Partners in the Gospel

Philippians 1:3-6
 
Next Sunday
 
Next Sunday morning, our new pastor, Phillip Short and his wife Giova, will be here. Pastor Phillip will be preaching. On our side of the equation, we’re all wondering things like…

• What’s he like?
• Is he friendly… is he nice?
• How’s his preaching?
• How’s his walk with the Lord?
• Who does he cheer for during college football season?

 
I can tell you the answer to the last question: He’s an SEC man… he went to Auburn. So, some of you will like him right away, while others will have to warm up to him. But seriously, from our end of things, we’re wondering how will Southside change under new leadership.
 
However, can you imagine how he’s feeling? There’s only one of him, and lots of us. He must be wondering,

• What are they like?
• Are they friendly?
• Will they like my preaching?
• Will they support my ministry?
• Can I work closely with someone who likes the Georgia Bulldogs?

 
Pastor Phillip
 
Well let me tell you what I know from having met with Pastor Phillip several times. We’re going to love him. He’s relational, friendly, and warm. His love for Jesus is clear. His love for the church is very evident. He knows we’ve been praying for him as a congregation for almost 40 days now.
 
He’s heard all about the great ministry to our church family and the blessing our church family has been to our community throughout outreach. And I’ll tell you what, he’s excited to be coming to Southside where he’ll not only be our shepherd, but also a partner with us.
 
In fact, that’s what ministry is: A partnership between us, our pastor, and most importantly, our Lord.
 
Paul and the Philippians
 
That’s how the Apostle Paul felt about the Philippians. Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians while he was a prisoner in Rome. His crime? Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul had a deep love for the Philippian church, which is clear when you read the letter.
 
Let me give you a little background on this relationship. According to Acts 16:9, during Paul’s second missionary journey, he received a vision from “a man of Macedonia.” The verse goes on to say that the man in the vision begged the Apostle to “come to Macedonia and help us.”
 
Paul took that as a word from God, and so he and his team traveled to Philippi in Macedonia (which is present-day Greece) where they proclaimed the gospel to Lydia, the Philippian jailer, and others. And by God’s grace, many people came to faith in Christ and the Philippian church was born. Paul loved these folks very much.
 
The Letter to the Philippians was written about 10-12 years after that missionary journey in which Paul helped establish the church. He wrote to them because, as mentioned, he was now in prison. Therefore, he obviously couldn’t visit them. He couldn’t text them, or email them, or skype with them; but he did everything else possible. He wrote letters to them. He received reports about how they were doing. He received and sent messengers like Epaphroditus, whom we learn about in Philippians 2.
 
And most importantly, he prayed for them.
 
Paul’s Prayer
 
In chapter one, Paul shared the kinds of things he prayed for regarding the Philippians. His love and appreciation for them comes through loud and clear.
 
Let’s look at Philippians 1:3-6 again,
 
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 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.
 
Paul’s joy shines through his words, especially when we remember he was in prison as he wrote them. Paul’s circumstances were far from ideal, so why was he so joyful? Well, the context of his prayer gives us the key to understanding his joy. Paul tells them that when he prays for them, every time he prays for them, he thanks God for them. And his gratitude to God, and for them, fills him with joy.
 
And so, a natural follow-up question would be: why was he so grateful?
 
Partners in the Gospel
 
The first reason is because of the Philippians’ partnership in the ministry of the gospel – from the first day to Paul’s present day. Now, to be sure, that included their financial support of his ministry, but that’s not what he’s talking about here.
 
While Paul was literally in chains for the gospel, Philippians 1:14 tells us the Philippians were out proclaiming the gospel in his absence. They weren’t waiting for the pastor (in this case, the apostle) to get back so he could do it. Then, in verses 18-19, Paul says he’s able to rejoice because he knows they’re praying for him and that God would bless him because of that.
 
Can you imagine the blessing that knowledge would bring to the Apostle? That in his absence, they were praying for him. That in his absence, they were preaching and teaching and contending for the gospel.
 
Now fast-forward two thousand years. Can you just imagine how blessed Pastor Philip is to know that even before his new church family has met him, they’ve been interceding in prayer on his behalf? And let me tell you this, Pastor Phillip knows this church family is blessed with intercessors, and teachers, and disciple-makers, and servants, and those who reach out to those in need, and so much more.
 
He knows because I’ve told him. He knows because our Staff Parish has told him. He knows because Southside’s reputation for such things is known throughout the Florida Conference. True story.
Pastor Phillip is excited to become a partner with us in these gospel ministries – both inside and outside our church family.
 
Paul was blessed because he knew the Philippians and the kind of church they were. Pastor Phillip has heard all about Southside and is excited to partner with us.
 
God Finishes What He Starts
 
The second reason for Paul’s joyful prayers was his confidence that the Philippians would continue to grow in their faith. Let’s look at verse 6,
 
6 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.
 
The good work Paul has in mind here is their salvation and growth in grace. When the Bible talks about salvation, it’s not only talking about “getting saved” in the past tense. It’s also talking about what God is doing in and through us here and now, in addition to what God promises for the future.
 
But make no mistake, God is doing something special in the lives of his children in the present. He’s molding and shaping us into the very likeness of his Son, Jesus Christ. And Paul rejoiced that the good work God had begun in them when he saved them from their sin would continue as they partnered with him in the ministry of that very same gospel.
 
So too, in our own church family, God has reached down and rescued each of us who have called on the name of Christ. And he continues to mold and shape us into the likeness of Christ. Not only that, but God has graced us with many partners in Gospel ministry over the years. Most recently, we’ve been very blessed indeed to be in gospel-partnership with Pastor Bruce for 13 years.
 
A New Season, A New Partnership
 
And now, God’s bringing a new gospel-partner into our fellowship. And like Paul, we can rejoice that God, who began a good work in us 71 years ago when Southside began, will carry that good work on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
 
God will finish what he’s started in our church family. In his goodness and grace, God’s bringing us another faithful shepherd to lead us in that gospel-partnership.
 
Therefore, I can’t think of a better way to finish this message and prepare for Pastor Philip and his wife, Giova, than to come to the altar to pray for them, and us, and our new partnership in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
 
Walking Points

• If you missed the opportunity of coming to the altar yesterday for a time of intercessory prayer for our new pastor and this new season at Southside, I encourage you to take some time now to pray for these things.