Remembering Fellowship: Joy That Grows from the Gospel - Phil 1: 3-7

Good morning, and what a blessing it is to study God's Word with you today.

My name is Pastor Simon, and welcome to the preaching ministry of Dillingham Moravian Church.

Here at DMC, our focus is to make disciples of Christ as we study the Word of God together.

Does anybody who is listening remember COVID?

You know, that little event that we don't like to talk about anymore that shut

down almost every nation on earth.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns in our country, people had been mandated to shelter

at home, almost all travel stopped, businesses and meeting places had been shut down.

In many states, churches were closed. As a result, people were not allowed to

see their friends, their family members, and loved ones.

The forced social distancing caused people to long and yearn more for close

relationships with others.

Than they did before. People were calling to be allowed to come to church so

that they could just be together again.

Unfortunately, in terms of relationality, I think the American society has returned

to much as it was before COVID.

However, this concept of a close relationship so as to be set apart for a relationship

with that person is what we are to be with God in Christ. Let's pray.

Oh, Heavenly Father, we are so grateful that we have the opportunity to hear from you,

that you speak to us through your word, that your Holy Spirit interacts with

our hearts and our minds and our souls through the speaking and teaching of

the one who is doing the teaching.

And I'm so grateful that you are speaking to us in that way.

Guide us, Lord. Teach us. Use us. Show us yourself.

And I pray for all who are listening that your Holy Spirit would work in them

and through them, through the words that you speak through me.

In your precious Son's name, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Here at DMC, we have started a preaching series on Paul's letter to the Philippians.

And last week in Philippians chapter 1, verse 1 through 2, God,

Philippians 1:1–2

through Paul, taught the Philippians and us that we are called by God to consider

ourselves as slaves of Christ Jesus.

Secondly, we learn that God in Jesus Christ has extended to Christ's believers

His undeserved and unmerited favorites.

And because of this favor, God the Father is now well-pleased with us.

And lastly, it is essential for us to understand that due to the sacrificial

offering of Jesus Christ on the cross and through His resurrection,

we who have responded in faith to Jesus Christ as our only Lord have now entered

into the shalom or the complete goodwill of God.

We are now in right relationship with God.

And today we're going to continue on in Philippians 1, verse 3 through 7.

Philippians 1:3–7

Philippians 1, verse 3 through 7, where Paul wrote, I thank my God in all remembrance of you,

Philippians 1:3–7

always offering prayer for joy in my every prayer for you all,

in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

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.

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 defense and confirmation of

gospel, you are all partakers of grace with me.

The first principle we can learn in this passage is that as believers,

our joy and thanksgiving grow as we remember others' participation in the gospel.

Paul in Philippians chapter 1 verse 3 communicated to the Philippian church,

Philippians 1:3

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,

in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

The principle Paul gave us is that we as believers are to always joyfully thank

God in our prayers for other believers.

Paul continually thanked God with joy for the Philippian congregation.

And I want you to notice how and why Paul is able to joyfully thank God for

the believers in Philippi.

Paul intentionally and continually remembered the Philippian Christians. And the question is why?

Why did Paul remember those believers?

Paul remembered them because they participated in the gospel faithfully from

the first day till Paul's present.

The word used for participation meant fellowship, or the act of sharing in the

activities or privileges of an intimate association of group,

especially used of marriage and of churches.

And this meant Paul viewed that the Philippian congregation had a close relationship with the gospel.

And not only did they have a close relationship with the gospel,

but they had that communion with Paul as they fellowshiped and worked and lived

together for the gospel.

In order to understand this concept of fellowship with God and other believers,

please turn with me to John 17, verse 17 to 19, where Jesus prayed.

John 17:17–19

Sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth.

As you sent me into the world, I also sent them into the world.

For their sake I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

The word Jesus used for sanctified meant to make us dedicated to God,

either in becoming more distinct, devoted, or morally pure.

Being sanctified or becoming holy is the process of being set apart to and being

dedicated unto God in a close relationship that makes us set apart or different than the world.

Sanctification, then, is being in close relationship with God,

and it is God's truth that does this.

The more we know and obey God's truth, we are immersed in God's truth,

the closer in relationship with God we become.

And it is this close relationship or fellowship with God that Paul was referring

to in Philippians chapter 1, except that Paul included the other followers of

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

Christ into that close relationship with the Lord. And here's my point.

Paul's joy in thanksgiving came as Paul intentionally and continually remembered

the Philippian believer's close relationship with God.

You see, as the believers grew more and more close to God, starting from the day they were saved,

this fellowship with God compelled them to act in participating in the gospel,

which meant faithfully sharing the gospel, faithfully helping Paul, learning from Paul,

faithfully loving others and fellowshipping with Paul and other Christians.

And the more Paul was able to hear about and remember their fellowship with

God and participation in the gospel, the more Paul was grateful to God and the

more filled with joy Paul was.

How do we apply this to us as Christians? There are two applications.

The first application I want us to remember is that we are to know and remember

what God is doing in other Christians.

Remembering is as important to prayer as it is to love.

How can we thank God for others if we don't know what God is doing in their lives?

How can we thank God for others if we do not intentionally remember Christ's work through them.

One of the biggest obstacles to truly thanking God for others is focusing on

ourselves and our own blessings.

And here's what I mean by this. Usually when we pray in thanksgiving to God,

it is in gratitude for how God is working our lives and how God has blessed

us. And this is important.

Yet Paul was thanking God for how he was working in the Philippians' lives.

As we are remembering and thanking the Lord for how he's working on other believers,

our focus is moved off of ourselves and onto God and what God is doing.

And as joy comes from God, the more we remember and thank God for his work in

others, the more God gives us his joy.

The second application is that the more we are sanctified in the truth of God,

or the more we grow in relationship with God as we're constantly in God's Word,

the more joy we give other believers.

Because the more we are in a close relationship or fellowship with God and His

truth, the more we act in godly ways.

And the more God works on our behalf,

the more fellow Christians see us growing in God and God working through us

and in us, around us, the more they thank God and the more their joy grows.

And just as we, as believers, are called to remember with thanksgiving and joy other Christians',

participation in the gospel We are also challenged to be confident that God

will perfect His good work in others You know,

Dillingham is supposed to be famous for growing big cabbages My old friend here

in Dillingham had huge cabbages Some of them were hard to put your arms around

And many others that I know have huge cabbages.

Grown cabbages of considerable size as well. But out of 15 summers of trying,

it only happened once for us.

Other vegetables have grown well in the past, but usually not cabbages and broccoli for some reason.

This goes to show us that although we can work hard at preparing the soil,

planting seeds, watering, weeding, and all the other acts required in gardening,

we're not in charge of growth.

God is one who does the growing.

Paul proclaimed in Philippians chapter 1, verse 6, For I am confident of this

Philippians 1:6

very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Paul wrote to the Philippian believers that he was confident or convinced that

God who began his good work in the Christians, that God would perfect them until

the day that Christ returned.

Word that Paul used for confident or convinced meant to be persuaded or sure

of the truthfulness or validity of something.

The word perfect referred to bringing an activity to a successful finish,

to be complete, to end, to accomplish.

Thus Paul was telling the believers that he was completely sure that he had

no doubt that the work of God,

that God had begun salvation from the sowing and the planting of the seeds to

new birth in Christ to the watering with his word, that God would perfect or

complete the Christian on that day of final salvation,

the day when Christ returns.

Paul in 1 Corinthians 3, verses 6-9 instructed the Corinthian church.

1 Corinthians 3:6–9

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.

So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,

but God who causes the growth.

Now he who plants and he who waters are one, but each will receive his own reward

according to his own labor.

For we are God's fellow workers, you are God's field, God's building.

Paul and Apollos carried out Christ's commission to make disciples in the different

stages the congregation was at.

Paul shared the gospel, planted the house church in Corinth,

and Paul was there afterwards to water through teaching, mentoring,

coaching, and loving with the Word of God.

One commentator explained that God's work of grace qualifies men for work.

You see, God doesn't just do a good work in us so that we can just sit back

and absorb all of God's blessings, like a person out sunbathing or lying down absorbing the sun.

As continual recipients of the undeserved grace of God, our response as Christians

is to make disciples by cultivating, sowing, and planting, and watering,

removing the rocks and weeds,

loving people with and through the Word of God.

Just as we know from gardening that we have to keep on looking after the plants,

so also we have to keep on discipling people in the faith.

However, I want you to notice that both Paul and Apollos were not responsible

or even capable of making people believe in Christ or grow in maturity in the faith.

What can we as Christians today learn from this principle? That although we

are called by God to disciple people in their various stages,

it is God who is in charge of growth in the spiritual life.

Are we convinced of the truthfulness that God is completing His work in the

Christians we are ministering to?

Are we convinced of this truth regarding our own children?

Now, this doesn't remove our response and responsibility in participating in

the gospel work with our kids or with others.

But it does take the weight off of our shoulders.

The more we are convinced and believe and surrender to the truth that God is

ultimately in charge of our ministries, and He is in charge of growing the people

around us, including our families,

the more our joy and thankfulness grows. Why?

Because much of our stress and worry and disappointment as Christians come from

trying to make people grow the way we want them to grow, when we want them to grow.

And although we are definitely charged with being on mission to disciple people,

starting with our own household and then to the nations, we are not God.

We do not know people's hearts and minds, and we cannot make someone grow.

As we surrender our desire to be in charge of other people's growth and leave

that person in God's capable hands where they're designed to be in the first place,

we will experience more and more of God's joy.

We have learned that our joy and thankfulness grow the more confident that we

are, that God is in charge of other people's spiritual growth.

Additionally, our love grows for each other as we share in the work of God's grace.

One of the things I like about the Super Bowl is watching the game with friends,

seeing the way people come alive to cheer for their favorite teams and players, Even though,

even if that person is normally very quiet as individuals, when they get in

front of the TV and cheering for their team,

boy, there's just a fire comes out.

Depending on who I watch the game with, I may even cheer for the opposite team

than my friends just to bug them and get a reaction and tease them.

One thing I've learned early on from playing team sports is that the entire team has to play as one.

Every position has to work together to be successful. For example,

in football, if the defensive line and linebackers don't do their job,

then the quarterback is in danger.

If the receivers and the running backs don't do their job, the quarterback has no one to throw to.

And if the quarterback doesn't throw the ball fast enough or correctly enough,

then the whole team suffers.

Every member of the team is important and their role is valuable.

For most team sports, you do not get awarded for participation if you spend

the whole time on the bench.

And this idea of working together as one towards a common goal is what Paul

is teaching us in Philippians 1, verse 7.

Philippians 1:7

For it is only right for me to feel this way about all of you.

Because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in defense

and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partakers of grace with me,

In verse 7, Paul wrote that you are all partakers of grace with me.

The word grace or caritas is the undeserved favor of God towards those whom

he has chosen to give his favor.

However, this grace that Paul was referring to was not just the receiving for

ourselves the undeserved favor of God,

but rather the partnering and participation in the work of sharing God's grace with others.

Paul used the word partakers, which meant partner, sharer, participant,

in connection to his imprisonment and in defense and confirmation of the gospel.

The Philippian Christians were partnering with Paul in his defense and confirming

or witnessing the truth of the gospel for which Paul was in prison for.

To understand this concept of partaking and participating in the grace of God

more, let us turn to Revelation chapter 1 verse 9.

Revelation 1:9

John wrote, I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and

kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos

because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

John used the same word for partaker as he explained to the churches that in

writing his letter as their fellow partaker, meaning participant and partner,

and all the trials and persecution that entailed and persevering in the growth,

mission, life of Christ's kingdom here on earth.

Paul was teaching the same truth in Philippians 1, verse 7.

Philippians 1:7

Philippian believers partnered with Paul by helping him throughout his ministry,

even in sending Paul supplies and goods during his imprisonment.

They also sent Epaphrodites to Paul to help during Paul's imprisonment.

Paphrodites worked so hard in helping Paul that Paphrodites got sick and he almost died.

Philippians fellowshiped with Paul and continued to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And all the Philippians' church active participation in the gospel caused Paul

to have a very deep affection for them.

The word heart meant the locus of a person's thoughts, meaning their mind,

their will, the emotions, the knowledge of right or wrong, meaning the conscience,

understood as the heart.

Thus, Paul loved this group of believers with everything within his inner being. Why?

Because of their participation and partnership in the sharing of the truth of

God's undeserved favor to others.

The Philippians' participation in the gospel increased Paul's love for them.

So how does this apply to us as Christ followers? The more we participate and

partner in sharing together the

work of the gospel, the more our love and affection for each other grows.

The more our affection for each other in the body of Christ grows,

the more our joy in Christ grows as well.

This is also one of the key principles of unity.

The more all of us share together in the mission and the work of the gospel,

the more we love each other.

The more we love each other, the more we are in unity. And this is huge.

One of the greatest causes of unity in the church of God is when believers are

toiling hard together to share in the ministry of the gospel.

This is why it's so essential in surrendering to God,

to obey God and love each other, so that each of us are then involved in the

ministry of the gospel in our local church, in our families,

our communities, our workplace, or wherever we are and go.

This is one of the many reasons why I love our church. There are so many people

doing ministry in our congregation.

Many are involved in the program ministries of the church, or others are involved

in sharing Christ with people through their workplaces and relationships.

I love hearing the stories of so many visiting people in our town and in their homes sharing Christ.

They're going to the hospital to sing and pray for people who are sick or making

meals for those who are sick and encouraging singing and praying for people

who are grieving over the death of loved ones.

I'm so thankful for what God is doing in our congregation.

What is God teaching us today? God has taught us that our joy and thanksgiving

grows as we remember other Christians' participation in the gospel and their

close relationship with Christ.

We've also learned that we are to have absolute confidence that God will perfect

His good work in us and in others.

The more we trust and believe God, the more our joy grows.

And lastly, the more each of us as believers share or partner in the work of

the gospel, the more our love grows for each other.

The major reason for our lack of joy as Christians is that we're not actively

pursuing an intimate relationship with Christ as we surrender to His grace.

The more we and other believers abide in Christ, our joy and thanksgiving and

our love for each other grows.

The more we, you and I, remain in Christ's love, the more we participate and

share in the work of the gospel, and the more joy we bring other believers. Let's pray.

Oh, Heavenly Father, we thank you for the wonderful joy it is to be able to

hear from your word, because Psalm 19 says that your word, your truth rejoices.

Thank you. Lord, I pray, Lord, for our church and for all the churches in Alaska,

and all those who are listening, Lord,

that we would come together in your Spirit, by your Word,

as one, in unity as one.

And part of the way that we show unity is using our gifts, ministering,

serving where we are able,

in the church programs, but also out amongst the community and sharing the love of Christ with others.

Lord, I pray for blessing upon your church here in America, in Alaska.

Lord, we pray that you would cause

us to stand up and be the people of God that you have called us to be.

In your precious son's name, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

Have a wonderful Sunday, and may the Lord bless you all.