I think that it’s fitting that we look at Paul’s introduction to perhaps his favorite congregation on our first Sunday together. You see, the church at Philippi held a special place in Paul’s hearts. This was the first church that the Apostle Paul founded in Macedonia. They were also sensitive to his financial needs during his missionary journeys. This particular congregation had supported Paul at a time when no other congregation did. With this letter, Paul is primarily writing the church at Philippi to thank them for a gift that they had sent to him. While doing so, he also takes an opportunity to show the Christians there that true joy comes from Christ alone. In other words, only in Christ are real unity and joy possible. Paul doesn’t have to address the problem of whether or not circumcision is necessary for salvation or correct opinions within the church as to how we are justified. He doesn’t even have to try and heal division within the church like he has to in other letters. He is simply thanking them for their continued support and pointing them to Christ and the cross. And I think that this book and this text for us today has particular significance. This is a special Sunday in the life of this church. It isn’t special because you have someone in the pulpit now. It isn’t special because the search committee has done their work. It is special because God has done and is doing His work. God has called us together. And I know that there are great things that will happen because of this. I know that God will use us in a mighty way. I know that many of you are going to think that I am crazy for saying this since we haven’t gotten to know each other very much up to this point, but I see a lot of Philippi in First Presbyterian Church Houma, LA.
After the first few verses where Paul states his authorship of this letter, he moves on to a prayer of thanksgiving for the church there. I have to tell you that many of the words that I read from the prayer are some of the same things that I have felt about this church over the past few months. You see, Paul’s prayer begins with thanks. He is thankful to God for the spirit that exists within the church at Philippi. In fact, every time he prays, he prays for the people there. I can relate; I don’t know that I have uttered one prayer over the past several months that did not include this church. In fact, Amy and I began to pray for one family in this church every day as our way of getting to know y’all a little faster. We figured that there is no better way to begin know someone that to lift them up in prayer. But I think, like the Apostle Paul, what I am most excited about is the fellowship in the gospel. You see, Paul was delighted that the Philippians had taken up the task of laboring for the gospel just as he had. True, they didn’t go on back-breaking trips, endure numerous near death experiences, and stents in prison, but they had taken the task of proclaiming the gospel to heart. And that’s where we are today. For the last 5 years I have labored in central Mississippi, while you have labored in South Louisiana, but in God’s providence, He has brought us together. He has called us to labor alongside and with one another in South Louisiana. What an exciting journey this is going to be.
Paul is so sure that God is using the church in Philippi in a strong way. We can tell that from his words in verse 6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” This verse, Philippians 1:6 is perhaps one of the most encouraging verses in all of Scripture for those laboring in the fields. This verse is one of the strongest affirmations of the Christian doctrine of perseverance; or if there are any strong Calvinists or Westminster Confession of Faith buffs out there, the Perseverance of the Saints. I wouldn’t want to offend anyone by no mentioning John Calvin or the WCF when given the chance. But the Christian doctrine of perseverance tells us that God will not forsake us. Once He has claimed us as His own we will never fall completely from our state of grace. There may be times when our faith is weak. There may be times when we just don’t feel close to God. We have all experienced times in our faith that fit this description, but God has promised that he will give us strength to endure to the end. There may come a time when we feel burned out. There may come a time when we feel like we just can’t keep going. But I am here to tell you, God will give us the strength that we need to carry on.
And if we read further, we find even more affirmation. “It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace.” When the Apostle says “this way” he is referring to this confidence that he just spoke of in verse 6. Paul not only prayed for the Christians at Philippi, but he was also confident for them all. He knew that God was at work in them and would certainly accomplish His purposes in their lives. I know that God has done, is doing, and will do a mighty work through this church family. It is something that has dominated my conversations with others when they have asked about this church. It takes about 3 ½ to 4 hours to get from the Jackson, MS area to Houma. I think that the entire time that Amy and I were in the car after we came and visited in November was spent talking about the tremendous potential that we saw in this church. As I have talked to various members of this church family in preparation of my coming here to be with you, it has become so apparent that God has a hand in this church and that He is using her to fulfill His plans.
Being here, standing in this pulpit for the first time, I don’t know if I can tell all of you how excited I am. I can promise you that there is no one more excited in this sanctuary than I am right now. I have prayed for over a year that God would lead me to a church. Not just any church, but a church where He wanted me to be. It has been an up-and-down year. There have been many nights where Amy and I sat and were near tears wondering when God was going to make His will known to us. Opportunities came up, but I never felt God’s call. I yearned for that congregation where He was going to lead me. I didn’t even know them yet, but I yearned for them with all of my affection. Then, one day, God made it clear to me that he was calling me to be your pastor. That He was calling me to lead the people of First Presbyterian Church in Houma, Louisiana. And you see it wasn’t a sense of, “Yeah, that’s a nice church and after we’ve been there a while I think we are going to fit in just fine.” NO, it was love at first sight. It was even before that. It was love at no sight. Amy is probably getting a little bit offended right now because it took us 4 years of knowing each other before our friendship became a loving relationship. I hadn’t even met anyone at this church yet and I already love every one of you. And I feel much the same way about this church as I do about my marriage to my beautiful wife, there is no stronger love than that which God brings together. And just as He brought Amy and I together almost 9 years ago and over 6 years ago in marriage, He has joined the Robinson family and First Presbyterian Church Houma, LA.
And so as I look to the future of this great church family, I see the exact same things that Paul writes about when he speaks of the Philippians. “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” God hasn’t saved us just so we may be free of judgment and so that we may go to heaven when our time on earth is done. Although these are great blessings and gifts, God has saved us so that we might be fruitful Christians. He wants us to reproduce the character of Christ Jesus here on earth. We are to do good works because of our faith in Jesus Christ so that others may be brought to such saving faith. Our works aren’t what saves us, it is our faith and our faith alone that saves us. But out of that faith should these good works flow. James Boice puts it perfectly when he writes, “God is somewhat like a father who is raising a large family. He is pleased to have the family, and he is delighted you are a member of it. But he isn’t satisfied only with that. He also wants you to grow up and be a good citizen, spiritually speaking. He wants productive children. He wants your life to be fruitful with good works.” Friends this is exactly the will that God has for our lives and for the life of this church family. He wants us to show abounding love to one another and to all those who we come in contact with. I have known from the first time that I stepped into this sanctuary that this was a loving family. This is a loving family who faithfully worships a loving God. Let it be our mission to show the love of Christ to all those who are in need.
Also, let us be without offense. No one is perfect, at least no one besides Jesus. I could tell you stories about my deviant childhood that would probably have you questioning your decision to call me as your pastor. I can assure you, I have grown a lot and calmed down since my days of being a typical mischievous boy growing up in Meridian, MS. But we must all be open before one another and before God. The great news of the gospel is that Jesus’ death covers us. His righteousness covers us so that when God looks upon us He doesn’t see the sin-stained mess that we truly are, but He see the perfect obedience of Christ. Let’s not keep this a secret. Let’s show those around us that we don’t have to be perfect to come to church and come to Christ. I have a good friend of mine who recently joined the church that I previously served. As a matter of fact, he and his wife just joined last Sunday. Several months ago, after they had just begun to attend Grace Chapel, we had them over to the house for dinner. As we talked about what the EPC believed, what Grace Chapel believed, and how those two belief-sets matched his own personal beliefs, he stopped me and said something I never will forget. He said, “I know that I need the church, but I don’t think I am where I need to be at in my life to come to church.” I looked him back in the eye and said, “Me either.” You see, none of us are where we need to be. But the beautiful thing about it is that we don’t have to have it all figured out when we come to the cross. In fact, the more we can admit that we don’t have worked out, the better. Don’t ever let your sin and your imperfections drive a wedge between you and God.
And finally, when I look to the future of this church family, I see fruitful Christians. And by this term fruitful I am not referring here to the fruits of the Spirit as they are found in Galatians 5, but I am referring to what is seen on the outside. We are called to bring forth good fruit. We are called to show kindness, show love, show compassion, but how are we to show these things. Well, quite simply, we are to show them in the name of Christ. During Jesus’ last moments with his disciples before the crucifixion he said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener…Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” The only way to keep us attached to this true vine is for us to continue to depend upon Christ. We must continue to study the Word. We must continue to seek God’s guidance through prayer. And we must continue to proclaim the gospel to all those who have ears to hear.
Friends, I know that there are great things on the horizon for this church family. God has been preparing us for quite some time to use us. He will use us in a mighty way in South Louisiana like we have never seen before. I tell you this, that our sovereign God is working out His plan for this church. I don’t know where that plan will take us. I don’t know what that plan looks like. What I do know, is that God is the one who is in control. God is the one who is leading us. It isn’t me. It isn’t the session. It isn’t the Presbytery. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, the only head of the church. He is leading us, and mighty things will be accomplished for the sake of the gospel through First Presbyterian Church Houma, LA. For just as Paul and the Philippians, we have committed to be co-laborers for the sake of the gospel. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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