Pastor: We began Philippians last week. We looked at the first two verses. We are going to continue on in our series, and that leaves us there in verse 3. We're going to look at Philippians chapter 1, verses 3 through 11. Before we read God's word, let's go again to the Lord in prayer.
Pastor: Our heavenly Father, we thank you that you are not silent, but that you speak. Lord, we thank you that your word is sharper than any two-edged sword, and Lord, we thank you that it will not return void. Lord, we thank you for your promises of the power of the gospel, and Lord, I pray that you will help us all to be found in Christ this day.
Pastor: Lord, I pray that Christ would be made much of, that He would become more and more beautiful to us, that we would decrease and that He would increase.
Pastor: Lord, bring glory to yourself this morning, and bless your word. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Pastor: People of God, hear God's word for us this morning from Philippians chapter 1, beginning in verse 3.
Pastor: [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.
Pastor: [8] For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. [9] And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, [10] so that you may approve what is excellent, and so 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.
Pastor: He who has ears, let him hear the word of God. Please be seated. When you pray for the people that you love, what do you often pray about? When you think about gathering for prayer, or when you think about your own prayers for the people that you come to mind, what are the things that you pray for?
Pastor: For your children, or your spouse, or friends, or or even those here in the congregation.
Pastor: When you have the opportunity to approach the true and living God, the God who made everything, who upholds everything, and you have the opportunity in prayer to bring before Him people that you love, what do you say? I think often, typically, our prayers have to do with their circumstances.
Pastor: That God might somehow better their circumstances, improve their circumstances in some way, that if they're sick, we pray that God would heal them. If they need work, that God would provide them a job. If they need to make a big decision in life, that God would give them wisdom.
Pastor: And all of those are are good things to be praying for. But what's interesting, I think, here in our text is as Paul begins to tell the church in Philippi what he's been praying for them about, Paul doesn't mention. I think the many things that we probably would initially be praying for. He doesn't pray that they would be free from their current persecution. He isn't praying that their finances would improve because this is a poverty-stricken congregation. He doesn't even pray for the health of Epaphroditus, and but all of those would have been good prayers. He could have prayed those, and those would have been God-honoring, God-glorifying prayers. But I want us to consider what Paul actually prays for the people in Philippi. What comes to the the forefront even before those circumstantial prayers come into effect? He says, "It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.
Pastor: You see, Paul's primary prayer is not simply is not about simply changing people's circumstances. Paul. Desire for you is not simply change circumstances, but you as Christians might be changed.
Pastor: That you might know Christ, that you might be conformed to Christ, and if God does it through suffering, so be it. If God does it through poverty, so be it. All for the purpose that you might be ready to stand before the Lord on His day, on the day on the great day of Christ. Paul doesn't merely pray people into the kingdom. He isn't simply praying for God people to come into the kingdom.
Pastor: He is praying for the people who are in the kingdom to advance in the kingdom, praying for you who are in Christ to grow in your knowledge of Christ, to pray upward and onward in the kingdom, as we heard, not just justification, but also your sanctification, more grace, more grace, more love, more discernment, more fruit, more Christ. That's Paul's prayer.
Pastor: Paul is teaching us to truly love one another as a church and as Christians. This is what we must desire: the spiritual good of one another. To know Christ, to love Christ, to become like Christ. These are the things that we should be praying for the people that we love. Paul loves Christ, and therefore he loves Christ's church. We're going to look at three points today. We're going to see Paul thanking God for this church as thanks, trusting God in God's work in them, and then third, praying what is best for them.
Pastor: And I just want you to notice too how the gospel is is shaping Paul's prayer and what Paul desires for this people, first Paul begins by thanking God. In verses three through five, he says, "I I thank my God in all my remembrance of you always in every prayer of mine, for you are all making my prayer with joy. Whenever Paul thinks of this congregation, he thanks God. Notice that Paul doesn't say, "I'm thankful for you. He could have said that, but he he says, "I thank God for you. Paul sees something good that is happening in this congregation, but he he doesn't simply just praise them. He praises the God who is gracious to them, who is working amongst them and in their hearts bearing fruit, and Paul is recognizing whatever good I see belongs to the Lord.
Pastor: He must be praised. He must be the one that we are boasting in, and I think that's how we're also to view each other. You know, if you see grace in someone's life, if you see them growing, if you see them serving, if you see them professing their faith, if you see someone persevering in their faith, you can thank God for that. God is strengthening them, upholding them, working in them.
Pastor: Thank God for how He's working amongst us. We are often so much better at seeing what's wrong with people, aren't we, rather than what's right with people and God's grace in people's lives. We easily see annoying habits and weakness, immaturity, and the thing to note here about the church in Philippi is there are indeed problems. Philippi is nowhere near a perfect church, and Paul knows that. Paul is going to address pride. Paul is going to address their grumbling, Paul is going to address their disunity, but Paul looks at this imperfect church and he says, "God, I thank you.
Pastor: I thank you for this people. And I also notice all the times Paul says all, all, all, always, all, all of you, all of you. Paul isn't simply saying I thank God for all of you. All of you, I am thankful for. So, and that's important as we will see Paul going into the church further into this book to this church is because there's a division essentially between these two women as well, and says I'm thankful for Yodaca and Syndicate. I'm I'm thankful for all of you and all of your perfections. I'm thankful for the grace that that God has began in you. I'm thankful for you. When Paul later will address their weakness, he isn't addressing it from a posture of irritation, but of gratitude, because of the grace that God has given them. You know, I and maybe you know this too, but I think it's worth saying it again.
Pastor: It is extremely difficult to maintain a hard heart towards someone when you are regularly praying for them and thanking God for them. If you're struggling with another Christian, someone in your family, pray for them, and don't begin, Lord. Please fix everything that's wrong with this person. Father, thank you, thank you for how you've provided for them. Thank you for the grace in them. Thank you for their their gifts, and thank you for how you work. Paul tells us next what he's thankful for to God for them, making my prayer with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. This word partnership is that word you've maybe heard, koinonia, sometimes referred to as fellowship. That is the word that is there. When you think about fellowship, what do you think about? For me, the first thing that comes to my mind, food, right? Like food and just maybe just getting together and catching up. You know what's going on in your life, but but that's not what Paul is talking about when he uses this word partnership or or fellowship. I think firstly he means that we have a fellowship, we have a partnership, and that we we share the same Savior, we share the same Lord. We are in Christ together. You remember, you have the this businesswoman Lydia, you have this abused and used once demon-possessed little girl, and that then this crusty old jailer, and there is nothing that would socially or economically bring these people together. But one thing has: is Christ has saved them. He has united them now to one another, and that is why so often the church is an unusual and strange place, because for many of us there are things that would not naturally hold us together and unify us. But we have fellowship with one another because we have the same hope, we have the same faith, we have the same baptism, we have the same Lord, and because we also have the same Lord, we also have the same gospel mission. It means that we are not simply together and partners of Christ, but also Christ's mission and His goal for His people in this world, from the first day until now, our partnership is to advance the gospel, to make Christ known. This is our partnership.
Pastor: This is our mission as a church.
Pastor: We are coming together, not on a cruise ship. We are not coming together just to eat, drink, and be happy together. No, that is not the church. That is not Christian fellowship. We are a battleship. We have come together with one Lord for the purpose of going into the world to proclaim Christ, to grow Christ in one another, to pray that Christ would advance His kingdom. This is our fellowship, Christ and His kingdom. We are coming together and linking arms together. So when you fall in the slough of despair or despond, and you feel the weight of sin, and you feel the weight of guilt and shame and anxieties, and you feel overwhelmed, and maybe that's you this morning. Well, the church is supposed to come alongside of you to remind you of the promises of God, to remember that God will never leave you or forsake you, and as Paul does here, and we'll get to it soon here. But he's continuing the work in you. He's not yet done with you. Press on.
Pastor: Your sins are washed, all not in part but the whole. We remind each other this is our job to one another. When you come to church, this is not just you filling up my tank and I'll be set for the rest of the day. It is our fellowship together. To strengthen one another in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are fighting against the spiritual forces of this world, but we are not doing it alone. Alone, we are doing it together, and that's what the church is doing.
Pastor: Actually, for Paul, they are praying for him, and the little that they have, they are financially supporting him. They are encouraging him, and they even sent a member of their congregation, Epaphroditus, to visit and to to minister to encourage Paul.
Pastor: That's real fellowship, not merely just spending time together, but being joined in Christ together for the advancement of the gospel together, and the advancement of the gospel together-not simply just out there, but the advancement of the gospel in here. That the gospel needs to grow in here. Remember the gospel in the Lord Jesus Christ is not just the door into Christendom; He is the house. He is life, and we grow in Christ.
Pastor: Fellowship is recognizing that you need the church, and the church needs you. And Paul looks back from the first day, and now he looks forward in verse six, not only thanking God but trusting God that God is going to continue to work in you.
Pastor: Verse six, 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. From beginning to end, God is at work. Remember, Lydia didn't open up her own heart. In Acts 16, it tells us God opened up Lydia's heart. The Philippian jailer was not seeking the Lord Jesus Christ, but God struck his heart and saved him. Was the Apostle Paul seeking for answers? Was he seeking for salvation in Christ? Absolutely not. He was hunting Christians down, but the Lord God arrested him on that Damascus road and changed his heart. God is at work. You are not a Christian because you come from a Christian family. You are not a Christian because you had enough spiritual sense to figure things out. If you are a Christian this morning, it is but for one reason only: God, God, God began the work. He began a good work in you, and what is this good work that God has begun? And it's not just making good religious people; it is salvation, utter, complete salvation. God sent His Son into the world who lived a perfectly righteous life and died on the cross for our sins, and Jesus rose from the dead, and our risen and reigning Lord is calling sinners to Himself and washing their sins away, and bringing them to their heavenly home. Now, the wonderful news that Paul is giving the church in Philippi is the God who began the work does not leave us. He doesn't just start it and say,"I really hope that church figures it out. You know that they they really they. I hope it works out. God completes what He finishes. He doesn't leave us alone. He will bring it to completion. The God who calls is the God who keeps. The God who justifies is the God who sanctifies, who also glorifies.
this: Again, the gospel doesn't merely tell us how God saves us at the beginning. The gospel tells us why we can be confident God will bring us all the way home, because the Christ who died for you will never lose you. The Christ who rose for you will never abandon you. The Christ who called you will not leave His work unfinished. He will finish what He started, and Paul knows that we will, and the Philippian church will mess things up at times. He knows we are not strong, but Paul's confidence is not in us. It's not in you. It's not in me. It is in Christ, and that's important for us because. And we get discouraged when we think about our Christian journey.
this: Shouldn't I be farther along in this Christian thing? Shouldn't I be more sanctified? How many times can I continue to mess this thing up? How many times can I just continue to struggle with the same sin? Why is my faith so weak at times? Why haven't I changed more? Paul's reminding us, God is at work in you. Do not be discouraged. He who began the work in you is working in you now, and He will complete it. He will complete it. He will not put His tools down working in you until you have reached your heavenly home and you have no more sin, no more sin, no more sin. And He is working all of that in you right now, and notice how long he will do it until the day of Jesus Christ. God is determined to bring his people all the way home, and one day that unfinished work will be finished. Sin gone, faith is sight. And now that I know God is at work.
this: Does that mean that I don't have to do anything? God's going to do it. No, in fact, it's the opposite when we look at the scriptures. Because we know God is at work, because we know God is building His church, we can go evangelize with confidence.
this: Well, we can share the gospel knowing that God is going to transform hearts. Because God will sanctify His people, we can pray for one another and encourage one another and disciple one another. I know God is at work, and so I'm going to keep praying that He will work, praying God's words back to Him, and that's often what prayer is-is really praying God's promises and the things that God says back to Him. Give us this day our daily bread. God has said, "I will provide for all of your needs. I'm already I'm praying things that God has said He will do, and I'm not reminding him, but I'm really reminding myself of who God is and what He has said. Look at how God has worked in Paul's heart. Philippians is not a a cold theological tome; it is deeply pastoral and deeply loving, and you think about who this book is coming from, Paul.
this: But Paul, who hated Christians, absolutely hated them, traveled miles and miles and miles, not out of Jerusalem to shut Christianity down because he hated Christ and His Church so much, not just men but women and children, dragging them out of their homes, putting them to death. This-that's who has wrote this letter. But look how God has transformed Paul-not simply giving Paul a new eternal destination, but as utterly transformed and changed Paul's heart. That he now says it is right for me to feel this way about you, because I I hold you in my heart, church, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. That is a work of sanctification in Paul, is is it not? God is working in Paul as He is also working in you.
this: Christ loves His church, and Paul says, "I love you too, like Christ does. I hold you in my heart. I yearn for you with the affection of Christ, and because I I love you, you know what I'm going to do, pray for you. This
is the third point: praying for one another in verses nine through 11. One of the greatest ways and acts of love we can do for one another is to pray. I love you. If you follow Paul's thought, I hold you in my heart.
is the third point: I yearn for you with the affection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, I pray. Do you love your children? Pray.
is the third point: Your spouse. Pray. Your church.
is the third point: Pray. Prayer flows from a heart full of of great love for God and for His people. Paul's prayer is not responding to any major emergency that's happening in the church of Philippi. It isn't now. You know, there's an emergency. There's something really big, important that now we have to pray. Paul's not responding to anything grand or unordinary in the Christian life. No one has a diagnosis here, or has lost their job.
is the third point: They're just praying. That's what Christians do. And what does he ask, though, in his prayer? That your love may abound. It's already there. It started, but more, more love, more love. And this is the Christian life. There are some areas in our lives where we should not be content. There are some areas in our lives where we should not be satisfied, and that is love for Christ. More of it, more. Lord, give me more.
is the third point: Give them more. Give more of Christ, Lord. Let not grace just be present and love present, but let it abound here and in our hearts. Also, notice what accompanies this love, knowledge, and discernment, and that's important here, isn't it?
is the third point: Because you will see and hear all around you and all around the news, what people say love is. You will hear to love is to accept and to not make judgments. You will hear that to love is to encourage people to do whatever they believe fulfills them. That is not love.
is the third point: True love, as Paul tells us, is accompanied with knowledge and discernment.
is the third point: That is true love. Asks, what does God say? Because true love is shaped by reality and truth, not personal preferences. And the Bible clearly tells us what love is. If you read First John chapter four, John says it again and again and again. God is love. He is the source of all love. So, if we want to know what love is and what it means to love, we have to see what God has said and who God is. And and if love somehow does not conform to the image of Christ or His will, it is not love in any way.
is the third point: Love comforts At times, love confronts. At times, there are times when we need to bear patiently with one another.
is the third point: There are also times when we need to correct or warn, warn each other urgently. So, how do you know when to do what?
is the third point: Knowledge and discernment.
is the third point: Sometimes you answer a fool according to his folly, and other times you don't. How do you know? As the proverbs say, wisdom. But wisdom begins with God, the fear of the Lord.
is the third point: Knowledge and discernment also enables you, as Paul says, to approve what is excellent, not merely distinguish what is good and what is bad, but increasingly to learn to distinguish what is best, even among things that are good. Many decisions that you will make in your life are not just obvious decisions about is this a righteous thing or is this a wicked thing? And I'm clearly just going to do the righteous thing. But often decisions we make in life are between good and better, helpful, most helpful, worthwhile and excellent. Not simply what is wrong, but what would most glorify Christ. And last Sunday evening in our evening instruction and prayer, we talked about this a little bit.
is the third point: Remember, in our dating relationships, so often the question might have been or is,"How far is too far? How far can we go? Where's the line between righteousness and wickedness, but God is calling us not to simply ask questions, what is right versus wrong, but what is best, what would most glorify Christ, what most brings Him honor in this relationship, in my work. In my life, what brings him most glory? Not simply what is just good. Why is this important? So to be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, and there it is again, the day of Christ. Paul again mentions this day. Paul is living his life with that reality. There's a day of Christ. There's a day of Christ. There's a day of Christ coming. Paul's concern for the church at Philippi and
his concern for us is: Are you ready? Are you ready for the day of Christ? How do you get ready?
his concern for us is: Well, you need the righteousness that comes from Christ, as Paul says. Righteousness, not our righteousness, but righteousness from from another, from the Lord Jesus Christ. Our righteousness is is Christ dependent. You have to be in Christ to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, and what's the point of all this too? It's so that God would be glorified and and praised. This is Paul's prayer that God began the work; He continues the work and producing fruit. And why?
his concern for us is: Glorify yourself, God! Glorify yourself. Salvation is from you, and we praise you. We gather together to praise your name.
his concern for us is: So, what do you do and want?
his concern for us is: What do you pray for, and what do you want for the people that you you love? Of course, we want our children to be saved. Of course, we want good and healthy marriages. We want people provided for. But Paul wants something, and Christ wants something greater, even greater, that you would know Him, that your love would abound in Him by the knowledge of His Word, and that you'd be discerning the things that are excellent in life. That you would persevere, and He will preserve you.
his concern for us is: Getting ready for the day.
his concern for us is: Getting ready for the day. That is our prayer. That's Paul's prayer for us as well, the day is coming, and perhaps you think to yourself, "I don't know if I'm ready for that day. I have much weakness. I have a lot of things that are not yet fit for heaven. There is a lot to change in me. Well, be encouraged.
his concern for us is: He who began a work will complete it on the day of Jesus Christ. Your hope is not found in yourself; it is found in Christ alone. He who died for you, rose for you, called you, intercedes for you, and who is working for you as your prophet, priest, and king. He is not stopping until his work is completed, but some of you might wonder: Has God even began a good work in me? Well, have you seen your sin? Have you seen the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ?
his concern for us is: Have you called upon the Lord to be saved, because if you haven't, don't leave feeling comforted. You should not be comforted. You should be terrified because you are not ready for the day. But believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved, and be comforted, and have peace. The Savior that saved Paul, the chief of sinners, saves people like us too. And He not merely just saves us today, but He will bring us home. But as we wait, we thank God for one another. We can look around. I thank God for you. We can look at each other in our weaknesses and trust that God, who began a good work in you, He's going to complete it.
his concern for us is: And we can also be praying for one another, praying each other not just into the kingdom but onward in it, to the praise and glory of God. Let's pray.
his concern for us is: Our heavenly Father, we thank you that you have given us your Word, Lord. We pray that you would make us more like Christ.
his concern for us is: Give us more of Christ, Lord.
his concern for us is: You who began the work, continue to work, work more, make us more like Christ. Let us love Christ more. Let us hold fast to Christ more, Lord. We pray and we plead the righteousness of Christ on our behalf, who died for all of our sins, and in His righteousness is imputed to us and received by. Faith alone, Lord, be merciful to your people, and Lord, we long for the day when you will complete your work and we will see you face to face. But let us live these days now here on earth, waiting, anticipating, and longing for that day. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.