Phil. 2:1-11, Our Objective: Edification, What church (5)

What kind of church do we see in the New Testament that promotes edification?

v A serving church. 

o   Knowing God.  Paul was a servant to the churches, even those where he had not visited, that they might come to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ (Col. 2:1-2).

o   Being holy.  Paul was a servant to individual believers.  For example, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble (1 Cor. 8:13).

o   Doing good works.  Epaphroditus served his church in Philippi, coming close to death to supply what was lacking in your service toward me (Phil. 2:30).  Paul was a servant to the church at Thessalonica, setting an example of hard work (2 Thess. 3:7-9). 

o   Love and unity.  Our Lord Jesus was the ultimate Servant, humbling Himself to be the slave of God, and setting an example for us (Phil. 2:1-11, esp. v5).

o   Sound doctrine.  Jesus served His disciples, giving them sound teaching so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them (John 16:1-4).  Paul served the churches and their need to have sound doctrine in the way he stood up to the Judaizers: we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you (Gal. 2:5).

o   Standing firm.  In 2 Cor. 1:3-7 we see service from two sides in the matter of remaining faithful to Christ.  On one hand, Paul was comforted in all our tribulation, tribulation that was the result of his ministry.  Then Paul said that God comforted him that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  He said, our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

Perhaps it has occurred to you that “knowing God” and a “Christ honoring Church” go together.  So does “sound doctrine” with a “Bible teaching Church.”  And “love and unity” with a “fellowshipping Church.”  Likewise, “doing good works” fits a “serving Church.”  The point of this is that when you consider the NT teaching on the Church you are dealing with a “body,” a body with different systems, if you will.  None of the systems exists on its own but they all work together.  If we see this truth, then we have come to see ourselves as Christ sees us.  We are growing up in Christ, our head, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love (Eph. 4:15-16).