Paul’s Thanksgiving and prayer for the Philippians (Phil 1:3-11)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church on Sunday, June 25, 2023

We just began our preaching series on Philippians. As we continue notice joy and thanksgiving in this letter.

Why do we lack thankfulness?

Swindoll shares: A good reminder of this is the short story by G. W. Target entitled “The Window,” which tells of two men, both seriously ill, who occupied the same small hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.  

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The other man had to lie flat on his back. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn’t hear the band, he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn’t seem fair.

As the thought fermented the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and he found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window—that thought now controlled his life.

Late one night as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now there was only silence— deathly silence.

The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take it away—no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.[1]

As we look at this passage notice Paul’s joy.

My theme:

Paul’s Thanksgiving and prayer for the Philippians (Phil 1:3-11)

My applications:

Pray like Paul, have affections for God and others like Paul, and be joyful.

1. Paul gives thanks in prayer (Philippians 1:3-5).
   1. Philippians 1:3–5 (ESV)
   2. ³ I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
   3. Verse 3: Thanks, is in the present tense, meaning continual.
   4. He is thanking God.
   5. He is thanking God as he remembers them.
   6. It seems that Paul has a special relationship with them.
   7. Do we thank God as we think of other people?
   8. In verse 4 Paul goes on.
   9. He is thanking God in his remembrance of them when he prays.
   10. He is making his prayer with joy.
   11. Joy is a dominant theme in Philippians (vv. 18, 25; 2:2, 17, 18, 28, 29; 3:1; 4:1, 4, 10).^[2]
   12. I also notice the repetition of the adjective “all” or “every.” There is also the adverb “always.”
   13. “All” his remembrance of them.
   14. “Always” in “every” prayer.
   15. He is making his prayer with joy.
   16. This comes off choppy. But look at the NAB rendering: I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all…
   17. He is always thanking God for his remembrance of them…
   18. He is always offering prayers with joy.
   19. This happens in every prayer for them.
   20. In verse 5 Paul shares that he is thankful for their partnership in the gospel.
   21. This is what he is thankful for. He is thankful that they partnered in the gospel from the first day until now.
   22. The Philippians partnered with him financially (Phil. 4:10-20).
   23. Are we partnering in the gospel?
   24. Let’s move to the next verse:
2. God will complete what He began (Philippians 1:6).
   1. Philippians 1:6: 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.
   2. Paul says that he is sure… Notice that.
   3. He who began a good work…
   4. Who began the work?
   5. Who do you think?
   6. It is God.
   7. God is the One Who initiates salvation.
   8. John 6:44 (ESV)
   9. ⁴⁴ No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
   10. God does the saving.
   11. God will also bring our salvation to completion at the day of Christ.
   12. It is more literally that He will perfect it UNTIL the day of Christ.
   13. He will keep working in us to grow in grace and godliness until Jesus comes again.
   14. This means that when God makes all things right. This is either when Jesus raptures us or when He comes to usher in the New Heavens and the New Earth. It could be somewhere in between.
   15. God is at work and He will finish the work.
   16. Do we trust Him?
   17. We may not finish a job, but He does. God is faithful.
   18. Now, let’s see Paul’s affection for the Philippians.

• Paul’s affection for the Philippians (Philippians 1:7-8).
  1. Philippians 1:7–8 (ESV)
  2. ⁷ It is 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. ⁸ For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
  3. Swindoll, ”Laugh Again”
  4. His memory of them made him smile. Meaning what? What were Paul’s happy memories? He had no regrets, he nursed no ill feelings, he struggled through no unresolved conflicts. When he looked back over a full decade and thought of the Philippians, he laughed!
  5. I wonder how many pastors can say that about former churches they have served? Could you say that about former friends you have had? Or places where you have worked? Are yours happy memories? Unfortunately, the memory of certain people makes us churn. When we call them to mind, they bring sad or disappointing mental images. Paul knew no such memories from his days in Philippi. Amazingly, he could not remember one whom he would accuse or feel ill toward, not even those who threw him in prison or those who stood in a courtroom and made accusations against him. He entertained only good memories of Philippi. Positive memories make life so much lighter.[3]
  6. Look at that.
  7. He holds them in his heart.
  8. He has a personal relationship with them and he will say why.
  9. They are fellow partakers of God’s grace.
  10. This is true where he is at currently, remember he is in prison.
  11. This is also true in his gospel work.
  12. One source shares: Paul’s imprisonment would have been a source of great shame in the ancient world, but the Philippians have nonetheless stood in solidarity with him. This was no doubt an encouragement as he shared the good news with his captors and judges.^[4]
  13. Verse 8, he yearns for them.
  14. He even says with the affection of Christ Jesus.
  15. Wow!
  16. Are we thankful?

1. Paul’s prayer for the Philippians (Philippians 1:9-11).
   1. Philippians 1:9–11 (ESV)
   2. ⁹ And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
   3. Now, Paul is really praying.
   4. This is important.
   5. It is important to see his heart’s desire for them.
   6. He wants their love to abound more and more.
   7. He prays that they have knowledge and discernment.
   8. Verse 10 is purpose.
   9. When they have that love with knowledge and discernment they may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the Day of Christ.
   10. Paul wants to see them pure and blameless.
   11. That is awesome!
   12. Do we want to be pure and blameless when Jesus comes again?
   13. He prays that they would be filled with the fruit of righteousness. I think that is the fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5:22-23.
   14. That fruit of righteousness only comes through Jesus.
   15. See John 15:8 and Eph 2:10 for that.
   16. This is about the Holy Spirit gradually working in our lives until we go to heaven or Jesus comes again.
   17. This is to the glory and praise of God.
2. Application
   1. Do we thank God as we think of other people?
   2. Swindoll shares: If you have not yet read John Powell’s Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am? you are missing a great experience. There is a section in the book that is worth a great deal of your time and attention. It is where the author presents the five levels of communication, which, he says, are like concentric circles—from the most shallow and superficial level (outer circle) to the deepest, most intimate level (smallest circle at the core).
   3. Level five, the outer circle of superficiality, is the level he calls “cliché conversation.”
   4. On this level, we talk in clichés, such as: “How are you? . . . How is your family? . . . 
   5. That’s cliché communication. Tragically, that is the deepest many people choose to go.
   6. Level four is where we “report facts” about each other. We remain contented to tell others what so-and-so has said or done. We offer no personal, self-revelatory commentary on these facts, but simply report them.
   7. This is the realm of gossip and petty, meaningless little tales about others.
   8. Level three leads us into the area of ideas and judgments. Rarely do people communicate at this deeper level. They are able, but they’re not willing.
   9. As I communicate my ideas, etc., I will be watching you carefully. I want to test the temperature of the water before I leap in. I want to be sure that you accept me with my ideas, judgments, and decisions. If you raise your eyebrows or narrow your eyes, if you yawn or look at your watch, I will probably retreat to safer ground. I will run for the cover of silence, or change the subject of conversation.
   10. Level two moves into “feelings.” If I really want you to know who I am, I must tell you about my stomach (gut-level) as well as my head. My ideas, judgments, and decisions are quite conventional.
   11. Level one is the most personal, intimate form of communication.
   12. All deep and authentic friendships, and especially the union of those who are married, must be based on absolute openness and honesty. . . . Among close friends or between partners in marriage there will come from time to time a complete emotional and personal communion.
   13. Such depth of communication, which Paul seems to have practiced on a regular basis, brings a satisfaction—and joy—like few things on earth.[6]
   14. Do we thank God for reminding us of each other as we pray?
   15. Do we pray with joy?
   16. Are we remembering each other in prayer?
   17. Are we partnering in the gospel? We see in verse 5 that Paul was thankful for their partnership in the gospel?
   18. How do we feel about the gospel?
   19. Do we believe the Gospel?
   20. If you believe these truths say Amen.
   21. Is Jesus the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father, but by Him?
   22. Amen
   23. Do you believe John 3:16, if so say amen after I read it:
   24. John 3:16 (ESV)

• ¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

1. 1:6 shows that God does the saving, and He will also complete the saving. We must give Him the glory and we must trust Him.

• We must have affections for others who are in gospel work with us.

1. Do we yearn for other Christians like Paul does in verse 8?
2. Do we model our prayer off of how Paul prayed in verses 9-11?

• Do we want to love Jesus?
• Do we want to be pure and blameless?

1. Do we want to be able to approve what is excellent?
2. Verse 11: Do we want to be filled with the fruit of righteousness (see Gal 5:22-23)?

• Do we glorify God and praise Him?

Paul talked about their partnership in the gospel.

Let’s read this early church creed together.

Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (Nicene Creed AD 325 edited at the Council of Constantinople in 381)

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made;

Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; from thence he shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets.

In one holy catholic and apostolic Church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.[7]

[1] Swindoll, Charles R.. Laugh Again (pp. 50-51). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

^[2] R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2108.

[3] Swindoll, Charles R.. Laugh Again (p. 38). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

^[4] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2280.

^[5] R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2108.

[6] Swindoll, Charles R.. Laugh Again (pp.42- 43). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

[7]  Elliot Ritzema, “Nicene Creed,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

I enjoy being a father. It is the most important job that I have. I notice certain things about this job more and more. I notice responsibilities, pressures, and joys.

On December 6, 1907, a massive explosion decimated a coal mine in Monongah, West Virginia. Three hundred and sixty-two miners were killed, making this the worst mining disaster in U.S. history. The tragedy devastated the small town and led eventually to the establishment of the U.S. Bureau of Mines.  

The Monongah mine disaster also marked another beginning. Several months after the explosion, a local church held a special service in honor of the 362 miners, most of whom had left behind wives and children. This is the first event on record in the United States set aside specifically to honor dads. 

Two years later, a woman from Spokane who, along with her five siblings, was raised by her widowed father, began a public campaign to establish a national Father’s Day. A day for mothers was already in the works and, according to historical accounts, was a much easier sell to the public. By 1916, President Woodrow Wilson had officially recognized Father’s Day, though it would not be recognized as a national holiday until 1972. 

A little over a hundred years after the mining disaster that birthed Father’s Day, the United States is now suffering a crisis of fatherlessness. One in four American kids are, like so many in that West Virginia town, growing up without their father at home. That amounts to 18.5 million kids. 

If statistics hold, this means that 18.5 million children are three times more likely to engage in criminal activity than those who have dads at home. Those 18.5 million kids are more likely to engage in sexual activity earlier, are less likely to go to college, more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems, more likely to struggle academically, are twice as likely to commit suicide, and much more likely to commit violence. The vast majority of mass shooters in the past 20 years were young men who were, in some way, estranged from their fathers. 

Almost any social good that can be named is dependent on dads who commit to their families and is at risk when they don’t. This does not mean that every child who grows up without dad in the home will not succeed.

Showing up, sticking around, and discipling kids as only a father can is a powerful witness to the beautiful design and the steadfast love of our own heavenly Father. Every kid needs and deserves one.[1] 

Fathers and mothers, and the family are part of God’s natural law. Natural law is the ethical or moral structure that God has revealed to humans in creation (both within their consciences and in the providential unfolding of history) and which is discerned through reason and experience.  The concept of natural law has existed since the earliest days of the church. When Paul wrote of those who “by nature do what the law requires” (Romans 2:14), he may have been thinking in terms of natural law.^[2]

As we celebrate Father’s Day I want to focus on God’s order. God established the family.

My theme today is that God established the family as the first institution. We must honor the family.

1. God established the family (Genesis 2:18-24).
   1. In Gen. 2:18 the Lord says that it is not good for man to be alone and so the Lord created Eve.
   2. Look at: Genesis 2:21–24 (ESV): ²¹ So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. ²² And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. ²³ Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” ²⁴ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
   3. In that passage God is setting the first institution, which is the family.
   4. God officiated the wedding for Adam and Eve.
   5. As one writes: This is a wedding. You know how the father brings the bride down the aisle to the groom? In this case, the father is God. God is doing the honors, and he’s bringing the wife to the husband. When Adam sees Eve, he literally explodes into art. This is the first piece of art in the history of the world, according to the Bible. This is Hebrew poetry using parallelism, assonance, word play, and a chiastic structure. It’s a song. He’s exploding into poetry and song…[3]
   6. In Genesis 3, the devil temps Eve and Adam does not step up and defend his wife. Sin then enters the world.
   7. In Genesis 4, the two, Adam and Eve, become 4, and then many more Cain and Abel followed by others.
   8. This is the family, the first institution given to society.
   9. There is a principle, it is This means the closest people to a situation are most equipped to handle the situation. Your family is most equipped to take care of the needs of your family. Poland is most equipped to handle the needs of Poland. Ohio is most equipped to handle the needs of Ohio. It is not good to micromanage.
   10. Family is critical for the health of society. God established the family. God established and placed it on our hearts as part of natural law the idea of mom, dad, and family order.
   11. Exodus 20:12 (ESV) ¹² “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
   12. Paul later says in Eph. 6:2 that this is the only commandment with a promise. The point is that no civilization can live well in the land without respect for parents.
   13. Family was God’s idea, not man’s.
2. Father’s have a significant rule as provider and spiritual leader in the family.
   1. Sticking with the Old Testament we can see the consequences when dad’s don’t lead in the family. In 2 Samuel 13 David’s son Amnon raped his sister Tamar. David did not do anything about it. This led to David’s son Absalom taking matters into his own hands and then eventually David almost lost the kingdom. David should have been the dad.
   2. But what about the New Testament?
   3. In the New Testament we have household codes. We find these in Eph. 5:22-6:9; Col. 3:18, 22, and 1 Peter 3. In the Pauline household codes Paul reflects the household codes of the Greco-Roman world, but he is a little subversive. In the Greco-Roman world the father was the head of the house and his rule was absolute. The male head of household is referred to as the paterfamilias. The paterfamilias maintained power over property and family members—even power of life and death. ^[4]
   4. But in Ephesians 5:21, before Paul writes about family order he writes:
   5. Ephesians 5:21 (ESV) …²¹ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
   6. Then Paul writes: “Wives to your husbands, as to the Lord…” (Eph. 5:22).
   7. There is still an order in the family, but we have mutual submission. I think Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is still considering the husband, the leader of the family, the spiritual leader, and the head, but we must be servant leaders. As we continue in Ephesians 5 Paul gives the example of what Jesus did. Husbands are to be like Jesus. What did Jesus do? He came and served us. He came and died to take care of our sin problem.
   8. Ephesians 5:23–25 (ESV) ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…
   9. Now, look at this Jesus is the head of the church and He died for the church. The church is the bride of Christ, there is family language again. Jesus took care of the bride’s spiritual need.
   10. Husbands, fathers, must be spiritual leaders of our family.
   11. We are the pastor of our family.
   12. What does it mean to watch over our children spiritually?
   13. The Bible makes it clear that we are to pass on the faith to the next generation:
   14. Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (ESV) ⁴“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ⁶ And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
   15. All through the Old Testament it talked about teaching our children and grandchildren about the Lord. Not just about God in a generic sense, but the Lord.
   16. It means to introduce them to Jesus. Show them that you love Jesus. Show them that you treasure Jesus. Bring them with you to church. Read the Bible with them. Pray with them. Pray for them. Discipleship begins at home, and, again, you are the pastor of your family.
   17. Sitting at his father’s bedside after watching him take his last breath, John Piper spoke these words:I look you in the face and promise you with all my heart: Never will I forsake your gospel. O how you believed in hell and heaven and Christ and cross and blood and righteousness and faith and salvation and the Holy Spirit and the life of holiness and love. I rededicate myself, Daddy, to serve your great and glorious Lord Jesus with all my heart and with all my strength. You have not lived in vain. Your life goes on in thousands. I am glad to be one.

• The family is a gift from God.
  1. This is God’s order.
  2. God established the family.
  3. God established the family with husbands, and wives, children, and grandchildren. The world may be confused, but we should not be confused.
  4. The world is confused.
  5. Gavin Ortlund writes;
  6. The sense of chaos and disintegration introduced by atheism is powerfully conveyed in Friedrich Nietzsche’s famous parableof the “madman.” This character (generally regarded as representing Nietzsche) runs to the marketplace and cries out,
  7. “Whither is God?” . . . “I will tell you. We have killed him—you and I. All of us are his murderers. But how did we do this? How could we drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? What were we doing when we unchained this earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving? Away from all suns? Are we not plunging continually? Backward, sideward, forward, in all directions? Is there still any up or down? Are we not straying, as through an infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it not become colder? Is not night continually closing in on us?”[5]
  8. Once they take away God there is no hope, no backward, sideward, forward. It is empty and cold. The world may be confused about the family, but we do not need to be confused about the family.
  9. In his famous essay on existentialism, for example, Jean-Paul Sartre rejected the efforts of earlier French atheists to retain objective morality apart from God, statingthat “the existentialist . . . finds it extremely embarrassing that God does not exist, for there disappears with Him all possibility of finding values in an intelligible heaven.”[6]
  10. When God is rejected, when His values are rejected, what follows is the rejection of morality, ethics, values, and of course family.
  11. God gave us family.
  12. We don’t need to be confused. We must be model examples.
  13. God created family. God gave family as a gift.
  14. Do you realize that family is a gift given by God?
  15. God created Eve for Adam because there was a need. It was not right that man should be alone (Gen. 2:18). In other words, though we say God should be enough, the norm is that we need other people. This is natural law. This is God’s natural order which He established with creation. God gave family as a gift.
  16. The family is God’s first institution.
  17. Dads are the pastor of the family.

By the way, AND this is very important, sometimes families are divided. Sometimes dads are absent. This happens too often, and it is tragic. We must all remember that God is our heavenly Father. We must all remember that the church is our family. Family is a central metaphor for understanding our relationship to God. Israel is portrayed as the Lord’s daughter or wife (Jer 3:20; 31:22). Jesus’ followers are children of God; His brothers and sisters (Mark 3:31–35). In many of the letters of the apostles, followers of Jesus are referred to as brothers and sisters (Rom 16:17). The covenant with God is understood as a great extended family.^[7]

Sometimes, families are even divided by the Gospel. Jesus said that would happen (Matthew 10:21, 36; Mark 13:12). Still, that is part of the sinful world. God’s order for the family was established in the Garden of Eden. Praise God for family. Praise God for fathers, mothers, children, and grandchildren.

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

Pray

[1] https://breakpoint.org/healthy-cultures-rest-on-dads-shoulders/

^[2] Brian Collins, “Natural Law,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).

[3] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

^[4] Ibid.

[5] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/apologetics-age-despair/

[6] Ibid.

^[7] Michelle J. Morris, “Family,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D. Barry et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

Most folks have a key chain and on that key chain there are a plethora of keys, each designed to open a certain lock. It is quite normal to have a number of keys. There is probably one for the house, one for the car, one for the office, and so on. Each key has been uniquely cut to fit a specific lock in order to enter or gain access to a specific location.

I have a number of keys that look alike, are the same length, and appear similar in shape, but they won’t open the same door because they have each been uniquely crafted from a different master key. Each key has been uniquely crafted for a special place.

In our context, God is the master key. He opens everything, but He has uniquely crafted every believer for a specific place in which He wants you to make a difference in the lives of others as a recipient of the manifold grace of God.^825[1]

Today, we begin a sermon series on the New Testament letter of Philippians. As we begin this letter, we see the apostle Paul describe himself as a servant. Paul also extends grace and peace. Let’s begin this letter.

Today, my theme is:

Grace and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:1-2)

My application: As a church let’s serve the Lord in unity.

1. Allow me to intro Philippians:
   1. One source says that Philippians is Theology in street clothes.
   2. Author: The Apostle Paul is identified as the author
   3. When was this letter written? Paul clearly writes Philippians from prison, but he doesn’t say where.
   4. The date is dependent on where he wrote this from. Acts speaks only of his two-year detention in Caesarea Maritime in Palestine 58-60 AD. Followed by another two-year stent in house arrest in Rome awaiting trial (60-62). He was imprisoned on another occasion prior to 58 AD. But we are unsure of where and when (2 Cor 6:5; 11:23). Evidence leads towards Paul’s Roman imprisonment making this one of his latest letters.
   5. Paul’s triumphant declaration that his imprisonment for the sake of Christ, “has become known to the whole praetorian” (Phil 1:13) and his word of greetings for converts within “Caesar’s household” (Phil 4:22) are most natural and most impressive in Roman settings (DeSilva 646).
   6. Paul planted the church at Philippi during his second missionary journey (AD 50) in response to his “Macedonian vision” (Ac 16:9–10). This was the first church in Europe (Ac 16).
   7. One source adds: The text of this letter from Paul suggests several characteristics of the church at Philippi. First, Gentiles predominated. Few Jews lived in Philippi, and, apparently, the church had few. Second, women had a significant role (Ac 16:11–15; Php 4:1–2). Third, the church was generous. Fourth, they remained deeply loyal to Paul.^[2]
   8. ESV SB: The church at Philippi had a special significance for Paul, since it was the first church he founded in Europe (see Acts 16:6–40). The first convert was Lydia, a seller of purple goods, and women continued to have a prominent role in the Philippian church (e.g., Phil. 4:2). Paul and Silas were imprisoned there for exorcising a demon from a fortune-telling slave girl, but God miraculously delivered them, and they proclaimed the gospel to the Philippian jailer. Paul likely visited the Philippians a few times after his initial departure, and they maintained active support for his ministry ( 4:15–16).^[3]
   9. Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great took over the Agricultural settlement called Krenides in 356 BCE renaming it Philippi. Macedonia came under Roman control in 168 BC, but Philippi as Paul knew it really took shape during the Civil wars that rocked the Roman Republic during the second half of the first century BC. The final battle between Caesar’s armies, led by Marc Antony and Octavian (Later the emperor Augustus), and the armies of the assassins of Julius Caesar, Brutus, and Cassius, took place near Philippi in 42 BC. Antony and Octavian rewarded veterans with settlements in Philippi and generous grants of farmland in the hinterland of that city. After the alliance between Antony and Octavian broke down, the second civil war was effectively ended with Antony’s defeat near Actium in 31 BC. Octavian settled many of Antony’s soldiers in Philippi since they had forfeited their claims to land in Italy. Philippi was refounded as a colony of Rome (Acts 16:12) and named after Augustus’s daughter (Colonia Iulia Augusta Philippensis), whose citizens enjoyed Roman citizenship) (DeSilva 640-641). This made Philippi under Roman law. The citizens in Acts 16:21 saw themselves as Romans first. Philippi was not a major city. Philippi had several temples and the typical cultic practices of Romans and Greek gods. The imperial cult was strong. The GK gods such as Zeus, Apollo, Dionysus, and Artemis were strong in this city. There was probably high tension between the Christian community and the world they left behind.
   10. ESV SB: On balance, it seems most likely that the letter was written from Rome, c. d. 62. This also fits most naturally with the mention of the praetorium and “Caesar’s household” (Phil. 1:13 and 4:22).^[4]
   11. Theme (from the ESV SB): The chief theme of Philippians is encouragement: Paul wants to encourage the Philippians to live out their lives as citizens of a heavenly colony, as evidenced by a growing commitment to service to God and to one another. The way of life that Paul encourages was manifested uniquely in Jesus Christ; it was also evident in the lives of Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus.^[5]
   12. Interesting: Many of Paul’s letters can be divided into theological and practical sections, but Philippians does not follow that pattern. Paul’s theological instruction is woven throughout the fabric of a highly personal letter.^[6]
2. Grace and peace
   1. Now, let’s focus on Paul’s opening words.
   2. Philippians 1:1 (ESV)
   3. Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:
   4. Paul begins saying who the letter is from.
   5. Paul and Timothy wrote this.
   6. Why was Timothy mentioned?
   7. It does seem that Timothy was with him but did not write the letter. It is most likely giving Timothy’s name makes a nice personal connection.
   8. It is possible that he was Paul’s scribe.
   9. New American Commentary: Paul mentioned him in the salutations of six epistles (2 Cor; Col; Phil; 1, 2 Thess; Phlm) and wrote two epistles to him (1, 2 Tim).^4[7]
   10. Notice how he says that they are servants of Christ.
   11. He does not identify himself as an apostle.
   12. Maybe this is because this is a friendly letter. He is not writing with a rebuke like in Galatians. He does address concerns later, but the overall letter is mainly one of joy, thanks, and encouragement.
   13. Paul and Timothy are servants of who?
   14. Servants of Christ Jesus.
   15. Christ means the “Messiah,” which means, “anointed one.”
   16. Jesus means “the Lord saves.”
   17. They are servants of the Savior.
   18. The Greek is more literally slaves, or bond-servant. This is like an indentured servant.
   19. The letter is to all the saints.
   20. Every believer is a saint, so the letter is to every believer in Christ at Philippi.
   21. Saint means “holy-ones.”
   22. Paul also addresses the church leadership. He addresses the overseers and deacons.
   23. Overseers would be elders.
   24. New American Commentary: The other group consisted of bishops and deacons. This is the only time Paul used the word “bishop” [translated “overseers” in the ESV] outside of the Pastoral Epistles.^12[8]
   25. “Deacon” means “servants.”
   26. These are elders and deacons, and they have an inseparable logical order in church leadership.
   27. Grace and peace

• Who are the grace and peace from?
• God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Notice he references God as our Father.
• God is our loving Father.
• He also references the Lord, Jesus Christ.

• Piper: Grace is with them as they go on their way and “to you” in the front.
• That is the case in all 13  of Paul’s letters without exception. It is grace to you in the beginning and grace with you in the end.
• As you begin to read the letter God will mediate grace and as you end the letter grace will be with you, strengthening you as you leave.
• “From God our Father.”

• If you do a study, you will see that the word “grace” and “Father” are connected at every single letter of the Apostle Paul.
• In his mind to be a child of God is to be in a state of grace that is inexpressibly great.
• We are a family with God as our Father.

• With God as our Father, grace is coming to us all the time.
• In the Old Testament God is considered the Father of Israel, but almost never do you see individuals talking of God as “My Father.” Sometimes, not regularly, but that is the reality of being a saint, a child of God.[9]
• MacArthur: It is said that when Bible translators were seeking a word or phrase for “peace” in the language of the Chol Indians of South Mexico, they discovered that the words for “a quiet heart” gave just the meaning they were looking for. That’s an appropriate parallel because peace guards the soul against anxiety and strife, granting solace and harmony.[10]

• Applications and review:
  1. Paul and Timothy are servants of Christ (Phil. 1:1). We must strive to consider ourselves as servants. We must strive to serve however we can.
  2. Paul lists himself not using the “apostle” title, but equally with Timothy as a servant. We must consider ourselves equal servants of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:1).
  3. We must not try to bring up rank but be a servant (Phil. 1:1; 2:3-4).
  4. We must think of how we can serve one another.
  5. Maybe God is calling us to be more of a servant.
  6. Maybe God is calling us to think about how to sacrifice more.
  7. Paul lists the saints, alongside the leadership (Phil. 1:1). We must consider the church holistically. We are all saints. We are all holy ones.
  8. We must extend grace and peace from the Lord (Phil. 2:2).

Tony Evans shares:

We have a computer network in operation on our church campus. This network only functions because of its servers. Servers enable the computers to communicate with each other so that all of the campus computers can “be on the same page.” Our capacity to maximize our campus productivity is enhanced because our servers are in place doing their jobs.

God wants a networked campus of hearts who love Him and who love one another because they are networked by servers—men and women who give of themselves because they have received the manifold grace of God.^824[11]

Prayer

^[1] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 276.

AD In the year of our Lord

^[2] Richard R. Melick Jr., “Philippians,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1882.

^[3] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2275.

1. about, approximately

^[4] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2275.

^[5] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2275.

^[6] Richard R. Melick Jr., “Philippians,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1883.

^[7] Richard R. Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, vol. 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 47.

¹² It only occurs twice there, 1 Tim 3:2 and Titus 1:7. A related word, ἐπισκοπῆς (rather than ἐπίσκοπος), occurs in 1 Tim 3:1. Peter used each word (1 Pet 2:12; 2:25). Ἐπίσκοπος also occurs in Acts 20:28.

^[8] Richard R. Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, vol. 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 49.

[9] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbz5d8Np9eQ&feature=youtu.be

[10] Devotion originally at: https://www.gty.org/library/devotionals/drawing-near?utm_source=mailerlite&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=read_todays_drawing_near_devotional&utm_term=2019-02-09

^[11] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 276.

God’s Love Enables You to Love Others (1 John 4:11)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, June 4, 2023

David Jeremiah shares the following story:

Rick Garmon opened his gun cabinet and took a long look at the weapons within it. He lifted his best rifle and began polishing it. He had been doing all he could to hide the rage inside him, but people knew.

What they could not know was that the fantasy of vengeance that had crept into his mind months ago had put down roots and grown into a genuine intention. He was going to take this gun, place it on the floor of his car, and drive slowly through the college campus. Sooner or later he would see him—the student who had raped his daughter Katie. Then he would calmly pick up the gun, aim it, and deliver justice.

His sweet Katie had been only eighteen, a college freshman. She couldn’t tell anyone for a long time. Instead, she switched schools, developed eating disorders, and fought severe depression. It was Katie’s mother—Rick’s wife—who finally got the truth out of her. She told her mother about the date rape and gave her the name of the boy. But it didn’t help. Katie became more and more withdrawn. It took a year of prayer and therapy before she finally began to turn the corner and get on with her life.

But her protective father did not turn that corner. He seethed with ever-deepening fury over the punk who had devastated his daughter. First Rick merely daydreamed about revenge, but at some point he found himself making solid plans.

Now he stood at the gun cabinet, ready to turn those plans into action. That’s when his young son Thomas came up behind him. “You going hunting, Dad? Cleaning your guns? Can I help you?”

For a moment Rick just stood without responding. When he turned around, he saw tears in his son’s eyes. He knows, Rick thought. Dear God, I think my son knows my plan.

Some kind of spell broke at that moment. “Come here, son. Give me a hug.”

Thomas ran over to his dad and then wrapped his arms around his father, hugging him with all the love and affection he could muster. And that was when the father realized the truth. He had thought his bitterness defined him—that nothing could stop the overwhelming hatred from growing stronger in his heart. Now he knew he was wrong. Love was stronger. A son’s love. A Savior’s love. It took a great deal more strength to restrain one’s rage than it did to act it out. That strength could be found only in love.

As Rick replaced the gun and locked the cabinet decisively, he also locked away something within himself. He would not exercise his anger. He would not be judge and jury; he would be a servant of God instead, and that meant forgiving. It would be the hardest thing he had ever done, and it might take several months, and innumerable prayers. But through the power of God’s love, Rick Garmon was going to forgive the man who had violently abused his daughter.^1[1]

That day Rick Garmon encountered God’s transforming love in his son’s embrace. God’s love is more than just talk. It is real. It completely changes the way we think, the way we see others, the way we live each day. Love delivers us from the vicious cycle of vengeful retaliation. It makes life worth living. It changes everything.^[2]

We have been talking about God’s love. Today, I focus on God’s love enables you to love others.

Today, my theme is:

God’s love enables you to love others.

(I am grateful to David Jeremiah’s book “God Loves You” for some of my main points and illustrations. Anything that is a direct quote, or illustration is footnoted)

1. Because God loves us, we can love others (1 John 4:10)
   1. Let’s look at 1 John 4:10 (ESV)
   2. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
   3. God initiated love. He loved us when we were still in our sins.
   4. He sent Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins. This means Jesus appeased the wrath of God.
   5. God loves us and this leads to us loving others.
   6. David Jeremiah: Just as the sun is our only source of daylight, God is our only source of love. Sunrays reflect from all objects they strike, permeating the air with light and making it possible for us to see. In a similar way, God’s love enters the world and reflects off our hearts, making it possible for us to love Him and others. We have no innate capacity, no self-originating store of love to give. We can give only what we receive from Him.^[3]
2. Because God loves us, we can love one another (1 John 4:11)
   1. Look with me at 1 John 4:11 (ESV)
   2. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
   3. We extend God’s love for us to others.
   4. See the progression in John’s writings:
   5. John 13:34-35: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
   6. John 15:12: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
   7. 1 John 3:10: By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
   8. 1 John 4:8: Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
   9. David Jeremiah sharing from Francis Shaeffer: In his book The Mark of a Christian, the late Francis Schaeffer pointed out that Jesus gives the world the right to judge believers by their love for one another:
   10. Jesus says, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” In the midst of the world, in the midst of our present dying culture, Jesus is giving a right to the world. Upon his authority he gives the world the right to judge whether you and I are born-again Christians on the basis of our observable love toward all Christians.
   11. That’s pretty frightening. Jesus turns to the world and says, “I’ve something to say to you. On the basis of my authority, I give you a right: you may judge whether or not an individual is a Christian on the basis of the love he shows to all Christians.”
   12. In other words, if people come up to us and cast in our teeth the judgment that we are not Christians because we have not shown love toward other Christians, we must understand that they are only exercising a prerogative which Jesus gave them.
   13. And we must not get angry. If people say, “You don’t love other Christians,” we must go home, get down on our knees, and ask God whether or not they are right. And if they are, then they have a right to have said what they said.^2[4]
   14. Wow! That is powerful, isn’t it? But it comes right from the Bible. I read the passages to you.
   15. Another example from David Jeremiah: This can turn out to be a pretty tough task. We can heartily agree with one Christian writer who describes how nothing in the world is more important or more difficult than truly loving other people:
   16. That odorous person with the nasty cough who sat next to you on the plane, shoving his newspaper into your face; those crude louts in the neighborhood with the barking dog, that smooth liar who took you in so completely last week—by what magic are you supposed to feel toward these people anything but revulsion, distrust and resentment, and justified desire to have nothing to do with them?^3[5]
   17. We can look at many other scriptures:
   18. The greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37-39.
   19. Love your enemy (Matthew 5:43-45, 48).
   20. Clearly, loving others is what we are to do.

• Applications:
  1. How do we love?
  2. God loved us (1 John 4:10), we must worship Him.
  3. We must thank God and worship Him for His love.
  4. God loves us so much that He took care of our sin. Jesus became the sin offering. Jesus took the wrath of God and turned it into favor (1 John 4:10). We must thank Him and worship Him.
  5. Jesus satisfied the wrath of God in our place. Praise God!
  6. What can we do, but love Him and love others.
  7. We must love others (1 John 4:11).
  8. We must encourage others (1 Thess 5:11; Heb. 10:24-25).
  9. In his book A Simple Blessing, singer Michael W. Smith tells of Justin, a high school freshman who was walking home from school one day when he saw a group of students bullying a smaller boy. They knocked him to the ground, scattering his books and sending his glasses flying. Justin started to walk on, but when he saw the hurt in the boy’s eyes, he stopped, found his glasses, and helped him pick up his books. The boy was so overloaded with books that Justin offered to help him carry them home. On the way, he learned that the boy, Kyle, was a recent transfer to the school, had no friends, and was often harassed by those bullies.
  10. Out of sheer pity, Justin invited Kyle to come over and toss a football with him. The two became fast friends, and at the end of their senior year Kyle emerged as valedictorian of the graduating class. As he began his valedictory speech, Justin was stunned. Kyle told of his early misery. Uprooted, friendless, bullied, and hopeless, he had decided to end his life and was taking his books home so his mother would not have to clean out his locker. But this time when the bullies attacked, Justin came along with kindness and encouragement, which turned Kyle away from despair and gave him a new grip on life and hope.^5[6]
  11. We must say things to encourage others with our words (Eph 4:29).
  12. We must share with one another (Eph 4:28).
  13. We must serve one another (Matthew 5:16; Heb 6:10).
  14. We must be kind to one another, forgive one another (Eph 4:32).
  15. These applications could go on and on.

Christians have always been different. From the beginning Jesus freed us to love self-sacrificially:

Tim Keller shares:

Rodney Stark wrote a book called The Rise of Christianity. If you want a book that gives you a synopsis of early Christianity and why it triumphed in the Roman Empire, you couldn’t do better than that book. It’s readable, great scholarship. It uses sociology as well as historical scholarship. In the book he says there were at least three major ways in which the early Christians were remarkably different than their pagan neighbors.

One is when the great epidemics hit the urban centers of the Greco-Roman world, while other people just fled the cities, Christians stayed in the cities, took care of the sick, even though in many cases they died doing so. Secondly, when Christians were persecuted, that is when they were put to death unjustly, they did not respond with terrorism. They did not respond in violent retaliation. They did not respond with guerrilla warfare, but they died praying for their enemies’ forgiveness.

Rodney Stark points out the third thing. At the height of the Roman Empire, Rome had conquered all the nations in that part of the world. It had never happened before. For the first time really in history in that part of the world, all national borders were open. The nations weren’t against each other. They were all subjugated to Rome, and that meant for the first time in history the cities of the Roman Empire became fiercely multiethnic. That had never happened before.

In those cities there was a great deal of ethnic tension. Those kinds of folks had never lived together before. Rodney Stark said the Christian church was the first institution in the history of the world that brought people together across those ethnic barriers and said, “Race means nothing. Race isn’t important. There’s no pecking order of races and cultures here.” Rodney Stark said no institution had ever done anything like that.^[7]

You see Christians have always been different.

This week, remember God loves you and go and serve in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer

¹ Rick Garmon, “My Secret Hate,” Today’s Christian (May–June 2006). Cited in Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof, 1001 Illustrations That Connect (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), 226–27.

^[1] David Jeremiah, God Loves You: He Always Has–He Always Will (New York City, NY: FaithWords, 2012).

^[2] David Jeremiah, God Loves You: He Always Has–He Always Will (New York City, NY: FaithWords, 2012).

^[3] David Jeremiah, God Loves You: He Always Has–He Always Will (New York City, NY: FaithWords, 2012).

² Francis Schaeffer, The Mark of a Christian (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1970), 13.

^[4] David Jeremiah, God Loves You: He Always Has–He Always Will (New York City, NY: FaithWords, 2012).

³ Quoted in Ray Stedman, “The One Commandment,” May 10, 1985, accessed May 21, 2012, http://www.pbc.org/system/message_files/4298/3867.html.

^[5] David Jeremiah, God Loves You: He Always Has–He Always Will (New York City, NY: FaithWords, 2012).

⁵ Michael W. Smith, A Simple Blessing (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011), 145–46.

^[6] David Jeremiah, God Loves You: He Always Has–He Always Will (New York City, NY: FaithWords, 2012).

^[7] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).