January 18, 2008

A SHARED JOURNEY

Overview of Philippians, selected Scriptures

Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints which are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.

We began our journey with those opening words of Paul’s letter to the Philippians over 4 months ago on September 7. Last week we concluded the letter with Paul’s closing words: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. I hope you have enjoyed the journey as much as I have. I think I must say that at this point in time, Philippians remains my favorite among all Paul’s letters.

In that first message in September, I raised the question of the theme of the letter. I stated at that time that preachers and commentators are not agreed on the question of Paul’s theme. I suggested five different possibilities, and then I said I wanted to leave the question open as we worked our way through the letter. Today by way of summary I want to revisit those five possible themes, and then tell you my conclusion.

The first and most often suggested theme for the book is the theme of joy. Sixteen times in these four chapters, Paul uses the words joy or rejoice. Truly this letter is filled with the joy of the Lord. But after considerable deliberation, I do not think it is the principal theme of the letter. Joy is a byproduct of the Christian walk, it is the emotional climate in which we live, it is in the very air we breathe as children of the King. But for the theme we must dig a little deeper.

A second possible theme I mentioned was the gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is also mentioned repeatedly. The word “gospel” occurs 9 times in the text. Paul not only uses the word repeatedly, but he also devotes considerable space to key aspects of the gospel message. Listen once again to Philippians 2:5-11 (Recite) In this text Paul expounds on the deity and humanity of Christ and the miracle of the incarnation. He also speaks of Christ’s death on the cross and his exaltation to the throne of heaven, and looks forward to the day when all creation shall bow and acknowledge his Lordship.

In Philippians 3:1-9, he elaborates on the truth that the gospel is good news about grace; that we are saved not by our religious pedigree or performance, but by faith in Jesus Christ. That I may be found in Christ, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. The heart of our gospel is found in those words.

He goes on to express his doctrine of sanctification in the following section as he pursues the goal: that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus: that I may become the person Christ had in mind for me to become when he saved me.

We also see in this letter Paul’s own commitment to the spread of this gospel message to the world: in every way Christ is preached and in this I rejoice and I will continue to rejoice. So the gospel is clearly a vital theme of the epistle. But I don’t think we are quite at the heart of the letter yet.

A third possibility for the theme I suggested was that of “thinking” or the Christian mind. Ten times Paul makes reference to the mind or thoughts or thinking rightly. Once again, it is an important topic. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…Be thus minded…Think on these things…” Paul instructs us. But as important as this is to Paul’s argument, I believe that right thinking, positive thinking, Biblical thinking is a means to an end, not the end or the theme itself.

Still closer to the mark is the suggestion that the theme of the letter is Jesus Christ himself. It is easy to make this argument on the basis of references alone, as the names “Jesus” or “Christ” or some combination of the two are used 37 times in the letter. This suggestion is a little more difficult to asses. I think we can clearly say, without any danger of contradiction, that Jesus Christ is the theme of the whole New Testament. I think we can also say, again without controversy, that Jesus Christ is the theme of Paul’s own life. “For to me to live is Christ,” he declares in Philippians 1:21. In 3:8, he writes, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” And he declares his supreme goal in life in Philippians 1:10, “That I may know Christ…”

So anywhere you go, either in Paul’s writings, or in the whole New Testament, the centrality of Jesus Christ will shine through, as it does in his letter to the Philippians. But in analyzing the specific theme of this letter, I think it is helpful to focus on that which makes it distinct from Paul’s other writings.

Well, if you’ve been counting, you will know that we have now considered four out of a possible five suggestions. We have looked at and announced the four runner ups. Now it is time to open the envelope and announce the winner. What is the theme of Philippians? I believe the theme of Paul’s letter to the Philippians can be captured and summarized in a single word. The word is “sun” (pronounced “soon”). Now if you are looking a little puzzled, that’s because “sun” is a Greek word. It is actually a Greek proposition. The best English translation we have is the word “with”. I believe this word captures the specific and unique theme of this letter. It expresses the importance and power of what I dubbed “Christian with-ness”, Christian partnership, Christian fellowship.

This theme can be traced in several different ways. The first is the use of the word “koinonia” which expresses that which we have in common as Christians. The word “koinonia” occurs five times in the text. Secondly this little word “sun” occurs on its own four times. But even more telling than that, it is used in compound words 10 additional times in such words as “fellow soldier” and “fellow worker” and “yoke fellow.” Together these word usages show how important this theme of fellowship or partnership in the gospel is to Paul’s thought in Philippians.

First of all, as I said, it is a commonly repeated theme. Secondly, Paul opens and closes his letter on this note. Partnership is a key emphasis of Paul’s opening paragraph: I make request with joy for your fellowship/partnership in the gospel from the first day until now…both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers (partners) with me of grace. The same theme is picked up and repeated in the closing paragraph as Paul thanks the Philippians for their practical expression of partnership through their financial gift.

I have settled on partnership as the theme also because it naturally incorporates the other repeated themes we have considered. Joy is seen as a byproduct of Paul’s partnership with the Philippians in both the opening and closing paragraphs. The gospel or good news of Jesus Christ provides the foundation or content of our partnership. It is a “gospel partnership” which we enjoy. The call to right thinking is, among other things, a call to think like partners and to rightly consider others in the partnership. And finally, of course, Jesus Christ himself is clearly the focus of the partnership. He is the One we have in common, and worshipping and serving him is ultimately what binds us together. What is more, the theme of partnership or fellowship is also expressed in the letter in Paul’s repeated calls for unity, and also his deep concern for the disunity that apparently threatened the fellowship of the church in Philippi.

So, for all of the above reasons I have concluded that the predominant theme in Paul’s mind as he wrote this letter was that of Christian fellowship or partnership. The Christian life was never intended to be a solitary experience. It is a shared life, a life that is intended to be lived out in a community of other, like-minded followers of Christ. In this final, concluding message in the series, then, I want to remind you of the things which we are called to share together.

First of all, we have a shared goal. This goal is expressed in various ways in the letter. It is described as being “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ” in 1:11. In 2:12 he urges us to “work out your own salvation.” Then in 3:10 Paul states his goal: “That I may know Christ.” And in 3:12 he speaks of pressing on to “take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” These are all different ways of expressing the same goal of sanctification, of Christian maturity, of character transformation, of becoming like Christ.

The point I want to stress again in this sermon is that this is a shared journey. Paul is on that journey and he is urging the believers in Philippi together to join him on that journey. Look at Philippians 3:17: Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. This is one of those “with” words. Literally, “become co-imitators of me.” The importance of character transformation is one that we are all to share together in the body of Christ. It is a common goal of becoming like Christ in thought, word and action. This journey toward righteousness is a shared journey. We need each other if we are to make this journey. We need to be encouraged. We need to be challenged. We need good role models and teachers. We cannot make this journey alone!

There is a hymn in the hymn book: the first verse goes like this: “I have one deep, supreme desire, that I may be like Jesus. To this I fervently aspire, that I may be like Jesus. I want my heart his throne to be, so that a watching world may see, his likeness shining forth in me. I want to be like Jesus.” Great words, but I would suggest that it is a desire and an aspiration which can only be fulfilled when we pursue the goal together.

For far too many and for far too long this has been seen as an individual pilgrimage. “Just Jesus and me” seems to be the theme of many believers in today’s individualistic age. Christians treat the church like a petrol/gas station. It is a place to come to on Friday or Sunday for refueling and supplies and then we dart off onto our separate and individual destinations. Paul clearly says, “Join with others in following my example…” I hope the Friday morning worship service is an important event in your week. But I want to be the first to tell you that it is not enough. We need to connect with each other at other times and at a deeper level than is possible in the large gathering on Friday morning. Are you part of a home fellowship or group Bible study? If not, why not? How can we make it happen for you? Let me say it again. You cannot and will not progress toward Christian maturity and Christ-likeness alone and in isolation. It is a journey that must be undertaken in the company of others who share the same goal.

Secondly, we share a common task. The task is the one that Christ entrusted to his apostles before he ascended to heaven; Proclaim the gospel and make disciples from all nations. As Paul says in Philippians 1:18: “The important thing is that in every way…Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. The sharing of this task comes through over and over in the letter. Paul rejoices in the Philippians and their “partnership in the gospel from the first day.” He commends Timothy as one who “served with me in the Gospel” and Epaphroditus as one who “almost died for the work of Christ.” He uses words like “fellow worker” and “fellow soldier.”

The task of reaching the world for Christ is not the realm of a chosen few professionals. It is the task of every saint, every believer. We may have different gifts and different roles to play, but the task belongs to all of us. That is why I am so excited about the “Perspectives Class” that we have been promoting. It is essentially a class on why and how to reach the world.

Reaching the world is a big part of why Christ saved us and the purpose he has in mind for us. When Paul speaks of the Philippians and their witness in 2:16, he describes them as together “shining like stars…holding out the word of life.” If that happens, he says, then I will be able to “boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.”

One word especially captures the essence of this shared task. It occurs twice in Philippians. In Philippians 1:27, it is translated “contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.” In Philippians 4:3 it is translated “contended at my side in the cause of the gospel.” In both verses, the cause or task is given; the cause of the gospel. The spreading of the good news of Jesus Christ. The word itself, as I explained it when I preached on those passages, is our little word “sun” plus the Greek word “athleo” from which we get the English word “athletics.” To strive side by side in a great task or contest.

Is that how we see ourselves in ECC? As fellow workers, as fellow soldiers, as yoke-fellows, companions, team-mates in a common task? This is true gospel fellowship.

So, we have a shared goal and we have a shared task. I believe that it is in the process of pursuing that goal and that task together that we will experience something else. We will experience shared love and joy. Isn’t that what Paul says in Philippians 1:4-5: I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. The partnership brought him joy. And he urges the Philippians to share that joy in Philippians 2:18: So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. This partnership also creates deep bonds of affection and love. One of the things that shines through the whole letter to the Philippians is Paul’s deep and abiding love for them. In the opening paragraph, it pours out: “I have you in my heart…God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” It is there too in 4:1: “Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for…” This love grew and flourished in this context of partnership and fellowship in a shared goal and a shared task.

Partnership in the gospel; the love and joy that we experience when we join, shoulder to shoulder, in pursuing our common goal of becoming like Christ and our common task of making the gospel known. This is the great, unifying theme of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. The power of Christian “with-ness.” Are you on the team? Are you linked with others in the church in mutual encouragement toward Christian maturity? Are you actively engaged in making the gospel known, through witness and through financial partnership with others in spreading the gospel? Are you enjoying the joy and love that come through that “shoulder to shoulder” experience?

In closing, let me share an illustration. It comes, once again, from my growing up years in Africa. It is an African word which beautifully captures the essence of Paul’s theme. The word is “harambee.” I am not sure of the exact derivation of the word or even it’ precise definition. But it was commonly used as a kind of chant to produce a unified effort in a task. For example, if a car became stuck in the mud during the rainy season, people would come around to help push it out. But if one person pushes and then another and then another, it doesn’t do any good. It is still just the strength of one person. In order to accomplish the task, everyone had to push together. So someone would pick up the chant: HaramBEE! And on the third syllable, everyone would apply their effort at the same time. Again and again, “HaramBEE!” And soon the car would start to move until it was propelled to solid ground. What they could not accomplish individually, they could accomplish together.

The late 50’s and early 60’s were a time of turmoil in Kenya in the final push toward independence from British colonial rule. Many people were afraid of what might happen in the transfer of power. As we would drive back and forth to town, people along the road would wave two fingers in the air, in the sign for “Uhuru!” or freedom. Rumors flew around the country of what might happen when uhuru came. The man who emerged as the leader of the new nation was a man by the name of Jomo Kenyatta. For many he was a figure who inspired fear, a man accused of fueling tribal and racial tensions in the bloody Mau Mau rebellion of the 50’s. He had spent 7 years in prison or under house arrest in the dry, desolate Northern Frontier District of Kenya. He now stood to take the oath of office as head of state. Whites, people of Indian descent and even Kenyans from different tribes held their breath.

As President Kenyatta toured the nation, his speeches carried a theme of forgiveness and reconciliation. He welcomed people from all races and tribes to stay and help build the new Kenya. He dipped into African culture and pulled out this word. He preached the message of “Harambee!” In fact, it became his trademark rallying cry. At the end of all his speeches he would raise the fly whisk he carried almost as a badge of office, and in his resonant bass voice he would cry, “Harambee!” And the crowd would respond with an answering roar, “Eee!” It was a spirit of unity and working together that helped build the nation. Even today, when a community gathers to raise funds to build a school or a church building, the event is called a “harambee”, the community working together to accomplish a common goal.

The spirit of harambee is one the nation of Kenya desperately needs to recapture today, in light of the recent tribal violence. But it is also the spirit of fellowship and unity and working together that Paul points to in his letter to the Philippian church. And it is my challenge to ECC as we are poised on the threshold of moving into our new building and, Lord willing, moving our ministries forward to a new level. What we cannot do individually, we can do together with the help of our God. People of ECC, HARAMBEE!