15. Glory, Greetings, & Grace

This letter has been such a blessing. We started reading and studying through this letter in October. What an encouraging way to end the year and begin a new year, looking at a letter that focuses on the Child of God’s joy and peace!

What a fitting message for us today as we live in a world full of sorrows, turmoil, uncertainty, anger, division.

Our letter today closes with a fitting message as we will look at:

Glory to God

Greetings to Saints

Grace to you and I

I want to start by looking at the opening words of Paul in this letter and his closing words… Philippians 1:1-4;4:20-23

Philippians 1:1–4 NASB95

Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including 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 offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,

Philippians 4:20–23 NASB95

Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Glory To God

NOW… focus here Philippians, focus here church, focus here readers! This letter is to bring GOD GLORY!!!

Praise worthy, honored… GLORY!

Forever and ever… age to age even in our day and age!

Consider how Paul has brought GLORY TO GOD as he has penned this letter:

Chapter 1… God recieved the glory as Paul rejoices even in difficult circumstances in Christ Service

Chapter 2… God receives the glory as we reflected on Christ’s selflessness & submissiveness

Chapter 3… God receives the glory as we considered Christ sufferings thinking on spiritual things

Chapter 4… God recieved the glory as we held onto Christ’s sufficiency offering security and peace for believers

God has recieved the glory then and even now as we have read through and studied this letter!

How is God receiving GLORY in the life people read through your actions, words, example???

Our ability to lead joy-filled lives points directly to to God giving Him the Glory!!!

I appreciated how as we finished up last week looking at our missionaries and reaching out… you did! Paul encourages us as he closes in our greetings and interactions as the body of Christ… Some of you did and well we have one of our missionaries (Ryan King) reaching out and sending his greetings… not in a letter but a video clip… [play video clip]

Greetings To Saints

This is the interactions of the saints. We really need to be better at this as a church in America (and Parachute)!!!

Paul’s greeting to begin with… is a great example: Philippians 1:1-4

Include all the saints… no cliques

Extend grace and facilitate peace in your interactions

This is rooted in Christ Jesus (not yourselves)

Be thankful for each other and remember one another

Pray for one another… not out of duty but joy!

Look at these greetings occuring...

To… all the saints there in the church

Those with Paul ministering with him

Timothy, Epaphroditus, maybe others!

Those in Rome (especially in Caesar's household)

A reminder of God working, and these were truly grateful for fellow siblings in Christ!

What an amazing mission field

Three missionary trips planned by Paul… this last mission trip planned by God!

Paul ends on a powerful note for us to take with us… verse 23 closes with GRACE!

Grace To You

Our spirit NEEDS grace. Paul’s situation was bleak humanly speaking.

The Philippians were struggling in many ways as well. Often our situations look bleak, there are dark places of the soul we encounter…

Paul did not extend grace to their minds, or intellects… but rather “grace be with your spirit” (to bolster and give power to our spirit!)

BUT THE GRACE OF GOD is seen in the darkest of mid-nights… Richard Wurmbrand writes this about the midnight of the world we are in…

The earth turns on its axis. Midnight is the moment when a part of the earth is the farthest away from the sun. Spiritual midnight is the period of the greatest departure of men from God. We are approaching this midnight. The children of God do not receive midnight with the same feelings as the world. At midnight, the firstborn of the Egyptians died, but the chosen people got their freedom. The Lord has said, "Night is coming, when no one can work" (John 9:4). But as often as a thing is declared impossible in the Bible, this does not refer to the faithful. About them, Jesus declared, "All things are possible for one who believes" (Mark 9:23). God's people can work near midnight. It was at midnight that Samson took the gates of the city of Gaza (Judges 16:3). At midnight, Ruth received from Boaz the promise, "I will do for you all that you ask" (Ruth 3:8-11). At midnight, Paul and Silas won for the Lord the jailer of Philippi (Acts 16:25). At midnight, God's people have achieved great works. Therefore, the psalmist says, "At midnight I rise to praise you" (Psalm 119:62). We are not afraid of the darkness in the world. We work. (By Richard Wurmbrand)

We engage and we work in this darkness because of and through GOD’s GRACE!

His Grace Given to others Received by us through Christ Jesus!

His Grace is powerful to:

Comfort

Complete “it is by grace you have been saved!”

And… it COMPELS us to take action!

Because of the grace of Jesus Christ we have true joy filled lives peace… because of this we can say with Paul