PM: God Will Finish What He Has Started

In the dead of night, the Apostle Paul had a vision.

Across the Aegean Sea, a figure stood calling out to him, Come over to Macedonia and help us.

Twice, Paul had made efforts to travel eastward, but the Holy Spirit of God had prevented him from doing so.

And now an apparition beckoned him westward, over the waters and to a new continent.

This was the start of Paul's mission to Europe.

Interpreting this vision as God's call to preach the gospel in Macedonia, Paul, of course, answered it.

How could he not? He and his fellow missionaries all set sail from what is modern-day Turkey to what is now modern-day Greece.

And when they arrived, they settled in the city of Philippi.

This was a Roman military colony not too far from the coast.

And a few days after their arrival, they met a few women down by the river, evangelized, and voila, the Philippian church was planted.

Paul continued to minister in Philippi for approximately three weeks until he and Silas were falsely accused.

They were beaten and imprisoned.

And after they miraculously escaped from their imprisonment, they informed the city officials that their rights as Roman citizens had been violated.

And although the city officials apologized, they still asked Paul and Silas to leave.

And so Paul had to leave the city of Philippi and to leave the Philippian church behind.

Despite his departure, however, the Philippian Christians never abandoned Paul.

And Paul never abandoned them.

As Paul continued his journey westward, the Philippians raised funds to support his ministry.

When Paul eventually embarked on his third missionary journey to raise money for the church in Jerusalem, He returned to Philippi, and the Philippians joyfully gave above and beyond to his cause.

When Paul was later imprisoned in Caesarea, the Philippians had tried to send him aid.

Unfortunately, all attempts had failed.

But later, when Paul was imprisoned in Rome, The Philippians eagerly sent him gifts to comfort him in his affliction.

And it's actually Paul's reception of these gifts during his Roman imprisonment that occasioned his letter to the Philippians that we read this evening.