One of Kevin Costner’s least popular films in recent years was THE POSTMAN, and although it didn’t do too well at the box office, I for one thought its plot line was pretty good. The film is set in the not too distant future in what is left of the United States after a limited nuclear war. Anarchy reigns and the remnants of civilization live in independent walled-villages with little or no technology to ease their difficult existence.
Costner plays a drifter who comes upon the wreck of a postal truck, while fleeing the troops of a cruel dictator who rules most of the region with an iron fist. A cold winter rain is falling…and to get warm he dons the uniform of the long dead postman and burns some of his mail. The rest he puts in the leather postal pouch, and the next morning, wearing the uniform, he continues on his way. Several days later he arrives at the gates of one of the walled towns and in an attempt to get food he pretends to be a postman working for what he calls the “newly re-constituted US of A.” He backs up his claim by delivering some of the letters he had found that had been written years ago to the local residents — the letters he had found in the wrecked postal truck.
Well, receiving these old letters is such an exciting thing for the lonely, secluded people of this town, that many of its young men and women buy into Costner’s fictitious claim and join the newly re-organized US Postal service. They form a mail delivery system, much like the pony express of the old west and are soon riding on horseback from town to town delivering letters to friends and family…In this way society is unified once more. The simple act of giving and receiving mail becomes the catalyst that leads to the overthrow of the dictator and the re-establishment of democratic government. Civilization thrives once again.
And this really isn’t that far fetched because there is amazing power in sending and receiving mail. We hunger for this kind of contact with our loved ones. If you’re like me you go to the mail box each day and quickly cast aside the junk mail in a search for a “REAL” note, something actually hand-written from a friend or family member. I’ve noticed that the retail mail business has taken advantage of this “postal principle” because they’ve become very good at making junk mail appear “real.” More than once I’ve opened an envelope because it looked to be from a real person, only to discover that it was a clever computer generated forgery and in fact communicated nothing more than some company’s desire for my money. Everyone loves to get a personal note…real mail from a real person.
One of the most effective outreach tools we have here at Redland is when we gather around tables on P.I.E. nights like we will this coming Wednesday and hand write post cards to new home owners in our area, welcoming them to the area and inviting them to come and worship with us here at RBC. I can think of three currently active families who came here and eventually joined because they received one of these REAL pieces of correspondence.
Well, this morning we’re beginning a sermon series study of the book of Philippians, which in reality is NOT a book…but rather a letter…in Biblical terms, an “epistle.” It is a personal note…REAL MAIL…from a man named Paul to his friends in an ancient Grecian town called Philippi. We’ll study half of this letter before Christmas and half afterwards. Today I want us to focus on the first eleven verses so take your Bibles and turn to Paul’s LETTER to the Philippians, chapter one and follow along as I read.
1 – Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2 – Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 – I thank my God every time I remember you.
4 – 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.
7 – It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for 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.
9 – And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
10 – so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,
11 – filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-to the glory and praise of God.
Now, let’s begin our study by looking at the background surrounding the writing of this letter. Paul of course had at one time been known as “Saul,” and in his early days was one of the chief persecutors of Christians but on the road to Damascus he met the risen Christ and became a Christian himself. Scripture records that after that encounter, Paul had spent his every waking moment traveling all over the world starting churches. One of the churches Paul started was in the Macedonian city of Philippi.
Now, Philippi had been a Roman colony since Mark Anthony and Octavian had defeated the forces of Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar, at that location in 42 B.C. Large numbers of the Philippians of Paul’s day were descended from the soldiers who settled in the city after that battle or from those who came to the city slightly less than a decade later in the wake of Octavian’s victory over Mark Anthony. Remember the war with Rome fought by “Antony and Cleopatra?” So this was a very “ROMAN” city, a pride that the residents displayed when in Acts 16:20-21 they complained about the activity of Paul and his companions by saying,
“These Jewish men are advocating customs unlawful for us ROMANS to accept or practice.”
Acts 16:7-9 tells us that Paul had gone to Philippi in response to a nighttime vision he had in which a Macedonian man appeared to him saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” This happened in AD 52, while Paul was on his second missionary journey, accompanied by Silas, Timothy, and Luke. Paul’s customary method of starting a church was to begin by teaching at the local Synagogue, making an appeal to the Jews who worshiped there. But finding no Synagogue in Philippi he made his way outside the city gates to the river where he had heard of some Jewish women who regularly gathered to worship the God of Abraham. There he met a woman named Lydia, a seller of purple. Lydia listened to Paul’s teaching and became a believer. Acts 16:15 records that her entire household did as well.
If you studied the book of Acts with us this summer you may also remember that while in Philippi, Paul got into trouble because God used him to heal a demon-possessed slave girl. This girl had been a source of profit for her owners for, in her possessed state, she would tell fortunes and they were angry that she was now in her right mind and no longer able to do so. They complained and the local authorities had Paul and Silas beaten and thrown into prison. (Acts 16:23-24 ) But as Paul and Silas were singing and worshiping God in that prison, God sent an earthquake, which literally opened a door through which Paul led the jailer and his family to faith in Christ.
So, the Philippian church was like Redland in that it was a very diverse body of believers. Their charter members included: a wealthy female Jewish merchant and her family, a Roman jailer and his family, and a formerly demon possessed Grecian slave girl.
Acts records that Paul and his companions left Philippi after his release from jail and they continued their mission work, traveling Roman highways to Berea, Corinth, and Ephesus. Acts also records that while in Jerusalem, at the conclusion of his third missionary journey, Paul was again arrested by the Jewish leaders because the new faith Paul propagated conflicted with their understanding of God. Their intention was to put him to death and to save his own life Paul used his prerogative as a Roman citizen and appealed to Rome. As a result, he was sent there and imprisoned for two years, awaiting the outcome of his appeal to the emperor, Nero.
During his imprisonment, he spent his time writing letters to the churches he had founded on his journeys: the churches at Galatia, Ephesus, Corinth, and, of course, Philippi. This letter to the Christians who made up the Philippian church was written about ten years after its founding, and the personal nature of the epistle shows from the very beginning. I say this because in all his OTHER letters, Paul starts with a statement of his official position, his credentials as an Apostle of God and then he usually includes a statement of why he has the authority to write, and why the recipients have the duty to listen-but not in the letter to the Philippians. This is because it simply wasn’t necessary. Paul didn’t need to specify his authority and demand that they listen, for he knew they would lovingly and eagerly do so. You see, of all his churches, the church at Philippi was the church to which Paul was the closest. Over the years they had repeatedly sent him monetary gifts to help him in his missionary work and so he writes not as an apostle to members of a church but as a friend to his friends or co-workers. In similar fashion, if I were in prison somewhere and were writing to you, I wouldn’t begin my note by saying, “The most esteemed REVEREND MARK ADRIAN ADAMS, GRADUATE OF SOUTHERN SEMINARY, MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL, BALDEST PREACHER ON THE EAST COAST, to the church in Derwood…” No…I would say, “Hey guys, It’s me, Mark, writing. How’s it going!?”
This was a very PERSONAL note from Paul to his friends, so formal titles were unnecessary. In fact the only title he claims at the beginning of this letter is that of a “servant” of Christ. Now, there are several Greek words that he could have used that would be translated, “servant.” A “diakonos” was a servant. This is where we get the word “deacon.” A “therapon” was a personal attendant. A “misthios” was a hired servant and an “oiketes” was a house servant. But the word Paul uses here was none of these. Instead, he chose the word “doulos” and a “doulos” was more than a servant…it was a bond slave. To the Greeks, the idea of referring to yourself in this way would have been intolerable. And from the perspective of the Jewish rabbis, calling someone a “doulos” was one of the worst insults you could hurl at a man. Yet, Paul deliberately and PROUDLY referred to himself as a “doulos”…a slave of Jesus Christ. Now, why would he do this? What did he mean by assuming that title?
Well, first of all, by using this particular word Paul IDENTIFIED himself with his Master.”Doulos” was a word that was derived from another word that means “to bind.” This was a slave that was bound to or inseparably connected to his master. The whole identity of a “doulos” was derived from the one to whom he belonged. So Paul was saying that he was Jesus Christ’s slave. That’s what he would have wanted printed on his driver’s license or photo ID. Paul was saying that he was no longer his own. As he wrote in I Corinthians 6:20, he knew had been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ, and so now he belonged to Jesus. His identification as a person was indelibly linked to his Master. Paul was a SLAVE of Christ. Would that more Christians would live in such a way that their identification with Christ would be as obvious!
Also, by using this term, Paul was professing his OBEDIENCE to his Master.He was saying that he had no WILL of his own-and that, as a slave, he owed an absolute obedience to Christ. He realized that his Master’s will must be his will and his Master’s decisions must regulate his life. In Matthew’s Gospel, we read about a Roman centurion, an army officer, who came to Jesus. He was a man with authority over his forces. Remember, in Matthew 8:8-9 he told Jesus, “For I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave (DOULOS), ‘Do this!” and he does it.” Well, this is how Paul felt when it came to his relationship with Jesus. He was a slave, completely under the authority of his Master. Isn’t that a beautiful picture of our relationship to Christ? He is the Head of the church and the Lord of every Christian. He has authority over every part of our lives. To call ourselves Christian then, means that we, like Paul, will be obedient to Jesus.
3. And then thirdly, by using this term, Paul was saying that he was SUPPLIED by his Master.
You see, for all the BAD aspects of the institution of slavery in those days, slavery had ONE distinct benefit. The slave had no worries about his physical needs. His clothes, his food, his medical treatment, his housing-everything-was provided by his master. And Paul of course realized this and used this word to communicate both to the Philippians and to us here today that to be a slave of Christ brings a sense of contentment. Because, Paul had learned that he could rely on Christ for all his needs. He said as much at the end of this letter. Remember the familiar words of Philippians 4:19 ? “My God…MY MASTER…shall supply all your needs, according to His riches in glory.”
So, at the beginning of this letter, Paul referred to himself as a “doulos” or “slave.” But, how did he address the recipients of this letter — the Philippians? Look at verse 1. He called them “SAINTS.” Now, today when we think of the word “saint” we picture in our mind someone who is HOLY or PERFECT. In some denominations sainthood is limited to SPECIAL Christians only. If you’ve traveled in Europe, you’ve no doubt seen a lot of STONE saints in and around huge cathedrals. If you’ve ever worshiped in a liturgical church, you have seen them as icons of plaster or marble representing people whose lives have become famous because of their holiness in the long and colorful history of the church. In the Catholic church there is a lengthy process to go through to designate someone as a saint. I think there is an investigation. The person has to have done a miracle and to have lived an exceptional life. I believe Bill Stuart told me the other day that the Russian Orthodox church has now decided to bestow sainthood on the last czar of Russia and his wife-Nicolas II and Alexandria.
But the saints Paul was writing to were not saints in this sense of the word. No, the saints at Philippi were everyday common folks like you and me because in the Bible the term “saint” is used to refer to ALL Christians. The Greek word used here for saint is “hagios” and it appears in scripture 60 times as a designation for Christians. It literally means “different — set apart by God for a special purpose.” “Saints” then, are ordinary people to whom something extraordinary has happened. They are common people whose lives have linked up with an uncommon Savior. As Christians, you and I are “saints.” When we were born into God’s family by faith in Jesus Christ, we automatically received that title. At that time each of us were set aside for God’s special purpose. So, we would be accurate if we started calling each other, “Saint Mark” or “Saint Jim” or “Saint CC” or “Saint Dorinda.”
In his booklet, Live Sermon Outlines, Ian MacPherson wrote about a grocer in Edinburgh, Scotland, who was named JAMES SAINT. A man who knew James Saint wrote a letter to him on one occasion but mistakenly addressed it to “James Saint, ABERDEEN, Scotland.” When the letter reached Aberdeen, the postal people searched diligently, but could not find anyone in their town named James Saint. So they returned the letter to the sender with this notation on the envelope: “There are no Saints in Aberdeen. Try Edinburgh.” Well, according to the Bible these postal workers were wrong because if there were Christians in Aberdeen-and there certainly were-well then, there were SAINTS there! Not just a few…ALL…Christians are special…all believers are set apart…different…from those who do not follow Christ as Lord.
And I want us to be sure and note that in verse 1 Paul states ONE WAY that Christians are different when he refers to the Christians at Philippi as saints, “in Christ Jesus.” By the way, this is a designation that Paul frequently uses in his writings. In his letters the phrase, “in Christ Jesus” occurs 48 times, the phrase, “in Christ” 34 times, and the phrase, “in the Lord” 50 times.
Clearly to be IN CHRIST was for Paul the very essence of Christianity. Now…what does this mean? Martin R. Vincent ways that when Paul spoke of the Christian being IN CHRIST he meant that a growing Christian lives in Christ as a bird lives IN THE AIR or a fish IN THE WATER or the roots of a tree IN THE SOIL. To be IN CHRIST is to live continually in the atmosphere and the Spirit of Christ; to live in a world where never for one moment do we feel separated from Him and where we feel His strength and power always around us. So that is ONE THING that makes a maturing Christian different…set apart from all other people.
Now, of all the letters of Paul, this one is my favorite. And there are many reasons I could favor it. I mean, it contains some of the most precious verses in all the Bible. It’s short. You can read it in 20 minutes or less. It’s the only book of the Bible I have translated from Greek. I spent an entire year of Seminary on this task. But the reason I love it so is that I am an optimistic person. I require positive input to exist. And this little book is full of it for, above all else it is a letter of joy. Over and over again — a total of sixteen times in this little epistle — Paul uses the words “Joy” or “rejoice.”
This in itself is amazing because if anyone had reason NOT to be joyful or optimistic it was Paul. His life had been full of painful experiences. In II Corinthians 11:23-28 he lists SOME of the agonies of his life, saying he was “Imprisoned several times, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.” He said, “Five times I received from the Jews 39 lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”
Paul had indeed had a rough life. As I said earlier, he wrote this little letter from jail, chained to a Roman soldier. And while he was imprisoned in this city it seems that the Christian pastors in the area pretty much abandoned him. Luke tells us that when Paul first arrived in Rome, many of the Christians went out to meet him, just as we might go to the airport to meet a celebrity. But then Paul went to prison. Two years passed, perhaps more. The pastors became jealous of Paul and neglected him. When the pastors forgot their duty, the people did as well. In time Paul was almost forgotten. The proof of this lies in the fact that when Onesiphorus, a visitor to Rome, tried to find Paul some years later, no one could tell him where he was. Yet, even though forgotten and abandoned by the local Christians, Paul still wrote with joy. This positive attitude is woven through these 104 verses like threads of silver. Rather than wallowing in self-pity or calling on his friends to help him escape, Paul wrote a joyful, even lighthearted message. Time and time again he urged the Philippians-and all Christians-to be people of joy…and I feel we need to study Paul’s letter as a church because I know of no greater need today than for joy….
Someone once asked Mother Teresa what the job description was for anyone who might wish to work alongside her in the grimy streets and narrow alleys of Calcutta. Without hesitation she mentioned only two things: the desire to work hard and a JOYFUL attitude. But unfortunately both of these qualities — especially the latter one — are rare in our world today. Just look around and you’ll easily find bad news, long faces, and heavy hearts everywhere even in some churches.
Much of today’s secular music promotes misery and despair. If sex and violence are not the themes of a new film, more often than not some expression of unhappiness usually is. Newspapers thrive on news of tragedies and calamities, lost jobs, wars, horrible accidents. Even weather reports give their primary attention to storms, droughts, and blizzards. Have you ever noticed that forecasters always says things like, “Today it will be partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain” never “mostly clear with an 80 percent chance of sunshine.” Our world is a very joy-LESS place. Well, what was Paul’s secret? How could he be joyful in the midst of so many difficulties?
1. First of all, this was possible because Paul made a conscience CHOICE to be joyful.
You see JOY is really an act of the will. It’s an attitude that we embrace-not a feeling that comes and goes, like happiness or sadness. Joy is a choice. To paraphrase the poet:
“One ship sails east, one ship sails west. Regardless of how the winds blow.
It is the set of the sail and not the gale that determines the way we go.”
We decide which way to “sail” in life…towards joy or towards pessimism. Remember Paul’s words in Philippians 4:4 ? He commanded his readers to follow his example and choose to be joyful by saying, “REJOICE in the Lord always. I will say it again REJOICE!”
The famous 19th century evangelist, Dwight L. Moody once wrote,
“Happiness is caused by things that happen around me, and circumstances will mar it; but JOY flows right on through trouble; joy flows on through the dark; joy flows in the night as well as in the day; joy flows all through persecution and opposition. It is an unceasing fountain bubbling up in the heart; a secret spring the world can’t see and doesn’t know anything about. The Lord gives His people perpetual joy when they [choose to] walk in obedience to Him.”
A joyful attitude has nothing to do with one’s age or occupation or geography or education or marital status or good looks or circumstances. For the Christian, JOY IS A CHOICE…
2. And then, Paul’s joy also stems from a decision to put his CONFIDENCE IN GOD.
Paul had a deep faith that God was at work — that He was in full control — that He was in the midst of whatever had happened, was happening, and would happen. If a hardship came, he had faith that God permitted it for a special purpose that benefitted Paul and in some way furthered the kingdom. If pain dogged Paul’s steps, he believed it was only because God allowed it. If he was under arrest, he believed that this too was part of God’s plan. This trust is reflected in the words of verse 6 where Paul says, “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.”
Look at those words “began” and “completion” Think of them as the “bookends” of Paul’s life for he had a firm confidence that the One who started (began) a good work in his life would complete or perfect it. When we live our lives with this underlying conviction we are more relaxed, joyful people. As, Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, “Blessed-[happy, joyful]-is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose CONFIDENCE is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear with heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
I love the story of the man who had fretted for 15 years over his work. He had built his business from nothing into a rather sizable operation. In fact, he had a large plant that covered several acres. With growth and success, however, came ever-increasing demands. Each new day brought a whole new list of responsibilities. Weary of the worry, the stress, and the fear, he finally decided to give it ALL over to God. With a smile of quiet contentment, he prayed, “Lord God, my business is Yours. All the worry, the stress, and the fears I release to You and Your sovereign will. From this day forward, Lord, You own this business.” That night he went to bed earlier than he had since he started the business and for the first time in years, slept like a baby that is until in the middle of the night the phone rang and woke im up. When he picked up the receiver the man on the other end, in a panicked voice yelled, “Fire! The entire plant is going up in smoke!” The man calmly dressed, got into his car and drove to the plant. With his hands in his pockets he stood there and watched, smiling slightly. One of his employees hurried to his side and said, “What in the world are you smiling about? How can you be so calm? Everything’s on fire!” The man answered, “Yesterday afternoon I gave this business to God. I told Him it was His. If He wants to burn it up, that’ s His business.”
Now, this kind of thinking may seem a bit crazy but it is actually one of the greatest pieces of sound theology we can embrace. Firm confidence means every moment of our lives is in God’s hands. He Who started something will bear the pressure of it and will bring the results exactly as He planned for His greater glory. Maybe you are here today and your “business” needs to burn down because you are a slave to it and not God. Maybe your career needs to crumble around you to get your attention off the temporary things of the world…and bring it back to the eternal things of God. The happiest, most joyful, stress-free people I know are those who, like Paul, have put their complete confidence in God and have followed the advice of Proverbs 3:25-26 which says,
“Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.”
3. And then, another source of Paul’s joy was the fact that he had companionship with other Christians.
Over and over in this little letter Paul expressed his deep love for the people of the church at Philippi. His relationship with them brought him joy-even in the midst of extremely trying times.
Look at the text for today: verse 3, “I thank my God every time I remember you…” verse 4, “In all my prayers for you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership…” Verse 7, “It is right for me to FEEL THIS WAY about you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the AFFECTION of Christ Jesus.” Do you see? Paul realized that he was not really alone in that jail cell. He knew that there were people who loved him and knowing this made it possible for him to choose an attitude of joy.
You know, the first three years of our marriage I attended Southern Seminary. And they were tough years. Money was scarce. Classes were difficult. Ministry was time-consuming. We were separated from our families. But as I look back on those years I see that they were among the most joyful years of our lives. Why? Because we were not alone. We made dear friends there-fellow students and their spouses-who were going through the same difficulties with us. We had a great church full of loving Christians who made our burdens their own. The truth of the matter is that one thing that helps us to choose to embrace a joyful attitude in life is deep friendships, the kind of friendships that are only possible between Christians, between people who share a common faith in God and a commitment to serve Him. This is because, as Paul infers in verse 8, the source of this caliber of love was not within himself. No, he said he loved the Philippians with, “the affection of CHRIST JESUS.” In other words Paul allowed Jesus’ love to flow through him toward the people of Philippi. And when that happens truly wonderful friendships are made possible. This is why Paul says in I Thessalonians 3:12, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other.”
Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago says that, in the local church when we let this happen…when the love of God flows through us to others in our church family masks come off, conversations get deep, hearts get vulnerable, lives are shared, accountability is invited and tenderness grows. In a church where this kind of love abounds, people become like brothers and sisters. They gather to share from their hearts on the deepest levels. They walk compassionately with each other through life’s problems and pain. Churches where members tap into this source of love are happy, JOYFUL places.
I want you to know that I feel that kind of love in this church. I cherish the love I feel in this place. And, if you are a Christian and are looking for a loving church family, then look no farther. If you feel so led, come and join us…partner with us here in serving our Lord. And if you are not a Christian, then today I invite you to put your confidence in God, Who sent His only Son to die for us all so that we can know Him and experience abundant JOYFUL life. Whatever public decision you have to make, we invite you to do so by walking an aisle and sharing