Sermon Series: The Joy of Partnering In Ministry
(A Study of the Letter of Philippians)
Introductory Sermon
For a short letter of only four chapters and 104 verses, Paul's Letter to the Philippians is amazingly profound. At one level it is a poignant epistle from a jailed apostle to a beloved supporting church. At another level it contains an exhilarating hymn of Christ's humility and exaltation, a glimpse into Paul's intense passion to know Christ, and a discerning reflection on prayer and the peace it brings.
I personally love the letter to the Philippian church because of the joy, fellowship, love, thanksgiving, peace, support, confidence, passion, enthusiasm, zeal, excitement, and unity it shows between the church and it’s leader.
Certainly Paul’s circumstances were anything but joyful! He had been arrested illegally, taken to Rome, and was now awaiting trial. There was division among the Christians there (1:14–17), and some were trying to make matters worse for the apostle. How was he able to have such joy in the midst of uncomfortable circumstances? He had the “single mind”—his concern was not for Paul, but for Christ and the Gospel. Five times in this chapter he mentions the Gospel (vv. 5, 7, 12, 17, 27), and Christ is mentioned seventeen times! Paul looked upon these circumstances as sent by God (v. 13) for the purpose of exalting Christ (v. 20). If Paul had been double-minded, he would have complained because life was so uncomfortable.
Wiersbe, W. W. (1997). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the New Testament (560). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.
Paul was not focused on his circumstances. His main concern was the furtherance of the gospel and the Philippian church supported the furtherance of the gospel by supporting Paul while in a Roman jail. What a church!
The partnership between Paul and the church Philippi is an example for all of us to follow. This team is a model for the 21st century church. The love of the leader for the people and the people for the leader produces a love for gospel ministry and is something worth noting. If there isn’t a genuine shared love for one another ministry will not be joyful.
On my job my boss makes a statement at least three times a day when referring to teamwork in the workplace. If something goes wrong he makes this statement. The statement he makes is this: “Get on the same page”. This is his way of promoting teamwork among the employees he supervises.
The letter to the Philippian church makes a statement that is not in the exact words but definitely obvious in it’s writing and we will see it throughout the whole letter. The statement that pours out of this letter is what I want to center everything said about this letter in the coming weeks:
“We Can Do It Better Together”
Coming together as a church with common goals and passion for ministry will ultimately lead to a ministry that desires to see the gospel spread across the community that surrounds us.
So the outline of the book shows what makes for a joyful ministry together.
I. The Success of Ministry Partnership – Ch. 1
Prayer – 1:3-11
Preaching – 1:12-18
Perseverance – 1:19-26
II. The Source of Ministry Partnership – Ch. 2
Unity – 2:1-2
Humility – 2:3-4
Christ Example of Humility – 2:5-11
Sanctification – 2:12-13
Service – 2:14-18
Passion – 2:18-24
Patience – 2:25-30
III. The Sufficiency of Ministry Partnership – Ch. 3
The Work of Christ – 3:1-11
The Purpose of the Christian – 3:12-16
The Perspective of the Christian – 3:17-4:1
IV. The Strength of Ministry Partnership – Ch. 4
Proper handling of conflict – 4:2-3
Maintaining Spiritual Attitudes – 4:4-7
Protect Your Mind – 4:8-9
Generous Support – 4:10-19
Hospitality – 4:21-23
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