TEXT: Philippians 1:3-11 (CSB) – “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.”
This section could be called Paul’s Prayer of Thanksgiving. Remember, Paul is in severe affliction. His life was hanging in the balances. Yet, he was a prayer warrior:
· For others
· In praise to God
· In thanksgiving for everything he had.
It has been said that when you come to the point that all you have is God – that is when you find that God is enough.
Jesus isn’t necessary – He is enough!
One with God is a majority.
Philippians is the letter of joy and encouragement in the midst of adverse circumstances. Paul could have held some great pity-parties! But he said, “I can through Christ.”
Life got you down? Are things depressing, discouraging, tumultuous, confusing, conflicting?
“I can through Christ”
Peace is yours – by the grace of God.
These verses that we will begin to dissect today, we will look at them a few more times before moving on. Today, we will start a short study on giving Thanksgiving in Remembrance.
First, The best remembrance of our friends is to remember them AT the Throne.
Paul was in a very poor situation. He could have pleaded for them to pray for him – beg for him at the throne of God. Instead – he spent much time praying – interceding for others.
As we observe here:
· Paul remembered them
· Paul remembered them with joy
· Paul remembered them in prayer
· Paul remembered them with thanksgiving.
There is something in the economy of God, that as we seek to be concerned with others, God takes care of our needs.
What comfort that gives us. As we pray for our friends, and they pray for us, we find encouragement and comfort in this. As we pray for one another – God produces a fellowship that we can’t know any other way. For our unsaved friends – to remember and plead for them before the throne is our greatest work. Pity the one who cries – “No man cared for my soul.”
Let us never, never, never leave our friends and loved ones forgotten before God.
Tomorrow, we will consider remembering them FOR THEM at the throne.
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