Reaching Forward In Affliction

Text: Philippians 1:12-25

Introduction

Q — How many of you like to make progress? How many of you like to be joyful?

Personal progress and joy is defined in so many ways depending on who you ask. I would like to encourage you to stop looking to the culture, your neighbor, and especially social media to discover whether or not you are making progress in life and therefore can live joyfully. It isn’t so much about progress and joy “in your life” but progress and joy “in your faith.”

Notice Philippians 1:25–26 “25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; 26 That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.”

LISTEN...you are a child of Jesus Christ. Your salvation was accredited to you at the moment of faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. If FAITH was the moment that brought the greatest joy into your life, why are you choosing now to invest your time in resources, practices, and routines that has absolutely no advancing impact on your faith? No wonder every time you face challenges or times of failure, you just want to give up. No wonder every time the wind changes direction you are filled with anxiety. Believers have a much better option than turning to alcohol or pills in hopes to get you through that moment.

I want us to learn today that REACH FORWARD begins on the inside and then can be seen on the outside. Don’t see one as more important that the other.

Illustration: Which one is more important, the car or the gas in the tank? BOTH!

We have discovered in our text today the Apostle Paul is making progress and doing it with joy. Yes...prison and chains is a place of progress! That being said, the only way that can happen is with a “single mind” toward what you are born-again for. The life source for Paul’s progress and joy was in the “high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul knew what his purpose was and he knew that God was well aware of His purposes for him. He firmly believed that wherever he found himself as the pages of life turned, progress and joy would grow “in his faith” and “for the faith” because He was reaching forward to the “prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

So, what was the key to Paul living through the affliction for the glory of God?…

1) Paul’s Chains Where In Christ

A. Affliction seems to always close doors

Paul’s plan was to walk into Rome as a preacher. Instead, he was hauled in as a prisoner.

Illustration: You never really know who trusts the pilot until the plane hits turbulence. That's when some passengers panic while others remain calm. Your crisis is the turbulence that reveals whether you truly trust your Pilot (Christ) or are just along for the ride when it's smooth.

a) Summary of what had happened to Paul (Acts 21:17-28:31)

Paul experienced an illegal arrest in the temple of Jerusalem.

Paul remained in prison for two years in Caesarea.

He appealed to Caesar (privilege of every Roman citizen). Sent to Rome via ship and became ship wrecked due to a terrible storm.

Paul waited in Malta for three months and then embarked for Rome to attend the trial before Caesar he had requested.

Q — How many of you would think, “He was in a time of no progress?”

Illustration: Just as a coffee filter must have pressure applied to produce the best brew, our faith produces its richest testimony when pressure is applied through affliction. The gospel flows through us most purely when we're under pressure—that's when people see what we're really made of.

B. God uses affliction to open doors

It takes a “single mind” to see all of these events on your life as a door opening opportunity!

God knows the resume you need to best serve Him.

Illustration: When applying for jobs, we list our accomplishments. But what if we created a "Crisis Resume" that listed all our afflictions and what they qualified us to do for Christ? Paul's resume would include: "Imprisoned—qualified to reach Roman guards; Shipwrecked—qualified to minister to desperate sailors; Beaten—qualified to comfort the suffering."

Paul was not finding joy in the circumstance, he found joy in his calling!

Notice the word “furtherance” = movement forward to an improved state, progress, advancement

(Warren W.) “It is a Greek military term referring to the army engineers who go before the troops to open the way into new territory.”

What the authorities thought were chains of bondage, Paul saw as chains to a freedom to share Jesus with lost souls.

Q — Have you ever said, “I want to go places, I want to see the world.” God says, I want to take you to people that they many see Me.”

C. Affliction is not the end of progress and joy

Story: Everyone has heard of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the famous British preacher, but few know the story of his wife, Susannah. Early in their married life, Mrs. Spurgeon became an invalid. It looked as though her only ministry would be encouraging her husband and praying for his work. But God gave her a burden to share her husband’s books with pastors who were unable to purchase them. This burden soon led to the founding of the “Book Fund.” As a work of faith, the “Book Fund” provided thousands of pastors with tools for their work. All this was supervised by Mrs. Spurgeon from her home. It was a pioneer ministry. (Warren W.)

Sometimes God knows that if he leaves you in your current circumstance, you would never be a pioneer of the gospel. Sometimes God arranges circumstance to where that is all you can do!

Truly, that should be the greatest thing you want to do!

Illustration: Diamonds are formed under extreme pressure and heat deep in the earth. What makes them valuable isn't the comfort of their formation but the pressure they endured. Your affliction isn't destroying you—it's refining you into something of eternal value for God's glory.

2) Paul’s Crisis Was For Christ

A. His focus was to boldly magnify Jesus while living through the crisis

Paul knew he had two options: 1) He could be ashamed of the crisis; 2) He could be bold through the crisis.

Ashamed = A display of embarrassment

Boldness = boldness n. — the trait of being willing to undertake activities that involve risk or danger; especially that involve being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech.

How does someone arrive at being ashamed of their crisis?

“Shame” would only develop if Paul cared more about himself and the perception others had of him.

Sometimes people won’t repent and turn from sin because they are afraid of judgement. They don’t want anyone looking into your life.

Why and how does someone arrive at being BOLD through their crisis?

The only place to exercise “boldness” for Christ is not in the sanctuary of your own home, nor is it among other believers. It is out among the unbelieving world. It is out there where things go wrong, people let you down, when circumstances change, and where temptation abounds.

Paul gives us a clear picture of the WHY:

The people you love and those who love you NEED YOUR BOLDNESS!

You should desire the same kind of progress and joy to be experienced in their faith.

Your boldness through the crisis will lead others to rejoice in Jesus Christ!

Illustration: The believer’s life is to be a telescope. What does a telescope do? It brings objects that are far away and far bigger than yourself into better focus.

Illustration: The believer’s life is to be a microscope to persuade others not to see Christ as someone of small ability.

LISTEN...it would be much easier for Paul to say, “I am going to go with the option that is easier for me.” PUAL CHOSE TO STAY!

1 Timothy 4:15 “15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.”

B. His focus was to boldly magnify Jesus even if the crisis took his life

Dying was simply “departing” for Paul.

Soldier = to take down your tent and move on.

Political = setting free a prisoner.

Paul would experience exactly what he was longing for.

Romans 7:24 “24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

Sailors = loosening the ship to sail.

Farmer = Unyoke the oxen from the plow

Christ burden is easier, yet, the Christian burdens still have their weight

Conclusion

Romans 14:8 “8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.”

Believer — Can you say those words: To live is Christ, to die is gain? You and I have a whole lot more surrender to give before we can say, “I am reaching forward like that.” We are in desperate need of teachers for the pre-teen and teenager classes for Sunday School and Wednesday night.

Unbeliever — Paul said, “To die is gain.” Let me encourage you to repent from your sin and trust Jesus as Savior NOW! For you die would be the complete opposite of gain. It would be a misery that you have never experienced before!