Jason's Update on the Battle Field: How to minister to brothers

Situation:

I am now staying with brethren at an apartment home in Atlanta. They are my work in the Lord...my hope, my crown of rejoicing, and more. A similar location exists at another student housing lofts in downtown Atlanta where the gospel was preached and life was ministered. As a minister of God, feeding the flock can be a daunting task. But we are exhorted to do it willingly and to be patient because of the crown of life we shall receive at the Lord's coming.

Practicality:

At school, we function as salt. The students understanding the authority of the teacher and the teacher understanding the authority of God and responsibility towards the students. The house of God right now is been measured and the supper being prepared. The servants have been called in from the field harvesting grain for the meal and has been through the sword of the spirit and effectual praying cutting though apostate christendom with the gospel of the kingdom and the leavened church ready for the roast.

In ministering the Gospel and in furthering God's move on this earth the ministry of life is needed. In such a loveless cold world the church of the Philippians at Philippi stood out.

For me in Atlanta as a pillar in God's temple, I realize the house is only as good as the support and the support as good as the house. I want to stress the need for the saints to support genuine ministry. There are a lot of young people at my school, at lot of people I see on the train and in the inner city and the true genuine saints of phillipi realize this and I am confident will rise up to help assist in the advancement on another's well being in love and in Christ in sincerity and truth and above all in faith, for without faith it is impossible to please God...

THE BELIEVERS’ FELLOWSHIP
IN THE APOSTLE’S NEED

Scripture Reading: Phil. 4:10, 14-20

In this message we shall consider the believers’ fellowship in the apostle’s need. In their giving, many Christians do not have fellowship. By fellowship we do not simply mean communication or mutual participation. Fellowship also involves the ministering of life. When we have fellowship with one another, we minister life to one another. When many Christians give something as a gift, they do not have the deep sense that in this transaction there is the ministry of life. But if we pray/read the verses listed above, we shall touch the ministry of life, both from the side of the apostle and also from the side of the believers who sent a gift to him. No doubt, the saints in Philippi not only sent the material supply to Paul, but also ministered life to him. Thus, between the two parties, the apostle and the believers, there was the fellowship of life and the mutual ministry of life. It is important that we learn to give in such a fellowship of life and ministry of life.

I. THE APOSTLE REJOICING IN THE LORD
FOR THE BELIEVERS’ RENEWED CONCERN

In 4:10 Paul says, “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you caused your thinking for me to blossom anew.” It might have been circumstances which kept the Philippian believers from continuing to send the material supply to Paul. When they sent a gift with Epaphroditus, Paul considered this the blossoming again of their thinking for him. According to Paul’s feeling, the sending of a gift with Epaphroditus was the blossoming again of their concern for him.
The words blossom anew are a beautiful expression, rich in their implication. How can something blossom without life? Paul’s use of the word blossom implies that the believers’ thought of him was a matter of life, something that expressed life. Furthermore, “blossom anew” implies that the believers’ concern for Paul had been dormant for a time, having passed through a winter season. For a plant to blossom anew requires that it undergo a period of withering or dormancy during the winter season. This winter season, during which the saints lacked the opportunity to care for Paul, was a time of suffering for him. But this suffering afforded him the opportunity to experience Christ in a richer way.

II. THE BELIEVERS’ THINKING FOR THE APOSTLE

In 4:10 Paul also says to the Philippians, “You did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity.” These words show Paul’s experience and maturity. There were times that he rebuked the saints. For example, in writing to the Corinthians he rebuked them and asked if they wanted him to come with a rod (1 Cor. 4:21). In writing to the Philippians, however, he speaks in a very positive way, telling them that at length they caused their thinking for him to blossom anew, that they indeed did take thought, but lacked opportunity.
As we have indicated, the words blossom anew, a literal translation of the Greek, imply that the giving of material things is a matter of life and of the ministry of life. If this were not so, Paul would not have used such an expression.

We must pay careful attention to the word blossom. This word implies that our giving of material things to any church, to any servant of the Lord, and to any of the saints must be something living that is able to blossom. This fellowship involves more than participation; it involves the circulation of the current of life. According to the Bible, fellowship always comes from life. First John 1:2 and 3 reveal that fellowship issues from life. The source of fellowship is life. For this reason, in Philippians 4:10 Paul uses the word blossom, and in verse 14, the word fellowship: “Nevertheless you did well to have fellowship with me in my affliction.” It seems as if Paul is saying, “You ministered life to me and helped to sustain me in my imprisonment. When I was suffering, you helped me by ministering life to me. Surely you will receive a supply of life in return.”
The fellowship in life can be illustrated by the circulation of blood in the human body. On the one hand, as the blood circulates, it flows out; on the other hand, it returns. In like manner, our fellowship in life always has a going out with a return. Any outflow without a corresponding inflow is not true fellowship. Fellowship always involves circulation. The life goes out, and the life also returns. The life goes with a supply to the other party, and then it comes back with a supply from this party. Whenever we give material things under the leading of the Lord, we should experience such a fellowship in life. There should be the blossoming and the mutual supply of life.
The fellowship the believers in Philippi had with Paul was for the furtherance of the gospel (1:5). Their sending of the supply of material things was for the furtherance of the gospel. As we have pointed out, the gospel here equals God’s move on earth for His economy. The gospel includes not only the good news of salvation, redemption, forgiveness, justification, and eternal life. Especially in a book like Philippians, the gospel signifies the move of God in His economy. Therefore, fellowship, even in the sending of a material supply, is for the furtherance of God’s move in His economy.