“Pouring Out From Abundance: Partnership in the Gospel”
Sermon Title: Pouring Out From Abundance: Partnership in the Gospel
Scripture: Philippians 1:1-8 (ESV)
Introduction
We were made for deep relationships characterized by the deepest kind of love. In the beginning, before sin tainted the world, God singled out one thing that was not good in His creation – Adam was alone without a companion. We cannot live without stable and healthy relationships. Children cannot thrive without stable parents; a marriage cannot survive when two people drift apart; it can feel like death and can leave to death sometimes. This is how God created us; we grow, mature, and flourish as healthy Christians and a healthy Church in relationship.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians reflects a deep kind of friendship and relationship between Paul and the Philippian church, such that scholars believe Paul had a closer relationship with the Philippian church than the other churches. In today’s text, Paul reconnects and rejoices over what he heard about them.
When we look at Paul’s letter to the Philippians, it is quite evident that this letter reflects a very deep, deep kind of friendship between Paul and the Philippians. Scholars say that Paul and the Philippians were closer in relationship than any other church had with Paul. Paul’s greeting reveals more than a simple greeting that a surface reading may suggest. Paul teaches us how to have the deep and genuine relationship that God intended for us by focusing on two things: (1) Paul’s greeting to understand his relationship with the Philippian church and (2) Their Partnership in the Gospel.
Body
#1. Paul’s Greeting (Relationship with the Philippian Church) – Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (v.1-2)
In verses 1-2, Paul follows the standard greeting practices found in other New Testament letters common to the times: (a) list the sender(s); (b) list the recipient; (c) greeting words. What’s fascinating is Paul’s strategic shaping of the direction of his greeting that highlights the nature of his relationship.
a) Sender(s) of the Letter
- The inclusion of Timothy in the list of senders is significant when we consider that this letter is not written jointly with Timothy, but Paul is the sole author (“I thank… all my… prayer of mine. (v.3)” “…right for me… (v.7)”). It was not simply because Timothy was there with him because we know that there were others with Paul who were not included in the greeting (Phil. 4:21). Nor was it because Timothy may have transcribed Paul’s dictation (Rom. 16:22).
- When we take a step back from the technical aspect and reflect upon the reality of what is recorded in the book of Acts 16:1-15, we can see that Timothy shared a deep long-standing relationship with the Philippians as well and he was with Paul at the establishment of the Philippian church. Timothy was there with Lydia (Acts 16:11-15); when Paul cast out the demon from the fortune-telling girl (Acts 16:16-18), and witnessed Paul and Silas being placed in prison and the jailer coming to faith (Acts 16:19-34). Additionally, Timothy would soon be sent to the Philippians (Phil. 2:19), and the Philippians knew Timothy like they knew Paul (Phil. 2:22).
- Timothy’s relationship was built over 10 years, which may tell us that we need to adjust our expectations about relationships. It is often heard from people saying, “I’m looking for a community that is spiritually mature enough to form meaningful relationships that are deep and genuine, filled with love and trust.” We become discouraged when we don’t have relationships that are fully functional, trusting, loving, and deep RIGHT NOW. We feel like we can’t connect with the church and feel isolated or lonely. We seek immediate gratification rather than taking time and effort to grow and nurture those relationships.
- A mindset that considers where relationships could be 10 years later changes our outlook and allows us to be patient with one another. It can fill us with hopeful anticipation and help us to patiently build those deep, abundant, and meaningful relationships we desire under God’s care. Let us remember that Paul and Timothy relationship with the Philippians didn’t form immediately either but was built over 10 years. We too can experience a deeper bonding with each other when we commit to our relationships with the same heart and attitude of Paul and Timothy.
b) Recipients of the Letter – To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons (v.1b).
- Paul calls the members of the church as “saints” and he also addresses “overseers” and “deacons”. “Overseers” translates as “to overlook or to oversee something” and is interchangeably used with “elders”. Interestingly, the only time Paul acknowledges overseers and deacons is in Philippians. At the same time, Paul does not identify himself as an apostle to the Philippians even though he often identifies himself as an apostle to other churches when he is addressing doctrinal, theological, and ethical issues (ex. Gal.; Cor.;). To the Philippian church, he describes himself and Timothy as servants/slaves of Christ Jesus. Paul upholds and encourages the church through his acknowledgements while lowering his own leadership authority.
- Paul is acknowledging a healthy, self-governing church with good leadership that is going in the right direction. Paul does not need to acknowledge his own authority because he acknowledges their spiritual maturity. The Philippian church was not without their problems and challenges, yet Paul rejoices because they are a healthy church.
c) Greeting – Grace to you and peace from God our Father in the Lord Jesus Christ (v.2).
- Paul does not simply say “Greetings to you” but gives a gospel twist – the words “grace” and “peace” are significant. Theologian Gordon Fee comments: “The sum total of God’s activity toward His human creatures is found in the word “grace”; God has given himself to His people bountifully and mercifully in Christ. Nothing is deserved, nothing can be achieved. The sum total of those benefits as they are experienced by the recipients of God’s grace is “peace,” God’s eschatological shalom, both now and to come. The latter flows out of the former, and both together flow from “God our Father” and were made effective in our human history through our “Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, grace is what we receive from God and it is the fuel, foundation, the very thing that brings about change in ministry, and peace is the result that we benefit from God’s grace.
- Grace brings us to love Christ, to repentance, to the way of sanctification and the result is peace. It is not the absence of violence and conflict but the presence of prosperity and flourishment. Paul is steering the reader’s focus to the Gospel – that by God’s grace the church was established and they have grown and matured in a healthy way, and as a result, they have an abundance of peace.
- In verse 3, Paul expresses his joy to see them grow and flourish, but the core reason for his joy is because he had something deeper, "because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now (v.5).”
#2. Partnership in the Gospel – And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. (v.6-8)
- It was more than a relationship; it was a partnership. Partnership is the idea of fellowship, a shared goal and desire. Paul stood with the Philippians with the common goal and desire for the Gospel to spread and flourish. It began by believing in the Gospel and trusting in the redeeming bloodshed of Jesus that covers our sins even when Paul was no longer there. Even though they were physically apart from Paul, they were united in partnership with a shared desire to proclaim and magnify Christ. Paul feels thankful and joyful because of their partnership through the highs and lows.
- Paul encourages us – he is saying that we are not labouring in vain and we are not on the losing team. Our partnership will be complete and we will join Jesus in glory when Jesus comes back.
- Paul and the Philippians built deep and meaningful relationships not just through by having members spend more time together and doing programs, sharing meals, and other activities. They came together through a partnership in the Gospel, labouring together for the flourishing of the Gospel. It wasn’t about wealthier backgrounds, better programs, attractiveness, fewer problems, less brokenness, gifts, and talents, nor about what they had to offer.
Application – What does partnership in the Gospel look like?
- Worshipping together: not mindlessly sitting through worship service but worshipping wholeheartedly in spirit and truth. As we join in praise, prayers, and sermons, we dwell in the presence of God and we are connected and united in the Holy Spirit.
- Praying together: we pray for and with one another in the name of Jesus. Through Jesus we share in the grace and peace which helps us bond on a deeper spiritual level (ex. Saturday Morning Devo)
- Serving together: when we serve together the poor, the children, mission fields, we form a bond beyond friendship. We build a comradery and partnership of glorifying Jesus through words and deeds.
And as we partner together in these ways, we will surely be able to form deep meaningful satisfying relationships with each other, and through these relationships, we will be able to really pour our lives out to one another and to the people around us from a place of abundance.
Reflection and Response
- When you look at some of the ways that you’ve been interacting with your fellow brothers and sisters at church, how would you describe your relationship with them? Are they just surface level relationships? Or are they deep loving trusting satisfying relationships that you’re yearning for?
- Have you been seeking immediate gratification in your relationships or are you looking 10 or 20 years down the line in humble and hopeful anticipation?
- Do you have Gospel partnerships in your life and in the church with the people that God has placed in your life?