paul wrote-down his secret for joy
a. Not while resting on a beach in Bermuda
b. Not while talking on the coolest telephone
c. But locked in a prison PAUSE
2. Please turn in your Bibles to Philippians chapter 1.
II. Joy
A. Joy is a common theme throughout this letter
1. The root word for joy occurs 13 times in this book PAUSE
a. Joy is a primary characteristic of the believer.
(a) It is a fruit of the Spirit
(b) It is a virtue
(c) It is a command. PAUSE
b. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
(1) Jesus intends for us to have fullness of Joy
c. And because of this~~
(1) Joy is a common theme throughout the New Testament~~
(a) The root word occurs 155 times.
(2) REHASH: Joy a key theme of scripture, and it is a key theme of this epistle.
B. Let’s start out by answering the question: What is joy?
1. John MacArthur defines joy as:
a. “The settled conviction that God sovereignly controls the events of life for believer’s good and his glory (Macarthur, 1).” REPEAT
b. He goes on to say that it is: “The deep and abiding confidence that, regardless of one’s circumstances in life, all is well between the believer and the Lord. No matter what difficulty, pain, disappointment, failure, rejection, or challenge one is facing, genuine joy remains because of that well-being established by God’s grace in salvation (Mac, 10).”
2. Thus, true, lasting, eternal joy comes from being right with God.
a. God is the wellspring of joy
(1) Isaiah 12:3 in the King James says:
(a) Therefore with joy ye shall draw water from the wells of salvation.
3. The Book of Palms tells us that in God’s presence is fullness of Joy
a. Psalm 16:11 is one of my favorite verses.
(1) It explains,
(a) Psalm 16:11 In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.(NASB95)
b. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that the Joy of the Lord is to be our Strength
(1) It says:
(a) “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
4. Thus, true joy comes from a right relationship with God. PAUSE
C. And in our passage today~~
a. We will examine several aspects of our relationship with God and with others.
b. PROPOSITION: And we will see several aspects of having a right relationship with God.
2. So to begin, let’s start with our first aspect of having a right relationship with God~~
a. Is being His bond-servant: The joy of bond-service
D. The Joy of Bond-Service
1. In verse 1, Paul lists himself and Timothy as bond-servants of the Lord
a. The NAS and NKJV says bond-servant
b. The NIV says servant
2. Paul uses this term of himself in Romans 1:1, Phil 1:1, and Titus 1:1.
a. But he is not the only Christian to call himself a bond-servant of the Lord.
b. James, Peter, and Jude also use this term of themselves.
3. The word used here~~
a. Implies a servant who has refused the opportunity for freedom~~
(1) And has voluntarily resubmitted himself to his master for life.
b. That is why the NAS and NKJV translates this as “bond-servant”
(1) A Bond-servant is one who has sold himself into the service of another. PAUSE
E. One of the best ways to describe a Christian is say that they are a bond-servant of Christ.
1. The root concept of the word is “allegiance” and “service”
2. By using the word “slave” to describe himself~~
a. Paul underscores that his allegiance and his service ~~
(1) Is to Christ and to Christ alone.
(a) He is captive to the will of Christ.
(b) He has no will of his own. PAUSE
3. Now, the Bible teaches that we are all bond-servants of Christ.
a. The Bible says we’ve been bought with Christ’s blood~~
(1) And therefore we are His. PAUSE
F. The concept of being a bond-servant of Christ revolutionized Paul’s life.
1. Paul traveled the world proclaiming Christ.
(1) Jail could not stop him.
(2) The thud of rocks upon his body could not stop him
(3) The pounding of fists and rods would not stop him
(a) The threats on his life
(b) The saltwater of shipwrecks
(c) The pang of starvation
(d) The slander of traitors
(4) Nothing but execution would silence this servant captive to Christ.
2. He was always proclaiming the Gospel of his Lord
a. He preached in synagogues
(1) He preached by campfires
(2) He preached in meeting places
(3) He preached on ships
(4) He preached in prisons
(5) He preached in court
3. He preached the Glorious Gospel of Christ.
a. And he told everyone:
(a) Jews and Gentiles,
(b) Men and women,
(c) Old and young,
(d) Healthy and sick,
(e) Wealthy and poor,
(f) Free and slave,
(g) Roman soldiers,
(h) God fearers,
(i) Idol worshippers,
(j) Prison guards,
(k) And National Rulers (LABC, xiv).”
4. And then,
a. He built up the churches~~“
(1) He discipled the converts
(2) He Trained the Leaders
(3) He wrote them letters. PAUSE
5. Sometimes we think of serving Christ as hard-work~~
a. But Paul was one of the happiest men alive.
b. We think of being a servant of God as a chore:
(1) But Christ says His burden is easy and His yoke is light. PAUSE
(2) The reality is,
(a) That we will find our greatest joy when we are fully surrendered to our Master.
6. TRANSITION: So the first piece of the puzzle is serve as a bond-servant of Christ.
a. The second aspect of having a right relationship with God is being a Saint:
b. Rejoice in your sainthood.
III. The Joy of Sainthood:
A. In verse 1, Paul addressed this letter to the saints of the church
1. There is much confusion in the world today about the meaning of the word “saint”
2. The word “saint” refers to someone who has been set apart for Christ.
a. This is the same word translated as “holy.”
(1) It speaks of consecration.
(a) Being made holy
i) Thus, we are “the holy ones”
B. A saint is a person set apart by God, holy~~
1. not because | of anything we have done.
a. We are holy because we are in Christ
b. In verse 1, Paul describes saints as those who are “in Christ.”
(1) Those who are in Christ are made holy~~
(a) We are holy because Christ is holy
i) If we are in Him then we are holy in Him
ii) We are the holy ones because we are in Christ. PAUSE
2. The term occurs throughout the New Testament~~
a. It’s not for super-spiritual people~~
(1) It’s simply the word for the run-of-the-mill believers in Christ.
b. These people don’t have to qualify for holiness~~
(1) By passing some kind of examination.
3. Paul even uses the word “saint” when addressing the worldly, immature believers of Corinth saints:
a. He says in 1 Corinthians 1:2:
(1) To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: (NASB95)
b. Being a saint means being in Christ~~
(1) There is no such thing as a saint that is not in Christ.
4. Underneath Paul’s couple of words here is an important point about how we become holy.
a. A saint is a holy person because they have been made righteous by the blood of Christ.
b. 2 Corinthians 5:21 might help make this clearer:
(1) The verse says:
(a) He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.(NASB95)
c. Thus, If we are in Christ,
(1) We are covered in His blood,
(2) If we are covered in His blood,
(a) Then we are holy~~
(b) If we are holy~~
i) Then we are saints.
d. In Philippians 3:9, Paul clearly explains that our righteousness does not come from us by from Christ:
(1) Paul says,
(a) and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,
TRANSITION: Thus, because we are in Christ,
And because Christ makes us righteous
We can rejoice that we would be called the Saints of God.
Now, let’s turn our attention to verse 2 where we learn the third piece of the puzzle of joy:
A right relationship with God means we
Rest in God’s Grace and Peace
IV. Three: The Joy of Grace and Peace
A. Read Text:
B. We read in verse 2 that~~
1. Paul sent them God’s grace and peace. PAUSE
2. Now~~ if you’ve read any other letters written by Paul~~
a. Then you have seen these words | already.
b. This is the same salutation He writes in every letter. |
C. But we need to know~~
1. That Paul is not simply being polite~~
a. Instead, Paul is teaching them theology which will strengthen their souls.
2. This phrase~~
a. “Grace and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” ~~
b. This phrase is a TRUTH Paul wants every church to know:
(1) It is the foundation for everything else he is about to say.
(2) It is the overarching theme of all his letters:
c. The theme is this:
(1) We have grace and peace from God.
(a) There is no | condemnation | for those who are in Christ.
d. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. PAUSE
3. This 3 three word phrase~~
a. Stands as a gleaming reminder~~
(1) That above all else~~
(a) No matter what the circumstances~~
(b) YOU~~
i) As a child of God
ii) Are in a state of Grace | and Peace | between you and God.
a) You have received God’s grace~~
1) His unmerited favor.
2) His blessings
3) His goodness
4) His indwelling strength
b) You are at peace with Him
5) You are righteous before Him
6) He is not angry with you
7) Instead, He loves you.
(c) REHASH: If you are in Christ~~
i) Then~~
a) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. This salutation is addressed in verse 1 to those who are in Christ.
a. This is true for all who are in Christ.
(1) This is true for all who have called upon Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
b. Yet it is only reserved for believers.
(1) That’s why this is such a powerful message:
(a) Those who are in Christ~~
i) Have gone from a state of God’s wrath to a state of His peace.
ii) They were under God’s wrath before they believed:
a) John 3:36 says, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not belied the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
iii) Thus, these believers were transferred~~
a) From a place of wrath~~
b) To a place of peace. PAUSE
5. Thus to all the churches, he wrote this:
a. If you are in Christ~~
(1) Then | you | are in a state | of Grace and peace.
(a) Paul said this to the immature Corinthians
(b) He said this to the heresy-tempted Galatians.
(c) He EVEN said this to the Roman’s whom he had never met!:
b. The circumstances and details will change from~~
(1) Issue to issue~~
(2) Region to region~~
(3) Letter to letter~~
c. But the foundational fact remains:
(1) God has given you grace~~
(2) You are at peace with Him.
(3) Live like it! PAUSE
6. God sends us His abundant Grace and peace. PAUSE
a. When this truth is
(1) Fully realized~~
(a) Contemplated~~
(b) And understood
(c) It will be | an overflowing, well-spring | of joy for our souls.
TRANSITION: The next piece of the puzzle of joy is having joyful relationships with the members of His Body.
It stands to reason, that if we are to have a right relationship with God~~
We should also have a right relationship with His people.
Paul had a wonderful relationship with this church that lasted~~
From the first day until now.
V. Four: The Joy of Memories
A. In verse 3 Paul thanks God for them and the memories which he has of them.
1. He says, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.”
2. In verse 4, he went on to say: “always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all.”
B. Now notice what Paul says in verse 4:
1. “always offering prayer with joy”
2. When Paul thought of them, ~~
3. When Paul prayed for them~~
a. He felt joy.
C. Now if there ever was a church in the New Testament that Paul MIGHT feel joy over~~,
a. It would be this one.
2. The whole story of how they came to Christ was a thrilling~~
a. Jubilant~~
b. String of miracles~~
c. Orchestrated by the hand of God~~
TRANSITION: Let’s take a moment to review the background to this letter.
Please turn to Acts 16.
D. Background
1. Now, the story of Paul’s relationship with Philippi~~
a. Begins on Paul’s Second missionary journey~~
(1) As recorded in Acts 15:40~~
2. The year was around A.D 50-51:
a. Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia calling them over to come over to his country.
(1) He took this as a sign from God~~
(2) And made their way towards Greece
b. He and his companions landed at a port town~~
(1) And then hiked in about 10 miles~~
(a) To a city called Philippi
3. Usually~~
(1) Paul focused on evangelizing the prominent cities first.
(2) And once a church was well-established~~
(a) He would charge them with the responsibility of continuing the ministry to their own regions.
4. And thus, Philippi was a major city in that part of the world.
a. There were gold mines nearby
b. It was adopted as a Roman Colony.
(1) That meant they shared the same legal status as Italy.
(2) Latin was the official language
(3) They had Roman architecture, Roman clothing, and Roman coins
(4) And The Roman insignia was everywhere
(5) Thus, Philippi was a major city in the region.
TRANSITION: So going back to Paul’s ministry there….
E. Paul’s ministry in Philippi
1. Normally, Paul spread the Gospel first in the local synagogues
a. Probably because there weren’t enough Jews in the town~~
(1) This time Paul and his companions went to the riverside beside the gate~~
(2) And sat with women gathered for prayer.
2. In 16:14, as Paul taught~~
a. Lydia listened and God opened her heart to respond to his message
b. Verse 15 tells us that she believed and was baptized~~
(1) Immediately she implored Paul and his team to stay at her home.
(2) They agreed, and the first church of Philippi was founded.
3. 10 years later, when the imprisoned Paul wrote this letter~~
(1) No doubt~~
(a) This humble,
(b) Beautiful beginning~~
(c) Brought him great joy. PAUSE
F. But there was more to happen for Paul and his fellow workers:
1. In Acts 16:18 a fortune-teller slave-girl began to follow Paul
a. Now in a moment of almost comedy,
(1) The slave-girl followed them around and loudly shouted out~~
(a) That their message was truth!
b. Rather than appreciating the free publicity~~
(1) Paul got really annoyed~~
(a) She was following him everywhere~~
(2) So finally~~
(a) Paul spun around and just cast the demon out of her! PAUSE
(b) And then | for the first time~~
i) She was silent. PAUSE
ii) All was good | |
a) For about three minutes. PAUSE
2. Remember she was a slave and a fortune-teller.
a. Well, the owners~~
(1) Seeing their lost income~~
(a) Grabbed Paul began to beat him!
b. When all the dust settled~~
(1) Paul and Silas were thrown into prison and shackled. PAUSE
3. Sitting there | in jail~~
a. Was no cause for despair,
b. In Acts 16:25 they began to pray and praise God
(1) No doubt the jailer could hear the carrying on of these missionaries
4. Well, that night there was a massive earthquake~~
a. This earthquake so powerful that the walls of the jail collapsed!
(1) The jailer was knocked unconscious~~
(a) And when he awoke~~
(b) He thought they had escaped.
i) He was about kill himself in honor when Paul and Silas stopped him
(2) Amazed by this singing, praising, wont-jail-brake duo~~
(a) The jailer cries out:
i) “What must I do to be saved.”
ii) And Paul responded~~
a) “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
5. The next events are heart-warming:
a. They jailer washed Paul’s wounds~~
(1) Probably in the river outside the city
(a) And there Paul baptized him and his whole household.
b. And acts 16:34 winds down that night by saying:
(1) “And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.”
(a) What a joyous, exciting night! PAUSE
G. So in all of that~~
1. Imagine the joyful conversations~~
a. As Paul recounted what God did in Philippi while he was there.
2. Imagine the joy at remembering~~
a. Lydia’s heart opening to the Word of God.
3. Imagine the laughter at remembering~~
a. That slave-girl going from squawking to silence.
4. Imagine the exclamation as he remembered the earthquake
5. And imagine the love he felt for that jailer~~
a. Who washed his wounds~~
(1) And was then baptized in that same river. PAUSE
6. These kinds of memories bring great joy. PAUSE
H. TRANSITTION: And so back in our text in Philippians 1:5 we begin to open up the idea that~~
1. Having a right relationship with God means~~
a. Having a right relationship with His people.
VI. Five: The Joy of Fellowship
A. Paul says in verse 5:
1. “in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.”
a. I’d like to focus-in on that word “Participation.”
b. Literally this verse says:
(1) “upon your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.”
c. NKJV translation puts it this way:
(1) “for your fellowship in the gospel form the first day until now.”
2. A key reason why Paul had such joy over them was because of their fellowship in the Gospel.
a. Biblical Fellowship brings us great joy.
b. Let’s take a closer look at what Paul means by fellowship in the Gospel. PAUSE
3. Well, for starters~~
a. Our fellowship in the Gospel must begin with God~~
b. The Gospel is the glorious truth~~
(1) That Christ paid the penalty for sin.
(2) He died~~
(3) He rose again~~
(4) And by believing in Him we might have eternal life.
c. If a person is to have fellowship in the Gospel~~
d. They must believe this message.
(1) They must be restored to God.
(2) They must be reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus Christ.
(3) Thus, fellowship in the Gospel begins with fellowship with God.
4. If we are to have fellowship with one another~~
a. Then we first must have fellowship with God.
(1) 1 Corinthians 1:9 says, ~ God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
(2) Thus, when we are saved, we are called into fellowship with Him.
b. So because of this~~
(1) If our spiritual fellowship with God fizzles out~~
(a) Our own fellowship with one another will fizzle out too.
5. But when we have strong, vibrant fellowship with the Lord~~
a. We will have strong, vibrant fellowship with one another too!
(1) 1 John 1:3 makes this clear:
(a) What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
b. You might say that Jesus is like a magnet—~~
(1) He places a substance into us which draws us to Him~~
(a) The closer are to Him, the greater the bond of fellowship with have with Him.
(2) Since we are drawn as to a magnet~~
(a) As we draw closer to Him~~
i) We also draw closer to one another.
ii) Thus, like Paul in verse 8~~
a) We will long for and yearn to be with other believers:
(b) The greater the bond of fellowship with Him~~
i) The greater the bond we have with one another.
TRANSITION: Now the fellowship Paul and this church shared~~
Was more than just spending time together~~
We see from this letter that they actually were a part of Paul’s life.
A right relationship with others doesn’t just mean we come to the same church~~
It mean’s we’re deeply interconnected with each other’s lives. PAUSE
Let’s look at three ways they were a part of Paul’s life:
6. First: They participated with Paul by Promoting the Gospel
a. They joined Paul in ministry.
(1) In chapter 4, verse 3 (NKJV),~~
(a) Paul says that the Philippians…
i) “labored with me in the gospel… my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.”
b. There is a certain bond of fellowship that exists between people who serve the Lord together.
(1) Before going to college~~
(a) I went on a two week missions trip to the heartland of Jamaica.
i) The team I was with taught four modules of Vacation Bible School.
(b) I was new in Christ~~
i) I had lots of growing to do.
ii) But the relationships and friendships born on that trip~~
a) Are life-long bonds that exist today.
(2) One of my teammates is now a missionary to Afghanistan
(3) One is a missionary to Africa.
(4) One is a pastor in Middletown.
(5) I keep in touch with them all.
c. Rehash: The bond of our fellowship was deepened through ministry together.
(1) No doubt you have experienced the same effect in your ministry:
(a) A teacher and an assistant develop a bond while serving together.
(b) The deacons and elders bond together in their service.
(c) Youth Leaders bond together as they serve together. PAUSE
TRANSITION: The second way that they were a part of Paul’s life was
7. Second: They Participated with Paul Through Prayer
a. Look over to verse 19 of chapter 1:
(1) Verse 19 says,
(a) “for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ”
(b) Praying for each other increases the joyful bond of fellowship. PAUSE
b. When a person prays for someone else~~
(1) They become bonded.
(a) They ask each other how things are going.
(b) They seek to find ways to minister to one another.
(c) They follow up and want to hear updates.
(2) They are bonded.
c. We see this bond between Paul and the Philippians.
(1) Paul knew they were praying for him~~
(a) And he was praying for them.
(b) And thus,
i) It brought him great joy to know~~
a) That although he was in prison~~
8) He was not alone in His sufferings.
8. Lastly: They Participated with Paul Through Practical Ministry:
a. In verse 7 Paul said they supported him in his “imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel”
(1) This is likely some kind of monetary support.
b. Turn over to chapter 4:14-18
(1) Here we’ll see the degree in which they were supporting Paul in his defense and imprisonment:
(2) You have done well to share with me in my affliction…for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs…(going down to verses 18) a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
c. When I memorized this, I thought it was perfume!
(1) Most likely, it was funds to help cover Paul’s expenses while in prison.
B. TRANSITION: The last aspect of Paul’s joy was in the work God was doing through them.
1. When we are rightly aligned with God~~
a. First, He will work in our lives
b. Second, We will have joy over the growth of others.
VII. Six: The Joy for God’s Work in Their Lives
A. Let’s read verses 5 and 6:
1. “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus, For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakes of grace with me.”
B. When Paul looked upon their lives~~
1. He thanked God for the work He had done in them and through them:
2. As their founder~~
a. Paul looked upon them. PAUSE
(a) He could recall their first days. PAUSE
(b) He could remember their infancy.
i) The days when it was just Lydia and the Jailer and perhaps the fortune-teller.
(c) And He marvels at their growth.
(2) He is like a father at his daughter’s wedding~~
(a) Joyfully, tearfully ~~
i) Calling out~~
a) I remember bringing you home from the hospital!
3. At the end of verse 7~~
a. Paul gives a glimmer as to the reason why they have matured so well.
b. He says,
(1) They ALL were partakes of God’s grace.
4. The church was going strong!
a. And such strength can only | be God.
(1) No church~~
(a) Can continue strong~~
(2) No church~~
(a) Can continue to be faithful to the Lord~~
i) In such a manner
a) And for so long~~
b) Unless they are partakers of God’s grace. PAUSE
5. This is a principle for all of us:
a. Unless we regularly and deeply partake of God’s grace~~
(1) Our spiritual lives will dry up and our ministry will fall flat. PAUSE
b. I think this is why some people become crusty Christians after a while~~
(a) Why?
i) Because they are not regularly drinking~~
a) From the fountain of living water which~~
9) Restores our souls~~
10) And fulfills our joy.
(b) And thus, the believer without regular refreshment from the Lord~~
i) Dries up. PAUSE
6. This is a problem with cars in California.
a. Rust is not a problem in California.
(a) It rarely rains.
(b) Cars get dusty
(c) Cars get dirty,
(d) Except for the spring-time and for car washes~~
i) Cars just don’t | get wet. PAUSE
b. On the one hand, this can good~~
(a) Cars last a long time!
i) Driving around California~~
a) You’ll see classic cars from the 50s and 60s~~
11) Almost daily!
(2) But while the cars may not rust out~~
(a) They DO | dry out.
i) The hoses in the engine become dry and crack.
ii) The tires dry out and crack
iii) The weather-stripping around the car doors becomes dry and brittle and flakes away.
(b) The cause: no water, no moisture. PAUSE
c. The same can be true of our relationship with God. PAUSE
(1) If we are going to live joyful lives of constant growth~~
(a) We must have a right relationship with God~~
i) That includes being partakers of grace. PAUSE
d. What does it look like to be out of fellowship with God?
(1) I wrote down a few things:
(a) Joylessness
(b) Prayerlessness
(c) Self-righteousness
(d) Lack of grace towards others
(e) Lack of grace towards yourself
(f) Studylessness
(g) Indifference to the holy things of God
(h) Indifference to the plight of others
(i) Indifference to the wounds the church suffers
(j) Indifference to the things God cares about:
i) Things such as:
a) Justice
b) Mercy
c) Humility
(2) But this was not the case for the church of Philippi~~
(a) They were a thriving, joyous body of believers.
(b) This was clearly evidence that God had His hand of blessing upon them. PAUSE
TRANSITON: And because of this, Paul was persuaded that God would continue to work through them.
Look over to verse 6:
C. Paul says in verse 6, “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
1. Why was Paul confident?
a. Paul was confident~~
(1) Because their character did not fail when severely tested~~
(2) By this point in time~~
(a) They had stood for Christ for 10 years.
2. But more importantly than their stance | was the reason why they could stand:
a. Look who is doing the working:
(1) Verse six tell us:
(a) It was God who began the work~~
(b) And it is God who continues the work.
b. When God works~~
(1) He does not do things on a whim~~
(2) He does not give things a whirl
(3) He does not experiment
(4) He plans.
3. And so, knowing this~~
a. And seeing God’s handiwork in their lives for 10 years~~
(1) Paul has total confidence because~~
(a) He is assured that ~~
(b) God will continue doing in the future what He began in the past.
4. In verse 6, Paul says that God began a “good work” in them
a. This little puddle of a word has deep undercurrents
b. To be brief:
(1) GOD gave us life
(2) God gave us faith
(3) God granted us repentance
(4) God purchased us from the domain of darkness
(5) God forgave us of our sins against Him
(6) God made us His children
(7) God produces the fruits of righteousness
5. REHASH: One commentator says:
a. The work of salvation is wholly and completely of God~~
(1) From the beginning to the end~~
(a) God is the author and perfector of our faith (Mac, 26). PAUSE
D. So, because of this immense truth that was so clear in the Philippian church~~
1. Paul was certain that God would continue this work in them.
2. Now notice what God does in the life of the believer:
a. Verse 6 says, “He who began a good work in your will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
(1) Now let’s look at that word “perfect”
(a) The NKJV says, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
(b) The NIV says, “he who began a good work in your will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
b. God began working in us, and He will complete His work in us.
(1) He is working right now.
(2) He is carrying that work to completion.
(3) He’s not done yet~~
(4) He’s still got more to do.
c. God had a plan in mind when He brought us to salvation~~
(a) And we can be assured that God is working in our lives now~~
i) And He won’t stop!
a) until we’re with Him!
b) in glory! PAUSE
E. Now, sometimes Christians become discouraged by their slow growth.
1. They see all their own limitations and imperfections. PAUSE
2. Yet this verses stands as a glorious promise that God will continue working in us.
a. As long as we are in this world~~
(1) The work of God in our lives is ongoing.
3. Knowing God is not through with us is a great encouragement:
a. Married person~~ God is not through with your spouse yet.
b. Parent~~ God is not through with your child yet.
c. Congregation~~ God is not through with your church yet.
d. Christian~~ are you~~
(1) Hungering after righteousness~~
(2) Dying to self~~
(3) Living for Him~~
(4) Seeking His kingdom~~
(5) God is not through with you yet~~
(a) You will find God’s ever-present hand guiding you~~
i) To growth and grace and joy unimaginable. PAUSE
F. Well beloved,
1. We’ve covered some amazing territory this morning.
2. We learned much about joy:
a. That it is only found in God
b. That it is a promise of salvation
c. That is comes through living as a servant of Christ
d. It comes through rejoicing in our sainthood
e. It comes through joyful fellowship with others
f. And lastly, it comes through the joy and trust we can have | knowing that we have grace and peace with God—
(1) Knowing that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion in His time.
g. Amen.