The year is 55 A.D. The Apostle Paul has been in prison in Ephesus for months. As a Roman citizen he isn’t staying in the worst dungeons of the city, but his cell is dark and drafty, the food is meager, and his cough is getting worse by the day. He’s beginning to wonder if this might just be where his story ends.
Paul’s trying to keep up his spirits, but some days it’s pretty difficult. He’s been able to share the gospel with some of his fellow prisoners and even a few of the guards. And they do seem interested, but news has just reached him that the church he started in Corinth is now questioning his legitimacy.
Meanwhile, he keeps hearing about false teachers spreading lies about Jesus all across the Roman Empire, undoing the work he’s given his life to. And since he’s confined to a cell, Paul is starting to wonder if even his mission to Ephesus will end in failure.
So, Paul is ill, he’s discouraged… In many ways he’s hit the lowest point in his ministry. In his life. His thoughts are getting a bit dark. When all of a sudden he hears a knocking at the window.
“Brother Paul?”
Paul can’t believe his eyes It’s Epaphroditus from Philippi!
“Brother Paul, it is you! We heard you were here and we collected a few gifts to see you through. Are you hungry?”
In a flash Paul’s spirits are revived, his hope is rekindled, and his joy is renewed.
“Epaphroditus, my brother, it is so good to see you…”
—
At least, this is how I imagine things happening.
We don’t know exactly how things went down in that prison cell, but we do know that Paul was so grateful for the gifts he received from the church in Philippi that he sent Epaphroditus back to them carrying one of his most joyful letters of gratitude: what we call today the book of Philippians.
Just listen to how he begins his letter.
Philippians 1:3-6
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
I love this. Despite his horrible situation, and despite the fact that he may be at death’s door, Paul is so overjoyed when he thinks about his kind, generous brothers and sisters in Philippi, that he can’t help but reach out to tell them.
But the letter isn’t just joy and gratitude. In many ways Paul’s letter to the Philippians serves as his final words of advice to the church he started there six years before.
He is helping the church he loves the most reimagine their mission as a new generation in Philippi prepares to carry the torch forward when he is gone.
The letter is full of wisdom, encouragement, even some warnings… but it all flows out of a deep well of Paul’s love for these people. “My brothers and sisters in Philippi, this is what I want you to remember when I’m gone.”
Now with all that context in mind, it should come as no surprise that Paul’s letter to the Philippians continues to resonate even today. Paul’s advice 2000 years ago still rings true in our world and we’re going to listen together to what he has to say.
SERIES SETUP
Welcome to our new sermon series, “Reimagine.” We’re going to spend the next 7 weeks exploring the book of Philippians and considering what it looks like for a new generation here at Grace to carry the torch forward in our own context - to build on what has come before - just as the Philippians did.
Along with this series we are kicking off a two-year initiative - the Reimagine Initiative that I think is going to radically energize our church family.
In verse 6 Paul says “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work…” And that’s what Reimagine is all about. Continuing the work that God began at Grace Church almost 34 years ago. I’m so excited to see what he’s going to do next.
The Reimagine Initiative has two major areas of focus.
First, there is a relational focus. Letting the wisdom of Philippians inspire us to better love and pursue those in our lives who are not currently walking with Jesus. Reimagining our relationships as a community to bring God’s love to our hurting world with renewed dedication. So, a relational focus.
Second, there is a tangible, physical focus. Reimagining our space - our building and property – so that we can serve and love our neighbors even better.
Now, in a few moments, I’m going to lay out all the details of what I mean by this. And I am so excited to dream together with you about what we might be able to do to “continue God’s work” here at Grace.
But before we do that - before we get into the details of the Reimagine Initiative - I want to talk more about the heart behind it. Why we’re even doing this initiative in the first place. To do that let’s go back to Philippians 1 and read a bit more about what Paul has to say. Philippians 1, Page _______.
While you’re turning there, let me pray for us.
OVERFLOWING LOVE
Over the next several weeks we’re going to talk a lot about the world behind the text of Philippians. How the church there got started, some of what they were up against, etc.
But for now, all we need to remember is that Paul is writing this letter from prison, he expects that he might die there, and he is passing the baton to a new generation of Christ-followers in the church he helped to start.
That’s the context that’s important for right now.
Ok. In verse 3 Paul said how much joy he feels at the Philippian Church. Verse 6. He’s certain that God will continue the good work there that he began there years ago. And then he writes this:
Philippians 1:7-11
So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
What a powerful prayer. Paul obviously loves this church so deeply.
Just a few comments about this passage. Take a look at verse 7. Paul says, “It’s right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart.”
Interestingly the Greek here is a little unclear. It doesn’t say whose heart he’s talking about. It’s possible Paul is saying, “I feel this way because I hold you in my heart.” But it could also read, “because you hold me in your heart.” Maybe he’s overjoyed because of how much they love him.
There’s no way to know for sure. Translations go both ways. But what I love about it is that both options are equally plausible. Paul loves them and they love him. It’s obvious there is a special connection here.
Ok, Paul says how much he loves them in the letter. But how do we know that they love him back?
Well, for one thing, they went to great lengths to send him this care package in prison. I mean, they shipped Epaphroditus off on a months-long trip across the Aegean Sea. That’s not cheap. It’s quite a gesture of love.
But it’s clear later in the letter that this was hardly the first time they had been generous like this. Paul says,
Philippians 4:14-18
You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once… I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus.
You see, Paul faced nothing but trouble from most of the churches he started, but the believers in Philippi offered him nothing but generosity and support. They love him.
Which makes Paul’s prayer in chapter 1 verse 9 even more meaningful. “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.”
In other words, “even if I die here in prison, I want the love you’ve shown to me to continue in the lives of others. Let it overflow. Keep on growing in Christ and show our broken world the fruit of your salvation. Carry the mission of Jesus forward into the next generation even when I’m gone. I believe in you.”
Or, again. As he said in verse 6:
“I am certain God will continue the work he began in you.”
Carry the torch forward. Not out of a place of drudgery or obligation, but as an overflow of the love you’ve already shown. Put simply,
Continue the work.
That, I believe, is the core message of Philippians. Continue the work. And in the rest of the letter, Paul explains how.
REIMAGINE
If you can’t tell, I love this letter and I am so excited to explore it together with you over these next 7 weeks. I’m also really excited about what these ancient words might inspire us to do today.
Because we have our own work to continue that God began here years ago. Our own love to overflow. Our own knowledge to grow.
And in a lot of ways, just like Paul passing the baton to the next generation in Philippi, it feels like a new generation here at Grace is also carrying the mission forward.
I mean, literally in my case. My dad was the founding pastor of Grace - I was in third grade when we started - and now I’m lead pastor (and I bought my first pair of readers the other day).
But it’s not just me. Think about the rest of our pastors. We celebrated Tim Ayers’ retirement a few months ago. Which means that all of our current pastors were associate pastors first. We’ve all grown in our ministry journeys here. It’s a new generation leading.
But I think it’s even bigger than that.
Because when you look around at the congregation, the volunteers, the community of Grace Church today, you see two things clearly.
One, you see a lot of folks who have been around Grace for decades. Key adult leaders who started out in Grace’s youth ministry. Revered elders who came to Grace as young parents. It’s a generational shift.
But you also see many new individuals and families who have joined Grace 30 years into our life as a church. Who would have imagined all those years ago that our church family would look like this today? Every year that goes by our family is adding the story that was begun by our founding generation.
By the way, this is why we chose the image of tree rings to go along with Reimagine. First of all, because trees are cool. Our logo is a leaf, right?
But also because the rings of a tree tell the story of what has come before. You can actually see in the individual rings what the tree has gone through. “Oh, there’s the year of the big fire. That was the year we had all that rain...”
Every year a new ring is added to the tree, but it’s all the same tree.
My point is this: A new generation at Grace Church is continuing the work that God began here in 1991. Our mission has never changed. We make disciples of Jesus and launch them into the mission of God.
But every year as we pursue this mission we do what we’ve done since the very beginning. We don’t ask God to bless what we want to do, we ask the Holy Spirit where he’s moving so that we can jump in and join him.
That’s why we have a global focus and a passion for justice and making room. That’s why we have a Care Center and a disability ministry. That’s why we do musicals and love the arts. Because we keep jumping in where the Holy Spirit is moving, even if he takes us places we never could have imagined in 1991.
Well, I believe the Reimagine Initiative is more of the same. It’s a new generation at Grace jumping in where the Holy Spirit is moving.
In a moment I’m going to give you all the details. But first, I want you to hear the story of someone who’s been here since the very beginning - Debbie Shaffer - the first of many testimonies you’re going to hear over the next 7 weeks…
WHO IS YOUR “ONE”?
• Two year emphasis on having, praying for, and loving Your “One” (define)
• Imagine what God could do if this entire community was "overflowing in love" in our prayers, in our interactions… How many lives could be transformed for Jesus?
My challenge over the next 7 weeks - think and pray about who God may be laying on your heart as your ‘one’
Commitment Sunday (March 9) - a chance for us all to make a commitment to love and pray for our “ones.”
REIMAGINING OUR SPACE
Much of our building was built for who we were 15 years ago. There is so much potential for us to reimagine our space for who we are today and who we’re becoming tomorrow.
I’m convinced that if we want to remain relevant in 10-20 years, we must think differently about our space and become a resource to our community.
For example, we want to open our café through the week, hire people with disabilities to work in it, all while creating a safer, more welcoming atmosphere and providing spaces for our neighbors can use.
• Roof repair & HVAC Upgrades
• Grace Kids Hallway improvements
• Expanded Care Center Warehouse
• New Front Entrance Experience
⁃ Reception Desk
⁃ Co-working/gathering spaces
⁃ Lobby Partition
⁃ Room 111 Refresh
⁃ Accessible Drive
⁃ Front Entrance
⁃ Café Patio & Playground
• Total Cost - $3.25 million
⁃ w/ 5% to partners
Re-cap vision w/ "ones" - so exciting to dream with you about "continuing the work" begun 34 years ago…
Philippians 1:6
I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.