Sweet Freedom Even in Sour Times; Sermon on Philippians 1:1-14

Rev. George Miller
Aug 11, 2019
Philippians 1:1-14

So, earlier this week I had a situation at home. For some reason my kitchen was starting to smell like spoiled milk.

I thought maybe it had to do with all the rain, and my house being closed up while on vacation.

I checked the refrigerator to make sure it was running. Kept the fans spinning all night; put the AC on low even when I was gone.

Nothing worked.

Turns out it was one of the pineapples from my garden. I had brought it in a few days ago and like a good Floridian, sliced off the head so it could be replanted.

I let the top sit in a bowl of water for the past few days to keep it fresh.

Turns out that counter-top pineapple water was the culprit to the stink, so I got a new bowl, filled it with fresh water, and viola- the stank was gone.

Who could have known that something so sweet could easily turn so sour?

It some ways this ties into today’s reading, but in a reversal of sorts.

This summer we’ve witnessed Paul, Peter and Philip be inspired by the Holy Spirit. For the next month we’ll hear from Paul himself via this letter he wrote to one of his favorite churches.

But first, to set the scene: Paul is in a rather sour situation. He has been arrested and is writing from prison.

It’s hard to say exactly where he is, and what the exact conditions are, but it’s clear that his freedom to move about and travel freely has been stopped, and he is most likely shackled to a guard night and day.

But somehow, someway, Paul uses the moment in time to turn something that was meant to be sour into something that was sweet.

He writes to his favorite church; the one located in Philippi.

If you recall, this is most likely the church that was started by Lydia.

In Acts 16 Paul travels to Philippi, where he meets Lydia, the seller of purple cloth, who is gathered with other women outside the gates of the city, by the river.

He sits down amongst them, talks with them and Lydia asks for she and her household to be baptized. She invited Paul to stay a few days and it appears that her home becomes the first church on the European continent.

It was a congregation that encouraged Paul and provided refuge when he faced difficult times, so it is logical to assume that this letter is written to this particular group of Christian sisters and brothers.

So, here is Paul; imprisoned. Instead of setting sail for exotic places like Troas and Athens, he’s shackled to a series of guards.

Instead of the scent of fresh air and seawater, he is immersed in the stench of captivity.

Yet what could have been so sour he managed to find elements of sweet.

He writes this letter to those in Philippi who are busy being church.

Through the course of the letter he affirms all that they do that sheds light:

How they share in the Gospel.

How they work together as co-partners.

How they pray, but more than that-

how they’re faith goes beyond the cliched “thoughts and prayers” folk robotically say after a tragedy happens, but how their prayers manifest into actions.

They are a church that acts upon and does good things, sending Paul care packages and support through a member named Epaphroditus.

As we read through this letter, we hear from Paul how this church not only shares the Good News, they share in the Holy Spirit, they share in Christ’s suffering.

They share in each other’s highs and lows; they even share their resources.

Paul validates them for all they do, encouraging them to continue being co-partners, co-ministers, and co-creators.

He tells them to be of the same mind; to be of the same love; to work side by side and to actually think through what their faith means.

This is not Paul telling the parishioners of Philippi to put on a happy face and trust that the sun will come out tomorrow.

This is Paul encouraging them to reach out to those who are unhappy, and to shine the sun on those who think there is no tomorrow.

Perhaps what’s so amazing in today’s reading are the words of encouragement Paul gives in vss 9-10.

For here, Paul uses his time in prison to articulate what a community of faith should be about.

He tells them that he is praying that not only will their love overflow, but that it will do so with their use of knowledge, wisdom, and common sense to do the right thing.

In other words, Paul wants them to be aware of their scripture, to be aware of their history, to also use their intuition and their God-given sense of right and wrong to determine what they do.

This is not Paul saying to blindly have faith, but that faith involves your brains, your heart, your sense of ethics, and your morality to decide what is best.

This is Paul telling them not to be wishy washy or afraid or lukewarm, but to do what needs to be done, so that when they stand before Jesus Christ, they can say

“We have done our best, we have shined your light into a world full of darkness, and we have brought sweetness into the dungeons of life.”

It is absolutely inspiring to realize that 2,000 years ago, in the stench of imprisonment, Paul creates a template for how a church can best be free.

Filled with such a sweet, sweet spirit, Paul speaks beyond shackles and prison walls.

He speaks beyond peaceful rivers, patches of purple, and ancient ancestors.

Paul speaks to us today, in the safety of the sanctuary, beside the historical Hammock, under the blue and yellow window, surrounded by the living saints.

Paul is sweetly speaking to us, about how to act, how to live, how to respond, how to focus our faith not just on the Bible and theology, but on history, knowledge, and common sense.

This is Paul reminding us that they will know we are Christians by our love.

This is Paul telling us “In a world that chooses to be so sour, free yourself so you can be sweet.”

May the Holy Spirit continue to inspire us and may our full knowledge of Christ and insight of the Gospel overflow.

Amen.