In autumn 2001 I started a new habit. It’s been a daily habit, and it’s continued till today. It’s of praying using my hands. Each finger represents one individual - so for example the thumb is for someone who has made it his business to encourage me (thumbs up sign), the pointing finger is for someone who’s being a bit unfairly picked on at work, the marriage ring finger is for my wife Alison, and so on. And when I’ve prayed for those people one by one, I put my hands together (here’s the church, here’s the steeple) and pray for us as a church.
Now, several questions present themselves to me.
Firstly, is this all a bit mechanical? Well, yes, it probably is. The ideal is to do something much more creative, and I do pray in other ways as well. But I tell you what - there have been days when if I wasn’t doing my hand thing I wouldn’t have prayed at all, and it’s better than nothing.
Secondly, should I tell the people I’m praying for that I’m doing it? Shouldn’t it be a secret thing, in my closet as Jesus puts it? Well, it depends on my motives, I suppose. If I’m telling Bob (that’s an example of a person I’m praying for, his name isn’t really Bob and none of you have met him) - if I’m telling Bob I pray for him in order to have power over him or to get him to do what I want, that would be completely wrong. If I’m just looking for his appreciation or affection, it might be better not to tell him I’m praying. And to be honest there is a bit of that, so I have watch myself. But imagine this: suppose Bob was someone who needed to know there was someone looking out for him. Suppose he sometimes felt like he wouldn’t finish the job God had set him, and suppose I was praying for him confidently that God (not Bob, but God) would finish the work in Bob that he (that’s God, not Bob) had started - in those circumstances, telling him about my prayers might help. That’s why I sent him a copy of this sermon by e-mail! And now for our New Testament reading!
The sermon itself:
You see where I’m going, don’t you? I’m suggesting that Paul told the Philippians he was praying for them because he wanted to encourage them. And why would they be encouraged by this opening to the letter?
1. Because Paul prays smiling prayers (vv3-4)
If someone says to you ‘I’ll pray for you’ in a patronising or pitying tone of voice, the effect they’ll have is to make you think they feel a step above them. It’s like if you’re in Year 9 and you go out with someone and you suddenly realise they’re only with you out of pity! But if you know someone prays for you and does it smilingly and thankfully, if they tell you that they feel joy - end of verse 4 - when they pray for you, you react very differently. This is the first in a series of six sermons on the letter to the Philippians, and no doubt Rosemary will do a better job next week of telling you what Paul wrote the letter for, but for the moment let’s go with this summary: Paul wrote the letter to cheer the Philippians up. And we’ve only reached verse 4, and they’re feeling better already. I mean they probably already knew the sort of stuff he’s written to the Galatians, I bet they were fouling their togas when the scroll arrived. But now they know it’s OK, it’s a letter they’re going to enjoy treasuring. It must have felt like emerging into a sunlit playground at the end of double maths - clouds lift when we know smiling prayers are being prayed for us.
2. Because Paul prays confident prayers (vv5-6)
There’s a prayer by Sir Francis Drake that goes like this:
‘O Lord God, when thou givest to thy servants to endeavour any great matter; grant us also to know that it is not the beginning but the continuing of the same until it is finished that yieldeth the true glory. Through him who, for the finishing of thy work, laid down his life for us, our Redeemer Jesus Christ’ Amen.
I think Paul would have gone with that, but subtly changed the emphasis. Sir Francis seems to be saying; ‘Lord, please teach me to finish what I start, the way Jesus did’, and that’s fair enough. But Paul is saying ‘Lord, thank you that the Philippians have been partners in the gospel from the beginning - that gives me confidence that it’s you that have been working in them, so it’s you that will finish the job.’ The emphasis is all on God. It’s true for you one by one, and it’s true for this church. Needed: a Pathfinders coordinator for next year. Needed: money. Needed: an evangelistic strategy. And either we weary ourselves worrying about these things, or we trust that if God started this church in January 1975 he’ll continue to enable his work for as long as it gives him pleasure. I solemnly promise that I will never bully, pressure or manipulate any of you into doing anything in this church at all. If God wants things done he will call people who will not only lead Pathfinders (or whatever) but do it with pleasure and a lightness of heart. Because it’s God’s work.
On the other hand, if you received a yellow notice sheet this morning, God wants you to lead Pathfinders and you’re disobedient if you ignore the call (joke- all the notice sheets are yellow!).
3. Because Paul prays affectionate prayers (vv7-8)
I have you in my heart, says Paul. I have you in my heart. The Philippian church was in northern Greece, but they were also in Turkey in a gaol in Ephesus inside Paul‘s heart. Paul the great missionary leader - absolutely. Paul the theologian - yes. But this is Paul the man with a heart big enough to embrace all those people in the church in Philippi - yes, including Euodia and Syntache whom we’ll hear about in a few weeks, who couldn’t get on. He loved them. He had a partnership with them. He longed for them (which must mean that he moped because he missed them so much). He had the affection of Christ Jesus for them.
How much affection?
Not just normal affection, that’s a weak changeable thing.
Not just the affection of a shared goal - that can ebb away.
Not just the affection of a shared history - we forget so easily.
But the affection of Christ Jesus. Jesus was fond of the Philippians, and he graciously spilled out his love for them into Paul, so they could both feel it. Paul had a waterfall of affection for the Philippians crashing down into his heart.
4. Because Paul prays ambitious prayers (vv9-11)
I mean, think about it. If I said ‘I’m praying for you - I ask God to make you nice enough that someone might possibly want to spend more than five minutes in your company’, I wouldn’t encourage you much, would I? But to know that someone is praying big prayers for you - well, that really is something.
So what am I praying for you?
I’m praying that this morning as you receive bread and wine your love may be rekindled and you may encounter Christ as if for the very first time.
I’m praying that that deep and real love may lead you not just to know the bible (though that’s vital), not just to know God in a personal way (though that’s even more important), but lead you to see and approve what is best - to have a worldview in which the best is clearly seen as best and the rest is enjoyed or used or rejected as appropriate.
I’m praying that there is a movement of people to come and take part in the life of this church. I pray that by the time I move on - and that’s presumably around 2008/9 - 5% of the population of Galleywood will be in church every Sunday. That’s 350 people, of whom 100 would be attending other churches, 100 the church on the common and 150 here. Will you join me in praying that prayer - let’s call it the 350 prayer - daily? We’re not demanding of God, but I believe God is pleased when we pray ambitiously. Luther put it like this: ‘we ask for silver, and God wants to give us gold.’
I’m praying that we may be presented to God pure and blameless on the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness, to bring glory to God. Now there’s ambitious. But just after Pentecost it’s not overambitious, not beyond our grasp because it’s the Spirit who gives us the fruit, and the Son who sees to it that the glory goes to the right place.
One more thing about ambitious praying. Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, according to the bible, interceding for us. So what’s he praying for us? Lots of things, no doubt. And I don’t make any special claims that I have prophetic insight. But I tell you what - when I was praying for this church about four weeks ago, I had a sense of Jesus saying ’I’m praying that you all burn like fire.’ Burn like fire. Burn like fire - to the praise and glory of God.
Andy Griffiths