Philippians 1:18b-30
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Rough Draft
Rough Draft
18 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, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 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, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
18 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, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 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, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Turn in your bibles if you would to as we pick back up in our series in Philippians.
As you are turning to
I want to thank the many of you who have been so faithful to give financially to the Church. Mailing in or bringing by checks. During a stressful time the tendency is to pull inward and to hold on to resources. However, when you are scared, and you trust the Lord, and give; you are acting in Faith. God sees that and blesses that. So, thank you.
Prayer
Introduction
Let me start with this question, Have you ever been determined to do something?
Have you ever been determined to do something?
You made up your mind that no matter what you were going to do it?
Determined to make the ball team.
Trying to get your child to sleep through the night in the crib and determined to not get up and pick up your baby no matter how much he or she cried.
Determined to finish a job no matter how late into the evening it got.
Determined to finish the semester in college with a good grade.
Determined that no matter how late you got to bed that you were still going hunting in the morning.
In our passage today Paul was a man of determination.
Paul was a man of determination.
Paul was a man who could see the value of God. The worth of our savior who loved him unconditionally. The importance of a God who brought Him from spiritual death to life. The mercy of a God who took a man who once hated Jesus and arrested His followers and now used Paul to spread Jesus name.
Paul was determined to follow God with all His might.
He saw the worth of Jesus and treasured Him.
If you are going to be someone who is determined to follow Christ, you must so the immense treasure and indescribable value of God and Christ as well.
When we were in Philippians last we saw that Paul was under House arrest in Rome. He did not know the day of his trial or the day of his possible execution. Each day he woke up not knowing if it would be his last day. He faced a very stressful situation. In the midst of the challenge Paul did not loose His determination to follow God with all her had.
Transition - He was determined to rejoice under trial.
I. Determined to rejoice under trial, vs. 18b-20
18 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, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 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, whether by life or by death.
Paul rejoiced because while he was in prison he fully believed that he would be delivered.
He would be delivered in either one or two ways, verse 20 tells us - In life or in death.
-If Paul is delivered and at his trial he is set free by Caesar ... through people’s prayers … he rejoices in continuing in life.
-If Paul is executed he is delivered from this life, will see Jesus and have an eternal relationship with Jesus in heaven. He will be delivered from the sin and pain of this world.
-Paul identified with Job.
15 Though he slay me, I will hope in him;
yet I will argue my ways to his face.
So, Paul was determined to rejoice in Jesus, no matter what happens. Life or death … or any other circumstance.
15 Though he slay me, I will hope in him;
yet I will argue my ways to his face.
16 This will be my salvation,
that the godless shall not come before him.
Application - Are you able to say that if you live for if you die, you will praise God?
Job 13:
If you live and experience going through college, a full marriage, raising children, having a successful carrier, getting to travel, watching grandchildren grow up …
will you will praise God? That is pretty easy.
Can you say that if you get a terrible disease and you suffer for several years and you face death, missing the delights of earthly life you will praise God?
Will you praise God even if ...
-if you lose your job
-If a close friend or family has to move away, will you rejoice?
This is where rejoicing in all things gets challenging.
We can rejoice in all things because, like Paul, we see Jesus as the great treasure.
Conclusion - Whatever trial Paul was under, even facing life or death, he was determined to rejoice.
Transition - If Paul was to live. He was going to live for Christ alone.
Determining to live for Christ alone, vs. 21-26
II. Determined to live for Christ alone, vs. 21-26
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
Paul was faced with 2 scenarios.
He says, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Scenario 1
Death - Where he would see Christ who is the great reward. There is nothing better than to be with Christ.
-If Paul dies, He gains a perfect relationship with Christ in heaven.
Scenario 2, is life, “…to live is Christ”
Life - Is where Paul would focus on helping others grow spiritually. This is called discipleship.
22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.
Phil 1:
25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,
Phil 1:
Paul was determined that if he lived, it was for the purpose of helping others know Jesus better.
Helping other believers grow spiritually is called Discipleship.
-Paul knew His purpose in life. Live for Christ alone.
How do we do this? How do we live for Christ alone???
-When it comes to:
God - We worship and glorify Him.
Unbelievers - Share the Gospel
Believers - Help believers grow spiritually. (Discipleship).
Living for Christ alone means that we have a singular purpose.
Illustration Mother Mouse - Some of you have seen videos of a mother field mouse protecting her nest of baby mice. If her baby’s are in danger she does everything she can to move them one by one to a new location. She is willing to risk her life to get her babies moved. Running back and forth in the open - in front of you.
Her soul earnest purpose is to get her babies to safety.
Paul has one soul earnest purpose - to life for Christ.
You have one purpose - to live for Christ.
Would you say your #1 life purpose is to live for Christ?
Would you say your greatest passion is that you desire to live for Christ?
Would you say that you are determined to live for Christ?
-You will live for Christ when you see more fully how good, loving, gracious, merciful, powerful and kind He is.
Pause
Review - So far we have seen that Paul was determined to:
Rejoice in difficult trials
Live for Christ alone
Transition - Thirdly we see this. That Paul was determined to live a holy life.
III. Determined to live a holy life, vs. 27-30
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
What does “living a life worthy of the Gospel” mean?
Living a holy life.
Living a holy life means living a life of obedience to God.
To do that, you have to see God as your King - the one who you will obey.
There are many ways for us to live a holy obedient life to Him.
Look what Paul emphasized in verse 27
Living a life a life worthy of the Gospel effects your relationships.
-In your relationships, standing firm in one spirit vs. 27
-One Spirit, striving side by side (together)
-Paul emphasizes how important it is for a church to be united together, working together, working through relationship issues when need be.
-Paul emphasizes how important it is for a church to be united together, working together, working through relationship issues when need be.
-A house divided against itself will not stand.
-What does this mean? That if you have a bad relationship, especially with someone else who claims to be a Christ follower, that you do everything in your power to go and make that right.
23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
God places a high premium on unity within the body of Christ, the church.
Matt 5:23-24
God desires for you to determine to live a holy life.
Transition - Finally, lastly, Where is Jesus and the Cross in our passage?
Gospel
Where is the Gospel in this?
Throughout our message today we have spoken about seeing the greatness of God and treasuring Him.
If you are going to treasure Jesus you must see ...
Christ was determined to go to the Cross and pay for sins.
The worth of our savior who loved you unconditionally.
The importance of a God who brought you from spiritual death to life.
The mercy of a God who accepted you- someone who once rejected Jesus - and and now invites you to spread the story of Jesus.
Why should
This Jesus was determined to go to the Cross and pay for your sins.
Jesus, in the garden before His arrest, sweat was like great drops of blood. In prayer He said, in asking God if he could in some way not have to face the punishment of the cross said, “Not my will, but your will be done.”
Jesus DETERMINED to followed His Father’s will to the cross.
When Jesus paid for your sin on the cross, he made a way for your sins to not be held against you.
He made a way for your position before God to be holy.
How? Jesus took the guilt of your sin off you and placed it on himself.
Jesus made a payment for your sin.
If you are not a Christ follower will you say “Yes” to Jesus and follow Him in full faith. Giving your whole life to Him?
If you are a Christ follower, will you:
-See Jesus as a treasure
Will you- Will you be determined to live for Jesus alone?
“To live is Christ.”
He is the great reward, there is nothing else that compares with Jesus.
Determine to live for Him.
Paul emphasizes another way
-In suffering for the Gospel vs. 29