“Letters From Prison”
Philippians 1:3-11
PHP 1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.
INTRODUCTION
• This morning, I want to begin a series on the book of Philippians…we’re going to break this book into small parts and learn a lot of great things from it .
• Today, I want to begin with the 1st chapter and present Paul’s letter from prison.
• What are some highlights from this letter that should challenge us this morning?
I. Paul’s CONFIDENCE {vs 6}
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
• Let’s remind ourselves whom Paul is writing to. This is a church that he founded/started. It was in an area that saw a great move of God {see Acts 16}
• Yet, Paul did not look at these people like a trophy on the shelf…he knew there was more that the Lord wanted to do in their lives
• With God, there are no incomplete projects…Jesus finishes the things that He starts
• You are a work in progress, friend! That is a good thing!
II. Paul’s CONFINEMENT {vs 7}
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.
• The great man of God who did so many great things for the Lord found himself in a prison
• Sometimes, bad things will happen to very good people!
• Do you allow the negative circumstances and unfair treatment we receive to keep us from doing the work and the ministry of the Lord? How about your walk with the Lord?
ILLUSTRATION
Deaths of the Disciples
History tells us…
1. John died of extreme old age exiled to the island of Patmos.
2. Judas Iscariot, after betraying his Lord, hanged himself.
3. Peter was crucified; head downward, during the persecution of Nero.
4. Andrew died on a cross at Patrae, a Grecian Colony.
5. James, the younger, son of Alphaeus, was thrown from a pinnacle of the
Temple, and then beaten to death with a club.
6. Bartholomew was flayed alive in Albanapolis, Armenia.
7. James, the elder son of Zebedee, was beheaded at Jerusalem.
8. Thomas, the doubter, was run through the body with a lance at Coromandel,
in the East Indies.
9. Philip was hanged against a pillar at Heropolis.
10. Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows.
11. Simon died on a cross in Persia (what we now call Iran.).
12. Matthew was first stoned and then beheaded.
• Paul states that even though he was in chains, he had a heart for God and for His people
III. Paul’s CONFIRMATION {vs 7}
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.
• Paul’s heartbeat was to share the gospel in any situation he found himself in
• What’s your heartbeat, this morning? What consumes you?
ILLUSTRATION
If you saw the movie "Titanic," you know much of what took place when the ship that “even God couldn’t sink” DID sink. Of the 1,528 people who ended up in the icy water, only six were rescued. But did you know that one of those six was actually saved twice that night? His story is an inspiring reminder that there’s more to life than mere survival.
To tell this man’s story, though, I have to first tell you about another man, a Scot named John Harper. Harper, a minister of the Gospel, boarded the Titanic with his six-year-old daughter, Nana. He planned to travel to the Moody Church in Chicago, where he’d been invited to preach for three months. When the ship struck the fateful iceberg and began to sink, Harper made sure his daughter was placed into one of the lifeboats. He then began what would be the last evangelistic work of his young life.
As the freezing waters began to fill the ship, Harper was heard shouting, "Let the women, children and the unsaved into the lifeboats." Survivors reported that Harper took off his own life jacket and gave it to another man. "Don’t worry about me," he reportedly said, "I’m not going down, I’m going up!"
When the ship began to sink, more than 1,500 passengers jumped or fell into the icy waters. As they gradually drowned or froze to death, Harper was seen swimming from one passenger to another, pleading with them to accept Christ.
Only six of the 1,500 people struggling in the water were later rescued, including a man who later identified himself as Harper’s last convert. This young man had climbed up on a piece of debris. Harper, who was struggling in the water near him, shouted out, "Are you saved?" "No," the man replied. Harper then shouted the words from Scripture: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." The man did not answer, and a moment later he drifted away on the waves. A few minutes later, the current brought the two men back together. Again Harper asked, "Are you saved?" Once again, the answer was "no." With his dying breath, Harper shouted, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." He then slipped under the waves for the last time.
Then and there, the man he had witnessed to decided to turn his life over to Christ. Four years later, at a Titanic survivors meeting in Ontario, Canada, this man tearfully gave his testimony recounting how John Harper had led him to the Lord.
• I believe that we must get to the point in our spiritual lives where we are consumed with the idea of people hearing about Jesus and seeing Him change their lives!
IV. Paul’s CONFESSION {vs 9-11}
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.
• Look at the prayer that Paul prayed for these people:
1. Compassion (9)
He prayed that their love would abound more and more
2. Choices (10)
He prayed that they would be pure and blameless
3. Character (11)
He prayed that their walk would be displayed to all people
• Friend that is my prayer for all of us this morning.
RESPONSE
• How is the Lord challenging you this morning?
1. In his CONFIDNECE
2. In his CONFINEMENT
3. In his CONFIRMATION
4. In His CONFESSION
• Can I challenge you to respond to this prison letter?
• Not by correspondence; but by finding a place to pray and speak with your Lord this morning
