Paul opens with a brief greeting and benediction. He refers to himself and Timothy as servants. He had no need to defend his apostolic authority with the saints in Philippi (Acts 16). In this next section he includes his usual thanksgiving.

Pray and Read Philippians 1:3-5.

It has never been easy to develop the kind of community that lasts. Just as companies open and close, so groups form and dissolve frequently. It is rare to be a part of something that lasts. We have talked a lot about the privilege of being a part of a church that is 175 years old. The history and the legacy of this place reaches back longer than most of us have been alive!

While it has always been a challenge to create a church community that lasts, it feels like the pressure has intensified as our culture shifts into a post-Christian world. In many regions of the United States the culture is outright hostile to Christianity. But even where it is neutral or favorable, there are plenty of events competing for our attention.

This has led many churches to make their service more attractive and entertaining. We have to give people a reason to make the effort to attend. That challenge is even more difficult for an evening service.

But what if you’re not trying to compete with the culture at all? What we’re trying to do in the church is wholly different than the world.

“Perhaps the shallowness of the surrounding culture is best exposed by a faith community of moral, spiritual and intellectual depth.” Richard R. Osmer

That kind of community takes a lot of effort by a lot of servants who are not looking for entertainment, but a deeper fellowship with like-minded saints.

Every church bears similar goals for fellowship, but not all produce the same fruit. In Philippians, Paul is concerned to reveal his genuine appreciation for these beloved saints. He chooses his words carefully to build them up.

We can learn a lot from Paul’s example. Too often we want the result without the effort. We want people to remember us, but we don’t remember them. We seek prayer, but we don’t offer prayer.

We expect deep Christian community without investing ourselves in one another.

Partnership in the gospel fills God’s people with gratitude, joy, and genuine affection for one another.

Grateful Remembrance (3)

Not only are the Philippians on his mind often, but his thoughts about them fill him with gratitude. He is thankful for them. Gordon Fee points out that Paul typically gave thanks for people not things.

Gratitude can be challenging depending on how we feel. Have you ever become so focused on your negative circumstances that you cannot begin to find the silver lining? Everything is gloom and despair. In fact, if anyone else is feeling joyful or hopeful around you, you take it personal.

“To be grateful is a human trait. More than that—to be grateful is to be human. For in gratitude we acknowledge that we are not isolated, autonomous individuals but are dependent upon others, a dependency in which we find joy and for which we are thankful.” Carl R. Trueman, “The Age of Ingratitude”

He goes on to say that this age is “marked by infantile ingratitude” which is ultimately dehumanizing us. If Trueman is right, and I think he is, then one of the keys to developing the kind of community that has a lasting impact is to be routinely grateful to the people involved.

Meaningful relationships deserve meaningful words of gratitude.

Praying in general is hard enough, but when I am reminded to pray for someone—it is almost always because they have a pressing need. It might be a health concern, an important decision, life’s frustrations, etc. I pray for their request and move on to the next item.

How often are we simply rejoicing with gratitude in the Christian friendships we possess? How often do you joyfully give thanks to God for particular family members and friends?

Gratitude is a powerful reminder of the joy people bring into our lives. And, our Heavenly Father never tires of hearing his children share the ways in which they are grateful.

› Paul’s grateful remembrance takes him to God where he begins to pray for everyone in the church with joy.

Joyful Prayer (4)

Acts 16 gives us the history of this Philippian community. It’s important that we keep that context in mind because it certainly affects the way we read each passage. It also makes sense of the rich joy that fueled Paul’s gratitude. His prayers for them are grateful and frequent because of that history.

Paul had concerns about tension in the church, but his initial reaction to the memory of each individual was joy. This does not come naturally. It is only possible if tensions are resolved quickly. Interpersonal conflicts must pale in comparison to the unity we enjoy in the gospel.

Paul doesn’t just pray for a few of the folks in the Philippian church, he prays for all of them. Paul isn’t praying for a random collection of individuals. He’s praying for fellow laborers in the gospel. I’d like to think he prayed for each one of them specifically rather than all of them generically.

Paul joyfully brings the needs of these saints before the Lord. Let’s just assume you pray regularly and that you pray for others often. Would you characterize that time as joyful? We might pray because we know it’s important and that God will use it. But, I doubt many of us would describe as joyful.

Most of us probably think of prayer like household chores. We avoid them as long as we can, then we finally do them begrudgingly. We likely do them half-heartedly—distracted by other things—trying to kill two birds with one stone. We knock them out as fast as we can so we can get to whatever important things we have to do.

We would never attach the word “joy” to our chores, unless we’re Mr. Clean and we get paid to act like scrubbing dishes is fun.

Let this become your prayer for the community here. Use Paul’s language until it becomes heartfelt! The reason his prayers were filled with joy was because he cherished the people he was remembering and praying for.

Some of you are new to this church. And some of you have been here for several decades. We regularly have visitors. Branch out in your interactions. Get to know people you haven’t met before. Learn something new about those you don’t know as well.

When people stick around and become members it is usually because they resonate with two things: reverent worship and sincere people. I’m thankful that we have a community that enjoys extended fellowship. I hope everyone senses that here and feels welcome to be a part of it.

› Paul’s grateful remembrance and joyful prayers were because of the Philippians partnership in the gospel…

Enduring Fellowship (5)

The gratitude and joy Paul expresses in his prayer for the Philippian Church is grounded in their partnership in the gospel. They support him financially, prayerfully, and physically (sending along Epaphroditus).

Paul’s imprisonment, described in Acts 28, was one of house arrest. He was not behind prison bars, but he was constantly under the watch of a guard. Roman prisons did not normally provide food for their prisoners. He was completely dependent upon the support of others.

Their financial support is certainly an aspect of their partnership. However, Paul will also describe their partnership in the Spirit and suffering for Christ. Partnership implies much more than merely sending a financial gift.

They are invested in his ministry in several ways. They do not begrudge their service, but long to do more. However, in Paul’s estimation, their partnership in ministry has carried on since they first met and established the community.

Let us recognize how telling it is that the Philippian believers gave to Paul’s ministry. Their enthusiasm to support Paul’s church planting efforts reveals their heart for the advance of the gospel (Phil 1:12-18). They treasured the gospel so they supported its spread (Mt 6:21).

Their generosity is all the more remarkable in light of their poverty:

2 Corinthians 8:1–2 “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.”

They did not spend much time in each other’s physical presence. Their affection for Paul grew through prayer, correspondence, and generosity. It was their unified mission that increased their enjoyment of one another.

Paul clarifies why he is filled with joy. His joy stems from their partnership in the gospel. Because of their support and interest in Paul’s apostolic ministry, he knows they are likeminded in what ultimately matters.

How do we form partnerships with one another like that? We imitate Paul and the Philippians—prayer, correspondence, and generosity. Spend time together, and when we’re apart—reach out with regular reminders that you’re praying. Tell them how thankful you are for them. We think of this as service to others, and Paul greeted them accepting that title, but it was a service that he enjoyed.

› Note the escalation in commitment: Remember with Gratitude > Pray with Joy > Partner in the Gospel.

Conclusion

Did Paul always possess so much affection for others? It’s hard to imagine the author of this letter being the former Pharisee who dragged off Christian men and women and threw them into prison (Acts 8:3). A story like Paul’s is ripe for a lifetime of shame and isolation.

But rather than receiving the judgment he deserved, Saul was graciously blinded by a vision of Jesus asking, “Why are you persecuting me?” In the midst of his quest to destroy the Christian Church, Saul learned that he was persecuting the Lord. The unity we experience as Christians is grounded in the unity we have with Christ.

We cannot manufacture a community that experiences anything close to the kind of unity we enjoy in Christ. Jesus must interrupt us—as he did for Paul—with a vision of his beauty. And once he does, there is nothing else we would rather do than repent and place our faith in him.

Meeting Jesus transforms self-centered sinners into self-sacrificial saints.