Philippians 1:1-11

Good morning.

My name is Peter.

It's my privilege to be uh here with you this morning.

I'm one of the leaders at City.

It's my privilege to uh speak to you today and to um to be looking at Philippians chapter one uh with you.

So um Philippians chapter one, and we're we're looking at Philippians uh just as a one-off now uh to today.

Uh we'll be back in John next week.

Um so in this letter, Paul writes to the Christians in the church at Philippi to encourage them in the gospel, and overwhelmingly, uh this passage um as you read through it is just so encouraging.

And you probably just you probably noticed as you read through uh these verses just how much affection Paul has for them and it's mutual.

There's so much love there, it's amazing.

And yeah, do open it up on your phone, or if you do need to don't don't feel uh embarrassed to come down and grab a Bible from here, but uh open up Philippians chapter one.

Um and and you'll see that affection, that love that Paul has throughout uh throughout the passage down to verse uh 11, but also through the four chapters of this letter.

And he writes a lot about the gospel, both in terms of gospel work, proclaiming of the gospel, and what it does in people, especially in bringing unity.

We're gonna take a look at this gospel unity, what the gospel produces in us as individuals and as a church.

And we're also gonna ask what's the purpose of all this?

What is the purpose of what the gospel does in us?

So there's uh there's where we're going, kind of those three main points, but uh lots of subpoints.

Um so hopefully you can follow along.

So, firstly, looking at gospel unity.

I want to ask a couple of questions, and we're gonna look at the passage to answer them.

So, in looking at gospel unity, here's what we're gonna ask.

To what extent does the gospel bring unity?

How widespread is this gospel unity?

We're gonna ask what is the gospel, just to get it clear in our minds.

And why does the gospel bring unity?

What is it about the gospel that brings unity?

So, yeah, unity is widespread in this passage and in the letter as a whole.

But to to what extent?

That's the question we're gonna ask.

To what extent does the gospel bring this unity?

Firstly, we see Paul and Timothy together.

They're serving Christ together.

We see that straight off the bat in verse one.

Paul works with Timothy and cares a lot for him.

He says later in the letter that they have a relationship like that of a father and a son.

This relationship, there's there's unity between individuals here.

Secondly, Paul writes to all the saints with the overseers and deacons.

He emphasizes the unity they have with each other, groups in the church, this unity, gospel unity in the church.

Then in verse 2, with all those people in mind, Paul himself, Timothy, all the saints with the overseers and deacons, you see in verse 2 he calls God our Father.

Paul's drawing out just the extent to which the gospel brings unity.

And just a small note, we have in verse uh two as well, you have that unity of the Father and the Son, and in John, we're gonna, in when we get back to John, we're gonna be looking a lot at that unity uh in the Trinity, that try unity, and here we have it with the Father and the Son.

He writes of the partnership that they've had with him in supporting him and getting behind the mission of the gospel in verse five, and that with him they are all partakers together of grace in verse seven.

So this is the context out of which Paul writes this letter.

He's united with the believers in Philippi, who are united with each other, and they all know God as Father.

They're all in Christ.

And he actually addresses disunity later on in chapter four, where he urges two women who have labored side by side in the gospel to agree in the Lord.

They've had a disagreement, there's disunity there, and Paul urges them to be united in the gospel, to be united in the Lord, to agree in the Lord.

So that's that's the extent of this gospel unity.

And how is it that this gospel brings unity?

What is it about the gospel that brings unity?

But I want to ask first, what is the gospel?

It's very important that we get that clear in our minds.

What is Paul talking about when he talks about the gospel?

This week, as I said, is a brief intermission in our journey through the book of John, which of course is one of the four gospels.

They're the gospels, they're the accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus.

They tell us about the person and work of the one who is at the very heart of the gospel, Jesus Christ.

The gospel is the good news of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

The good news of who Jesus is and what he has done, and how we can receive the benefits of that, his work by faith alone.

This is what Paul is talking about here in Philippians 1.

The gospel is the good news of who Jesus is and what he has done.

That he's the Lord, the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, God incarnate, the one promised throughout the whole Old Testament, who died for our sins, and on the third day rose again, and that by believing in him we may have life, we may have life eternal.

And this is all by the grace of God.

This is the gospel that Paul talks about.

This is the gospel we offer to a world that is suffering, a world in darkness, a world without hope.

If you're here today and you haven't heard this good news before, or you haven't put your faith in Jesus Christ, then I encourage you to think about it now.

See what God has done for you, your need of Him and the gift of life that He gives, and turn to Him in faith.

If you haven't heard the gospel before, if Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, we would love to chat about to chat about it with you and to get to know you.

We're so glad that you're here.

So please come and chat to us after the service.

So that's the gospel that brings unity, and we've seen the extent to which it brings unity.

And how does it do that?

What's the mechanics of it?

Well, we now have peace with God through Christ.

Paul reminds them of this.

See, Christ died for our that that we might have our sins forgiven, that we'd be right with our Maker, being at peace with Him.

So we have union with God through Christ.

And this vertical peace and union leads to horizontal peace and unity.

There's peace between believers because we have all been saved by one man, Jesus.

We are all saints together in Jesus.

We're united by all being in Christ.

There's unity in the gospel.

And Paul goes on to say how they're all partakers of grace.

The grace of God shown in the gospel, his unmerited forgiveness and favor to us revealed in the gospel, as well as grace in ministry.

Paul's saying that God has shown them all grace, him and the saints and Philippi, in enabling their service, their gospel work.

And also that they, the Philippians, have been the means by which God has shown grace to him.

Paul is thankful for that we see.

They've partnered with Paul and have supported him in his ministry through thick and thin, including in the provision of finances, we read later on.

And Paul attributes this to God.

He sees it as grace from God, that they're the means by which God has blessed Paul and supported him in his work.

And he thanks God for them and their partnership with him in the gospel.

There's so much unity in this passage, and it's all because of the gospel.

This unity is centered on and is caused by and is for the cause of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So I want to look turn now to what else the gospel produces in us.

So we've seen this gospel unity between individuals in a church in supporting gospel work.

And we're gonna look at uh we're gonna look at how this um what else the gospel produces in us.

We're gonna look at um what the gospel has produced in Paul himself as an individual uh in the church in Philippi, and then what Paul prays uh the gospel would increasingly do in them.

So looking first at Paul, God is conforming him more and more to the likeness of Jesus.

We'll look at four ways God has transformed Paul and what the gospel is producing in him.

Firstly, we see that Paul's identity in the gospel is changed.

We see this what the gospel produces in him out of his identity, his new identity.

So, what's his identity in the gospel?

Well, we see it in how he introduces himself.

He knows Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and he knows God as Father.

He introduces himself as a servant of Christ Jesus.

He knows because of the gospel that he has not saved himself, that Jesus is his savior.

He knows too because of the gospel that Jesus is Lord, so he rightly and humbly introduces himself as a servant of Christ Jesus.

He knows God as Father.

All those who've been transformed by the gospel have God as Father.

It's not something that he emphasizes here too much, he writes about it much more elsewhere, but it's an immense privilege for the Christian and a core part of our identity that we're children of God.

It's good to note again the unity we see here when looking at Paul's identity as a servant of Christ.

He introduces himself with Timothy, both of them servants of Christ.

Again, unity in the gospel for the cause of the gospel.

And it's out of this service to Christ and having a life transformed by the gospel that Paul writes this letter.

In serving Jesus, he serves these Christians.

Secondly, a shorter point, the gospel produces deep joy in Paul.

He goes on to speak of joy throughout the rest of this letter.

He says things to encourage us, like, rejoice in the Lord always.

But here in verses 3 to 5, he's filled with joy, and so he prays with thanks.

It's not just a fleeting happiness, but a deep-seated joy at seeing God at work in other believers, at seeing the gospel transform and motivate these saints.

Being filled with joy at seeing the gospel take root in others is something that shows a heart that's been transformed by the gospel.

Thirdly, uh, well, let's look at what did we what do we say?

He's he's the gospel has transformed him in terms of his identity, knowing God as knowing Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and knowing God as Father, he's the gospel has transformed him in that he's filled with joy.

And thirdly, the gospel produces a great love, great care, kindness, and affection in Paul for the saints at Philippi.

This jumps out at you throughout the passage, but especially in verses 7 to 8, it's clear that Paul has a deep care for them, and this carries on through the rest of the letter.

But this affection is the very affection of Christ.

It's remarkable that he can say this in verse 8.

He says, For God is my witness how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Imagine reading or hearing this as a Christian in this church.

It's amazing.

And it's come about because Paul has been transformed by the gospel.

The outworking of the gospel in Paul's life is a deep affection for other believers, even the affection of Christ.

We're gonna slow down here a bit and take a look at how this gospel-produced affection manifests itself.

So the gospel has produced this affection in Paul, and we're gonna look at how that manifests itself.

What does he say?

What does he pray?

What does he do out of this heart of affection?

So he wants them to know more and more of God's grace and peace, and he wants them to be reminded that reminded of God's grace and peace.

In verse 2, his greeting is very, very deliberate in seeking to bless and encourage these saints.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Then in verses three to five, which we've looked at a bit already, but in terms of his affection for them, he thanks God for them, for their partnership in the gospel, and he tells them that he thanks God for them.

When's the last time you thanked God for someone because of their partnership in the gospel with you, and then you told them as much?

That's what the gospel has produced in Paul.

He also shows this gospel-produced affection by teaching them some very important theological truths, and these are so important for us to hear and to let them seek deep, sink deep into our hearts and our souls.

He encourages them by assuring them of God's faithful work in their lives, and the same is true of believers today.

There's no two ways about it, there's no ifs or buts.

There's certainty that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus.

God who graciously saved you, beginning that good work in you, having transformed your heart, will, without a doubt, make you more and more like his son, bringing that work to completion at the day of Christ Jesus.

Hear these words that Paul speaks with the affection of Christ Jesus.

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.

Let that sink deep into your soul.

Finally, this affection that Paul has for the saints overflows in prayer that God would do exactly what we've just looked at, bringing that good work to completion.

We see this in verses 9 to 11, and we're going to look at it in detail in just a few moments.

But for now, in terms of Paul's affection for them, that gospel-produced affection, I want you to note that he seeks their good and so he prays for them.

So we've seen the gospel has transformed Paul in his identity.

He's a servant of Christ Jesus who knows God as Father, in that he's filled with joy, and that he yearns for them with the affection of Christ.

The fourth and final thing I want to note in terms of what the gospel has produced in Paul is that all he does and says and prays here is for the glory and praise of God.

Paul is motivated to glorify God and to see his name praised.

We saw last week that we're all naturally obsessed with our own glory, but we see Paul's life has been completely transformed to one of a humble servant who desires that God be glorified and praised.

That's what the gospel has done.

So, having looked at what the gospel has produced in Paul, an individual, let's look at a couple of things the gospel has produced in the Philippians in a church.

Of course, we've already looked at how the gospel brings unity in the church.

And so we're going to look at a few other things that this passage uh shows us.

The local church is the gathered people of God, united in Christ.

We also see that this local church is made up of all the saints with the overseers and deacons.

The overseers here are the elders, or you might hear pastor.

And Paul talks elsewhere about how these overseers, these elders, these pastors, they're to prioritize the ministry of the word and prayer.

And then the deacons, uh, they're those who care more for the practical needs of the church and people in it, who at city they make sure that all this is set up on a Sunday morning.

They make sure the sound works, that the kids' room and cresh have what they need and are supplied, that we all get a lovely cup of coffee when we come in and after the service, and that we feel welcome among many other things.

And these things that I've mentioned are all done so that we can gather together to worship God on a Sunday morning, singing praises to Him together, praying together, being reminded of the gospel and reading His Word together, sitting under His Word, under the authority of His Word, together.

And we're convinced at City that this is what a healthy church looks like, a healthy gospel church, all the saints with the overseers and deacons united in the gospel, united in Christ, doing all things for the glory and praise of God.

We know we don't get it right all the time, maybe a lot of the time, but by his grace and with his help, we pray City Church grows more and more in terms of its health, in terms of gospel work and gospel unity.

The church in Philippi also shows that the gospel brings gospel partnership.

That might sound a bit pointless to say.

Let me say it again.

The church in Philippi also shows that the gospel brings gospel partnership.

The gospel produces in the Philippians a desire to see gospel work happen.

And so, as we've seen already, they support Paul in his ministry.

This is what the gospel does in churches and in individual Christians.

It causes us to pray for and to give time and money and resources to gospel work.

This is why we're sending out and supporting Duncan and Becky and the plant team to plant to start a new church.

And it's why, as a church and as individuals, we support gospel work throughout Dublin, Ireland, and the world.

The gospel produces healthy churches that are united in the gospel for the cause of the gospel.

We're going to look at a bit more detail now in verses 9 to 11 of Paul's prayer for them.

We looked at it already in terms of his affection for them.

We're going to look more at the content of his prayer because it shows us more of what the gospel does and should do in us and how we should pray for ourselves and for others.

The first part of his prayer in verse 9 is that their love would abound more and more.

The primary thing here, what Paul begins with in his prayer, is that they would grow in their love.

He doesn't pray in the way we might naturally pray for someone we care about.

I don't have children, but I imagine you parents, when you're praying for children, you'd be you pray firstly that they be strong and healthy, that you might pray that they get on well in school and the world and that they'd be loved.

That's the natural thing, isn't it?

It's what my heart prays for myself, even subconsciously.

I want to be loved first and foremost.

But what we learn here is that the gospel, that gospel-centered hearts and gospel-centered churches are those that grow more and more in love, the kind of love shown to us in that very gospel by Jesus in his life and in his death.

This is what Paul prays for these Christians, and it's what we should pray for ourselves and for others.

And it's not at all that praying these other things is wrong, not at all.

But praying with a primacy that more and more I would grow in my love for him and for others is good.

And it's right, and it's what the gospel does in us.

Secondly, in terms of that prayer of Paul's in verses 9 to 11, he prays that they'd grow in wisdom.

He prays that as their love abounds more and more, that they would also grow in knowledge and all discernment.

With knowledge and all discernment.

Those who are being shaped by the gospel grow in this way.

They grow in wisdom as they abound in love.

A few things I'd like to note here, just a couple of things.

Love is not separate or removed from knowledge and discernment.

And neither is the gospel separated from or removed from knowledge and discernment.

In fact, what we learn here is that it increasingly produces them in us.

Believing, trusting, and putting our faith in the words of Jesus, in his sacrificial death and his glorious resurrection does not mean that we abandon reason, as some might say we do, but rather we know the truth, we discern what is good and of value, and we can improve what is excellent.

Again, the gospel produces this in us.

It increasingly produces wisdom in the believer.

It also, as as Paul goes on in this prayer, it also produces, he prays for them to grow in holiness.

So that we will be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, he says.

And this is the completion of that good work, isn't it?

From verse 6.

Remember that God will complete the good work he began in us.

Well, this is it in verse 10.

That we will be pure and blameless for the for the day of Christ.

As we grow in love, wisdom, and holiness, God is completing that good work he began in us.

Remember, that's assured.

He will do it.

And Paul goes on to pray that they and we will be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.

This fruit includes what we do, what we think, our thoughts and our deeds.

As with the rest of this prayer, there's no half measure, is there?

He prays that we will be filled with this fruit.

In a heart that's been transformed by the gospel, the gospel bears fruit, good fruit, the fruit of righteousness.

And remember the start of his prayer is motivated by love.

Paul started off his prayer with praying the day that we would grow more and more in love.

And it's in hearts that have already been transformed by the gospel.

It's not the other way around.

Good works can never save you.

But those in whom God began good work are filled with the fruit of righteousness, the good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do.

From this passage, we're assured of God's faithful and continued work in us to completion as the gospel produces more and more love, wisdom, and holiness, and good fruit.

We increasingly live out of our identities as servants of Christ Jesus, humbly serving one another as we serve Him and the Gospel.

We also see that gospel churches are united around the gospel, doing and supporting gospel work.

Now we're going to ask one final question of this passage.

Is all of this for us?

Everything that we've looked at in this passage, all the all the gospel transformation, this gospel work growing in love, wisdom, and holiness, being filled with the fruit of righteousness, is it all for us, for our sake?

Well, yes, and no.

It's a very marked thing to say, isn't it?

We spend a lot of time looking at how the gospel is for us, how it shapes us, how it creates beautiful communities that are united.

So, yes, it is for us, and we're here because of it.

But also the ultimate purpose of all that Paul tells us is sorry, the ultimate purpose of all of this, all this gospel work, gospel transformation, growing in love, wisdom, holiness, being filled with the fruit of righteousness, all of that Paul tells us at the end of verse 11.

What does he say?

To the glory and praise of God.

All that the gospel does in us is for his glory and praise.

So it's more of a both and.

And that's actually an amazing and glorious thing, isn't it?

That we're such rich benefactors of God being glorified.

That in us receiving immeasurably good gifts and grace upon grace, that he's glorified.

Him saving us brings him glory.

Him growing us in love, wisdom, and holiness brings him glory.

He's glorified in and through our unity in the gospel, as we express that unity, as we do good to each other, as we pray for each other, as we read as read his word together.

So pray like Paul for yourself and for others, that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, build with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

And seek out how you can humbly serve Jesus, partnering with others in the gospel, loving the saints around you with the affection of Christ.

And remember, He will bring that work to completion.

Living this way is to live a life of worship, and it brings glory and praise to God.

I hope as we've been looking at this passage, that you've been thinking of many, many ways that you can praise God and glorify him.

We're going to do that in song shortly.

Praise him for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise God that Jesus came as a man to die for our sins, that we might be forgiven, that he rose defeating death.

Praise him for saving you.

Praise him for uniting you to Christ, giving you life eternal.

Praise him for adopting you as his child, that you know God as Father.

Praise him for continuing to work in you faithfully.

That not not only that he began the good work in you by saving you and giving you a new heart, but he graciously carries on working in you daily.

Praise him for the assurance that he will bring that good work to completion.

Praise him for what you see him doing in others.

Praise him that he works in those around you, those you're in community group with, those you read his word with and pray with.

Give him the glory and thank him for what he's doing in them, for their partnership with you in the gospel.

Praise him for uniting you with these beliefs, these other believers in Christ.

Praise him for the precious community that the gospel creates.

And as we go out of go out from here, don't just praise him and worship him in song.

Live out of that reality that the gospel has done in your life for the praise and glory of God.

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