Untitled Sermon (2)

Introduction: I’ve been listening to an audiobook over the past couple of weeks about Thomas Jefferson. Our third president was quite the complicated individual. In fact, I heard it said that even his biographers didn’t understand everything about him. As I was listening to this book, there was a quote from Jefferson that stood out to me. He was writing his daughter Patsy, and as he often did, was giving her advice for life. Here is what he said:

Quote: “Every human being, my dear, must thus be viewed according to what it is good for, for none of us, no not one, is perfect; and were we to love none who had imperfections this world would be a desert for our love. All we can do is to make the best of our friends: love and cherish what is good in them, and keep out of the way of what is bad: but no more think of rejecting them for it than of throwing away a piece of music for a flat passage or two.”-Meachem, Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, p. 270

Introduction: What wise words that, while there is no direct Scriptural connection, certainly reflect the teachings of Jesus. We are called to love others. We are especially called to love other believers. In fact, Scripture tells us in 1 John 4 that if we don’t love other believers we may not be Christians because a love for others flows directly from a love relationship with Jesus Christ.

Transition: But, lets be honest, people are difficult to love. Let’s be even more honest, Christian people can sometimes be the most difficult to love. We have an expectation that Christians should act a certain way, and when they don’t, it hurts us more than when an unbeliever lets us down.

Text: I believe our text today addresses this issue. As Paul writes to the Philippians, I told you last week that he is writing to the local church in Philippi. Here’s what he writes to them: Philippians 1:3–8 (ESV): 3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 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. 7 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. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Main Idea/Question: I want you to notice vv. 3-4, listen to what Paul says, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy.” There is the first instance of the word “joy” in Philippians. The first of 16 times. Here is the question I get when I look at these two verses, that I’ll present to you: How can I be joyfully thankful for all Christians all the time?

Explanation: We recognize a couple of things in this letter to the Philippian church, they genuinely care for the Apostle Paul. They are concerned about him. They send him a financial gift. Also, Paul genuinely cares for them. Look at v. 7, he has genuine, Christ-like affection for them. This isn’t forced. It isn’t manufactured. He means what he says. He has a personal connection with them. I want you to notice these ideas in v. 3-4. He always prays for them. They are constantly on his heart and mind. Every prayer is made with thanksgiving. He is constantly praying for them and thanking God for them. He prays for all of them. No one is left out. All of his prayers are made with joy. This seems so unusual to us. Right?

Objections: You might say, “well, Paul was a super-spiritual man!” He was a spiritual man who God used, but he was a man just like us. We can pray this way and think this way about other believers. Maybe you’d say, “Well, Philippi must’ve been a perfect church…you don’t know the Christians I have to deal with!” Some scholars and commentators say that Philippians was the only church to which Paul doesn’t have to address some theological issue or doctrinal error. That is true in part, but we also know that the Philippian church had problems. When we get to chapter 4, we see that two ladies in the church had a serious, publicly known disagreement. They were trying to serve the Lord and the church like nothing was going on, and Paul calls them out. They weren’t the perfect church. The church wasn’t made up of people just like Paul either.

Answer: And so, we can gain great insight and application from this passage regarding loving and enjoying other believers…even when it is difficult. I believe it comes down to two things. Two answers to the question I’ve posed to you this morning. First, it can only come from a life changed by the Holy Spirit. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit should produce joy in the life of a believer that overflows into their relationships with others. Second, here is what this text presents, to be truly joyful and thankful for all believers at all times it takes recognizing God’s work. Particularly, recognizing God’s work in both your life and their lives.

So, here is what I want to show you this morning from the text: Three Really Practical Steps for Recognizing and Appreciating God’s Grace in one another’s lives.

First, take them to the Lord in prayer. This is exactly what Paul did. He prayed for the church at Philippi. It sounds so simple, but it works. It is difficult to be angry with someone you are praying for or praying with!

Illustration: Last July, Sarah’s sister got married. So, around May or June she began having wedding showers. Sarah attended one, via zoom, and afterwards I was asking her how it went and everything. She told me various things, but one thing she said was that they asked all in attendance to give her sister marriage advice. That immediately peaked my interest as to what advice Sarah gave. So, I asked her what she had said/written. Part of my intrigue was me wanting to know how good of a husband I am. 😊 Sarah told me that her advice was simply, “take it to the Lord.” If there is something that aggravates you or frustrates you, pray about it. Pray about and for your husband.

Well, needless to say, I was humbled, but my wife also taught me a profound truth. So many times, we vent our frustrations when we should really take them to the Lord first. It is amazing what prayer can do.

Explanation: Prayer changes your perspective. I don’t fully understand how prayer works, but I know it does. Prayer often changes us more than we realize. It refocuses our life on Christ…and remember joy comes from a life centered on Jesus. However, it gives us a new perspective.

Biblical Illustration: In Psalm 73, Asaph looks around and asks that age old question, “why do good things happen to bad people?” In this text, God never changes the circumstance. However, as Asaph goes into God’s presence, God changes His perspective. Sometimes we need a shift in perspective, not in circumstance.

Explanation: Notice that every time Paul remembers them…he prays for them. Every time he prays for them, he thanks God for them. Every time he thanks God for them it leads to praise, because praise is directly tied to thankfulness. A thankful heart praises God. Then praise leads to Paul’s joy. Notice what Paul says, “I thank my God.” That sounds simple. However, it redirects our focus. It isn’t ultimately about Paul or about the church at Philippi. He doesn’t thank them, although they sent him a financial gift to help with his mission work, He thanks His God. Why? Because his joy for them flows from a joyful, personal relationship with God.

Application: We must go to the Lord. We must ask him to help us see his work in their lives, and we must also ask Him to do a work in their hearts. God can change hearts. Often, he changes your heart and your perspective, but when there are times where the other person needs a change of heart/attitude, we must humbly admit that we cannot change them…only God can! We must pray!

Challenge: Any time the Lord brings someone to your mind, pray about them/for them. Allow God to change your perspective. Allow God to draw you to thankfulness in Him.

Transition: There are specific things though, that we can pray for them and about them.

Second, remember our common partnership.

Explanation: Paul uses a certain word in v. 5 which gives us great insight into the relationship between Christians. Some translators use “partnership” or “partners” and others use “fellowship” some might even use “friendship.” The Greek word is koinonia. While it does mean partnership or fellowship on the surface, there is more depth to the meaning.

Quote: See as Baptists, when we hear fellowship we think of “food.” Paul means much more than sharing a meal with one another. Listen to this quote by Kent Hughes, “Fellowship over coffee after a church service is good, but it is not Christian fellowship. It is fellowship among Christians, but not the fellowship that Paul celebrated. Don’t misunderstand—having coffee and meals together is one of our greatest pleasures. I love a cup of coffee with friends. I will eat anything and all that is placed in front of me, relishing it all the more in the company of good friends and conversation! But if you are looking for true fellowship, give yourself to the gospel at home and around the world. Serve together with others in women’s Bible study, children’s ministries, youth ministries. Do short-term missions. Join mercy work to alleviate suffering in places like the vast area devastated by Katrina. Take the good news to the poor. Join a band of brothers and sisters to pray for the world. That is how you will experience genuine Christian fellowship.” -R. Kent Hughes, p. 27

Explanation: Koinonia among Christian brothers and sisters involves a deep, rich bond which is rooted in being bound together by Christ. We have a union with Christ and therefore a union to one another. We are a family.

Scripture: Scripture illustrates this in Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 (ESV): 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Explanation: We are united together in a fellowship of three. Christ Jesus, Us, and our fellow believers. That is a true explanation of gospel partnership or koinonia. Some try and parse this down into subsections saying when Paul thanks God for their “partnership in the Gospel” he means that they are Christians. Others say he is talking about how the Philippian church assisted him with his mission or supported Him in crisis. I believe all these things can be and are true. When Paul mentions their “partnership” in the gospel. He is thanking God for three relationships that he sees in the Philippians’ lives. A relationship with God through Christ…salvation. A relationship between Christian brothers and sisters…fellowship/koinonia. And also a relationship to the world and unbelievers. They are partnered together in missions and evangelism. Paul is thankful and joyful for all of those things.

Application: Are you a partner in the Gospel? Do you have deep gospel fellowship and friendship? Not just that you hang out or have a meal together, but are we involved in one another’s spiritual lives. Are you invested in the Spiritual health of others. Are you partnered with this church and our mission to reach the Gospel? Are you actively involved in the ministry of the church?

Transition: There is a third key and practical step.

Trust God’s process in our lives and theirs.

Illustration: I heard the preacher Adrian Rogers give an illustration of a man he knew who wore a big button around all the type with the letters P.B.P.G.I.N.F.W.M.Y. Intrigued, he asked the man what it meant, and he replied that it was an acronym for “Please Be Patient, God is not Finished With Me Yet!”

Explanation: All of us would do well to wear a button like that, or at least to be made aware of that. God is not finished with us, and God is not finished with those around us. Notice what Paul says, “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus.” In other words, you aren’t yet what God wants you to be. This is true of every believer in Jesus Christ.

Doctrine: The Bible is talking about the doctrine of sanctification. When you are saved, God gives you a right standing through Christ. He washes your sins away, covers you with the blood of Jesus, and declares you righteous. We talked about that last week. However, you aren’t immediately free from sin. You don’t stop sinning when you become a Christian. Often, we struggle with various sins throughout our life. No one reaches perfection this side of heaven. However, there should be growth in your life. You should have a growing, maturing spiritual walk with the Lord. You should have a growing hatred of sin in your own life. You should be quick to repent when you sin and are convicted by the Holy Spirit.

Explanation: This means that we aren’t perfect and therefore no one else is perfect. We often hold others to a higher standard than ourselves, and then it hurts or disappoints us when they don’t live up to our standards. We can be joyfully thankful for other believers when we realize that they aren’t perfect, but God is still at work in their lives. They say to find the good in people or to look for the good in people, we cannot do that, but we can look at what God is doing in their lives. It is all a work of God. Notice that, it is God who began the work and will complete it. God saved them, God sanctifies them, and God will one day (on the day of Christ Jesus) glorify them.

Doctrine: The Bible is talking of the doctrine of glorification. We are sanctified or growing in this life, but once the Lord calls a believer home, and they move out of this life into the next, they are “glorified.” In other words, they are made new. They are freed from sin. They are made glorified or perfect.

Explanation: This doctrine is why the church is so important. The Bible tells us that we help each other grow and learn through discipleship so that every man and woman can stand mature before Christ on the day of Christ Jesus. When you focus on what God is doing in a believers’ life now, and what God is going to make them, it changes your perspective. What we are to be guides our lives now as we look forward to that day.

Explanation: It all comes back to grace. Notice v. 7, Paul states that it is right for him to feel this way. What way? Joyously thankful. Loving. It is right for him to feel this way why? Because he is a believer. Believers should love one another. Believers should be thankful for one another. It is only proper. It comes back to grace.

“Partakers of grace with me.” They all needed grace. We all need grace. None of us are any better than any others of us. We are all sinners in need of God’s grace. When we understand that, it levels the playing field. You cannot look down on others when you are on the same level they are! You are in just as much need of the grace of God as they are. That will change your perspective real quick!

Explanation: The grace of God is evident in their lives as they extended Paul grace even when he was imprisoned. He was imprisoned for sharing the faith, and they stood beside him…unwaveringly. They supported him…sacrificially. Because they loved him and because they had experienced the grace of God themselves. Paul and the Philippians were partakers of grace in that they were saved. That’s a work of God’s grace. They had extended God’s grace. Paul in bringing them the good news, and Philippians in standing with him. They had received God’s grace in the same way. See, when the Gospel is our focus in life, when Christ is at the center, everything else will dim in comparison.

Transition: This all sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Wonderfully impossible! However, it is not impossible, because of the grace of God!!

Explanation: Finally, Paul tells them he yearns for them with the affection of Christ. It all comes down to that. In order to have this type of relationship with other believers, you have to have the love of Christ. You need to have experienced the love of Christ through salvation. We can only love because he loved us first. You need to love as Christ did. This creates a “yearning” for the people of God.

Illustration/Challenge: Last year, there was a big discussion over whether or not the church was “essential.” The fact of the matter is that a lot of people don’t feel the church is essential…even some professing believers. That’s why our membership rolls are 3 times higher than our average attendance. Some don’t see the church as necessary, and I’ll be up front and tell you that the church is not necessary for you to be saved. It is about a personal relationship with Christ. However, we devalue the church when we view it as a service or as an institution or as a public service. The church is a group of people, saved by God’s grace in Christ, who are banded together with a common bond (Christ) and a common mission (evangelism and discipleship) who God is still in the process or molding and making into his Son’s image.

No church is perfect. Paul’s heart is hurting because he cannot be with fellow believers. All he can do is to pray for them, but he is yearning to be with them. Do you yearn to be with the people of God? What happens when you miss a Sunday? If you begin to see the church as brothers and sisters whom God is working on rather than problems or projects, you will begin to yearn to be around them. You will begin to see the church as essential to your life and to the world.

Conclusion/Challenge: Is this a challenge for you? I think we all struggle at times to recognize and appreciate God’s work in other believers’ lives. I think we all struggle at times to see the importance of the church and being involved with God’s people. So, we have to remember God’s grace and run towards Him. We also have to remember that God’s grace through Christ is great enough to save us, to forgive us, and to sanctify us…AND it is also big enough to save, forgive, and sanctify others.

This morning, if there is absolutely no desire for the things of God and the people of God, you may need to examine your life to see if you are a “partaker of Grace.” In other words, maybe you’ve never had a genuine conversion experience. You need to be saved!

Maybe there is something in your life you need to ask God to deal with. You need to go to Him and ask Him to work in your life to remove this sinful behavior or sinful attitude from your life.

Maybe you need to ask Him to help you recognize his grace in someone else’s life.

Maybe you need to recommit to the church. Recommit to gathering regularly with God’s people. Recommit to being invested in the lives of other believers.