If you missed Sunday's broadcast, please catch up by following the link below. (For the foreseeable future, we be running our Sunday morning services digitally. Please go to our website on Sundays at 10:30 to join in)
‘I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 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.’ (Philippians 1:3-6)
This week, we have seen that biblical partnership (fellowship) is about loving, sharing and giving toward the gospel. Paul thanks God ‘because of your partnership in the gospel’. Wherever he sees true partnership, he is seeing the fingerprints of God and this leads to expressions of confidence that God will complete this good work that He has begun.
You and I do various things with our abilities: maybe you clean, organise, paint, draw, stitch, write, build… however, nothing that we do is permanent or perfect. Even the Mona Lisa, in time, will become dust!
However, God always completes the work that He begins, and His work lasts eternally.
Through this life, our Father is will ‘carry it on’ - keep transforming you and His church to His likeness. And, at His return, His people, and all creation, will be restored to perfection. Wherever you see true partnership in the gospel, you can be confident that God has started and will complete His work there.
RESPONSE
Sometimes the joy and glory of these kinds of thoughts can be swallowed up in thinking and questioning the details of these kinds of statements. It’s good to think and search for details, however, be assured, be thankful, ‘He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus’. You will never be lost. You will be glorious.
COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY – PARTNERSHIP IS THE FINGERPRINT OF GOD
Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
Quiz Night
We are planning to hold an online quiz night on Tuesday 7th July starting at 8pm.
This therefore means that Community Groups won't be meeting for that week.
More details to follow!
Suggested opener/Ice-breaker
Who was your first 'best friend'? Why were you friends with them and are you still in contact?
Introduction - please share in your group
‘I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 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.’ (Philippians 1:3-6)
Sunday's message was entitled 'Partnership is the fingerprint of God'. Partnership is a key theme of Philippians.
How do you think most people would define fellowship?
Partnership comes from the Greek word ‘koinónia’ and is often translated as ‘fellowship’. It means to be united and working together toward a shared goal. In Philippians we see three aspects of fellowship:
1. Partnership is loving the gospel together
This is believing in and loving the gospel together. Many clubs and churches can focus on unity around various things. However, the church is to be united in and celebrate the gospel together.
2. Partnership is sharing the gospel together
Paul teaches that partnership is also about sharing the gospel message - seeking to make Jesus known outside of the church community. Paul writes,
‘The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.’ (Philippians 1:18)
When we see an individual or church community that is loving and sharing the gospel, we are seeing the fingerprints of God.
3. Partnership is giving to the gospel together
Partnership is loving and sharing the gospel together, but it is also giving, financially’ to gospel work. This letter is, partly, a thankful response to a recent gift to the Paul in prison. Paul writes,
‘Yet it was good of you to share (‘partner) in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared (‘partnered’) with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.’ (Philippians 4:14-16)