Joy in partnership

Philippians Joy in partnership. Sunday 7th Dec

Read Phil 1:3-6

When he prayed for them, he had great joy when he thought of them

Why? Because of your partnership in the gospel

Word used here a number of times- koinonia.

What does it mean?

a.      participating together in something (often translated as fellowship)

The different descriptions of koinonia

-          Sharing in friendship with God: 1 Cor 1:9

-          Share in one another’s lives 1 John 1:7

-          Sharing in business: James and John, partners with Peter in fishing business- Luke 5:10

-          Share in blood and body of Jesus- 1 Cor 10:16

-          Share in the Spirit- Phil 2:1

-          Share in suffering for Jesus Phil 3:10, 2 Cor 1:5,

-          Share in his glory 1 Pet 4:13

-          Used as a warning- not to share in sin of others- Eph 5:11, 1 Tim 5:22

But in the context of Philippians 1, used of sharing in work

‘partnership in the gospel’

They supported Paul:

ü  With financial support, even in jail

ü  sent one of their leaders to him to support him- Epaphroditus.

ü  They helped him evangelize and spread the gospel

They weren’t partners of some business deal but much more important work

a.      they lived out gospel with their lives and preached the gospel with their lips

b.      this has eternal value

c.       no greater work than to work together for Jesus and his kingdom

d.      they did it through incredible inconvenience- commitment

When you join the church, you in effect are partnering with us in living out the gospel and in being a community which is a witness to Oudtshoorn. You are building with us for something more valuable than anything else- seeking to see God’s kingdom come.

So fellowship is not just having tea and a meal together

Many fellows on one ship, but it is building the ship together and going somewhere with it for Jesus

Pattern is: friendship to partnership

Eg. How God works: reconciles us to the Father, then uses us

Friendship before function

The reason why we can work and fellowship together

V6. He who began a good work in you

a.      speaks of salvation- were dead in our sins, made alive with Christ. Dead man can’t choose life.

b.      Received the miracle of being reconciled to God, son/daughter of God

c.       Do you believe this? See yourself as washed, wearing white robes

d.      Does that mean God does everything and we can just sit back?

Read Phil 2:12-13

Will bring it to completion

a.      He will bring it to completion- he is major partner

b.      Paul was confident in God’s ability not his own

At the day of Christ    

a.      God’s timetable: he will finish the work- when Jesus comes back

b.      Receive new glorified bodies

The reason why we can partner together is because of God’s work of grace in us

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

True fellowship involves not only eating meals together but:

Working together to see God’s kingdom advance

            Giving of your spiritual gifts, finances, time into what has eternal value

John Wesley said: “If I had three hundred men who feared nothing but God, hated nothing but sin, and were determined to know nothing among men but Jesus Christ and him crucified, I would set the world on fire.