The Gospel must Advance

Intro

pray

When we think of advancing we all may think of something else

I think of Zelda and advancing to the next level

or donkey kong - beating the next boss

the idea may be better thought of in a military way

of taking over a base and making advancments in taking a new base

How about school

you take your classes and advance in your education

civil air patrol

you advance and

then what happens once you get to a certain level ....

you start teaching and mentoring new cadets.…

all of these things have the idea of advancment

and progress

Can we make some changes in our lives to help advance the gospel?

I want you guys to see that every day is an opportunity

and every challenge can be an open door to share the good news

the gospel- that Jesus Christ lived a perfect life and died as a sacrifice for your sin ‘

Today were going to learn about

How paul advancened the gospel

even in the most unlikely place

Philippians 1:12–14 ESV

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Paul writing to church in Phillipi- greece

from prison in Rome —— Mor elike a house arrest

And HE wants the church to know

that what has happened to him

has actually been a good thing .....

PAul was so heavenly minded

Paul is spending time in a roman Jail

for preaching the gospel boldly

and instead of crying and complaining about it

He uses his time in jail to share Christ

There is a major trial in his life

and he sees the work of God in it

Where else in scripture do we see

a man get sent to jail

and God use it for good?

JOSEPH——— Slavery

and at the end of His story in genesis

we see this incredible verse

Genesis 50:20 ESV

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

this is the same for Paul

and it very well may be the same for you

every situation can be good to advance the gospel

in this sense

dont waste your trials

many of us face difficult things and

instead of turning heavenward we turn to our flesh

there are 2 ways to look at difficult events in our life

they can either be daunting challenges

2. or they can be opportunities

I want you to look at every event in your life as an opportunity

and you will see that every thing that happens to you

and every situation you find yourself in

can be an opportunity to preach the gospel

I try to remember this at work

every customer I have may be an opportunity to preach the gospel

disclaimer

use wisdom

and follow God in doing this

you dont want to be that weird kid

who just randomly tells every body about Jesus

but you also dont want to be that scaredy cat

that uses that as an excuse to not share the gospel with anyone

use wisdom and discernment

and before long , people will know

and opportunities will open to share the gospel

as we see in verse 13

the whole imperial guard hears the gospel because paul is in prison

and he is sharing the gospel

do you remember in Acts ch 16 when the jailer gets saved

it happened in Phillipi When paul and silas were in jail

They are singing hymns and praying as the inmates

were all listening

and suddenly an earthquake breaks open the prison doors

As the jailer thinks all the prisoners have fleed

he takes his sword to thrust it into his belly

for his punishment would be very great for loosing the porisoners

and right before he kills himself

Paul screams

We are all here

Now this is significant

because the rest of the inmates did not run away

Why?

they got saved from paul in prison

Ahhhh His time in jail was for good

Amazed by this

and clearly hearing pauls preaching over the time hes in jail

The jailer exclaims

Acts 16:30–31 NKJV

And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

This same message gose through the imperal guard in Rome

the imperial guard - main headquarters , soldiers and team close to the top Roman Govenor

they hear why paul is under house arrest

and the news makes big headlines in rome

Think about When George floyd was killed.…

that news made headlines

and everyone had an opinion on it

this is happening in Rome

and as the people hear about it

many of the christians are excited

and it says they are much more bold to speak the word without fear

Q. are you able to speak the word without fear?

its funny because they overcame the fear of imprisonment

due to the fact that Paul embraced his imprisonment for Christ

but look what Jesus said about

this very thing that is happening to paul

Luke 21:12–13 NKJV

But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.

an opportunity for testimony

this is to tell people about Jesus

and to show others an example

the christians become bold in their faith

and this is our next point

we must be bold in proclaiming the gospel

Boldness comes from confidence

and our confidence must come from GOD first and foremost

we read about the holy spirit being poured out on the disciples

Acts 4:31 ESV

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

you can pray for boldness

as I think you ought to do

and God can certainly help you in this

now how many times have I said to people

you can be bold and if your not good at sharing your faith

you can always just tell people what God has done for in your life

you have your testimony

and all though that is true

I dont want you to lean on that

most of you dont have confidence in sharing your faith

because you dont know what you are talking about

in order to speak the word without fear, you need to know the word

so if you shared the gospel

and someone said Jesus never said he was God

would you have an answer

john ch 1,

John 8:58 NKJV

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

I guarantee if you knew the word better...not perfectly but tbetter

, you would be less afraid

of sharing the word with others

then when you see others being ridiculed for their faith

it will be an encouragment to be bold

so first learn the word so you can have confidence in sharing the word

then become courageous in sharing the word

by looking at the example paul has set

for even jail could not hinder his purpouse

Philippians 1:15–18 ESV

Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 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,

Paul continues

as we see that some people preach Jesus out of envy and rivalry

odd but common

church becomes a platform for some to advance themselves in the name of JEsus

so there were many christians in rome and throughout the region

who took the opportunity

to accuse paul and put him down

so they could be elevated

this is the old

paul is not of God , look at his fruit —-jail

paul is not doing it right

paul is not good enough

everyone should listen to me instead of paul.…

some were preaching Christ for self prromotion

while others were doing it from a pure heart

paul hones in on this fact

there are people who are putting me down

and trying to use my imprisonment as an opportunity for self promotion

yet I still rejoice

WHY?

Because the gospel is still being proclaimed

WOW !

we must rejoice in the proclimation of the Gospel

and here it is

the advancment of the gospel

comes through the proclimation of the gospel

Romans 10:14 NKJV

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

you are all called to proclaim the gospel

and I shall rejoice when you do

I rejoice every sunday when the gospel is preached here

I rejoice when the gospel is preached anywhere

because its the means by which people are saved

When the gospel advances

heaven comes down to earth

and souls are snatched up out of the fire.…

Q. now,,,,, are you concerned about the advancment of the gospel?

if you are

then be ready for every situation in your life to advance the gospel

OPPORTUNITIES

know your faith

and be bold in proclaiming it

and then rejoice when it goes forth

because the proclimation of the good news

is the means by which you were saved

and how others will be saved as well.

finish with story

theres a guy I know who was in jail

——he got saved

—-fight

——solitary confinement

——-in there he got a roomate

——-shared the gospel

———roomate got saved

no matter the situation

lets get our minds on advancing the gospel

wherever we are ...