Philippians Sermon Week 2 - Seeing through the Gospel Lens

Welcome

Welcome to One Hope Church

Glad you are here.

Name

If you weren’t with us last week, started Philippians.

Intro

How do you see the world?

Blue blockers

glasses provide us with a lens through which to see the world

and what that lens is determines how we view the world.

Sunglasses / fogged glasses / mirrored glasses

The point is what ever lens we are looking through determines how we see the world.

In truth, we are all wearing a lens

How we see the world, determines how we respond to what it throws at us

how we respond to our present circumstances.

Do you know what lens you are looking through?

We are in week two of our Philippians Series where we are exploring what it means when Paul says “to live is Christ”

Today we look at how Paul has responded to his present circumstances.

We’ll see that Paul, by a worldly lens, had every reason to be disgruntled, discouraged and in despair.

Yet that is not the Paul we find at all.

We find not a dejected Paul, but a rejoicing Paul.

How can that be?

What lens was Paul looking through?

How did he see the world?

And then, how can we see the world as he did?

We’ll be in Phil 1:12-18.

Pray

Joy. Right lenses. wisdom for leaders

The Message Today

Philippians 1:12 CSB

12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel,

This is an amazing verse. (Power of the Holy Spirit in iBble reading)

I just fixated on this verse this week.

This is our message today - Phil 1:12

Let me show you what I see in this verse.

“Now I want you to know”

Epaphroditus has brought Paul a gift from the Philippians

and intends to return with this letter to inform the Philippians of how Paul is doing.

This is what Paul is responding too, why he is writing this letter.

B/C they had a relationship:

Partnership in the gospel, partakers of the gospel.

“That what has happened to me”

What is Paul referring to?

His roman imprisonment?

Certainly that is the focus as we will see.

Most likely he included all the events from his imprisonment at Jerusalem through his imprisonment at Rome.

Acts 28 - ends with Paul on house arrest in Rome, likely where and when this letter was written.

Acts 21:17 - Paul goes to Jerusalem, knowing that persecution awaits him.

He is arrested in Jerusalem by the Jewish Leaders.

There was the riot, the two-year imprisonment at Caesarea,

the appeal to Caesar, the threat on his life,

the trip to Rome with its shipwreck,

his house-arrest and restricted freedom, and the impending trial.

All this has happened as he has tried to do good

and to Serve God, to do what is right.

Through the lens of the World one might expect Paul to be jaded, cynical, and bitter.

But that’s not the Paul we find.

He goes on.

“has actually advanced the gospel”

“actually” — captures the idea here

this is surprising

This is in contrast as to what is expected.

it’s a specific greek word to communicate this.

“advanced the gospel”

Here’s the really amazing thing.

All that has happened to him

has not destroyed him, has not altered the advance of the gospel

rather it has done quite the opposite

it has emboldened him and accelerated the advance of the gospel.

Paul, still imprisoned, still chained, still unheard, still uncertain

is not crushed, rather he is exhilarated.

How it’s advancing?

Philippians 1:13 ESV

13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

Paul looks around him and doesn’t see obstacles to the faith, but opportunities for the faith.

Everyone is going to hear about Christ in his life.

And this is going to naturally come up, right?

The whole prison question: “What are you in for?”

Paul gets to say “Christ!” let me tell you about him.

It says “to everyone it has become known that my imprisonment is because I AM IN CHRIST”

You are in Christ? What does that mean?

Paul gets to proclaim Christ. — what a joy it is for him.

See for Paul, he wasn’t a prisoner of Rome, he was a prisoner of Christ.

Christ was the reason he was here.

You see it wouldn’t have just been Paul’s words about Christ,

but how he suffered for him.

The life lived for christ makes credible the words spoken of Christ

Christian witness is not just proclaiming Christ, but it is living in light of the fact that Christ has saved you and made you his own.

it is both WORD and DEED.

So here’s Paul telling everyone about Christ

For him, whoever God has put near to him is going to here about Christ in his life.

The Roman Guards, those who are just there to watch over him

They hear about Christ

Those who sought him out

They heard about Christ

Those delivering food and water

They heard about Christ

The neighbor that walked into the wrong house

They heard about Christ.

The gardeners

They heard about Christ.

Not only Paul, but the Other Brothers

So not only is everyone hearing about Christ, the other brothers are also emboldened to proclaim Christ.

Philippians 1:14 ESV

14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

This is how a life lived for Christ is inspiring

It is infectuous

This is what the Gospel Does

It advances in us and then advances through us.

Others see his courage, his joy

and they shed their fears and step out in faith as well.

Not what you would expect.

In fact the more you press down on Paul the more he proclaims Christ.

Because Paul is in Christ, and Christ is in Him

The power behind the gospel is God

We have to ask: Why is that? // How is that?

The reason is the lens that Paul looks through is the advancement of the Gospel.

To ask Paul how he is doing, is to ask how the gospel is doing.

No matter Paul’s circumstances, if the Gospel is advancing, Paul is rejoicing.

Paul’s whole life is centered on this.

Acts 20:24 CSB

24 But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

Paul’s purpose is the gospel

Paul’s passion is the gospel

Paul’s reason for being is the gospel

What’s yours?

What’s your reason?

What’s your passion?

What’s your purpose?

What lens are you looking through?

Is this kind of life just for Paul?

the super apostle?

No, we saw last week that it is God that completes the work in us.

How do we know our passion, purposes and reasons?

We have to look into our hearts.

Two Motives

We have to look at our motives.

Suffering has a way of revealing our motives.

But most of us have mixed motives.

Look at what Paul says next.

Philippians 1:15–18 CSB

15 To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of good will. 16 These preach out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; 17 the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking that they will cause me trouble in my imprisonment. 18 What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice

Paul is amazing.

He is so sold out for Christ

Again Paul’s motives are clear — The Advancement of the Gospel

He says I don’t care why people are preaching the gospel, only that the GOSPEL is being preached.

This kind of humility is inspiring.

There are two kinds of motives revealed here:

1. love and good will (or good pleasure)

These know that Paul is put here for the DEFENSE of the Gospel.

Notice it says “appointed”

Paul and his follows understand that this is all part of God’s plan.

How else was the Gospel going to be preached to the Roman Guards?

This is the lens they look through.

What is God doing in these circumstances?

How can the gospel go forth in this situation?

That is freedom.

The freedom lens.

Are you experiencing God’s love in this way? Do you have Joy?

If not, you may fall more into the next category.

2. The other is ENVY, RIVALRY and SELFISH AMBITION.

Envy and Rivalry have led to much disgrace in the Church.

We are prone to envy.

Is Paul saying motives don’t matter?

Of course not, but he knows that Motives are a matter of the Heart

And only God can change hearts.

We want to be a church that rejoices where ever the gospel is being advanced.

Because it is not about One Hope Church, it is about God’s Church

God’s mission

God’s kingdom.

For me personally,

Preacher Envy in this Digital Age

God has called me to be only who I can be, who he has made me to be.

That’s true of you too.

God’s only calling you to be who he has made you to be.

We can only find out who we are made to be in Christ.

You can proclaim Christ in a unique way, because you have a unique story.

What about you?

are you envying someone?

are you in rivalry with someone?

What selfish motives can you identify?

these block your passion for Christ.

They are a mirrored lens to look through

Growing in Godly Motives

How do I grow grow in godly motives and less of selfish motives?

But here is what Paul knew.

He knew he was a great sinner, but he knew Christ was a great savior.

say again.

Paul had experienced grace.

He had met the risen lord.

had been forgiven of his sin and called to live differently.

Friends we have this same story. It just may look different.

when you have an encounter with grace, real grace, radical grace

You cannot but be radically changed.

We can’t just know about grace, we have to experience it.

Maybe the gospel is not advancing through us because it has not advanced enough in us.

Let me suggest two ways you can experience grace.

1. Confession

Where do you need to be forgiven?

to experience forgiveness.

Because this is grace.

We are forgiven, only because Christ took our sin.

What sin do you need to confess?

Let’s be real in this time, we are in danger.

Endlessly scrolling on facebook, instagram

comparing ourselves to others

living lives of envy and rivalry, of selfish ambition.

Or even darker, the allure of pornography because we are isolated and always on our screens.

My plea for you is to not carry these sins, but to confess them to God and others and experience grace and freedom.

Hebrews 12:1-2 “let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith”

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

confession heals relationships.

We can’t be in physical community but we can be in spiritual community.

join one of our groups.

we have a Friday morning men’s group at 7am for any men struggling with porn, and i know that there are women out there as well.

Don’t be isolated. reach out - email [e-mail]

2. Forgive others.

Forgiving others is an act of grace

forgiveness proclaims Christ.

Un-forgiveness is sin

How do you deal with envy? rivalry? bitterness? resentment?

forgiveness

Hebrews 12:15 ESV

15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

Where do you need to forgive others?

3. Proclaim Christ

There is an invigoration when we get to share Christ.

Phil 1:2 — Grace and Peace — to them.

God will empower us to advance his gospel, if we will have the courage to act.

Proclaim Christ in your life

In words and deeds.

In how you suffer.

In how you respond to the circumstances around us.

Let’s look around us thorugh the lens of opportunity and faith.

How can Christ be proclaimed in these current circumstances?

Who can I invite into the life of Christ?

Right now, we have an opportunity that we haven’t had becuase everyone is online right now.

As your leadership, we have seen this as an opportunity to advance the gospel through online platforms.

The gospels reach through us is greater than it has ever been.

We are so thankful for churches like Life Church that provide the church online platform for free.

Do you know what they said?

Church Online Platform:

During easter Week - from 3,000 to 23,000 churches

10 million signed on

70,000 people all over the world said yes to Jesus.

That’s opportunity!

in that we can REJOICE

and One Hope got to be included in that 70,000 has he had 6 people from good Friday and easter indicate that they gave their life to Christ.

What a lens to live life through!

If the gospel is advancing, I am rejoicing!

What freedom!

Every Sunday i post on my personal FB profile about out service that is about to start.

Each week i’ve seen people join because of that.

What if we all did that?

150 people x 150 friends = 22,500 people

150 people x 500 friends = 75,000 people

I want to invite you to live life through this lens.

Put on Christ, if you haven’t. Give your life to him.

Remember that you like Paul, are in Christ, and Christ is in you.

Let’s Pray