Workers Together - Philippians 1:3–5; 4:10–18 - Sermons from the Baptist Faith and Message
Sermon 16 of 19 Sermons on The Baptist Faith and Message
The Baptist Faith and Message sets forth "certain definite doctrines that Baptists believe, cherish, and with which they have been and are now closely identified." You may read The Baptist Faith and Message on SBC.net. This sermon series by Lucien Coleman originally appeared in Proclaim! magazine.
Introduction: On July 20, 1969, as Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon, he said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” But that one small step was by no means the achievement of a single man. It took tons of blueprints, 20,000 contractors, 5 million rocket and spacecraft parts, a monthly output of 20 million pages of print material, and a total expenditure of 22 billion dollars to enable Neil Armstrong to take that walk on the surface of the moon. The task of communicating the gospel in today’s world is a complex and expensive business. It requires the combined resources of millions of Christians working, praying, and giving together.
The Fellowship of the Gospel
During the New Testament era, the gospel was carried to every corner of the Graeco-Roman world by missionaries like Paul, Barnabas, and Silas. But beneath the surface was an ever-growing network of faithful Christians, like the community of believers at Philippi, who undergirded the work of these messengers of the gospel with prayer and financial support. Together they formed what Paul called a “fellowship in the gospel” (Phil. 1:1–6 ). He clarified the meaning of this in Philippians 4:10–18, where he spoke of their support of his ministry in Thessalonica. In 2 Corinthians 11:8–9, we find that this congregation supported Paul’s missionary work in Corinth.
Independence and Interdependence
The churches of the New Testament era were independent and autonomous. They controlled their own affairs. They had no ecclesiastical hierarchy that had the power to tax them for contributions to mission causes. Their participation in such offerings was entirely voluntary. In Philippians 4:15, Paul indicated that, after his departure from Macedonia, only the Philippian brethren sent him assistance.
The giving of the church in Philippi was voluntary; so was the non-giving of the other churches. But though the churches of the New Testament were independent, we have substantial evidence that they were also interdependent. They recognized that they were linked together in a global task. When the churches in Asia learned that the Christians in Jerusalem were in destitute circumstances, they contributed to an offering for their relief. In 2 Corinthians 8:1–8, where Paul wrote in behalf of this cause, he was careful to say that this was not a command, but an appeal for generosity motivated by love (v. 8).
Conclusion: Today, Southern Baptists follow this biblical pattern as they support a worldwide network of evangelists, church planters, medical missionaries, educational institutions, and social ministries entirely through the voluntary gifts of 36,000 churches who share a common vision. Through joint ventures like the Cooperative Program (http://www.cpmissions.net) they do what none could do alone.
Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible ®, Copyright ©1999,2000,2002,2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
About Professor Coleman
Professor Lucien Coleman retired in 1993 after twenty-seven years of teaching Religious Eductation at Southern Seminary and Adult Education at Southwestern Seminary. Before teaching served as a pastor in Kentucky. He holds degrees from Southern Seminary and the University of Kentucky. He and his wife, Bobbie, live in Parker County, Texas. They have three children, fifteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
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