Grace Community Church (Our Past, Present, And Future)

Grace Community Church

(Our Past, Present, And Future)

Philippians 1:1-13

Tim Merwin

 

I have heard it said that you can not think of 2 things at the same time.For instance - I would like you to think and join me on a Florida beach - nice ocean breeze - the water is rippling up by your ankles as you sit on your beach chair - you have your favorite snacks - perfect day!

Now…I want you to keep that picture in your mind - don’t think about this next picture - only beach, sun, breeze, and waves - do not think about a NY blizzard in Corning.Don’t think about ice and clearing the driveway or canceled flights. Only focus on the beach - got it?Don’t focus on the Snow!

In some ways that is Paul to the Philippians and Paul to us. Paul has been under severe trials and suffering and he writes to tell us - Hey - you can only focus on one thing at a time.So - if you’re focused on your suffering and challenging circumstances - then you can’t be focused on your Savior.

So, rejoice in Christ - “set your mind on the things above” 16x’s in 4 short chapters = “rejoice”

No book in the Bible says more about joy - or has joy jumping more off the page.

“Any Christian who is feeling down or discouraged about anything should study Paul’s great letter to the Philippians.”James Montgomery Boice

Nothing quite like Paul to the Philippians.

In all the suffering and difficult circumstances, Paul bleeds Christ and the Gospel, which leads him to have a genuine joy in Christ and love for the church.

This is how we are going to unpack Phil 1:1-14

The Past informs the present and gives us undying faith for the future.

1. The Past

(Acts 15-16)

Every local church has a past and every Christian has a past.

At Trinity Community church

We started 26 years ago 35-40 people gathered in a hotel conference room.

We had - no equipment - and no money - all we had was an abundance… of ignorance.

No one knew if this new church was going to make it 6 weeks, 6 months or 6 years?

None of us imagined 26 yrs later.

Over the years we have experienced some very high highs and very low lows.

We have done some things right and we have done a ton of things wrong

Pastoral leadership is brutal and it seems to exist in my life to expose me to my weaknesses -

As a church we have cried together, laughed together, sang together, mourned together, pursued forgiveness together - and more as we have walked out our relationship with Christ…

Through it all God has been faithful!

I bet your story is similar and yet different.

Most of you were probably not here when this church started.But you're here now - and if you love your church it is partially due to some difficult days in the past.Someone that you might not even know gave and served - investing time and money so that today - you are here - learning - growing - hearing the Word of God preached.

Do you realize that if you have come to Grace CC and you have said or thought:

I like this place!

I love the theology or Christ centeredness or Gospel centric preaching

I love the values and convictions or the priorities of children and family and marriage.

If you have come here and thought- I can sit under the preaching here because of the priority that Grace Community places on the Word of God.

If you have had any thoughts like that in coming here…. Then you can thank our God for…. PAST struggles. Struggles and failures shape a church and us as individuals. You are the church that you are, because of God’s faithful shaping of you. 19 yrs of shaping!You don’t get to 19yrs as a church without there being serious challenges and hardships.Maybe you have thought - I don’t know if I want to continue coming… you love Jesus - you know you are saved - maybe it would be easier to stay home….Welcome to the church!And thank you for being here!

Thank you for being here - for serving - and giving - and thank you for investing in people through hospitality and sharing meals to someone who is ill or had a child or______

Back to Trinity - In 2008 the government shut down the Space Shuttle program. You have to understand that is all my little town had. No other industry - just - space shuttle.And my beloved hometown became a ghost town. It started falling apart - empty buildings everywhere.Who will be the next business to close? The years that followed were some of our most difficult as a church - as God sent folks out from Trinity in droves - we didn’t know if we were going to make it.We planted a church / folks left disgruntled / and many others lost their job and moved out of the area - a church of around 275 people lost about 175 people.

The reason I rehearse all of this is to say - God was using our joys and hurts and sorrows to shape us. And so there is this background theme to Philippians that is as if Paul is saying - hey let's not stay laser focused on our difficulties - let’s remain laser focused on Christ and Him crucified and… rejoice.

(Philippians 4:6-8 ESV) do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Well, Philippians doesn’t begin with Phil 1:1.It begins back in Acts

The church plant of Philippi wasn’t birthed in a strategy meeting - nor did it come in a glorious - thus saith the Lord… “You shall plant a church in Philippi.”

It was birthed in struggle!Now I am not trying to compare any struggles my church or your church has had to the apostle Paul's - I am only wanting to help us see how God uses the struggles to shape us.

Episode 1: Did you know that the Philippi church plant was birthed out of argument(s) not by enemy outsiders but insiders - guys that you thought we with you…brothers….

Acts 15 records an argument that Paul and Barnabas were having with the Judaizers - over the gospel. The Judaizers were requiring Gentile converts to become Jewish.If… You want to be a Christian then become a Jew.

Be circumcised - put yourself under OT law - Acts 15:1-35 shows us how the elders handled the debate.

Episode 2:15:36-41 picks up another struggle but this time it is between Paul and Barnabas. Paul wanted to return to visit the churches that had been planted.Barnabas agreed and said - “let’s bring John Mark with us”.

Paul says - not a chance!Mark had deserted them on the 1st missionary journey - Acts 13.Paul was done with Mark - deserter - can’t be relied on and Barnabas wanted to give him a 2nd chance and he was just as adamant that Mark was to come along.

Their disagreement was strong!

The result - Barnabas and Mark went to Cyprus and Paul took Silas and went the other direction!Wow!Do you think there wasn’t serious struggle between them as they went their separate ways??

Jumping forward - our friends Paul and Silas end up in Philippi - greeted by more struggles.

Episode 3:Acts 16:13-40 -Paul and Silas are going to pray….(vs 13)

they meet Lydia - the Lord opened her heart …..she and her household were saved and baptized - (vs 16) going to pray - they meet a slave girl who is being used by men to profit from her in her fortune telling ventures.Paul delivers her which cuts into these men's profits.Which vs 23 tells us that Paul and Silas get beat up over and tossed in prison.(Maybe Paul should have agreed and gone with Barnabas - certainly this hardship is not part of God’s plan….Which brings us to

Episode 4: Vs 25 - praying - singing - prisoners are listening - shackles fall off - prison doors open - they are freed - the PHILIPPIAN jailor wakes up and draws his sword to kill himself (because that is what you would do if you lost your prisoners) Paul stops him - the jailor falls before them and asks “what must I do to be saved…?” and he and his whole household are saved.

I say all of that to say - this is how you plant a church in the NT. And, I say this to also say…God doesn’t waste our struggles - he is in all the details - Paul didn’t know it - but the struggle with Barnabas split them up to go in different directions and had they stayed together - Philippi was not in the “plans” of man - but they were in the plans of God. God redeemed their parting of ways by saving Lydia, a slave girl, and a jailor and their housholds - welcome to church planting Philippi style! And - we can just kinda read this and not realize how committed God - how faithful he is being here - how even in the beating and the imprisonment - God was at work - because there is a jailor and his household that God has sovereignly determined to save!

And that is the church Paul is now writing to from another Roman prison…

Hey guys - remember our past…?and rejoice - b/c of what you have in Christ.

You see the Philippians are presently struggling - and Paul is not telling them to rejoice in a vacuum.They have a past and so do you!

Is church life difficult today?Rejoice - and remember your past - remember God’s faithfulness - remember what he has done to bring you to this point and time!

The local church that struggles over years is being shaped - at Trinity we didn’t plan for some of our convictions - we didn’t plan to be a Word loving - expository preaching - Gospel centered church - when we started - we were not healthy - we were a theological mess - but here we are - we have not arrived - we are still growing and learning --and I am saying - all of this came to us through struggles and grief and hardship and because God is steadfastly faithful to His church and His people.Willing that you and I might even suffer (I am grateful that doesn’t include a beating and a prison cell) that we might then grow in Him.

That’s the past - the backdrop to church planting in Philippi.

Now let's turn to Philippians and see what we can gleam from 1:1-13

Your past, as a church, with all of its struggles shapes us into who you are today. Which brings us to the present….

2. The Present

(Philippians 1:1-13)

Vs 3-5 = Paul addressing the present…

Vs 3 = thankful remembrance of you

Vs 4 = Always… in every prayer of mine

Vs 5 = Because… your partnership in the gospel.

I take these verses to mean that - In the Present - there is this joyful and thankful praying that is driven by a Gospel partnership.

“Partnership” here is the word Koinonia. We know it as fellowship - it is community, fellowship, partnership centered around the gospel.

It is to say we have this fellowship - partnership - mission togetherness about us - we are sharing in a Gospel Partnership.

Now… I believe this is local and distant.

I believe this is Grace Community Church and Trinity Community Church and Grace Partnership.Invite you to GP conference this February 23-25 - Metaphors of the Church.

Paul was not ignorant to the problems around him and them.

Actually he makes that part of the letter

In our text = Vs 7, 12-13

People are opposing him. He is staring at prison bars…. again… today…is this the plan of God?How can mission include the apostle imprisoned?

 

From their perspective…Their guy is locked up and yet - here he is thanking God for the community…

I want to ask myself (you do the same) am I a praying, thankful person for the people / community that surrounds me in the difficult circumstances of my life?

Am I a rejoicing - thankful - praying guy….?

When the text says - Gospel fellowship / partnership / community - I am not talking about a handshake and a smile. The word fellowship has been watered down to mean little more than a handshake.

No - here Paul is talking about Gospel relationships that have teeth

There is a sense here of life participation - engaged in the community that God provides.

On mission together

This partnership here is provided by nothing less than the blood of Christ.

If your fellowship is based on sports - you will exclude the non athlete

If it is based on the acquiring of stuff - you will exclude the poor

If it is based on your politic - you will exclude the person on the other side of the aisle

If it is based on your level of education - you will exclude the uneducated

But - if it is based on the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and return of Christ - you are welcome at the table!This is fellowship.This is community.This is gospel partnership!

And the joy comes in when we realize our past.Not just our past when this church started - but our past - B.C.Before Christ - and he sovereignly determined that he would have fellowship with you.He brought the Gospel mission to you…and now you are in community with others…

I am concerned for the present state of the church in America

I am concerned about how the world is influencing the church - rather than the church influencing the world.I am concerned on how focused the church seems to be on our circumstances - the difficulties - the dingy prison and the prison bars today…

I am concerned for the church I call home - and though I don’t know you - If I did - I would likely be concerned for you too…

I want to pastorally call you - to God’s Word - prayer - thankfulness - joy - a God centered glorious perspective in all things.And I am concerned as I see the church take their eyes off the ball - that seems to be Paul’s concern in his day.

Vs 3 he thanks God for them

Vs 4 prayer is a joy as he thinks of them

Vs 5 because of their partnership in the Gospel

Vs 6 God began something - hang in there - he will complete it..

Vs 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all…

Vs 8 Godly affection for you

Vs 9 my prayer is that love may abound (present)

Vs 10 So that… (future)

Vs 11 filled…

Vs 12 I want you to know brothers….

Those people are now deeply concerned for Paul as “their guy” is in a Roman prison - an older man at this point - worn - ragged - elderly - Paul in a dingy Roman prison.What will he tell them about their “present”.

Vs 12 - I want you to know…

Hey guys - in the present local church difficulties that you might be facing - do you focus more on the prison bars that are in front of you.The Limits - the, what we once had - the, what we wish we had - the, oh no, we can't now because our guy is behind bars.This church was birthed with the shackles of a prison and when Paul and Silas prayed the shackles fell off!

Do you think they have prayed?I would assume - yes!

But this time… no angel appears - no shackles falling off…. no prison guard salvation….

Instead it is just prison bars - and yet - Paul's focus is not the prison bars - but the opportunities that this prison presents for the gospel right here, right now!

No wonder he has joy!

Vs 12-14

We need to ask ourselves if we are focused on the gospel opportunities around us.

I think that is why rehearsing the past is good for us.God give me an eye on the past to inform the present - even in the difficulties to see Gospel opportunities and not prison bars.

Don’t let your cirucmstances squish your faith.God is at work!Personally, I can get so focused on the prison bars that limit me that I become paralyzed.

Who are you Grace CC?

You have a past that informs your present.

You are a blood bought body of believers.You serve God who has been faithful and he might even have some of you or even all of you in difficult circumstances today because he is committed to the mission - your prison might be someone else's salvation.

I have had cancer past and i have Crohn's disease.

I know how to be a professional complainer - whiner - sometimes I got it right - God you have given me these limits (prison bars) you have me in the doctors office not to whine and complain but to see this is as an opportunity.

What are we to be about… in light of our past - right now… praying, thankful, gospel partnering people - in spite of the prison bars in front of us…

When Paul thinks of Philippians he thinks - God I am thankful - for you!

Be honest -- your biggest temptation to complain is b/c of the people.

Philippians had people problems just like every church.It was not a perfect church!

Read the letter later today.

So why is he praying - thankful and joyful? BECAUSE… vs 5.

(vs 7-8)

It is right for Paul -- look -- if the Gospel has a hold of our hearts then it is “right”...

Turn that coin over and it is also correct for us to say -- if the Gospel has a hold of our hearts then it is “wrong” for us to NOT feel this way….

Vs 8 - “yearning”= he longs / yearns to be with them -- this flows from the affection of Christ - it means - from the guts - KJV….For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. The core of who I am….

Because we are partners in the gospel!

koinonia - fellowship - we are gathered together not a bunch of random people who happen to worship in the same building on Sundays… we are bound together - partners in this thing called the gospel - bound by the blood of Christ.

You gather together each week -FOR the Gospel.We are “all” All in.We are not just a group of individual gathered consumers - we are a gathered people of worship - brought together by God and the Cross of Christ that we might live out or walk in Christ together.

giving and sacrifice together - serving and living - growing in Christ - pursuing relationships with each other

We are not here because I like the style of music or because of the children’s ministry or I because I can dress casually - no friends -we have a fellowship a Koinonia - a cross driven - blood poured out partnership in the Gospel.

we gather every Sunday for something bigger than petty things and petty preferences - we gather for Gospel reasons - compeled with Gospel joy - praying gospel prayers - with thankful gospel hearts - grateful for each other for gospel reasons.It is not a cliche - the Gospel drives all that we are doing this morning!

Rejoice church in the Gospel that has come to you in the past - and now informs your present.

Your past, as a church, with all of its struggles shapes us into who you are today. Which brings us to the present and informs us of our future.

3. The Future

I don’t know about you…. But - I need assurance about the future. The future is unknown and sometimes scary.I just heard someone say to me this week - I dont want grandkids - I am afraid for them to grow up in this scary world.I replied - well… I am praying for grandkids!

What is our hope in going forward?Read vs 6!I love this verse!I need this verse!

Paul is convinced or confident…. - are you convinced?

Convinced of this about others?

Are you ENTIRELY convinced that God is not finished with you and with you as a church?

I start things all the time and struggle to finish them.

At home I have baseboards that I installed but never caulked.

I have books I have started and never finished

I have projects that I have begun and they sit left undone.How about you?

Here me….God - never starts something he will not finish and the promise here is one of the most glorious promises in all of Scripture… he who began….

How can Paul say this with such confidence? Does he sin - fail - and blow it like me…?

Sure he did - but he is confidence isn’t in himself.

His confidence is pointed away from himself

Some of you are here and you are thinking Tim if you only knew how sinful I have been.

Oh friend - we are reading about Paul here. He has a bit of a past…!

If you only knew how great Christ is!You too can be confident of this very thing….

Christian, what is your future…? Vs 6!

(John 10:27-29 ESV) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

This is not some blind faith - or some wishful thinking - it is an informed faith - it is Faith in what Christ has already done - what he began (past) (now)informs faith for the (future).

It is not faith in you -- faith because of you -- no, you and I didn’t start the work - why would we look to ourselves to finish the work.

God finishes what He begins - it is who He is…

Grace CC - has God finished what he began in you when you first came to saving faith?

And has God finished what he began in this church 19yrs ago?

No and No - but - he will complete it.

Every local church has a past and it is often formed out of struggle.And yet - Paul says to us Pray, be thankful, Trust in Him who is not yet done.

(Romans 8:38-39 ESV) For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Your past, as a church, with all of its struggles shapes us into who you are today. Which brings us to the present and informs us of our future.