WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR? Philippians 1:3-8
Proposition: A Christian can experience joy and thank God even under the most difficult and extreme circumstance.
Objective: My purpose is to challenge people to be thankful even under the most difficult circumstance in life.
INTRODUCTION:
G. W. Target wrote a short story titled "The Window," which tells of two men, both seriously ill, who occupied the same small hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the only window in the room. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, and where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn’t hear the band, he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn’t seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and he found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window--that thought now controlled his life. Late one night as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now there was only silence--deathly silence. The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take it away--no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to look out the window beside the bed. IT FACED A BLANK WALL.
This story illustrates that our contentment in life should be based on our relationship to Christ and never solely based on circumstances. Here in our text we find the Apostle Paul in a prison jail cell. We might ask, “Paul, you are in prison for preaching the Gospel and waiting to have a hearing before Nero. What could you be thankful for?” “Look at all the years you have been in there. You were unable to have any family or family life. All this happened to you since you are preaching about Jesus Christ. Is this fair? Even now, you are waiting to have a hearing before Nero. What could you be thankful for?” I believe Paul might say something like this, “That’s right what you have said. I know that I am here because of my commitment to Christ and my love for Him. But let me tell you I still remember how the Lord has blessed me and how He is working it out so I can share with Nero about my precious Lord. Besides that I have a captive audience while a prisoner of Rome. These were elite soldiers who were picked by the Emperor, known as the Praetorian Guard. Just think how many of them I have told about Christ and how many went from guard duty with Christ in his heart. It was while I was bound to my home under house arrest that I was able to write this letter and other Prison Epistles.”
I. THANKFUL FOR CHRISTIAN FRIENDHIPS (vvs. 3-4) “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you”—A proper approach--In this instance Paul gives thanks for his spiritual brothers and sisters in Philippi who, over the years, had brought him such abundant blessing and joy.
1. The reverence (v. 3a) “I thank my God”-- Almost all the Epistles open with thanksgiving. How glorious a faith that which led him always, even in the darkest hour, to see the hand of God present in blessing! With the Philippians Paul had a warm relationship, and this tone is established at the outset of the letter. By stating his thanks to "my God," the author reveals his personal devotion. This was no stereotyped formula, but the natural outflow from the heart of a deeply spiritual man. Paul is always thankful for God’s people at Philippi, thankful for their faithfulness to the Lord and to him.
2. The recollection (v. 3b) “every remembrance of you—
Recollection of blessing brings joy, recollection of blessing brings joy. So in the remembrance of the Philippians there was much to cheer his heart. The thanksgiving was prompted by the joyous memory Paul had of his Philippian friends.
3. The repetition (v. 4a) “Always in every prayer of mine”—
This means that he was in the attitude of prayer all the time, as we all should be - but as much as he could he brought the specific names of these Philippian believers before God on a continual basis. He didn’t come and say: ’Lord, bless the Philippians. Lord, bless the Ephesians, bless the Colossians, bless the Thessalonians’. He didn’t do that, he could have done it, but he took their names and he brought them individually and their specific needs before God--every one of them! These happy memories were reflected in Paul’s prayers for the Philippians. Joy permeated his prayers.
4. The request (v. 4b) “Making request for you all”- He didn’t
come and say: ’Lord, bless the Philippians. Lord, bless the Ephesians, bless the Colossians, bless the Thessalonians’. He didn’t do that, he could have done it, but he took their names and he brought them individually and their specific needs before God. More than praying for them, the amazing thing to me is he could thank God for them - every one of them!
Illus: A British publication once offered a prize for the best definition of
a friend. Among the thousands of answers received were the following: “One who multiplies joys, divides grief, and whose honesty is inviolable.” “One who under-stands our silence.” “A volume of sympathy bound in cloth.” “A watch that beats true for all time and never runs down.” The winning definition read: “A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.”
II. THANKFUL FOR SPIRITUAL FELLOWHIP (v. 5) “Your fellowship in the gospel”—A proper action—This means sharing, participating in, or possessing something in common..
1. The satisfaction (v. 5a) “For your fellowship” By far the
most important thing all believers share is their spiritual oneness, their participation in the gospel of Jesus Christ. “God is faithful,” Paul explained, “through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9). William Hendriksen lists our fellowship: Foremost is the fellowship of grace, the fellowship of faith (Eph. 2:8), the fellowship of prayer and thanksgiving {“rejoice always; pray without ceasing; [and] in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for [them] in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:16–18)}, The fellowship of love (“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails …. The greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:4–8, 13), There is the fellowship of promoting the gospel. This fellowship is clearly a fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission: “Make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matt. 28:19–20). They had tirelessly and selflessly been in partnership with him from the first day until now, over a period of several years.
2. The source (v. 5b) “in the Gospel”-- Fellowship includes
cooperation in the preaching of the good news of salvation to those who have never heard it. In this context the phrase “in the Gospel” refers to the whole enterprise of Gospel ministry, especially that of evangelism. So Paul here commends the Philip-pians for their faithful & enduring partnership with him in this supreme endeavor.
3. The sharing (v. 5c) “from the first day until now”—Their
gift was one expression of their partnership, but Paul was grateful and filled with joy over the frequent evidences of the Philippians’ sharing in the work of the gospel. These had been shown to him "from the first day" he had preached the gospel in Philippi about ten years before. At that time he had experienced the hospitality of Lydia (Acts 16:15) and the jailer and his family (Acts 16:33, 34). Later he had received gifts sent him at Thessalonica (Philippians 4:16) and at Corinth (2Cor 11:9), as well as the more recent one brought by Epaphroditus.
Illus: A Swedish fisherman went with his two sons on their daily fishing run. As usual, the mother went down to the wharf to see her family off and to wish them safety and a good catch. By mid afternoon, the waves were rolling higher than usual. A sharp, brisk wind whipped little spits of salty spray into the faces of the rugged man and his teenage boys. The wind increased; the waves grew quite large. The storm caused the little boat to toss and pitch as the three rowed desperately to get back to shore. The fierce storm put out the light in the lighthouse on shore, leaving the fishermen groping in the dark. Meanwhile, in the kitchen of their rustic cottage, a fire broke out. Before the wife and mother could put out the fire, it destroyed their every earthly possession, except the clothes on their backs. Finally, the father and sons were able to row the boat safely to shore. Waiting on the beach to tell them the tragic news of the fire was the wife and mother. "Karl," she tearfully said, "fire has destroyed our house and all our possessions. We have nothing now." But Karl seemed strangely unmoved by the disconcerting news. "Didn’t you hear me, Karl? Our house is gone." "Yes, I heard you," he replied, "but a few hours ago we were lost at sea, and death seemed mighty close. Our only guide to the shoreline, the light in the lighthouse on the cliff, went out. For an hour, I thought death would be our lot. Then something happened: a dim, yellow glow appeared in the distance. Then it grew bigger and bigger. We turned our boat and rowed with all our might to get in the path of that light. When we did, we followed it safely to the shore. You see, Ingrid," he explained, "that little yellow glow was the first sight of our house burning. At the peak of the blaze, we could see that shoreline as bright as day. The same heat that destroyed our house created a light which saved our lives." Our fellowship in the Gospel is for the purpose of seeing the Lord save lives here and around the world. Paul did not want them to give up but to "keep on keeping on."
III. THANKFUL FOR GOD’S FAITHFULNESS (v. 6) “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it”—Perform means "to finish, to bring through to an end." He knew that God could be counted to finish what He begins.
1. The confidence (v. 6a) “Being confident of this very thing”-- So faithful have they been that he is confident that they will be faithful to the end. There shall be nothing lacking on God’s part to support you; and to make you wise, holy and happy; and bring you at last to His kingdom and glory.
2. The commencement (v. 6b) “He who has begun a good work”-- God, who sent Paul to them with the gospel, began the good work. He will sustain them by His grace.
3. The continuation (v. 6c) “will complete it”-- God began and God will consummate it, but not without their cooperation and partnership. God will finish what he began.
4. The consummation (v. 6c) “until the day of Jesus
Christ”-- The Lord’s coming, designed by God in every age of the Church to be regarded as near, is to be the goal set before believers’ minds rather than their own death. Paul never sets the time for the Lord’s return, but he is cheered by that blessed hope. Furthermore, what He started, He will finish! Even so, we must do our part.
Illus: An artist on one occasion conceived in his mind a great picture, a great work of art. He mustered up all the artistic ability and gift that he had within him into one full sweep of art, the best and his masterpiece within his life. He was working one day on his great canvas putting in dribs in grays and drabs of other colors to compose the background of that painting, when a friend entered unnoticed to him. The artist worked away with enthusiasm and with zeal, not aware that his friend was looking on. Finally, happening to turn round, he saw him and exclaimed: ’What do you think of this? I intend it to be my greatest work, the greatest work that I have ever done.’ His friend burst into a laugh and exclaimed: ’Well, to be frank I don’t think much of it. It seems to me only like a big great blob’. ’Ah’, replied the artist, ’you cannot see what’s going to be there, but I can.’ People may look at you, you may look at yourself, and see a great blob of sinfulness - but God the great sculptor and artist looks down at your piece of granite hardness, and He sees within you a work of art, and His promise is this: one day He will bring it out perfectly.
IV. THANKFUL FOR A DEEP FONDNESS (vvs. 7-8) “I have you in my heart”—A proper attitude--You’ll notice that Paul expresses his love for the Philippians and prays for their love for each other.
1. The acknowledgement (v. 7a) “It is right for me to
think this of you all”-- Paul’s confident prayer in their behalf was that God would perfect His own good work of grace in them.
2. The affection (v. 7b) “I have you in my heart”-- It’s a
biblical principle that the best way to conquer negative attitudes and emotions is not just to resist them but also to replace them with positive Christ-like attitudes and emotions. It’s been said that if you do not keep people on your heart, they will end up getting on your nerves.
3. The assurance (v. 7c) “You all are partakers with me of
grace.” The most important source of our union and communion in Christ is what Paul mentions here that we who are believers in Christ all share in the grace of God. That grace is the undeserved mercy and love of God that saved us. And it unites us to God and to each other.
4. The admission (v. 8) “How greatly I long for you all”—
How can we keep people on our hearts? There is only one way: Deeper love for people comes from the love of Jesus Christ. The non-Christian’s joy must come from the outside; the Christian’s comes from within. Despite the inevitable sorrows, disappointments, and pain of life, believers can always be joyful. Biblical joy is not based on circumstances, because it is the gift of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22).
Illus: Dr. Viktor Frankl, author of the book Man’s Search for Meaning,
was imprisoned by the Nazis in World War II because he was a Jew. His wife, his children, and his parents were all killed in the holocaust. The Gestapo made him strip. He stood there totally naked. As they cut away his wedding band, Viktor said to himself "You can take away my wife, you can take away my children, you can strip me of my clothes and my freedom, but there is one thing no person can ever take away from me--and that is my freedom to choose how I will react to what happens to me!" Even under the most difficult of circumstances, happiness is a choice which transforms our tragedies into triumph.
CONCLUSION: How close Paul must have felt toward those at Philippi!
1. Be thankful that we share God’s grace.
2. Be patient and let God work out what He has worked within you.
3. Be loving in our relationships with others
4. Be thankful in all circumstances. What will you be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day?
Illus: Steve May says: I once served a church in an affluent southern
California city. During one Wednesday morning men’s breakfast, I mentioned that I would be preaching that evening at the community-wide Thanksgiving service. One of the men said, "You’ll have to preach a really good sermon to make my Thanksgiving worthwhile. I don’t have anything to be thankful for." I knew this man well. I knew there were some things in his life that weren’t working out. I also knew he had some blessings that he wasn’t acknowledging. There was another man sitting at our table that morning. He was dying of cancer; it was his last Thanksgiving. He said to the group, "Do you want to hear my thanksgiving sermon?" We all said, "Sure, go ahead." This was his sermon: he said, "Thank you, God, for everything."
Prepared by: Gerald Steffy
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