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Fellowship in the Gospel

Philippians 1.3-5                                                                   K.  Elijah Layfield

1 Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:  2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  3 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.  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.  7 For 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.  9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Before we begin our exposition of Philippians 1.3-5, I would like to remind you, by way of introduction, of Paul’s circumstances.  Paul is in Rome, in a prison awaiting the possibility of death.  By his being in Rome, we find that he had written The Letter to the Romans a few years earlier.  We always like to think that because of the love of that letter and the vast theological truth contained within it that he was well received at Rome.  He was anxious to go to Rome and be with the Romans.  But we are quick to find out that the Romans did not respond to Paul as we would think they should  “It is not generally recognized how poorly Paul had been received in Rome … Luke tells us that when Paul arrived in Rome as a prisoner, many of the Christians went out to meet him, just as we might go to the airport to meet a celebrity.  The pastors [became] jealous of Paul.  [Two years pass as Paul sits in jail.  This letter even recognizes that some are preaching Christ to hurt Paul in prison.  "Look at what your preaching got you, Paul—imprisoned!  But we preach and Christ stands with us!"]  They neglected him for that reason [jealousy]. . .In time Paul was almost forgotten . . . He says that most of the Christians had deserted him.  And in 2 Timothy he tells of the difficulty Onesiphorus had in finding him . . . Think of it—the great apostle in a dirty Roman prison, deserted by most of his friends and almost forgotten.  Yet he writes with joy, rejoicing in the riches that belong to all believers in Christ” (James Montgomery Boice.  Philippians.  Baker: 2000, 13).  And is notforgotten by these Philippians to whom he writes this letter.  

Praise in Fellowship Php 1.3 “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,”

Paul’s Thankfulness, “I thank my God”

The amazing panoramic of God’s grace is amazing here.  Here, we have Paul, the very Pharisee that ordered the death of Christian after Christian, thanking God for Christians.  Paul is thanking God for the very enemies that drove him to his rage.  This is God’s work in an unthankful heart, conforming him to His own will, and bringing thanks and praise to Himself.  I am sure that Paul speaks of two avenues of thankfulness toward God.  Firstly, Paul could not forget his persecution of the church that took place at his hands.  He has reason to be thankful that although he was ignorant of God’s will and work, God was pleased to reveal Himself to Paul so that He would not only know Christians, but know them well.  Also, Paul thanks God for the grace seen in the Philippians that are now called the children of God. 

Do we have reason to give thanks?  Should we let our focus on the good work of God be downtrodden by our present struggles.  Does Paul begin his letter by grumbling about his present conditions?  He begins his letter by telling the Philippians that he has thanked God for them and is to this very moment, in his writing of this letter, still thanking God for them.  We need to cry out to God, "Lord, let us give thanks to You for Your people.  You have redeemed them.  They are yours.  Salvation is of the Lord.  You are conforming men to the image of Your Son to the glory of Your Name, and we thank You!"

How can we thank God for even the bad things that happen to us?  Because we know that even in the bad circumstances, God is sovereign—working all things to the good of the believer.  God is still God.  Though the waters of the Red Sea be above our heads, we are not touched.  We will make it to glory no matter the circumstances, and we will make it there unstained by the darkness of this present age.  Not one thing happens apart from God’s active or passive will.  Not one thing touches the believer without God’s weighing or creating will behind it.  Rejoice and thank Him for the circumstances that surround you, even imprisonment!

Paul’s Remembrance, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,”

It was Paul’s remembrance of the Philippians that led him to give thanks to God.  Why is this important?  Paul remembered what it was like going to Philippi.  He had fond memories of them.  He had memories of the gospel being confirmed in Philippi by the mighty outpouring of God’s power.  These remembrances led him to praise God.  Why?  These were God’s activities.  This was His work.  On Paul’s second missionary journey, the journey that brought the gospel to Philippi, we do not find the Philippians begging Paul to bring the gospel to them.  We have Paul receiving a vision from the Lord instructing him to enter into Macedonia and from there the Philippians were brought under the obedience of Christ through placing faith in the good news that Christ has died for sinners to reconcile them to God.  We have Paul thanking God for God had brought the gospel to the Philippians.

God opened Lydia’s heart to believe.  God, out of His goodness, removed the spirit of fortune telling from the slave girl that was bringing profits to her masters at her own spiritual expense.  God is the one in control of Paul’s being dragged before the authorities and being imprisoned.  God brought them to suffer like Christ suffered, beaten by soldiers.  God threw Paul and Silas into the stocks, so that the jailer and his household would hear the gospel and be gloriously saved by grace.  God did it, and Paul praised Him for it.  When Paul remembered the Philippians, He could not help but think on God and thank Him.  Are you willing to create relationships like this, which lead to the praise of God?  If this is how the Lord draws men to salvation, will you bow down to your Master and follow Him even if it means beatings and imprisonment?  Would you endure all things for the sake of those that will be saved?  Paul thanked God for the works done in the Philippians. 

Can you thank God for His works?  Do you cry out with the Moses, “ ‘O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours?” (Deuteronomy 3:24)    Do you say with the Psalmist, “Say to God, "How awesome are Your works! Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You,” (Psalms 66:3) or “Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men” (Psalms 66:5) or “Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders" (Psalms 72:18).  Will you sing with those that are victorious over the beast in Revelation 15:3, “And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!”  Will you thank God for what He deserves to be thanked for?  “One of the standards by which you can measure your maturity in prayer is the amount of time you spend rejoicing in Him and thanking Him for the spiritual blessings He has given you in Christ” (James Montgomery Boice.  Philippians.  Baker:  2000, 30).  Sometimes we pray, beg, and expect of God, but how often do spend the same amount or greater amount of time thanking Him for what He has done.  We'll labor months over a certain petition and then offer one "Thank you, Lord" for praise.  Let us be a people of thanks.    

Prayer In Fellowship

Php 1.4 “always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,”

The omnipotent grace of God is not only working to instill peace in the believer, to bring thankfulness to the heart of the believer, to bring God’s remembrance to the mind of the believer, but it is also working to bring the believer to the throne of grace in prayer and to establish inner happiness because of God’s will being accomplished in this present age of darkness.  We see this in Paul’s prayer and Paul’s Joy.

PAUL’S PRAYER, “always offering prayer … for you all, ”

Paul wants the believers to know that not only is he thinking about them and thanking God for their obedience; he is also praying for them.  Here, we have Paul coming to the throne of grace to plead the case of the Philippians to the God who has brought them to obedience. 

Paul’s Continuance in Prayer, “always offering prayer”

Surely, the Philippians had something like this in mind, “Paul, you are too busy trying to stay alive.  We understand that you must spend your time with the Father for your growth in godliness.  We know that you would like to pray for us, but surely it must be too hard.”  Yet, Paul says I always pray for you.  And, not just regularly, but at all times.  I pray for you during my trials and in my rejoicing.  I pray for you when times are good and when times are bad.  What a sign of love that has a man in prison praying for others growing in grace, with no concern about his freedom unless it promotes their growth in grace.

Paul’s Content in Prayer, “always offering prayer . . . for you all,”

Paul reveals that the content of his prayers was the Philippians.  He, as we have seen, is focused on them.  What does he pray for them toward?  How does the love of Paul for the Philippians manifest itself in prayer to God?  Listen to how Paul begins to pray in verse 9,  “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God ” (Philippians 1.9-11).  He prays that their love grow.  Their love for God and each other.  But, also that it would grow according to real knowledge which is the truth of the Word of God.  He also wants their love to grow for discernment that they would not love the things of the world, but the things of God.  He prays all of this toward the end that they may appear before Christ, conformed to His will, to the glory of God alone.   

Paul’s Offering in Prayer, “always offering prayer”

It is the offering of prayer that speaks of the perfection of the offering that has proceeded it, namely the sacrifice of Christ that proceeded Paul’s prayer.  Prayer is a holy thing that Christ died to consecrate for men.  It is blasphemous for a sinful man to entreat a holy God as if there is no condemnation in his approaching the throne of God Most High.  Why do I labor this point?  I labor it to speak of the great and monumental sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Let us remember the cross.  At the moment of Christ’s death, mere moments after his crying out, “It is finished!” and seconds before committing His spirit into the hands of His Father, the veil that kept men out of the holy of holies was torn in two.  By His grace, we can now enter into the communion with the Father.  We can enter into His presence as sons.  By His grace, we know that we have a right standing because of Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross.  We do not approach a throne of works, in which God either hears or does not hear us because of our goodness.  We now draw near to a thrown of grace and are heard because Christ, our High Priest, has sat down at the right hand of God after completing the sacrifice that was needed for our holy things.  “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).  Let us offer up prayers that are pleasing to Him.  Prayers that plead the righteousness of Christ, and the perfection of His sons in Christ.

PAUL’S JOY, “always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,”

The reason Paul is joyous over the Philippians coming to God is not because he loves seeing men become religious.  The reason he rejoices in the conversion and continuance of the Philippians is because God receives the glory.  The result of the Philippians’ appearance at the day of Christ as sincere and blameless is that it is to the glory and praise of God.  Paul's joy is grace given to enjoy God as God is satisfied in Himself.  God had no need to create man.  God puts nothing before Himself, and enjoys being God and is satisfied in that.  God is not an idolater.  When God brings man to salvation, the man is brought from seeking satisfaction in the world, to having satisfaction in God alone; which at the moment of the believers delight in God, God is glorified.  Paul’s delight is in God alone, therefore, when God is glorified Paul is happy.  So when Paul prays, he remembers the Philippians, and this reminds Him of God's zeal to exalt God and therein lies the key to Paul's joy and happiness, and ability to overcome a jail cell, desertion, and possible death.  

Brethren, our desire to be happy is not separate glorifying God.  Our satisfaction and happiness is in God.  When we are most satisfied in God, He is most glorified in us.  Quit seeking satisfaction in chocolate, money, sex, cars, houses and good health.  Seek satisfaction in God.  When your joy is bound up in God making much of Himself then you shall never lack for joy.  So Paul rejoices in God making much of God in the Philippians. 

This is the same truth Jesus tried to instruct the Pharisees with in the parables in Luke 15.  The focus of the three parables is not the lost sheep, the lost coin or the prodigal son.  The focus is the fact that “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7).  There is joy because creatures that delight in God’s happiness have other brothers and sisters who have turned away from the world to delight in God, bringing glory to His name.  God is glorified in creatures who love Him and who say with Paul, “When I die, I go to the bosom of God and I gain more than I could ever lose.”  And the work of God in these Philippians is an echo of the glory to be revealed from glory.  Hear those echoes of glory resounding in a the walls of a prison as the prisoner offers thanks with joy!

Participation in Fellowship

Php 1.5 “in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.” 

The Act of Fellowship, “in view of your participation”

Paul, brings into view what he sees as the catalyst that fuels his thankfulness to God for the Philippians.  This view fuels his remembrance that causes him to thank God.  It fuels  his prayers that are pleas to God for him to be faithful to the work He has started in the Philippians.  And this view is his joy in God that erupts into the prayers that are offered before the throne of grace.  What is this view that causes all of these acts of worship in Paul?  It is their participation in the gospel.  From the outset, I want you to understand what is meant by the word ‘participation’.  This is the same word that we usually translate, fellowship.  It is the Greek word koinwniva/.  Fellowship is our being bound up together in the gospel and moving together through this life to our designated stop.  Notice this is not the way we think of fellowship.  We have watered down this truth of fellowship so much that we call Christians and food fellowship.  Yet, the truth is, the Philippians had fellowship with Paul in the Gospel.  Because they were both mutually and individually living out the gospel, they were able to come together and fellowship in the gospel. 

The Grounds of Fellowship, “in the gospel”

So the gospel is grounds of this fellowship?  It is fellowship in the gospel.  How have the Philippians and Paul had fellowship in the gospel?  They supported him in his imprisonment, defense and confirmation of the gospel (1.7).  They pleaded with God for Paul’s release in their prayers (1.19).  They have been granted to suffer just as Paul has (1.29).  They supported him financially (4.18).  Because both Paul and the Philippians have the same stake in the kingdom of God, they are able to work together and serve one another.  Their fellowship is one of service in the gospel.

It is a service of receiving the grace to serve (partaking of grace) and letting that grace flow through them into gospels channels.  Receiving grace to be identified with those imprisoned to encourage them with the grace you've found.  Receiving grace to defend the gospel in the face of opposition, and seeing that grace confirm the gospel in the conversion of sinners.  It is a service of receiving grace to approach God's throne to pray for Paul.  And the service is a receiving grace to support God's work even when you don't have the money to give.  That's the grounds of the fellowship—it is the gospel working itself out in your lives.

So the act of participation in the fellowship is a receiving of grace.  It is grace acting in believers drawing them together toward the common goal of Jesus Christ.  Paul, later on in this chapter, says, “For . . .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” (Philippians 1:7).  This is the act of the fellowship they share.  They partake of grace along with Paul.  Because of their mutual interest in and need of the sacrifice of Christ, they have fellowship with one another.  John said it like this, “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1.7).

The Time of Fellowship, “from the first day until now.”

Lastly, let us notice the time of fellowship.  The reason Paul felt such a love and longing for the Philippians is because they latched onto the gospel the first time Paul came to Philippi.  From the very day they have believed, they have not stopped fellowshipping with Paul.  Every chance they have, they are supporting Paul, and giving service to Paul.  They saw the good news of the grace of God for what it really is and it changed them from the very first moment they believed.  There is no ties that bind us in the church other than our partaking of the same grace. 

Today, let us join in the fellowship of the gospel, choosing to thank God for His work in the universe and each other.  Let us live lives that cause men and women to remember our fellowship in the gospel.  Let us do our best to remember those that partake of grace with us.  Do not let your selfish ambition keep you from praying unceasingly for your brethren to be completed in the faith and let us fellowship in truth.  Let us join in the cause of the kingdom.  Let us learn to give, depending upon the grace of Almighty God.   Together, in the fellowship of the gospel, let us pray, “Lord Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, and do it through the fellowship which we have in the gospel of grace.”