Philippians: Book of Joy
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Fellowship meal
Fellowship meal
We are familiar with that term aren’t we? We gather together for a common meal together, everyone brings something great to share with each other and we all walk away, full, fat and happy. We enjoy the time together (expand on this)
Fellowship simply means: “To have in common”
As Christians we have something in common “Jesus Christ.” it is much deeper than the meal we share or the desert we go out for, or coffee we may have.
Today as we start a look at the book of Philippians which I call this series “Book of Joy” it starts with the fellowship of the gospel.
I want to give a little introduction into the book, but not long for I want to get to the message.
It was written by Paul (Php1:1)
Written from prison (Php1:12-13)
12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, 13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,
Believed to to be written about 60-62AD
Recipients: Saints, overseers, deacons in Philippi
Reason: to thank them (Php4:10-18); to give them update (Php1:12-26) and to exhort them (Php2:1-4; 4:2-3)
1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
So now I called this “book of Joy” so how can we increase our joy?
First, unless a person has turned their life over to Christ as both Lord and Savior they do not know about the fellowship of the Gospel. (Php1:5)
5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,
And unless they have Christ there is no fellowship of the Spirit (Php2:1)
1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
And then there is no understanding, no acceptance regarding the fellowship of His suffering (Php3:10)
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
See to have increasing joy, to have the fellowship of the Gospel is more than having name in church directory, more than coming to a building we call the church. We don’t need to be in a building sharing a common meal to have fellowship. We can from Lockett TX to Fort Dodge because we have a common Lord in who we have fellowship.
Paul had fellowship with the church at Philippi while he was in prison in Rome. They had spiritual fellowship that was real, that was satisfying and was filled with joy.
Paul gives three thoughts in the passage before us today.
He has them in his mind (vv.3-6)
He has them in his heart (vv.7-8)
He has them in his prayers (vv.9-11)
I. In His Mind
I. In His Mind
What’s on your mind? What do you allow to occupy your thoughts? To Paul let’s see what he has on his mind.
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
First it was wanting them to have peace, God peace’s and the Lord’s peace.
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,
5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
He is Paul in prison, had been chained to praetorian guard and he is thinking of them. He is awaiting trial, possible death, but is thinking of them. (Act16:37)
37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.”
Beaten in humiliation
Thrown in prison without cause
Then wanting to send away secretly without a trial
It was through Paul’s suffering, that the praetorian guard was saved. (Act16:25-34) - summarized
Midnight, Paul, Silas praying and praising and people were listening (v.25)
Then comes a great earthquake (v.26)
THe results a jailer ready to kill himself but Paul cries out for him to not do it (vv.27-29)
The best results were the conversion of the jailer and his family (vv.30-34)
It was proof of the furthering of the gospel came through the fellowship of suffering for Paul, for Silas and the coming to the Lord for the guard and his family
On his mind people like
Lydia, the seller of purple cloth that responded to the gospel (Act16:14)
A teenager name Eutychus who fell out a window (Act20:19)
Or Aquila and Priscilla (Act18:26ff)
On his mind in every prayer (v.4) for you all (in Texas it is y’all) he was all inclusive for all people there.
Why? They participated in the Gospel from the first day (v.5)
Something to consider: Am I the type of Christian that brings joy to people and that people would think of?
The participation in the Gospel could be:
Financial fellowship (1:5; 4:14-19)
Spiritual fellowship (2:12-13)
14 Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. 15 You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;
16 for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. 17 Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.
18 But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Then there is
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
God’s work for us - Salvation
God’s work in us - Sanctification
God’s work through us - Service
And we know He is faithful to complete the work until the work is done (Php1:6; 1Jn3:2)
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Finished work with fabulous results
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
So, real joy, in spite of any circumstances is the work that Christ is doing in us and through us daily.
So he had them in his mind, but he also had them in his heart
II. In My Heart
II. In My Heart
It is possible to have someone on your mind and not in your heart. Paul’s heart was connected with the hearts of the people in Philippi. It is love, Christian love that binds them together.
7 For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. 8 For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Christian life that came because of death to self and life in Christ where we passed from death to life. (1Jn3:14)
14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.
Love keeps everything flowing, everything operating, as it should.
Paul’s love is evident because of his willingness to suffer on their behalf. (Eph4:1; Php1:12-13)
1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
A prisoner of the Lord who did it for a reason
12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, 13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,
For the furtherance of the gospel, greater progress.
May our love abound like this that we want no matter what a greater progress for the gospel.
Paul longs for them
8 For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
this is not like longing for sleep, this is a longing deep in your heart. It is the love of God that is down deep in your heart that has to work in you and through you by the Holy Spirit given to you
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
It was not a one way love, they loved Paul and had send Epaphroditus to Paul to minister to Paul. who became ill, almost to the point of death (Php2:25-28) - their love was more than words it was actions (1Jn3:18)
18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
Its a love that is is fervent and forgiving (1Pt4:8)
8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
It is love that produces joy (Gal5:22)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
So he has them on his mind, he has them in his heart, and then comes he has them in his prayers. You want to increase your joy? Increase your thoughts of others, increase you heart for others, increase your prayer for others!
III. You Are In My Prayers
III. You Are In My Prayers
Joy in memories, in thoughts, joy in evident love for them and they for him and now in remembering them when going to the throne of God to the throne of grace.
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
No longer did anyone have to carry the ephod with the names of the tribes over the heart. He carried them in his heart and in his prayers to the Lord now, praying for one another.
A prayer for abounding love, more and more)
See they had exampled love for Paul by participating in the Gospel, and Paul exhorts them through prayer to love more and more.
A prayer for real knowledge and all discernment
Real knowledge bringing real maturity and gives all discernment so if anyone tries to feed you anything different you are not easily persuaded.
A prayer for a purpose
In (v.10) so that (expand on so that’s briefly)- the intended results being approve the things that er excellent so you will be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ (think back to Php1:6) He is faithful so we can be faithful.
Sincere love is - unadulterated, pure, unmixed according to the Latin definition.
May our lives be lived in such a way that we are constantly ready, daily ready to be standing before our maker (2Cor5:10; 1Jn2:28)
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
Prayer of thanksgiving for the filling of righteousness
This is the type of fruit, type of righteousness that Jesus spoke of (Jn15:4)
4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
Let the work of God produce the fruit of God by the Spirit of God so you may display the love of God (Gal5:22-23)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Fruitful in every good work (Col1:10)
10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
And by the fruit of our lips from the love in our heart (Heb13:15)
15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
When was the last time you heart fruit make a lot of noise? It just produces it’s crop quietly. It allows the water to do the work in it, the soil to enrich it and the sun to warm it and help it grow.
We have the water of the word planted in a fertile soil that the Son shines on so we can produce His fruit for His purpose and His glory when we abide in Him.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
Let your fellowship in the Gospel be a fellowship of sharing the Gospel and bearing fruit from the Gospel.
(Lead to invitation)
(insert invitation slide)