The foundation, focus and future of the church fellowship

Sermon Notes from Sunday 1 March 2015 

Philippians 1 verses 1 – 18

What should a church fellowship be like?  As we take these words from the person of the apostle Paul we see the longing and deep desire in his heart for the work of God.  He realised the work he left behind in Philippi was a work of God.  This book was written roughly about 10 years after he left them.  It is a very personal letter.  The Ephesian letter and Colossian letter were written to be shared with others but in Philippians though there were no instructions to share it with anyone else.  It was a love letter back to the church from Paul’s heart.  Bear in mind that Paul is in prison as he writes this letter.  As he writes he is full of fond memories of those early days in Philippi when he preached the word of God.  When people reflect on us, looking back on the situations in our lives, the people I have met – will they be fond memories?  There will be sadness in those memories too.  When Lydia met with the Lord, when she took them into her home and had fellowship with her.  The time when the Philippian jailer took them into his home and family, when they were all saved.

Paul is quick to get to the foundation.  A church, a fellowship must be Christ centred.  The work of God is based on the foundation of Christ.  If not it is not the work of God.  It could maybe be a good going concern, happy place to go to but it is not the work of God.  My life has to be founded on the Lord Jesus Christ if I ever want to be in heaven today.  Nothing else is important.  The most important part of any building is the foundation.  If the foundation is not right it will not matter what way the rooms are.  “He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”  Paul says “other foundations can no man lay.” (1 Corinthians 3 verse 11)  The doctrines which Paul had taught were the foundations.  They were accepted, believed and they changed the lives of men and woman.  Paul’s mind wanders back to those early days in Acts 16.  If he had had his way he would have gone into Asia but God didn’t want him there, he wanted him in Philippi.  It is good to wait on the Lord.  God can be calling, speaking this morning.  We need to be open to his call, ready to hear and willing to do what he has asked us.  Has God been speaking to you about your sin in your heart today?  He had to send His son into the world in response to the sin of this world that we could be saved.  What have we done with the Lord up to this day in our lives?  Rejected him?  Shunned him?  Set him to one side?  We are talking about the foundation of salvation today.  Paul had that dream of a man telling him to come into Macedonia.  The first meeting was by the riverside outside Philippi.  Lydia opened her heart that day.  Then a little maid started to follow them around.  She had an evil spirit.  She could tell the future.  We live in an age today of superstition and men and women are blinded.  Paul cast out the demon from the girl.  In the old prison house the apostle Paul spoke to the Philippian jailer and pointed him to Christ.  That was the foundation.  Jesus said “those who hear my word listen to me but don’t do what I say, he is like a man building his house on sand.”(Matthew 7 verses 24 – 27)  This fellowship was founded on the word of God not on the will of man.  You wouldn’t build your house on sand.  We can listen to God’s word, hear what it has to say and go out and disobey the word.  The man who puts my word into practice is like a man building his house on the rocks.  All such different people Paul met in Philippi, all came to the Lord to build their lives, came to one foundation.  “Henceforth be no more children cast too and fro tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;”(Ephesians 4 verse 14)

Christ must also be the focus of the church as well.  He places the responsibility to keep the work going on.  They must focus on Christ.  Verse 1.  Paul is writing to the bishops and deacons.  They are to keep focus on the Lord. He spoke of the opposition he faced when preaching the gospel.  As long as the word kept going forth Paul was happy.  “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”  The comfort it brought to Paul’s heart as lay in prison house.  The joy was that Jesus Christ was being preached.  This one thing I rejoice in.  You and I in like manner need to keep focus on Jesus Christ.  Keep him in view at all times.  Need not to be caught up with lesser things.  In Ephesus Paul complimented them on their faith but in Revelation we now see a church that has left its first love, has shifted their focus.  Revelation 2 verse 4 “nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, thou hast left thy first love.”  They loved the Lord with all their heart at a time but now had let it.  Not lost it but failed to keep Jesus in their focus.  Revelation 2 verse 5 Jesus Christ is talking not John.  He sees they have left their first love, gives the invitation “you have got to repent.”  That is what happened in that church.  There is not even a trace of a building to worship in that place today.  Demas shifted his focus – “he hath forsaken me”.  It didn’t happen overnight but bit by bit it happened.  The devil deceives us bit by bit.  That is where we need to be careful.  We need to keep our focus on the Lord.  We have to guard the pulpit today.  People may not like us for that.  The Laodicean church was similar – Christ was on the outside not the inside. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 2 verse 5)  We need to guard our fellowship.

We also see the future of the church.  “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”  The word “perform” is the focus, the words “until the day of Jesus Christ” shows the future.  The battle is not over.  It has only begun.  When you come to Christ and accept him as Saviour and Lord “that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.”  We have to live without offence and with sincerity.  To live with the view that Jesus Christ can come at any time.  Wouldn’t it be awful if Jesus came today and we met him with empty hands?