The Nature Of The Church
Text: Phil. 1:1-2
Introduction
1. Illustration: Three pastors got together for coffee one day and found all their churches had bat-infestation problems. "I got so mad," said one, "I took a shotgun and fired at them. It made holes in the ceiling, but did nothing to the bats." "I tried trapping them alive," said the second. "Then I drove 50 miles before releasing them, but they beat me back to the church." "I haven't had any more problems," said the third. "What did you do?" asked the others, amazed. "I simply baptized and confirmed them," he replied. "I haven't seen them since."
2. Ever since we purchased our building back in August we have talked a lot about the church as a building. However, the building is not the church; we are the church.
3. As we begin this series on Paul's Letter to the Philippians we are going to answer the question "What is the nature of the church?"
4. The nature of the church is that...
a. We belong to Christ
b. We are family
c. We live in God's favor
5. Let's stand together as we read Phil. 1:1-2
Proposition: The church consists of all those who committed to and dependent upon Christ in all things.
Transition: First, let us consider that...
I. We Belong To Christ (1a).
A. Slaves of Christ
1. To understand what Paul is writing to the Philippian church we must first consider some background.
a. As Paul wrote this letter, he was under house arrest in Rome.
b. When the Philippian church had heard about Paul’s imprisonment, they had sent Epaphroditus (who may have been one their elders) to Rome to visit and encourage him.
c. Epaphroditus had arrived with words of affection from the church, as well as a financial contribution that would help make Paul’s confinement more comfortable.
d. Paul wanted to thank the believers for helping him during his time of need. He also wanted to tell them why he could be full of joy despite his imprisonment and upcoming trial.
e. He wanted them to remain strong in the faith, realizing that although he was in chains for the gospel, God was still in control and the truth of the gospel remained unchanged.
f. In this uplifting letter, Paul counseled the Philippians about humility and unity and warned them about potential problems they would fac (Barton, Life Application New Testament Commentary, 843).
g. Paul had arrived in Rome around A.D. 59 and had spent two years under house arrest. The letter to the Philippians was probably written toward the end of Paul’s imprisonment there, in A.D. 61 (Barton 843).
2. However, Paul's name isn't the only attached to this letter.
a. Timothy was a frequent visitor during Paul’s imprisonment in Rome and was with Paul when he wrote this letter.
b. Then Timothy went as Paul’s emissary to the church in Philippi. Timothy had a special interest in the Philippians, for he had traveled with Paul on his second missionary journey when the church at Philippi had begun.
c. Although he is mentioned in the salutation, Timothy is not considered a coauthor. Paul wrote in the first person throughout this letter.
d. Paul and Timothy had developed a special bond, like father and son.
e. Paul had led Timothy to Christ during his first missionary journey.
f. Timothy would become an important leader in the early church and, like Paul, eventually would be imprisoned for his faith.
3. Take notice of how Paul refers to himself and Timothy. He calls them, "slaves of Christ Jesus..."
a. "Slaves" (douloi) suggests submission without servility, slavery that is motivated by love, and service of a willing spirit.(The Complete Biblical Library – Galatians-Philemon, 182.
b. To the readers of this letter they would have only known it as "slave."
c. They were common in Greco-Roman society and no one would have thought it to mean anything other than a person who was owned by another person.
d. As such, they would have been subject to that person as the head of the household.
e. In this context it would have referred to someone who was a servant of God and would have carried the idea of distance from and dependence upon God.
f. What Paul is saying is that they are Christ's slaves, and as such bound to his as their master, but whose slavery is a loving and willing service of Christ for the Philippians.
g. This is to be a common theme in Philippians, because everything is in, of, by, and for Christ Jesus.
h. He is the basis of their common existence and focus of their partnership in the Gospel (Fee, NICNT: Philippians, 63-64).
i. All true Christians are slaves of Jesus Christ. We are bought and owned by him not because we are forced to, but rather because we choose it.
B. Commitment
1. Illustration: Pierce my ear, O Lord, my God. Take me to Your door this day. I will serve no other god. Lord, I'm here to stay.
For You have paid the price for me. With Your blood You ransomed me. I will serve You eternally. Your free one I long to be.
This song is in reference to Exodus 21:2-6 where it discusses a servant who fulfills his/her obligation to the master, but then chooses to stay with the master who then pierces the servant's ear as a sign of devotion.
2. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we owe him our devotion.
a. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
b. We owe him our devotion and commitment because he paid the price for our salvation with his own blood.
c. We have become too self-sufficient and too independent.
d. We have bought into the great American ideal of independence when we think we do not need prayer.
e. When we think we do not need to read the word.
f. When we think we do not need to go to church.
g. When we think we do not need God.
h. When that happens it is time to get back to the altar, back on our knees, back to repentance, back to the realization that without God we are nothing.
Transition: The nature of the church also carries with it the idea that...
II. We Are Family (1b).
A. God's Holy People
1. Now that Paul has affirmed his and Timothy's identities as the writer's of the letter, he now identifies to whom the letter is written.
2. He says, "I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi..."
a. The phrase God's holy people, is traditionally translated "saints."
b. However, that word carries with it connotations that Paul does not mean here.
c. This is one of several terms used in the OT to designate Israel, as God's special people.
d. It can be traced to the covenant setting of Ex 19:6, where God refers to them as "my people...a holy nation."
e. Therefore, the translation God's holy people is appropriate here (Fee, 64).
f. "Saints" (hagioi) means "set apart ones" who have confessed Christ as Savior.
g. Paul made no sharp distinction between clergy and laity. Rather, he emphasized the bond between them (The Complete Biblical Library – Galatians-Philemon, 182).
3. Paul continues his addressing them by indicating they are those "who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elders and deacons."
a. They are God's holy people because they belong to Christ Jesus.
b. They are in Christ Jesus because they are they are by Christ Jesus.
c. It is Jesus that is responsible for them becoming God's holy people, and because of his death and resurrection responsible for the new life that they now enjoy (Fee, 65).
d. It is surprising that Paul makes special mention of the elders and deacons.
e. In fact, this is the only one of Paul's letters where they are mentioned in the greetings and they are never referred to again in this letter.
f. So why are they included?
g. The overseers are the shepherds of the church family, and as such they are to serve, love, preach, and do pastoral care for the community.
h. The deacons are ones who serve in other areas in addition to the overseers.
i. But again why does Paul include them here and nowhere else?
j. Paul is addressing the whole church and the overseers and deacons are seen as a part of that family.
k. They are signaled out here not as above the church, but as along side of and apart of the church. We are all in this together (Fee, 67)!
B. All Together
1. Illustration: The church is called the body of Christ. Have you ever thought about what it would be like if the members of our physical bodies behaved like the members of the spiritual body sometimes do?
a. HEART - "You know, I’m just stuck in a rut. For the last 45 years all I do is beat and beat. Lub, dub... lub, dub... lub, dub... I’m tired of it. It’s time for someone else to step up and do this job. Okay, feet, it’s up to you. You pump the blood.
b. LUNGS: We are so under-appreciated around here. I don’t think the other organs realize that they couldn’t do their jobs without us. If we quit doing our job for a few minutes, everyone will finally see how valuable we are to this place. The brain thinks he’s big stuff. Humph! Let him do without some oxygen for a while and we’ll see how important he is!
c. LIVER: "Why do I get all the dirty work? You think it’s fun making bile? I’ve been in this body for 45 years now and do you think anyone has ever asked me to make any decisions, pump any blood, or perform any functions that are noticeable outside the body? Sometimes I wonder why I bother."
d. APPENDIX - "Ha! Just watch the rest of those organs work. Day after day, hour after hour, they work themselves do death. I’m just along for the ride. Why contribute when I can just sit here and get the same nutrients and oxygen that they get? Why get involved?"
e. You get the idea. The point is that the individual parts that make up our bodies were created specifically for certain tasks within the body as a whole. The body works as a finely tuned machine when all the parts do what they were uniquely gifted to do. There are no unimportant parts -- except the appendix. Don’t be an appendix in your church.
2. In the body of Christ we are all important and indispensible.
a. 1 Corinthians 12:18-20 (NLT)
But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.
a. God has not brought any of us here by mistake.
a. He has a plan and a purpose for each and everyone of us.
a. Each one of us has a part to play in this family, and we all have vital roles to play.
a. But if we are not here or are not connected we are missing out on what you bring.
a. Furthermore you are missing out on the blessing you could be receiving if you were fully giving of yourself.
Transition: Another key ingredient to the nature of the church is...
III. We Live In God's Favor (2).
A. Grace and Peace
1. Paul concludes the introduction to his letter by again focusing on the family nature of the church.
2. He says, "May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ..."
a. The phrase God our Father focuses on the family relationship among all believers as God’s children.
a. By using the phrase Lord Jesus Christ, Paul was pointing to Jesus as a full person of the Godhead and he was recognizing Jesus’ full deity.
a. God the Father and Christ the Lord are coequal in providing the resources of grace and peace (Barton 844).
3. Then Paul says, "...give you grace and peace."
a. The apostle often coupled the terms "grace" and "peace" in his greetings.
a. The term "grace" comes from the Greek word charis and generally refers to a favor done out of the pure generosity of the heart, expecting nothing in return.
a. "Peace" (eirēnē) is a Hebrew concept (shalōm) which denotes the harmony and well-being of a life that has been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ (The Complete Biblical Library – Galatians-Philemon, 182).
a. Only God can grant such wonderful gifts. Paul wanted his readers to experience God’s grace and peace in their daily living.
B. God's Grace
1. Illustration: When we get to heaven, there will be no contest to see who was the most deserving of God’s grace because no one deserves it. There will only be one contest in heaven. When we look back and see what we were before, when we see the pit from which he rescued us, when we recall how confused we were, when we remember how God reached out and hired us into His family, and how he held us in his hand, and when we see Jesus who loved us and gave himself for us, the only contest will be to see which of us will sing the loudest: "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see."
2. God's grace costs you nothing and at the same time costs you everything.
a) Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT)
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
b) God's grace costs you nothing because it is the free gift of God.
c) You can not earn it, deserve it, or buy it.
d) Yet it will cost you giving up everything that you are trying to hold on to.
e) It will cost your time.
f) It will cost your desires.
g) It will cost your freedom.
h) It will cost you your sin.
i) It will cost you all these things because you cannot be touched by it and not change!
Transition: God may your amazing grace change us from the inside out!
Conclusion
1. The nature of the church is that...
a) We Belong To Christ
b) We Are Family
c) We Live In God's Favor
2. Do you belong to Christ?
3. Are you an active part of the family?
4. Are you living in God's favor?
