141019 Rejoicing in the Gospel

Philippians 1:12-18 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, ¹³ so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. ¹⁴ And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

¹⁵ Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. ¹⁶ The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁷ The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. ¹⁸ What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Paul wants to confirm that his imprisonment serves a positive purpose. Too often we see difficult things as always bad. The truth is many difficult things come into our life for a good purpose. We forget too easily that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Paul has come to a very difficult time in his life. He had been warned that if he went to Jerusalem nothing but imprisonment and afflictions awaited him. He went anyway, because he was constrained by the Spirit to do so (Acts 20:22-23). Looking back on those experiences from his imprisonment in Rome he could see that these things had served to advance the gospel. In fact…

His imprisonment was for Christ. When Jesus spoke of the days that lay ahead for the disciples part of his warning prophecy involved imprisonment, and what would result from it. Turn with me to Luke 21:10-19. Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. ¹² But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. ¹³ This will be your opportunity to bear witness. ¹⁴ Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, ¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. ¹⁶ You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. ¹⁷ You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ By your endurance you will gain your lives.

In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians part of his defense was that he had experienced far more imprisonments than the marshmallow ministers who had followed in his steps and were drawing people away from the churches he had established. (2 Corinthians 11:22-29)

Today the same kinds of things are still going on. Once I was approached by a pastor who had come to a church of a different denomination. He told that he was glad to see me there because he could grow his church by taking the people we had led to Christ and lead them on to his brand. I don’t want to be divisive so I won’t name the denomination. Suffice it to say, so far as I know, none of our people were ever drawn into his circle.

Paul’s imprisonment encouraged others to preach the gospel even if they were off base in part of their theology. In fact, Paul learned over the years to present the gospel a number of different ways. He said that though he was free from all, he made himself a servant to all, that he might win more of them. He said, “I have become all things to all people that by all means I might save some.” He was willing to have such an attitude for the sake of the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

It was very important considering the variety of people Paul ministered to. In fact,…

The gospel went to the very top. Paul always turned to the Jews first. I suspect it was because they had the word of God. So he preached to the Jews and to the Gentiles. He worked among the poor but also among the powerful. Turn with me to Philippians 4:21-23. Let’s see what he had to say about the makeup of the fellowship in Rome. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. ²² All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household. ²³ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

I have often marveled at this conclusion to the Philippian letter. Paul spoke of the brothers with him without listing them by name. It is possible none of the leading disciples, other than Timothy, were there when he wrote this letter. At the same time, he speaks of those who were with him as “saints”, showing the growth of the fellowship of believers. Then he made the jaw-dropping statement, “especially those of Caesar’s household.” Earlier Paul had named the Imperial guard as being among those who had heard the gospel and who knew that he was imprisoned for the gospel.

Paul rejoiced that the gospel was preached even by those who disagreed with him. Because he knew that from the highest to the lowest the gospel was being preached. And…

Though Paul was bound the gospel was free. Turn with me to 2 Timothy 2:8-13. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, ⁹ for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! ¹⁰ Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. ¹¹ The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; ¹² if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; ¹³ if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

The book of Acts closes with the words, Paul was “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.”

The Apostle was in prison, or at the least under house arrest, — bound with chains! Luke in the book of Acts observed that Paul was teaching with all boldness and without being hindered. Paul himself later wrote to Timothy that he was suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. Then he proclaims, “But the word of God is not bound”. One of the most powerful stories I have ever read about the gospel penetrating darkness is told by Ravi Zacharias. I hope you’re not offended by this true story:

Shortly after Vietnam fell, Hien Phan was imprisoned on accusations of helping the Americans. His jailers tried to indoctrinate him against democratic ideals and the Christian faith. He was forced to read only communist propaganda in French or Vietnamese, and the daily deluge of Marx and Engels began to take its toll. “Maybe,” he thought, “I have been lied to. Maybe God does not exist. Maybe the West has deceived me.” So Hien determined that when he awakened the next day, he would not pray anymore or think of his faith.

The next morning, he was assigned the dreaded chore of cleaning the prison latrines. As he cleaned out a tin can overflowing with toilet paper, his eye caught what seemed to be English printed on one piece of paper. He hurriedly grabbed it, washed it, and after his roommates had retired that night, he retrieved the paper and read the words, “Romans, Chapter 8.” Trembling, he began to read, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. … For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:28,38,39). Hien wept. He knew his Bible, and he knew that there was not a more relevant passage for one on the verge of surrender. He cried out to God, asking forgiveness. This was to have been the first day that he would not pray; evidently God had other plans.

The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be bound even in the darkest prison in the world or the dirtiest place in the prison. Hien Pham was an energetic young Christian. He had worked with the American forces before the war and was miraculously released from his prison and from his country. Today, if he is still alive, he is a businessman in the United States.

Paul observed that the gospel could not be bound and in fact he saw that the effect of trying to bind the gospel produced the exact opposite results. Instead of causing the Christians to go underground in fear…

Paul’s example encouraged boldness. I often think of how brave, and bold, the early Christians were. And then I read part of their prayer found in Acts 4:29-31. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, ³⁰ while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” ³¹ And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Peter and John had been imprisoned overnight because of the miracle of healing done for the man at the Temple gate. Their arrest had caused their fellow believers to go into hiding out of fear. Peter and John did not bring them encouraging words. They told the church that they had been commanded not to teach at all in the name of Jesus. They had answered their captors, “we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Even if it meant prison they must obey God rather than men. Immediately, the church understood that they needed to ask God for boldness. The result of their prayer was that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued speak the word of God with boldness.

Paul’s imprisonment was allowing the gospel to be taken to the very top of the Roman society. The chains on Paul did not hinder the gospel in any way. However…

Even Paul needed prayer for boldness. Turn with me to Ephesians 6:18b-20. Paul has asked them to pray and To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Paul has suffered much for the privilege of preaching the gospel! He had been beaten so many times he couldn’t count. He was often near death as result of these beatings. Once he was stoned and, I believe, actually died and was brought back to life. He was shipwrecked three times and spent one entire night adrift at sea. He suffered many dangers — of course, there were times when he was almost overwhelmed emotionally by the events around him. And so, from his prison cell he would call out to Timothy asking for prayer that he would be bold in proclaiming the gospel. You see…

The important thing — the gospel is preached. Turn with me to 2 Timothy 4:1-5. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³ For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ⁵ As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

In writing to Timothy from the same imprisonment that he had written the Philippian letter from Paul gives instruction. “Preach the word” always be ready to patiently preach a sound gospel. The most important message that can be gotten to the world today is that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. That, though we are all sinners, Jesus came to live among us without any sin of His own so that he could take our sins to the cross and leave them there.

I always try to be sure that I have given the gospel as clearly as possible every time I have the opportunity to speak. Nothing that I say is as important as the words that bring salvation to the person in need.

We live in a world far different from the world of Paul’s day. Today preachers are in churches, on the radio, on TV, on the Internet, and on the street corners. We too should rejoice that the gospel is being preached even when it is not perfect. If God waited for every preacher to be perfect on every point of doctrine before the gospel could be preached there would be little gospel preaching. Every true preacher of the gospel will always tell the truth about Jesus. At the same time there may be peripheral matters that they disagree with others on. The important thing is that all are born in sin and in action have fallen short of God’s glory. All are condemned because the wages of sin is death. God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price for our sins and if we will confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead we will be saved. Have you committed your life to Him? Today can be the day of salvation publicly confess Christ as Lord.

All scripture quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

141005 Sharing in Grace

Philippians 1:3-7  I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶ And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

Paul is thinking of the partnership he has with the Philippian believers. He is sure that God will finish what He has started in their lives. And he rejoices in the Philippians’ involvement with him in the gospel. In the book of Ecclesiastes there is a verse that is often used in regard to marriage. It goes like this: And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. This truth applies to all our endeavors. We need someone to stand beside us in our efforts and then God is the third cord making it not easily broken.

Everything we do should be based on our faith relationship with God. I’m not saying everything should be church related I am saying that everything is spiritual -- no matter how simple it is. This introductory passage to the Philippians is reflected in several other of Paul’s books. He often begins with a prayer that shows his concern for the church he is writing to. We need to remember that our God is concerned about all areas of our life and that…

God is faithful. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 1:4-9. This passage is Paul’s prayer for the Corinthians. Listen while I read. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵ that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— ⁶ even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— ⁷ so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁸ who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. We need to remember that the God we serve will sustain us and care for us. The apostle Paul himself is an illustration of how faithful God is. His own account of what he had gone through in serving Christ is found in 2 Corinthians 11:24-27. He said that he was whipped five times with thirty-nine lashes and beaten with rods on three different occasions. He was shipwrecked three times and lived his life in constant danger. And yet in the midst of it all, knowing that God is faithful, he can say without question that he could do all things through Christ who gives him the strength. He was able to accept poverty or plenty; health or illness; acceptance or rejection; hard labor or rest. He could do all these things because he knew without a doubt that the God who had called him into the fellowship of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, would meet all his needs according to His riches. But what do we do when it seems that we are facing more than we can bear?

Now let’s turn to chapter 10 verse 13.  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

No matter how hard our trials and temptations might be they are not unique to ourselves. All of us face common temptations. They are not necessarily the kind of testing that Paul had gone through they are just day-to-day irritations. Such temptations are sometimes harder to endure than the big challenge to deny the Lord. We are tempted to forget whose we are. We are tempted to trust ourselves rather than God. Remember, God will always provide a way of escape with the temptation. Nothing we encounter is a surprise to our God. He knew it was going to happen and he already had a plan ready for us to escape it. Look for that escape hatch, it will always be there! The God we serve is faithful and he has called us into a fellowship with Himself. Giving us salvation also gives us…

Partners in grace. Turn with me to Ephesians 2:8-10. Grace is the basis of our salvation and the continuing source of our growth in Christ. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Those of you who have listened to me for very long know that this is one of my favorite passages of Scripture. It is God’s grace that saves us through the faith that He gives us. It is all of God and none of us. Our coming to salvation has nothing to do with any works of righteousness on our part! Faith is not something we decide to have — it is a gift of God. And since it is of grace, it is a gift we do not deserve.

When God begins to move in a person’s life He begins to plant seeds of faith. In the beginning they are just tiny simple thoughts, or feelings, that grow into trees of righteousness. Our salvation by grace through faith is part of the evidence that God is faithful.

God not only saves us by grace He puts us into a local fellowship of grace. We are part of a local church filled with people that have been brought to salvation in the same manner. This church is a tiny part of the worldwide fellowship of grace that is the Christian Church. Yes, God is faithful who puts us into a partnership of grace. Paul was grateful to the church at Philippi because they were not only partners in grace they were also his…

Partners in prison. As we look further into the book of Philippians we find a part of Paul’s testimony to their partnership. Turn with me to Philippians 4:14-15 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. ¹⁵ And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.

When Paul left Philippi they continued to provide financial support for him. No other church was so loving and kind. Now that Paul was in prison the Philippians continued to support him financially. They were his partners in prison! There is a need today for many similar partnerships. Across the world we live in there are many Christians who are imprisoned for their faith. Perhaps the most prominent is Pastor Saeed in Iran. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and is now past his second year. He is slowly being beaten to death by his captors. He is suffering from internal bleeding. Recently, he was taken to a hospital that turned him away refusing to treat him. He said that he was taken back to the prison and beaten again. Yet, he is only one of many. All across the Muslim world there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Christians being held in prison, or worse. We cannot know all of them but God does and we need to pray for them.

In Nigeria hundreds of homes have been destroyed by Islamic radicals in an attempt to force Christians out of their area. The list goes on, and on, and on.

We need to be partners in prison and…

Partners in the gospel. Turn with me to Romans 1:11-17. The letter to the Romans was written quite a while before Paul was able to visit there. See what he says to them. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— ¹² that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. ¹⁴ I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. ¹⁵ So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. ¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

When Paul wrote this letter that we are studying he was imprisoned in Rome. It may be that he was in his final imprisonment and that he only left that prison by being beheaded. But we do have a record of Paul’s intentions when he came to Rome. Paul had written to Rome some two or three years before he was taken there in chains. I am sure Paul had planned to travel through there on his way to Spain. His desire was to give them spiritual strength and to encourage them in their faith. He could not have known at that time that he would be arrested and imprisoned. Paul wanted to be sure that everyone in Rome — and across the Roman Empire – would have the opportunity to put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ! He was eager to preach the gospel there! He didn’t realize at the time he wrote the book of Romans that he would be transported to Rome by the government. He could go on God’s journey with the devil paying the bill.

Paul was not ashamed of the gospel! He had found throughout his life that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God for salvation for everyone.

When the Philippian church assisted Paul by sending him financial support they were partnering with him in getting the gospel into the capital city of the Roman Empire.

We should be grateful to God that our church has had the opportunity to share the gospel all over the world through our missions giving. Aside from the money we give to The Baptist Convention New York and the Central New York Baptist Association, we provide monthly support to the Bendlins in Italy, to Zim Kids in Zimbabwe, and at home, to the Maryland Baptist Church as well as Peter Eklund, and his campus ministry in Oneonta. We have also from time to time supported other mission endeavors. Throughout the year we promote Operation Christmas Child which helps to open the door to the gospel around the world.

With the support of the Philippian church Paul was able to maintain himself in Rome. Listen while I read Acts 28:30-31. He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, ³¹ proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

It seems strange to say that Paul was preaching the gospel without hindrance while he was in chains. Yes, he was under physical restraint but part of that condition was that he was chained to a Roman soldier who was part of the household of Caesar. As a Roman citizen Paul had appealed his case to the highest court — Caesar himself! Now, he was an ambassador in chains. Yet at the same time he was able to have visitors who heard him talk about the kingdom of God and teach about the Lord Jesus Christ. All the while a Roman soldier was hearing the old, old story again and again! The result of that was that, when he wrote to the Philippians, part of his closing statement was, “All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.” Those Roman soldiers were coming to faith in Christ while being a part of Caesar’s personal bodyguard.

The Philippian church, located in one of the poorest provinces of the Roman Empire, was able to have a missionary outreach into the throne room of Nero. God is faithful all the time and never lets us face anything that he is not prepared for.

Philippians is a challenge to every individual church. Every church should be a body of believers that recognize continually that God is faithful. Every church should recognize, and teach, that the Bible reveals to us that we have received from Christ grace upon grace. The Christian life is being saved by grace and grown to maturity by grace. Each church should be concerned for those in prison, especially those who are there because of their faith. And, every church should be partnering with many Christian ministries that proclaim the gospel around the world. I pray that the gospel has entered your heart and brought you to salvation and security in Christ.

All scripture quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.