Philippians: The Blessing of the Church (1:1)

"To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi,

with the overseers and deacons..." (Philippians 1:1)

Paul implies in this verse that God does not intend us to do life alone. To follow Jesus is to gain a family. To learn from Christ is to do so with others. This family is made up of "saints" who do life in a particular place (who are at Philippi), with the spiritual guidance of "overseers" and the practical helps of "deacons." With that idea, Paul gives a description of the church in brief.

The Church is identified by His best not its worst moments

I realize that some fellow followers of Jesus are accustomed to thinking of saints as an elite class that stand above the rest of us ordinary believers. But Paul seems to have a different idea. According to Paul, every believer in Christ is a "saint." A "saint" is a person of the sacred. A consecrated or set apart holiness expresses the make-up and purpose of a saint. Paul himself was no saint. His name was changed to identify a new chapter in his life. But prior to being an apostle, Paul's name was, "Saul." Saul was ambitious, zealous and violent. Saul hurt people in the name of God. Even after Jesus found him, Paul still struggled to love God and neighbor well at times. Those in Philippi were no different. They too sometimes loved poorly. Why then are these persons who are known to be broken and to possess the capacity for breaking others, called "saints?" Because when God recovers us in Christ, He gives us a new identity. Actually, He recovers an old identity for us, an identity we lost when Eden fell. In Jesus, God identifies us as His best and no longer according to our worst moments. What does it mean for you that in genuine faith and true repentance and actual living in union with Jesus, He will treat you according His best rather than your worst moments? What does it mean that a Christian community is meant to treat its members in this way?

The Church does a global thing in a local way

A Christian Community has a new identity, but also a limited sphere of influence. We can only inhabit one place at one time. If those in Philippi try to focus on Ephesus, who will focus on Philippi? Our limits humble us. But our limits are noble. We can let those in Michigan or Arizona or Kenya or West Saint Louis, dwell Christianly for the grace of those localities, while we who dwell in Webster Groves, Rock Hill, Shrewsbury or Maplewood, can give ourselves fully to our own streets and shops for the gospel. In this way, each locality is saturated with the gospel. We are mindful of one another's places. We lend a helping hand. But Paul reminds us that a global thing is done in a local way. The best person to live Christianly for our particular neighborhood is the one who lives there. We are the missionaries we need to love our neighbors well.

The Church is led by shepherds and servants

The saints are meant to live out their local callings within the guidance of elders and deacons.

Jesus sent out twelve. The twelve appointed elders wherever they went. The presence of an elder has its roots in the Old Testament. In Christ, the elder is like a shepherd who tends the ministry of the word and prayer in the community. The shepherd nurtures the soul with spiritual direction, wise counsel and loving care. The deacon is a servant. The deacon provides tangeable help for the physicality of a person. Paul lays out the qualifications for these leaders in his letters to Timothy and Titus. God gives His people leaders who are gifted and called to create a mentoring community in which the people in a locality are equipped with what their bodies and souls most need. What does it mean for you that you are meant to do life in a place under the care and direction of shepherds and servants that God gives you for your learning, and care? Is that idea hard to receive? Why or why not?