Philippians One

This November our church is devoting ourselves to the letter Paul wrote to the church in Philippi. He wrote it while sitting in a Roman prison around 60 A.D. It's a small letter, just four chapters in the New Testament. (Paul probably only used a dozen pieces of papyrus when he wrote it). But it's filled with words of wonderful encouragement and hope. And it's a call to a next step of deeper trust, richer hope and purer love.

From last Sunday to this, our congregation is focusing on chapter one of Paul's letter. I've been particularly moved by verses 3-6 over the past couple days.

"3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

I love the idea that Paul thanks God EVERY TIME he thinks of his friends in Philippi. I wonder if there is anyone in your life that you thank God for that regularly. I wonder who in your life needs to hear your words of thanks on a more consistent basis.

I also love the reasons why Paul gives thanks for his friends in Philippi. First Paul gives thanks for them because they have entered into a "partnership" with him in the work of the gospel. It's a consistent, faithful partnership, too, from the first day he preached it among them, until the present. Oh how our world needs more faithful partnerships that aren't tossed to and fro by every whim and changing circumstance!

Paul's second reason for thankfulness to God is his confidence that God will complete the good work he has begun in the Philippians. That's good news for the Philippians.

And that's good news for us, too! It's good news because God's faithfulness is not just limited to the Philippian church of 60 A.D. Throughout history God has demonstrated his faithfulness to anyone who seeks after him. And thus we can have confidence in God's ability to complete the work he's started in us.

And that's good news. It's good news for our friendships. It's good news for our marriages. It's good news for our parenting. It's good news for our neighborhood, our city and our world. It's good news for our own souls.

It's good news because we can get so bogged down with the demands of everyday life. We can so easily get discouraged by our present circumstances. And so Paul writes words worthy of remembering always: "He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it." God is a keeper of promises, and if we'll let him, He will complete the good work he's begun in us.