The Nature Of Christian Fellowship

Title: The Nature of Christian Fellowship Scripture: Phil. 1:3-8

Type: Expository Where: GNBC

Intro: “A family went to the movies. On the way in, the young man of the family stopped at the refreshment stand to pick up some popcorn. By the time he got into the theater, the lights were already dim and he couldn’t find his family. He paced up and down the aisles in near darkness, peering down each row. Finally, in desperation, he stopped and asked out loud, “Does anyone here recognize me?” Even though it’s well-lit, there may be people who come into this church and feel like that young man--lost, isolated, disconnected from everyone. Deep down, they are silently crying out, “Does anyone here recognize me?” They’re longing for true Christian fellowship. The local church is not supposed to be like a theater, where you file in, find a seat next to folks that you don’t have any relationship with, watch the performance, and file out. Part of our problem is that we’ve come to think of the church as the building you go to for church services. That idea is foreign to the New Testament, which clearly presents the church as God’s people, a living body knit together by their union with Christ, the head.” (Steven Cole, Lesson 4, Phil. 1:3-8) One recurring theme I hear from visitors to GNBC is that we are a “friendly” church. Let’s keep that up, but let’s also go deeper in building relationships with one another. Always room for improvement.

Prop: Examining Phil. 1:3-8 we’ll see 4 Active Elements of Christian Fellowship.

BG:1. Philippi was an important city in eastern Macedon which flourished in the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine Periods. Situated between the Strymon and Nestos rivers, the city was valued in antiquity for its nearby gold mines

2. Paul came to Philippi on 2nd Miss. Journey. City was an urban center. The people there were both Romans and Greeks and spoke predominantly Greek even though Latin was the official language

3. Not just one theme in letter. Many. Fellowship, Hardship, humility, love, service, hope beyond suffering, God's glory.

Prop: Let’s examine Phil. 1:3-8 to understand 4 Active Elements of Christian Fellowship.

I. True Christian Fellowship Means Praying for Each Other vv. 3-4

A. Paul’s Prayers were Prayers of Gratitude

1. Paul Gave Thanks for the People God had Brought into his life.

a. “I thank” – main verb – from which we get the English word “Eucharist”- high church word for “communion”. Later this morning we will “take communion”. Will give thanks for Xst’s sacrifice as we participate together in receiving the elements. Here Paul is thanking God as he remembers his brothers and sisters who were at the church in Philippi. (Let me ask you, who did you thank this week? For what did you thank God? Maybe your problem.)

b. Ten yrs. prior to this letter, Paul was on his 2nd Miss. Journey, when had a dream and answered to the “Macedonian Call”. Was obedient and entered into and planted the first church in Europe. Certainly as he is penning this letter he remembers that day he met Lydia, the Philippian jailer and his family, the demonized slave girl. Maybe they all became members of the church at Philippi. Those memories from a decade before swirl in the aging apostle’s mind, bringing a smile to his face and a prayer to his lips.

2. We are to Actively Give Thanks as Christian today.

a. “give thanks” – present tense. Continually. Today! Are you? Am I? Do you know why Christians have falling outs with other Christians? Because we quit praying for other Christians. It is difficult to love other Christians if we are not giving thanks for other Christians.

b. “give thanks” is one of the most important phrases in the NT. Used 151x in the NT! That is important. We are supposed to be grateful for all things, even when life is not going as we would like. We don’t need to be happy, nor does life need to be perfect for us to be thankful. Start giving thanks today!

B. Paul’s Prayers were Prayers of Gratitude for People.

1. Paul was grateful for people.

a. Paul rarely expresses thankfulness for material things. Certainly he was thankful for the gifts and kindnesses he received, however, in the Bible, we often read of how he was thankful for people!

b. Now in this account, Paul is once again under arrest. As said previously, his mind goes back to his 2nd Missionary Journey. Besides Lydia and the Jailer and the demonized slave girl there was Euodia, Syntyche, Clement, and certainly others. Illust: Oct. 28-29, 2023 we’ll be having 50th Anniversary of GNBC (DV). There are people we want to see from the 70’s,80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, 10’s, 20’s. Found memories of times of fellowship and worship.