Komstad Evangelical Covenant
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More and More Some words are simple. At least, they should be much simpler than we make them. Servants of Christ Jesus. That's the way Paul describes himself and his associate, Timothy, at the beginning of his letter to the church in the town of Philippi. Servants. Even though they were given a job that included some very serious authority, they were still servants. Leaders and servants, both at the same time. The word will shape much of our reading of the book of Philippians, the small letter written to a church in a town called Philippi in the early days of the gospel. It has been called a book of joy, but it is also a book for servants. Partners in the Gospel It was written to servants. It is addressed to the church, and it would be a good idea to be very careful, once again, about a few of the words that we find at the beginning of the letter. Paul writes to the saints at Philippi. It's a simple word, but it has been borrowed for other purposes. Paul simply meant the ones who had been called to be a part of the church. Everyone. They had listened to the gospel and obeyed, some in very simple, rudimentary ways. These are not the great Christians. Not the notable examples of the faith. This is everyone who has stepped out of their old life and into a fellowship with a small group of people who share the same faith. These are the saints. They are partners in the same ministry, together with Paul and Timothy. They may not be wise or educated, but they are partners. You can see an example early in the letter. Paul sends greetings to the church, along with the deacons and overseers, the leaders and the helpers. The pastors and the servants. They do the same work as Paul and Timothy. Maybe not as well, and maybe not on such a world-wide scope. But the work is the same. They serve the same God, preach the same word, live the same gospel. Partners. Hidden In My Heart As if that wasn't enough, we can actually work a comparison back in the other direction. Look at Paul's ministry. Or rather, look at his heart. He seems to really love these people. Verses seven and eight. They are in his heart. He longs to see them. This is a letter from a close friend. Never mind all the heavy theology we might expect. This is a real relationship between a pastor and his people. And it begins in the heart. Strangely, you can see the same thing in other letters of Paul, and those of John. They allowed themselves to love their people. At some point, you have to think that this is the normal way to do things in the church. Jesus said it. Love one another. I think it's been repeated enough. Apparently it's important. Today we are celebrating the 90th Anniversary of Covenant Women Ministries. The name has changed over the years, but the purpose is still the same. From the very beginning, women came together to meet needs. At the beginning of Covenant Women, the goal was to help North Park College in their ministry to teach young adults. Along the way, there have been mission projects, service projects, all to meet needs that were important to the women in the fellowship. Those are just the highly visible project goals. And they are very visible. They have raised thousands of dollars. Actually, I think it was multiple millions of dollars that they invested in the lives and futures of people around the world. Because they cared. Let it be as simple as that. They cared. They loved the people they served. Women stood up and championed people who suffered great needs, and they gave because their heart said that they had to. And that care is visible in more than just the projects. When Komstad Church was first begun in the 1870s, the women very quickly invited their neighbors to a meeting where they could talk and work and serve together. There had to be a felt need for fellowship together. That's what started the church, a felt need for worship as Swedish families in South Dakota. That's how every group begins. So Women's Ministry begins among women who feel a need to be together, to encourage each other in faith and to serve. Just a reminder: these women became partners in ministry. Growing in Their Faith There is a greater partnership here. Paul talks about it early in this chapter. God begins a great work in us, and he continues to perform that wonderful work. That's the exciting thing, not that we all get together to do things, but that we are invited to partner with God in his own work in this world. These few verses end with a formula for people who would like to grow in their ministry, as Paul expects the Philippians to do. You find it in verses nine to eleven. But notice, even here the process begins with love. Love should gain in knowledge, which comes from looking deep into the Word of God, and insight, which comes from walking with God. They are different, slightly, and they are the same. Knowledge is all about information. We read and experience, and we find that we know more. Insight is all about expectation. We know how someone will react, because we know how they think. We understand how God will react, because we know the way the Spirit of God works in us. The result is that we will choose the best choices from all the options around us. Some bad choices will be quickly ruled out, because knowledge tells us that they are wrong. Some pretty good options might be avoided, because there is something better for us. For example, welding is a good profession. But for a few people, the mission field is a better destination. Not for everyone. But for the few. Is welding wrong? No. Is it the best for you? The result of good choices is a right life. Blameless. No mistakes. No missed opportunities. And one more thing. Fruit. A life that makes a difference for Christ. By the way, there is no perfect life. But there is a life that matters for God. And it thrives on good choices. More and More It just never ends. A life given to Jesus can begin with a frail, confused faith. But it can't stay there. It grows in love, in knowledge, in insight, in choices, in purity, in fruit, and all to the glory of God. If that seems ambitious, look again. God is the one who began this work in you. And now he continues, more and more, until the work is done. The pressures of life continue, more and more. More separation, more longing, more opposition. So if the provision of God continues, and the pressure from life continues, you can't stand still in your faith. You can't be the same today as you were twenty years ago. And this is my prayer, that you grow, abound, develop, serve, lead, and love ... more and more. If that seems difficult, don't worry. You have partners. [BF] |
Open
my eyes so that I might see great and
wonderful things in your word.
Psalm 119:18
Psalm 119:18
Beresford,
South Dakota
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