Bob Josey - Philippians 1:3-8 Thanksgiving

SLIDES

The Letter to the Church at Philippi

1:3-8 Thanksgiving

Introduction

Berlin — Jesse Owens seemed sure to win the long jump at the 1936 games. The year before he had jumped 26 feet, 8 1/4 inches—a record that would stand for 25 years. As he walked to the long-jump pit, however, Owens saw a tall, blue eyed, blond German taking practice jumps in the 26-foot range. Owens felt nervous. He was acutely aware of the Nazis’ desire to prove “Aryan superiority,” especially over blacks.

At this point, the tall German introduced himself as Luz Long. “You should be able to qualify with your eyes closed!” he said to Owens, referring to his two jumps.

For the next few moments, the black son of a sharecropper and the white model of Nazi manhood chatted. Then Long made a suggestion. Since the qualifying distance was only 23 feet, 5 1/2 inches, why not make a mark several inches before the takeoff board and jump from there, just to play it safe? Owens did and qualified easily.

In the finals Owens set an Olympic record and earned the second of four golds. The first person to congratulate him was Luz Long—in full view of Adolf Hitler.

Owens never again saw Long, who was killed in World War II. “You could melt down all the medals and cups I have,” Owens later wrote, “and they wouldn’t be a platting on the 24-carat friendship I felt for Luz Long.”

David Wallechinsky in The Complete Book of the Olympics

This is true friendship. As we are going to see today in our lesson, Paul had this type of feeling toward the believers in Philippi. Whereas, 1 & 2 Timothy are the most personal letters Paul wrote to an individual, the letter to the church at Philippi was the most personal of the church letters. In verses 3-8 Paul poured out from his heart and soul his thankfulness to the church at Philippi for the special relationship they had with him.

I. Thanksgiving and Prayer (1:3-11)

A. Thanksgiving (3-8)

Philippians 1:3-5 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

3-5 Paul continues with the conventional style of Greek letter-writing of his day

with an expression of thanksgiving to God for the recipients of the letter. But he goes beyond this and reveals his affection toward the church with a note of

joy which is dominant throughout the letter.

In verse three he says that he thanks God every time he thinks of them. God is not just some impersonal god he prays to and thanks, but the God with whom he has an intimate, personal relationship who He calls “my God.” He probably thinks of them several times a day because wheather in prison or not, they prayed for him and his ministry. Before he was arrested, they sent contributions for his ministry that supplemented his work. Now that he is in prison and cannot work, most of his contributions for daily sustenance came from the church at Philipp.

Not only did Paul thank God for the Philippian church when he thought of them, but he also prayed for them. The word prayer is not the usual word for prayer but emphasizes prayers of supplication for the Philippian church. They, as Paul, needed prayer for their material and spiritual needs as will become evident in other parts of this epistle. Not only did he pray for their physical and spiritual needs, he prayed these prayers with joy. He prayed with emotions which shows he loved these saints in Philippi and that he believed in the power prayer

It’s easy to have joy when God answers prayers of healing or provision, but do we have the same emotion of joy when we pray for others or are our prayers for others just hum drum? If you think your prayers just go to the ceiling and no further and that prayer just does not change things, yeah, I understand why there is not an attitude and emotion of joy in your prayer. BUT, if we believe that Prayer for ourselves and for others, especially for our brothers and sisters in Christ, is not only a responsibility, but a profound privilege to talk to the Creator and Sustainer of everything, then lets up our game with thanksgiving and a joyful attitude.

In verse 5 Paul gives the reason for thanking God for them and for praying for them with an attitude of joy. The phrase “in view of” would be better translated “because” and the word “participation” would be better translated “partnership.” Paul relationship with the church at Philippi was much more than a something they participated in together. It was a true partnership. It was a partnership of getting the good news of salvation by grace thorough faith in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to others. It is not only a partnership but a true investment. They invested their time in prayer and the giving of material resources so that their partnership with Paul would bring in the dividends of unbelievers being eternally changed by the gospel. They became Paul’s partners in the ministry of proclaiming the gospel when Paul planted the church in Philippi and continued to do so. The time that elapsed was about ten years.

Do you have a ministry partner whom you support financially and pray for with a joyous attitude? If you just support missions through Johnson Ferry, think about also supporting an individual or family financially and with prayer. Ask to receive their newsletters so you can know what their needs are and how to better pray for them. I think you will find that investment a blessing.

Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

6 The three major questions about this verse that must be answered - what is the good work God began in them, how will this good work be perfected, and what is the day of Christ Jesus? Not surprisingly, there are numerous views on this verse. After ruminating on this verse for some time, I have come to the following conclusion. The verb “who began” is in the past tense and it’s a work that God, not Paul, accomplished. Therefore, the good work God began in them was their salvation in Christ which was necessary for a church to be planted. Without saved people, you have no church. “The “will perfect” would be better translated “will complete.” Yes, their spiritual salvation or justification was complete and eternally secure when they trusted Christ as their Savior, but their total salvation for deliverance was not complete. So, here he is not just talking about spiritual salvation. Let’s look at 1 Peter 1:3-5 for another type of salvation.

1 Peter 1:3-5

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Note verse 5 when Peter wrote “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time”

This verse refers to the Rapture of the Church, called the “Day of Christ Jesus” in Phil 1:7 when our bodily resurrection will occur. At that time the bodies of believes in Jesus who are in the grave will be reunited with their soul/spirits to form a new resurrected body like the one Jesus received at His resurrection.

1 Thes. 4:16-17

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

Therefore, the salvation or deliverance of the body/soul will occur and find its completion at the Rapture of the Church when physical bodies will be joined to their soul/spirits to make a new resurrected body.

Philippians 1:7-8

7For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all because I have you in

my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation

of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. 8 For God is my witness,

how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Paul had deep emotional feelings about the church at Philippi because of the reason we have already discussed. Today we would say something like “I love you with all my heart.” It’s not just an emotional feeling, but also a commitment towards these believers. He then gives another reason to the Philippian church why he has such deep feeling and a commitment toward them. The Philippian church was partners with him in the ministry through prayer and through helping him meet his physical needs, while he was in prison in Rome defending the gospel message and validating his faith in Christ. Even though Rome where Paul was imprisoned was 800 miles from Philippi, he felt as though they were right there with him as part of God’s divine enablement to help him share and defend the gospel of Christ.

In verse 8 Paul continues to let the Philippian believers how much he really loves and cares for them by telling them that he longs for them. As we would say today, “he is laying it on pretty thick.” Do you think Paul, by laying the niceties on good and thick, was trying to brown nose them so the material things he needed would continue to come while he was in prison? No, I think all of these positive words toward the believes in Phillip were genuine for two reasons. First, he said that God was his witness concerning all he said about his attitude toward them. Second, he said that he longed for them with the affection of Christ. The word affection actually means one’s inward parts such as the entrails. The feeling was deep and profound as were Christ’s when He died for the sins of all humans. It all boils down to agape’ love in which one is committed to another. If it was not sincere, he was on dangerous ground.

Some Questions to Think About

1. How many missionaries, or for that matter Christians, can you name with whom you feel you have deep relationships?

2. How many people do you know who cause you spontaneously to thank God for them every time you remember them?

3. When you pray for a brother or sister in Christ, do you ever experience joy because of your partnership with them in the work of Christ?

4. How diligent are you about cultivating and maintaining relationships with other Christians? Do you wait for others to take the initiative—and then complain that no one really cares about you?

5. What about people you “used to know”? How well have you kept communication lines open?

6. Do you even want to get to know others beyond a superficial level?