Gospel Motive

Introduction

Well, good morning! If you have your Bibles, and I hope that you do, turn with me to Philippians chapter 1. We’re continuing our walk through Paul’s letter to the church of Philippi…looking at it verse by verse, chapter by chapter. And one of the main theme’s we’ve really pulled out of it is this idea of unity. And so far this is our fourth message in this letter. Up to this point, we’ve looked at our gospel identity, in the first couple of verses…how we’re all saints…those who’ve been regenerated, we’re set apart…we’re holy…We looked at our gospel partnership and how we’re all united in and share in the same experience with the Holy Spirit…we’re committed to the same cause…we’re promised the same suffering in this world…we share in our destiny, right? It’s the gospel that brings us together and it’s the gospel that unites us…and then last week, we looked at this idea of gospel growth and how we’re all promised to grow in love and holiness. We’re all expected to grow spiritually…closer and closer to Jesus…becoming more and more like Him. Paul prayed for the Philippians’ sanctification.

But as we continue this morning, looking at the next section of our text, Paul tells us how we should all be united in our motive. The gospel gives us all, as believers, the same motive in everything we do. If you remember, when we finished up Paul’s prayer last week, his whole idea…his whole point…was for us to have this Christ-centered outlook on everything. Our love is supposed to look like Jesus’s…our holiness is supposed to model Jesus’s…all for what? For His glory! Everything in our lives, according to Paul, should have this Christ-centered mindset. Our eyes should constantly be set on Jesus, right? That’s Paul’s point here. And that outpouring from our lives is what makes it apparent to others that we’re His. And as we jump into these next several verses together, Paul continues with this thought about this Christ-centeredness that should flow out of us…but he focuses on the Christian’s motivation in what it is they do. His point?...When the gospel impacts our hearts, we’re all united around the same motive. It’s what drives us…It’s what keeps us going. It’s why he finally shares about what’s going on with him and why he’s able to find so much joy in his circumstances. He gives us the keys to joy. He shows us how to live in this fallen world with so much joy…no matter what happens.

Several years ago…I traveled to Honduras for my first mission trip. And I’ll never forget that experience. God used that trip to grow me in so many ways…but it was two people that we met there that really impacted me the most. Frank and Nancy…Frank was the pastor at a little church plant in a village just about an hour and half outside of Tegucigalpa. And I remember sitting down with Frank and just listening to some of his experiences. He talked about some of the struggles he and his family had faced…how him and his wife, they felt the call to uproot their family from the city and move to the village…and trust me guys, it’s a huge difference in the quality of life in those two places. He talked about how they struggled financially…how much trouble the Catholic leaders gave them as they tried to reach the people in this village with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He told me that they struggled finding a home for their family…keeping a job to pay for the bills…all because some of these same leaders were trying so hard to keep this family out. He talked about how at first, even his kids were being persecuted in the public school systems. It was heartbreaking…but yet, here they were, pushing forward…doing what they felt God was calling them to do…and listen, they had so much joy.

And as I sat there, and just listened to their story…I thought to myself, surely this man’s faith…surely the work he’s been able to do…surely his ministry’s been fruitful. I mean, I’m sure God’s blessed it. I thought, I bet his church is just booming…But as he kept talking…he said they had 5 consistent members and about 10 others who regularly joined them for worship on Sunday mornings…It wasn’t necessarily what I’d call successful. And what impacted me the most as I just listened to Frank’s testimony was the fact that he and his family, they just showed so much joy…they were just so determined to finish what God started through them. It didn’t matter the struggles they faced…it didn’t matter the circumstances that surrounded them…they just knew God was working and that He was going to use their lives all for His glory…And listen, because of that…because of that motivation…it gave them reason to rejoice.

It’s no different for Paul…no matter what Paul faced, joy just flowed out of his life. And you know, as believers, we’re promised the same kind of suffering when we choose to follow Jesus. We experience situations and circumstances in our lives that seem hopeless sometimes, right? And so many of us have these testimonies where we were obedient to whatever it was God was calling us to…but yet we experienced so much discouragement or so much suffering…or for some, maybe even pain. And in those moments, it’s so hard to have the same kind of outlook as Paul or Frank and Nancy…it’s so hard to keep this joy…it’s hard to rejoice in our misery.

But listen, as we go through our text this morning, Paul’s purpose is to show us how to overcome those feelings…how to find joy in everything we face…it’s really a simple idea to Paul…It’s all about fixing our motives…about approaching things with the right perspective. And so, if you’re there with me this morning…let’s stand together as we read verses 12 through 18.

Paul says this, “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.”

Thank you…you may be seated. As you reflect on our passage, there’s two things I wanna us to really examine this morning…two things that our Christ-centeredness, as we grow in Christ, two things it’ll push us towards…It pushes us towards making the gospel the priority and it pushes us towards producing genuine joy in our lives.

Christ-centeredness makes the gospel the priority (vv. 12-14)

You know, it’s always in those life threating moments that we have, when your life kind of flashes before your eyes, it’s in those moments where we really begin to value the important things in life, right? Maybe it’s family…or friends…or whatever…the most important things are kind of pushed to the forefront of our minds in those moments. The important things become the main things.

And for Paul, as he kind of turns the corner from his prayer for his Philippians friends to an update on his current situation in Roman custody, that’s precisely his message. As Paul writes this letter, chained to a Roman soldier every hour of every day, confined to a living quarters where he even has to pay for rent, his message is that we have to keep the important things the main thing and when we do that…it’ll bring us so much joy. "Remember the important things!" Let your circumstances keep the important things the main things. Now, I’m sure this isn’t the intention that Paul had here but it’s almost as if he’s saying, “Hey! Prison’s great…I wish you were here! Listen, God’s moving…I’m seeing people come to Christ. The gospel’s being preached…I couldn’t ask for more!” That’s kind of the impression we get when we read this section of the text. It’s almost as if Paul’s enjoying his time there…it makes us kind of lose focus on his conditions…on his circumstances…because he just writes with so much joy, right?

But the reality is…that Christ-centeredness that he prayed for in the prior verses, he’s experienced that. He knows what’s it’s like to grow in his relationship with Jesus. He knows what it pushes him towards. And listen guys, his Christ-centered perspective, it’s on full display here in this passage this morning. He’s not whining about his situation. He’s not complaining about what God’s allowing him to experience. In fact, it’s the complete opposite response we see from him. He’s grateful…He’s joyful. It’s really a remarkable thing to read about and I think sometimes we forget…Paul was a real man that experienced real persecution. He’s wasn’t some superhero of the faith that had this unrealistic ability to do things we can’t…no Paul was a murder…he persecuted God’s people…And like so many of us, Paul had an experience with Jesus and it changed his life forever. Jesus changed everything for Paul. And the same Spirit that dwells in Paul is the same Spirit that dwells in us as believers today. The only thing special about Paul, is Jesus. And the only thing special about us, is Jesus…Amen?

Paul’s Christ-centered perspective is what allowed him to face his circumstances with so much joy. His perspective is what gave him the right motive in everything he faced. The reality is, he rejoiced because the gospel was advancing…because Christ was being proclaimed. That was the most important thing for him and because of that…it was the main thing for Paul. In all of the New Testament, this passage is one of the most relevant pieces of Scripture we have on maintaining joy.

So many of you have experienced that when we do what Jesus is calling us to, those experiences, they oftentimes drain the joy out of us, right? It’s why I have such a heart for youth pastors…it’s why I meet with youth pastors every month from around the nation…because those, sincere gospel preaching youth pastors are facing some the same frustrations and discouragement. It’s hard to preach and teach the gospel week in and week out and see so little fruit…all while the world seems to be winning on so many fronts. And this isn’t true of just youth pastors but all pastors from around the world…it’s said, that pastors think about quitting every single Monday morning. The current statistic is that 1,700 pastors fall out of ministry every month. The pastor burnout rate is off the charts…it’s unreal. And listen, this isn’t just true of pastors but anyone that’s obedient to the Great Commission. Advancing the gospel’s hard. It’s frustrating…it’s discouraging sometimes.

And listen, Paul knew this. He knew these difficulties intimately and yet in the midst of even his own discouragement he writes, “I rejoice…you should rejoice.” Listen, he shows us that the keys to maintaining joy is simple…stay focused on Jesus. Make the gospel the focus of your life. Which is our first point this morning.

When we’re growing in our relationship with Jesus…which is what he prayed for last week…When we’re growing in Christ-centeredness…it’ll make the gospel the priority in our lives. It’s the litmus test of Christianity. Do you care about the gospel above all other things?

Listen, I love Paul’s approach here in his letter. Instead of going through all the details of his life in prison…he takes a divine perspective on the whole situation. Instead of dwelling on his own miseries, Paul reminds the Philippians that God’s mission is still being accomplished and that people are being positively impacted by his imprisonment…and because of all of that, Christians, brothers and sisters in the faith…they’re emboldened in sharing the gospel. His words here, they highlight just how much he treasures the gospel and how that motive maintains joy.

Look back at verse 12 with me. Paul kind of starts with a broad statement here about how God’s working, right? He says, “what has happened to me”…And listen, what he could be talking about is literally everything that’s happened to him in coming to Rome from Jerusalem. It would include a riot…a two year imprisonment in Caesarea, an appeal to Caesar, a threat on his life…a shipwreck on the way to Rome…of course, his house arrest with restricted freedom…his upcoming trial. I mean this guy’s been through a lot, right? And whether he was talking about all these things or just his present situation, one thing was clear…it all served to “advance” the gospel. That’s what he says at the end of verse 12.

And listen, the Greek term for “advance,” it was used to explain the blazing of a trail before an army…or progressing wisdom…or the progress of a young minister. And Paul used this word because when he sat back and when he surveyed everything going on…he saw that the good news was making its way into all these new territories. The whole point of his house arrest…the whole point of his being chained to a Roman soldier constantly was, it was to quiet him down, right?….but instead they gave him a captive audience. They gave him a group of people to share with that he might not have otherwise been able to reach. And not only were these Roman guards hearing the good news, but because of Paul’s presence there in Rome, others were being impacted by his witness. This was the providence of God at work.

And instead of doing what he wanted to do…instead of going to Spain and having the freedom he lacked in this situation, God took the most powerful Christian missionary to walk the face of the earth and He put him in prison. Why? Because according to Paul here, it was through his imprisonment that God was making the gospel known in Rome. The reality is…we just never really know how God might use our suffering to advance the gospel.

And listen, Paul’s point here, it’s that when we grow in our relationship with Jesus and when the gospel becomes the priority…we’re constantly reminded that we serve a sovereign God and He is…not maybe…but He is using our circumstances to advance the gospel. And because of that, we should view every one of our circumstances as opportunities to make the gospel known.

Listen, I’ll never forget years ago I was offered this huge promotion at work…and it was right around the same time I felt called to ministry. Now, I was still working fulltime early on in my ministry and this promotion, it wouldn’t really have impacted my bi-vocation ministry but for whatever reason, God told me “No!” He made it explicitly clear that He didn’t want me taking that position…And so, I turned it down. And listen, this promotion, it was a big deal…people in my field never made it this far…no matter how long they were in this career. And especially people my age…they just weren’t given this opportunity. And here I was…going to my boss and telling him “No!” And I remember sitting there telling my boss “No,” and God pushed it even further…I felt this need to tell him why…And so, I proceeded to tell my boss, “No, because God told me No!” He thought I was crazy…I was the laughing stock at work, it was awful. Everyone picked on me…But listen, about a year later…I was getting ready to step into the shower…it was like 10 o’clock at night…and I get a call from a guy that worked in our corporate office in Florida. And listen, I started to not pick the phone up but something just told me I needed to…Anyways, I pick it up and it’s a guy that I wasn’t super close to…I knew him, we had talked a couple of times…but that was the extent of our relationship…but basically he said, “Steven, I just wanted you to know that you impacted me. I heard what you did in turning down the job and it caused me to question a lot of things. It drove me to a church, where I heard the gospel…Jesus changed me.” He said, “I just wanted you to know I’m quitting Beall’s and I’m entering ministry fulltime and your story’s what was used to impact me the most.”

Guys, sometimes our trials, they serve to accomplish God’s mission of advancing the gospel…just like what Paul’s writing about here…But we miss it, we miss the fruits of it when our motive’s all messed up. The gospel has to be our priority. Paul says that his chains, his imprisonment, his suffering…all of it have caused the gospel to advance, to move forward. And by the gospel, just so we’re all clear here, he means the message of Jesus, he means the good news of Jesus Christ, he’s talking about Christ being proclaimed in His death, His burial, His resurrection. And as we read on, the emphasis on proclaiming Christ or preaching Christ it’s all over the place. We see it in verse 15, in 17, and 18. That has to be our priority.

And so, is God’s mission advancing in Cambridge Springs? Then, we have reason to rejoice. But what about the next verse…Paul says, “it’s become known throughout the imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” The Greek word used here to talk about his imprisonment is desmous (des-mon)…which literally translates into “a prisoner of Christ.” Paul wasn’t just saying that he was imprisoned for being a believer…he was saying that he was a prisoner because Christ deemed it so. It was Christ that put him there all so that people could hear the good news. And so, the next question we should be asking ourselves about our circumstances is, “Are people hearing the gospel?” Because ultimately, that’s what Christ deems for our lives.

Listen, as Paul lived there in Rome and as he taught there, these Roman guards were hearing the good news. There would’ve been about 9,000 of them there in Rome and Paul’s message apparently impacted a large number of them. He says, “it became known ‘throughout’ the imperial guard,” right? And as we study these first several verses in his letter to the church of Philippi…it’s clear that Paul was consumed by the gospel. He put the gospel first in his affections and in his priorities. And that’s the lesson he’s trying to get across to these Philippians. “Put the gospel first…put it first in your relationships with other people…put it first in your circumstances…put it first in your love for your neighbors. Talk about the good news of Jesus’s death, and resurrection…talk about His return…and do it all the time!” That’s Paul’s message. Approach everything with the right motive. Is God’s mission being accomplished…are people hearing the gospel?

But I love this next point he makes in verse 14…If you really wanna evaluate the culture you’ve built around you…if you really wanna know if it’s God honoring…then ask yourself, “Are people talking about the gospel because of what I’ve done.” I mean, isn’t that what he says there? He says, “People are bold now…they’re confident to speak about the gospel…all because they’ve seen what’s happened to me.” Paul’s chains became the source of courage to others.

Church, do people talk about the gospel because of your witness? Do they see our selflessness in our circumstances? Do they see the priority we place in the gospel? We lift Paul up on a pedestal as this great man of God but what made him great was Jesus transforming his life and Paul allowing the Spirit of God to fix his motives…his priorities…and guys, that’s normal in every Christian conversion that’s taken place. Is the gospel your priority?

2.) Christ-centeredness produces genuine joy (vv. 15-18)

Because if it is, that Christ-centeredness, it’ll produce a joy that you’ll never lose…no matter the circumstances.

Listen, as we come to verse 15…we really begin to see the problem that Paul was seeing in the Roman church…and why it was so important that he was there. The church in Rome was divided into two different camps…those that supported Paul…and then those that opposed him. That’s what he’s talking about here when he shifts from his situation to these different motives that these different groups are demonstrating. And listen, these two groups of people…they looked at Paul’s circumstances very differently.

On one side, there were those that were emboldened and encouraged by Paul’s circumstances. Seeing his joy in his own trials, it caused them to go out and proclaim the gospel fearlessly without worry of consequence. But on the other side was those that became so bold as to try and anger the emperor. They preached the gospel in Rome only to increase his anger to cause more persecution on Paul and the other Christians. They were preaching so that the consequences would fall all on Paul’s head.

So one side was preaching Christ because they genuinely had been impacted by the gospel and was encouraged by Paul and his circumstances…while the other side only preached Christ to bring more harm on Paul. They wanted his destruction and they were willing to do anything to make that happen. That’s who Paul’s talking about when he says they “preached Christ from envy and rivalry.” They envied his reputation…they constantly wished for his death…they were his rivals. They were using his reputation as leverage. They wished to honor themselves or as Paul puts it, they did it “out of self-ambition.” They did these things unlike the others who preached from goodwill…who did this without hypocrisy…unlike those who did it because they truly wanted to see Jesus’s love advanced.

And listen, how’s Paul respond to those on the other side? What’s he says? Look at verse 18…he talks about these two sides and then he says, “18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” Paul didn’t play their game…No, instead he just applauds them…he celebrates their efforts…he rejoices in their success. Paul didn’t really care who got credit or who got the converts. He didn’t view the Great Commission as a contest or some game to be played…it was serious for Paul. He only cared that “Christ was proclaimed,” right? That was his motivation.

And guys, that presents a question to us today…are we tempted to promote ourselves in the things we do? Remember, Paul said there was some who preached Christ, but they did it out rivalry….they did it with self-ambition…they did it to accomplish their own agendas, to make their name great. They wanted to be recognized…they wanted to be made much by others. They served Jesus…but they did it out of this warped motivation.

And guys listen, here’s the sad reality…that happens a lot in today’s church. I’ve seen in among preachers where their goal in preaching Christ is just to make a name for themselves…or to make their churches into mega churches. Those are selfish ambitions…those aren’t Christ-centered motives. I mean, I’ve literally seen preachers come to other church events just to poach members…Now I wanna be clear, I’ve not seen that in Cambridge…God’s blessed us with some godly preachers in this area…but guys, I’ve seen it in my ministry…it happens and how sad it is to compete with others who are on the same team. How sad it is when we serve with selfish ambition all while the heart of our message is about a Savior who emptied Himself for sinners.

Guys, Paul’s heart here’s a reminder that we have to constantly check our motives in everything we do. Our priority in everything should be the gospel…and our motive should be Christ proclaimed…That’s what we’re all unified around as Christians. Do you wanna have a joy that’s maintained no matter the circumstances? Then check your motives. Avoid making things about yourself and start caring about the glory of Jesus more than your own. Make it your ambition to make Christ known, not yourself…in all the places He’s placed you in. That’s your goal as a believer. That’s why He rescued you from yourself. That’s why He brought you to Himself. When we make everything about Him and Him alone…nothing can rattle us…nothing can rob us of our joy. That’s Paul’s point here.

And listen, maybe you’re sitting there thinking, “Pastor Steven, I don’t struggle with this…I make everything about Jesus.” Let’s just take a self-examination…Does it bother you at all when others are praised? Does it bother you when you see someone at work promoted when maybe you’re the one that deserved that? Does it bother you when someone’s recognized more for the things they’ve done? What about this…what if someone tears you down all with the purposes of building themselves up? That’s happens all the time, right? Does that bother you? I mean that’s what was happening with Paul…And despite the fact that people were using Paul’s imprisonment as a way to tear him down, Paul humbly said, “Christ is proclaimed…and for this I rejoice.” Guys, the way we overcome jealously…the way we overcome envy for others…it’s to care more about Jesus…It’s to care more about His glory over our own. Let the glory of Christ be your chief concern. That’s the keys to joy.

Which leads us into Paul’s last and main point here, do we rejoice in Christ and Christ alone? Do we rejoice in Him being proclaimed? He says, “Christ is proclaimed…and for that…or in that…I rejoice!” That’s Paul’s whole purpose in life. That’s why he says in Acts 20:24…, “24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” According to Paul…his purpose…his goal was to testify to the gospel of the grace of God…And listen, Paul didn’t write Acts, Luke did. Even Luke saw Paul’s life and understood the chief motive of Paul…it was all for Jesus’s glory.

Closing

Guys, are you able to maintain joy in every circumstance of your life? No matter what happens? Are you able to find joy? Guys, suffering happens to all of us…as Christians…everyone of us will go through valleys…and listen, if you haven’t yet…let me give you a promise this morning, you will! And if you’re just getting out of one…get prepared because you’ll find yourself in another soon enough…That’s part of being in this world. It’s fallen…this isn’t our home. But listen, can you maintain your joy in those situations? Paul says it’s easy…keep your eyes set on Jesus. He says check your motives…Do you make everything about Jesus? Are you growing more and more like Him…like he prayed last week? Because when we are…when we’re growing in that Christ-centeredness…it’ll make the gospel the priority in our lives…it’ll cause us to filter everything through those lens and because that becomes our motive…it’ll produce a genuine joy. Guys, that’s the result of our spiritual maturity…that’s the result of our growth in Christ…gospel priority and genuine joy. That’s the result of making Jesus King and Lord over everything. And so, the real question you should be asking yourself as we go through this text this morning…are you really experiencing genuine joy?

Every head bowed and every eye closed.

Guys, ask yourself that question as you kind of meditate on those verses. Think about whatever’s going on in your life right now…are you joyful because you trust in God and what He’s doing? Are you joyful because He’s using you to advance His kingdom? Listen, whatever the answer to that question is…it really says a lot about who you are in Christ. Maybe there’s something you need to let go of…maybe there’s something you need to lay at the feet of Jesus. Guys, if you wanna experience real joy…quit trying to fix your own problems…quit trying to find solutions and just let God work in your life. Focus on Him…focus on how He’s using your circumstances to further the gospel. Make that the priority of your life and I promise everything else will sort itself out…you’ll experience real joy. Church, let it go this morning…whatever it is…and follow Jesus.

And listen, maybe you’re here this morning, and you have no idea what I’m talking about. This crazy guys been talking for 30 minutes about prioritizing the gospel…what’s the gospel? Listen, the gospel’s the good news of Jesus Christ. It speaks about Jesus’s life, and His death, His resurrection from the dead. He speaks about how He died on a cross all so that He could experience the punishment and wrath that was meant for you and me. Jesus…the Son of God…God in the flesh…became man all so that He could save us from the pain of death and sin. You see, according to Scripture…we all fall short of the glory of God…none of us are righteous…all of us deserve death and punishment because we’ve all sinned against a righteous and holy God. We’ve all lied and cheated and stole…we’ve all rebelled against our Creator and because of that…because God is the definition of goodness…we deserve to be separated from Him for all eternity. But in His great love for us, He sent His Son, Jesus to be the substitute…He took our place…and it’s through Him, we can be forgiven and it’s through Him we can experience salvation. And listen, if that’s you this morning, there’s good news…the Bible says you don’t have to do anything special to receive that grace and mercy…it says all you have to do is repent and believe. Turn from yourself and turn to Jesus…ask Him to forgive you…and simply believe in your heart that He is exactly who He says He is.

Listen, if that’s you today…maybe even now, the Spirit of God’s just tugging on your heart. Give into that…let go…give it to Jesus…let Him change everything about you. Let Him give you a new heart and a new mind…Let Him give you eternity. Make Him the Lord and Savior of your life. Listen, if that’s you this morning would you just repeat after me…these words have no power but it’ll help you turn to Jesus…would you repeat after me.

"Lord Jesus...I believe you are who you say you are....I believe you came into this world and I believe you lived a perfect and sinless life...I believe you went to a cross and wore the weight of my sin....I believe you experienced the punishment met for me...I confess to you now that I am sinful and wicked....I am in need of grace and mercy and forgiveness...Jesus come into my life and fill me with your Spirit....Help me live in your ways and grow me to be more and more like you....We pray this in Jesus's name...Amen!"

Listen, I have no idea how God’s working in your heart right now but would you just seek Him today? Maybe you need to get up from where you’re at and just come down to these steps. Listen, give it to Jesus this morning…make everything about Him.

Let’s pray together.