When A Chain Becomes A Tool | Philippians 1:12–21

Opening Remarks:

Last message: The joy of fellowship

Paul sits bound to a Roman guard as he writes this letter

But somehow he still had joy

Why? The two primary truths we’ve seen so far in Philippians are:

Joy is connected to our relationship with Christ, not our circumstances

Joy is enhanced through fellowship with other believers

Paul didn’t have a lot, but he still had the ability to choose to have joy through Christ and the godly friends he had.

Last time we looked at three thoughts about the Joy we have through Fellowship:

#1 - Fellowship means we think of each other often. (3-6)

#2 - Fellowship means we care for each other deeply. (7-8)

#3 - Fellowship means we pray for each other regularly. (v. 9-11)

As a church, fellowship builds on our joy as we regularly care for and pray for each other.

Then Paul moves into the next section of Scripture here, so we’ll begin our reading in Philippians 1:12-21.

READ

Of all the the things we should fellowship around, the most important thing we can do as God’s church is point people to Jesus.

TITLE: When a Chain Becomes A Tool

PRAY

Introduction: Week at camp, hurt ankle, bad tires on rental, everyone got sick

Three ironies:

#1 - A hurt ankle allowed me to see the bad tire

#2 - A hurt ankle prevented me from getting sick

#3 - A hurt ankle helped me get two new tires without having to pay for them

Sometimes, the thing that you view as a disadvantage can actually become an advantage.

You might say it this way: Sometimes a chain becomes a tool.

Paul sits bound to a Roman guard, but he hasn’t forgotten his mission.

Vs. 12 - Rather than letting his situation stop him, he saw it as actually helping him accomplish his mission even more.

Illustration: Forgetting what you’re doing by getting distracted.

Paul viewed it as his life mission to help others hear the message of Christ.

Little ol’ jail time wasn’t going to stop that.

Some time chained to a guard couldn’t deter that.

Not having freedom to go around however he chose couldn’t stop him from it.

I’m afraid we’ve lost this mindset.

It’s easy for us to let just about anything detour us from pointing people to Christ.

“I’m too busy this weekend.”

“The cashier looks too busy to talk to me.”

“I don’t want to knock doors for fear of being yelled at.”

“I can’t give out a tract because I don’t know what to say.”

Those might feel valid, but how about this one: I can’t point people to Jesus because I’m in chains and bound to a prison guard.

You talk about someone committed to his mission.

I. Paul didn’t allow Chains to keep him from pointing to Christ. Vs. 12-14

“The things which happened unto me”

We can all relate. We’ve all had things happen to us.

For Paul it was persecution. Suffering. Shipwrecks. Attempted murder. Stonings.

Yet he says, “But all the ‘things’ have actually opened doors to point people to Christ.

Presently, he sat in chains. But look at his words in Vs. 13.

He says that his chains actually gave him more opportunities to point to Jesus.

How could he say that?

First, Paul’s chains gave him contact with the lost.

He was chained to a Roman soldier twenty-four hours a day.

The shift changed every six hours, which means that Paul could witness to at least four men every day.

Just imagine being one of those Roman soldiers, chained to a dude who prays without ceasing.

Imagine being a Roman soldier and your shift is coming and you know Paul is going to interview you about your spiritual condition the entire six hours.

Imagine being one of those soldiers knowing you’re going to have to hear this chained up convict have someone else transcribe letters of doctrine as he writes them to countless church throughout the Roman Empire.

I wonder if the soldiers thought, “Any assignment but that one!”

But I also wonder how many of them came to Christ because of the Chains.

Chains didn’t the Gospel for Paul.

He wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:9 “Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.”

He said, “The Word of God isn’t hindered just because I’m in chains.”

He viewed the chains as an asset to the Gospel. It put him in contact with the lost that he would have otherwise never known.

Second, Paul’s chains gave him contact with important people.

Paul met officials in Caesar’s court. He was in Rome, the seat of the Roman Empire, the ruling power of the day.

And his case was an important one. The Jews had arrested him in Jerusalem essentially for teaching heresy and trying to get the Jews to turn from their religious heritage. They didn’t like that. They had Paul arrested, conspired to kill him, and caused such grief to the officials that they transferred him to Rome instead.

So the Roman government was going to determine the official status of this new “Christian” religion. They were trying to decide if it was simply an offshoot of the Jewish or something new and dangerous.

Here’s something interesting: In order to make a decision, the court officials had to study the doctrines of the Christian faith. That had to make Paul happy.

Once again we see what we would call chains turning into something that points people to Christ.

So Paul’s chains actually put him in contact with the lost. And they put him in contact with important people.

He viewed chains as something that set the Gospel free.

Third, Paul’s chains gave him courage to inspire other believers.

Vs. 14 - Many of the believers in Rome were encouraged to proclaim the message of Christ by Paul’s example.

If Paul could witness while in prison, surely they could use their freedom to make the gospel known.

They saw his joy and said, “If Paul can have joy, so can I.”

They saw how God took care of Paul and said, “If God can protect Paul in prison, He can protect me.”

They say how God still used Paul and said, “If God can use Paul in prison, He can use me too.”

It’s amazing what one example of boldness can do for the people around it.

Illustration: Mexico missions trip, don’t know language, had soccer balls, watched a friend of mine go up to a group of Mexican boys and start interacting without words, gave me confidence, saw dozens of boys and girls saved

Some would have said the language barrier was a chain, but it was actually an open door to use a soccer ball, which they probably responded better to than if I could have spoken Spanish.

Sometimes we just need an example of boldness to be inspired.

II. Here’s the thing, we’ve all had “things which happened unto us.”

Things that we consider Chains to the Gospel that keep us from being witnesses.

Maybe you have a personal chain:

Not good at speaking to strangers (use that as a chain to bind the Gospel)

Lack self-confidence (becomes a chain that binds the Gospel)

Too busy with work, no time (becomes a chain that binds us from pointing to Christ)

Don’t know what to say (make a lack of knowledge a chain that keep us from pointing to Jesus)

Maybe it’s a health chain:

You don’t have to mobility or strength to get out and talk to folks.

You spend more time going to doctor’s visits than you do in regular life.

Maybe you have a financial chain:

You have to work extra long hours

Your bills are piling up and you have no choice but to get that second job

You want to be a blessing but you’re not sure how

Maybe your chain is a stage of life:

You’re a young mother who feels strapped to your home. I get it, those kiddos need you. But you feel it’s a chain for the Gospel.

You’re a college student barely making ends meet and you think there’s no end in sight. You can’t be as involved in ministry as you’d like. It’s a chain.

Or maybe you’re older and just can’t do what you used to do. You view it as a chain.

We all have what we perceive to be chains, and we tend to view them as hindrances.

But Paul was able to view his Chains as Tools.

Question: Who allowed Paul to be in chains? God did.

Which means that sometimes God allows the Chains in our lives to bind us so that we’re more focused on what’s important.

The truth is, if things were always easy, we’d be less inclined to focus on Jesus and less inclined to point people to Jesus.

We think that freedom and ease is the best life. But the best life is any circumstance that forces us to look to and point to Jesus.

III. Paul saw his Chains as Tools for ministry.

A. The chains helped Paul look past difficult people. (vs. 15-16)

There were those who preached Christ with wrong motives. (v. 15)

That they were filled with “envy” indicates they were jealous of Paul.

They wanted to be the man. They were filled with selfish ambition.

The word “contention” means that they tried to secure people to follow them. (v. 16a)

They were trying to gain a following for themselves under the guise of gaining a following for Christ.

They were using Christ to make themselves look good.

And Paul could have easily focused on what we might perceive as his enemies.

It’s so easy to become focused on people.

We get upset at them. We assume their motives. And rather than focus on what matters, we focus on people.

But these folks weren’t Paul’s enemies. He’s the one that wrote “We wrestle not against flesh and blood.”

He couldn’t do anything about the people that didn’t like while he was in prison.

They were trying to make Paul’s life harder. Look at Vs. 16.

But consider how Paul responded:

He gave his attention to those that cared rather than those that didn’t. (v. 17a)

He gave his attention to the Gospel. (v. 17b)

He basically said, “I’ll let the Lord deal with those folks. I refuse to let all that noise and strife distract me from what matters.”

B. The chains helped Paul view his circumstances with positivity. (vs. 18-19)

Paul said, “If Christ is preached, that’s all I care about.” Paul must have been an eternal optimist.

Some people are so negative about everything.

Every situation is the worst possible.

Every person did them the dirtiest.

Every offense makes them a victim.

Every trial is full of drama.

It can wear you down to be around someone like that.

I love that Paul chose to be positive, even in a tough situation. He focused on what was good.

“Yes, I may be in chains, but I got to meet a new soldier last week and I think he’ll get saved soon.”

“Yes, I’m in chains, but other people are preaching the Gospel and I can be happy about that.”

“I may be in chains, but (like vs. 19 says) that doesn’t keep the supply of God’s Spirit from filling me and giving me joy.”

C. The chains forced Paul to be only focused on Christ. (vs. 20-21)

When you’re in chains, there’s not much you can do.

And you have two options: Feel sorry for yourself, or Focus on Jesus.

Paul focused on Christ.

“My greatest desire is to stand before God ashamed of nothing.”

“I just want to be able to say to my Savior at the Judgment Seat ‘I pointed people to you in every situation no matter what.”

“In life? I pointed to Jesus.”

“In death? I’ll point to Jesus.”

“In prison? Jesus.”

“Freedom? Jesus.”

“So now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

You talk about having the right perspective. Paul says, “Live or die, I want to magnify Jesus Christ.”

To “magnify” means to make great, exalt or glorify.

Wiersbe wrote this, “You might wonder, Does Christ need to be magnified? After all, how can a mere human being ever magnify the Son of God? Well, the stars are much bigger than the telescope, and yet the telescope magnifies them and brings them closer. The believer’s body is to be a telescope that brings Jesus Christ close to people.”

Our job is to bring Christ into view for those around us. To let people see Him for who He is.

And your life is the key. Your spirit. Your words. Your behavior.

The pictures you post.

The way you’re raising your children.

Your commitment to your church family.

How early you show up to work.

How on time you pay your bills.

Everything about you should point to Jesus.

The way you talk. The places you go.

The way you work. The way you dress.

The attitudes you have. The way you talk to your wife.

The way you talk about your husband.

The way you obey your parents, kids.

You are bringing Christ into focus for the people around you. You are pointing people to Jesus.

So what does this have to do with Chains?

Here it is: If God has allowed Chains in your life, then there is a way to use your Chains to magnify Jesus.

CIT: You can magnify Christ when you stop viewing Chains as Bonds and start viewing Chains as Tools.

Let’s Reconsider Some Chains:

Not good at speaking? If you rely on the HS to help you like Moses, then Jesus will be magnified because it becomes God that enables your speech. Your Chain becomes a Tool.

Too busy with work? That chain can become an outreach tool because the more you work, the more lost folks you spend hours around every day. That Chain can become a Tool.

You have bad health? Some of the best witnesses I’ve ever seen are people in the hospital, bedridden, in pain, struggling to heal, but they have the light of Jesus Christ welling up in their souls. You may view the hospital as a Chain, but God wants you to view it as a Tool to point people to Him. The more doctor visits you go on, the more people you are meeting that need someone to point them to Jesus.

Some young person may view their public school as a Chain, but that’s a Tool that someone who is homeschooled doesn’t have. You have hundreds of people around you that need someone to point them to Jesus. It’s not a Chain. It’s a Tool.

You spend all your time at home, moms. It may feel like a Chain, but getting that much time with those little ones means you have days and weeks to disciple them into followers of Christ. It’s not a Chain, it’s a Tool.

One More Application

Your may view your past like a Chain

The thing which “happened to you” may be your story that God could use in someone else’s life

Don’t minimize your testimony and how it could be used to help someone else

Bro. Juan has had “things which happened to him” that don’t happen to most people. Chains. But now they can be tools God can use in someone else’s life.

Jallah from Liberia isn’t here tonight, but he has had “things which happened to him” that were terrible at the time, but they can be tools now.

Cancer Survivors - Your chain can be a tool to encourage someone else and give God the glory.

Raised in a bad home - Doesn’t have to be a chain. Can become a tool to help you relate to others.

Widows and Widowers - You can view “that which happened unto you” as a chain, or you can let God use it as a tool to bless someone else.

Your background can be a tool. Your weakness can be a tool. Your story doesn’t have to be a bond. It can be a tool.

It all depends on whether or not you use “what happened to you” to focus on yourself or to magnify Jesus Christ.

Through God’s grace that Chain that binds can become a Tool to point people to Jesus.

You can magnify Christ when you stop viewing Chains as Bonds and start viewing Chains as Tools.

What Chains in your life do you need start viewing differently?

What could God use as an advantage that you view as a disadvantage?

People around you need some hope. And it could be that your story from Chains to Tools is exactly what they need.