Blessing of Prayer & Being in the Church -- 9/27/09

Sunday, September 27, 2009

THE BLESSING OF PRAYER AND THE LOCAL CHURCH
Phil. 1:3-8

We are looking at Paul’s letter to the Philippians. While Paul wrote four letters to individuals, nine of his letters were written to churches. We found in verse 1 that Paul addressed his letter to “all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, together with the bishops and deacons.” He sent it to the church, which was composed of all the saints in Christ Jesus who were at Philippi. It wasn’t intended for certain individuals in the church, but for all of those saints in Christ Jesus.

This morning, as we continue to look at Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we will see that he was very thankful for the church at Philippi. Because he was thankful for these brothers and sisters, he prayed for them. Last week I suggested that we might look at verses 1-11 as Paul’s introduction to his letter. And we might break it down like this…
1. The make-up of the church (1)
2. Paul’s blessing for the church (2)
3. Paul’s thanksgiving for the church (3-8)
4. Paul’s prayer for the church (9-11)

This morning we will be looking at verses 3-8. In this section it is very easy to see how thankful Paul was for the Philippian believers. Last week we talked about Paul’s blessing for the church. What was it? “Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” I guess I still have that concept of blessing on my mind. This morning I want us to remember what a blessing it is to be a part of God’s church. We will look at it both from Paul’s side and the side of the Philippians. Let’s see it from two aspects…
1. The blessing of personal prayer
2. The blessing of being in the church

Now let’s read Phil. 1:1-8…
Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: 2. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4. Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5. For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7. Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. 8. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

I. The Blessing of Personal Prayer

Because Paul was deeply thankful for the Philippian church, he earnestly prayed for his brothers and sisters there. He not only prayed, but he prayed regularly for them. His prayers for the Philippian church were not routine, but they came from the depths of his heart.

A. Prayers of Thanksgiving and Joy

Paul begins by reminding them that every time he thinks of them, he gives thanks to God. And then he quickly goes on to say, “Always in every prayer of mine for you all, making request with joy.” Notice that his prayers for them are sandwiched between thanksgiving and joy. He not only prayed for them, but he prayed with thanksgiving and joy.

So why was Paul so thankful for the Philippian church? At first glance, after reading the entire letter, we might conclude that Paul was thankful for the way they supported him. We read in chapter two that Philippi was the only church that gave him financial support, and they had done it more than once. In addition, they had sent Epaphroditus to minister to him personally. In addition, we see in verse 5 that he was thankful for their fellowship in the gospel. One author (Jonathan Sims in The Book of Philippians) refers to Philippi as the model church. Surely Paul had much to be thankful for concerning the church.

However, we must understand that his thanksgiving went beyond these outward causes. He sounds this note of thanksgiving in all of his letters, with the exception of Galatians. When he wrote to the Galatians, it seems that his urgency to deal with the deep problems launched him directly into the letter without mention of this thanksgiving. But even when he wrote to Corinth with all of its problems, he said, “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 1:4). His thanksgiving was not based primarily upon the outward circumstances of the church, but upon Paul’s focus on the grace of Jesus Christ. Even within the Philippian church there were problems. In chapter 3 he had to warn them of evil workers. In chapter 4 he had to strongly urge two women to be of one mind in the Lord. He himself was writing from prison. Nevertheless, he was deeply thankful for what he saw God doing in the Philippian church. Even when he made petition for them, asking specific things on their behalf, he made his requests with joy.

What a lesson for every believer. True thanksgiving isn’t conditioned by the outward circumstances. Do you give thanks when others give you reason for thanksgiving? Or do you “give thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20)? When the world can find no reason to give thanks, the one who trusts God can always give thanks. When it would seem impossible, God will always give us grace to thank God for our brothers and sisters, no matter what the circumstances.

Nevertheless, the church at Philippi did make it easy for Paul to give thanks. What if Paul were writing to this church? Would he find it easy to give thanks? Would he write to us with great joy because of what he saw the Lord doing in and through us?

Fifteen years ago I went to Chugiak, Alaska and spent a week with Bob Chadwick, who had been my pastor from the time I was 12 until I graduated from high school. He wasn’t a perfect man or a perfect pastor, but I had great respect for him because his life demonstrated that he loved God and he loved God’s people. I can’t remember too much about that visit, but I do remember one thing he told me. He said something like this: “The longer I serve the Lord, the more thanksgiving dominates my prayer life.” I haven’t forgotten that. Are my prayers flavored with a continual attitude of joy and thanksgiving?

B. Persistence in Prayer

Read verses 3-4 again: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy.” Notice the phrase “every remembrance” and in verse 4 the words “every” and “always.” I get the definite impression that Paul prayed often for these Philippian brothers and sisters. Since they seemed to be doing well, he might have figured they didn’t need his prayers, but that was not the case with Paul.

What is amazing is the way Paul prayed consistently for so many. Just listen to his testimony, as he wrote his letters…

Rom 1:9 "For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;"
1 Cor 1:4 "I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;"
Eph 1:16 "Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;"
Col 1:3 "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,"
1 Th 1:2 "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;"
2 Tim 1:3 "I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;"
Philemon 1:4 "I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,"

Either Paul was a liar, or he spent a lot of time praying! Later we will talk more about him being in prison, but just think about it with me for a minute. Our adversary, the devil, was able to limit the physical work of Paul by putting him in prison, but he wasn’t able to shut down Paul’s ministry. While he was in prison, Paul had even more time to pray. What we believe about prayer will determine whether we believe Paul could minister effectively from prison. When we read his letters, we have to conclude that Paul believed prayer was vital to his ministry.

Persistence in prayer is one of the most important things we can learn from Paul. While we may complain that we are not gifted to minister as Paul did, what can we say about the opportunity to pray? Paul had no special monopoly on prayer. We can pray, just as Paul did. One of first excuses the devil will give us for praying little is the fact that we are just too busy. Look at Paul. This was a man who started churches and carried on a regular correspondence with them. “But Paul was able to pray like this because he had plenty of time in jail.” Are you willing to go to jail so that you will have more time to pray? Brothers and sisters, we give attention to what we believe is important. If you and I “don’t have time to pray,” we should count up the hours we give to other things. Persistence in prayer is not an option for the believer who is seeking God; it is essential. Please understand that I am preaching first of all to me.

C. The Giving of Self in Prayer

Now look at verses 7-8, "Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. 8. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ." Paul openly told them that he had them in his heart and that they partook with him of grace. And then he made that strong statement: “God knows how much I longed for you with the affection of Jesus Christ.

When I read it out of the King James, you noticed the phrase “the bowels of Jesus Christ.” That is the translation of a Greek word that referred to the heart, lungs, and liver, “from which feelings of love and tenderness were thought to arise” (Howard Vos, A Study Guide to Philippians). It is similar to our phrase, “I love you with all my heart.” It was a very strong expression.

When Paul prayed for the Philippians (and for other Christians), it was not a mechanical exercise or a meaningless routine. Paul gave himself freely, as he prayed for them. It is an understatement to say that Paul was attached to these brothers and sisters. Later in chapter 4 he will say, “Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved” (4:1).

Surely this kind of self-giving makes for effective prayer. Think of your own experience. Do you not have more confidence when you pray for a person for whom the Lord has given you great affection and love? When you pray in such a way that nothing is held back, when you put your whole self into the prayer, don’t you believe that God cares and that He will answer?

Understand that Paul addresses this letter to all the saints in Christ Jesus who were at Philippi. Paul had this tender affection for all the Philippian Christians. But surely there were a few of them that weren’t so lovable. Paul’s affection for them was not because they were wonderful, perfect, lovable people; it was because they were his brothers and sisters in Christ. They shared the life of Christ, and for that reason he held them close to his heart.

II. The Blessing of Being in the Church

Now we want to shift our focus from Paul who was praying for the church at Philippi to the church itself. Paul says some things that give us insight into the Philippian church and give us instruction, as we seek to be the church the Lord wants us to be. I would like to emphasize three great blessings that come to those who are a part of the local church.

A. The Blessing of Fellowship

Look again at verses 3-5. Verse 4 is kind of like a parenthesis. Verse 5 is connected closely to verse 3. Let me read it, skipping verse 4. “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you… for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.” Paul thanked the Lord specifically for their fellowship in the gospel. But what does that mean?

First of all, let’s take a look at that word translated “fellowship.” The Greek word is one that has been brought over into English, and, no doubt, some of you have heard it. It is the word koinonia. It is used 19 times in the New Testament, and in 12 of those occurrences the KJV translates it as “fellowship.” Four times it is rendered “communion” (once each as communication, distribution, contribution). Thayer’s Greek-English lexicon gives it these basic definitions: fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse. So we might think of it as including partnership, participation, and communication (Sims). This koinonia is a meaningful sharing together.

Paul thanked God for their fellowship in the gospel, their partnership and participation in the gospel. I must say until recently I just assumed that referred to the fact that they were partners with the Paul in the work of the gospel. That is certainly true. They sent financial help to him and were obviously vitally involved with him, as he preached the gospel. However, that is not the only possibility. We might also think of their fellowship with one another in the gospel. We must remember that the fellowship within the church is built upon one thing – the life of Christ. That sharing of life is not based upon common race, similar backgrounds and experiences, having the same likes and dislikes. The world has a “fellowship” based on those things. The uniqueness of the church is that its people are held together by a participation in the life of Christ, though they may differ in every other respect.

The scripture speaks clearly of this principle. Please turn to Eph. 2. As I read this passage, please bear in mind its background. Paul is dealing with the great gulf between Jews and Gentiles. In general, they hated one another. The animosity between Jews and Gentiles was racial, cultural, and religious. Take the religious conflict in Ireland, add to it the black/white conflicts of this country in the 60’s, and then add to that the current suspicion of Arabs, and you might come close to the barrier between Jew and Gentile. Now listen to Eph. 2:11-22…
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21. In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22. In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

The barrier was beyond description, but God made both one in Jesus Christ. This is why the church enjoys a fellowship the world knows nothing about.

We find the same thing in 1 Pet 2:9-10,
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Look at us. We were not a people. Many of us have very little in common. But He has made us a people, a body, a family. How? It is because we share the life of Jesus Christ. We participate together in His life. We are partners in the ministry of the gospel. We communicate with one another, as we exhort each other, considering one another and spurring one another on to love and good works (see Heb. 3:12-14; 10:24-25).

I cannot overemphasize the blessing of fellowship within in the church. And we must emphasize it because it has been much misunderstood in the past few decades. Fellowship is not just getting together. It is not achieved because we have the same interests and talk about the same things. This room can be packed with people and there still be little or no fellowship. This fellowship of which the Bible speaks begins supernaturally, because no one can experience until he or she has been born again. I encourage you to restrict the term “fellowship” to the biblical definition. Sometimes I hear us talk about people having fellowship, even non-Christian people. No. That confuses the issue. Fellowship is among those who share the life of Christ. And the more we partner together in the cause of Christ and let His life dominate our communication, the richer our fellowship will be.

Paul thanked God for the fellowship of the Philippians. Yes, they had fellowship with him, but deeper than that they had fellowship with one another. They heard from Paul now and then, but they shared the life of Christ on a regular basis within the context of the local church. That thrilled Paul, and so he gave thanks to God for that fellowship.

B. The Blessing of Assurance

Now we come to the verse we haven’t really mentioned this morning. On the other hand, we refer to it many, many times. Let’s read verse 6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” For Paul, this is not just a wish. He says that he is confident. This is a strong word which means “to be persuaded.” This is the same word that Paul uses in Rom. 8:38-39, when he says, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Paul is just as persuaded that He who began a good work in them will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

That word translated “perform” is another very strong word. The base Greek word means “to complete,” but it has a little preposition in front of it to make it stronger. The resulting word means “to bring to an end, accomplish, perfect, execute, complete.” The meaning here is very simple. Paul is absolutely persuaded that God will finish what he started. When he put His life into one of those Philippian believers, He intended to bring it to completion, to make that life like Christ.

Again, this is a beautiful principle set forth in the scriptures. When a person first receives the life of Christ, what is he? He is a baby, having just been born. For that person to be a mature adult spiritually, there must be much growth. Let’s read again Eph. 4:11-16, where Paul speaks of that growth…
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14. That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16. From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

But how do we know that growth will take place? Because God, who sees the end from the beginning, says it will. I realize there are many who want to qualify Phil. 1:6 and say, “If we do such and such, then God’s work will come to completion,” but that isn’t what the text says. There are no qualifying words. When the Lord starts a work within, He will bring it to completion – period. Does that mean a Christian can do whatever he pleases, and God will still finish the work, make him like Christ, and take him to heaven? No. Because God is doing the work in him, he won’t be able to go on doing whatever he pleases. Rather, he will be conformed to the image of Christ, though it may be ever so gradually.

Look at one other passage of scripture which says basically the same thing. Rom. 8:28-30…
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

What is Paul saying here? Simply that He who begins a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Someone may say, “How long will that take?” Until the day of Jesus Christ, until Jesus comes again. It is a process. We find the seed of this truth even in the Old Testament. Ps. 138:8, "The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands."

Of course, we must understand that this promise is true only for those in whom the Lord has begun the work. In other words, just because a person claims to be a Christian, that doesn’t mean that this promise applies to him. This must be the true work of being born of the Spirit, of being adopted into the family of God. Notice that this is not a work that any man began, but it is a work that God began. Enough said on this subject, as we have talked about it at length in times past.

Before we leave this verse, I want you to think about something. Hear it again: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” We have a strong tendency to interpret scripture individually. Our background has trained us to do so. Most of us immediately think of the good work that he started in me as an individual. But remember that this letter was written to a church, to people who were participating together in the life of Christ. Might Paul have meant, “I am persuaded that He who began a good work there in Philippi by establishing you as a church will perfect it until the day of Christ”? That principle does come from our Lord Jesus, who said, “And upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Just bear that in mind. When we read that passage from Eph. 4, did you notice that the emphasis was not upon the individual, but upon the body of Christ? We must be careful not to individualize everything in the Bible.

C. The Blessing of Loving Affection

Now come back again to verse 8, “For God is my record, now greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.” God knows how much I long after you all in the affections of Jesus Christ. I have already mentioned to you that this word translated “bowels” is intended to communicate a deep loving affection. The root of that deep feeling (yes, I am using the word “feeling,” because that is what the idea is here) is the Lord Jesus Himself. The Amplified reads like this: “For God is my witness how I long for and pursue you all with love, in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus Himself.”

Think with me for a moment. It is certainly true that Paul’s deep affection for the Philippians was not based on how wonderful they were. It was based primarily upon the affections of Christ Jesus. We sometimes emphasize that agape love, the love with which God loves us, is not just a feeling. It is a willing and doing the best for the other person. It goes beyond feeling. However, we must not twist that truth to make it say that the Lord has no affection for His own. I remind you that the Father loves all of His children just as He loves His own Son Jesus. That is what we learn from Jesus’ prayer to His Father in John 17:23, "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." Don’t take lightly the bowels, the affections, of the Lord Jesus. It was that tender love that motivated Paul’s love for God’s people.

Now if that was true of Paul, what about the rest of God’s people? Jesus commands His people to love one another: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34). That is the agape word, the love that goes beyond feeling. So we might take it really hard: “I have to love all my brothers and sisters, whether I want to or not.” On the other hand, let us remember the affections, the tender mercies of the Lord Jesus Christ. Matt. 9:36, "But when he [Jesus] saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." That word translated “compassion” is the same word (just the verbal form) that is translated “bowels” here in Phil. 1:8. If Jesus looked on us with tender affection when we were scattered abroad as sheep without a shepherd, how does He look on us now that we are clothed with His righteousness? We are the apple of His eye. Even though David was an Old Testament saint, he knew something about the Lord’s affection. After he was convicted of his adultery and murder, he came to God with these words: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions” (Ps. 51:1).

When we realize that we are blessed with such tender affection from our Lord, shouldn’t that impact the relationship we have with one another? That Christ who loves us with tender mercy is the Christ whose Spirit dwells within us. As we are conformed to His image, we love like He loves. We not only do what is best for our brothers and sisters, but we cultivate a deep, loving affection for them. Is it more difficult with some than with others? Yes, but what we remember is that these tender mercies are not ultimately based on how our brothers and sisters act, but upon the truth that our loving Lord has redeemed them and made them a part of the family, both His and ours!

Someone here might have this attitude: “Well, I’m just not a very affectionate person by nature. That’s hard for me.” I understand. We are all shaped by our personality, our background, and our experiences. Nevertheless, if you have been included in the church of Jesus Christ, then you have been included in this net of the tender affections of Jesus Christ. As God conforms you to the image of Christ, your heart will continue to soften and you will give and receive such loving affection. And when you do, God will receive even more glory from your life, because people will know it is the Lord working in you rather than you simply doing something by your own strength!

Brothers and sisters, it is a blessing to be in the church where the affections of Jesus Christ flourish. Praise God! Perhaps you didn’t grow up with loving affection in your family, but you can know that family affection now that you are in Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

What more can be said this morning? May we pray for one another with thanksgiving and joy. As our Lord Jesus told us, may we always pray and not faint (Luke 18:1). And may we pray with untiring persistence.

As we pray, let us rejoice in being included in the Lord’s church, which is expressed through the local church. It is in the context of the church that we enjoy the blessing of fellowship, the blessing of assurance, and the blessing of deep, loving affection.

Now let me a saw a word to you who are not a part of the Lord’s church. Perhaps you are
thinking, “I would sure like to be a part of a family like that.” Let me remind you of why you are not part of that family and cannot be. The prophet Isaiah says that the hand of the Lord is not shortened that it cannot save, but your iniquities have separated between you and your God (Is. 59:1-2). Your sins have separated you from your Creator. Whether you are six or sixty, your sins stand between you and God. The Lord God cannot let you into His church, because your sin would utterly defile it. He will not have rebels within the ranks.

But I have good news for you. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). Look to the Lamb of God. When you read about Abraham taking his son Isaac up on the mountain to sacrifice him, it is hard for you to keep back the tears. That is only the picture of what God did when He put His Son on the cross. God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (II Cor. 5:21).

Look to Jesus. Don’t just take a casual glance at Him. He is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. Look at Him today, and tomorrow, and the day after. Behold Him until your heart is broken and you kneel before Him in repentance and faith. Yes, you can become a part of the Lord’s church, but it is only through Jesus the Lamb.

Greeting the Philippians -- 9/20/09

Sunday, September 20, 2009

GREETING THE PHILIPPIANS
Phil. 1:1-2

Last week we listened to Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi. I hope you sensed the love that Paul had for this church. Down through the centuries, different students of the Bible have suggested various themes for this letter. In reality, it is difficult to assign a single theme to it. One says the focus is simply Christ. Another points to the theme of joy, as the terms “joy” and “rejoice” occur 18 times in this brief letter. Still others point to the emphasis on unity. The truth is that all of these subjects receive a certain emphasis. No one can claim that he has the only key for studying the letter to the Philippians. But one thing is very clear – Paul loved these believers and had a close relationship with them.

During these next two or three weeks we are going to be looking at the first 11 verses of chapter 1. This is generally referred to as the introduction of the letter. I have broken it down like this…
The Make-up of the Church (1)
Paul’s Blessing for the Church (2)
Paul’s Thanksgiving for the Church (3-8)
Paul’s Prayer for the Church (9-11)

This morning, Lord willing, we are going to be looking at these first two verses, focusing on the make-up of the church and Paul’s blessing upon the church. Let’s begin by reading all of 1:1-11…
Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: 2. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4. Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5. For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7. Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. 8. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. 9. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10. That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

By the way, it isn’t too late to memorize Philippians. You might think, “Well, I’ve wasted almost 9 months and I haven’t memorized much.” You could view it like this, “You know, I still have over three months of 2009 left. I want to see how much of Philippians I can memorize, as I trust the Lord.” I hear people tell me they are just too busy. Brothers and sisters, generally speaking, we will do what we want to do, what we really believe is important. Some of you aren’t sure how much you could memorize, because you haven’t yet given yourself to it. I don’t want to put you on a guilt trip, but I do want to encourage you to memorize the Word of God.

We aren’t going to spend much time talking about Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, because we have looked at them already. Just remember that Paul was the author, and his young associate Timothy was with him. In this letter Paul speaks in the first person continually, while he refers to Timothy in the third person. This makes it quite clear that we aren’t to think of Timothy as being the co-author. It seems pretty clear that Timothy had not only been with Paul on his first visit to Philippi, but he had been back to the Philippian church on at least two other occasions (Acts 19:22; 20:3-4). As we will see later in the letter, Paul is preparing to send Timothy to them again. It is no wonder that Paul includes Timothy’s name along with his own at the beginning of the letter.

I. The Make-up of the Philippian Church (1:1)

So this morning I want to speak to the holy people, to those who have been set apart. Is anyone ready to listen? Are there any holy people here this morning?

After revealing that he is writing the letter, Paul then follows the normal form of letters in that day; he identifies the people to whom he is writing. “To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.” Though the words are few, there is a great deal of information conveyed by those words. It is here that we find the make-up of the Philippian church.

The Saints…

Paul addresses his letter to all the saints who are at Philippi. By the way, of the nine letters that Paul wrote to churches, in seven of them he identifies the recipients at saints. The exceptions are Galatians and I Thessalonians, where he refers to them simply as churches. Notice that he is writing to all the saints at Philippi. Before we can determine who is included, we must understand the meaning of the term “saints.”

So who are the saints? What does the word mean? It means “the set apart ones.” There are other New Testament words which are related to the term “saints.” “Holy” and “sanctify” are forms of the exact same word. Saints are the holy ones. Would you feel a little strange if I addressed you as, “Holy ones”? You shouldn’t. The term simply speaks of people who have been set apart unto God.

But how does that take place? What makes a person a saint? How good do you have to be in order to be a saint? The key is in those words “in Christ Jesus.” Paul writes to all the saints in Christ Jesus. The only way to be a saint is to be in Christ Jesus. Every saint is in Christ Jesus. A person does not become a saint by being good or by doing some great deed. A person becomes a saint when He is set apart to God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul became a saint when Jesus struck him down on the road to Damascus. When he became a saint, he had not done any great deed. He had been persecuting the very church of Jesus. Nevertheless, it was then and there that God set him apart for His own purposes, and it was through the death and resurrection of Jesus. God led Paul to repentance and faith in that same Jesus.

Remember why Jesus came into this world. He Himself tells us in Luke 19:10, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” “That which was lost” takes in every human being that has ever been born into this world. The Lord’s work is to convict lost people of their sin, to open their eyes to the fact that they have lived a life of rebellion against God. If you are here this morning and lost, you have indeed rebelled against your Creator. You may not have done what the world considered terrible deeds, but you have gone your own way; you have done your own thing. That is the essence of sin. And your sin has separated you from God. You are dead in your trespasses and sins, having no hope and without God in this world. Jesus came to seek and to save you. That is why He died on that cross. We deserved the punishment He received. He was cut off from His Father because He took our sins upon Himself. But don’t feel sorry for Jesus, because He didn’t remain in that grave. On the third day His Father raised Him up, demonstrating that Jesus had the victory over sin. And because He lives we can live also. Our part is to repent and believe. God calls on you to forsake your current path, to admit that you are a rebel against God. And when you see yourself and your sins clearly, then you can turn to the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved you and gave Himself for you. When you do, you will become a saint in Christ Jesus.

Do you see? Every true Christian is a saint. Isn’t it wonderful that we are called saints. “Saint” is not a title to be showcased, but a name that is to remind us of why we are in this world. We have been set apart unto the purposes of God. We are not our own, but we have been bought with a price, and now we are to glorify God in our body and in our spirit, which belong to Him. That is the purpose to which we have been set apart.

Notice that this letter is to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi. Every person who is a saint is a saint in Christ Jesus, because there is no other kind of saint. You can’t become a saint without being included in the life of Jesus. But that is only half the story. Every saint in Christ Jesus is somewhere. Those of us who are truly in Christ are the saints in Christ Jesus who are at La Luz. Saints are not put on display in a trophy case; they are put to work in this messed-up world. We are saints by virtue of the work of Jesus Christ, but now we are to progressively demonstrate that we are saints in our practical living. God set us apart through His Son Jesus, but more and more, as we are conformed to Jesus’ image, we live in such a way that the world can actually see we have been set apart unto God’s purposes.

Please hear me. If you are not a believer, if you are not in Christ, you will be looking at this letter as an outsider. In other words, this letter was not written to you. The commands in the letter were not addressed to you. The encouragement in the letter was not intended for you. When we get to 2:5-11 and begin to talk about how Jesus humbled Himself to death, even the death of the cross, understand that the Holy Spirit did not address those words to you, but to all the saints who are in Christ Jesus. I am not saying that you should not listen. I am simply reminding you that you must let the Holy Spirit continually remind you that you are outside of Christ. You must not let the enemy fool you into thinking that because you listen to this letter week after week you are one of the Lord’s saints. The good news is that you can become one of His saints. I urge you to repent and believe. Instead of doing all the things you do, get alone with God. Fall on your face before Him and cry out to Him. Beg Him to reveal His Son to you in His fullness.

The Shepherds…

“To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.” Don’t misunderstand; the bishops and deacons are part of the saints. They are not a separate class of Christians. Nevertheless, Paul singles them out. He writes to the saints, together with the bishops and deacons. I honestly don’t know why he singles them out. To the best of my knowledge, this is the only occasion where he does this at the beginning of his letter.

So who are these bishops? The term “bishop” is kind of difficult for us because it has certain connotations in our religious world. When most people think of a bishop, they think of some powerful religious figure who presides over many churches. For that reason, I think it is wise to use the term “overseer,” which is a far more literal translation of the original Greek. An overseer is one who oversees his brothers and sisters in the church. Notice, I said oversees his brothers and sisters. The overseer is not superior to other Christians in any way; he simply has a particular function in the local body of Christ.

In the New Testament there are three terms which speak of the same man in the local church. Here we have the word “overseer.” It is used five times in the New Testament. Two of those are in connection with the qualifications for this responsibility. The term was used in secular Greek to speak of a superintendent, one who oversees the work of others. Another term used for the same basic position is “elder.” This term speaks of the man himself, denoting a Christian of mature character. Paul uses this term when he speaks to spiritual leaders of the church in 1 Tim. 5:17, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." The third term used to designate these spiritual leaders is “shepherd,” or “pastor.” It is interesting that this word is used to refer to human leaders in the church only once in the New Testament, and yet it is the word that is used most often in churches today. While “elder” speaks of the man, and “overseer” speaks of his function, “shepherd” (or “pastor”) points to the spirit or attitude of this leader. With the exception of that one reference in Eph. 4:11, this last term “shepherd” is used of Jesus, who is the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:11,14), the Shepherd of the sheep (Jn. 10:2), the Great Shepherd of the sheep (Heb. 13:20), the Chief Shepherd (I Pet. 5:4), and the Shepherd of our souls (I Pet. 2:25). Because Jesus is the real Shepherd, we often refer to human spiritual leaders as under-shepherds.

There are two passages that are most helpful concerning this area of spiritual leadership. Acts 20:28, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." We see from verse 17 that Paul spoke these words to the elders of the church at Ephesus. He says here that the Holy Spirit made them overseers of the Lord’s flock. And what were they supposed to do? There were to feed the church of God. That word translated “feed” is literally “shepherd” or “pastor.” So in this verse we see that these leaders are elders, overseers, pastors of the local church.

The other informative passage is I Pet. 5:1-4…
The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3. Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Notice that he speaks to the elders and tells them to feed the flock. Again, this word translated feed is literally shepherd (or pastor). In shepherding the flock, the elders are to take the oversight of it. Literally, overseeing it. This is simply the verbal form of the word translated “overseer.” So again we have all three of these terms used to describe the spiritual leaders of the church. These instructions are extremely important. The shepherds are not to lord it over God’s people, but they are to lead primarily by example, as they live out of pure motives. And the great example for the shepherds is the Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Himself.

The Servants…

And now we come to the deacons. While the terms overseer, elder, and pastor (shepherd) consistently point to men who are spiritual leaders within the local churches, the term “deacon” is different. Sometimes it points to a definite position within the church, but most of the time it is a general term which simply speaks of servants. The Greek word here translated “deacon” occurs at least 28 times in the New Testament, but it is translated “deacon” only five times. Phil. 1:1 is the only place it is translated “deacon” outside of I Tim. 3, where we find the qualifications for a deacon. Nevertheless, its inclusion here alongside the overseers makes it quite clear that Paul is referring to the official responsibilities of a deacon.

Most often this word “diakonos” (from which we get our word “deacon”) is translated “servant.” Opinions differ concerning the background of the word, but I personally find no problem with the idea that this word literally speaks of “raising dust by hastening” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). You can see how this suggests service. Basically, a deacon is one who is recognized by the church as a true servant, one who sets an example as a servant of the Lord and His church.

Though the word “deacon” is not used in Acts 6, forms of the Greek word for “deacon” are found three times in that passage. We won’t read it, but I will just remind you that it was the occasion where the responsibility for distributing food to the widows in the church became so overwhelming for the apostles that some of those widows were neglected. As a solution for the problem, seven men full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom were selected to take charge of that particular responsibility of service. This allowed the apostles to devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:1-7).

So all the members of the church were saints in Christ Jesus. Among them there were some who were shepherds (overseers) and some who were special servants, the deacons. This designation of two particular functions within the church was not to separate the believers in any way. Rather, the shepherds and the servants, the overseers and the deacons, were intended to further the glory of God in the church.

Let me just say a quick word about the modern application of this reference to overseers and deacons. As most of you know, we have just recently put deacons into place. Some of you expressed genuine concerns about doing so. Why? Because you had seen abuses in the past. Mainly, you had seen men who were put into this position become hungry for power and prestige. That is unfortunate, because that is totally foreign to the New Testament concept of deacon. Deacons are intended to be super servants, men who are willing to take the lowest place in order to serve their Lord and His church. While we want to be aware of dangers, we can’t let abuses dictate our practices. We must trust the Lord, who has given us His guidance in His Word.

It is interesting that while churches down through the years have preserved the plurality of deacons, that has not been the case with overseers, pastors, elders. For the most part, evangelical churches during the past hundred years have invested the primary spiritual leadership of the church in one man, who is generally called “pastor.” (That is changing somewhat today). In the New Testament, we don’t find one man pasturing the church, but a group of men. As a matter of fact, I would say that one reason for the problem with deacons in the church has been the lack of a group of pastor/elders. In order to try to bring accountability to “the pastor,” deacons have often taken on that role, creating a power struggle between deacons and pastor. May the Lord graciously deliver us from those abuses.

As we follow the Lord, we can trust Him to bless all the saints in Christ Jesus at La Luz, together with the overseers and the deacons. And that brings us to our verse 2…

II. Paul’s Blessing for the Church (1:2)

After making it very clear to whom he was addressing his letter, Paul then greets his readers. Verse 2, “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” It is rather amazing that Paul uses this same basic greeting in every one of his letters. (In I and II Timothy and Titus it is “grace, mercy, and peace”). In doing so, he combines a Greek and a Hebrew greeting. “Grace” is a form of a Greek word that was used in the salutation of letters in the first century. “Peace” is simply the Greek translation of the Hebrew “shalom,” which was and is a common Hebrew greeting. While we might expect the Hebrew greeting to come before the Greek, it makes sense, when we remember that grace must come before peace. Of course, we know that the source of both grace and peace is God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A. Grace

The actual Greek word that was used (carein) meant “greeting.” Paul did not use that exact word. Instead he took a form of it (cariV), the word which we know as “grace.” Paul used this word over 90 times in his letters. Perhaps we know it best from Eph. 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith,” or from Rom. 6:14b, “For ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

Since this is such a key word, especially in Paul’s vocabulary (91 times, as opposed to 40 in the rest of the New Testament), let’s take time to review the meaning of “deacon.” So what does the term “grace” mean? Most of us grew up with the brief definition: Grace is unmerited favor. There is truth in that definition, but as I have suggested before, that definition is very incomplete. While we can certainly see the idea of unmerited favor in “For by grace are ye saved through faith,” there are other places where that definition does not fit. For example, 2 Cor. 12:9, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." This is in the context of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” Three times he had asked the Lord to remove it. This is the Lord’s response: “My grace is sufficient for you; because my strength is made perfect in weakness.” There is a strong parallel between “My grace is sufficient” and “my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul could have interchanged the words “grace” and “strength” and nothing would have been lost – “My strength is sufficient for you; for my grace is made perfect in weakness.” Then notice what Paul says: “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” He could have just as easily said, “that the grace of Christ may rest upon me.”

John Piper puts it like this: ‘Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon” (The Pleasures of God, p. 244). Yes, grace is the undeserved favor of God, as seen in Eph. 1:7, "In whom [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace,” but it is much more. There are a number of passages where the definition “unmerited favor” will not fit. For instance, we read in John 1:14 that “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.” And who is “the Word”? Yes, it is Jesus. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1). That Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and He was full of grace and truth. When John tells us that Jesus was full of grace, is he speaking of unmerited favor? No. That is a concept for sinful men, but not for the Son of God. He was not in need of unmerited favor from His Father, because He was righteous and holy and perfect and had been in perfect fellowship with His Father from the beginning. On the other hand, Jesus was full of the grace which is power.

Consider a verse where the term “grace” is used three times. 1 Cor. 15:10, "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." The first two occurrences of “grace” might carry the idea of unmerited favor. Certainly unmerited favor was bestowed upon Paul, but that isn’t all that God gave to him. Look at the last part of the verse: “But I labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Paul connects the work he did with the grace of God which empowered him to do it. Again, you could substitute the word “power” for “grace” and you wouldn’t lose a thing. Grace comes to us as unmerited favor, but it becomes within us the power of God to live the life He desires us to live.

Now come back to Phil. 1:2, “Grace be unto you.” Paul desires that God’s brace be given to the Philippian believers, to these saints who are so dear to him. What does he mean? Is he talking about unmerited favor? Surely he is. In this life we will never get beyond the need for His favor, favor which we cannot earn. On the other hand, we know that God has already poured out His grace upon them. The same is true of us who are in Christ. That is the way we became saints; God saved us by His grace. He poured out His favor upon us and made us His children.

It is obvious that we can’t stop with Paul’s desire that they be the recipients of God’s favor. He also desires that they receive His powerful grace. He longs for them to know the same grace that was sufficient for him in his need, as we have read in II Cor. 12. Surely we can understand this. How desperately we need powerful grace for living the Christian life. We don’t deserve such power from God, but He freely gives it to us. He gives us His grace as favor, and He gives us His grace as power. Praise His name!

We are not apostles, but surely we can say to God’s people, “Grace be to you.” Surely we can pray this for our brothers and sisters, as well as for ourselves. What a rich blessing from Paul, when he said, “Grace be unto you.”

B. Peace

Coupled closely with the blessing of grace was the blessing of peace. “Grace be to you, and peace.” What is this peace of which Paul speaks? Be careful before you answer. You will be tempted to start with a sense of well being, a feeling of peace on the inside, but that is not the place to start. If we start there, we will simply be talking about a worldly peace.

Let me illustrate it for you. Suppose you have an enemy who is doing everything in his power to kill you. He has a gun and he has vowed to use it. For some time, you have been able to stay just out of his reach. You have been in hiding, not knowing if the next knock on the door will be this man who hates you and longs to kill you. To put it mildly, you have been a bit concerned. Now in that situation, you might seek peace. You might tell yourself, “It isn’t so bad. I’m still alive. I should be at peace within myself.” No, that’s crazy. What you need to do is find a way to come to peaceful terms with the man who is trying to shoot you.

Do you understand? There is a difference between peace with God and the peace of God. Last week we came across these words in Phil. 4:6-7, "Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." The peace which God gives is so great that it is beyond our understanding, but not just anyone can have that peace. It is impossible to have the peace of God, if you are the enemy of God. And make no mistake about it, until a person comes to Christ, he is the enemy of God.

Come with me to II Cor. 5. Let’s read those familiar words in II Cor. 5:17-21…
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Did you notice that forms of the word “reconcile” were used five times in this brief passage. The first and most important need for every person in this world is to be reconciled to God. If some of you young ones don’t know what “reconcile” means, it means that enemies come to peace with one another. In terms of God and man, a man puts up the white flag and says, “I surrender.” Because Jesus took our sins upon Himself and paid the penalty, we can indeed be reconciled to God. We who were the enemies of God can become His sons and daughters. This is peace with God.

It is foolish to try to attain inward peace until we have peace with God. Of course, there are many non-Christians who will tell you they have peace. They seem very composed and will assure you they are not afraid to die. Well, I can assure you that is a false peace. They have been deceived into believing that they do not have an enemy who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt. 10:28).

But here is the good news. The person who has been set at peace with God can have real inward peace. After all, he has the Prince of Peace living within him through the Holy Spirit. Because of the reconciliation that has come through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he is a child of God. Then no matter what comes, we are filled with the peace of God, which passes all understanding, and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul wrote: “Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” He pronounced upon his dear brothers and sisters the blessing of peace. You say, “But they already had peace.” It was because they had peace with God that Paul could write, “And may you be filled with that inward peace that only God can give.”

Of course, we must understand that such peace is not automatic. While Paul longed for them to have this peace, he was not so naïve to believe that he could just zap them with it. The same Paul writes in Gal. 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…” As the Holy Spirit works within the believer, peace is part of the fruit that grows. This is not a static quality that we grasp all at once. Rather, it is a fruit that grows and grows and grows. As we long to know the Prince of Peace even as Paul did, we will be blessed with more and more of this peace that passes all understanding.

Conclusion

We have only looked at the first two verses of this letter, but we see great blessing in these words. And there is no reason we can’t apply them to ourselves, if we are truly saints, set apart ones. That in itself is a great blessing. We are set apart unto the God who created us and redeemed us. We are in the service of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It isn’t because we were anything special; it is because we are in Christ Jesus.

As saints in Christ Jesus, we are blessed with grace and peace. We can expect God’s grace to be sufficient for our every need. We have found that to be true in the past, haven’t we? We were great sinners, but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (Rom. 5:20). In the same way, when difficult and impossible situations arise, the grace of our Lord will always be sufficient. Though we don’t deserve it, He will pour out His power upon us in a way that will amaze us.

And what peace is ours. We who were the enemies of God have been reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. And “if God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:31-32). One of the things He gives us in abundance is peace. Praise God! In a world that is in turmoil, we can say with David, “I laid me down and slept; I awaked, for the Lord sustained me” (Ps. 3:5).

Philippians -- As Delivered by Paul -- 9/13/09

Sunday, September 13, 2009

PHILIPPIANS – FROM PAUL AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
Phil. 1-4

Last week Pastor Ron announced that we would be looking at the entire letter to the Philippians this morning. While that is generally true, it would be more accurate to say that we are going to be listening to the entire letter this morning. And while it is true that we will be listening to Paul’s letter to the Philippians, our desire is that it will become the Holy Spirit’s letter to us.

Best we can tell, Paul most likely dictated this letter to an amanuensis. That’s just a fancy word for secretary. The use of an amanuensis was a common practice in that day. Paul ends three of his letters with the basic words: “The salutation of Paul with my own hand” (I Cor. 16:21; Col. 4:18; II Thes. 3:17), indicating someone else actually put the words on paper throughout the rest of the letter. In light of this and other evidence, it seems most likely that Paul, who was in a Roman prison at the time, dictated this letter to a personal secretary. So this morning let’s listen in to the dictating of this letter.

We don’t want you to spend your time trying to figure out what translation is being used, so we will let you know right up front. It is basically the King James. Most of the minor adaptations follow the New King James, although there are a few exceptions.

In reality, we all know that it isn’t the apostle Paul to whom we are listening, but that’s all right, because what we really want to do is bypass the middle man and hear the Holy Spirit speak to us this morning. So let’s take time right now to pray that we will be able to quickly get beyond the mechanics and hear the Lord speaking to our hearts through this letter. May God bring this ancient letter to life before us this morning.

[The following was then delivered by Pastor Ron, who was dressed as Paul. Though he was dictating to the amanuensis, who was sitting on the floor and writing at a small table, he spoke much of it directly to the congregation]

Phil 1

"Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at
Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: 2. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4. Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5. For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6. Being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7. Just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my chains, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of my grace. 8. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. 9. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10. That you may approve things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. 12. But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel; 13. So that my chains in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; 14. And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: 16. The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains: 17. But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. 18. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. 19. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20. According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. 21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I know not. 23. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24. Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. 25. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; 26. That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. 27. Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of (NASV) the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28. And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of destruction (NASV), but to you of salvation, and that of God. 29. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; 30. Having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me."

Phil 2

"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercies, 2. Fulfil [ye] my joy, that you be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3. Let nothing be done through strife or conceit; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9. Therefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15. That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world; 16. Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. 17. Yes, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. 18. For the same cause also do you joy, and rejoice with me. 19. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. 20. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. 21. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. 22. But you know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he has served with me in the gospel. 23. Him therefore I hope to send presently, as soon as I see how it goes with me. 24. But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly. 25. Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labor, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger, and he who ministered to my need. 26. For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because [that] you had heard that he had been sick. 27. For indeed he was sick near unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28. I sent him therefore the more eagerly, that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. 29. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation: 30. Because for the work of Christ he was near unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me."

Phil 3

"Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. 2. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the false circumcision (NASV). 3. For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 4. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he may have confidence in the flesh, I more: 5. Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8. Yet indeed I also count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them as rubbish, that I may win Christ, 9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13. Brethren, I count not myself to have laid hold of it yet (NASV), but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 16. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. 17. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them who so walk, as you have us for an example (some versions of KJV). 18. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19. Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) 20. For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21. Who shall change our lowly body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."

Phil 4

"Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. 2. I beseech Euodias, and I beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. 3. And I entreat you also, true yokefellow, help those women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlaborers, whose names are in the book of life. 4. Rejoice in the Lord always (Alternate KJV): and again I say, Rejoice. 5. Let your gentleness be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6. Be anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9. Those things which you have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. 10. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 14. Nevertheless you have well done, that you shared (together with me) in my affliction. 15. Now you Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me as concerning giving and receiving, but you only. 16. For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again unto my necessity. 17. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. 18. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. 19. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 21. Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. 22. All the saints salute you, chiefly they who are of Caesar's household. 23. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."

Paul -- Author of Philippians -- 9/6/09

Sunday, September 6, 2009

PAUL, THE AUTHOR OF PHILIPPIANS
Phil. 1:1

Please turn to Philippians. Lord willing, we are going to expand on the first few words of the letter this morning. Then next week, we are going to look at the letter in its entirety. Now let’s read Phil. 1:1-2…
Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: 2. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

As was customary in that day, Paul introduced himself as the author of this letter. When I write a letter, I sign my name at the bottom. By the way, if any of you are “illetterate,” let me explain what a letter is. Email and other electronic correspondence have become so dominant that some people are truly “illetterate.” A letter is a message that is written on a piece of paper and sent to the person for whom it is intended. In our day, we send letters through the mail (United States Postal Service), but things were different in the first century. Mail had to be hand delivered. It appears that Paul’s letters to the Ephesians and Colossians were delivered by Tychicus (Eph. 6:21; II Tim. 4:12; Col. 4:7). We aren’t sure how the Philippian letter was delivered, but it did indeed reach its destination. As we will see later in the first chapter, Paul wrote this letter from prison, but some faithful servant (or servants) of the Lord took it from Rome to Philippi. As the crow flies, that is a distance of a little over 600 miles, but the mail route was probably well over a thousand.

This morning we want to take a closer look at Paul, since he is the one who wrote this letter. You will notice that the letter begins, “Paul and Timotheus.” So does that mean that Timothy was the co-author of the letter? Yes, and no. It is doubtful that Timothy actually wrote some of the letter, but there is a reason that Paul included his name. First of all, this indicates that Timothy was with Paul there in Rome. We learn from Acts 28:16,30 that Paul was able to receive visitors while he was imprisoned in Rome. You will remember from last week that Timothy accompanied Paul from the start of his second missionary journey. He also worked with Paul during the third journey. When Paul later wrote to Timothy, he referred to him as his own son in the faith (I Tim. 1:2). Because Paul had such a close relationship with Timothy and because Timothy was there with him in Rome, it was quite natural for Paul to include his name alongside his own. Because Timothy had been such a part of his work and because he had accompanied Paul to Philippi, there was a sense in which the letter came from Paul and Timothy. The Philippians would certainly appreciate the mention of his name, as they no doubt had fond memories of this young and zealous brother.

By the way, this isn’t the only time that Paul includes the name of others in the salutation of his letter. In I Cor. he mentions Sosthenes, and in I and II Thessalonians Silvanus (Silas) is included. But it is Timothy whose name appears most frequently alongside Paul’s, being included in five of his letters (Philippians, II Corinthians, Colossians, I & II Thessalonians).

I. Paul’s Conversion to the Lord

Before meeting Christ, this apostle Paul was known by his given Jewish name, which was what? Saul. Last week we read a little bit from Phil. 3 about his history, but now let’s read a bit more. Acts seven closes with the Jewish leaders stoning Stephen to death. Now let’s read Acts 8:1-3…
And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

We could read of his conversion in Acts 9, but let’s read Paul’s own short account in his letter to the Galatians. Gal. 1:13-17…
For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: 14. And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 15. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16. To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

Here in Phil. 1:1 Paul refers to himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. Other translations will render this word “servant” as “slave” or “bondservant.” In the Greek culture, it was used to designate one who by no choice of his own was forced to serve a master. However, Paul most surely uses it in its Hebrew sense. According to Ex. 21:5-6, if a slave loved his master and wanted to remain in his master’s house and serve him, the master would take him before the judges and his ear would be pierced with an awl, signifying that he would be the willing servant of his master from then on. That is the way Paul saw himself – a willing slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. He didn’t have to be Jesus’ slave, but the love of Christ constrained him!

Though not in this letter, in 9 of his letters Paul introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. No, he was not a replacement for Judas Iscariot, as some falsely teach. Nevertheless, he was an apostle of Jesus Christ. Please turn to I Cor. 15. After outlining the gospel which he preached, Paul then elaborates on the truth that Jesus did really rise from grave, being seen of many. Let’s pick it up in I Cor. 15:6-11…
After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

Paul wasn’t one of the twelve, but he was indeed an apostle, “one born out of due time.” Though he wasn’t closely associated with the Twelve, he preached the same gospel that they preached.

Someone might say, “But how could God use a man who had been so violently opposed to His church? Didn’t the Lord know what this man had done?” Indeed He did. Paul deals with this very subject in I Tim. 1:12-14…
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13. Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Come again to Gal. 1:21-24…
Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; 22. And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: 23. But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. 24. And they glorified God in me.

Though we may not have done the things Paul did, we were really no different than he before we came to the Savior. We were all dead in our trespasses and sins and walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. Yes, we were by nature the children of wrath. BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our sins, made us alive together with Christ and raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That is as true of us as of the man who first wrote those words, even Paul himself. God did it in Paul and in us that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. So how was it that we were saved? "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:1-10).

II. Paul’s Witness to the World

We’ve looked at Paul’s conversion to the Lord, so now let’s take a look at his witness to the world. The Lord saved Paul because He loved Him, but that isn’t the end of the story. He also had a plan to use Paul for His own glory, and a huge part of that plan had to do with Paul proclaiming the gospel to a lost world.

Now let’s go back to that day when Paul was struck down by a blinding light, as he was on his way to Damascus to round up Christians. The Lord was not only working on Saul/Paul, but He was also working on a Christian in Damascus who was named Ananias. Let’s pick it up in Acts 9:10-19…
And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12. And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14. And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 17. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 19. And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.

We can certainly understand why Ananias was reluctant to approach this Saul of Tarsus. The Lord didn’t respond by telling Ananias that Saul wouldn’t harm him. Instead, he came straight to the point and told Ananias that He had plans for Saul. Notice especially what the Lord said to Ananias in verse 15, “For he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.” The Lord said that Saul would bear His name. The Lord wasn’t saying that he would just go around speaking the name “Jesus.” It simply means that Saul would tell people who Jesus was, why He came, and about His death and resurrection. The word “name” speaks of a person’s character.

But to whom would he bear the name of Jesus? “To the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.” While it is true that Paul was known as the apostle to the Gentiles (Gal. 2:7-9), that doesn’t mean that Paul wouldn’t also preach to the Jews, to the children of Israel. As a matter of fact, when Paul entered a city, where did he go first? His custom was to go into the synagogue first. Paul himself formally gave us his strategy in Rom. 1:14-16…
I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (to the Gentiles).

Paul felt that he owed a debt to all, regardless of what kind of people they were. He always remembered that he too had been apart from God and the saving work of Christ. He also lived with the fact that the Lord Himself had commissioned him to bear His name to both Jews and Gentiles.

Acts 13-28 provides a commentary on how that commission was fulfilled. As a missionary sent out by the church at Antioch, Paul preached to many children of Israel. As we have mentioned, the synagogue was always his first preaching point, provided there was a synagogue, but that did not mean that Paul shied away from preaching to the Gentiles. Early on that first missionary journey Paul and Barnabas came to Antioch of Pisidia, where they preached in the synagogue. At first the Jews were eager to hear more. But when almost everyone in town came to hear Paul on the next Sabbath, the Jews became jealous and began to strongly oppose Paul and Barnabas. Listen to Acts 13:46-49…
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 47. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. 48. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 49. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.

Over a period of years and on two continents Paul boldly proclaimed the Lord to both Jews and Gentiles.

But what of those words about bearing Jesus’ name before kings? After three missionary journeys in which Paul preached to anyone who would listen, whether Jew or Gentile, he began to encounter increasing opposition. The opposition came from the Jews in Jerusalem. The Romans actually rescued Paul from a mob of Jews that would surely have killed him just outside the temple. The chief captain (commander of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem) heard Paul defend himself before the Jewish religious leaders, but nothing was accomplished. In order to save Paul from a group of 40+ Jews who had vowed not to eat or drink until they killed Paul, this chief captain had him transported to Caesarea, where he was in the custody of a governor named Felix. Then two years later, he was in the custody of Festus, who took over for Felix. During his captivity, Paul was able to speak the gospel very clearly to these two governors.

It was Festus who asked Paul if he would be willing to go up to Jerusalem and face his accusers there. For Paul’s answer and Festus’ response, let’s read Acts 25:10-12…
Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. 11. For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. 12. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.

It is in the very next verse (25:13) that we read of King Agrippa and his sister Bernice coming to visit Festus. When Festus explained the circumstances of Paul’s imprisonment, King Agrippa said he would like to hear Paul for himself. Paul’s speech before Agrippa in Acts 26 is a wonderfully complete testimony of Paul’s conversion, how the Lord used him afterward, and of what Jesus could do in a person’s life. Paul pled earnestly with Agrippa to believe upon the Lord Jesus.

While Agrippa (technically Herod Agrippa II) had the title of “king,” he was really no more a king than Felix and Festus. All ruled Roman territories under the ultimate authority of the Emperor. When Paul spoke to these rulers, he was indeed bearing Jesus’ name before kings. But remember that Paul had appealed to Caesar and Festus had said that he would have his request. As a result, Paul was taken to Rome in order to be tried before the Emperor. Acts concludes with Paul imprisoned at Rome, waiting for his trial. Not only would Paul appear before the Emperor, but he would bear the name to many more Jews and Gentiles during his Roman imprisonment.

Though we do not have a specific commission to bear the name of Jesus before Gentiles, the children of Israel, and kings, the same Lord sends all of us believers to bear His name before the lost people of this world. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people (a people for His own possession); that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (I Pet. 2:9). “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh thee a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (I Pet. 3:15). Though we are not apostles, we are chosen vessels to bear the precious name of Jesus, of Him who died and rose for us.

III. Paul’s Exhorting of the Saints

Something wonderful happened as a result of Paul’s witness to the world. Many people believed. Then what? Those people assembled together as churches. These were local bodies of Spirit-indwelt believers, whose Head was none other than the Lord Jesus Himself. And this is where Philippians comes in, because it is a letter which Paul wrote to the church at Phillipi. A casual reader might first conclude that this letter wasn’t written to a church, but rather “to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi.” There is nothing about the church. That conclusion is wrong for two reasons. First of all, the New Testament knows nothing of lone ranger Christians; Christians were members of local churches, as we see clearly in I Cor. 12. Secondly, the rest of Phil. 1:1 speaks of the church, when it says, “together with the bishops and deacons.” If there was no church, there would be no bishops and deacons. Paul wrote to saints, which literally means “the set apart ones.” They were set apart to God from the world, but they were not set apart from one another; they were a part of one another in the context of the local assembly.

Let me make one thing very clear – Paul loved churches. In the New Testament, we find 13 (some would say 14, considering Hebrews as a Pauline epistle) letters written by Paul, and nine of those letters were addressed to churches. Most of the churches to which he wrote were established by Paul himself. Because he loved the saints in those churches, he visited them and he wrote to them. At first glance, one might conclude that Paul didn’t love the saints at Corinth. After all, he rebuked them for quite a number of things. A careful reading makes it clear that Paul loved them dearly; he loved them enough to write to them and plead with them in the name of Christ to repent. No, all of Paul’s letters were not written to offer comfort; some contained strong admonition and correction, but make no mistake – all were motivated by Paul’s love for his brothers and sisters in the churches. Consider that strong letter Paul wrote to the Corinthians, but then look at its closing words – “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”

I used the word exhort, when I titled this portion of our study: “Paul’s exhorting of the saints.” I remind you that the word translated “exhort” literally means “to call alongside.” That is why it isn’t accurate to translate it “encourage.” While it certainly includes encouragement, it is much broader. When I exhort a brother, I am willing to be called to his side to do whatever needs to be done, whether it be encouragement, comfort, gentle correction, or even a stern rebuke. The model for this exhortation is the Holy Spirit Himself, who is the paraclete” (literally, the one called alongside). As seriously as he took his mission to proclaim the gospel to the Lord, so he took his responsibility to exhort the saints.

Consider one example: Rom 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." The word translated “beseech” is that same word we are talking about – exhort, call alongside. Paul was urging them, begging them, to present there bodies a sacrifice to God because of the mercies God had poured out upon them, mercies which are detailed in the first 11 chapters of the letter. He urged them not to be poured into the mold of this world, but to be radically changed by saturating their minds with the Word of God. Why was that important? So they could demonstrate through their own lives what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. We might say that all the rest of Paul’s exhortations somehow point back to what he says here.

Now how do we apply Paul’s example to our own lives? After all, we haven’t gone around starting churches. Surely we don’t have the authority to write letters to churches. While those things may be true, the basic principle of exhorting the saints is as much our ministry as it was Paul’s. How do we know? Because the Word of God tells us so. Let’s read that passage that God is using to mold and shape us in the body of Christ. Heb. 3:12-14,
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.

Brothers and sisters, we are commanded to exhort one another daily. In Heb. 10:24, along with the idea of exhorting one another, the Spirit-inspired writer tells us to consider how we may spur one another on to love and good works. While different members have different gifts and therefore function differently, this is an area where we all share the same general ministry. Everyone in the body is to exhort his brothers and sisters and receive exhortation from them. This ministry is crucial for the body of Christ. Apart from this, regardless of what else happens, the church will not be healthy. This is how we build upon the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

IV. Paul’s Passion for the Lord’s Glory

From the time he was converted to the Lord, in both his witness to the world and his exhortation of the saints, Paul passionately sought to bring glory to the Lord. This attitude of seeking God’s glory permeates everything in the life of Paul. He received this attitude from His Lord Jesus. Just a couple of weeks ago we looked at John 12:27-28, where Jesus faced His greatest crisis. Let’s read it again (John 12:27-28): "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. 28. Father, glorify thy name…" Over and over we see that attitude reflected in the life of Paul. Just a few verses will demonstrate that fact…

Acts 20:24… But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Phil. 1:19-20… For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20. According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Gal. 6:14… But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Paul had a burning compassion for the lost, as we read in Rom. 1:14-16 and which we see in I Cor. 9:16-23 (NKJV)…
For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

Paul had a consuming love and concern for the churches of Jesus Christ. But above all else, his desire was to bring glory to his Lord. That is the only reason he was content to remain in this world. Let’s read it in Phil. 1:21-25 (NKJV)…
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. 25 And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith.

This is the place where we can most closely identify with Paul. No less than Paul, we must seek to glorify our Lord. Yes, let your light shine, but remember that the ultimate goal is that others may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matt. 5:16). When Paul said, “But God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 6:14), the Spirit was speaking to us. That is to be our consuming attitude. There is no biblical warrant for thinking that an apostle must glory in the cross of Jesus more than the “common Christian.” If Jesus is our life, then our glory, our boasting, our rejoicing is found in Him. As Paul was shaped by the words of his Lord, may we also be shaped by Jesus’ prayer, “Father, glorify your name” (John 12:28).

Conclusion

You might say, “Why look at Paul? He was an apostle. He had a very unique calling. We can’t hope to follow his example. Looking at Paul is almost like looking at Jesus.” No, Paul was a man, as much a human being as any person here. Though he had a particular function in the body that is different from all of us, his calling was the same. That is why Paul could say in I Cor. 11:1, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am a follower of Christ.” Again in Phil. 3:17, “Brethren, be followers together of me…”

Don’t ever get the idea that Paul and Jesus were in one class and we are in another. Never. Jesus was the Lord of Paul and He is our Lord. Paul was just as lost as we were. We who are in Christ are as justified before God as we are. The same Lord lives within us as lived within Paul. The things we have talked about this morning marking the life of Paul are to mark our lives as well. Paul was not perfect. He had not arrived, as he tells us in Philippians 3. He was a man who longed to live for the glory of God, and God gave him grace to do just that. Praise His name that He is doing the same in us.