INTRO
Away back in the 1980’s when I began ministry at Abbeyhill Baptist Church a fellow Minister in the City was faced with a problem. A homeless person had turned up at church and the church did not know what to do with him. Rather than doing nothing this colleague who was the Pastor of South Leith Baptist Church began to explore if it would be possible to rent premises across the road from the church building in order to provide accommodation for this man. His plan came to fruition and it was only then that he began to dream dreams about the greater possibilities. That Pastor was Rev Alan Berry, Founder of Bethany Christian Trust. The work he began grew to the extent that when it reached the tipping point he left pastoral ministry at the Church to become Director of the Trust. Bethany Christian Trust now supports over 7000 people across Scotland!!
APPLIC
Whenever you respond to a need or answer the call of God beware of what this may lead to. The outcome may be far greater than you had ever anticipated. And this was certainly true for the Apostle Paul. Seeking guidance from God as to the next step, it was then that he and his companions heard the ‘Macedonian call’. Having received a vision from God of a man of Macedonia crying out ‘come over and help us’, Paul and his companions travelled for the first time to Europe and entered the City of Philippi. In the Acts of the Apostles you can re-read the story of the their imprisonment, and the earthquake, and the conversion of the Philippian jailor and the new beginnings of a great work of God in the city. Small beginnings led to great outcomes and this provides the backdrop of Paul’s letter, as writes to them, again (as we understand it) from imprisonment but this time in Rome.
I am assuming that you are going through Paul’s letter to the Philippians and that you have already heard someone preach on the first verses of Philippians. This morning we continue in Philippians 1:18-26
POINT
• What strikes me from re-reading Paul’s letter is the high level of spiritual maturity Paul shows, given that there is so much that he might otherwise have complain about.
• He is probably chained to a Roman soldier (and while he enjoys little privacy he does have a captive audience). Indeed, he must have had a series of captive audiences as one after the other of new soldiers would take on the next shift. Paul gets to share the Gospel with whole Praetorian Guard!
• It appears that what Paul had to share was so compelling that many people came to hear him.
• Paul was awaiting his appearance before the Emperor Nero to whom he had appealed. Nero considered human life to be very cheap. Paul could not be certain of the outcome.
APPLIC
Adverse circumstances are probably the best test of spiritual maturity.
We have to wait until chapter 4 to read what Paul says about his attitude to the circumstances of life:
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength”
Paul knew both adversity and prosperity.
He had learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
And in Philippians 1, as we shall see, he remained positive even in adverse circumstances, and put his trust in God whatever the outcome - whether he lived or whether he died.
In which ways does Paul demonstrate spiritual maturity?
1. REJOICING IN ADVERSITY
POINT
It may seek strange to us that Paul had rivals whose motive was to outdo Paul – carrying out ministry with intention of provoking him.
Philippians 1:15-18 reads:
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.
18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice
He rejoiced that Christ was preached! v18
POINT
• Paul shows true spiritual and emotional maturity.
• Paul is not troubled by the intentions of those less mature Christians whose intension is to cause Paul distress.
• Paul is confined. These believers are free.
• But the only thing that matters for Paul is that the Gospel is preached to those who have never heard.
APPLIC
How would you or I cope in circumstances like these?
• Would we show the same level of maturity that Paul showed?
• I am not sure that we would.
• But just like Paul we too can learn to be content in all circumstances.
Are we ever envious of other believers whose churches seem to be fairing better than ours?
Ray Stedman comments on this:
• Can you take the success of others?
• Most of us react like the Christian I heard of in the mountains of West Virginia who, when asked how things had been going that year, said, "Oh things have been terrible.
• We've had an awful year.
• Things have never been worse.
• Instead of having any progress in the church we've had setbacks, we've lost people."
• But then he smiled and said, "But thank God, the Methodists haven't done any better."
POINT
When it comes to making Christ know it is a sign of spiritual maturity to rejoice in the success of others, even if we suspect they take little notice of our welfare and appear to be a bit smug about the way their Church is growing.
Here there is no place for envy.
Paul not only rejoices in adversity but is:
2. POSITIVE IN CAPTIVITY
19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.
25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.
POINT
Is not this statement the fruit of a prayerful life?
• It is all too easy for our heads to go down when things take a turn for the worse in our lives.
• John the Baptist appears to have reacted very differently to Paul. John’s questioned from his prison cell, ‘Are you he who was to come or shall we look for another?’
• Where did this question come from?
• It appears that Paul, witness to the resurrection of Christ, had a fuller understanding than that of even John the Baptist
POINT
• From where did Paul’s faith arise?
• He was able to trace the events that led up to his being in captivity.
• He had responded to the call of God to go to Macedonia.
• He had been certain that, despite the dangers, he had to go to Jerusalem.
• Time and time again the Lord had provided the evidence he needed that the Lord was with him.
• His appeal to Caesar was again from God.
• Now in prison he is convinced that his ministry is not over.
• Not only does he take the opportunity to witness to all the Praetorian Guard – he is also convinced he still has a future ministry.
APPLIC
It takes the eye of faith to discern God’s presence with us in difficult circumstances.
It may not always be easy to discern God’s presence with us, and purpose for us when humanly speaking things go wrong for us.
But faith can trace both the leading of God and the presence of God for us. And when we remember these things it is so much easier to be positive.
RECAP
• Paul rejoiced in adversity because the only thing that really matters was the Christ was preached.
• Paul was positive in captivity when he understood himself to be in the will of God and that God was with him.
3 COURAGEOUS IN UNCERTAINTY
Humanly speaking Paul could not predict the outcome of his appearance before the ruthless Nero.
But as we have seen, Paul expected to be delivered v19; 25-26.
Paul was not only positive in captivity, but was courageous in uncertainty.
Paul states this in v20-21
20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
V21 for me to live is (to glorify) Christ. In dying I also glorify Christ but gain from it.
POINT
Paul describes being torn between the two attractive options of remaining for the benefit of the people at Philippi and continuing to serve – and the attraction of the possibility of being with Christ which is better by far.
APPLIC
• Uncertainty can be very difficult to live with.
• We face uncertainty between a clinical diagnoses and further conclusive tests.
• We face uncertainty when loved ones appear to be nearing the end of life’s journey.
• Churches face uncertainty during times of vacancy.
• Nations face uncertainty as they approach a referendum vote.
Those of you who know how this feels will have known something of how Paul felt in the prison before trial.
POINT
How could Paul be so assured in these circumstances?
Because his life was surrendered to Jesus Christ as Lord!
APPLIC
(Challenge to surrender to Lordship of Christ)
• REJOICING IN ADVERSITY v18
• POSITIVE IN CAPTIVITY v19; 25-26
• COURAGEOUS IN UNCERTAINTY v20-21
4. UNSELFISH IN OPPORTUNITY
22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
Did Paul have a choice?
It appears that he is saying ‘If I had the opportunity to choose’
His choice would have been entirely unselfish.
POINT
How did Paul view death?
He was positive about it.
In 1994 I attended Rev Peter Barber’s memorial service at Charlotte Chapel. One of the great hymns he had chosen was a hymn “In Immanuel’s Land”. Again, reading through Ray Stedman’s sermon on this passage he mentions that it was also chosen by D.L Moody at his funeral service, and that the hymn was composed from phrases in letter of Samuel Rutherford. I quote it here:
"The sands of time are sinking. The dawn of heaven breaks;
The summer morn I've sighed for- The fair sweet morn awakes.
Dark, dark has been the midnight, but dayspring is at hand,
And glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
Then the Christian philosophy comes in:
"Oh Christ, He is the fountain, the deep sweet well of love.
The streams on earth I've tasted, more deep I'll drink above.
There to an ocean fullness His glory doth expand,
And glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land."
The bride eyes not her garments but her dear Bridegroom's face.
I will not gaze at glory but on my King of grace.
Not at the crown He giveth, but on His pierced hand.
The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel's land."
POINT
For Paul death seemed so attractive.
But life was also attractive to him.
Life for Paul meant continuing opportunities to serve the Lord for the benefit of others.
POINT
Paul’s confinement did not lead him to think only of himself and wail, ‘Poor me!’
His only thoughts were what might benefit others rather than himself.
APPLIC
For most of us it is not easy to focus on the needs of others when our personal pain or loss occupies our thoughts.
How can we be unselfish when given the opportunity?
Through surrender by faith to the Lord Jesus Christ and with the fullness of the Holy Spirit. (apply)
CLOSING
Paul ‘learned the secret of being content in any and every situation’.
Often that learning came through adverse circumstances.
2 Corinthians 1:8-9 ‘We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,[a] about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.’
James 1:2-4 ‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.’
This learning is a process. Only when we surrender to Christ as Lord as the centre of our lives do we learn well.
It would be interesting to take a questionnaire to the general public that asks them to fill in the blanks with two questions:
FOR ME TO LIVE IS ……………… TO DIE IS ……………………..
What might people say?
For me to live is FOOTBALL to die is NOT KNOWING HOW MY TEAM WILL DO BEFORE THE END OF THE SEASON
For me to live is MONEY to die is NOT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE IT WITH ME
What might you write?
The word put in the blank tells us what we truly worship.
If we cannot in all earnestness write, ‘for me to live is CHRIST’ then let us choose to do so. Only then will be able to say: to die is GAIN.
In my more melancholy and reflective moments I write poems. I find writing poetry to be therapeutic, and I prefer it to journaling. In closing, as we reflect on what it is to live for Christ I will read one of my poems to you.
‘Footprints – his and mine,
What kinds of footprints am I leaving, in the sands of time?
Christ’s footprints shaped the future through the human heart,
Saving, changing, healing, ruling, Lord of every part.
What steps will others take because of me?
Who will choose to take the path that follows Thee?
What footprints are we leaving in the lives of others?
On children, parents, husbands, wives; on sisters and on brothers?
What footprints will they leave in turn in whose hearts your word is sown?
Baby steps that disappear? Or greater steps that others choose to follow in and make their own?
God grant the footprints that I leave will lead to greater things unmeasured though unknown.
