Week 4 – Partners in Service

Philippians 2:12-29
1 Kings 19

Just out of curiosity, I looked up the definition of the word “partner.” I found a couple of things that were interesting in the English dictionary without even having to do a word study. These are the ones I liked the best:

1. a person who shares or is associated with another in some action or endeavor; sharer; associate. 
2. a player on the same side or team as another 
3. to serve as the partner of 

I liked the least:

1. silent partner 
2. a person associated with another or others as a principal or a contributor of capital in a business or a joint venture 

Can you guess why I didn’t like the last two? They are business or legal terms, yet they remind me of people I know in our churches today who treat Christ’s work as a business venture. They attend, bring their check (contribute capital) and remain silent as to the workings of the whole. This is definitely not was Paul was encouraging in Philippians.

How can we be illuminators for Christ, shining for him in a crooked and perverted generation? Life hasn’t changed much since Paul’s time, has it? Our generation is still crooked and perverse. Evil still abounds. Yet Christ’s redemptive work is still being done through us, through His church, each and every day. Sometimes the task seems overwhelming. We must remind ourselves that advancing the gospel is hard work. Neither God nor Christ represents any kind of laziness. The Father and Spirit are always at work; He never sleeps. It was rarely reported that Jesus slept.

One theme I find dominating Paul’s letter to the Philippians is that furthering the gospel of Christ is hard work, and it takes a team—a unified team. Hard work was considered normal for Paul. In addition to traveling, preaching, teaching and writing letters of encouragement and instruction, he could fall back on making tents in order to meet his needs. The man was hardly idle. He also worked hard at mentoring and building relationships he could depend on to carry on his work in his absence. This is an extremely important detail—that as much as Paul loved the churches he was planting—it did not have to be him that kept them alive. It was the Spirit of the living God, and he was always pointing the converts to Christ, Him crucified, and the Spirit who dwelled in them richly to carry them through to the day of Christ.

In studying for this week’s lesson, I got sidetracked writing for my other blog, lamenting the darkness of the world and the lack of hard work for Christ. Sometimes I tend to concentrate only on the encroaching darkness rather on the light we shine. Then I remember places like Kibera Reformed Presbyterian Church in the Kenyan slum, and I recall the advancement of the gospel there. I remember how in the midst of the poverty over two hundred children are being educated and fed, and the number of converts is growing. I remember how AIDS education is helping the community and the weekly support group is meeting their spiritual needs. I know in my heart that there are places all around me and all over the world where Christ is bringing redemption until His return, and we need to partner with Him to continue the work he began until He comes in glory.

If we are not working hard to advance the gospel, if we are coasting on the grace He has so wonderfully poured out upon us on the cross, what exactly are we saying to our wise and generous Father who has bestowed the most wondrous gift imaginable upon us—an inheritance of such magnitude that we cannot possibly imagine, but can only see through a glass darkly?

If our hearts are not burdened by our sin of putting idols of this age before our Heavenly Father, if we cannot love our brothers and sisters, or our neighbors, and live in unity, if we do not care for the plight of the poor or hungry, if we do not shun evil and love good, we will be in serious trouble on that last day of Christ that Paul talks about.

Last week we read Isaiah and Paul together. Read Moses and Paul together:

His people have acted corruptly toward Him; this is their defect —they are not His children but a devious and crooked generation. [Deut 32:5]

Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world. [Phil 2:14-15]

The Rock—His work is perfect; all His ways are entirely just. A faithful God, without prejudice, He is righteous and true. [Deut 32:5]

Hold firmly the message of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn't run in vain or labor for nothing. [Phil 2:16] 

So we do need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We need to pray for God to work His will and His way in us right up to that last day, to keep us faithful to Him. We are to be diligent to work together as partners with Him, and with each other, and with our leaders who are in authority over us. Then we can be like Timothy and Epaphroditus who Paul praised to the Philippians, and set them up as examples worthy of emulating. Paul is in essence telling the Philippians, “these are my good and faithful brothers and soldiers in Christ who have suffered for the gospel with me.” He is giving testimony to the Philippians about their service so that their confidence in them will be as high as he can offer it.

Praise be to God for those who have gone before us as examples of faith in Him.