Great Teams Have Great Fans

“Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved” (Philippians 4:1).

Great teams have great fans. Some cheering sections even have their own nicknames. The Cleveland Browns have the Dog Pound. At Texas A&M football games, there’s the tradition of the 12th Man. The Cameron Crazies are a big reason Duke is almost impossible to beat at home. These great fans know there are crucial times in each game. They get even louder in order to inspire their team at just the right moment. A crucial basket. A goal line stand. How about having the Apostle Paul as your number one fan?!?! He may be behind bars in Rome, but he knows it’s crunch time in Philippi. He cheers his friends on to stay rock solid in the trust of Jesus. Now is not the time to waver. You see, great teams have great fans. 

In the previous chapter, Paul confesses the horrible mistake he made of devoting his life to building up his own religious resume in order to impress God (Phil 3:4-6). But once Jesus literally knocked him off his high horse outside of Damascus (Acts 9:1-9), the man from Tarsus realized everything he had worked so hard to obtain was nothing more than a big steaming pile compared to a relationship with the resurrected Christ (Phil 3:7-8). By the way, if you turn your nose up at the comparison of good works with a mound of fecal matter, take it up with Paul. The apostle makes it his life goal to know Jesus more deeply and intimately as he trusts in who He is and what He’s done that we could never do for ourselves (Phil 3:9-16). He pleads with this little church back in Macedonia to be great citizens of God’s kingdom and wait expectantly for our Savior to make His magnificent return (Phil 3:2-21). Now is NOT the time to throw in the towel. Now is NOT the time to give up. 

We pick things up in chapter four. And that’s actually a bit of a problem. That big number 4 might lead us to believe Paul has something different to say at this point in the letter. But the apostle has nothing to do with all these numbered chapters and verses. Bible translators added all of those over the centuries in order to help us find stuff in God’s Word. Think of them as zip codes and addresses. These numbers help us pin down the exact locations of specific passages. But occasionally we can stub our scriptural toes on verse numbers and chapter breaks. 

Right out of the chute, the apostle uses the word “therefore” (v1). This is the Greek conjunction souto. Schoolhouse Rock asks the musical question, “Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?” (Got that stuck in your head now? You’re welcome.) Well, souto connects what he’s just said with what he’s about to say. Anytime you see the word “therefore,” you need ask what is it there for. The word means for this reason, so that, accordingly, in this way, thus, or as follows. It causes us to look back as we look ahead. And Paul uses it not once, but twice here verse one. He’s hooking up the idea of his pursuit of Jesus while waiting for His spectacular encore with the encouragement that we should all do the same. 

Like a passionate fan, Paul has nicknames for his favorite team. The folks back in Philippi are “my brothers, whom I love and long for, my crown and my joy…my beloved” (v1). He begins by reminding them that every follower of Jesus is a family member. “My brothers” (v1). Don’t make the mistake of thinking the apostle is just talking to the guys. Read this as “brothers and sisters.” The Philippians have a special place in his heart. “Whom I love…my beloved” (v1). Twice he uses the Greek word for someone on the receiving end of agape. This the self-sacrificing love-in-action that Jesus demonstrates to you and me. As a matter of fact, our Heavenly Dad used this very same term of endearment when talking to His one and only Son Jesus (Mt 3:17; 12:18).

From his prison cell in Caesar’s Supermax, Paul thinks about his Philippian friends all the time. He writes how they are “whom…I long for” (v1). He writes a word in the original text (Gr. epipothetos) which describes one yearned for, an affectionately craving, a powerful desire, or pursuit out of love. He expresses the deep pain of separation. It hurts to be cut off from them. Earlier he let them know, “I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:8). Have you ever been separated from a dear friend or loved one and couldn’t get them out of your head? Well, Paul feels your pain. He would do just about anything to hang out with his crew again. 

The apostle calls his friends “my joy” (v1). They are his delight. They make him overwhelmingly happy. Just thinking about them gives him great pleasure. But joy? Really? The dude is in the slammer. But his delight has nothing to do with his circumstances. As a matter of fact, this letter to the Philippians absolutely drips with joy. Fourteen different times, Paul uses a form of the word “joy” or “rejoice” (Phil 1:4, 18, 25; 2:2, 17, 18, 28, 29; 3:1; 4:1, 4, 10). His relationship with Jesus brings the apostle a deep delight that prison can’t take away. And knowing his friends back in Philippi are faithful in following Jesus gives him joy in the joint.

These folks not only put happiness in his heart but a “crown” (v1) on his head. He uses the Greek word (Gr. stephanos) which means wreath, which was the award given to the winner of athletic competition. It’s the prize won as a symbol of honor and victory. Our man Paul sure seems to be a big sports fan. He’s constantly talking about trophies and titles won by athletes in competition (1Cor 9:25). The Philippian church is proof positive that his work to tell the world about Jesus is a success! The church down the road in Thessalonica is also community of believers that exists as proof of this worker’s success (1Th 2:19). This crown of Philippian believers came as a result of Paul throwing everything else aside in order to know Jesus (Phil 3:7-11).

Like a fan urging on his team, the apostle cheers them to “stand firm thus in the Lord” (v1). He actually drops a military term (Gr. steko) describing a soldier who refuses to get knocked back from his position. Think of a goal line stand in football. Picture a basketball team needing a stop. It’s crunch time. The game is on the line. Vince Lombardi liked to say, “When the going gets tough the tough get going!” How ‘bout Jim Valvano’s who said, “Don’t give up! Don’t ever give up!” Over and over, the Apostle Paul encourages fellow believers to hold their ground and not give in (1Cor 16:13; Gal 5:1; 1Th 3:8). Earlier in this same letter, Paul pleads for the Philippians live Gospel-worthy lives because then he “will know that you are standing firm (Gr. steko) in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the Gospel” (Phil 1:27).

We need to hang tough in our trust of Jesus. We need to hang tough in our relationship with Christ. Not the church. Not on the job. Not in the family. Not in reading the Bible. Not in politics. Not in our volunteer work. Not in hobbies. Those things are awesome. But they pale in comparison to our faith in Jesus. Many people like to say “once saved, always saved.” They think that simply because they said a prayer, walked an aisle, or got wet that they’re eternally good to go. Not so fast my friend. The better idea is “IF saved, always saved.” We hang tough when we exhibit the fruit of our faith in our lives. Are we going to stumble? You betcha. Are we going to fall flat on our faces? Count on it. While we don’t save ourselves, Scripture clearly tells us to do everything we can to hang on to Jesus with everything we have. Paul calls us to a life of following Christ because He’s already saved us. We MUST hang tough in Jesus! He certainly won’t let go of you and me. 

Who’s cheering you on? Who gets loud in your life when the game is on the line? Having raving fans is critical to following Christ. Meanwhile, who are you encouraging to hang in there as a Jesus follower? Who needs to hear your voice now that there backs are against the wall? Who are you reminding to be faithful because our Savior is faithful? Let’s be the biggest fans of our brothers and sisters. As Eugene Peterson says in the Message, “My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don’t waver. Stay on track, steady in God” (v1 The Message). Get on your feet and let the team hear you! It’s crunch time. Dig in. Make a stand. Great teams have great fans.