Perseverance of the Saints Pt. 1 - Philippians 1:1-18

Good morning family.

Turn to Philippians.

That's where we're going to be spending several weeks for a while, at least until April.

Resurrection weekend.

This letter, all these letters that Paul writes, interesting, are just powerful, doctrinal field letters.

Philippians does not disappoint in this area.

We're going to talk about some specific facts concerning this particular letter that I think is very important for us.

And, you know, I was thinking about how am I going to, you know, what are we going to deal with, the Old Testament,

or are we going to do one of the apostolic letters?

I'm like, you know what, we're just going to do Philippians, and then after Philippians we'll do a series on Christ the True and better.

So get ready for that. It's going to be a lot of fun.

But we got a little while.

And even though we've gone through all these letters, it's hard, it's very difficult to kind of pull out everything.

Because if we did that, for example, we'd still be in Galatians for another year and a half.

So the good news is you can never exhaust the spiritual manna of God's Word.

It is so full of stuff.

So as we dig into Philippians, we're going to really focus on one particular doctrine.

But we will try, I will try my best to hit as many doctrines as I can through this letter

and ask God that he would guide us in the fullness of his Word.

So let's pray.

Father, I want to thank you for this amazing letter that you have given.

You are good and faithful and true.

Thank you for your call to your people to continue to contend for the faith

that what you have started you will complete and that you are the perseverance of the saints.

So Lord, as we dig into the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints,

and we really start to see your sovereignty and your call to be holy,

and the reality of our election before you that all things, all things turn to the good of those love you've been called according to your purpose.

Your Word is so amazing.

So Lord, as we prepared our hearts for your Word, I pray that you would guide my thoughts

and that the words that are shared are the full counsel of your Word

and that you are honored and glorified in it.

We honor and glory in Jesus' name, Amen.

So just a real quick overview.

Philippians was written during Paul's, really, let me say it this way.

Paul visited the Philippians in Philippi between 49 and 51 AD.

It was during his second missionary journey.

And that's when this church was planted.

What's interesting about this church is some very important details.

This is the only letter that Paul really doesn't rebuke them for something that they're doing wrong.

Like all the other letters, Paul, like, wrecks them, right?

In Ephesians, in Galatians, in Colossians, he just like, you guys are like way out of bounds here.

But Philippi, they don't have that issue here.

For Philippi, it's more of an exhortation to continue in your walk.

He finds complete joy in the people of Philippi, in the church of Philippi.

James Montgomery Boyce calls this the joyful letter.

What an amazing statement.

Sixteen times in Philippians is the word joy mentioned.

And we kind of understand why Paul says he uses the word joy a lot in this letter

because when you realize that you will be finished, God will complete what he started,

you will persevere, what else do you have?

I mean, what else should you be worried about?

Like, I can have pure joy in all things because God will finish the work he started.

And that's really the focus of this letter.

I will show this to you shortly.

The other interesting letter is he's talking not only to the people of God,

but he's talking to the overseers and the deacons.

It's interesting.

So elders and deacons, this is for you.

It's not only just for the entire body of Christ, but this is also for you.

Very, very wonderful letter.

One of the last facts I want to give you for now is that Paul wrote this when he was in prison.

He was locked up, and he counts it joy and actually relishes the fact that he's in prison

because the gospel explodes where he's at as a result of this moment.

So I want to share that with you.

There's a couple of factoids with that.

That being said, I want to share some more stuff.

Paul's purpose for writing to the Philippian church is found in Philippians 1 verse 6.

Philippians 1:6

He says, And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day.

In chapter 1 verse 9 through 10,

And this is my prayer, 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.

And in chapter 2 verse 13, it says, For it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

You will accomplish what God has for you to accomplish.

You will persevere.

Paul's reminder to the saints in Philippi is seen throughout this epistle.

And the reminder is perseverance.

Here it is. You ready?

It's a little journey through the whole letter.

Sure.

In chapter 1 verse 9, My prayer that your love may abound.

In verse 10, And so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

Verse 21, For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Verse 24, But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

Verse 25, I will remain and continue with you all for your progress.

In verse 27, Let your manner of life be worthy.

Verse 27 again, With one mind, that's not me.

That's everybody's phone.

The only way you're going to turn them off is if you turn off your phones.

It's going to beep whether you have it on silent or not.

Mine's not beeping.

Yeah.

So thank you if you guys were able to thank you.

That's funny.

Beep, beep, beep.

With one, that could have been the trumpet call.

I'm just saying.

It was beep, beep, beep, boosh.

But like whacked out, what was that?

That was the trumpet call.

Who said it couldn't be a beep?

Right?

Here we go.

Verse 27, With one mind striving side by side.

Verse 29, It has been granted to you for the sake of Christ that you should not believe in him,

but also suffer for his sake.

Granted is the word there.

Chapter 2, verse 12, As you have always obeyed, so now.

This is the idea of continuing.

Verse severe, verse chapter 2, 13, It is God who works in you.

Verse 16, Hold fast to the word of life in the day of Christ.

Chapter 3, verse 12, But I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus made me his own.

Verse 14, Press on toward the goal for the prize.

Verse 20, For our citizenship is in heaven and from it we await a savior the day, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 21, Who will transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him

even to subject all things to himself.

Chapter 4, verse 1, Stand firm thus in the Lord.

Verse 3, Whose names are in the book of life. Verse 5, The Lord is at hand.

Verse 7, He will guard your hearts and minds.

Verse 14, I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Verse 19, God will supply every need of yours according to his riches and glory.

There's a very clear common thread through this whole letter.

It is the perseverance of the saints.

The perseverance of the saints ascribes to Almighty God the authority and the ability to see his plan of salvation

through to the ultimate purpose which he has intended, namely the eternal salvation of his people.

In revealing his salvation, God reveals himself, his sovereign will, love, and grace

which are the eternal attributes of God. Heidelberg Seminary.

What an amazing doctrine.

So not only do we persevere eternally as a guarantee, the Holy Spirit sealing us as a guarantee of our inheritance,

but we persevere daily.

We persevere daily. He will finish what he has started.

So let's start. Chapter 1, verse 1.

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, dulos.

This word, servants, is slave.

Doctrine number 1, the doctrine of Christian slavery.

You're like, that's a bad word. It's a wonderful word.

Why are we slaves to Christ? Because he purchased us with his own blood.

We are no longer owned by sin, but we are owned by Christ.

And we no longer belong to ourselves, but we belong to Christ.

That's a slave.

Thank God we have a good master.

The doctrine of Christian slavery.

The next we see here, it says, to all the saints.

This word, saints, literally means the chosen and holy ones.

Chosen and holy ones. That's what the word saint is.

This isn't just, this is not for the Catholics.

You don't have to be a special person to be a saint.

And trust me, some of the saints that the Catholics say are saints aren't saints.

This is you. If you know Christ, you're a saint in Christ.

You're a chosen and holy one in Christ who are at Philippi, here it is,

with the overseers and deacons.

Isn't that a nice statement?

What is God saying here?

He says, grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here's what Paul's saying.

Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ, have come to you people of Philippi

and the overseers and deacons who oversee and serve the people of Philippi.

God says to you grace and peace.

I come on behalf of the King and the King has given his greeting to you.

You are important to him.

That's what Paul's saying here.

Every letter that Paul does, he gives the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why? Because we are his people.

Paul is speaking on behalf of the King.

And that is the one important statement.

People probably read this over and over again and go, what's the point?

It's the same greeting. Exactly.

Because this greeting's not from Paul, it's from him to you.

God says grace to you and my peace be with you.

Isn't that what Jesus said?

Every time he spoke to his disciples, grace and peace be unto you.

Interesting, right?

Verse 3.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

always in every prayer of mine, for you are making my prayer with joy.

In other words, Paul's saying, listen, I think about you often.

And every time I think about you, I am filled with joy to think about you.

It's the one group of people that he doesn't have to worry much about.

He doesn't have to think about what's happening.

He doesn't have to deal with any false teaching.

He doesn't have to rebuke them because people are abandoning his faith.

No, he's encouraged by them because they walk consistently and continue in the gospel.

So what does a shepherd do?

He encourages. Keep it up.

You know, it's a that-a-boy kind of thing.

Now, verse 5.

Because of your partnership, here is why his joy, why he's always remembering them with joy,

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

from the first time I came to you and I shared the gospel with you, you have continued in it.

How many churches today can claim that?

We are one.

There's a reason why Mountaintin Church has existed for 140 years come this March.

Continue in the gospel.

If you continue in the gospel, the church will be here another 140 years if the Lord tarries.

You abandon the gospel, watch how quick the church goes away.

There are many churches throughout the country who are closing or are just open

because they tickle the ears of people.

Verse 6.

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.

In other words, this is the purpose of the letter.

God, what God has started in you, he will complete in you.

I am confident of this.

How do I know this? Because you have contended, have walked, have continued in the gospel

which I've came and preached to you from the first day until now.

You have not abandoned the full gospel of Jesus Christ.

Is it 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.

It is right for him.

He is thankful.

That's the one thing that every elder desires for you,

to contend and fight and continue in the full gospel of Jesus Christ.

What can we do in a country that has abandoned God?

Contend for the gospel.

Contend for the gospel.

The days are not going to get better.

But we have the hope of Christ and that there are people who will come to Christ.

The kingdom of God is still growing.

Though all the other nations are failing, there's one nation that will not.

The kingdom of God will continue.

It is growing every single day.

We have a king and we have a place and he is good and that place he's made for us.

That we may dwell with him.

Now, here's where things start getting exciting.

If we continue to defend and confirm the gospel, this is Paul's proclamation.

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

Man, it's like, I know you guys are experiencing it because I hear it quite a bit from you guys.

I can't wait to get to church.

I know.

I'd rather be here.

I'd do church all day and hang out with you guys.

Like, I love this stuff, right?

And Rachel's going, no, you need to go home and get some sleep.

But that's Paul's desire.

He's like, man, you guys get it.

I just want to hang out with you.

Like, the rest of these churches are driving me crazy.

That's what Paul's saying.

Why can't we just do the right thing?

Well, Paul is so excited about this church.

The hard part for Paul is that he can't go.

He's locked up.

So principle number one.

God's people persevere by the love of Christ.

God's people persevere by the love of Christ.

Through the love of God abounding in our lives abundantly,

we can know clearly what is excellent.

It's the love of Christ that we persevere.

And it's because of this love that we can clearly know what is the excellency of Christ.

Philippians chapter one, verse nine through 11 says this.

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment.

That word with is actually shouldn't be translated as with.

Because that's not what that word is in the original language.

The word in the original language is in.

Now let's use that word.

It says it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and all discernment.

Makes a lot more sense, doesn't it?

In knowledge and all discernment so that you may approve what is excellent.

If I'm in the knowledge and all discernment of God, then I can approve the excellency of Christ.

I can know what is excellent.

And so as a result of knowing the excellency of Christ, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

What's interesting about Paul is Paul throws, as he makes this declarative, he's stating this statement.

He always does a sentence in a sentence, which I like when Paul does that.

So I'm going to share a sentence within what Paul just said.

And this is what it says.

So you, Philippians, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and all discernment.

That you may approve what is excellent.

Be pure and blameless, filled with the fruit of righteousness.

That if we walk in the love and we abound in the love of God and we are doing it in the knowledge and discernment.

And we are approving the excellency of Christ and we're walking in purity and blamelessness.

That we will be filled with the fruit of righteousness.

The fruit of righteousness will be clearly seen.

That's what he's saying here.

What an amazing statement.

Second principle, perseverance in and through suffering advances the gospel.

So we have to have love, the love of Christ to be persevering.

And if we have a love of Christ and we're persevering, then this perseverance will get us through.

And then as a result of that perseverance, the gospel advances.

Here it is. Perseverance in and through suffering advances the gospel.

How many of us are willing to suffer?

Are any of you guys willing to suffer?

We kind of like don't really like suffering.

Because it hurts.

I mean I don't know about you.

There are times when I was not very happy about suffering.

Have you ever thought about what suffering for the gospel actually does for the kingdom?

No.

Because at the moment you're only thinking about your suffering and your pain.

What you end up realizing is that it's far more valuable than you can ever imagine.

And this is what Paul says in Philippians chapter 1, verse 12 through 14.

Philippians 1:12–14

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.

Do you hear that statement?

That this thing that I'm going through has made the gospel even more popular, even more effective.

Who would have thought that suffering makes the gospel more effective?

Because when you're suffering and you're living out this Christian life through your suffering,

and they go, why are you so different?

Why aren't you complaining?

Why do you find joy in all this stuff?

Because it's Christ.

Verse 13, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard

and all of the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

Can you imagine that?

His imprisonment has gotten word out to the entire imperial guard.

Now, do you know how many that is?

Thousands.

Everybody's talking about it.

Like this dude is in a ditch with metal bars that he can't get out of, right?

And more than likely, all of the muck and feces and everything else that they throw out goes right through his imprisonment.

And all he can do is be chained up to another guard and proclaim the goodness of God

and be joyful for what is happening.

And as a result, everybody's talking about, yo, this guy is not upset about this.

What is different about this fellow?

I mean, pretty amazing.

Verse 14, it says, and most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment,

are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

So as a result, there are believers around all of these areas who have heard about his imprisonment are so confident.

It's like if Paul can do this, then there's no reason why I can't preach the gospel and so suffer on the sake of the gospel.

I mean, he's going through far more than I could ever imagine.

And he's finding joy in preaching the gospel, and people are getting saved.

Like, that is amazing.

That is what Paul's saying here.

So suffering for the gospel advances the gospel and builds confidence in others to be confident in proclaiming the amazing gospel of Christ.

Suffering never goes to waste.

Christ always wins in our suffering.

Whoever thought about that suffering would be so wonderful.

Paul says, this imprisonment that has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.

It has become known throughout the whole Imperial Garden to all the rest.

And most of the brothers have become confident in the Lord and are much more bold to speak the word without fear because of this imprisonment.

Who would have thought that perseverance through suffering would have produced this kind of fruit?

We think that the fruits that we're looking for are blessings, but there is no greater blessing than suffering.

It produces for the kingdom people, and it produces in you Christ-like behavior.

You become more like him when you suffer.

So suffer with joy and preach the gospel.

Third, perseverance is never for naught.

Yes, it's one of those English words.

Perseverance is never for naught.

Doesn't that sound good?

I figured.

It sounded good to me.

I had to write the word naught.

I spelled it wrong at first.

It's a joke.

So perseverance is never for naught, but always for his glory.

The reality of our suffering has a greater purpose, the preaching of Christ and him crucified.

Some may think it's a way for revenge and others out of sincere heart, but either way, Christ and his gospel is being proclaimed.

So this is what I say.

There's a lot of churches in our areas, a lot of churches around the country, a lot of churches around the world.

And not all of them preach the gospel as effectively as they should and the responsibility to declare it clearly in the full counsel of his word.

But what does it matter?

As Paul says in chapter 1, verse 15 through 18, some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill.

The latter, those of goodwill, do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

The former, the envy and rivalry, proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

What then?

Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed and in that I rejoice.

I don't care as long as Christ is proclaimed.

Because one way or another, there's one thing we'll do here at Mal-Eaten, and that is to teach the full counsel of God's word and to preach the whole gospel.

And to show a God who stands on behalf of us, a warrior who has already won the war, not a Sisyphi Jesus.

That is what the Philippians understood.

This is Christ in him crucified.

There is nothing greater.

We will see, clearly see this as we go through the rest of this letter.

So what should we do?

How should you persevere?

For some of us, because we do stand in reform theology, say what's the point of preaching the gospel?

Because God has commanded you to do it.

We don't stop preaching the gospel because we think everybody's in is in.

That's not the point.

Your responsibility to the King of Kings is to obey the command of the King.

You've been given marching orders.

Go and preach the gospel.

That is how God's people come to him.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing that of the word of Christ.

How will they hear unless somebody is sent?

How will they be sent unless they are called?

And if you're called, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.

For faith comes by hearing and hearing that of the word of Christ.

We all have a responsibility.

Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, which we will read in chapter two in several weeks from now.

Purpose to preach the gospel.

Enjoy your suffering for the sake of Christ.

It is not, it does not go away for it.

It's for a purpose.

Contend for the gospel.

A lot of times we say be a good Berean, study the gospel.

Be a good Philippian, preach the gospel.

Lord, I want to thank you so much for your faithfulness and goodness.

To you be honor and glory forever.

We thank you that you are the King.

We thank you Lord that we can and have and will persevere because of the love of Christ.

And that through the love of Christ we can persevere through our suffering, which will advance the gospel.

And as a result of advancing the gospel and the truth of your word, if we contend for the full gospel,

regardless of what's being preached out there by anyone else,

we know that you are being proclaimed in the whole earth that you are the God of all creation.

We thank you and we praise you.

May we walk in the truth of our perseverance, which is found in you and you only.

We praise you in Jesus' name, Amen.