Philipians 1:12-30: 4 Attitudes of a Disciple Maker

SLIDE 1 - As I go up

Have you ever had one of those days where nothing seemed to go right? You wake up and your back hurts from how you were sleeping, then on your way to work or school you get in a car accident or you run out of gas. As noon approaches you’re getting hungry and suddenly you realize you forgot your lunch on the counter, so you grab your keys so you can go pick something up only to realize you forgot cash or you have your card declined. No lunch today… Finally You get home and find your AC or the furnace died and your home is unbearably hot or freezing cold…

I’m really hoping none of you are like yeah I had all of that happen last week! That would be terrible, but even if just one or two of these things happens it can be enough to ruin our day can’t it. But as we saw last week Paul was going through not only a bad day - but a bad few years! Arrested for preaching the gospel, followed by two years waiting for trial, shipped off to Rome, shipwrecked en route and stuck on Malta for three months, eventually getting to Rome where he was than again under house arrest for two more years before his final release. If anyone EVER had a reason to complain, to grumble, to ask God “why me?” It was probably Paul! But somehow despite all the persecution Paul stayed true to the mission and as we see in Philippians remained filled with a hope and a joy that others, many of us included, would be jealous of. I think it is safe to say that most of the people who know Paul would have called him an optimist, he always seemed to look for the silver lining. Though it may have helped that Paul would never have been surprised by the persecution he recieved, he knew it was part of the gig of spreading the Gospel - after all less than 20 years before this arrest he was part of the group doing most of that persecution! SLIDE 2

Today we’re going to finish chapter one, and in so doing we will see four attitudes of a disciple maker. Some are these attitudes are seen in Paul, some are seen in the Philippians, and some by those in Rome, but all four are key attitudes we need to learn to adopt for the advancement of the Gospel, our personal spiritual growth, and also for our joy.

The first attitude we need to adopt is seen right off the bat SLIDE 3 in verses 12 through 14

12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is because I am in Christ. 14 Most of the brothers have gained confidence in the Lord from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the word fearlessly.

Paul has wanted to go to Rome for some time for the sake of sharing the Gospel, he even wrote a letter to the churches in Rome about a year before he was arrested setting him on this five year prison journey. Paul probably never planned on making the journey for free with the aid of Rome, however, but as we’ve seen all throughout this series Paul is a master of the travel hack - and why pay for your mission trip when the empire can do it for you?! When Paul was arrested and later shipped off to Rome I doubt many people were excited, the church didn’t gather around him and send him off as a missionary like we do today - but rather they probably mourned the loss of their friend and ally, fearing what may await him. Now we don’t know that for sure, but the tone of verse twelve reads a bit as an admonition, like ‘I know this is a shocker but this has actually been good’

what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel

then we get that purpose clause I introduced us all to last week, so that, a term used to give purpose to the surrounding context - Paul’s imprisonment advanced the Gospel by way of, spreading the truth throughout the entire guard that his crime was being a follower of Christ. And then we learn the first attitude we’re going to see today, an attitude is found in the Christians around Paul as well as can be seen often in himself. SLIDE 4

We need to embrace an attitude of courage! Paul says They

have gained confidence in the Lord!

They

dare to speak the word fearlessly!

Sharing the truth of the Gospel can be scary enough today, but even more so two thousand years ago when getting arrested, beaten, or killed was common place. Place yourself in first century Jerusalem, you’ve seen or heard of the stoning of Christians. Place yourself in first century Galilee, you’ve seen the crosses where Christians have been hung to die. Place yourself in first century Rome where Christians are dropped into gladiatorial combat against trained warriors or hungry beasts. This is not a time or a place for meek messengers. Living as an open follower of Christ isn’t fashionable, it isn’t going to get you in with the cool kids, it takes immense courage. The church in Rome, the church in Philippi, the churches in Galatia, Ephesus, Colossi, all throughout Asia Minor and spreading into southeast Europe needed men and women of courage. Men and women who were confident in the Lord, who would dare to speak truth fearlessly.

The need of a courageous attitude, however, has not decreased in the last two thousand years, while Christianity may have gotten more mainstream in name, in practice it is still quite counter cultural. It takes boldness to tell others about Jesus. It takes boldness to tell others about the reality of sin. It takes courage to tell others about the wages of our sin. But that is what we are called to do as disciple makers - as Christ followers - and that will take boldness, confidence, courage to speak fearlessly. The first attitude we need to adopt is that attitude of courage seen in the early church.

We find the second attitude in Paul’s response to how the Gospel is being taught. SLIDE 5

15 To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of good will. 16 These preach out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; 17 the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking that they will cause me trouble in my imprisonment.

Paul is a strong defender of the Gospel - many of his letters detail how people have been teaching false doctrine, how the truth of Jesus life and ministry has been corrupted and how the church needs to respond. And here we see Paul reference some of this by stating there are two kinds of preachers; there are those who preach out of good will and those who preach out of envy and rivalry. SLIDE 6

If we look at these two types of teachers we see that those who teach out of envy and rivalry do so out of selfish ambition with the apparent goal of causing Paul trouble - while those who preach out of good will do so out of love knowing Paul is defending the Gospel - preserving the truth. Now we don’t know what kind of trouble the selfish preachers were causing - or hoping to cause - but regardless we can tell by words like envy and rivalry these were not the people Paul would call allies or be partnering with to through a town picnic. So how do you think Paul talks about them next? Paul can get fiery at times! Oh man, he can blow them out of the water can’t he! So he goes on in verse 18. SLIDE 7

18 What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice 19 because I know this will lead to my salvation through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

I don’t know about you, and I can’t speak for the first century church in Philippi - but that is not what I would have expected Paul to write! I would have expected him to say something like rebuke those teachers when they arrive! or avoid their envy and band together in unity. I would not have expected

What does it matter?

Like Paul… come on man… what does it matter? It matters that the church is divided - that some are motivated by envy, some are in rivalry with others, in rivalry with You! But Paul is like - meh… rather than focus on their motivation Paul looks at their outcome.

whether from false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed

See these weren’t false teachers, they weren’t preaching lies, they simply viewed Paul as a competitor rather than a partner. And Paul was ok with that, so long as they preached the true Gospel - their motives didn’t have to be true so long as their message was.

Now. does this mean we should embrace our selfish, envious, desires? No. Of course not. We need to read and learn from the Bible as a whole - ALL scripture is God breathed - we can’t take just parts of it seriously or pick and choose just our favorite bits. And as we look at the whole of scripture we see attitudes like envy and selfishness called out as sins to be avoided. So Paul isn’t saying we should or even could embrace an attitude like those teachers, but rather he is saying we should embrace SLIDE 8 an attitude of Missional unity.

Paul doesn’t approve of these teachers methods, but he’s optimistic about their results, at least Christ is being proclaimed and in that he rejoices and will continue to rejoice. Rather than mope that while he is imprisoned others are out growing their ministries, he’s glad for the mission’s success the Gospel’s advance. We don’t know if Paul is glad for them personally, he doesn’t say he’s proud of them, and omissions can speak louder than words… but he will rejoice in that Christ is proclaimed. In the modern era ministry isn’t a million dollar industry for most preachers - it can be for some, but even for them their personal kingdoms often come crashing down in time - there was a great podcast called The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill which detailed how that happened to one celebrity preacher, an attitude of selfishness will often cause our own fall, if we see leaders leading from false motives Paul isn’t saying we should follow them, but he also isn’t telling us to combat them. Again, if we look at the whole of scripture a better method would likely be to seek out and lovingly rebuke and correct them - help them right their course, pursue unity. Again this is assuming their message is true, if they are a false teacher, than an entirely different strategy must be employed. We can’t stoop to the level of envy, we must embrace an attitude of missional unity, one that rejoices in the mission advancing even if or when our local process is slow. We need to rejoice in the Gospel.

The third attitude we see in Paul comes from one of the most popular verses in this chapter, possibly one of the most popular verses in the book, verse 21, but lets look at it in context starting in verse 20. SLIDE 9

20 My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Verse 21 was one of the first verses I memorized while I was working on my undergrad. I was in a Bible study and we were reading and studying Philippians for the semester and the leader challenged us each week to memorize a verse from that week’s material and this was one of the first that I got down. It helps that it is only 11 words, but the deceleration by Paul is amazing.

To live is Christ

If I am to go on living I need to live like Christ lived, I need to live as a model, an example of Christ to others. I need to be dedicated to spreading the truth of Christ to those around me. This is a strong claim, but then the following truth

To die is gain.

Paul didn’t have a death wish - he had a heavenly understanding. On that side of eternity, as we grasp heaven and we see what we have gained it will be so great that we won’t be focusing on what and who we lost. But that heavenly understanding doesn't lead us to neglect our time on earth, but rather, it transforms how we see and use this time, as Paul will show us in the following verses, starting in 22 SLIDE 10

22 Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. 23 I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ—which is far better—24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that, because of my coming to you again, your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound.

We see Paul wrestle with this dilemma - if I stay means more work - now it is fruitful work, but it is work. It is better to leave and be with Christ - bear in mind unlike many of the apostles, Paul didn’t travel with or spend time with Jesus during His ministry - Paul's only recorded physical interaction with Jesus was post cross when Jesus confronted Paul on the road to Damascus, blinding him - and even then we don’t know if Paul saw Jesus form merely the light and then nothing - this promise of seeing and being with Jesus must have been one Paul greatly longed for. But Paul was persuaded, convinced, that the mission has a greater need and thus He knew he would remain and continue in the ministry. But that doesn’t lessen Paul’s attitude, that of SLIDE 11 Expectant Hope.

As we look at this passage we see it begins with this twofold hope - this expectation - that 1) Paul will not be ashamed and that 2) by his courage (our first attitude) Christ will be honored. Verse 21, that common anchor of self sacrifice is the fruit of this attitude - yes there is an attitude there of selflessness - desiring God first - but that is because this seed attitude of expectant hope - hope of honoring God, and being ashamed of nothing! Imagine what our lives would look like if we lived out of this hope. Those things we’re afraid will embarrass us, those things we’re ashamed of, We’re talking good things here - not sinful things - imagine if we lived out of a hope rooted in those things! During World War 2 the British Broadcasting Company asked a Christian to give a series of radio talks about faith out of a hope that it would raise countrywide moral. The Man they asked was C.S. Lewis, and those talks became the foundation of one of his most famous books, Mere Christianity. While describing hope, specifically our eternal hope, C.S Lewis wrote SLIDE 12

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot on the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark one Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. SLIDE 13 It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you'll get the earth "thrown in": aim at earth and you'll get neither.

I love this quote - I love this book - I love this author… He is why our son is named Clive. But this line especially SLIDE 14 Let me reread this bit.

The Apostles themselves, who set on foot on the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark one Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.

This list of men and women could be expanded so greatly, both by those who have been world changers, but also by those who have been ineffective. Lewis’s observations, however great, are not new. Lewis was simply observing the truth of the lives of the early church - Lewis could see this in Paul here - it was because Paul understood how great Heaven was, and how far many are from it, that he was so convinced he had to stay here. We need to adopt this attitude of expectant hope, we need our minds to be occupied with Heaven so that we can be effective on Earth.

The final attitude we will see today comes as we finish up the chapter, verse 27 SLIDE 15

27 Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel, 28 not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God.

First off, I love how 27 verses in after a sermon and a half - and we could have had so many more - we’re getting to Paul’s ‘Just one thing’. But before we get to his one thing - do you recall, if you were here last week, how Paul found his way to Rome? He was arrested and just before being beaten he played the citizen card - “I’m Roman” - he claimed his rights as a citizen for a trial, and then his further rights to be defended before caesar. He learned that after only pulling the citizen card out after his beating in Philippi. But we see here the final attitude Paul wants us to claim SLIDE 16 that of a citizen. But not as citizens of Rome, not as Citizens of Philippi, not as citizens of America, Brazil, or any of the other countries we represent here; citizens of Heaven!

Paul even helps by telling us what it looks like to embrace this attitude. It involves living our life in a manner worthy of Jesus - It means we are living in a way that if Jesus was walking by he’d gladly point you out and be like - that guy is one of mine. It means living in a way that when people hear we’re a Christian they think better of Christians. It means we are not living as hypocrites as sadly many are, but rather we are living up to the truths we are proclaiming. In addition embracing the attitude of a citizen means we are standing firm in the Spirit, we are unmoving, we are holding our ground, and we’re doing it so united, contending together - working together - striving together for the advancement, the faith, of the Gospel, with fellow citizens of Heaven! And in all of this we are not frightened by those who stand against us, those who stand in opposition to Jesus.

And the tag, the promise, at the end of verse 28 is so great - this is a sign; this unity, standing firm, contending together, courage, not being frightened, is a sign of destruction for those who oppose Jesus - but it is salvation to those who follow Him, and this salvation, this unity, this strength comes from God! And that is really important because the chapter ends with one of the worst promises in the history of promises, verse 29 SLIDE 17

29 For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are engaged in the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.

Isn’t that encouraging.... Now our struggles in Northeast Iowa are far removed form those in the Mediterranean Basin two thousand years ago! But they still exist, we may not be stoned to death for sharing the gospel, but we can get fired or ‘cancelled’. We may not be exiled to an island to die, but we may be ignored and shunned by our friends and family. Our suffering will look and feel different - but as we claim these attitudes SLIDE 18.

An Attitude of Courage, An Attitude of Missional Unity, An Attitude of Expectant Hope, and An Attitude of a Citizen of Heaven - we will find victory amidst the struggle, and if the victory isn’t in our court we can rejoice with our brothers and sisters in ministry who are finding that victory. We are part of a global church, citizens of Heaven called to be courageous, united in mission, and expectant in hope.

These attitudes don’t come naturally, we have to work towards them, we have to long after them, we have to strive to embrace them - but we do so with the great help offered by Father through the Spirit as we submit to the Son for the Glory of our triune God!

Now, we need to strive for all of these attitudes - but one is better than none - so which of these can you work towards this week? Which of these attitudes do you need to adopt as you long to love and serve God, and what is a step you can take to do that? I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you an action step - something for each of these attitudes, something you can do to work towards embracing these attitudes. If you want to live on the wild side - pick one now and say, I’m going to do whatever the step is… if you want to play it safe wait until you hear the steps than decide, but I’d challenge each of you to take one of these steps this week. SLIDE 19

For building an attitude of courage - tell someone about Jesus this week, and invite them to church next week. That can be as simple as saying, hey coworker, hey neighbor, hey classmate, hey teammate - can I tell you something cool I learned at church last recently? And tell them about this idea of attitudes. Or share with them that simple cross illustration I shared on Easter. Or tell them about the phases of spiritual growth we looked at a couple of weeks ago. Or ask if you can tell them your personal testimony, how you came to call and trust Jesus as Lord.

For building an attitude of Missional Unity - encourage someone who is doing kingdom ministry. Rejoice with another’s success regardless of if you are seeing or experiencing it yourself. If you support any missionaries send them an email or a text or give them a call - they don’t get encouragement often enough. Bible study leaders, pastors, anyone proclaiming Christ - find a way to rejoice with them!

For building an attitude of Expectant Hope - Spend some time this week and do a short study on Heaven, and take time praying joyfully about the future promise we have waiting for us, then think, how can you live like the people CS Lewis spoke of, the apostles, those who built up the middle ages, the early evangelicals, how can you be a light pointing to Heaven here on earth?

For building an attitude of a Citizen of Heaven - Live a life worthy of the Gospel - but first examine your life now - pray a prayer like David did in Psalm 139

23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.

That’s a scary prayer… but examine your life - ask God to reveal anything and everything you do that isn’t worthy of the Gospel and strive, partner with God and others, to change your ways so you too can live a life like that!

Alright - what are you going to do? I hope you can pick at least one - and I pray you can make this an attitude not just the homework of the week - but an overflow of who you are. Let me pray for you today.