Philippians 1:1–6 · Mission’s Great Beginning · Part 1

1. God Has a Great Plan

Watch this message on BFFBible — Part 1: He Who Began a Good Work

1. God Has a Great Plan

The Philippi Church

The Book of Philippians touches on what God had done there. It was as if God had touched down on earth in Philippi. The Apostle Paul speaks of these things with full confidence. We will focus on verse 1:6.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6)

There are two parts: the beginning and, naturally, the end, the completion. Paul first makes us aware of God’s initiating work before hinting at His grand purposes. It’s like holding up a little baby: we first appreciate their presence, but we might speculate about what they will grow up to be like. No one knows. What God starts, He completes. A plan goes far beyond the Apostle Paul. He has only a small part in God’s very big plan.

Christianity differs from other religions in that Jesus Christ historically died and rose from the dead. In the Book of Acts, which we will look at later, it connects Jesus with the church’s beginning, the Holy Spirit’s work in His people, Peter, and then Paul, and the small but significant provincial town of Philippi, with only about 10,000 people, in 50 AD, with a central market. We will soon see how God ‘touched down’ in Philippi, and this book gives us a wonderful glimpse into history when God intervenes.

Our two messages will stem from Philippians 1:6, where Paul boldly speaks of the beginning and the end. Today’s theme centers on ‘He,’ our Maker, who graciously initiated a work in Philippi, creating a people of His own possession, making the sinner saved and the estranged His children. Because of His great love, God makes wonderful beginnings and expressions of His love.

Philippi’s Beginning - God’s Grace

“1 Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:1-6) NASB

Before exploring Philippians 1 and our place in time, we must step back to recognize that something greater is at work. God, the Alpha and Omega, is at work. Paul boldly declares in verse 2, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” The church is not a man-made social construct but God Almighty’s purposeful creation.

Paul insists, from the outset, on presenting God’s greater work. God the Father and His Son have launched this eternal redemptive plan and brought grace and peace into our lives. Grace speaks to the incredible undeserved nature of His work in our lives. This is not merely an inward peace but one that enables us to restore our relationship with God, our Mighty and holy Maker. Jesus died for us. We can’t move an inch without swimming in the vast river of God’s grace, which treats us far better than we deserve.

When He says “He who began,” He refers to God the Father. Though we first think of our lives, and that is true and right, this statement is far more sweeping. God created all of mankind, but He began to reveal His plan to bless the world through Abram (Gen 12:3). All was planned, but like a mighty spaceship, it must land. In Jesus, we behold God’s love as He offers His only Son. “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are” (1 John 3:1). God began this work, stepped into time, became born a human, took on human form as a slave, and died for His people.

Good works that God begins ooze with His love, grace, forgiveness, hope, and joy. This is God’s work in us too, but we can grow lukewarm, unforgiving, and self-focused. May we not allow this dullness to cloud our eyes so that we cannot see the glorious work in every person saved, nor keep us from remembering that He is initiating these good works around the globe right now.

When any believer opens their eyes to God’s grace, we are amazed. Is this not what we find among students from all around the world, and now among the elderly as well? Paul first calls us to look beyond our lives to God’s grace and peace. We are just like those at Philippi—real people whom God has purposed to pour out His amazing grace. Through God’s magnanimous, eternal, and worldwide redemptive plan, God’s otherwise unreachable love and mercy are now at work.

Philippi’s Background

The Lord is pleased to share with us details of His touchdown in Philippi, where a church first began. Paul was called to Macedonia and established the church at Philippi around AD 49–50 (Acts 16:11–40). He is now writing to them from prison for his faith around AD 61-62. No doubt you will remember the dream Paul had that called him to visit Macedonia. Did he know what would happen? No. Who would have guessed that God would plant a church there in Philippi? And so God’s work begins. He is not afraid of small beginnings. “He who began” speaks powerfully to the need to start.

Timeline of Paul and the Philippian church: first visit around AD 49–50, later visit around AD 56–57, Philippians written around AD 61
Paul and the Philippian Church — timeline from the first visit to his letter from prison.

Missions begin behind the scenes. We think of Jesus coming as a babe, not as a king. He was born in a small village outside Jerusalem and soon had to flee. God is pleased to reveal the spectacular nature of His grace through small works.

Why else does He choose unknown, poor fishermen as His apostles? The less a person is, the more clearly He can demonstrate His exotic grace against the world's grandeur and the wealthy's wealth. Some of the most moving stories unfold in out-of-the-way places, among the poorest and the sickest. The wealthy and influential Cambridge 7 were missionaries who gave up their fortunes to go to unknown places for the Gospel. John Sung (宋尚節) threw all his diplomas, medals, and fraternity keys overboard, except for his doctoral degree to show his father, before setting foot in China. Many early missionaries to Africa shipped their belongings in a casket, not expecting to return.

Paul spent a few weeks- less than a month, according to the sparse records in Acts- yet a church was established. More than ten years later, he wrote to them, the overseers, deacons, and the saints; this is the Book of Philippians. The church grew! Let’s think a bit more about this grand work.

Began a Good Work

God’s beginning work in Philippi was not unusual. Though we have only the Book of Acts, the other apostles also went out to establish the church around the world. This is the Lord’s plan. Jesus chose His disciples, anointed them, and accompanies us as we share God’s glorious work. God laid the foundation in Christ’s work and set this work upon the apostles and the church. God is eager to begin these works. (I made an interesting discovery that I’ll share in part 2.)

God began a good work; this does not include any old religious activity, even in our church. He is not interested in starting man-glorifying works. Those happen all the time. He is less interested in making money and building big organizations. A good work is characterized by what Paul describes in Philippians and the other letters.

1:9 “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more

1:11 “Having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ,

2:13 “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Good works are God-initiated, involving saving, discipling, teaching, directing, and motivating us. These good works begin with God’s word actively moving in believers—the once ordinary person changed by the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins. Aren’t you one of these special people, a result of God’s abounding grace? Were the Philippians so different from us? I think not.

Let’s consider that God is starting these new works all around the world, all the time. In jail, Paul couldn’t visit them, but he heard about what God is doing through the Philippian Christians. Having looked at God, who starts these good works, let us focus more specifically on this new work in Philippi.

The Beginnings of the Philippi Church

What happens when the Gospel touches down in a place? It’s always different, yet similar in many ways. Something extraordinary happens, like a mother with her newborn child, or when we see God’s grace poured out, transforming lives. In this case, Paul shares the Gospel, meets with the people, instructs them, and suffers wrongly for them.

It’s good to remember God’s sovereign, powerful work that unfolds through four specific works: (1) His intervening direction, (2) bold evangelism, (3) resulting church plant, and (4) purposed church growth. We will focus on the first two in this message that relate to the beginning work of God.

Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB), copyright © The Lockman Foundation.