Faithful to the Finish: Confidence From Philippians for Church Plantersنموونە

IT’S A WORKING PARTNERSHIP

Have you heard the famous quote from St Augustine? ‘Work as if everything depends on you. Pray as if everything depends on God.” When I hear this quote, I want to ask, “But which is it? Does this ministry I am trying to do depend on me or does it depend on God?”

And the answer is: YES!

God’s work is and always has been a both/and assignment. It’s never totally dependent upon us. Yet God requires our agreement and our effort. God rarely works independent of us. He almost always works in and through us. Even the process of us being saved and transformed in Christ is a partnership. Listen to Paul’s words in Philippians 2:12-13.

“Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

He challenges them to continue to work out what God is working in them. God has a purpose. It’s a good purpose that he is working to fulfill in you and me. He has an expressed will and intention for your life. He has an expressed will and intention for the new church that you are working to launch. He is working all the time to fulfill his will and purpose.

Yet, he asks you and I to work at it with a passion. The word for work in verse twelve is a word for labor. It’s intense. It’s exhausting. It requires everything that I am and all that I have. When Paul refers to God being at work in verse thirteen, it is the word for energetic action. Consider this: The God of the universe is putting his energy, creativity, and effort to accomplish with you the good purpose for which he has called you.

When I labor to serve God’s purpose, God actively participates with me with all his energy and strength to fulfill his will on earth. I sweat with my efforts, God leans in with his. At times we may feel alone, but in reality, we are never working alone. God adds his energy and power into the process.

As you read through chapter two of Philippians, I want you to look for the fact that planting a church is all about PARTNERS. God is your ultimate partner. But you also

need team members like Timothy and Epaphroditus! Paul says about Epaphroditus, “He almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life…”

We pray for team members like these two. They were all in with the work and willing to give it all to see God’s good purpose brought to pass.