Rejoicing in Our Lord through Gospel-Saturated Living

Have you ever desired something where the process of achieving the result was hindered in some fashion? In our society we have a variety of reality talent-type shows on TV. Each contestant works extremely hard for their performance. They passionately seek it and for many it literally is what they live for each and every day. They could not imagine life without it. The average person may not have some performance they are training for but each person has a passion for something in their life and will do whatever they can to keep that “thing” close to them and not let it dissipate or disappear regardless of the consequences. These passions that are controlling the persons life are what people say bring them “joy”.

A few weeks ago, on a Sunday evening, we looked at how joy can be in the Christian’s life while going through trials and difficulties. This morning, in our passage, we are going to see the center, the crux of the Christian’s joy. We are going to see from Philippians 1 what brought Paul joy each day he lived. This is the exact truth that must be in each of our lives for lasting joy. This truth is what drives or is foundational to having the capability for joy in every area of life. Our challenge from scripture today will reveal the central truth that must drive your life as a Christian. For this truth is so powerful that it gives eternal life to those who have never accepted its free offer. The truth we are looking at this morning from the testimony of the Apostle Paul is the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.

Paul is giving testimony to the Philippians about what and who were central to his life’s thoughts and actions. He desires the same for the Philippians church. In verse 12 he begins to discuss the advancement of the gospel followed by a discussion of the person of the gospel and then lastly in our passage, the unity of the gospel.

Our Big Idea this morning: The gospel saturated life produces true and lasting joy!

This joy comes from living worthy of the gospel, seeing the gospel advance and living centered on the person of Christ. This morning we are going to take the passage a little out of order in the manner by which we examine it. Three truths exist in this sizeable portion of scripture that challenge you and I in our daily living as Christians. Each truth ought to change your life and how you live it out within the church and without the church.

Transition: the first truth we are going to examine deals with the person of the gospel. If we are going to rejoice in our Lord...

I. Rejoice in the Person of the Gospel, 18b-26

Explanation/Exhortation

Paul starts this section off with the last part of verse 18. Some keep this phrase as a confirmation of the previous which in context it is but also serves to further describe in what Paul rejoices. His rejoicing has a couple aspects to it in these verses but can be summed up as many state is the mission statement for Paul’s life— for me to live is Christ, to die is gain. This statement carries strong implications. This statement says that every aspect of the Christian must be permeated by Christ! Jesus himself quotes what God tells the nation of Israel back in Deuteronomy 6. Jesus states in Matthew 22 the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind! Paul simply is stating in passionate affirmation that this is how he lives. This is his motivation for ministry. This is his motivation for getting up in the morning. This is his motivation in relationship building, in the workplace, home life, with friends, and all areas of life.

One commentator discussed it this way— “The foundation, center, purpose, direction, power, and meaning of Paul’s life is Christ.” - Hansen, p. 81.

The Letter to the Philippians (C. Courage to Honor Christ by Life or by Death (1:18b–26))

The declaration—to live is Christ—expresses the meaning and goal of Paul’s life. But that meaning and goal have yet to be fully realized. He desires to know Christ and be conformed to Christ (3:10). He presses on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him (3:12). To live is not a static position but a dynamic process of becoming and growing. For Paul the purpose of living is pressing forward to know and serve Christ each day.When the goal of living is Christ, then living inevitably follows the way of Christ, the way of self-giving, self-humbling, and self-sacrifice (2:5–8). This way of living is not an escape from suffering. Paul writes that living is Christ while he is in chains for preaching the gospel. For Paul the reality that living is Christ meant that he considered everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, and, in fact, Paul had lost all things and considered them rubbish, in order that he might gain Christ (3:8).Gaining Christ more than covers any loss incurred for the sake of Christ, even the loss of life itself.

This phrase is found after Paul declares with full confidence that one day he will be vindicated.

Paul here quotes from Job 13:16 to explain his confidence in God’s vindication at end of his suffering. Paul states that whether in life or death Christ would be honored by his life.

Paul’s life was saturated with the Person of the Gospel! Christ was central to who Paul was as a person impacting what he believed and did as a person. He again as in Romans 1:16 states how he will not ever be ashamed of the gospel rather with all confidence in God seek to honor God so that whether he is alive or dead, the gospel witness will advance through him, alive or dead.

The Letter to the Philippians (C. Courage to Honor Christ by Life or by Death (1:18b–26))

Paul viewed his suffering and death as a gain for the advance of the gospel because he expected that this death would be his final and most effective witness for Christ.165

After making his specific mission statement, Paul turns and begins sharing his heart a little more with the Philippian church. He admits that he is torn between wanting to be with Christ for eternity or staying here knowing that God will use him to encourage others to live identically—on the foundation that is Christ. This living out the gospel, living with everything centered on the very person Jesus Christ brings joy! Paul states that staying and ministering to the Philippians would be for the progress of their faith/sanctification/spiritual growth. It would be to encourage them to live in a way that brings joy—that way is the gospel way, the way Christ would act and live.

The Letter to the Philippians (C. Courage to Honor Christ by Life or by Death (1:18b–26))

Paul has already asserted that to live is Christ (1:21). Now he describes the nature of that life: it is physical life (in the flesh), and it is a life of fruitful labor. What an amazing expression of enthusiasm for life! Paul did not say that this life is so wretched and so worthless that it would be better to die in order to escape its endless toil and drudgery. He did not list all the physical ailments and the emotional turmoil that he would surely have to endure if he continued to live. Just the opposite: Paul was totally confident that this life, this physical life, means fruitful labor. When Paul thought about the possibility of continuing to live, he focused on fruit, harvest, and profit. He knew that the great harvest of fruit that he would reap was produced by work. In the immediate context, the work Paul has in mind is that of proclaiming the gospel in the world (1:18) and of strengthening the faith of the church (1:25).

Paul believed so much and lived this so much that he was ready to die and live in heaven, to be with Christ face to face! Living the gospel-saturated life not only gives you joy but you glorify God in the process.

Illustration/Application

So what? Why is this important?

This heartbeat of Paul’s is priceless! Christ was the center of all Paul did! Is Christ the center of all you think and do? How often do you spend time thinking and meditating on Christ and his work in your life? How close relationally are you to Christ today?

Do you remember when you were a kid and taking trips to grandpa and grandma’s house? No matter the length of the trip, did you get excited to see them and hug them and spend time with them? The Christian must have that excitement at an exponentially different level. I loved arriving at my grandparents house and before we unpacked the car I and my siblings would get out of the car and run in to give them both huge hugs. The difference between my grandparents and being with them to being and fellowship with Christ, Christ is always present. Not a day goes by where I cannot commune and fellowship with Christ. My grandparents are all in heaven now. I cannot talk to them, pray with them, laugh with them, but I can talk with in prayer to Christ, I can grieve with Christ, I can laugh with Christ in emotions of joy.

Are you convinced that no matter what is going on in your life Christ will be honored and will assist in others progressing in their joy and progress in their walk with God? Are you living in any of the various ways fear can hamper your joy and centrality of Christ in your life? Paul said that not even death itself was a deterrent to living Christ and proclaiming Christ. He rather states that he rejoices in knowing that through the power of the Holy Spirit (Phil 1:19) that the suffering and negative circumstances in his life will be one day vindicated by God and that in the now Christ will be honored!

Even though Paul desired more to be with Christ, he knew that by him staying God would use him to help the Philippians progress in their faith resulting in joyous living.

Living a gospel-saturated life brings true and lasting joy!

Transition: The christian life is centered on the person of the Gospel—Christ. We need to rejoice in Christ himself. This rejoicing leads us to the second truth about the Christian rejoicing in the Lord—Rejoicing in the advancement of the gospel.

II. Rejoice in the Advancement of the Gospel, 12-18

Explanation

This part of the passage explains the primary outworking of Paul’s heartbeat. In these verses we see Paul’s heartbeat for the advancement of the Gospel. Paul loved Christ so much that he loved the message of Christ so much. The intensity of Paul’s passion for the gospel and allowing its saturation in his life ought to convict us this morning. How many here this morning are in prison? How many of us have lived and slept in chains for months on end? How many of us live in an environment where it is unlawful to preach the gospel? Yes, areas of the world have some similarity. For you and I as Christians in this country, we have never experienced the level of persecution that Paul underwent. Paul would be imprisoned multiple times. It is from prison that he wrote this letter around 60-62 AD. It would be 7 years later the Emperor Nero would have Paul executed.

Paul’s boldness and passion for the gospel can be seen in his statement regarding the highest level of soldiers in the Roman army and everyone around knew that Paul had commited no crime. The reason he was in chains was because he preached the gospel. He preached regardless of his life. As he states in 1:21 to die is gain. To die is to live! Paul is sharing this with the Philippians believers to encourage them and let them know that his life was not any priority but the advancement of the gospel was primary and of first importance even if that meant imprisonment. His love and passion for Christ manifested through his love for the message of Christ! In fact being imprisoned emboldened Paul all the more to preach with confidence. He did not fear death or torture. Confidence to proclaim the gospel comes from living Christ as Paul shows in the foundation and motivation for his every day life—Jesus Christ!

The Letter to the Philippians (A. The Progress of the Gospel (1:12–14))

Twice in this sentence Paul holds up his chains for all to see. Chains are certainly an obstacle to progress, according to conventional wisdom. The close connection of the negative word chains and the positive word advance in this sentence indicates that Paul is using the word actually as a marker of a surprising alternative to a negative expectation.

The Letter to the Philippians (A. The Progress of the Gospel (1:12–14))

From Paul’s perspective the most important thing that had happened was the advance of the gospel. His most urgent concern is to demonstrate that his imprisonment actually served to advance the gospel.

One would think or expect Paul to mention how his imprisonment hindered his ability to advance the gospel. Paul states the opposite. It was truly the progress o the gospel that meant the most to him and was his primary and central concern in his life. Again, only flows from Christ truly being the center of your life. Paul had full courage to face imprisonment, shipwrecks, bad health, people hating him and trying to kill him, physical beatings, a snake bite, false teaching, among others. Pau here states that the progress of the gospel is still paramount to his imprisonment. Later on in verse 28, we will get to in a few moments, Paul encourages the Philippians to not fear the opponent, those who are in opposition to the truth.

Those around Paul quickly understood that Paul’s identity was Christ! Paul being bold in his imprisonment enabled others to have boldness in advancing the gospel and living a gospel saturated life.

The Letter to the Philippians A. The Progress of the Gospel (1:12–14)

Believers are to rejoice in the Lord, agree in the Lord, and stand in the Lord. In these instances, the phrase in the Lord points to the Lord as the one who motivates and empowers the actions and attitudes of believers. Paul acknowledges the way God was using his difficult circumstance of imprisonment for the benefit of the church when he says that most believers have become confident in the Lord.

The Letter to the Philippians (A. The Progress of the Gospel (1:12–14))

COURAGE IS CONTAGIOUS!. The timid catch boldness from the brave. The content of the bold proclamation is the gospel!

Joy, true lasting joy, will only comes through the person of Christ! Paul even in being encouraged and sharing encouragement understood that the boldness the Philippians had came from the Lord!

One issue that Paul was facing a group of Christians who did not like Paul but were envious of him. One group was preaching the gospel out of love and good will where others did it out of selfish ambition. Those in selfish ambition preaching were not preaching heresy but rather with the wrong motives. Paul’s response to the whole situation was that of joy over the gospel reaching people.

Illustration/Application

Paul rejoices in the single truth of the gospel being proclaimed and advanced! What about you? Are you rejoicing over the proclamation and advance of the gospel?

This week we hosted a 4-day event where multiple sessions took place focusing on the various practical aspects and theological truth on the importance of planting NT churches. I understand when you hear about the conference you may not get excited for different reasons. However, we all should be excited that we as a church got to be used to impact current and future church planters—it is the advancement of the gospel.

Often when someone makes a profession of faith, the emotion from the Christians excitement wise pales in comparison to someone’s favorite team winning the championship or some other “amazing” happening in life. When you are engrossed in a project at work and that project gets finished do you go out and celebrate? Our level of joy and excitement over people being saved and baptized and added to the church needs to grow to such a higher level. Around this auditorium I am going to guess that much of the church are not 1st generation Christians. Paul boldly proclaimed because he was saturated and over joyed in the gospel and its advancement to the point that even among horrible conditions he not only continued to proclaim but was outwardly rejoicing that others were proclaiming. Paul was passionate about the gospel!

Church family, Christian—where is your joy in the gospel? How often are you looking for opportunities to share it? What relationships has God already providentially placed in your life to further advance the gospel? Whether in life or death, pretense or truth, Christ must be preached! If you have fallen trap to fearing the Covid virus and interacting with others, stop now! God has called us to proclaim. You ask God for safety yes, but, the core question you need to ask yourself in this case is—Are you letting fear dictate how you serve God? Be honest today before God! Along similar more broad lines, what in your life is hindering you from rejoicing in word and action in the advancement of the gospel?

Having joy in something results in that joy being manifested! Paul could not stop proclaiming no matter how bad his situation was!

The year was 1934. The Chinese Civil War was taking place. A young couple only 28 years old and their little baby were taken prisoner and held for ransom. The husband had written a letter and hid it in the baby’s clothes. As the baby was crying one day the guards were going to shoot the baby but another prisoner stepped in and took a much more gruesome penalty and death. The baby was allowed to live. On December 6, the family was moved and marched to another town. That night the mother was allowed to tend to the baby. As she did she hid the baby in a sleeping bag. The next day the husband and wife were led through the streets where eventually the soldiers stopped them along with grabbing the shopkeeper, who they found to be a Christian, that tried to convince the soldiers not to kill the couple On December 8th John and Betty Stam along with the Christian shopkeeper were all ordered to kneel and killed.

Two days later God providentially had a Chinese pastor find little Helen Stam and take her home and took care of her. On the Stam’s tombstone read:

John Cornelius Stam, January 18, 1907, "That Christ may be glorified whether by life or by death." Philippians 1:20

Elisabeth Scott Stam, February 22, 1906, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

December 8, 1934, Miaosheo, Anhui, "Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life." Revelation 2:10

After knowing this story, why do we fear? God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind! Paul’s love for the person of Christ and the gospel with its advancement brought him overflowing joy. It was a joy that dictated his actions. It dictated his conversations. It dictated his thinking.

Christian, you need, we all need to be more excited and passionate about Christ and sharing the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ! We need to be excited about living the gospel of Jesus Christ! You want lasting joy in your life? Let’s not let our motives get out of place and get in the way of the message!

The Letter to the Philippians (B. Motives for Preaching Christ (1:15–18a))

Because of this I rejoice, he exclaims. The advancement of the message, not the advancement of Paul, is the source of Paul’s joy.

Transition: We need to rejoice in the Person of the gospel, the advancement of the gospel, and our third truth:

III. Rejoice in the Living of the Gospel, 1:27-2:4

Explanation

In these verse Paul discusses some wonderful truths that manifest a life where joy is found in the gospel. He begins by giving a command to live a life that is worthy of the gospel. Life must match the gospel! For within the church joy in the gospel and living worthy of the gospel is key to church unity. Paul lays out two truths to what gospel living and gospel unity looks like in the church.

Truth #1: Standing Firm in Unity and Loyalty to the Gospel, 1:27-30

Paul challenges the Philippians now to live the gospel out in their daily lives. The word he uses for “life” is where our word for city or town comes from. The Philippians would understand what this meant as they were a Roman colony. Translating this word literally means “to live as a citizen.” A citizen lives according to the town or city in which they live. They represent that city when they are out and about. Even today people are identified and assessed on a general basis even today on the city or region they live. Paul is telling the Philippians to live as a citizen of heaven (3:20). The citizen of heaven lives in a way that brings honor to the gospel. The life of a Christian is lived in a way that is deserving of being identified with the gospel. Does the way you as a Christian live deserve to be identified with the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Paul’s heart for the gospel continues to be seen by stating that whether he sees them again or not, he will hear of the unity and faithfulness of the Philippian church. Paul underwent suffering and difficulty for living the gospel in his life and he knew that the Philippian beleivers would as well. He encourages them to stand firm and loyal by being unified in spirit to live the gospel and proclaim the gospel regardless of the suffering that would come their way. He calls them to boldness and courage!

Truth #2: Striving Together in Gospel Unity, 2:1-4

This boldness and courage in the face of suffering for the gospel comes easier when the church stands in unity. Unity brought through the sacrifice of Christ. Jesus’ death undified the Jew and Gentile into one new creation—the church! The world hates the church! The world wants to see the NT church destroyed. Always has and always will. We look around us and get discouraged because of the attacks on biblical morality and the NT church—ultimately God and we get discouraged, upset, maybe even enraged. What did Paul do? He preached the gospel of Jesus Christ! He called the church to gospel unity where the wicked world sees the grace and mercy of a holy God that does hate sin but truly desires all to come before him and repent, calling on the name of Christ. Paul shares in 2:1-4 what this unity looks like in some detail. Paul even connects through specific wording, 1:27.

Living worthy of the gospel, living unified in the one creation God has made us can be explained in two major ways:

One Spirit - the church needs to stand firm in one purpose! The purpose to stand firm in is THE GOSPEL! When a church stands united and energized for the gospel, that church God will use. The church needs to be all pulling in the same direction.

Having One Mind, 1:27; 2:2 - Paul uses a type of rhetorical device in verse one. He simply is stating that if you are saved the way joy enters into his life and by imitating (5:2) Paul joy also enters our lives as gospel unity of mind takes place.

Living like-minded and in harmony and love not out of selfish ambition or conceit emulates a life worthy of the gospel. It is this life that brings joy! A unified church is a joyful church. What a privilege we have to live like Christ, to live humbly with our God! What a calling it is to have the amazing responsibility to live the gospel so that others see the power of God through His Son Jesus Christ. It is the power to change the mind of person who hates a person and after calling and repenting, loving and serving that same person they hated.

It is this unity that powers the defense of the gospel and its resulting lifestyle! Thinking about our own interests only hinders the church and the proclamation of the gospel! Christ’s mission was the salvation of the world, providing a way of victory and escape from sin. His mind is the gospel! Philippians 2:5-11 gives us just a peek into the mind of Christ…humble and desired to see people come to understand and by faith believe what He did for them on the cross.

Illustration/Application

Are you on board with the purpose of First Baptist Church? Our mission statement reads joyfully magnifying Christ by helping others to know Christ, show forth Christ, and grow in Christ to the glory of God. You may believe its true and good. You may even understand the theological foundation of it. The personal question and evaluation you have to ask yourself—am I living it?

The joy and rejoicing in this church will rise in volume and quantity as we are seriously committed to living united to the advancement of the Gospel, letting others know about our love for the Person of the gospel. This is living and rejoicing over the gospel! Paul said joy would come to his heart as the Philippians lived in unity and standing firm amid any circumstances that were thrown in front of them. Joy came to his life as the Philippians lived in one purpose with one mind!

Conclusion

This morning we saw that we need to be:

1) Rejoice in the Person of the Gospel -

Is Christ truly the center of your life? Is he everything to you? How strong is your love for Christ and all that is his? How often do you spend significant time with Christ? Is Christ consistently the motivation behind why you do what you do? How often do you let others know about him? Is it like when you got engaged and began telling everyone the amazing story of how you proposed or had been proposed to? Is it like when you got the new home or the new car or you fill in the blank? Are you excited every day to see what opportunity God is going to give you to advance the gospel and tell someone about Your amazing Savior, Jesus Christ?

2) Rejoice in the Advancement of the Gospel -

When someone talks about gospel opportunities God has provided do you have a sense of excitement in your heart? Does it bring a smile to your face? How strong of an excitement truly comes across your life when someone in the church gives testimony of a person being saved? Christian, the salvation of the unsaved person on their way to an eternity burning in fire and separated from God should bring a genuine eaxcitement in our hearts! The bible says the angels in heaven celebrate over one person who gets saved. Does your heart and life celebrate and get excited over the advancement of the gospel? Do you get excited over its advancement even when people are not making professions of faith?

This passage is not about excitement over just those getting saved but the continual preaching and teaching of the gospel in any place! IT is time we step out of the doldrums of life and let the gospel dictate our actions as we daily focus on Christ and living worthy of the gospel!

3) Rejoice in the Living of the Gospel -

What can I say more? LIVE IT!! LIVE THE GOSPEL! The gospel brought joy to Paul’s life. IT was his source of joy! Joy manifests from worthy, gospel living!

If you are here this morning and you have never had this type of joy in your life, if you are sitting there and realize that you do not have joy because you do not have Christ, come and see me after the service. I would be thrilled to help you!

Christian, Church family,

Many of us say we love the gospel. We say we love Christ. We say that we have joy in our lives. Evaluate your life and be honest before God!

If I say I love the gospel, I love Christ- “Is it manifesting through my desire to advance the gospel in my daily life both by action and word?”

If I say I love the gospel, I love seeing people saved - What fruit is there in my life that this really is true?

If I say I love the gospel, I live worthy of the gospel - Do others truly see the gospel difference in my life?

Having joy in something results in that joy being manifested! Paul could not stop proclaiming no matter how bad his situation was!

Two days later God providentially had a Chinese pastor find little Helen Stam and take her home and took care of her. On the Stam’s tombstone read:

John Cornelius Stam, January 18, 1907, "That Christ may be glorified whether by life or by death." Philippians 1:20

Elisabeth Scott Stam, February 22, 1906, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

December 8, 1934, Miaosheo, Anhui, "Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life." Revelation 2:10

We must be about gospel living and advancement of the gospel! It is sin to do otherwise! We are commanded by God to go! You wonder why your life is up and down…joy comes from the person of the gospel resulting in a life dedicated to the advancement and living of the gospel! Live It! Proclaim It! Rejoice in It!