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Philippians 1:1-11
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the I thank my 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 from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may 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.
Last month we finished talking about Paul's 1st and possibly only visit to the city of Philippi (Acts 16:12-34). Paul began a church there with some unlikely founders: a rich business woman – Lydia, a former slave girl (I’m assuming that she continued to follow Jesus after the demon was driven from her), and a middle class jailer. With such random backgrounds it would be easy to think this church was destined to fail but today we read perhaps the dearest, sweetest letter of Paul in the New Testament. This letter, although small in size, is packed full of verses that show up today on walls, coffee mugs, and t-shirts. It is from this book we get the impression of what church (an assembly of believers) should really look like.
From the start, Paul shows complete love and concern for his fellow church people. He's thankful for them, prays for them, has joy in their partnership and is hopeful for them to endure in their faith to the end. The church people are in his heart. Paul longs for them with the affection of Christ. In these statements there is no stronger way to express how much they meant to him. He loved them as much as Christ, thinking them more important than his own life. All Paul's love leads to one continual prayer for them: Love abounding in more knowledge and depth of insight. Whatever they knew of God and however they were showing it in their everyday life Paul's desire is that they would always grow in it.
This text leads me to:
Be thankful for...
I'm thankful for fellow church people. I know that as I face all the battles of trying to live my faith in this hard, sinful world there are many others at St. Mark who can relate and remind me of Jesus' love for me as I also in turn remind them. We certainly need each other. I'm thankful we have each other.
Confess...
It is easy, so easy to talk past each other and get defensive in church world. I'm sorry for times I've jumped to conclusions and forgotten to love people as Christ does.
Ask...
I'd ask that God provide the same kind of compassionate love Paul had for God's people to the people of St. Mark. Show us Lord that Church is not a big building and nor is it a guilt ridden obligation but it is real people bonded together in the truth that by nature we are lost in our sin and in Jesus fully forgiven.
Do...
I'm going to talk to my church family about more than just the weather. I'm going to ask questions like, "How's it going..., really?" and then listen.
What does Philippians 1:1-11 lead you to Be thankful for, Confess, Ask, and Do?
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