"Because of my Chains"
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[Phl 1:12-18 NIV]
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.
13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.
14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.
16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.
17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.
18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
Illustration - Grandfather didnt waste product.(carpet) Every piece from every job some are great peieces some are cut in weird angles from the last job, majority were not perfect, but they were perfect for a potiential job.
It comforts me that God doesn't waste anything. Every piece - broken, incomplete or whole - in the collections of our lives is made beautiful and significant in His hands. There's nothing that escapes the notice of God. Everything matters to Him. Not only does it matter, but if you are His child, He promises that every part of your life will be used for your good and His glory.
Today may hold hard things—a sick child, a grouchy boss, an unforgiving friend. Or it may hold beautiful things—a new love, a chat with a neighbor, an affectionate pet. Either way, God doesn’t waste, and normally he uses things we wouldn’t use or things we think that are unusable.
With God there is no such thing as unprofitable , unworkable , unusable.
When the truth is we are all fortunate through somebody else misfortune. God leaves nothing to waste. Relationships , Trails , Storms , Failures. He uses it all for a reason. Here it’s for the reason of advancing the Gospel and His Glory.
Paul is writing to some close friends, some fellow believers in Phillipi. Some who were converted through the preach of the Gospel. Can I tell you how it went down??? Its a good , how it all came full circle.
Paul 1st visit to Phillipi was on a sabbath day and they were looking for a house of prayer. CHurch… Luke lets us know that there were no church to be found. Nothing was established. The women will get happy on this one..... This is where Lydia is introduced to us a God fearing woman who was also a entrepreneur... she was converted and made sure her whole house was baptized.
She also convinced Paul and his companions to stay. Thats where things started to turn… There was another girl who was possessed and a fortune teller. Paul rebuked that spirit out of her and those who were making money off of that was upset.
Paul and Silas and dragged them before the magistrates under the charges that these Jews are (1) throwing “our” city into an uproar by (2) advocating customs unlawful for Romans to practice. The shame intensifies as the crowd joins in the attack against them (Acts 16:22) as a means of denying any honor due them (Malina and Neyrey, 45). The officials ordered that Paul and Silas be stripped and flogged, and they were then imprisoned in an inner cell, guarded carefully, feet fastened in stocks (see also Paul’s description to the Thessalonian church informing them of this mistreatment—1 Thess. 2:2). But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.
Chains secured Paul and Silas from escape. The weight of iron frequently caused untold sufferings: corroded skin, pain, crippling, and sleeplessness (Rapske, 426). Paul and Silas’s incarceration in Philippi is the worst of the Lukan record—the entire prison population had probably been thrust into the inner cell with Paul and Silas for the night, resulting in their experience of virtually all of the worst things that were associated with overcrowding (426). The daily prison ration of food was often severely restricted in its variety, quality and quantity, which means that Paul and Silas would have experienced dietary neglect.
Lets say according to Roman law, Chains were the lowest of social status. Chains brought shame, Chains brought embrassment, shame made everyone look at your family in disgust. Chains meant you were a failure. Chains meant Humliation.
Paul’s relationship with the Philippian believers from the beginning involved “chains”—a status that carried shame.
But while in Chains in Phillipi, Paul and Silas experience the great escape. There was an earthquake and the chains fell off. Chains where there to show the power of God in Philppi.
few years late Paul writes his letter to the Philippian believers, drawing attention to his “chains” (Phil. 1:12-18)— not as a source of disgrace and cultural stigma but as a means by God to show his purpose and power.
So Paul now in chains in Rome writes to Phillipi rejoicing that God is getting the Glory through my Chains. (God is getting the Glory through my shame)
Can you rejoice in what God is accomplishing at your expense??
what God has accomplished through your tears / pain / illness / brokeness / lowest moments / lay off / divorce / prison stay / you may think that God cant use that, but what is mans trash is Gods treasure.
If God gets allllll the glory what does that leave you with??
Verse 13 As a result of what has happened to me....ITs clear I am in Chains for Christ..
Your Chains Provides New Opportunities (Outwardly) v.13
Contact with Unbelievers -
Connect with Unbelievers -
Compassion for Unbelievers -
"The Power of Chains" "To begin with, these chains gave Paul contact with the lost. He was chained to a Roman soldier twenty-four hours a day! The shifts changed every six hours, which meant Paul could witness to at least four men each day! Imagine yourself as one of those soldiers, chained to a man who prayed “without ceasing,” who was constantly interviewing people about their spiritual condition, and who was repeatedly writing letters to Christians and churches throughout the Empire! It was not long before some of these soldiers put their faith in Christ. Paul was able to get the Gospel into the elite Praetorian Guard, something he could not have done had he been a free man. But the chains gave Paul contact with another group of people: the officials in Caesar’s court. He was in Rome as an official prisoner, and his case was an important one. The Roman government was going to determine the official status of this new “Christian” sect. Was it merely another sect of the Jews? Or was it something new and possibly dangerous? Imagine how pleased Paul must have been knowing that the court officials were forced to study the doctrines of the Christian faith!
Sometimes God has to put “chains” on His people to get them to accomplish a “pioneer advance” that could never happen any other way. Young mothers may feel chained to the home as they care for their children, but God can use those “chains” to reach people with the message of salvation. Susannah Wesley was the mother of nineteen children, before the days of labor-saving devices and disposable diapers! Out of that large family came John and Charles Wesley, whose combined ministries shook the British Isles. At six weeks of age, Fanny Crosby was blinded, but even as a youngster she determined not to be confined by the chains of darkness. In time, she became a mighty force for God through her hymns and Gospel songs.
The secret is this: when you have the single mind, you look on your circumstances as God-given opportunities for the furtherance of the Gospel; and you rejoice at what God is going to do instead of complaining about what God did not do.
Paul’s chains not only gave contact with the lost, but they brought a CONNECTION with Unbelivers.
Chains bring Connection. Nobody can speak to a Present like an Ex. Present Addict like an Former Addict.
Compassion… Brings a compassion for the unbeliever. Thats the proper attitude for the evangelist. It moves me to care for single parent. the young man who life is going the wrong way.
THe church must never lose her sensitivity.
Your Chains Provides a New Outlook (Inwardly) v.14-17
Weak to Witness
Silent to Speak
Many of the believers in Rome took fresh courage when they saw Paul’s faith and determination (Phil. 1:14). They were “much more bold to speak the word without fear.” That word speak does not mean “preach.” Rather, it means “everyday conversation.” No doubt many of the Romans were discussing Paul’s case, because such legal matters were of primary concern to this nation of lawmakers. And the Christians in Rome who were sympathetic to Paul took advantage of this conversation to say a good word for Jesus Christ. Discouragement has a way of spreading, but so does encouragement! Because of Paul’s joyful attitude, the believers in Rome took fresh courage and witnessed boldly for Christ. " (Warren Wiersbe)
trusting comes from "come from peitho a word which means "to persuade." These Christians had been persuaded by the brave and fearless example of Paul in prison, and had come to a state of settled confidence in the Lord."
teven Cole on how our lives "proclaim Christ" - Our walk (especially, our attitude) always has an effect, not only on the lost, but also on the Lord’s people. If we’re cheerfully trusting in the loving sovereignty of God in the midst of trials, as Paul did, we proclaim the reality of faith in Christ both to the lost and to the saved. Lost people will want to know why we’re different, why we don’t complain like everyone else. The Lord’s people who are discouraged will see our faith in God in the midst of trials and be encouraged to trust Him and bear witness for Him. (Sermon)
J Vernon McGee explains "In the early church there were many men who were willing to go out as witnesses for Christ, but after hearing Paul speak, they would say something like this, "Man, I'd like to witness for the Lord, but I can't tell it like Paul tells it." So long as Paul was out preaching the Gospel, others would feel unworthy, not competent or sufficiently trained. They considered Paul so much more effective than they could be. But then one day the word went down the Roman roads to all those centers where churches had been established that Paul was in prison in Rome. In many of those churches men would say, "Look, Paul's in prison. He can't go out anymore. I'll go." As a result many men started to preach the gospel. I am confident that hundreds and maybe even thousands of men hit the Roman roads and moved out from door to door to tell people about Christ." (Ibid)
Why are we cowards when it comes to speaking the gospel? Could it be because there’s a deeper conflict going on? Could it be that speaking the gospel is warfare? I think so (see 2 Cor 4:3-4). Let us pray for great courage as we make the Gospel known to people. Let us think on the affliction of other missionaries and pray for God to grant us boldness in making the gospel known. (Christ-Centered Exposition)
Have courage(present tense = continually)(5111) (tolmao from tólma = courage in turn from tlao = to sustain, support, endure) means to have courage, to be bold, to dare to do something. To be courageous enough to try or to do something. Louw-Nida - "to be so bold as to challenge or defy possible danger or opposition." BDAG says tolmao means "to show boldness or resolution in the face of danger, opposition, or a problem." The meaning "dare" is used mostly in the negative, indicating the sense of "being unwilling to act through moral conviction, fear, or embarrassment." In order to avoid public humiliation, people often "dared not" ask Jesus any more questions.
even to imprisonment as a criminal (that) the Word of God (in context the Gospel) is not imprisoned. (2Ti 2:9-note)
The Church has never lost her numbers. Persecutions have winnowed her and driven away the chaff; but not one grain of wheat has been taken away from the heap. Nay, not even in visible fellowship has the Church been decreased by persecution. She is like Israel in Egypt; the more they were afflicted the more they multiplied. Was a bishop put to death to-day? Ten young men came the next morning before the Roman proctor and offered themselves to die, having that very night been baptised for the dead bishop, having made their confession of faith that they might occupy his position. “I fill up the vacancy in the Church, and then die as he did.” Was a woman strangled or tortured publicly? Twenty women appeared the next day and craved to suffer as she suffered, that they might honor Christ. Did the Church of Rome in more modern times burn one of our glorious reformers — John Huss — yet did not Martin Luther come forward as if the ashes of Huss had begotten Luther? When Wycliffe had passed away, did not the very feet of Wycliffe being persecuted help to spread his doctrines, and were there not found hundreds of young men who in every market-town in England read the Lollard’s Scriptures and proclaimed the Lollard’s faith? And so depend upon it, it shall ever be. (Fire! Fire! Fire!)
Your chains will persuade and convince others to come out of there shell and stand boldly. Inspire the weak , and give voice to the silent.
Your Chains Provides a New Opinion (spiritually) v.18
v. 18 But what does it matter???
A selfishly motivated preacher can still be used of God, though not as much as he could be otherwise. What God uses is not so much the preacher as the message The power of the Gospel is more powerful than the package it comes in.
Being proclaimed (present tense = continually) (2605) (kataggello from kata = an intensifier, down + aggelos = messenger and aggello = to declare, report) literally means to "declare down". It means to announce, to make known in public plainly, openly and loudly! It was used of religious messages and conveyed the sense of a solemn proclamation (Acts 4:2)
I rejoice...will rejoice (5463) (chairo a primary verb) (Click word study of related word chara = joy) means to to feel joy or great delight. Note that rejoice is in the present tense indicating Paul was continually rejoicing. Rejoicing is not a natural reaction to suffering circumstances (jail) or when one gets news of petty preachers even seeking to harm you, but is only possible supernaturally. So again we see that although not specifically mentioned in the text, Paul is clearly filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18-note) Who is continually empowering a joyful response in Paul spite of his negative circumstances and critical competition! And to support the conclusion that Paul is a Spirit filled prisoner, Gal 5:22 makes it clear that joy is the fruit of the Spirit. Note also that I rejoice is in the active voice indicating it is a choice of his will to rejoice. Paul was 100% responsible to rejoice, but he was 100% dependent on the Spirit to enable him to rejoice continually (cf 1 Th 5:16-note). 100% and 100% is not good math but it is good theology! Are you really confused now? Let me encourage you to take and moment and read the rationale in the section entitled the "Paradoxical Principle of 100% Dependent and 100% Responsible."
Corrie Ten Boom said it this way "Look around and be distressed. Look inside and be depressed. Look at Jesus (our Joy) and be at rest." Indeed the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to continually "fix (present tense and see word picture of this great verb aphorao) our eyes on Jesus" (Heb 12:2-note), for outside of Him, there is no true JOY (J.O.Y. - "Jesus Others Yourself)!
Wikipedia note on "Blinkers" (Blinders) - Many racehorse trainers believe these keep horses focused on what is in front, encouraging them to pay attention to the race rather than other distractions, such as crowds. Additionally, blinkers are commonly seen on driving horses, to keep them from being distracted or spooked, especially on crowded city streets.
Paul rejoiced in spite of his circumstances, because his circumstances strengthened the fellowship of the Gospel (Phil. 1:1–11), promoted the furtherance of the Gospel (Phil. 1:12–26),
“I will depend on God!
Because of these Chains I’ve learned to look a Christ.
He who is not against us is on our side. - Jesus (Luke 9:50)