Untitled Sermon (6)
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As a lot of you know this but because of Covid-19 a lot of businesses have had to close down this past year.
In fact I saw an article this past week mentioning that it is estimated when everything is said and done that roughly 43% of small businesses will permanently be closed.
But I also found another piece of information that mentioned their is actually another group of businesses that have begun to really thrive during the pandemic.
And these are not businesses like hand sanitizing companys (although I imagine they are doing pretty good), but these are businesses that while things have been tough, they were able to look at the situation that seemed hopeless to a lot of businesses, and they were able to find a creative way to deliver their services which actually made their businesses grow during this time.
And so a lot of what determines the future of these companies is by how they respond and stay effective while they are going through a difficult time.
And as I thought of this question I could not help but ask the same question to myself and the church when we are going through a time where we are discouraged, facing difficulties, feeling exhausted or even just beat down.
How do we (in our personal lives) and as a church stay effective in carrying out God’s will in our lives when we face difficult times?
And as I mentioned in the beginning we are starting this new series called “Running on Empty” where we are just looking at 3 areas in a letter that Paul writes to a church.
So we are in Philippians 1:3-14
but before we get to far let me set the stage for you on what is happening as Paul writes this letter.
Because Paul is currently in prison for preaching the message God has given Him.
And he is writing to this church that has actually faced persecution for being Christians.
and you think this letter would be a really depressing letter, where Paul is writing to this church saying “I am not sure how much longer we can go on like this”
“Things are looking bad”
But whats amazing is this letter is actually considered one of Pauls most joyful letters.
In fact a lot of time in Pauls letters he can be a little direct.
kind of like we all know a person who sends really direct and serious emails and we might initially think the person is upset with us. Paul is usually that way.
But in this letter he is almost like the person that sends smiley faces in all the text.
He is that joyful.
And in the part of the letter we are in today Paul is recognizing that him and this church are going through some rough things, and he is saying to them in the middle of these things you are going through I want you to remember this.
And really I recognize that for a lot of us who are here today there are probably things going on in our life where we feel discouraged, beat up, exhausted and tired,
We might be saying God I am not sure how I can carry on much longer let alone do the things you have called me to do.
But here is the awesome thing because what Paul tells this church about 2000 years ago is something that is so relevant for us today.
So once again turn to Philippians 1:3-14 or follow along on the screen and we are just starting in verses 3 and 4. It says:
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
So Paul starts out saying I literally thank God for you! And I am filled with joy when I think of you.
and Paul tells this church I am thankful for you not because you guys are just nice, not because of the good you are doing, but I am thankful for you because of your partnership in the gospel.
And I love the word for partnership because it can also be translated as fellowship (specifically fellowship that could occur around a table).
And this is such an awesome word picture because win biblical times sitting around a table sharing a meal was so sacred.
And it was almost this picture of this place where people who were different could come together in unity.
And so in a way Paul is saying I am thankful for this church because of the unity you have in the message Christ has given you.
The unity with me and others.
You know if we are going to thrive in difficult times we have to be in unity with other believers.
And what is so cool is this church was one of the first churches to support Paul, and Paul and this church were drastically different.
This church was made of gentiles (fact check) and Paul was a Jew, yet they partnered with Paul to further the message.
And what I absolutely love about our church is that we are a church with different people in it.
Some of us are a little older, some of us are younger, some of us look different, Some of us have different ideas on how things should be done, but whats amazing is almost everyone here is able to lay down those differences to be united in Christ.
And united in the mission He has called us to.
Its almost like if you have ever played tug of war then you know the best way to play is working together right?
Becuase if you all pull at the same time that is how you win, but f you are all over the place.
You fall backward.
But the issue the church has is so often we look like a team of people who do not know how to play tug of war.
One person is pulling one direction, another person is pulling another way, instead of lets further the gospel together.
it is vital for us to have unity, because we are told when that happens the gates of hell cannot overcome God’s church.
And when this happens we can’t help praise God for the people He has brought in our life.
Because not only does God move in the church powerfully,
But when we are down on our luck like Paul we have a group that loves us that we can praise God for.
Well look at the second point because the first was we need unity in the gospel, but the second point is we need to trust God.
Look at verses 6-8 because it says this:
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
You know you can imagine this church is discouraged, because of the persecution, but Paul tells them in the middle of this to be confident that if God started something, He will finish it.
And Paul even tells them look I am in chains, but in the middle of this God is still moving,
And most of us love this verse because it means even though we face difficulties, we serve a God that will bring us where He has called us.
But this is the difficult part because we have to trust that God along the way and be willing to step forward even if it looks scary.
I used this illustration awhile ago but we really we want to be like a horse.
If you have ever been around horses a lot you have probably seen that occasionally they have this mask looking thing that goes on the horse that serves as a blind fold.
And this serves two purposes: it helps protect them from bugs
But the bigger reason is if there is ever some sort of disaster (like a fire or something else where they need to be evacuated) they are able to place the mask on the horse
And what will happen is the horse will trust the trainer to go whatever direction he tells them even if their is a disaster that is scary.
They probably know something is up (horses are smart)
But they are able to say in the middle of this I trust the trainer even when they may not be able to see whats in front of Him
but really thats the type of trust God desires for our life where we are able to say God I may be scared to death, I may not know whats next but I trust you.
Because if you have started a work in me, I trust that you will not abandon me.
Well look what Paul tells us next in verses 9-11 because he says we need to be in unity, we need to trust God and now he tells us this:
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
I love what Paul says here because He says this is my prayer
And you think it would before the persecution to stop and for him to get out of jail.
but his prayer is not as concerned about the situation they are in, but it is more concerned with their relationship with God.
Because Paul tells them I pray that you will grow in love, and insight in what God desires in their life.
You know so often we pray to God and we will say God change this situation, change this struggle and thats not bad.
And Paul is not saying thats bad, but instead of him addressing the situation he says I pray that God will move in you.
So much that his love is abounding in your life (or the litteral translation is that His love is overflowing in your life.)
Because when Christ love overflows it changes the lives around us.
Its almost like this glass of water you can fill it up with water and thats a good glass of water, but what Paul is want to see is He wants His love to overflow because when that happens is gets everything drenched around it.
When God’s love enters us it changes us but it overflows and can change others around us.
What would happen instead of focusing on the situation we focused on the God who can change the situation, but more importantly He can change us and the lives around us.
And look at this last part of the passage because this is my favorite part because Paul says this is happening with me. Look at verses 12-14
It says this:
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
This is so awesome because here is Paul and he is in prison.
and what they would do is they would actually physically chain him to a guard (in his cell) to make it so it is almost impossible to escape.
And Paul tells this church that this seems terrible right? but he goes guess what?!
This thing that Satan intended for evil (where he was hoping it would stop me from furthering God’s mission) is actually being used for good where God’s message is being proclaimed to every guard.
Because Paul while Paul is chained to these guards (for preaching the gospel) he is preaching the gospel to them, so now Roman guards are starting to know Christ.
And not just that but all the people that deserve to be in prison are to
And you can picture Paul saying only our God can do that!
Because God is using this bad situation to further the gospel to a group that he has had no way to reach.
I mean if that doesn’t get you excited I do not know what will.
Because for Paul God gave Him a mission and how that mission was carried out may have changed, but God did not.
What God started He brought to completion.
And what satan intended for evil, God used for good.
And this morning I know that some of us are facing challenges, some of us are just worn from the whirlwind of the past few months, for others it is something more specific.
But what if the chaos that we see and are facing, is something where our God may not be desiring, but He is in the middle of it and he is able to use this hard, terrible thing for His good.
Do we believe that he can do that this morning?
Do we believe He can do it in the brokenness of our family?
The brokeness that we face in our society?
And even the brokeness that we face in our life?
Because we serve a God who will not abandon you but He will bring you to completion.
And I believe we can praise Him this morning even through the storm we face.
Will you pray with me?