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The Fellowship of the Gospel (Philippians Part 1)

Series on some of the key aspects in the book of Philippians. 

Phil 1:1-11: Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Introduction:

Philippians was written by Paul when he was under house arrest in Rome. It is undergirded by two recurrent themes, koinonia (fellowship) and joy. 


Also, this letter is not like others that Paul writes, he is not dealing with questions or crises, but is sharing the more human Paul, the one who takes real joy in people. We will look at joy later in the series.


Defining koinonia: in use it was a term for a business relationship. Elsewhere it was used to describe co-joined twins who were said to have a koinonia of blood; if one died they would both die. This is more than we understand from the translation of the word as fellowship. It’s much deeper than that. It means that what happens to one of us happens to all of us.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Paul used three thoughts in Philippians 1:1–11 that describe true Christian fellowship: 

1. I Have You in My Mind (1:3–6)

Paul is awaiting trial under house arrest. Which meant that Roman soldiers were his closest companions. There would be on inside the house, and one or two outside. Very visitor had to get permission to enter from these guys. There was no real privacy for Paul. 


What is occupying his thought as he writes to the church at Philippi? 


In Acts 16, where Pau’s mission to Philippi is recounted, you will discover some things happened to Paul at Philippi, the memory would not be happy.


What is occupying his thoughts are people! Others! Not himself nor his current circumstances. 


As he awaited his trial in Rome, Paul’s mind went back to the believers in Philippi, and every recollection he had brought him joy. 


Who were these people that buoyed his thoughts?


Acts 16 tells us about some of them:

  • The business woman Lydia and her household;
  • The slave girl who had been demon possessed;
  • The jailer who was saved as Paul and Silas sang  and a heavenly earthquake released them;
  • and the other dear Christians at Philippi.

What a mixture of different people, experiences and backgrounds. 


Each person, each recollection, was a source of joy. 


Question: Am I the kind of Christian who brings joy to my people’s minds when they think of me?


And he encourages them! 

Phil 1:6: being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.


Paul is reminding them that:

  • They are on the right track
  • How far they have come
  • How glorious their final destination will be!

When we are struggling, we should remind ourselves of the same! We are all a work in progress, but we are progressing!


The journey is not down to our cleverness or ability.


We are not saved by our good works (Eph. 2:8–9). Salvation is the good work God does in us when we trust His Son. 


In Philippians 2 we are told that God continues to work in us through His Spirit. 

Philippians 2: 1-13: Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose.


In other words, salvation includes a threefold work:

  • the work God does for us—salvation;
  • the work God does in us—sanctification;
  • the work God does through us—service.

This work will continue until we see Christ, and then the work will be fulfilled. “But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2).


It was a source of joy to Paul to know that God was still working in the lives of his fellow believers at Philippi. After all, this is the real basis for joyful Christian fellowship, to have God at work in our lives day by day.

2. I Have You in My Heart (1:7–8)

It is possible to have others in our minds without really having them in our hearts. 

  • Someone can occupy your mind and thoughts in a negative way. The thought of them may be something that annoys you, you may try and avoid them in church or make sure you’re not int heir home-group. 
  • You can have someone in your thoughts in a lustful way. Your thoughts towards them may not be good ones, but ones built on your own sinful desires.
  • You can have someone in your thoughts in a vengeful way. They may have wronged you in the past and when you think of them it is thoughts of tearing them down that occupy your mind.

Christian love is one of the signs of a changed life: “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.” (1 John 3:14). 


Paul uses the phrase “all of you” as he wrote. There are at least nine instances in this letter. He did not want to leave anyone out! 

mmm


How did Paul evidence his love for them? 

He was suffering on their behalf. His chains were proof of his love. He was “the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles” (Ephesians 3:1). 


Because of Paul’s trial, Christianity was going to get a fair hearing before the officials of Rome. Since Philippi was a Roman colony, the decision would affect the believers there. 


Paul’s love was not something he merely talked about; it was something he practiced. He considered his difficult circumstances an opportunity for defending and confirming the gospel, and this would help his brothers and sisters everywhere.


How can Christians learn to practice this kind of love? Christian love is not something we work up; it is something that God does in us and through us. 


Paul longed for his friends. Philippians 1:8: God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 

When Paul says, “God can testify…” he is not using the name of the Lord in vain. He is saying, “This comes straight from my heart, God judges the heart, so He knows what I am saying is true.”


It was not Paul’s love channeled through Christ; it was Christ’s love channeled through Paul. 


Romans 5:5: And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 


When we permit God to perform His work in us, then we grow in our love for one another.


How can we tell that we are truly bound in love to other Christians? 

  • Concerned for them
1 John 3:18: Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
  • Forgiven them
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

1 Corinthians 13:5 states that “love keeps no record of wrongs”; we need to keep short accounts with others.

  • There’s overflowing joy!

Christians who practice love always experience joy; both come as a result of the presence of the same Holy Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy…” (Galatians 5:22).


3. I Have You in My Prayers (1:9–11)

Paul found joy in his memories of the friends at Philippi and in his growing love for them. He also found joy in remembering them before the throne of grace in prayer. 


The high priest in the Old Testament wore a special garment, the ephod, over his heart. On it were twelve stones with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on them, a jewel for each tribe (Exodus. 28:15–29). He carried the people over his heart in love, and so did Paul. 


Perhaps the deepest Christian fellowship and joy we can experience in this life is at the throne of grace, praying with and for one another.


What is Paul praying for? 

  • Maturity

He is praying for them to mature in Christ. But his prayer is from a place in love. 

Sometimes we will pray for people with our own agenda. We will want them to mature to become more like us! But Paul wants them to become like Christ.


He prayed that they might experience abounding love and discerning love. Christian love is not blind! 


The heart and mind work together so that we have discerning love and loving discernment. 


Paul wanted his friends to grow in discernment, in being able to see “what is best” or “approve the things that are excellent” (NKJV).


People often think discernment is just to do with knowing if there’s an evil spirit at work. Or they think it is just to do with understanding the evil around them in the world. But discernment is also, in fact maybe the majority of the time, is seeing what is good and feeding that!


One of the sure marks of maturity is discerning love.

  • Purity

Paul also prayed that they might have mature Christian character, character that is “pure”.


The Greek word translated “pure” may have several meanings. Some translate it “tested by sunlight.” The pure Christian is not afraid to “stand in the light!”

Pure may also mean “to whirl in a sieve,” suggesting the idea of a winnowing process that removes chaff. 


In both cases the truth is the same: Paul prayed that his friends would have the kind of character that can pass the test. 

  • Exemplary

Paul prayed for them to have mature Christian love and character, “blameless for the day of Christ.”  (Phil. 1:10). 


This means that our lives do not cause others to stumble, and that they are ready for the judgment seat of Christ when He returns (see 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 John 2:28). 

  • Fruity

He wanted them filled and fruitful (Phil. 1:11). 


He was not interested simply in “church activities,” but in the kind of spiritual fruit that is produced when we are in fellowship with Christ. 


John 15:4: Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.


Too many Christians try to “produce results” in their own efforts instead of abiding in Christ and allowing His life to produce the fruit.


What is the “fruit” God wants to see from our lives? 

  • Right fruit. The “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22–23), Christian character that glorifies God; 
  • Right witness. Winning lost souls. Paul compared winning lost souls to Christ to bearing fruit (Romans 1:13);
  • Right living. Which is holiness. Paul also names “holiness” as a spiritual fruit (Rom. 6:22). 
  • Right Actions. Doing good; Paul encourages us to be “bearing fruit in every good work” (Col. 1:10);
  • Right talking. The writer to the Hebrews reminded us that our praise is the “fruit of our lips” (Hebrews 13:15).

An apple tree does not make a lot of noise when producing fruit. It just does it because it’s the natural thing for it to do. 

John 15:5:I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Wrapping this up:

Christian fellowship - koinonia - is having a deeper relationship than friendship. We are bound together in Christ.

So, have your brothers and sisters in your mind, in your heart and in your prayers.

The joy in the book can be seen in two main themes: Joy in what Paul lived for and Joy in what Paul lived on.


Note: I acknowledge the work of Warren Wiersbe and his NT commentary for the structure of some of these messages.



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