Encouragement to Gospel Living

Introduction

This morning, before anything else, I would like to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to bring God’s Word to you this morning and I pray that looking in the Book of Philippians will be as encouraging to you as it has been for me.

If you would, turn with me to the Book of Philippians. I will be diving into the first chapter in a moment, but would first like to give some background to Paul’s current situation. If any of you have read through the Book of Acts, you will know that Paul helped plant the Church at Philippi and they have been deeply connected to Paul ever since. We see this in his lack of formality in the opening verses and his display of fondness for the Philippians throughout the entirety of the letter. In Philippians, several years have passed since the church’s first gathering and Paul is on house arrest chained to palace guards awaiting his chance to appeal to Caesar.

Amid these circumstances, this letter written by Paul to the Philippians is commonly known as the Epistle of Joy. The key to Paul’s joy is that it is a particular joy. The joy of Philippians is the joy of Christ, that comes from Christ, and only comes when we are in Christ. This joy is a joy that should pervade the Christian Life and point us and others to it’s source, Christ and His Gospel. Today, I aim to show you three ways in which Paul relates to the Philippians to encourage them, and how you, and I, should be encouraged as well. Encouraged to live the Christian life.

Let’s begin by reading the text...

Philippians 1:1–30 ESV

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so 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. 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. Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. 27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Let us pray...

Gospel Camaraderie (vv. 3-11)

Paul begins his letter by relating to the Philippians as a partner. Paul shows us the Camaraderie in the Gospel that he has with the Philippians. A partner or comrade is generally known to be someone who comes alongside you to strive toward the same goal, supporting you amid some form of opposition. He shows us a holistic approach to being a good partner or comrade in the Gospel. You, and I, can find encouragement to live the Christian Life in light of our being part of this Camaraderie in the Gospel.

Paul’s approach to fulfilling his side of the partnership he has with the Philippians is holistic, in that he is intimately connected with them in all aspects of his humanity. Paul has them on his mind, he has them in his heart, and he serves them with his hands, or in his actions.

Looking at verses 3-6, we see that Paul has the Philippians on his mind. This is the first aspect of Paul’s being a good partner, and how we can be encouraged by Gospel Camaraderie. We see that Paul thanks God in all his remembrance of the Philippians, offering prayer with joy in every prayer for them. It’s clear Paul thinks of them often as he prays reflecting on what they’ve been through together, and in all the ways they have supported him, as partners as participators in the Gospel from the first day until now. The Philippians have been participating with Paul, even if not in person, throughout his ministry since their church’s conception. You can be certain that they have kept in contact, and shared in fond memories over the last decade plus of Paul’s ministry. Memories of good and bad as the church has matured and Paul has been striving to advance the Gospel. One simple way to be a good partner in the Gospel is to keep your partners, your comrades, in mind. Fuel your joy always, with the thoughts of how you have worked together for the spread of the Gospel.

Looking at verses 7 and 8 we see that Paul not only has the Philippians in his mind, in his thoughts, but they are also in his heart. Paul addresses how he feels about them, and how he longs for them. He believes he rightly feels joy for them because they are in his heart, and because they are in his heart he longs for them with the affection of Christ. Why does he feel this way? Because they have been partakers, or partners, with him in grace in his imprisonment and confirmation of the gospel. Paul and the Philippians, having received God’s grace are intimately connected as brothers and sisters in the faith. Being a good partner in the Gospel requires that your comrades be in your heart. To find joy in the brothers and sister of the faith, in the grace of God that has brought you together as sons as we see in Galatians 3, and to long for one another, with the affection of Christ.

After we see Paul having the Philippians in his mind and in his heart, we see that he is brought to action. Though he can not be with them physically or serve alongside them currently, he does act on their behalf. He prays for them. He acts as intercessor on behalf of those he remembers and longs for. And what does he pray for? He prays their love may abound. In First Thessalonians 3:12, we see a similar prayer that love may abound for one another and for all, why? That their hearts may be established as blameless in holiness before God. And in Philippians, also that ultimately they may be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ, to the Glory and Praise of God! Oh, what a difference we would see in the church if all Christians prayed this on behalf of one another, that our love may abound to the Glory of God.

Gospel Continuance

After we see Paul relating to the Philippians as a partner, we see how he relates to them as a pioneer. Paul is a pioneer for the furtherment, or the Continuance of the Gospel. So, not only can we be encouraged by our camaraderie in the Gospel, but we can also be encouraged in the continuance of the Gospel. Encouragement in this is drawn from God’s controlling all aspects of how the Gospel continues to spread and grow throughout time and space. The idea of gospel continuance shows that the gospel Will continue in time as well as in permanence. The gospel will spread until Christ’s return and amid all opposition, the true gospel will never be snuffed out or altered.

Looking at these verses we see God’s Sovereign hand at work in Paul’s life amid trying circumstances for a greater advancement of the gospel than Paul could have hoped.

Throughout his life, Paul wanted to bring the gospel to Rome. He wanted to preach in the greatest hub of the greatest empire of the time. This was a place where he could reach innumerable sums of people for the gospel. In Romans he says, “I am ready [eager] to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also.” In the book of Acts, you see the difficulty with which Paul was faced to get to Rome, and when it was all over he has now arrived a prisoner rather than a preacher, but this did not hinder his mission. Paul’s focus was not in glorifying himself, but sharing the Gospel and Glorifying his Christ. So you see that he refers to his trouble as merely “that what has happened to me” and immediately talks about how this trouble has been the means God provided for advancing the Gospel in Rome. God provided ways for people to come to know Christ, to hear Christ preached, and to see Christ Glorified as Paul pioneered for the Gospel.

In verse 13, we see that “it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” Paul had used his being chained to guards to make the Gospel, to make Christ, known to them directly I am sure, as well as indirectly through hearing him making these things known to others. Paul was home bound, not in a jail cell, so it was easy to get visitors. In Acts 28:30 and 31 you see that he lived there for two years “and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.” Paul’s chains did not stop his mission. Your circumstances should not hinder, but rather enable, you to proclaim the kingdom of God to those around you.

In verses 14-18, we see that Christ has not only been made known in Paul’s immediate context, but those outside of his current reach, are hearing the Gospel being preached. Paul emphasizes that some brothers do so out of love knowing that Paul’s appointed mission in Rome is for the defense of the Gospel and that others are doing so to afflict Paul and cause him distress. Clearly they didn’t truly know Paul. Paul isn’t currently interested in the motives behind the preaching (though Paul deals with these issues in Chapter 2), for that is for God to judge. Paul’s concern is in verse 18, and so should our concern be, “that whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” We should rejoice in the preaching of the gospel, in the proclamation of Christ.

In verses 19-26, we see the ultimate end of Christ being made known and the Gospel being preached. It is Christ being glorified! This passage is where we find Paul’s great struggle. A familiar passage to most in the church, beginning in verse 21 where Paul can’t decide if he’d rather die, not as a selfish release from suffering, but to be with Christ or to live and remain as a fruitful servant, and to see the Philippians. Though he can’t decide, he knows he will be delivered and that in either way he is delivered Christ will be Glorified. He says that to continue is for the sake of the Philippians, for their progress and joy in the faith that their confidence in him MAY ABOUND IN CHRIST JESUS. He is pointing them to Christ, to give Him his due Glory in Paul’s deliverance. What good is making christ known, and sharing the gospel, if we miss the key component of why Christ came, died, and was resurrected? That God may be glorified!

Looking at Paul and the Continuance of the Gospel, we see how to share the Gospel, making use of the circumstances God has given us. You can be encouraged, knowing God puts you, and me, in a variety of scenarios in life in which we have access to others who need to have Christ and His Gospel made known to them. We see that we are not to get hung up on the motives of those around us. Our focus is to rejoice in the Savior being made known throughout the world. In our life or death, we are to honor Christ and Glorify God as we pioneer for the continuance of the Gospel.

Gospel Conduct

Having seen how Paul relates to the Philippians as a partner, and now as pioneer, we see how Paul relates to the as a parent of sorts. Being a parent to Timothy for raising him up, so Paul is a parent of the Philippians for raising up the church those years prior. We see this evidenced in Paul’s exhorting the Philippians to right living, to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel.

In Rome, the ideas of military service and sporting entertainment were very prevalent. Being a miniature version of Rome, as a free-state, Macedonia, where Philippi is located, would also be very aware of and fluent in these cultural themes. This is why Paul uses the terminology he does. The word used for conduct, in verse 27, carries the notion of living as a citizen, standing firm focuses on the idea of military service, and striving together alludes to being part of a team competing against an opposing team.

To be a citizen, is to be a free member of a state in which there is an allegiance and servitude. Looking at the text, this is rightly to be understood that Paul is drawing emphasis to our membership in the body of believers. We are citizens of God’s Kingdom, we are citizens of the Gospel, and are in allegiance to this kingdom, serving for it’s advancement.

To stand firm, is to be a member of the military holding his post. To be armored, ready to face the opposition when they come. Paul encourages those in Philippi by telling them to stand firm, in what? In one spirit, with one mind. You and I as believers are to be unified as we stand firm, like a wall. We ought to be shoulder to shoulder, waiting to defend the Gospel from outside forces.

Then as an athlete, we are to strive, how? With one mind, together, for what? The faith of the Gospel. As we see in Jude 3, we are to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Why are we to do this? Firstly, to preserve the faith, and secondly to proclaim the faith to those whom we defend it from.

Ultimately, putting these ideas together Paul shows that we must live worthy of the Gospel through living as a member of the Gospel, in unity to stand firm in defending the gospel, and in advancing the Gospel. But, this is not without trials. Paul says that you have been granted, for Christ’s sake, to suffer as he and Christ have. The word for granted hear, implies that it is a grace given us by God. So not only are we given grace in living for Christ, but also in suffering for Christ. You can be encouraged knowing this. Knowing that we are to conduct ourselves worthy, and that we will suffer for doing so. Knowing that this will be the destruction of our enemies and to us salvation.

Conclusion

To wrap it up, Paul encourages us to strengthen our camaraderie in the gospel, to not be hindered in the continuance of the gospel, and to guard our conduct for the gospel…so that we may be better enable to live the Christian Life.