Joy Giving Relationships Are Built on the Gospel of Jesus Part 2

Nick Minerva • Sep 06, 2021

Joyful, Not Self-Absorbed

As we continue to see how Paul’s relationship with this church gave him joy, consider the following verses.

Philippians 1:3-5 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

Philippians 1:7 Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

I love that Paul is sitting in a jail cell but is still able to talk about what he is thankful for. He is so thankful for this group of people that he can lift his eyes from his difficulty and thank God for them. It’s so easy is it to become self-absorbed in the middle of our suffering. But here we see the Spirit of God enables us to be thankful for the way God is working in people.

Now we know these people weren’t perfect. Paul addresses that in chapter 4 but he doesn’t let tNow we know these people weren’t perfect. Paul addresses that in chapter 4 but he doesn’t let the problems crush gratitude. My church finds itself in a difficult season, but the way that we as a church are coming together is going is producing genuine thanksgiving to God for each other. As time goes on we are going to be able to begin thanking God for the specific things he is doing in each one of our lives in this season.

Look For Joy In The Trial

I know this part of Philippians feels like a usual greeting that often gets skipped over, but when we think through the context of what was going on in Paul’s life it paints a picture of what the church can be in our lives. It shows us that the relationships we have with other believers are meant to be a source of thanksgiving because every believer is an individual that God is at work in. I’m sure not every memory of Paul’s about the beginning of this church was a happy one. Getting illegally beaten and thrown into prison without a trial was not something he enjoyed. But the beauty is Paul didn’t let the bad keep him from giving thanks for the good work God was doing through those circumstances. 

Let me encourage you to take some time to reflect on the journey that God has brought you on. Sure there is pain. But think about how God has faithfully gotten you through that pain. Consider the way God has carried you in His loving faithfulness. Look for the ways that God is working in your life. And think about the people that God has used in your life to accomplish that work. Take some time this week to thank God for the people in your church and the impact they have made on you. And as you do that watch as the Holy Spirit of God fills your heart with thanksgiving and joy. 

Thank God For Your Relationships

Paul says in verse four that he joyfully prays for these people in his every prayer. He is so full of triumphant joy at the thought of this church he has his own little thanksgiving service every time he prays. Such joy is a fruit of the Spirit that only God can produce. But it’s not this elusive thing only the elite Christian can experience. It’s not a feeling that is dependent on favorable circumstances. It runs so much deeper. It rests on our unchanging relationship with God. Spiritual joy is not an emotional response dependent on chance or circumstances. It is a deep and abiding confidence that, regardless of one’s circumstances in life, all is well between them and the Lord.

“ Joy is not an emotional response, it’s an attitude. This is why it can be and is commanded. “

Fellowship Equals Mission, Which Brings Joy

The source of joy is outside itself. It’s “in Christ.” It can be commanded because we are in him and he gives us this joy through the Holy Spirit, his Word, and his body. Now, Philippians is not simply a book about joy but fearlessly advancing the gospel with joy. It’s about working together as a family in hardship to advance the kingdom of God. The fact that they were in Christ provided for their fellowship with unity and  others-focus  that directed them away from self-interest towards the interest of the partnership. 

Now the word that is used to describe this in verse 5 is “ partnership ,” or more literally translated – participation. It is most often translate in the New Testament as “fellowship.” 1 You could say “it’s friendship on a mission.”

When a church locks arms to advance the kingdom of God, its relationships become a well-spring of God-given joy. This happens because they aren’t hung up on themselves. They are working for the betterment of others! We see how deeply this was rooted in verse 7 when he says “you were partners with me in grace, …grace was the rooting… both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.”

Mission Equals Sacrifice

The word partners has the same root word in the Greek here in verse seven. You can see how this fellowship, this partnering, drove them into sacrificial action for God. This wasn’t simply they had a good time hanging out talking about their favorite sports teams. They were working together, suffering together, striving together to advance the gospel. The grace mentioned here in verse 7 is not simply saving grace. It’s also suffering grace, sacrificial grace, struggling for the gospel grace. 

“The heart of true fellowship is self-sacrificing togetherness for the sake of God’s mission.”

The way God was using his grace to produce this type of fellowship was sustaining their affections. Even though Paul was chained to a Roman guard, his heart could rejoice because of these relationships. And so can we. Joy-giving relationships are built on the gospel of Jesus.

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  1. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2842/csb/mgnt/0-1/

A Creed To Remind The Gathered Church Of Its New Life In Christ

By Nick Minerva • 14 Jul, 2023
When I was pastoring I wanted to read a blessing over the church that would remind all of us of our new life in Christ. So I wrote this new life creed and every week I would read it and remind us of what Christ had done for us. We gather together as believers professing our great need We acknowledge that we have fallen short We confess that we are rebels who have gone our own way Apart from Christ, we stand condemned, guilty, and unable to save ourselves But what we are incapable of doing, God did In his infinite love, God made a way of salvation for all who would believe Jesus willingly laid down his life and received the just punishment we deserve So that could walk in new life So yes, we confess our great need We humbly recognize that apart from Christ we are incapable of any good thing But we also proclaim that because of the finished work of the cross we will never be apart from Christ We are forever secure in the love of the Father We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit All because of the sacrifice of the Son, Jesus Christ. We are no longer in bondage to sin We are no longer facing righteous wrath We have been declared holy by our King And nothing on heaven or earth will change that reality This gathering is a testimony to our redeemed state We pursue holy living to be an authentic demonstration of the love we have for Christ We believe that we have been empowered by grace to meet our every need And we gladly anticipate the complete fulfillment of our adaption and the remaking of this world at the coming of our Lord To Christ be glory forever and ever Amen

A Praying Church: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 23 May, 2023
Prayer is one of those topics that always seems to convict me. I have never heard a sermon or read a book on prayer and not been challenged. Even as I am writing this review there is a bit of imposter syndrome because I know I should pray more. In A Praying Church , Paul Miller writes about how to become a people of hope in a discouraging world through prayer. And he does so in a way that was very authentic and accessible. While I was consistently challenged, I was also consistently encouraged. Throughout the book, he takes you on his journey of developing a personal prayer life plus countless stories of ministries that developed communal prayer as a vital component of their life together. One thing that struck home with me throughout these stories was the reality that prayer always grows out of desperation for God. There were several things that I found very helpful in this book. One of them was the connection between a life yielded to the Holy Spirit and a vibrant prayer life. The power to do anything of eternal importance comes from the Holy Spirit and the Spirit moves in response to prayer. Paul shows us a biblical pattern we see throughout the New Testament. Prayer-Spirit-Jesus-power. However, this is not a simple formula to get God to do what you want. Another thing I appreciated about this book is Paul tells us time and again that the Spirit often moves in ways we don’t expect and that almost always includes difficulties. The Spirit enables us to look more like Jesus and that means joining him in the fellowship of his suffering. So this is not a “how to turn God into your personal genie” scheme, like many books on prayer. God often answers in ways we don’t expect and in places we don’t anticipate. This book is also full of practical help. I’ve already mentioned the stories he tells, but Paul also offers several helpful charts, strategies, and ideas to help put into place what he writes about (and lives by.) At the end of each chapter, he has a section called “A Word To Pastors” with a few paragraphs of wisdom to help them become a person of prayer and then lead their congregation to become a church of prayer. This book also made me thankful that I am a part of a church that has sought to grow in corporate prayer over the last few years. This would be a great book for any ministry leader who is burdened with the prayer life of his or her church. But it’s also a great read for any believer seeking to develop their own prayer life. Crossway was kind to send me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get a copy of it at the affiliate link below.

Non-Toxic Masculinity: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 28 Apr, 2023
Let me start this review by saying everyone should read this book. If you've grown up in Evangelicalism, you‘ve no doubt heard of purity culture. For the last several years we have seen the harm that has come as a result of this sub-group of Christianity. In Non-Toxic Masculinity, Zachary Wagner does an excellent job unpacking its teaching and the damage that has come as a result. He explains so well the angst I've been feeling with the movement and how often the Church falls short and winds up doing more damage. But unlike many critiques, this one also points a way forward. We know what toxic male sexuality looks like. We see it in the news and unfortunately, in the Church. But what does healthy male sexuality look like? What does it look like for me? What will it look like for my boys? In my heart, I know what I want it to look like, but so often I struggle to find the right words to express it. Non-Toxic Masculinity paints a healthy picture that is (re)humanizing and ultimately looks like Jesus, who, like all of us, had a sexual body. Zach is also very transparent in this book and God used his transparency to encourage, challenge, and convict me. As you read his story you will no doubt find yourself resonating with him on some level. Every man should read this book for themselves first and foremost. But if you have sons, nephews, grandsons, or young boys in your life, reading it is a must. Non-Toxic Masculinity is a breath of fresh air that will prove to be a tremendous resource for generations. Thank you Zach for writing it and sharing your story to serve us.
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