The Advancement Of The Gospel Series

BIG IDEA:

THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE GOSPEL CAN ACTUALLY BENEFIT FROM

DIFFICULT PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES:

- BY SHOWING UNBELIEVERS THE REALITY OF OUR

RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST;

- BY SHOWING BELIEVERS OUR EXAMPLE OF JOY AND

FAITHFULNESS (WHICH GIVES THEM COURAGE TO

PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL)

INTRODUCTION:

What is our primary goal in life? What is our passion? What do we live for? For Paul the answer was easy: "For me to live is Christ "

The advancement of the Gospel was foremost in his thinking. He was totally wrapped up in living out his divine commission to be the apostle to the Gentiles in proclaiming the good news of salvation in Christ. His personal circumstances or comforts in this life were not his primary concern.

We saw the importance of fellowship in the Gospel -- but how can some people have any impact for Christ given their other responsibilities or difficult circumstances in life? What chance do you have to advance the gospel when you work a fulltime job? When you are busy at home raising three children? When there is poor health or poverty or other hardships in your life?

Paul certainly didn’t have what we would judge to be the most advantageous circumstances-- no big salary, no fancy office, no radio and TV ministry, no publishing house distributing his letters, no flock

of servants to wait on him hand and foot. Instead, he was under house arrest in Rome and it appears that the pressure of his situation has been turned up a few notches with the immediate events surrounding his

trial. He was concerned that believers such as his faithful supporters back in Philippi might misinterpret his difficulties and become

disillusioned and discouraged. "I want you to know, brethren"

(Note the importance of our personal testimony -- our silence can be taken the wrong way)

THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE GOSPEL CAN ACTUALLY BENEFIT FROM

DIFFICULT PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES:

- BY SHOWING UNBELIEVERS THE REALITY OF OUR

RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST;

- BY SHOWING BELIEVERS OUR EXAMPLE OF JOY AND

FAITHFULNESS (WHICH GIVES THEM COURAGE TO.PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL)

cf. times of persecution throughout church history -- these have also been the times of most effective growth of the church -- not just in numbers but in depth of knowing God and fruitfulness in serving Him;

cf. the church today in China

I. (:12) STATEMENT OF HIS THESIS: THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE GOSPEL CAN ACTUALLY BENEFIT FROM DIFFICULT PERSONAL

CIRCUMSTANCES

A. The Apostle Paul’s Personal Circumstances Looked Bleak

"the things relating to me" -- trace his sufferings from Acts 16 when God began a good work in their hearts to the present;

What difficult circumstances are you facing today?

cf. 2 Cor. 11:23-27; Acts 20:6 - 28:31

Paul did not focus on his personal difficulties and he did not want others to be burdened down in a wrong sense either; he knew how to focus on living for Christ and how to live above his circumstances

Transition: "have fallen out rather" -- the result of his difficult circumstances is unexpected from the natural perspective

B. These Difficult Circumstances Have Promoted the Advancement of the Gospel

word originally denoted making headway in spite of blows, and so depicted progress; verb is used in the sense of to promote, to further in the sense of prosperity and progress

Gromacki: "It was a military term, used of engineers who would prepare a road for the advancing army by removing obstructions such as rocks and trees. Paul did not view difficulty with self-pity. He was not concerned how circumstances affected him; rather,

he asked the question: How can this problem be used to proclaim the gospel in a distinctive way? Paul saw a beginning in what some called an end, and he walked

through open doors which others concluded to be closed and locked."

rooted here in a conviction of a Sovereign God who is working out His divine plan in history; able to transform seemingly bad circumstances into good results from the perspective of eternity.people are actively promoting all sorts of worthless causes:

"everybody seems to have a cause for which to speak;

loudly from the rooftops they proclaim the thing they seek; often for a needless cause and often to deceive;

Should not we who know the Lord declare what we believe"

our materialistic culture is very interested in personal advancement (job promotions, self-help courses, etc.);

but who has a heart for promoting God’s interests?

same word in 1:25 "progress in the faith"

Do we have the same goal that Paul had? Can we look back over the varied paths of our circumstances to see how God has been using us to advance the gospel?

II. (:13-18) TWOFOLD EXPLANATION -- TWO POSITIVE RESULTS FROM HIS DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES

What were these 2 Positive Results?

A. Showing Unbelievers the Reality of His Relationship to Christ