Philippians 1:12-30

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Let me invite you to turn in your Bibles to the first Chapter of the book of Philippians.

We’re going to be taking our leave from the study of Luke’s Gospel for a couple of weeks.

This is, in no small part, due to the recent loss of our dear sister, Dolores.

Events like this — like her passing...

Painful events...

Events that are heavy with suffering and sorrow...

…are often used by the grace of God, to:

Jar us awake!

So often, He uses them to...

...Force us to come to terms with the eternal realities...

…that have been:

Eclipsed...

Rendered invisible...

...by the “rat race” of this present life.

So often, God will graciously use these painful afflictions...

To sober us up

To re-calibrate the direction of our lives.

-And I believe that the text that’s before us this morning...

…is able to help us to do that.

Within it we see something of a:

Philosophy...

Manifesto...

...concerning the nature and purpose of the Christian life.

It will be to our great benefit...

… to do business with it this morning.

We’re going to begin reading in verse 12

Philippians 1:12–30 (ESV)

12 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. Yes, and I will rejoice,

19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,

20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.

23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,

26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

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Pray

8 minutes

Verse 12:

-It’s important for us to remember...

…that as Paul was writing this letter...

...he was being unjustly imprisoned:

by the Roman Government...

...at the request of the leaders of his own Nation!

-For most of us (myself included) we would tend toward...

…seeing in these events, either:

Personal failure...

An indication of God’s displeasure toward us.....

...Or, at the very least:

A measure of defeat for the purposes of God’s Kingdom.

Now Brethren, if this is true...

...then we ought to consider the apostle Paul...

…to be a complete failure!

-In his second letter to the church at Corinth...

...he listed out some of the hardships that he had endured...

…as an apostle of Christ.

He told them of:

2 Corinthians 11:23–27 (ESV)

23 ...more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.

24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;

26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;

27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

This doesn’t sound like the blessing of God, does it?

-But brethren, Paul’s Lord was doing something glorious...

…through all that suffering!

(3 minutes, 11 total)

And we see an example of that in verse 12:

Philippians 1:12 (ESV)

12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,

He tells them how it did so, in the next verse:

Philippians 1:13 (ESV)

13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

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You see how it worked?

Here’s this (essentially) political prisoner...

…who hasn’t really been charged with anything...

…but the whole land of Palestine is in an uproar over him!

So people start to inquire.

Who is he?

Why is he here?

Jesus of Nazareth?

Who’s that?

Why would this man risk so much for him?

And thus, the gospel is proclaimed!

-Oh brethren, it’s critical that we understand...

…that so often, this is God’s strategy for advancing the gospel.

The modern missions movement is a beautiful thing!

But it is just that: “Modern”

One of the primary ways that the:

Church...

Message of the Cross...

…has advanced in the world...

…has been through hardship, suffering, and persecution.

And not only can we see that in church history...

The NT shows it to be the pattern as well.

Consider, for instance:

Acts 8:1 (ESV)

1...And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria...

Sounds like a defeat, doesn’t it?

No more unified front for advancement!

Look what God was doing:

Acts 11:19–21 (ESV)

19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

This is the primary way that the Church would grow for the next 300 years!

Within 150 years, the purposes and power of God...

…would so come to be acknowledged in the afflictions of his people...

…That Tertullian would write:

"The oftener we are mown down by you, the more in number we grow; the blood of Christians is seed." --- Tertullian (circa 160-225)

There’s something supernatural to this!

The more they fight to suppress...

…the more we GROW!

-We see this principle borne out in our text as well.

Look at the effect that Paul’s imprisonment...

...had on the Church in verse 14.

Philippians 1:14 (ESV)

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.

Do you see what’s happening, here?

They’re realizing:

That what appeared to be a defeat:

Was actually the (God-ordained) means of victory!

That the earthly enemies of our Lord...

…simply CANNOT defeat Him!

In the end:

Their victory is certain

Their defeat is impossible...

…BECAUSE of the surpassing wisdom and power...

…of the King whom they serve!

(6 minutes, 17 total)

-Now, in the next few verses...

…Paul mentions a hardship that appears to be...

…coming from another direction.

From (what was supposed to be) from WITHIN!

He wrote:

Philippians 1:15–17 (ESV)

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.

Aren’t these usually the most painful afflictions?

Afflictions that come from those that you assumed would bring comfort?

-We can learn a lot about how we should respond...

…by how Paul responds.

He says:

Philippians 1:18 (ESV)

18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice...

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Notice that Paul isn’t primarily concerned with:

His own fame/notoriety/good name

His legacy

The success of “his” ministry

His concern is for the exaltation of:

Christ’s Name

Christ’s Kingdom!

If that is happening...

...despite the attendant hardships...

…Paul says that he is going to rejoice!

And so should we!

(3 minutes, 20 total)

Now, the verses that follow...

...bring us to something of a:

manifesto for the Christian life

Beginning at the end of verse 18, Paul says:

Philippians 1:18–20 (ESV)

18...Yes, and I will rejoice,

19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,

20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

You see, this is the truth that (in any circumstance)...

…is able to provide us with both:

Exhortation

Hope!

The truth that:

Romans 14:7–8 (ESV)

7...none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.

8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

This is the “Philosophy of the Christian Life”

Paul summarizes it more succinctly in verse 21.

Philippians 1:21 (ESV)

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

The Christian Standard Bible brings out the essence of the original:

Philippians 1:21 (HCSB)

21 For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

Within this one sentence, we have both:

A piercing philosophy of life

A comforting theology of death.

The philosophy of life can be summarized like this:

Philippians 3:7–11 (ESV)

7 ...whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

This is the thinking that should undergird our lives.

And THIS is the theology that should inform...

...the way we think about our deaths:

2 Corinthians 4:16–5:10 (ESV)

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

18...the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,

7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.

8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

Again, this same truth is illustrated clearly in our text.

Philippians 1:22–24 (ESV)

22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.

23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

So, what does he “choose?”

...What he thinks will bring the most glory to his Lord!

Philippians 1:25–26 (ESV)

25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,

26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus...

Then he concludes with this:

Philippians 1:27 (ESV)

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ...

And he tells them what that worthy manner of life looks like:

Philippians 1:27–28 (ESV)

27...standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents...

And then he says this...

And it brings everything together:

Philippians 1:29 (ESV)

29 For it has been granted to you...

χαρίζομαι charizŏmai;

to grant as a favor, i.e. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue:—deliver, (frankly) forgive, (freely) give, grant. --- Strong's

What has been “graciously given” to the believer?

2 Things:

Philippians 1:29 (ESV)

29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake..

I want to read you a quote that I think will inspire you to:

Live...

Suffer...

Faithfully...

...”for the sake of Christ!”

"In A.D. 30, 120 people, ordinary people . . . sat in an upper room praying.

Less than three centuries later 10% (5 Million) of the population of the Roman Empire (50 Million) would confess to be their spiritual descendants and a catechumen of their beliefs would sit on its throne.

(This would happen despite the fact that for much of that period Christianity would be illegal and carry the death sentence for conviction of it.)

Thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousands would experience the ferocity of the Roman beast.

Then, he observes that the growth during these dark days was...

. . . certainly superior to the numbers which poured into the church after Constantine's conversion.

Starting with the 120 of the day of Pentecost, the church had to double in size every 20 years or less to have five million adherents by 300 A.D." -- Sam Waldron

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Brethren, you serve a triumphant King!

A King who...

...(regardless of how it may look in a moment of time)...

…has never, and will never........ suffer defeat.

-If He is the “aim” of your life...

-If His glory is the what motivates you...

-If serving Him and His people is what brings you ultimate:

purpose

fulfillment...

Then you. simply. CAN. NOT. LOOSE.

Because, for you:

Philippians 1:21 (ESV)

21 ...to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Will you commit your life...

Wholly ...

Entirely...

Without reservation...

…To the pursuit of His glory?

…To the purposes of His Kingdom?

If not, what WILL you live for?

Money?

Power?

Fame?

Pleasure?

My friends, these make terrible masters.

They too demand your whole allegiance...

But they NEVER deliver on their promises in the end.

Christ does!

History has already borne that out.

And Scripture assures us that the future is as certain as the past.

I implore you to commit your lives to His service, today… and every day that follows.

Romans 11:36 (ESV)

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Let’s Pray

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