Illus. Georgia Tech. Football game years ago. GT was ahead 7 to 6.
•Coach told QB not to throw no matter what.
•They ran to the opponents 10 yd. line in last minute of play, but he was overcome by temptation.
•He threw and it was intercepted by the fastest back on the team.
•He started rushing toward the end zone, but the QB suddenly overtook and tackled him.
•Losing coach asked, how did your QB catch my fastest back?
•“Your back was running for a touchdown, my boy was running for his life.”
•Wall Street Journal, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, ©1979, Paul Lee Tan, p. 862
Why do we do what we do? What are our motives/reasons behind what we do?
Specifically, are we doing the right things for the wrong reasons?
We’re studying Phil. Turn to Phil. 1:15-18.
Last week - Paul’s adversity actually resulted in the advance of the Gospel.
Today - look closer at that advance and see the motives behind it.
•Two groups of people who both did the right thing, but for different reasons.
Before we look at this passage, we need to begin at v. 14.
14BECAUSE OF MY CHAINS, MOST OF THE BROTHERS IN THE LORD HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED TO SPEAK THE WORD OF GOD MORE COURAGEOUSLY AND FEARLESSLY.
In v. 15ff, Paul divides these brothers into 2 groups.
The Bad Group: The Good Group:
The first thing we need to look at was their motive in preaching.
I. WHY DID THEY PREACH?
Jealousy
15IT IS TRUE THAT SOME PREACH CHRIST OUT OF ENVY AND RIVALRY (jealousy and strife),
PREACH – to announce, proclaim. It’s a different word than preach in v. 17.
•Cf. a Town crier - “Hear ye, hear ye!” “The British are coming”. “The sky is falling”.
This bad group is preaching because they’re jealous of Paul’s power/authority/success.
•He had become famous. That’s what they wanted as well.
That doesn’t happen among Christians, and especially not among preachers!
•Oh yes it does. (more successful, bigger congregation, 12 disciples)
Lk. 22:24-26 A DISPUTE AROSE AMONG THEM AS TO WHICH OF THEM WAS CONSIDERED TO BE GREATEST. 25JESUS SAID TO THEM, “THE KINGS OF THE GENTILES LORD IT OVER THEM; AND THOSE WHO EXERCISE AUTHORITY OVER THEM CALL THEMSELVES BENEFACTORS. 26BUT YOU ARE NOT TO BE LIKE THAT. INSTEAD, THE GREATEST AMONG YOU SHOULD BE LIKE THE YOUNGEST, AND THE ONE WHO RULES LIKE THE ONE WHO SERVES.
Some say these “bad preachers” were Judaizers who had opposed Paul before.
•This can’t be true because the Judaizers never preached Christ.
•The Judaizers were the ones Paul condemns in Gal. for false preaching.
Gal. 1:8 BUT EVEN IF WE OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN SHOULD PREACH A GOSPEL OTHER THAN THE ONE WE PREACHED TO YOU, LET HIM BE ETERNALLY CONDEMNED!
The message is not in question, the motive is.
This bad group preached the truth, but with false motives.
The Bad Group: Jealousy The Good Group: Goodwill
BUT OTHERS OUT OF GOODWILL (charity, kindness). Their heart matched their message.
They enjoyed preaching the Gospel and they proclaimed it for the right reasons.
They were truly encouraged by Paul’s adversity to preach Christ boldly.
Now some TSS have v. 17 before 16. The best/earliest MSS have it like NIV.
•Really doesn’t matter.
The second motive of the good group is: Selfless compassion
16THE LATTER (the good group) DO SO IN LOVE (for Paul and for Christ), KNOWING (appreciating) THAT I AM PUT HERE FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL (cf. v. 7).
PUT HERE – gives the idea of “appointed, destined”.
•He didn’t plan on this. He was called to and set there for the defense of the Gospel.
•He had nothing to boast about, and yet his rivals were still jealous.
The good group saw Paul’s adversity and his attitude in the midst of adversity and it encouraged them to preach Christ themselves out of love and selfless compassion.
The Bad Group, on the other hand preached out of jealousy and Selfish ambition.
17THE FORMER PREACH CHRIST OUT OF SELFISH AMBITION, NOT SINCERELY (not with pure motives), SUPPOSING THAT THEY CAN STIR UP TROUBLE (tribulation/affliction) FOR ME WHILE I AM IN CHAINS.
SELFISH AMBITION – builds on jealousy; rivalry, faction, self-seeking pursuit, partisanship.
Illus. Politics. Each side will say whatever they can to make themselves look great and the other side to look awful.
Illus. Televangelists, “Dramatic Preachers”. It happens all too often in the Church.
•How often do we try to impress people with our service?
This first bad group preached Christ to make themselves look good and Paul look bad.
These “believers” were deliberately trying to stir up trouble for Paul.
•They preached not only for their own glory, but also for Paul’s demise.
•“Paul’s finally getting his due, so now it’s our turn to look good”.
Isn’t it ironic how world leaders are attacked just because they’re in charge? (Pres. Bush)
Too many people (even pastors) in church feel that their way is best, their agenda is best and the current leader stands in their way.
•We’re all guilty of that to a degree.
Both groups were motivated to preach because of Paul’s imprisonment, but they were motivated for different reasons.
•The good group preached out of love and compassion and goodwill.
•The bad group was jealous/selfish. They wanted the glory.
•They wanted people to follow them and not Paul. Turn the tables, so to speak.
But to Paul, it just doesn’t matter. He turns the tables back on them!
Why was the “bad group" jealous of Paul?
II. WHAT DID THEY PREACH?
•They both preached Christ.
18BUT WHAT DOES IT MATTER? THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT IN EVERY WAY, WHETHER FROM FALSE MOTIVES OR TRUE, CHRIST IS PREACHED.
Paul doesn’t get offended at them. He doesn’t fight back.
He’s not concerned with why they were preaching, just what they were preaching.
•They were still preaching the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.
That doesn’t mean Paul agreed with or condoned their motives (end justifies the means).
•He was able to look beyond that and see the end result.
AND BECAUSE OF THIS I REJOICE.
(Steven Fournier, SC.com) Two great evangelists, John Wesley and George Whitefield.
•Disagreed on doctrinal matters. Whitefield – Calvinist, Wesley not.
•Both very successful in preaching/bringing people to Christ.
•Someone asked Wesley if he expected to see Whitefield in heaven. "No, I do not."
•The person then asked, "Then you do not think Whitefield is a converted man?"
"Of course he is a converted man," stated Wesley, "But I do not expect to see him in heaven- because he will be so close to the throne of God and I so far away that I will not be able to see him!" (Story has also been told in reverse (Whitefield of Wesley).
•They didn’t let their differences stand in the way of the Gospel.
•They rejoiced because people were coming to Christ.
Paul’s greatest concern was the advancement of the Gospel. He rejoiced over this.
*Paul rises above the divisions and factions – he takes the higher road.
(Steven Fournier) - Paul does not matter to Paul, Christ matters Paul.
He doesn’t focus on those with wrong motives. He focuses on Christ.
The attacks of the selfish believers backfire!
(Frank Thielman) - One group is characterized by envy and rivalry, the other by goodwill. One group is motivated by love, knowing the truth about Paul’s suffering; the other is motivated by selfish ambition, supposing they will make his suffering worse. The motives of one group are false, the other true… By balancing his description of the two groups, Paul rhetorically dismisses the effect of the false group on him. At the end of the day, after all their efforts to oppose Paul, they have only succeeded in doing the thing that matters most to him and the thing his friends also do: They have preached Christ.
III. WHAT CAN WE LEARN?
A. Check our motives.
Paul looked beyond the wrong motives, but that doesn’t excuse wrong motives.
How many churches have suffered because of wrong motives?
•jealousy, selfish ambition, favoritism, greed
How many preachers have preached to draw a crowd or puff themselves up?
How many people come/leave just because they liked/disliked the preacher?
How many churches look at other churches with envy?
•They’re growing, they have a great pastor, people love them.
We’re all tempted to “advance the Kingdom” with wrong motives.
Why are we doing what we’re doing? Why do we have Teams/SS?/Worship this way?
•Why do we come? Give? Serve?
•Is it simply because we’re pressured to or we’ve always done it this way or we know what’s best or is it because this is the way God wants us to do it?
All too often, I believe God works in spite of us instead of thru us.
What are four primary motives for ministry to avoid?
There are four primary motives for ministry that we must all avoid:
•Fear, guilt, jealousy, pride.
We need to replace those motives with love (for Christ and for His Church).
Gal. 5:13 SERVE ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE.
Eph. 4:2 BE COMPLETELY HUMBLE AND GENTLE; BE PATIENT, BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE.
Col. 2:2 MY PURPOSE IS THAT THEY MAY BE ENCOURAGED IN HEART AND UNITED IN LOVE,
(Brad Beaman) “The cry of the church today is for those who will preach the gospel with pure motives. Many people say the biggest problem we face in the church today is an integrity crisis. The thing we need most is not doers, but those who do their work with pure motives.”
(Dennis Sawyer) (Leadership Vol. 14, no. 3) “The difference between manipulation and leadership is motive.”
1 Cor. 4:5 THEREFORE JUDGE NOTHING BEFORE THE APPOINTED TIME; WAIT TILL THE LORD COMES. HE WILL BRING TO LIGHT WHAT IS HIDDEN IN DARKNESS AND WILL EXPOSE THE MOTIVES OF MEN’S HEARTS. AT THAT TIME EACH WILL RECEIVE HIS PRAISE FROM GOD.
We can’t be afraid of/jealous at the success of other churches/ministries.
•Instead, we must rejoice!
B. Check our attitude.
What is our joy based on? Getting our own way or seeing Christ glorified?
Paul was being attacked by the Jews, the Gentiles, and even by fellow believers.
•Yet he didn’t get upset or fight back.
•He simply looked at the results and it caused him to rejoice.
Could we say the same? How’s our attitude toward other people/ministries/leaders?
What is our attitude in the midst of adversity?
C. Focus on Christ.
We need to always look at the Big Picture.
•Is what we’re doing or what others doing bringing glory to God?
•Is it fulfilling God’s purposes for His Church? Is it following His vision?
There are times when we need to say “that’s not the way I would do it, but it’s bringing glory to God and therefore I rejoice”.
Paul was so focused on Christ, he refused to let internal/external adversity get to him.
We need to stay focused on Christ and what He calls us to do, no matter what.
D. Preach Christ.
That was Paul’s greatest desire and concern. It needs to be ours as well.
That job isn’t just the preacher’s – it’s everybody’s.
We need to preach/proclaim Christ in our S.S. classes, in worship, in ministries, in outreach, in our jobs, neighborhoods, families. Our very lives need to proclaim Christ.
When we live Christ/serve Christ/point others to Christ, we’re in fact preaching Christ.
Review passage.
All of us are called to preach Christ with pure motives, simply because we love Him.
The Bottom Line: Our motive for ministry must be Christ.
•In ministry, in lifestyle, in attitude, in everything.
Prayer/Reflection
Change My Heart O God
Sermon Outline and Power Point are available by emailing the author.
