Untitled Sermon

Bigger than us.

The Advance of the Gospel

12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

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.

Joy is oozing out of Paul as he writes this letter from prison.

How can that be? He’s in prison…

If your purpose is right you don’t have to fear the prison.

As a matter of fact, the gospel advances historically faster through persecuted places than it does in places of peace.

Paul isn’t whining about his situation. He is rejoicing that the gospel is advancing.

Paul knows how hard sincere ministry is and how draining it is on the leaders and people in the church.

It is amazing how many pastors leave the ministry every year from burnout. Not from the fear of prison or jail but from the constant need to focus on people who aren’t committed to advancing the gospel and making disciples.

Serving the Lord is hard. It is easy to have your joy robbed from you when it seems like there are more

He wasn’t whining because he didn’t have a large enough audience due to being in prison. He was shining the light of the gospel to those guards and many were coming to faith in Christ.

Never underestimate the importance of faithfulness over time to a few. Sermon on the mount/plain

2 things were happening to advance the gospel.

People were hearing the good news

People were sharing the good news with great boldness.

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.