July 14, 2024 Service
Philippians 1:1-9
Our series in Philippians will allow us to focus on what the Gospel is and what it does in and through us.
The Gospel is a community partnership. This begins and only works as the Gospel is the foundation for our sanctification. Paul is establishing this fact in the beginning of his letter to the church in Philippi. “He who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.” This work WILL BE completed points to our eternal completion before God. That means He is working right now. We are in a “being made” process. This is the process of our sanctification.
Paul describes what the “being made” complete begins to look like and he prays this over the Christians in Philippi.
Philippians 1:9-11
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
This is a personal individual work with each one of us. When we cooperate with God’s sanctifying work, the communities in which we find ourselves benefit and the Gospel becomes a community partnership.
God is inviting, actually He is pushing us into His sanctifying work so that we live out the gospel in a community partnership, as His witnesses, for His glory.
Hardship, trials, troubles, suffering and seasons of waiting on God are all instruments that God uses to do some of His most strategic sanctifying work. But we have to cooperate and not resist.
Reflections
Let’s reflect and pray about this.
What is God saying to you personally about the sanctifying work He is seeking to do in this season and time?
What specific virtue, fruit of righteousness, is God inviting you to see needs spiritual growth?
What part of our church community and larger communities sanctification is God asking you to participate?
“This life, therefore, is not righteousness but growth in righteousness, not health but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it; the process is not yet finished, but it is going on. This is not the end but it is the road; all does not gleam in glory but all is being purified.”
Martin Luther
May our God “be completing” His work in us for His glory and our witness.
Share what God has done in your heart this week with your community group and/or friends.
Grace and peace on this journey together,
Chad Hollowell
Executive Pastor