“I Thank My God…” Philippians 1:3-11
Well, here we are – my last sermon at Hillcrest Church. I know a guy in Cincinnati who was on vacation with his wife. They always went to church, even on vacation, so they stopped at a random church one Sunday morning.
Turns out the church they visited was having the last Sunday for its pastor too! It also turned out that the guy wasn’t exactly leaving on the best of terms. My friend and his wife sat there and listened to this guy blast his congregation!
I heard of another incident, actually right here in Pittsburgh, where the departing pastor dramatically removed his robe, threw it on the first pew, and stormed out.
Don’t worry, that’s not going to happen this morning.
One other thing about “last Sunday” sermons – often, it’s about the pastor. Don’t worry about that either…
As my sermon title says, “I thank my God…”
Our reading this morning is the opening of Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi. In all but one, Paul opens his letters with praises for his readers. The only one where he does not is Galatians; he must have been having trouble with them. Again, no troubles here…
Let’s go thru the passage, beginning with verse 3: I thank my God every time I remember you. My friends, I promise you, I thank my God, and will always thank my God every time I remember you.
Let me be clear – this is not a testimonial dinner. These words flow out of me in praise to the Father Almighty for the Body of Christ called Hillcrest Church. I am not thanking God because session decided to hire me fifteen months ago, although I appreciate it! God called me here, God has been with me, and us, every step of the way.
Let’s continue, verses 4-6: In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Together, we faced some challenges, but those challenges were met with joy – why? Verse 5 – because of your partnership in the gospel. In the Greek, the term for partnership is koinonia – you may have heard that word before. The word indicates participation or fellowship, and expresses a two-sided relationship. In the New Testament, it signifies the believer’s participation in the life of God. It means the sharing of a common faith.
Needless to say, it assumes the existence of a brotherly (and I should say sisterly) relationship among believers. And because of this partnership, the same God who began the good work at Hillcrest Church 50 years ago will continue until the day of Christ Jesus. God will continue the work at this great congregation.
This is a wonderful, spirit-filled church. Keep praying, keep relying on the Spirit, and God will complete the work he began.
Continuing, verses 7-8: It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Being your pastor has not just been about the good times, the laughter, the hugs, the fellowship, the great food! It’s been sharing in your sorrows, your struggles, your confusion, your anger. And you have shared in mine as well. When I have been in emotional chains, you have been there with me.
I have you in my heart. In the Greek, “heart” includes both mind and will, referring to a person’s innermost being. We are not talking about emotion or sentimentality, but the pure essence of consciousness and personality. My brothers and sisters, I have you in my heart. In joy and in sorrow, we have shared God’s grace.
Paul finishes with a prayer, verse 9: And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight…
Paul is praying that their love for Christ will grow greater each day. As your pastor, that has been my aim – I only want your love IN Christ and FOR Christ to grow more and more.
Repeating verse 9, and finishing verses 10-11: And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight…
… so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
In the months and years ahead, as God continues to direct your steps, you certainly will encounter periods of discernment about what is best –not what is best for each of you; not what is best for Hillcrest, but what is best for the Kingdom of God, and the glory of Christ, in Monroeville.
I pray that you will allow God to enable and empower that discernment.
So, let’s think for a moment – just what have you been praying for? Full pews again? Two services? More young families? A balanced budget? A bigger endowment?
My friends, if I may inject a little admonishment here:
- It is not about me
- It is not about the Aaron Gordon
- It is not about Hillcrest Church
- It’s not about worship attendance
- It is not about traditional or contemporary worship
- It is not about dinners, or fellowship, or meetings, or anything else that may have been the focus of your efforts over the years
And like it or not, it is not about you.
So what is it about?
Why are you here anyhow?
Again, verses 10-11: So that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ– to the glory and praise of God.
The goal is the day of Christ, when every believer will stand before his Lord and give an account of his deeds. This sobering and joyous prospect for us believers should have a purifying effect on our lives.
My friends, my brothers and sisters, I thank my God for all of you.
I will keep you in my prayers, and I will pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
I remain confident that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
We have been in this together these past 15 months.
We have shared many joys and sorrows.
Our affection for each other has been empowered by Christ himself.
And my prayer for you is that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ
Certainly, having a blazingly successful church will be nice, but my sincere prayer is that you will be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.
To the glory and praise of God.