Let us turn then to God's Word
and turning to the chapter that we read in Philippians. Philippians
chapter 1. That text is found at verse 5. Philippians chapter 1 and verse
5 where Paul speaks of your fellowship in the Gospel from the first
day until now. And it's an expression that struck
my mind earlier in the week, your fellowship in the Gospel. This is part of the prayer that
Paul makes for the Philippians, as we see several times in the
epistles. He doesn't just write to these
churches, but as he addresses them, he can't help but address
God on their behalf. So intermingled in the form of
address that is to the church are those addresses to God. He
prays for them and so here right at the beginning of Philippians
verse 3, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you always
in every prayer of mine for you, all making request with joy for
your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now,
being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun
a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
And so it's part of a prayer that we have here in verse 5
as he speaks. of their fellowship. Your fellowship
in the gospel. And isn't fellowship one of the
marks of the gospel church? He's writing of course here to
the church. He's writing to the saints in
Christ Jesus which are at Philippi with the bishops or the overseers
and deacons. They are organised then and established
as a proper New Testament church. And fellowship, I say, is one
of those marks of the church. If we go back to the Acts of
the Apostles and the consequence of the preaching of Peter on
that auspicious day. Remember what we're told there
at the end of that second chapter? Verse 41 Then they that gladly
received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added
unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly
in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of
bread, and in prayers. And it's there in that 42nd verse
that we see some of those marks, the marks of the Gospel Church. What is it that distinguishes
the Church? Well, here we see that there
is preaching in the Church. They were continuing, we're told,
in the Apostles doctrine, the Apostles doctrine, the Apostles
teaching. There was that ministry of the
Word, they had received it. Verse 41, they that gladly received
the Word. We see it time and again. Throughout
the Acts there is preaching. When we see Paul with Silas at
Philippi, the very church to which this epistle is addressed.
What are we told concerning the jailer there? Well, they spoke
to the jailer, it says, the word of the Lord. This is what these
men were about and this was the very foundation of that church
that was to be established. There was to be that ministry,
that declaration of the doctrine of the apostle. the foundation
must be laid which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. And as there
was to be preaching, so also we observe that there was the
observing of those ordinances appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Back in Acts chapter 2, as they
received the word, so they were baptized. This is what Christ
himself had commanded in the Great Commission, remember? When
he sent forth his apostles they were to go and teach all nations,
baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you and know I am with you all the way, even
unto the end of the world. And amongst those things that
Christ himself had ordained to be observed was baptism. They received the Word, they
believed the Word, and so they were baptized, but there's not
only the ordinance of believers' baptism, but also there in verse
42 of Acts chapter 2 we read of the breaking of bread. These are the standing ordinances,
are they not? of the gospel church, as there
is to be preaching, the proclamation of the apostles' doctrine, so
there is also to be the observance of these ordinances. And then
again, another mark of that church is that they were worshipping,
it was a worshipping component. We're told, again in those words,
in Verse 42 of Acts 2, as I continued, in prayers. In prayers. And prayer, we might say, is
really the principal part of our worship. What is prayer?
It is that calling upon the name of God. Back in Genesis, when
there was that son Enos born to Seth, we are told, It was
then that men began to call on the name of the Lord. And that
is prayer, we call upon the name of the Lord. And that's our worship,
as we come before Him, we desire to ascribe to Him all that honour
and glory that belongs unto His great name. The Marks then of
the Church, the preaching, preaching of the Apostles' Doctrine, the
observance of those ordinances appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer and all that that entails
in the way of true worship of God and then there is fellowship. They continue steadfastly in
the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and
in prayer. In fact it goes on later to explain
just what that fellowship amounted to, verse 44 in that second chapter
of the Acts. All that believed were together
and had all things common. They had all things common and
the word common is from the same root as the word fellowship. That fellowship might be said
simply to be an extension of that word common. We see it later in Acts chapter
4 and verse 32. The multitude of them that believed
were of one heart and of one soul, Neither said any of them
that ought of the things which he possessed was his own, but
they had all things common. They are of one heart, they are
of one soul, they are all together one. Remember how Jude can speak
in his epistle of the common salvation. And this is one of
the other marks you see of the Gospel Church. What a blessed
mark it is. Fellowship. to have things in
common. I thank my God, he says, upon
every remembrance of you all, always in every prayer of mine
for you all, making requests with joy for your fellowship
in the Gospel from the first day until now. Oh, with those
who know what it is to have these precious things in common, the
things of our salvation. are we those who are truly united
with regards to that doctrine of the apostles, the ministry,
the preaching of the word of God, the ordinances of God's
house, the right and proper way in which we are to worship God,
seeking that our worship might be all together under his word
and regulated by his commandment. The hymn writer says, when is
it Christians all agree and let distinctions fall when nothing
in themselves? They see that Christ is all in
all. To have Him in common, to know
that this is our common Saviour. We have no life, no power, no
faith, but what by Christ is given. We all deserve eternal
death and thus we all are evil. Or is that true? Is that what
we feel? We deserve nothing but God, but we have from God that
great salvation, that free salvation. And we have a common interest
in these things. Well, let us turn to the words
that I've read for our text in particular. And seek to consider something
of this of which Paul is speaking to the Philippians, your fellowship
in the Gospel, your fellowship in the Gospel. And first of all
I want to say something with regards to the source of this
Gospel fellowship. From whence does it proceed,
from whence does it come? We come back time and again to
the words of him who is the great forerunner of Christ John the
Baptist and his ministry and he tells us plainly a man can
receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. Where
does this common salvation come from? Where does gospel fellowship
proceed from? It comes from heaven, truly,
our fellowship. is with the Father and with His
Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord." We read those words in the opening
chapter of that first epistle general of John. Truly, our fellowship
is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. There is the source. Now there
is, when we think of the doctrine of salvation, and the source
of that salvation, is there not a blessed fellowship between
the persons in the Godhead? When we think of the covenant
of grace, the council of peace, says the Prophet shall be between
them both. That is between the Father and
the Son as salvation. is purposed by God. In Manichae
chapter 2 and verse 5, God is speaking here of the priest,
of the office of the priest. He is speaking of the Aaronic
priest, but surely we're to see that there is a greater priest
in Malachi chapter 2 than the Aaronic priest. There is him
who is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, the Lord Jesus
Christ. And God says this, Malachi 2.5,
My covenant was with him of life and peace and I gave them to
him for the fear wherewith he feared me and was afraid before
my name. Oh, there is a council of peace,
there is a covenant of peace between the Father and the Son.
In that covenant, remember, God the Son, who of course is equal
to the Father, He is God, He is God of God, He is Light of
Life, He is very God of very God, in the language of the creed,
And yet in that covenant he willingly becomes God's servant. Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. What is happening? There is this
covenant then between the persons in the Godhead. There is a blessed
fellowship. There is a great purpose and
it's common to those three divine persons, Father, Son and Holy
Ghost. Here is the source, I say, of
gospel fellowship. We trace it back to that relationship
in the covenant between the persons of the Godhead. Now, how can
the elect be brought into this fellowship, this fellowship in
God? Well, there is, first of all,
the importance of preaching. There must be that ministry of
the word. Now we see that in the way in which John in that
first chapter of his first epistle writes. He makes his remarkable statement
in the opening verses of his epistle, that which was from
the beginning. which we have heard, which we have seen with
our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled
of the Word of Life. He is speaking of the Lord Jesus
Christ and the reality of the Incarnation and that He is a
witness to the truth of it. For the life, He says, was manifested
and we have seen it and bear witness and show unto you that
eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto
us. That which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you. There's preaching here. There's
the declaration of what John was an eyewitness to. Those things
that John knew the reality of because he had seen Christ, he
had heard Christ, he had handled Christ. That which we have seen
and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship
with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His
Son Jesus Christ. You see how he makes plain what
is the purpose of the preaching. He speaks here in verse 3 of
declaring these things and then there is a purpose clause. That
which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that, literally
in order that, in order that ye also may have fellowship with
us. He had fellowship with the Lord
Jesus Christ and he is preaching this message that these to whom
he addresses himself might also enter into that fellowship. Truly
our fellowship, he says, is with the Father and with his Son,
Jesus Christ. And there is a reference here
in our text tonight to Paul's ministry amongst the Philippians.
Look at what he says in this fifth verse. Your fellowship
in the gospel from the first day until now. What is the first
day that he is speaking of? Well, it's that first day when
he went to Philippi. And why was he there in Philippi?
He was there to preach. He died that Macedonian called
him not to go and preach and he was obedient and he went that's
what he is referring to and what was the consequence of the preaching
they were brought into that fellowship of which John is writing in his
first epistle and where there is an entrance into that gospel
fellowship there is a separation from the world. There cannot
be fellowship with God, with Christ in the Gospel, and fellowship
with this world that lies in the wicked one. Those solemn words at the end
of the sixth chapter of 2 Corinthians, be ye not unequally yoked together
with unbelievers for what? Fellowship at righteousness with
unrighteousness. and what communion or what fellowship
hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with
Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel and
what agreement hath the temple of God with idols for ye are
the temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell
in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they
shall be my people there is fellowship here God has fellowship with
these people Now what was it? Did not God enjoy fellowship
with the man when he made him and set him in the garden of
Eden and then created for him his wife? And then Adam and Eve,
at last they transgress and there is the breaking of that covenant.
And God comes into the garden and they hide themselves. All
that fellowship is destroyed. But you see in the Gospel this
is the fellowship that is restored. God dwells in His people. God walks in His people. He is
their God. They are His people. Wherefore
He says, Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, that I will receive you
and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,
saith the Lord. Oh, what exceeding great precious
promises these are. But here is the call of God,
you see, if our fellowship is with the Father and with His
Son, we must be separated from the ways of the world, we cannot
be conformed to this world. And then he goes on in chapter
7, having therefore these promises. Dearly beloved, let us cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness. in the fear of God. And this is what preaching is
to result in, you see, that there might be such a blessed fellowship. This is the point and the purpose
of the preaching. But we know that the preaching
in and of itself is not sufficient. It's not enough just to sit and
to hear the sermon. There must be a work accomplished
in the soul There is that need of the efficacious grace of God. There must be that effectual
calling. Christ himself has said that
many are called, but few are chosen. Not just the external
call of the Gospel, not just hearing God's word as it comes
to our natural ear, but when God's word comes to us inwardly.
when there is a spiritual hearing. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse
9 Paul says, God is faithful by whom ye were called into the
fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. That's what we should be looking
for and desiring, that we might know that call, that faithful
call of God when He calls us by His Spirit and brings us to
His Son and there is fellowship. He brings us into that fellowship
with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. There is of course an eternal
union between Christ and those that the Father gave Him in the
covenant. They were given to Him before
the foundation of the world. But that eternal union in the
covenant must be experienced in time. There must be an experimental
union. It must be brought into the soul
of the sinner. And this is what we should desire
under the word of God. Or that we might be those who
are persuaded and brought out. There is that separation. There
is that work of a God who is faithful. faithful to his own
great purpose, by whom you were called into the fellowship of
his Son. But let us turn in the second
place to consider something more with regards to this gospel fellowship. It is not only the source of
the fellowship, but what is the nature of it? What is the nature
of this gospel fellowship? Well, we see here, quite clearly,
that it is spiritual in nature. And it's spiritual in this sense
because it proceeds from the Holy Spirit. That effectual call
in the soul of the sinner isn't at the work of the Holy Spirit. And so, this Gospel fellowship
of which we seek to speak, is a spiritual fellowship. Chapter 2 Paul says, if there be therefore
any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship
of the Spirit, if any vows and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that
ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord,
of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife
or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other
better than themselves. Here is that fellowship of the
Spirit. And what do we see with regards
to this spiritual fellowship? Well, those who know that work
of the Spirit, those who are brought under the gracious influence
of the Spirit and know in their souls something of those sovereign
operations of the Holy Ghost, they have a sense of their individual
unworthiness. There is that lowliness of mind,
there is that esteeming others, better than themselves. There is that sense that they
are not worthy of the least of God's favours or God's blessings. Or the Spirit is that one who
comes to them and He humbles them and He convinces them of
the awful reality of what they are as sinners, as sinners in
their fallen nature. And isn't that the first ministry
of the Holy Ghost when He comes The Lord Jesus in John 16 tells
us when He is come, He will reprove the world. That is the elect
world. He will reprove, He will convince,
is the word in the margin, convince the world of sin and of righteousness
and of judgment. Of sin, because you believe not
on me. Of righteousness, because I go
to the Father and you see me no more. Of judgment, because
the prince of this world is judged. This is how the Spirit comes.
He comes in that way of conviction. There is such a humbling in the
soul, and there is, in those who are being brought into this
gospel fellowship, there is that sense of their unworthiness,
that ever God should take any account of them. that God should
ever trouble himself to come to such as they are. All this
gospel fellowship you see, it's only really understood by those
who have a feeling indeed of the forgiveness of their sins.
They feel that they need to have their sins forgiven. They have
such a sense of it. The game we see it there in what
John writes in that first chapter of his first epistle. There in the verses 6 and 7,
he has much to say of fellowship in this opening chapter. Verse 6 he says, if we say that
we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and
do not the truth. But if we walk in the light,
As he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and
the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin. Those who are in this fellowship
how they feel to have need of that cleansing blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ. These are those sacred sinners. The sinner is a sacred thing
the Holy Ghost has made himself. Or they need to know the application
of that light. They need to have their consciences
purged from all these dead works. Why? Because they are having
fellowship with God. And the believer has to persevere
against himself in many ways and against
his fallen nature, against those sins that he feels within that
nature. He has to persevere through many
difficulties and many differences. Paul gives a very practical word
of exhortation, remember, in the last chapter of this epistle. He addresses these two individuals,
Juodius and Sintica. I beseech you, Juodius, And I
beseech and seek ye that they be of the same mind in the Lord. So often you see our fallen nature
comes to the fore and there is that sad disagreement and disunity. There is a breach of fellowship. And yet the call is to fellowship. Oh, God's children have to persevere
in these things. It's part of that conflict, is
it not, between the new man and the old man. The fellowship,
I say, is a spiritual fellowship. At the end of that opening chapter
of the first epistle, what does John say? Familiar words where
he speaks to us concerning the need to make our confessions. If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves. And the truth of God is not in
us. But if we confess our sins, that's all we have to do. We
have to come and we have to confess our false one to another James
6. We have to confess our sins to God. He's faithful and just
to forgive us our sins. to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
if we say that we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word
is not in us those who are enjoying this fellowship with the father
and with his son they don't make God a liar God's truth, the truth
of God's word is in them and they feel this and yet they see
that the call is through fellowship and all that that entails And
of course this fellowship we know centers all together in
the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a spiritual fellowship as
we said. And do we not see it quite clearly there in chapter 2? It continues at
verse 5, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ
Jesus. He is speaking of that fellowship
of the Spirit. And he goes on, you see, to direct
them to the mind of Christ. That is that loneliness of mind,
that humility of mind, who being in the form of God, thought it
not robbery to be equal with God. He is God. But equality
with God is therefore something that is not to have to grasp
after, it is. but he makes himself of no reputation,
and takes upon him the form of a servant. He is made in the
likeness of man, and as he is found in fashion as a man he
is obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Or the nature then of this fellowship. It is that that is of the Spirit,
and it is that that always directs us to Christ, and causes us to
desire that mind, Our fellowship is with the Father, and with
His Son, Jesus Christ and all. Well, having said something with
regards to the source of it, and something of the nature of
it, in the third place, in the third place, I say something
with regards to its manifestation, the manifestation of Gospel fellowship. is thanking God for their fellowship
in the Gospel. And I'm sure you're aware that
this is a word which is sadly greatly demeaned amongst professed
Christians. Often times you'll hear people
say, well we'll have a time of fellowship. There's special service
and after the service there is that serving of refreshments.
People say, oh we'll have a time of fellowship. But it's not really
fellowship. It's more a social gathering.
The conversation is not spiritual in nature. Now we don't decry
social occasions. It's not wrong. It's not improper
for us to do that. God has created us as social
beings and we enjoy one another's company. But let us give things
the right name, let us not demean this wonderful word that we find
so many times in the scripture, here in our text and several
times as we've said there in that opening chapter of John's
first epistle. Let us call things what they
are. We do socialize, but let us not imagine that that is fellowship.
Gospel fellowship, I say, is manifesting in three ways. First of all, it is manifested
in prayers. As we said at the outset, what
we have here in our text tonight is part of the prayer of the
Apostle. I thank my God upon every remembrance
of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all, making request
with joy for your fellowship. in the Gospel from the first
day until now, being confident of this very thing, that he which
hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day
of Jesus Christ. His fellowship, he wants to see
them growing in grace and in the knowledge of our God and
Saviour Jesus Christ. He wants to see them enjoying
an increase in his fellowship with the Father and with his
Son, and this expressed in their fellowship with him in the Gospel. And then again he goes on, you
see, at verse 9. This I pray, that your love may
abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, that ye
may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere and without
offence till the day of Christ being filled with all the fruits
of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and
praise of God. How does he express his fellowship?
By praying for them. He can't stop praying for them.
He no sooner starts to address them in the epistle than he is
thanking God for them. And then he is praying for them
at last night. This is how we are to express
our fellowship one with the other. We are to pray one for another.
And this is what Paul desires in these churches that he was
responsible for under God. He has the care of all the churches,
he has an apostolic ministry. And he has ministered to them,
he has gone amongst them, he has preached the gospel, he has
seen to the establishment of churches and that proper order,
those marks that we spoke of at the outset. And how he keeps on, he cannot
help but to keep on praying for them. And He desires their prayer. As He prays for them, He would
that they also pray for Him. He says to the Thessalonians,
Brethren, pray for us. Oh friends, this is a way to
express our fellowship. There is a spot where spirits
blend and friends hold fellowship with friends, those sundered
far by faith they meet around one common mercy seat. Let us be those who know true
gospel fellowship in that we are a praying people and we pray
for one another and we pray for one another not only as we come
together, not only as we meet for prayer specifically on a
Thursday evening, but let us be those who are praying one
for the other. in the privacy of our own homes, in our own
devotions. This is how true fellowship in
the Gospel is manifested. But not only in prayer, it's
also manifested in a very practical way. There is to be mutual support,
one for the other. This word, fellowship, your fellowship
in the Gospel, Does Matthew Henry and John Gill, in their commentary,
say that it has the idea of communication? In fact, it could have been rendered
in that way. He's thanking God for your communication
in the Gospel. Now, what was that communication
in the Gospel? Well, in chapter 4, he actually uses the word verse
15, know ye Philippians, know also that in the beginning of
the gospel remember here in our text he is speaking of fellowship
in the gospel from the first day that's the beginning of the
gospel when he first went to minister amongst them in chapter
4 verse 15 he says ye Philippians know also that in the beginning
of the gospel when I departed from Macedonia, when he left
the Philippians No church communicated with me. It's the same word as
we have in the text. No church fellowships with me
as concerning giving and receiving but He only. How there was on
their behalf this desire to minister to Him of material things. They sent a gift. He tells them
in verse 18 there, I have all and abound, I am full having
received of the paschroditus the things which were sent from
you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable while
pleasing to God. Here's the expression of fellowship.
They want a minister to him. They want to support him as he
continues to engage in this work of the Gospel. Again, directing you to another passage
in 2nd Corinthians 2nd Corinthians chapter 8 and again it refers to the churches
of Macedonia, that's where Philippi is. Moreover, brethren We do
you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia,
that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and
their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power I bear record,
yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves, praying
us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift and take
upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints not
just communicating to Paul but communicating to all the saints
that's what the Macedonian churches were wanting to do this is real
gospel fellowship you see there's prayers but there's also mutual
support and then thirdly there is this in gospel fellowship
there is a true spiritual unity. And it is a blessed thing. It
is a blessed thing. You know the words of the psalmist
in the 133rd Psalm. One of the sons of degrees. The
son of degrees of divinity. The son of ascents. These are the Psalms that they
sang as they went up to Jerusalem for the great feast of the Jewish
year, the Passover and for weeks or Pentecost and for tabernacles.
And all the miles must appear at those feasts. And as they
ascended to Jerusalem they would sing the songs of degrees. And what are they doing is they
go there to the tabernacle or to the temple, they go to worship,
it's an expression of their fellowship, their interest in this common
salvation. Behold, says the psalmist, how
good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in
unity. It is like the precious ointment
upon the head that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard
that went down to the skirt of his garment. as the Jew of Hermon,
and as the Jew that descended upon the mountains of Zion. For
there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. All to know, friends, that great
blessing of God. There the Lord commanded the
blessing, even life for evermore. How we should be those who would
desire that we might know that great blessing. Gospel fellowship, endeavouring
to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace. Paul then can say to these Philippians,
in order that we might be able to enter into his words with
a true heart, and to thank God for Gospel fellowship even in
this local church. I thank my God upon every remembrance
of you all, always, in every prayer of mine for you all, making
request with joy for your fellowship in the Gospel from the first
day until now. Amen. When is it Christians, all of
three, can let distinctions fall When nothing in themselves they
see, that Christ is all in all? so When is it Christians all agree
and let distinctions fall? When not thinking themselves
they see that Christ is all in all. But strife and difference
will subsist, While men will some think seem. Let them but singly look to Christ,
And all are one in Him. The infant and the aged saint
The worker and the weak They who are strong and sound and
quick And they who scarce can speak Eternal life's the gift of God,
it comes through Christ alone. Tis His, He brought it with His
blood, and therefore gives His own. We have no life, no power, no
faith, but what by Christ is given. We all deserve eternal
death, and thus we all are even. the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you
all. Amen.