Fellowship: A Kingdom-Bound Community (Phil 3)

READ Phil. 3:17-4:1

Stand firm.

That’s what Paul says here: Stand firm.

It’s a nice sentiment, but it’s often easier said than done. After all, how easy is it to stand firm when you share the gospel with someone and they respond by rattling off questions about creation and evolution and “How can a good God let so much evil happen in the world?” and “Where was God when I lost my child?” In moments like that, standing firm isn’t so simple. You’ll probably feel more like crawling in a hole and hiding.

And we can think we’re going to stand firm, but how do we do it when we’ve been dealing with chronic pain for months – or even years? What may feel like ‘standing firm’ at first can start to seem more like ‘barely hanging on.’

And what about during those moments of temptation when the compulsion is so strong that it almost feels you’re magnetized, drawn toward sin even when you know it’s not going to end well?

It’s not that we don’t want to stand firm. Nobody wants to be viewed as giving up or giving in or flip-flopping. We want to be confident and bold and assertive. But standing firm in the faith against everything life throws at you isn’t as easy as doing your best Clint Eastwood impression.

Sometimes, it can feel like you’re trying to stand tall during an earthquake. In those moments, the command to stand tall can feel more like a joke and less like a genuine possibility.

And yet, here’s Paul at the end of this letter (writing from prison, by the way). And he’s telling the congregation at Philippi to “stand firm in the Lord.” And we’re left wondering… but how?

Fortunately, when we read this whole letter, we get a much better idea of how Paul expects us to stand firm.

So, how do we do it?

Well, let me draw your attention to a couple of things that may hint at the answer…

First, notice what Paul says in verse 17: “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.” In this verse, Paul seems to be envisioning the entire Philippian congregation that’s coming together, spending time together – you might even say fellowshipping – and as they spend time with one another, they’re watching one another’s lives and imitating the Christlike things they find there.

So, you might think about it like this…

I go over to someone’s house for dinner. And while I’m there, I notice how graciously they deal with their children. They’re so patient and loving. And yet, they’re firm and consistent. They’re modeling a Christlike way to parent. And as I observe them, I’m motivated to imitate them as they imitate Christ. And I’m sharpened in my walk with Christ.

Well then, imagine at that same dinner, I share with them what I’ve been studying in the Bible. And as they listen, they start to think, “You know, I’ve kind of slacked in my Bible reading…” And when I leave their home, they decide to recommit themselves to studying God’s word. And they’re motivated to imitate me as I imitate Christ. And they’re sharpened in their walk with Christ.

This is what Paul seems to be envisioning in this verse – and it’s exactly what we talked about last week. So, it seems like Paul might have fellowship in mind when he encourages us to ‘stand firm.’ And if we keep reading, we’ll see this possibility is confirmed.

You see, in verses 18-21, Paul lays out two kinds of people you can fellowship with:

In verses 18-19, we have those people who are “enemies of Christ.” They’s self-centered. They’re focused on earthly things and live for the moment. These are those who let sin and idolatry control them. And Paul says they are destined for destruction. Fellowship with these kinds of people, Paul seems to imply, and you’ll be headed in the same direction.

But then, in verses 20-21, Paul reminds the Philippians believers of who they are in Christ. And as you read this, I want you to notice all of the plural language…

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also weeagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

And if all those plural pronouns weren’t enough to convince you that he has the whole community in mind as they fellowship – just look at how he words verse 21: “Christ will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory.” He doesn’t say “our bodies.” He says “our body.” Singular.

Paul is stressing the fact that what Christ is doing is a corporate thing. He’s doing it to his whole people - together. When we see this, Paul’s command in 4:1 becomes more understandable. Paul is saying, “Fan the flames of fellowship – not only will God use it to make you more like Jesus – but he will also use it to empower you to stand firm.”

To put it simply: Fellowship is the foundation for standing firm. No matter what you’re up against, fellowship will help you stand firm and persevere. Let’s look at a few specifics…

First, fellowship is the foundation for standing firm against opposition and persecution.

When Jesus sent his disciples out to share the gospel, he sent them out two-by-two. And while there are likely multiple reasons for this, one of those reasons is that we’re strengthened in our resolve when we have someone with us. Facing opposition and persecution alone is far more difficult than doing so when you have someone standing by your side.

This is an Old Testament principle that we see clearly in a famous passage from Ecclesiastes: “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.” (4:9-12)

And we see this same pattern throughout the life of the early church. We never just read about Paul… or Timothy… or Barnabas. It’s always Paul & Barnabas or Paul & Silas or Barnabas & John Mark. Sharing the gospel with others – and facing persecution – is far easier when we have someone we can lean on.

When I was in Ohio, we went out in our neighborhood door-to-door and asked how we could serve people. I had one guy who heard that we were from a church and immediately shut the door. It wasn’t a big deal – it certainly wasn’t persecution – but it stung and could’ve deflated me completely. But I was with others. And when I got back to them and shared it, they encouraged me and we kept going.

If this is true in such a small, simple example of opposition to the gospel. How much truer is it of more serious opposition? This is why we – as the church – need to band together. We need the fellowship of one another to help us persevere when we’re persecuted or opposed for following Christ.

With that said, we live in a society where we likely won’t face too much opposition for our commitment to Christ. Even if people think we’re stupid, they generally will just smile, nod, and walk away.

That’s why it’s important to realize that fellowship is also the foundation for standing firm against the trials of this life.

The reality is that we will face many, many trials. We’ll experience grief and loss and frustration and fear and worry and doubt and anxiety and depression and any number of other things. And when we find ourselves in the midst of one of those trials, we’ll be tempted to retreat. In those moments, the enemy wants to separate us from the body of Christ. He wants to get us alone where he can work on us without opposition.

But in those moments, we need one another more than ever. That’s why the New Testament gives us so many commands to be there for one another when we find ourselves going through a trial.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Paul tells us to “encourage the fainthearted.”

In Romans 15, Paul says “we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.”

And in Galatians 6, he tells us to “bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”

STORY OF PAWPAW

Finally, fellowship is the foundation for standing firm against temptation.

We like to think of sin as a private affair. We remember that Jesus is the only mediator between God and man – and we breathe a sigh of relief that nobody on this earth needs to know our temptations or failures.

But we can forget that just because Jesus is the only one who can reconcile us to God and forgive our sins does not mean that we should never confess our sins to other people. James explicitly says we should confess our sins to one another in James 5 so that we may be healed.

Confession is a powerful way to stand firm against temptation in fellowship with others.

Think about it like this… imagine struggling with a temptation.

CONFESS. ACCOUNTABILITY. STAND TOGETHER against temptation.

Fellowship is the foundation for standing firm against opposition, trials, and temptations. When we stand in fellowship and fan the flames of hope, it’s far easier to persevere and to keep our eyes on that hope we have… the hope we’re waiting for.

And fellowship is a foretaste of heaven. As our fellowship is strengthened, we