Joy Over Circumstances

Introduction

Philippians 1:12–18 (ESV) — 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. 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.

ILLUST - Ask child in audience:

Which would you rather have — this candy bar or this vegetable?

Do you wish you could have an endless supply of candy bars?

Which is healthier for you? (vegetables)

If I gave you the candy bar how would you feel?

If I took it away and gave you the vegetable, how would you feel?

What would make you happy again?

What if I told you vegetables were healthy? Would you still want the candy bar? (yes)

What do you think would make you want to go from eating candy bars to vegetables? (when I grow up)

How many parents would have the exact same answer as ____?

The truth: You’ll never want to eat your vegetables if you still desire candy.

We, as parents, understand the fleeting sweetness of the candy.

We know the importance of eating foods other than just candy. We need vitamins, nutrients, protein.

We have matured and understand the goodness of vegetables even if the satisfaction isn’t immediate.

Tim Keller:

Things like sex, power, money, and success—as well as favorable circumstances—act like spiritual sugar. Christians who have these spiritual candies may say, "Sure, I believe in God and I know I'm going to heaven," but they're actually basing their day-to-day joy on favorable circumstances. When the circumstances change, it drives us to God, because when the sugar disappears, when the candy gets taken away, we're forced to pursue the feast that our souls really crave. We'll hunger for the spiritual nutrients we really need.

— Timothy Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York, from the sermon "Joy," (preached 4-18-10)

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

Paul has learned to eat his vegetables. In fact, he craves them.

By this, I am not saying that Paul looks forward to bad circumstances or suffering, but he has learned how to have joy OVER his circumstances.

In other words, Paul’s circumstances do not determine his level of joy; instead, Paul’s joy determines how he will leverage his circumstances.

He understands:

There is no true and lasting joy apart from Christ.

How do you get to this place?

I believe it is similar to learning to eat vegetables.

Your tastes change as you grow, as you mature. Your spiritual appetite changes as you grow and mature in your faith. You grow in maturity as you:

Learn what is spiritually healthy (this is why we teach and preach from the Bible)

Eat what is given you (not throw a fit like a child, but allow God to take the candy and give you vegetable circumstances)

“Taste and see that God is good.” Psalm 34:8

So,

What is a recent circumstance that you found difficult, unfair, hindering. You may even call it suffering.

How many of you would classify your attitude while you were (or are) in that situation as joy?

Keep it in mind as we go through today’s passage.

Paul could have joy over his suffering because he understood two things:

1) The gospel can advance in every circumstance.

2) The gospel is effective regardless of others’ motives. (15-18)

The gospel can advance in every circumstance. (12-14)

12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,

Want you to know

Why? Because they were interested. That is why they sent Epaphroditus - they were worried about Paul.

what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.

What happened to Paul? Whatever it was it was something that would seem (at first) to be the opposite of advancing the gospel.

Advancing the gospel is what Paul is all about. What Paul is saying is that though it may look like the circumstance he finds himself looks as though it should be hindering him, it is in reality, helping him.

What happened to Paul?

We already know that Paul’s plans were to be a preacher and instead he now finds himself a prisoner.

Acts 21:17-28

illegal arrest in Jerusalem (Jews thought Paul desecrated the temple by bringing in non-Jews)

remained a prisoner in Cesarea for two years

appealed to Caesar and sent to Rome

en route to Rome he was shipwrecked

waited three months on island of Malta

now he is on house arrest probably chained to a guard waiting to see Caesar.

From the outside, (and maybe even to the Philippians) it may look like Paul is a failure, but there is no failing for the faithful.

Paul understands that God will use every circumstance of your life for His glory if you remain faithful.

Shift your perspective from misery to ministry. (12)

Don’t complain about your circumstances, consecrate them.

“[Paul] does not dwell on his own sufferings, but rejoices in the progress of the gospel.”

— New Bible Commentary, Logos

How many believe you will always have ideal circumstances?

If joy is based on circumstances (ideal) then how could you ever be considered a joyful person expect for a short or periodic time?

BUT, if your shift your focus to Christ being glorified in you and in the world around you, then you will not see misery but opportunities for ministry.

advance the gospel

“advance” = furtherance - military term used to note taking new territory.

What looked like a failure, from Paul’s gospel-focused perspective was unexpected opportunities for ministry.

ILLUST - too many stories to count of examples of people who found themselves in a circumstance they didn’t choose or want only to find out that God was using it to open new doors for ministry. (me with depression, our miscarriages, our adventures in adoption, etc.)

If we are self-focused all we see is the mess. If we are gospel-focused (focused on God being glorified in and through us) then we will see the ministry.

Stop whining about your bad circumstance and start looking for the new ministry!!

The circumstance God has you in is God-allowed if not God-directed and God does not do anything except for his glory, so there is something in your circumstance that will make God glorious — you just need to shift your perspective.

The pain you are experiencing may be the very pain someone else might face.

The cancer you walked through may open the door to walk alongside a neighbor or a friend who will find out they have cancer but do not have the hope of Jesus yet.

The difficult child

The dark days

The death of him / her

That circumstance you said you are gong through right now can be leveraged for ministry. Don’t waste it on your own selfish pity.

2 Corinthians 1:3–6 (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.

This is why we need to stop preaching false gospels that teach and pray for only the release from suffering and start preaching the true gospel that shows us how to suffer well.

John 16:33 (ESV)

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Paul goes on to explain how it is that his imprisonment has 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.

Little did the Romans who put the chains on Paul realize they had actually freed him for new ministry!

If Paul’s purpose and joy were focused on his own circumstance then the chains would have bound him and his joy. But Paul’s focus was on the cause of Christ which cannot be bound!!

2 Timothy 2:9 (ESV)

9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!

ILLUST - Did we not see this during quarantine? How many enjoyed that? But while churches were closed and people told to distance, the Word of God was still proclaimed — even in new ways — because the gospel will not be quarantined!

How did it become known? Gossip? Perhaps, but I would suspect, given what we know about Paul, that they know about Christ because Paul told them.

That is his modus operandi — to tell anyone and everyone about Jesus.

Paul didn’t just come to terms with his new circumstance, he leveraged it. He looked for ways to use his circumstance to make Christ known.

Use your circumstance to make Christ known. (13)

Paul was like a “spiritual MacGyver” — looking around the room to see what he can use to make Jesus known.

Paul’s captors became his captive audience. Because of the rotation of shifts, Paul would have had the opportunity to witness to four guards per day. I imagine whether this rough Roman soldier wanted to hear it or not, they got a Bible study.

He would have needed to ask the guard he was chained to for some slack to write his letters to the churches.

Who might God bring into your life and bind to you in some sort of relationship so they might be a captive audience to see the work of God in your life and for you to share the Word of God to them?

Relationships are not accidents.

Acts 17:26–27 (ESV)

26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

Mom — you have the kids you have because God “determined the boundaries of their dwelling place” — your home. Use it to make Christ known to them.

Men — it’s no accident your boss put that guy next to you at work. He needs to know about Jesus.

Paul used every circumstance (big / little, good / bad) to make Christ known.

(look for Jesus questions)

Don’t let your circumstances take your focus off Christ; instead, leverage your circumstances FOR Christ.

Watch your faithful response lead to fearless living. (14)

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.

When you live faithfully in your circumstances, you encourage your own faith and the faith of others.

Interestingly, Paul was a missionary, a church planter, and itinerant preacher. Now he is chained and unable to do those things. Some might view him as a failure in his circumstance. If Paul had a self focus, he might see himself as a failure.

Instead of sitting as a failure Paul acted in faithfulness and that lead to others living fearless.

ILLUST - Perhaps Fatemeh Mohammadi is reading Paul’s words today. Fatemeh is a 19-year-old young woman in Iran who is currently serving a six-month prison sentence in the Evin Prison in Tehran, also known as “the torture factory.”

She has already served a six-month sentence for attending a house church in Tehran.

however, instead of shrinking back and focusing on all that she is missing that a typical 19-year-old might enjoy, she is boldly standing for the right to speak about the gospel, even writing an open letter to Iran’s Minister of Intelligence.

Some have even called her “the future of the church in Iran.” Perhaps while in prison Fatemeh read Paul’s words here and encouraged her to find a gospel opportunity.

— Open Doors USA, https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/stories/meet-1000-andrew-brunsons-still-in-prison-for-their-faith/

your faithful response lead to fearless living.

In a circumstance not too far from Fatemeh’s, two US pastors, David Lin and John Cao are currently imprisoned in China for attempting to start a Christian ministry. David Lin was given a life sentence and his current plans of starting a ministry were thwarted.

However, David Lin was allowed a Bible while in prison, and I can’t help but wonder if or when he read our passage today because instead of focusing on the misery of a life sentence, Lin started a ministry within the prison itself.

— https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/stories/meet-1000-andrew-brunsons-still-in-prison-for-their-faith/

The very areas you believe you are a failure are the same areas God is calling you to be faithful — whatever that looks like.

God is not asking you to go back and try to fix what you see as failures. He is calling you to live faithfully in your current circumstance and it will encourage others.

I know how to be miserable in a circumstance. What I really need are examples of faithfulness in every circumstance.

are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

speak

this word does not mean preach. It is not as though Paul’s imprisonment encouraged a new group of young pastors to preach more boldly.

the word indicates common talking — the everyday. Paul’s example made others bold to speak speak about Jesus in their daily lives.

The gospel is effective regardless of others’ motives. (15-18)

Life’s circumstances will make you bitter or better. (15)

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will.

Faithful followers step in to serve others. (16)

16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

Bitter believers step on others to serve self. (17)

17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

Joy over circumstances happens when you place Christ before your circumstances. (18)

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

Conclusion

What circumstance are you in right now?

God may just want to use the very situation you want him to remove.

The fix is not for Christ to remove the circumstance from you, it is to remove the you-focus from the circumstance.

*PRAY*