Philippians Chapter 1 (part 2) – “Life with purpose!”
On the Lighter side of life:
Light bulb jokes from the book 1002 Humorous Illustrations. Pages 223-225
Q: How many Calvinists does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: None: God has predestined when the lights will be one.
Q: How many Arminians does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Just one, but it has to be changed again and again?
Q: How many Christian counselors does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Only one, but the bulb has to be committed to long-term change.
Q: How many Presbyterians does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: They don’t know, but they will appoint a commission to discuss it and report back at the next meeting, at which time it will be discussed and referred back for further work.
Q: How many liberals does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: ten, as they need to hold a debate as to whether or not the lightbulb exists. Even if they can agree upon the existence of the lightbulb, they may not go ahead and change it for fear of alienating those who use fluorescent tubes.
Q: How many evangelicals does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Evangelicals do not change lightbulbs. They simply read out the instructions and hope the lightbulb will decide to change itself>
Q: How many Brethren does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Change?
Q: How many Amish does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: What’s a lightbulb?
Q; How many Baptists does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: A whole congregation. They need to vote on it.
Q: How many charismatics does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Twenty-one: one to change it and twenty to share the experience.
Q: How many Pentecostals does it take to change the lightbulb?
A: Ten: one to change it and 9 to pray against the darkness.
Q: How many charismatics does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Three: one to cast it out and two to catch when it falls.
Q: How many Southern Baptists does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: About 16 million: However, they are badly divided over whether changing the bulb is a fundamental need or not.
Q: How televangelists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Honestly, we’re not sure . But for the message of change to continue to go out, please keep those letters and checks coming.
Thesis: When we learn to follow God’s will for our lives and do it with joy then we will conduct ourselves in a manner that is worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Opening Illustration:
The following conversation occurred between a canary in a cage and a lark on the window sill. The lark looked in at the canary and asked, "What is you Purpose?"
"My purpose is to eat seed."
"What for?"
"So I can be strong."
"What for?"
"So I can sing," answered the canary.
"What for?" continued the lark.
"Because when I sing I get more seed."
"So you eat in order to be strong so you can sing so you can get more seed so you can eat?"
"Yes."
"There is more to you than that," the lark offered. "If you’ll follow me I’ll help you find it, but you must leave your cage."
It’s tough to find meaning in a caged world. But that doesn’t keep us from trying. Mine deep enough in every heart and you’ll find it: a longing for meaning, a quest for purpose. As surely as a child breathes, he will someday wonder, "What is the purpose of my life?"
--Max Lucado, In the Grip of Grace
Scripture Text: Philippians 1:12-30
12Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.15It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18But 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, 19for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.20I 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. 21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.27Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
Introduction:
Information from Holman Bible Handbook:
The Letter to the Philippians was written while the apostle Paul was in prison probably from Rome about A.D. 62. He was under house arrest and most likely guards were assigned to make sure he stayed there.
The Philippians church was founded about A.D. 50-51, approximately a decade before the writing of the letter, during Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 16:12-40). Paul and Silas arrived in Philippi and apparently found no Jewish synagogue. There was, however, a place of prayer by the riverside where some women met on the Sabbath to pray. One of these women, Lydia, believed the gospel message Paul preached. As a result of her gratitude to God and to the missionaries, she opened her home to them.
After the missionaries had settled in Philippi, they were arrested when Paul exorcised a demon from a slave girl because her masters aroused opposition against the preachers. They were beaten, thrown into prison, and fastened in stocks. Yet Paul and Silas were still able to praise God and sing hymns. While they were in prison, there was an earthquake, and all the doors were immediately opened. The events of the evening set the stage for the conversion of the jailor and his household. Through the ministry of Paul and Silas, many in Philippi became Christians, and a church was established (see Acts 16).
When Paul and Silas, along with Timothy, left Philippi, Luke, the doctor, remained. Luke apparently did much to help stabilize the young congregation and enhance its outreach ministry.
Philippi was a Roman colony located on the great northern east-west highway, called the Egnatian Way. Philippi took its name from Philip II, Alexander the Great’s father. Just west of town near the Gangitis River, Antony and Octavian defeated Cassius and Brutus in 42 B.C. In 30 B.C. Octavian made the town a Roman colony for retired soldiers and bestowed upon Philippi the full privileges of Roman citizenship. The Philippians took great pride in their privileges as Roman citizens and lived as faithful citizens of Rome, a point to which Paul appealed for illustration purposes in 3:20.
Women in this colony, as in most of the province of Macedonia, were treated with respect. As reflected in the church (Phil 4:2-3), the women in this area were active in public life.
A continuous note of joy in Christ is sounded throughout the letter. Despite Paul’s tests and the difficulties encountered by the church (Phil 1:27-30), the theme of joy in Christ is echoed eighteen times in the four chapters of this letter. An exemplary text of this theme is Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Video Illustration: You’re here for a reason – Superman page 103 Group’s Blockbuster Movie Illustrations 2
Time: 30 - 33
Overview: Clark runs faster than a speeding train to beat some classmates in a car. Pa chastises Clark for showing off. Clark asks if it’s wrong to do things you were made to do. Pa says it’s not, but emphasizes that Clark was put on earth for a reason that’s far larger than scoring touchdowns.
T.S. - God has a purpose for each and every one of us, but what is it? We need to answer this question for ourselves today and discover the purpose God has for us in assisting Him in building the Kingdom of God. Paul knew what his was even while sitting under arrest in Rome.
I. I know my life circumstance have a divine purpose!
a. Paul knew that his imprisonment had a divine purpose and plan. This revelation also enabled him to have joy in the midst of a seemingly depressing situation.
i. Paul recognized that his unique situation was being used by God to spread the Word! This understanding helped him see the circumstance in the eyes of how God saw it.
1. His imprisonment and house arrest created an opportunity to advance the Gospel in Rome itself.
a. Remember he was arrested so that he would stop spreading the message of Jesus but God used this to actually spread the Gospel.
i. Paul wrote some of the New Testament while in prison in the form of letters and this spread the word and it is still spreading the word to this day.
ii. Interesting it had the opposite effect it helped spread the word!
1. We need to remember God is in control! Not mankind! Not the Devil!
b. Paul also influenced many of his prison guards with the Gospel.
i. Some church historians said Paul led many guards to Christ through his imprisonment.
ii. These guards in turn talked to others in the palace.
ii. Illustration about knowing you have purpose:
1. Everyone in Cabrini-Green (one of Chicago’s toughest housing projects), it seems, knows 63 year-old Brother Bill. He’s hard to miss; he wears a flowing, sky-blue cassock made from hundreds of tattered denim patches. Brother Bill’s mission is to bring peace to the troubled housing project. Fifty-three times, by his count, he has waded into gunfire in order to stop it; 53 times the gunfire has stopped, and 53 times he has emerged unscathed. He talks trigger-itching assailants into putting away their guns and going home to their families. He sits beside wounded gangsters who hope to die and persuades them to live. And he insists that there is nothing special about him or his accomplishments. He just says, "I’m an ordinary man on an extraordinary mission." He doesn’t preach, he loves. One of his fans, a 22-year-old Vice Lord, says "I really think God sent him here."--Time Magazine
b. Paul’s lifestyle evangelism spread throughout Rome’s officials as the guards most likely shared the Good News with others event he prominent people of the empire.
i. The text said he influenced the palace guard! How by personally sharing his story with the guards. Paul knew that even sitting under house arrest and with a limited audience he had divine purpose.
1. Paul knew that showing love and grace to his guards would make a world of difference for the future of the Roman empire
2. Remember God always has a divine plan even when we may not see it at the time!
a. Paul’s imprisonment touched the palace of Rome and its leaders.
b. Eventually 100’s of years later this Word made its way to Emperor Constantine himself. From Christian History Magazine Persecution in the Early Church: Christian History, Issue 27, (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, Inc.) 1997.
i. Early Days: Constantine was born on February 27, probably in 272, in the military town of Naissus—modern Nis in eastern Yugoslavia. His father, Constantius, was an army officer; his mother, Helena, was a woman of lowly origins whom Constantius later (probably by 290) found it prudent to divorce as his political aspirations took shape. Not much is known for certain about their religious attitudes. Helena became a Christian—and one of outstanding piety only after her famous son’s conversion. Constantius enforced without enthusiasm only the first of the anti-Christian measures of the Great Persecution in Britain and Gaul (France)—the sector of the Empire he took charge of in 293 as a junior emperor (Caesar). One of his children by his second wife was named Anastasia, from the Greek word for “resurrection,” which implies pro-Christian sympathies going beyond mere tolerance. Eusebius later portrayed him as a worshiper of the one true God, but not in unmistakably Christian terms. The evidence suggests that Constantine could have acquired from his father a predisposition to take a serious look at Christianity when the opportunity offered.
ii. Sentiments like these resonate throughout Constantine’s letters and edicts. They reveal a deeply religious man who believed that the well-being of the Empire was dependent on God, and that God would prosper the fortunes of the Empire so long as he was truly worshiped by its inhabitants. This true worship (so Constantine held, with ever-sharpening clarity) was the worship offered by the Christian church, and the true God was the God of the Christians.
iii. How Constantine came by these controlling religious convictions has long been disputed. Two Christian writers, Lactantius and Eusebius, had direct contact with Constantine in later years. They write that on the eve of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, Constantine had a dream (Lactantius) or a vision (Eusebius) that convinced him to enter the fray, trusting in the Christians’ God, and to display a distinctively Christian emblem. The veracity of these accounts is, in the last resort, beyond corroboration. Nevertheless, they speak, in however embellished a form, of a decisive shift in religious allegiance—a conversion—and this is acknowledged today by eminent Roman historians, like Ramsay MacMullen and Timothy Barnes, who have no ecclesiastical axe to grind. As Norman H. Bayne wrote, Constantine’s action in confronting Maxentius “is more explicable if Constantine was convinced that the Christian God had assured him victory.”
iv. It must be stressed, though, that the genuineness of Constantine’s pro-Christian stance does not depend on the historicity of the dream and the vision. It is writ unmistakably large in his words and deeds from shortly after the decisive victory. This consideration, for those who carry no prejudice against divine communications through dreams and visions, may properly count in favor of their authenticity in Constantine’s case.
c. Paul’s imprisonment also fired others up to go preach the good news some even for wrong reasons but as he said at least they are spreading it.
i. Some of Paul’s disciples became encouraged and went out to preach the risen Savior because of Paul’s willingness to be arrested for the cause of Jesus.
1. His faithfulness encouraged them to press on.
2. The more courageous Paul was the more fearless the others became in spreading the Good News.
3. His faithful witness fired others up to continue spreading the news of Jesus Christ.
a. Paul observed that some did it for the wrong reason:
i. Some did because they were envious of Paul.
ii. Some did it out of rivalry against Paul.
iii. Some did it for selfish ambition.
1. But Paul said at least they are proclaiming the Word of God!
b. He does note that many did it though for the right reason:
i. They were motivated by love
ii. They had Good will in their hearts.
iii. They did it to defend the Gospel of love.
4. Paul became encouraged because the Gospel was going forth in power and in many more ways than he could have ever done or proclaimed on his own.
a. If you deliberately plan to be less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you’ll be unhappy for the rest of your lives.--Abraham Maslow
ii. Truth is God uses our lives to spread the Good News as long as we are obedient to His plan and to His purpose with our lives.
1. Clip from DVD – Faith in the White House!
2. We may find ourselves in a difficult point in life but never underestimate what God is doing through your life and testimony.
a. People are listening and people are being influenced by your life either negatively or positively.
3. Paul was obedient and he understood God uses everyday life circumstances in our lives to spread the Good News to a lost and hurting world.
a. We are never to underestimate what God is doing with our lives.
i. He is there everyday if you invite him to be apart of your day.
b. He uses those who want to expand their hearts of love toward others- even in prison – even in school – even at work – even in relationships throughout our days!
d. John Maxwell shared these thoughts about Paul’s ability to know what his purpose was in life:
i. Taken from the Maxwell Leadership Bible.
1. How did Paul sense of purpose keep him in the battle as he sat in prison? What did he learn behind bars? Consider the following:
a. A purpose will motivate you.
b. A purpose will keep your priorities straight.
c. A purpose will develop your potential.
d. A purpose will give you power to live in the present.
e. A purpose will help you evaluate your progress. (Page 1447).
ii. Here’s an easy question. What is the primary purpose of an ink pen? The answer, of course, is to write. A $110 Mont Blanc that is out of ink may be pretty to look at, but it is a failure as a pen; it is not fulfilling its purpose. It is useless. In fact, when it comes time to endorse your paycheck you’ll bypass the solid gold pen, and use a twenty-nine-cent Bic.
1. We also need to do our purpose in life by writing with our lives the message of the Good News.
2. Illustration: A man once stood before God, his heart breaking from the pain and injustice in the world. "Dear God," he cried out, "look at all the suffering, the anguish and distress in your world. Why don’t you send help?" God responded, "I did send help. I sent you." When we tell our children that story, we must tell them that each one of them was sent to help repair the broken world--and that it is not the task of an instant or of a year, but of a lifetime.--David J. Wolpe: Teaching Your Children About God
3. The truth is we all have divine purpose and we need to know what it is and then do it with our whole hearts.
T.S. – Paul knew he was in the will of God and this encouraged him in his predicament. He discovered that because he was supported by his friends and in the will of God that all this gave him joy.
II. I choose to rejoice in the Lord!
a. Paul in prison chose to be joyful not sorrowful.
i. He believes with his whole heart that good is going to come out of this ordeal.
1. Paul knew that good can come out of something that is meant for evil he had seen God do it time and time again.
2. His situation would produce fruit!
3. Illustration from Stories for Preachers:
a. When you read the newspaper or watch TV, remember that bad news sells, and the media is compelled to put a negative spin on everything--even good news. One February the Washington Post ran a headline stating "US Economy Gains, Adds 400,000 Jobs In One Month: Report Spurs Fears." Most people would consider job growth good news; the Post warned that it could lead to increased interest rates. When job growth slowed down a couple of months later, the New York Times ran a headline stating that the reversal was "Stirring Concern". Once, when the dollar was weak the Wall Street Journal warned that it would drive away foreign investors and threaten our economy. Later, when the dollar became strong the New York Times cried that rapid growth prevents us from being able to "maintain economic stability in the foreign-exchange market." The bottom line is this: you can put a negative spin on anything--even good news. Or you can find something good in any situation--if you look.
b. The truth is we need to look for the good in what ever circumstance we find ourselves in.
i. Bad is always there but so is the Good and the Good will prevail in the end.
ii. In his 35 years with the United Nations system, Kofi Annan has come to be known as an evenhanded man with an ability to see parts and the whole at the same time. It is this quality that makes him one of the more popular executives in the United Nations. He recalls an unforgettable lesson learned in Ghana at age 17: One day our headmaster walked into the classroom and put up a broad sheet of paper with a small black dot in one corner. "Boys," he asked, "what do you see?" All of us shouted in unison, "A black dot!" Then he said, "So not a single one of you saw the large white sheet of paper? Don’t go through life with that attitude."--Newsweek
ii. Paul bathes in the certainty that the prayers of the saints will make a difference in his circumstance.
1. The prayer’s of this church encouraged him and lifted his spirits.
2. The prayers of this church moved the obstacles and the Gospel was promoted to the Roman Empire in spite of Paul’s difficult circumstance.
b. Paul chooses to rejoice in whatever will happen in the future because he knows he is in the will of the Lord.
i. Paul chooses to rejoice even though his predicament requires courage and faith.
ii. He knows his life or his death will bring glory to God.
1. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
2. Paul has the right mind set for his situation.
a. He is torn between two possibilities:
i. Living for Christ means he will produce fruit in his life.
1. Paul always emphasized that the genuine Christian life would produce fruit. This fruit is spiritual births and spiritual growth.
ii. Dieing for Christ will also bring blessings.
1. He says this is the better of the two options.
2. Why? Because if he died he would then be with Jesus and it does not get any better than that!
b. Oswald Chamber states this about our attitude and service to the Lord:
i. After sanctification, it is difficult to state what your purpose in life is, because God has moved you into His purpose through the Holy Spirit. He is using you now for His purposes throughout the world as He used His Son for the purpose of our salvation. If you seek great things for yourself, thinking, “God has called me for this and for that,” you barricade God from using you. As long as you maintain your own personal interests and ambitions, you cannot be completely aligned or identified with God’s interests. This can only be accomplished by giving up all of your personal plans once and for all, and by allowing God to take you directly into His purpose for the world. Your understanding of your ways must also be surrendered, because they are now the ways of the Lord. I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. God is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him. I should never say, “Lord, this causes me such heartache.” To talk that way makes me a stumbling block. When I stop telling God what I want, He can freely work His will in me without any hindrance. He can crush me, exalt me, or do anything else He chooses. He simply asks me to have absolute faith in Him and His goodness. Self-pity is of the devil, and if I wallow in it I cannot be used by God for His purpose in the world. Doing this creates for me my own cozy “world within the world,” and God will not be allowed to move me from it because of my fear of being “frost-bitten.”
3. But Paul knew that this was not his choice to make it was up to the purpose and the plan of God for his life.
a. His mission was ordained by God and he needed to follow it through.
b. He wants to see Jesus overflowing into this world as a result of his life or his death.
i. This revelation is what truly brings him joy.
1. To know that you are in the will of God and that your life has a divine purpose will help you to go through life or death.
2. It will not matter which happens in your life because both will bring the blessing of God into your life.
T.S. – Paul knew his attitude would make all the difference in this life and he choose the way of joy over sorrow or bitterness. Paul then closes his first chapter by giving the Philippians a few final instructions to live by.
III. Finals Instructions from Paul to the church:
a. Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
i. Be worthy of your gifted title “Christian.”
1. Honor the name of Christ! Do not dishonor His name by acts of the sinful nature or self centered living. Our Christian character does make a difference!
a. Vince Gill stated: “Success is always temporary. When all is said and done, the only thing you’ll have left is your character.”
b. Helen Keller stated: “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
c. Billy Graham, The Hour of Decision, 1956:
i. America seems to be pleasure-mad. We have to be amused morning, noon, and night. Television is making a tremendous change in America’s spiritual sensitivity. I have had pastor after pastor write me and tell me that he can see the difference in the spiritual life of his congregation since television came. People have to be amused, and we do not have time for thought, meditation, prayer, and Godly pursuits, as we used to.
ii. From Stories for preachers:
1. In business, a person’s character is determined by his or her credit history. If you have a good credit rating, you are considered a person of good character. Previously your credit rating would impact only financial aspects of your life, such as the ability to get credit cards, buy a home, finance a car, and so on. However, insurance companies are beginning to run credit checks on people before they will approve them for insurance. How well you pay your bills says a lot about how well you drive, how well you take care of your home, and how well you take care of yourself.
a. Would it not be nice to be able to go to the internet and type our name in and ask for a character report on ourselves from Heaven?
b. How well would you do in conducting yourself in manner worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
i. What would your rating be?
b. Stand firm – stay united in the Spirit and contend for and fight for the Gospel this will reveal your character.
i. Paul knows that the strength of the church is in its ability to stand firm in the Gospel and to stay united in their relationships.
ii. He knows as Jesus did that the church must be united if it wants to impact this world.
1. Rick Warren stated: “I’m looking for a second reformation. The first reformation of the church 500 years ago was about beliefs. This one is going to be about behavior. The first one was about creeds. This one is going to be about deeds. It is not going to be about what does the church believe, but about what is the church doing.”
c. Don’t be afraid because this will undermine your character.
i. The word tells us that perfect love casts out fear. If we fall into fear and fail to be the witness the Lord has called us to be then our Christians character is undermined.
1. 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
2. 1 Peter 3:14-17:14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
a. Peter knew what fear could do to your character and to your life. He experienced it when he denied Christ out of fear.
b. But he also knew that when you learn to make your stand for the Gospel the Lord will be right there with you and therefore you need to not be afraid!
ii. We need to always remember greater is he that is us than he that is the world.
d. Suffer for the cause of Christ you will never regret it and it will develop your character.
i. James 1:2, 3: 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
ii. Paul uses his trial to share the important truth that we all need to know suffering will come in this life and it’s all about how you handle it!
1. People with Godly character will be matured and blessed.
2. People with ungodly character will crash and burn and bring disgrace to Gospel.
3. Remember the struggle is for the proclamation of the truth to the lost in this day and hour and we may be called on by the Lord to suffer some for His message.
Conclusion: Lessons learned from chapter 1 for us to apply to our lives:
1. Develop genuine authentic relationships with other believers it will encourage you and they will support you in the tough times.
a. Pray for your friends
b. Encourage your friends with you words and your actions.
c. Help your friends out financially if need be.
2. Make sure that you know the purpose of God for your life and press through with it no matter what the opposition does.
3. Choose to rejoice and let joy dominate you mindset and your attitude through the tough times of life.
4. Make sure you conduct yourselves like Christians should and remember to not become afraid of doing the right thing even in the midst of persecution. Take suffering as a badge of joy because of being in the right position with Christ.
