Sermons

Partners in the Gospel - Philippians

This May and June we have a new sermon series through the book of Philippians, titled Partners in the Gospel. In the first century AD, when this letter was written, Philippi was a large, pagan city with very little Jewish presence, and a deep loyalty to the Roman Empire. A small church began there (see Acts 16), but the surrounding people and culture were hostile to the gospel. They even rioted and locked Paul up when he visited. But Paul writes to this small church, under pressure though it is, with joy and thankfulness in his heart, to encourage them and spur them on. He describes the church in Philippi as partners in the gospel with him:

"In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." (Philippians 1:4-5, NIV)

His words are not just for the leaders of the church, but ‘To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons’ (1:1b). We are all partners in the gospel, not just the leaders.

Partners in the gospel, according to Philippians, share together in:

The Benefits of the Gospel – Together they share in the grace of God, and the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ (1:7, 11)
The Work of the Gospel – They support Paul’s missionary work (2:25, 4:14-16) and strive together for the gospel (1:27).
Suffering and Glory – Our great hope is to share in Christ’s resurrection life, even persisting through suffering in a Christlike way (3:10-11).
Joy, Affection, Concern for each other – Paul and the Philippians show concern and affection (2:20, 4:10, 1:8) for each other. Indeed Paul ‘has them in his heart’ (1:7). They have many reasons to rejoice (at least 8 times!)
Prayer – They pray regularly and joyfully and thankfully for each other (1:4, 9, 19).
Peace – They have peace with God and peace with each other (1:2, 4:7, 4:9).

As we read through Philippians together, I encourage you to reflect on your partnership in the gospel. How does the gospel shape your life and encourage you as a Christian, alongside your fellow-partners at Ormond and beyond?

Audio Podcasts

- Philippians
- Michael Phillips
• 16/6/25
Pressing on Towards the Goal

In a world of distractions, it is worth asking where our focus is.
Mike unpacks Philippians 3:12-21, helping us to see that Paul is reminding Christians of who they are, to be aware of who our role models are, and to keep our eyes on the goal.
- Philippians
- Michael Phillips
• 2/6/25
Shining as Lights

Paul encourages his readers not to be like the Israelites in the wilderness during the Exodus but to shine like stars without grumbling.
Mike unpacks Philippians 2:12-30, revealing the encouragement Paul has for the faithful in Philippi and the ways in which we can seek to be an encouragement to others.
- Philippians
- Michael Phillips
• 26/5/25
The Mind of Christ

Mike continues our series “Partners in the Gospel” with Philippians 2:1-11. In this passage, Paul encourages his readers to be of one mind and seek to meet the needs of others before themselves. Not only for the benefit of the early church in Phillipi, but to be imitators of Christ.
Mike helps us to see the need for this same attitude and mindset today, not only for the benefit of our wider community but discover that a life live in this way is more fruitful for us too.
- Philippians
- Michael Phillips
• 19/5/25
Living Worthy of the Gospel

Third in our series on Philippians, drawing from Philippians 1:27-30, Mike shows how standing firm in the Gospel is easier when we have a community living likewise and can see examples in the lives of others.
For the Philippians this was Paul, in chains for his faith. For all of us past, present and future, this is most clearly seen in the willingness of Jesus Christ going to the cross to redeem us.
- Philippians
- Michael Phillips
• 12/5/25
Christ Proclaimed

In the second sermon of our series through Philippians 1:12-26, Mike highlights the single minded focus Paul has on Chirst that enables him to rejoice in Christ regardless of his circumstances and in spite of the motivations of others.
While pointing to the way in which others have lived for Christ above all, Mike encourages us today to likewise develop a singular focus on Christ and discover the way it can change our lives and motivations.
• 5/5/25
Partners in the Gospel

Starting our series through Philippians with Philippians 1:1-11, Mike introduces the context of the letter to the Philippians found in Acts 16:11-40 and encourages us to consider how we might be effective partners in the gospel.