God Always Wins (3): Vindication

God Always Wins (3): Vindication! (Philippians 1:19-20) May 13, 2018 Read Phil 1:19-20 – Here’s Paul. Falsely accused. Jailed 4 plus years. Going to trial for his life. How would you feel? Like a winner! Paul did! He felt he was in a “can’t lose” situation. He knew, with certainty, (“eager expectation”) his deliverance was just a matter of time. Why? Because God always wins, and he was on God’s side. Any believer can breathe that same “can’t lose” air. Life may not get easier, but it’s more bearable, knowing God always wins! But what does Paul mean by “deliverance”? Acquittal at trial? Or something broader and higher than mere physical deliverance? “Deliverance” is σωτηρια – salvation – which can mean physical salvation but usually means spiritual salvation. Paul quotes Job. When Job was “comforted” by friends after losing all, they spent a week saying nothing! Then they open fire with both barrels, suggesting he must have done something awful and needed to repent. Falsely accused. Paul could relate. Job says in Job 13:16: “This will be (literally, turn out for) my salvation, that the godless shall not come before him.” Job’s faith is in God – and despite appearances, he knows he’ll be able to stand before God one day which the godless can’t do. Ultimate vindication before the God is what Job envisions, the same as Paul. He will have vindication “whether by life or by death” (20). So, by “deliverance” Paul means Vindication! He eagerly anticipates the day when his life and choice of Christ will be vindicated in the court of heaven. Paul’s point is, “Listen, what Caesar decides is irrelevant. He can kill me if he wants. I’ll be acquitted before the only tribunal that counts – the judgment seat of Christ. Whether I live or die is irrelevant bc in the end I will be vindicated where it really matters.” Paul’s in a “no lose situation” -- a good place to be? Don’t you want to be in such a position? As a child of God we can be. So, let’s look at source and the signs of Paul’s vindication. I. The Source of Vindication Most believers live in fear of being mocked for our faith in Christ. We get roasted on the altar of conventional wisdom. So we have a daily decision. Will we seek vindication in the court of public opinion, or vindication before Christ? The first is easy; the second is hard. Paul lists two vital sources of power that helped him do that – the same two we need. A. Prayers of the Saints -- 19 for I know that through your prayers.” Sure, Paul prayed for himself. But I love that he was not too big, or too proud to ask prayers of others. Paul believed in prayer. And he coveted the prayers of others. He closes his letter to the Ephesians with the request in 6: 19 and [pray] also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.” Think it was automatic for Paul to share the gospel? No more than for you and me. So he asked prayer for boldness. Col 4:3: “At the same time, pray also for us.” I Thess 5: 25 Brothers, pray for us.” James Jas 5:16 instructs: “pray for one another.” Beloved, if we are to live lives worthy of vindication we must pray for one another. Patty and I covet your prayers more than anything. I must tell you, in pastors and leaders you get what you pray for. Wise leadership comes from prayer, not personality or natural intelligence! AND we must pray for you. For physical things, yes. But for humility, courage, wisdom, enlightenment, compassion, and growth. We have no right to complain if we don’t pray, and if we pray, we will not complain. We must pray for vindication with God. T. DeWitt Talmadge preached in his own Brooklyn church one Sunday morning with great power. That evening he preached at another church the same sermon, but his words fell flat. One of his church leaders who went with him asked, “How can the same message given by the same man on the same day seem so powerful in one place and so flat in another?” Talmadge replied, “Poor preaching is God’s curse on a prayerless church.” How true is that? We get what we deserve. It’s so much easier to criticize than to pray, isn’t it?! Think how different any church could be if all criticism, backbiting or gossiping was turned into prayer for each other. Will you covenant with me to do better? So we can live lives that will be vindicated? B. Power of the Spirit – Paul’s second key to a vindicated life is not unexpected, is it? “19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” The Holy Spirit is all ours. Rom 8:9, “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His.” He is all ours. But, are we all His? Did you ask the HS to invade your life this morning? Do you invite Him to take the wheel every morning? Paul eagerly sought the “help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,” and if Paul did, I know I must. He’ll take control if we ask – problem is we don’t ask. We confine Him to some isolated corner of our lives. One of my rich childhood memories was listening to the “Old Fashioned Revival Hour” radio broadcasts of Charles E. Fuller -- one of the very first and best radio evangelists, broadcasting from Long Beach Auditorium every week for more than 30 years. But in 1932 he and his wife Grace were severely tried. Their young son was near death with pneumonia. The Great Depression had wiped out their financial support. Charles was desperate. He sold valuable orange groves inherited from his wife’s family to meet their bills. Grace herself faced a major surgery and he was forced from his pastorate in Pasadena. On top of all that a severe earthquake badly damaged their home. Desperate for help, Grace found in Charles’ study a book of Spurgeon’s sermons, including one on Jer 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” She explained: “When I called upon God in desperation in August, 1933, He answered me by directing me unmistakably to the library shelf on which this book stood and to this sermon. It brought great comfort and enabled me to trust God and to await the unfolding of His plans for us.” How God wants us to call upon Him constantly for big things and little – never starting a day or a meeting or a meal or a project without seeking the help of the HS. A vindicated life is enabled by the prayers of others and the help of the HS. II. The Signs of Vindication (Paul gives 3) A. No Fear -- 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body.” Paul is not worried about defending himself at trial – not concerned that he’ll be shamed by a guilty verdict. His concern is that he might fail to represent Christ in his defense -- that he would blow it – that he would clam up – be driven by fear to deny the truth – overtly or by his silence. That was his concern – that he might fail to honor Christ in his body, with his mouth. He knew himself. But with the prayers of his friends, and the help of the HS, he eagerly looked forward to not being ashamed but representing Christ with full courage. He had no fear – because he was prepared. He’d be vindicated at the throne of Christ because he would not fail to speak of Christ at the throne of Caesar whatever the verdict. Wow! Hit home? Have you come across this wonderful, yet fearful passage in Rev 21: 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” The cowardly? When I read that, I think of all the times I have kept silent or missed opportunity for fear of what someone would think. There is no question in my mind that I deserve hell for those episodes alone. My only hope is Jesus died for the sin of cowardice also. And as I seek His mercy, I have no doubt He extends grace. But now, having received grace, I want to be like Paul. I want to be vindicated by Him rather than by men. Don’t you? We need to pray for each other – that we will share Christ boldly. A vindicated life will be increasingly fearless. It’s His opinion that counts! Prior to the CW, Thomas Jackson was a quirky, unremarkable prof at VMI. But by Nov 1862 having made his reputation at Bull Run and by brilliant maneuvers in the Shenandoah Valley, one woman wrote: "No one would have thought a year ago that [Stonewall Jackson’s] fame would be spread the wide world over as one of the greatest captains. He is fearless, as he is ready to meet his God; his lamp is burning, and he waits for the bridegroom." Fearless – bc he was ready to meet God. Are you ready? If He came today?! B. No Waste Paul 2nd expectation is in v. 20b: “now as always Christ will be honored in my body.” Paul didn’t want to waste time with any action or attitude that would not in some way bring honor to his Lord. He had laser focus on that objective. Now, it’s pretty easy to see how Christ is honored in one’s body if you’re preaching a sermon, or teaching a Bible study, or evangelizing. Clearly on target, right? And if you’re a traveling evangelist like Paul, you can see how the things you are doing are honoring to Christ. But what about the average guy or gal? What about the person who is not a missionary – who is a student or working in a secular field. What about the majority of believers? Can Christ always be honored in their body? Is that a legitimate goal for them? Of course it is. To honor Christ in our body is nothing more than having the fruit of the Spirit being exhibited in our lives. And we can do that wherever we are. This should be the goal of every believer – to have every action and attitude reflect Christ – to live with integrity, kindness, compassion and prayer. No waste. Career isn’t the issue. Godliness is the issue! Of course, it is getting increasingly costly to live for Christ in an increasingly secular society. Jobs could be at risk in some cases when we are asked to do things that violate our conscience. It’s tough. But we must ask – are we living for now – or are we living for forever? To please men or to please God. There was never a question in Paul’s mind. I hope there’s no question in yours. No waste – no wasted time, no wasted effort, no wasted goals or objectives. In Don’t Waste Your Life John Piper tells of Jack Lucas. When WWII began he fast-talked his way into the Marines at age 14, fooling recruiters with his muscular physique. Assigned to drive a truck in Hawaii, he wanted to fight. Stowed away on a transport out of Hawaii and landed on Iwo Jima without a rifle – grabbing one from a dead comrade on the beach. Next day Jack and 3 comrades were crawling thru a trench when 8 enemy sprang in front of them. Jack shot one, then his rifle jammed. As he struggled to fix it, a grenade landed as his feet, then another. He fell on both to save his friends thinking, “Jack, you’re gonna die.” Well, he survived – after 21 reconstructive surgeries. “Too young to die, I guess,” the doctors said. Jack became the youngest Medal of Honor winner, the only high school freshman ever to get it. Piper says: “As I read that, I thought of all the things high school kids think is cool.  I thought, O God, who will get in their face and give them something to live for?  They waste their days in a trance of insignificance, trying to look cool or talk cool or walk cool.  They don’t have a clue what cool is.” I don’t know if it’s cool to honor Christ in your body, but I know it’s wise! I know it’s right, and I know a thousand years from now we will all wish we’d had that goal rather than some of the trivialities we waste our lives on. For Paul – no waste. C. No Limits Look at Paul’s last phrase: v. 20c: “whether by life or by death” really puts an exclamation point to his comments. He is saying to God – and reiterating to the Philippians, “By the way, I have no limits on how God might use my body to honor Him. No limits. If he chooses to honor Jesus by having Caesar release me, great. If he chooses to honor Jesus by having Caesar execute me, so be it. I put no limits on God. I’m in his for however He chooses to use me.” No limits. That’s a life that will be vindicated at God’s throne. There is no stopping someone who puts no limits on God. That person is unstoppable. You can’t touch him. Imagine telling Paul, “I’m going to kill you.” He says, “All right! It’s time to go home!” So you say, “Okay, we’re going to let you live.” “Great – for me to live is Christ.” “Okay, we’re going to beat you.” “Bring it on. I want to know the fellowship of his sufferings.” “Well, then we’ll let you rot in prison.” “Fine – I’ll convert your guards and most of the prisoners.” How do you handle that guy? He’s untouchable. What drives that kind of dedication? The gospel. The glory that is Christ’s life, death and resurrection providing forgiveness and cleansing for all who believe. That’s a life that will be vindicated. No limits. Just God’s glory. Conc – Here’s the question we all face this morning. Do we seek vindication at the throne of man or the throne of God? What’s more important to us – the praise of man or the praise of God. What do we prize more highly – the opinion of friends, or the opinion of God. I beg you choose God, and help me choose God – every day, every hour, every minute. John Paton was planning to go as a missionary to the South Sea Islands. A aging Christian told him, “But John, Mr. Paton, you will be eaten by cannibals,” – a very real threat in those days. Paton answered, “Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years, and you will soon be laid in the grave, and there eaten by worms. I confess to you that if I can live and die honoring Christ in my body it makes no great difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms. In the Great Day of resurrection, my body will arise as fair as yours like the body of our risen Savior.” Vindication! For those who surrender to Him, ultimate vindication is already a done deal! Let’s pray.