Ray Stedman, who is now with the Lord, was one of the greatest Bible teachers in the past 50 years. In his teaching on chapter 1 verses 12-26, he opens up with these words.
“I love this passage from the letter to the Philippians because it depicts the unmistakable marks of authentic Christianity. This is a refreshing contrast with the pale, anemic variety that we often meet today. I must confess that I’ve grown somewhat weary of the anxious, discouraged, ordinary, no different from the rest of the world Christians we so frequently run across. It is refreshing to me to think of Paul who is cheerful, optimistic and confident in Christ, undiscouraged despite his circumstances. When you meet someone like that it’s as though a window has been opened and the breezes of the Spirit blow refreshingly from that life.”
I LOVE THAT OBSERVATION. And I think we are living in a cultural moment where there is a great need for the windows to be opened and the breezes of the Spirit refresh others through our lives of undiminished joy. So, let me offer a little cultural commentary so that you can understand why I think this series is so important.
People have had their joy robbed:
• Because they’ve lost loves ones to COVID-19
• Others have lost their joy because they’ve been so isolated during this time (even when it’s the wise thing to do)
• Others are battling anxiety and depression
• People on both sides of the COVID-19 response are hurting, not just the ones who agree with me on how it should be handled
• People have had their joy diminished because of police brutality
• Others have loved ones that are a police officers and they are suffering
• People who are afraid that their religious liberties are being violated are suffering from a lack of joy
• Others think the government is taking wise steps but are still deeply concerned about rising suicides, rising cases of depression and anxiety and rising instances of domestic violence
• People who support the right to peaceful protest are suffering from a lack of joy out of fear of not being heard
• Those whose businesses and private properties were unlawfully destroyed are suffering from a lack of joy because they too were sinned against.
Some have had their joy diminished because of political disagreements where professing Christians are guilty of attacking people instead of problems. Instead of conversations where we spend our energy and intellect on solutions, we spend our energy and display our lack of intellect by degrading the character of the person who disagrees with us but is also a fellow image bearer of God. This is my biggest beef with the current state of politics. People – even Christian people – attack fellow image bearers instead of attacking problems.
And if you are a follower of Christ, and you do that, you are not a part of the solution, you are part of the problem. AND if you take joy in being a part of the problem, my prayer is that you would repent…and quite honestly, if you are unwilling to repent, my prayer is that you would join another church instead of running the risk of misrepresenting ours.
So when we say that we need to be concerned about the lack of joy in our country right now, please don’t apply that need only to people who look like you and vote like you. If Jesus, and not favorable circumstances, is the true source of unalterable joy (AND HE IS), then you and I should be deeply concerned about EVERYONE finding joy because finding joy means finding Jesus. So, if you’re excited about everyone finding Jesus-centered joy, would you turn with me to Philippians chapter 1 for a message titled “Developing A Mindset of Joy.”
When I was growing up, some of the churches that I was associated with talked a lot about being different from the world as Christians…and we would quote Romans 12:2: “Be not conformed to this world.” And sadly, we were so close to getting this right until our secret formula for NOT being conformed to this world started focusing more on external behavior than what was going on in the heart. In fact, we had some rather long lists of DOs and DON’Ts that involved dress codes and hair cuts and the events we could attend and the places we couldn’t go. And instead of ending up being different, we just ended up being weird.
And sadly, despite my church’s encouragement to the contrary, I came to realize that weird is not attractive. And over time, I began to realize that what’s attractive to people is when there’s a difference on the inside of us DESPITE what’s going on around us. What’s attractive is loving people in a culture of hate. What’s attractive is having joy when it’s hard to come by.
So let’s read from Philippians chapter 1 to see how we can develop a mindset of joy in a culture of chaos.
Philippians 1:12-26
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…
You can develop a mindset of joy if you choose to…
1. MAKE GOSPEL ADVANCEMENT YOUR PRIMARY PASSION
Have you ever met one of those people that if you wrote them a thousand dollar check they would grumble about having to go to the bank to cash it? That is absolutely NOT Paul. In fact, he starts out in verse 12 by writing: “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” Take off the white gloves that we use to tell cute little Bible stories from Scripture and see the significance here…Paul wants them to know that in spite of the circumstances, he rejoices. Why? Because though his conditions are not pleasant (perhaps the understatement of his life) the gospel is going forward.
Paul is giving testimony of the fact that in spite of everything that Caesar has done to him, it has ALL served to advance the gospel. Can you imagine how life would be different if in every difficult situation, God’s people would pause to ask, “How can the spotlight be put on Jesus right now?” Imagine no longer judging things by the happiness they bring but instead saying this: “I may have an opportunity to be used of God that would not have been possible apart from these unpleasant circumstances!”
Look at the word “advance” in verse 12: “what has happened to me has really served to ADVANCE the gospel.” The word “advance” which is also translated “progress” in other versions, is an interesting word in the original Greek language. It’s not just a word that means progress in the sense that something moves along. It has inherent in it the idea that something is moving along in spite of overwhelming obstacles. That word is used, for example, in extra biblical usages to speak of an army or an expedition that is moving along. The verb form of the word means literally to cut down in advance. And it pictures those who would go before an army cutting down trees and hacking their way through undergrowth to make a path for the army to follow. So it’s progress against resistance, progress against opposition, progress against those things which would hinder the advance.
This is what’s happening in communist China. If you’ve been reading the reports this week, the Chinese government is becoming increasingly hostile to Christianity and they are forcing the church back underground. And yet these same Christians are growing in their boldness in sharing the hope of Jesus and His church is advancing & progressing…some might even say thriving. Just like what’s happening in verse 12, God is sovereignly advancing the gospel in China despite the absence of favorable circumstances. And Paul’s joy rested on this same truth. Just like in communist China, Caesar had no power to slow down the gospel.
If I’m honest this morning, I am often guilty (in the midst of troubling times) of praying for God’s deliverance rather than for His help in advancing the gospel in the midst of my struggles. One of the most popular Christian books of all times is Pilgrim’s Progress. It was written by John Bunyan. And because the book became so popular, we think of Bunyan as only an author. But Bunyan was also a great preacher. His preaching was so powerful that they put him in the Bedford jail to silence him but he preached sermons at the top of his voice which wafted over the walls and people would gather outside the jail walls to hear him preach even though they couldn’t see him. They finally silenced him by moving him down to an area so far beneath the main level that nobody could hear him preach. And since he couldn’t preach, he wrote what we now know as Pilgrim’s Progress.
See, they thought they could silence the preacher but instead they gave him opportunity to write a book that has preached to millions and millions and millions of people, generation after generation after generation after generation. John Bunyan saw the government’s effort to stop the message of Christ, not as an obstacle that would steal his joy, but rather as an opportunity to further the message of Christ.
Look with me at verse 13: “so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” Paul could have said, “My ability to be used by God has ended because I am chained to this soldier.” Instead he recognized that he had a captive audience.
I can’t help but think that there were Christians in the Roman church praying, “O God, help us somehow to reach Caesar’s household. Help us somehow to reach the elite corps of the Praetorian Guard. Help us to get the gospel into the high places. Help us to reach these people.” But there was no way in. And so the Lord in His wonderful wisdom made the whole Palace Guard captive to Paul at six-hour intervals while he evangelized them all and they were saved and evangelized each other. You say, “How do you know that?” Look at Philippians 4 when Paul closes the letter almost tongue in cheek in verse 22 he says, “All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.” Little by little, the conversion of Caesar’s household is taking place and this might not have taken place had Paul become a prisoner of his circumstances instead of using his circumstances as a platform to display joy and Jesus.
Theologian F.B. Meyer writes, “How absolutely consistent the Apostle must have been. If there had been the least divergence, day or night, from the high standard which he upheld, his soldier companions would have caught at it and passed it on to others. The fact that so many became earnest Christians and that the word of Jesus was known far and wide throughout the Praetorian Guard indicates how absolutely consistent the Apostle’s life was.”
Isn’t it ironic that God chooses to use a man in chains as our model for joy? And in doing so, we see that Paul’s joy wasn’t related to comfort. His joy wasn’t related to self-indulgence. His joy wasn’t related to freedom. His joy wasn’t related to success…and we’ll see later in this letter that his joy wasn’t related to his reputation.
Do any of those things strike a nerve with you? Because this was pretty sobering to see in my study this week. Let me read that list again: comfort, self-indulgence (happiness related to wealth), freedom, success, reputation…and we see from other letters that Paul would include his marital position (he was single) and his health.
You see, this unique cultural moment can either be viewed through the lens of “I got a raw deal” or they can be viewed as “I have a unique opportunity that has been providentially allowed by God.” That means if you’re a white person, how are you going to make Jesus attractive to those that aren’t white? That means if you are a Christian Republican, how are you going to make Jesus attractive to non-Christian Democrats? If you are a Christian Democrat, how are you going to make Jesus attractive to non-Christian Republicans? If you’re a Buckeye fan…ah, let’s not even go there! But in all seriousness, do you see what I am getting at? You can either view yourself as a prisoner to your circumstances or you can view your circumstances as a platform for Jesus. One causes bitterness, but the other causes joy…and the beauty is that you get to choose. You can develop a mindset of joy if you choose to make gospel advancement your primary passion.
Philippians 1:19-26
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. 25Convinced 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.
You can develop a mindset of joy…
2. IF YOU TRULY VIEW DEATH AS GAIN
We read a list earlier of things that couldn’t steal Paul’s joy…and here’s another thing to add to the list. Death – Paul says that even the greatest enemy of all has no power to steal our joy. I grew up listening to the likes of Charles Stanley, and John MacArthur, and Chuck Swindoll. But it wasn’t until later in life as an adult that I came to know of Dr. Adrian Rogers. He was the pastor at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, TN, for 33 years…there are probably some of you in this room this morning that believe Dr. Rogers was one of the greatest preachers to ever live.
When Dr. Rogers was near death, he got to the point where he had to be put on a ventilator. Once that happened, in his final days he would communicate with his family using a small whiteboard and marker. As the seriousness of his treatment progressed, there came a moment when he realized that he may not come out of the procedure alive. And so he grabbed his whiteboard and wrote this to his family, “I’m a winner either way.” Dr. Rogers knew that death would not rob him of an opportunity to experience joy but rather death for a Christian provided an occasion for joy and a gateway to even greater joy. Paul agreed with him.
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…
So Paul had joy in his heart…we’ve seen that all through chapter one, but suddenly we see that death was also on his mind. Obviously in these verses, we see that the idea of death was not very far outside the realm of possibility for Paul. And the question that I think is a good question to ask of this text is this: How can joy and death (or loss) co-exist in the same heart…and in the same house? To die is gain?
“TO DIE IS GAIN” DOES NOT MEAN:
• “To die is gain” does not mean that a Christian should desire death because he hates life.
Paul didn’t hate life. To the contrary, he was filled with joy, even though his circumstances were difficult (1:18). He viewed life as sweet fellowship with Christ and the joy of serving Christ. So he was not viewing life as tough and death as escape or relief. Sometimes when life is difficult, or when a person suffers from a chronic, painful disease, he longs for relief and may be tempted even to take his own life. Sometimes even godly men get into such a state of depression that they would rather die than live. Moses (Num. 11:15), Elijah (1 Kings 19:4), Jeremiah (Jer. 20:14-18), and Jonah (Jon. 4:3, 8) all hit low points where they asked God to take their lives. But suicide is never God’s will for anyone. Suicide is not the unpardonable sin, but it also does not exalt Christ, as Paul clearly wants his death to do. See, I’m pro life ESPECIALLY when it comes to MINE. And Paul was the same way…he clearly didn’t hate life.
• “To die is gain” does not mean that a Christian should not grieve over the death of loved ones.
Until Christ returns, death is still our enemy that robs us of the presence of our loved ones. Scripture doesn’t condemn grieving. In fact, it tells us to “weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). Jesus wept with Mary and Martha at Lazarus’ tomb, even though He knew He was about to raise him from the dead (John 11:35). As Christians, we do not grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13), but we still do grieve.
My grandma died about a year and half ago…I had been close to her as a child but I was still surprised when grief overtook me at her funeral. My grandma was famous for her molasses crinkle cookies. And even though she handed out the recipe to everyone in the family, NO ONE has EVER been able to reproduce her cookies. I LIVED for Thanksgiving when she would literally make dozens and dozens of these special cookies. And during her funeral, I was able to hold myself together as I was asked to represent all of her grandchildren during her funeral, but when I came to reminiscing about these cookies, I was overcome with emotion. I knew she was in the presence of Jesus and yet I was sad at the thought of her passing!
So it’s not unspiritual to grieve or weep at the death of a loved one and tears are not a sign of weakness. As Christians, we don’t long for death because we hate life and we are allowed to grieve EVEN when we know where our loved ones have gone.
“TO DIE IS GAIN” DOES MEAN:
• We receive reward for our labors…
The word “gain” in verse 21 refers to “profit” or interest on money. For the world the mantra is “get rich before you die” for the Christian it is “die and get rich.” Here’s why.
Paul had counted everything else as loss for the sake of Christ (3:7), and had invested his entire life in the goal of knowing and serving Christ. Death would usher him into the Lord’s presence where he would hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter the joy of your Master.”
In light of the reality of Christ’s victory over death through His resurrection, Paul wrote (1 Cor. 15:58), “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” Death brings you to eternal rewards! Death opens the door for us to receive the promised, rich returns on all that we have invested for Christ.
• If for me to live is Christ, then to die is gain, but…
• If for me to live is money, then to die is to leave it all behind
• If for me to live is pleasure, then to die is to miss all the fun
• If for me to live is ambition, then to die is to become insignificant
• If for me to live is possessions, then to die is to have them all rust and fade
•
“TO DIE IS GAIN” DOES MEAN:
• …and release from our sin
During our initial ReGathering as a church family back on Sunday evenings in June, we studied three terms the first week of our Bible Study: Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification
Justification – release from the PENALTY of sin
Sanctification – release from the POWER of sin
Glorification – release from the PRESENCE of sin
To die is gain means that we’re once and forever released from the PRESENCE of sin in our lives. We’ll lose EVERYTHING we don’t need – the world, the flesh, and the devil. We lose our trials, troubles, tears and fears. Our minds are forever rid of disease and pain. Jealousy and pride are words we’ll never use again. For those in Jesus Christ, death is gone forever. And we’ll KEEP all the stuff that matters – our personality, our identity, and our fruit. And we’ll GAIN EVERYTHING that we never had before – heaven, rewards, fellowship with other believers, and the thing that should get you the most excited, the presence of God! And just the thought of that, brought joy to Paul, and it should to you too.
“To live is Christ, but to die is gain!” A pastor was asked over a century ago, “Are you afraid to cross the river of death?” He quickly answered, “Why should I be? My Father owns the land on both sides of the river!”
I love studying the historical context of the early church. After Caesar, the next emperor was a man named Nero and about the time the New Testament was being written, he persecuted the church unlike anything the world had ever seen. And the Christians were forced to run for their lives…they literally scattered all over Europe and Asia Minor. But they took the hope of Jesus with them…many of them had physically encountered Jesus during his ministry just a few decades earlier. And in the midst of pain and suffering, the church grew like wildfire. Church, we are at a cultural crossroads…it’s easy to look over the past 4 months and to see that. But Jesus said in the famous Sermon on the Mount that light pierces darkness. And just like with the 1st-Century Church, I believe with all my heart that our testimony of joy, our light, can be more powerful and more influential right now than at any other point in human history. And so let’s declare in our hearts today that we choose joy! Would you do that with me this morning?
