Unfinished doesn't mean abandoned

Introducing To Live Is Christ | Philippians 1:1–11

We've spent the last several weeks at ACC asking a basic question: What is a Christian? Now we're moving to the question that ought to follow it: What does it actually look like to live as one?

For the next eight weeks, we're walking through Paul's letter to the Philippians. Our series title comes from Philippians 1:21: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Paul isn't describing Jesus as one more important part of his life. He's saying Christ is the center of it all. That changes the way we approach our work, our relationships, our disappointments, and even our future. To live is Christ. Joy is the result.

What makes Philippians especially interesting is that Paul writes about joy while sitting in prison. Consider that for a minute. His circumstances are far from ideal, yet he's writing about joy. It seems odd that an imprisoned and severely mistreated man would write about joy. That fact alone should pique your interest.

The church he loves is in Philippi, a Roman colony in what is now northern Greece. Acts 16 tells us how it began: Lydia believed the gospel, Paul and Silas were arrested, and a jailer and his household came to faith. Years later, the Philippians are still supporting Paul's ministry. The situation is essentially this: Paul is a man facing an uncertain future, writing a letter to a church that still has plenty of growing to do. And he's writing in a way that doesn't match the circumstances he's found himself in. Paul's opening words are filled with gratitude! He thanks God for these people and prays for them with joy (1:3–4). His circumstances aren't good, but he can see that God is still at work.

Most of us can recognize and relate to this line of thinking: Life will be better when things settle down, finances improve, a relationship changes, or we finally get our act together. You know you can relate if you've ever thought, "I'm not in shape enough to go to the gym." Or, "I'm not spiritual enough to go to church." Don't misunderstand. Physical and spiritual fitness are important, but I wonder how often we put off living the life God has given us while waiting for everything to be different. Who would have faulted Paul for writing a little more "woe is me" into his letter to the Philippians? Or what if he said to himself, "Once I'm out of prison, I'll write the letter."?

In Philippians 1:1, Paul calls these believers "saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi." I love the order! Before he says anything about what they need to do, he reminds them who they are. They're God's people because of His grace, not because they've arrived at some level of spiritual maturity. They live in Philippi, but their deepest belonging is in Christ.

And because of that, they belong to one another. Paul thanks God for their "partnership in the gospel" (1:5). This is more than showing up to the same service or enjoying one another's company. They've shared in the work of making Jesus known. When I look around ACC and see people serving quietly, showing generosity, forgiving one another, and growing in faith, I'm reminded that God isn't just working in me. He's working among us.

Then Paul says something remarkable: "he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (1:6). The Greek word is ὑμῖν (hymin), which is plural. Unlike English, Greek distinguishes between singular and plural forms of "you." Paul is addressing the church together. That doesn't exclude God's work in each believer, but it reminds us that He's doing something bigger than any one of us. (More on this can be found HERE). Paul is speaking to the church as a whole. This isn't a promise that every hard circumstance will disappear. It's confidence that God will finish the saving work He has begun in His people.

I spoke on Sunday about the Notre-Dame Cathedral. After the fire, years of scaffolding and exposed construction made the building look far from finished. But it hadn't been abandoned. Restoration was underway. I think that's a helpful picture of how we sometimes view our lives. Perhaps our brains equate a work in progress with failure because culture has trained us to think in terms of "instant results" and to see success as "having it all together." What if we measured success by faithful, forward progress, regardless of how messy it is? We may be guilty of focusing on what still needs to change and overlooking the great value in the work already happening. Unfinished doesn't mean abandoned.

Paul's confidence doesn't make him passive. Notice that it leads him to pray that their love will grow with knowledge and discernment and that their lives will bear fruit through Jesus (1:9–11). He thanks God for what he can see and prays for what still needs to grow.

That brings us back to the theme of the whole series. Philippians is often called a letter about joy, but Jesus is at its center. Paul introduces this later in chapter 2. Christ's example of humility and self-giving love becomes the pattern. It shapes our relationships, our suffering, our priorities, and our contentment. Difficult circumstances can certainly affect how we feel, but they don't have to determine the source of our joy. Joy isn't something we're told to manufacture. Joy grows from a life centered on Christ.

If you missed Sunday's message, start by reading Philippians 1:1–11. This week, thank God for His ongoing work in your life. Then choose someone and pray verses 9–11 over them. We have a long way to go, but God hasn't finished His work. And in the journey we are on, success is measured in movement, not absence of mess.

If you'd like to go a little deeper, BibleProject has a helpful overview of Philippians, and Joby Martin's Philippians study on RightNow Media is our weekly video companion.