Tuesday Teaching: Philippians

Series: The Art of Being Unordinary
Sermon: Philippians (7/7/24)

Happy Tuesday, all.

The Apostle Paul doesn’t say this outright but I think if we read Philippians and then read his other letters it seems reasonable for us to conclude that the church in Philippi is his favorite church. He expresses his love and appreciation for the Philippians over and over again.

I thank God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel…It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart, and whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. - Philippians 1:3-5, 7-8

He calls them “my dear friends…my brothers and sisters…you whom I love and long for…my joy and crown…”

Well my goodness, Paul. If we didn’t know better we might think he's about to ask them for a favor; he’s about to ask them to bring their truck and come help him move and it’s going to take their entire Saturday!

But we know Paul is being sincere in his expression of his love for the Philippians because he tells us why, for two reasons.

The first is that these people supported Paul in his missionary work even when no other church would.

Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. - Philippians 4:15-16

The second reason is that Paul says they have been faithful and obedient in following what he told them to do.

These letters Paul’s writes are almost never the first communication he has with these groups of churches. They are follow-ups. He’s circling back.

He spent time with them, taught them, showed them how to live the Jesus-filled life, and now he’s writing to clarify, correct, and convict these new Christians to make sure they’re believing and living right.

And he’s overjoyed that unlike some of the other churches the people in Philippi had listened to and embraced his gospel message about Jesus. Paul founded the Philippian church and had developed a deep, personal bond of affection with its members.

Philippians is a fun letter to read, because Paul wrote to the Philippians to encourage them as believers and urge them to rejoice in the Lord.

His tone is overwhelmingly positive, appreciative, admiring, even cheerful.

And this is remarkable, because Paul wrote this letter from prison. He’d been preaching and sharing the good news about Jesus, and the Roman authorities locked him up for it.

It’s from this prison, probably with lashes on his back and his hands in chains, that Paul writes some of the most joy-filled words of our entire scripture.

...the important thing…is that Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. - Philippians 1:18-19

And again in chapter three:

Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. - Philippians 3:1

And the most famous one, from chapter four:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. - Philippians 4:4-5

From prison Paul wrote these words!

He’s being treated unjustly by the governing authorities even though he’s preaching about a savior who came to bring justice…he’s being oppressed even though he’s sharing the message of a liberating messiah…he’s behind bars even though his teaching is all about the only path to real freedom.

And he’s doing it with great joy, even inviting the Philippians to join him in gladness because he knows who holds the future and where his hope is found.

Everything has been taken from Paul and he says it’s all been worth it because he’s doing what his King has commissioned him to do.

Is our faith that strong? Is our trust and love of God that central to our identity?

Can we imagine ourselves responding to grief, sorrow, hardship... even political and cultural opposition like Paul does to the Philippians, full of encouragement and joy?

God’s gift of joy does not mean we have to deny the unpleasant experiences of life or merely resign ourselves to pain and disappointment; it means we accept the reality of darkness but live in the light of God’s goodness, mercy, and love.

And we know that in the ultimate future the darkness cannot compete with his full, total, overwhelming light.

Joy is less like happiness than it is like hope, like assurance that what has been promised to us will take place, and that this truth can give us comfort and peace right now. One of Jesus’s main motivations for his ministry and sacrificial service was the opportunity to share his joy with us. The joy of heaven. The joy of eternity together.

Christ came to show us what it looks like to live right now with forever in our hearts, to live together in unified community because he has made a way to experience everlasting joy. The joy Jesus gives is the knowledge that God delights in us and longs for us to dwell in his presence.

Know Him and make Him known!
- Pastor Brady

Read for this coming Sunday: Philemon

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