Partnership in the Gospel
Introduction
Last week we began a new sermon series. And for the next few months, we’ll be working part by part, section by section through a book of the Bible called Philippians. Philippians is written as a letter to a church in the ancient city of Philippi – that was the original audience that he was in partnership with. But that wasn’t the only intended audience. God uniquely prompted a leader in the early church named Paul to write this letter, not only for the Philippians, but for our benefit, as well.
Now, in a moment, when I read the text, you’ll notice that Paul is saying a lot about his personal activities and emotions. He talks quite a bit about his own relationship with the church at Philippi. And so at first it might seem like the text is just about Paul and the Philippians. It might seem like it’s irrelevant for us. But the way that Paul relates to the Church here is actually instructive. It teaches us about how Christians rightly partner together in gospel ministry – in applying and advancing the good news of Christ.
So if you have a Bible nearby, please turn with me to Philippians, Chapter 1. I’ll be reading verses 3 through 8. (Philippians 1, 3-8). But before I read the text, let’s ask the Lord to help us come to His Word with humble, receptive hearts. Please pray with me:
[Pray and Read Text]
Dealing with Conflict
Imagine that you’re a parent with young children. And you’ve brought your kids together to play some sort of game, or to read a book, or to have some sort of relaxed, enjoyable time with them. You’re expecting that they want to work together to make this happen. But suddenly argument breaks out. They start to argue about who gets to sit in what spot, or who gets the blue game piece, or who gets to take the first turn. And suddenly the restful, fun event turns into something really unpleasant.
You want your kids to understand, that we’re all ultimately on the same team. We’re sharing together in the desire to spend quality time with each other. We have the same objective. But when Child A and Child B lose sight of this, and fixate on getting what they desire in that moment, more than anything else, it throws everyone off. It hinders all of us from moving forward on our mission together.
But of course, it isn’t just kids who act this way. This is a problem for adults, too. We don’t scream and whine about our preferences the same way a lot of kids do – at least, not usually. But our hearts can sometimes be just as stubborn – just as bitter toward people we don’t see eye-to-eye with. This can happen in our workplaces, in our churches – even in the context of our homes or marriages.
And in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we see indications that the church there was starting to deal with conflict like this. Paul even specifically mentions one of these conflicts in chapter 4, verse 2. He entreats two women, Euodia and Syntyche, to agree in the Lord. This isn’t to say that the Philippian church was falling apart or circling the drain. Paul had all kinds of encouraging things to say about them. Yet the Philippians, at this point, were in danger of splitting off into factions, and abandoning the work that they had been called to together.
So Paul brings their attention back to the partnership they have with him and with one another. That’s how he starts the letter here. In verses three through five, Paul says that he thanks God for them and prays for them with joy – why? – because of their partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And after Paul expresses his confidence in them and love for them, in verse 7 he tells them why he holds them in his heart: for you are all partakers with me of grace. And this word partakers essentially means partners. It’s closely related to the word partnership back in verse 5. And Paul speaks of partnership multiple times later on in his letter, as well. So Paul seems to believe that emphasizing this idea – the idea of partnership – is an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to having healthy, functioning relationships and healthy, functioning churches.
I’m thankful to say, I’m not aware of any significant conflict taking place here in the church. The Lord has been very kind to give us solidarity as we’ve been getting Fellowship Reformed Church off the ground here in Mount Pleasant. But many churches have been split, and many people have been hurt, by stubbornness and infighting. And at some point, we’re almost definitely going to be faced with disagreement or conflict here. So it’s important to pay attention to what the Bible says about our partnership together – so we can press on in our shared mission without undue distraction or division.
So as we work through these verses, I want to define what this partnership is, and I want to describe what it looks like when this partnership is displayed. These will be my two main points – partnership defined and partnership displayed. And though there will be a little overlap between these two points, my overarching hope is that we’ll be encouraged to cultivate and maintain a culture of togetherness that promotes the cause of Christ in the world around us.
Partnership Defined
So first, I want to define what this partnership is that Paul’s speaking about here – Partnership Defined.
At a very basic level, the word partnership here communicates that Paul and the Philippians in the church share in something. They’re invested together. They’re bonded to one another. And you’ll probably find this interesting: the Greek word behind this word, partnership, is the same Greek word that’s sometimes translated in other parts of the Bible as the word fellowship.
And this fellowship we’re talking about is something that involves mutually-held commitments and purpose. For those of you who have read the Lord of the Rings – you may recall that the first book in the Trilogy is called the Fellowship of the Ring. It describes a band of nine persons who are united in their quest to resist darkness and to destroy the Ring of Power. And in the same sort of way, the partnership and fellowship we’re talking about says, “We’re all in this together.” There’s a real commonality and loyalty that buckles us together.
So keep that in mind. When the Bible speaks about fellowship, it isn’t just talking about people having some pleasant social experiences with one another. Fellowship Reformed Church doesn’t mean “Conversation-Hour Reformed Church.” Our connection is deeper than that. As a church, we share together in things that are profoundly important.
And in verse 5, Paul identifies for the Philippian church what they are partners in. They’re partners in the gospel. The word gospel here literally means good news. And the gospel is talking about a specific piece of good news: the good news concerning Jesus Christ. And the partnership that Christians have in the gospel has two aspects to it. There’s a sense in which we are partners in the gospel passively – the gospel is something that we receive and believe together. And there’s also a sense in which we are partners in the gospel actively – to speak up and to live out our faith confidently and publicly.
One big part of what it means for Paul and the Philippian church to be partners in the gospel passively, by receiving and believing the gospel, is that they both agree what the gospel is. Paul and the Philippians both recognize that this good news is objectively true, and historical – something that everyone on earth needs to grapple with. There’s no room to twist the meaning of words and pretend like you can have your gospel, and I can have my gospel, and the Philippian church can have some other gospel” – no, there’s one gospel message, revealed to us by God, and we’re all called to share in it.
And we shouldn’t forget what this message of good news is. To say it simply, the good news is that God has acted to rescue people from evil.
Now what’s really surprising about this is that people are the reason that God’s world is infected with evil in the first place. In the very beginning, the first man and woman chose evil instead of choosing God – they chose death instead of life. And ever since, every human heart has been twisted and corrupted by evil. We’ve used these lives God has given us in ways that are selfish, foolish, and just flat-out wrong. And we deserve to have our lives taken away from us.
And yet this is where the stunning good news of God shows up. God has demonstrated profound love toward us. Though we were once his enemies, God gave us his precious Son, Jesus Christ, to take on a human nature, to carry the guilt and shame of our evil, and to purchase forgiveness for our wrongs by dying in our place at the cross. And on the third day, Jesus rose again to confirm that he really did pay it all – there’s no more death to be paid. As a result, anyone and everyone who relies on the finished work of Jesus – they’re made clean, and they’re given a new heart and a new Spirit to live for God, rather than against Him.
This is the gospel that Paul received and believed. And in Romans 1:16 he says, “…I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” – then he goes on for several more pages to lay out the good news of Christianity in fuller form. Paul also summarizes the Christian gospel in several other places, as well: Galatians 3, Ephesians 2, in his letter to Titus. And if we’re going to be partners with Paul, and with the Philippian church, and with every other true Christian from the history of the world, we need to make sure that we’re aligned with the same message. We need to make sure we’re receiving and believing the same definitions, and the same timeless good news of the historical, Biblical Christian faith.
And Paul understands that if the Philippian church is united in receiving and believing the gospel – if they’re committed to this sort of passive partnership – it’ll have a big impact on how they relate to each other, and how conflict gets addressed. Because in verse seven, Paul confirms that the Philippians are partakers with him of grace. Which means that all of them, together, are receiving special kindness from God that they don’t deserve – that’s what grace means, here. The Philippian church didn’t earn God’s kindness. They didn’t earn good news from God, or accomplish it themselves. God has given it to them as a gift.
And this sort of passive receiving of God’s kindness – it’s kind of like being a spectator, watching your favorite football team win a game on TV. You didn’t contribute anything to the victory. In fact, if you would have tried to step onto the field, you probably would have messed everything up. The reason you’re able to celebrate has nothing to do with your athletic ability or achievements – you’re no better and no worse than any other fan. The victory is something that has been accomplished on your behalf, and you’re job is simply to receive it, and celebrate it, and live in light of it.
And receiving God’s grace and kindness as a gift means that you and I can’t brag or look down on other people. And it works the other way, too – if we’re all partners together in the same richness of God’s kindness, then no one here should feel persistent feelings of shame or inferiority. Because the score on the scoreboard is something we’re in on together. The victory of Christ is for the whole Church to share in equally.
And if we’re partners in receiving this good news, it doesn’t make sense that we’d be constantly competing or comparing ourselves with others. It doesn’t make sense that we’d be jealous. It doesn’t make sense that we’d be discontent. Because everyone who is in Christ is made a co-recipient of God’s extravagant kindness. We have the biggest prize, and the best promises, and the brightest future together because of what Christ has done.
But the gospel isn’t just something we partner in passively. We also partner in the gospel actively to advance the good news and to teach people what it means to follow Christ.
In other parts of this letter, here, Paul clearly speaks about the active aspects of partnership in the gospel. In Chapter one verse 27, Paul intends for the Philippians to strive “side by side for the faith of the gospel” without being frightened by their opponents. And Paul acknowledges that the Philippians have already been working to advance the gospel in Chapter 4, verse 3. The text doesn’t explicitly tell us what this striving and working looked like in detail. But the book of Acts indicates that the church at Philippi just started with a woman Paul met at the river and a jailer’s household. So the church had grown a lot. This suggests that the Philippians had been busy, caring for people and inviting people, and telling them about Jesus.
But in addition to this, the Philippians partnered with Paul. They were stepping in to help Paul advance the gospel, too. They were praying for him – Chapter 1, verse 19. They sent one of their own men, named Epaphroditus, to encourage Paul and attend to his needs – that’s in Chapter 2. And the Philippians were sending money to pay for Paul’s grocery bills while he was in prison – Chapter 4 verse 15. All that to say – in just about every way you can imagine, the Philippians were partnering together, with Paul and with each other, to get the good news out.
So the Philippians recognized that the mission to make disciples of Christ wasn’t just a mission for one or two individuals, or for a small subset of people in the church, or for the ministry staff – but it’s a work of partnership. It’s something we all strive toward, side by side, in whatever ways we’re able.
If you’re familiar with all the things Paul did during his years of ministry, it can be tempting to think of Paul as being some sort of incredible, super-hero type of Christian. He endured all kinds of persecution. He was a witness for Christ before some pretty influential political figures. He planted dozens of churches. But Paul was never alone. Paul always ministered alongside other people.
And Paul when explains the relationship he has with the Philippians, or the other Christians he works with, he doesn’t just call them recipients of his ministry. He also doesn’t refer to them as minions or pawns to do whatever he tells them. He doesn’t just call them supporters, as though he’s the main load-bearing beam that holds up the church, and everyone else is just a fake, decorative pillar that stands there and looks pretty. Instead, he affirms that he has partnership with them.
And you have an important role to play in this partnership, too. God has brought you, and me, and all of us together to receive the gospel fully, and to advance the gospel further. This is the fellowship we’ve been called into with one another. This is what gospel partnership is.
Partnership Displayed
But in addition to reminding the Philippians of their gospel partnership to one another, Paul also takes time to describe what this gospel partnership looks like when it’s being displayed. And this is my second point – Partnership Displayed.
The first display of gospel partnership we see here is thanksgiving. Paul expresses his thanksgiving in verse 3: “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.” And he’s thanking God because of their partnership in the gospel with him. In Paul’s prayers, he isn’t complaining to God because the Philippian church is still a work in progress. He isn’t listing off the grievances he has against Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
But instead, Paul’s falling on his face before God, saying, “God, thank you, that you’ve transformed the hearts of these people. Thank you that you’ve taken us to be your ambassadors, and to be allies with one another instead of enemies. Thank you for the work you’ve already done in and through my brothers and sisters in the faith” – and on and on we could go. Our partnership in the gospel should drive us toward the same sort of thankfulness.
Because it’s not too hard to imagine a world where we’re totally alone, and unsupported in our faith. If you were in some other part of the world right now, like Afghanistan or Somalia – you could very easily find yourself isolated and persecuted without a fellow believer to encourage you and stand alongside you. So to be in a room with dozens of other people who are partners with you – who are united with you in Christ – it really is a gift! Don’t take it for granted! Don’t allow a complaining, bitter heart be the dynamite that blows up the bridge between you and your fellow Christian. But recognize what God has done, in extending grace to you, and to the person next to you, and give thanks.
So gospel partnership is displayed through thanksgiving. And it’s also displayed through prayerfulness for one another. In the text here, Paul says that his remembrance of the Philippians leads him to make prayers for them. Part of the prayer is a prayer of thanks to God. But Paul also prays for the good of the Philippians. Next week, in verses 9 through 11 we’ll unpack what sorts of things Paul prays for, and why they’re significant. But for now, it’s simply worth pointing out – if we’re committed to praying for one another’s good, that will go pretty far in shutting down controversy and building up the church for greater cooperation in our gospel partnership.
Third, gospel partnership promotes joy. Someone could argue that there’s not a big difference between thanksgiving and having joy. But I want to specifically point out Paul’s joy, because he specifically points it out, in verse 4. He says that he makes his prayer with joy.
After all, he is partners with the Philippians in the good news! Because if you are taking hold of Christ right now, by faith, it means that you were once lost, but now you’re found! You were blind, but now you see! You were dead, but now you’re alive! God has done this because he loves you, with a love that’s eternal and unchanging and true! You will never again face a day cut off from God and the smile of his favor. Yet the goodness of this news isn’t just for you – it goes much further. It touches every era of human history, every part of the world. God multiplies the reasons we have for joy by putting us into living and breathing contact with other people who have been just as affected by grace as we have. Partnership in the gospel is one of the ways that God exponentially increases our joy – because we get to celebrate so many more instances of God’s kindness than we would if we were left alone.
In addition to joy, Paul’s partnership with the Philippian church is also marked by confidence and hope. Specifically, Paul is convinced that God will continue to preserve and purify these brothers and sisters who are partners with him the gospel. In verse 6, Paul says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus.”
And you can see something here of Paul’s pastoral concern for the Philippians. Because at this point, it would seem that the Philippians were fighting a war on two different fronts. They had the internal battle of people in conflict – which I’ve already talked a bit about. But the Philippians were also facing increased opposition from their city – from their neighbors – there was an external struggle, too. Paul acknowledges that there were opponents who were set against the Philippian church in Chapter 1, verse 28. So the Philippian church very well may have been discouraged. It may have been hard for them to imagine that the disagreements in the church could be resolved, or that the church could withstand opposition from the cultural elites.
But Paul wants them to remember – God’s persistent kindness is something they share together in. Paul wants to assure them, just as surely as God has started a good work in them, to make them partakers of grace – they will just as surely be preserved and purified until the day of Christ Jesus. God will finish the work he has started.
So as we partner together in the gospel, we shouldn’t start off each week with our tail between our legs as though we’ve already been defeated. Because after Christ died for sins, he rose triumphantly from death. And he ascended into heaven, in the presence of the Father. And from that unassailable position, Jesus rules over the world, to guarantee that God’s good work will be brought to completion. We don’t have to live in constant fear of when the next iceberg might come along and rip apart the bottom of the boat. We can be confident of Christ’s power to finish the good work he has started – to seek and to save the lost, to establish his church, and to keep us to the end.
Finally, the last way that our partnership is displayed is through love. In verses seven and eight, Paul indicates that it’s right for him to give thanks, and to pray, and to have joy, and to have confidence for the future of the Philippian church – it’s right for him to feel this way because he holds them in his heart. He loves them, in a special way.
And he holds them in his heart like this because they’re partakers with him of grace. Paul recognizes here – these people who have been brought into God’s grace alongside him are fellow recipients of the special, saving love of God. And Paul wants to love the people God loves. If God stooped down and freely displayed his love for that sinful brother over there, while he was still a sinner, then Paul understands that that’s the same sort of love he’s called to show toward that brother, too.
And this has practical implications for us. We shouldn’t make up certain conditions that other people need to meet before we’re willing to care about them. You shouldn’t be waiting for that sister over there to stop being so overdramatic or gossipy before you’re willing to have Christlike affection for her. You and I shouldn’t insist that people need to agree with us on everything before we can pray happy prayers for their welfare. Instead, we can humbly remember that we are just as needy for God’s grace as anyone – that we have been loved with a love that we have not merited. And our experience of the love of Christ should motivate us to want to show that same, rich and free love toward others.
This is the type of love Paul shows the Philippians. Verse 8: “For God is my witness,” [he says,] “how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.” The same love that Paul has received from God, is the same affection he’s now committed to extending to his partners in the gospel. This is the love he wanted the Philippians to show to each other. Because this is way that Christ himself has taught us to love. This is the sort of love that we should extend.
Our partnership – our fellowship in the gospel – is something that God really intends for us to embrace. Being brought into God’s grace together, as a church, is really designed to multiply our joy. It’s intended to be an encouraging, beautiful thing, where the love of Christ is visible and lived out. So let’s pray that this is exactly who we’d be as Christians, and as a church. Please pray with me: