Philippians 1: Joy in the Furtherance of the Gospel

PHILIPPIANS 1:1-14

Application: We should recognize God's leadership and providence in all the things that happen to us.

PAUL BEGINS BY MAKING SURE IT IS CLEAR THAT HE IS WRITING TO ALL THE BELIEVERS IN THE CHURCH.

“he prays for them all” (1:4)

“he loves them all” (1:7)

“he would like to be with them all” (1:8)

“he would like to stay with them all” (1:25)

“his final greetings are to them all” (4:21)

HE SAYS THE LETTER IS TO ALL THE SAINTS IN CHRIST JESUS &

TO THE BISHOPS & TO THE DEACONS.

HE OFFERS THEM GRACE AND PEACE, HIS FAMILIAR GREETING.

HE THEN GIVES THANKS FOR THEM FOR EVERY REMEMBRANCE OF THEM.

THIS CHURCH SUPPORTED PAUL'S MINISTRY WHEN HE WAS WITH THEM (ACTS 15) & LATER AS WELL (2ND COR 8 & 9 & 11).

THESE WERE FAITHFUL AND STEADFAST BELIEVERS AND PAUL PROVES THAT BY THANKING GOD FOR THEIR FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL.

HE TELLS THEM GOD HAS BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN THEM AND IT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE DAY JESUS RETURNS.

NOW IN VERSES 7-8 HE DECLARS HIS AFFECTION FOR THESE MEMBERS.

HE SAYS HE HAS THEM IN HIS HEART AND SAYS THAT AS GOD AS HIS WITNESS HE ASSURES THEM OF HIS LOVE.

NOW IN VERSES 9-11 HE OFFERS HIS PRAYER FOR THESE FAITHFUL ONES.

HE PRAYES THAT THEIR LOVE MAY ABOUND EVEN MORE AND BE SEEN IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND DISCERNMENT.

THIS HOPE FOR THEIR DISCERNMENT WAS CRITICAL AS THERE WERE THOSE OFFERING FALSE TEACHINGS ON JEWISH DIET AND CEREMONIAL LAW AND CIRCUMCISION ON TOP OF THE GOSPEL.

PAUL PRAYS THAT THEY SHOULD BE SINCERE AND HAVE NO OFFENSE, MEANING THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT THE FALSE DOCTRINE BEING OFFERED.

IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO SIMPLY BE SINCERE ALONE.

THE JUDAIZERS WERE ALSO SINCERE, BUT THEY WERE SINCERELY WRONG.

PAUL PRAYS THEY BE FILLED WITH FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH ARE THE RESULTS OF BEING SINCERE AND WITHOUT OFFENSE.

NOW IN VERSES 11-14 PAUL EXPLAINS HIS PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES.

HE TELLS THEM HE IS UNDER PALACE GUARD BUT THAT HIS ACTUAL CHAINS ARE NOT CHAINS OF ROME BUT ARE SPIRITUAL CHAINS OF JESUS CHRIST.

THOSE WHO ARE WITH HIM IN ROME AS HE WAITS IN PRISON ARE MADE BOLD BY HIS WILLINGNESS TO PREACH AND WITNESS FOR THE LORD SO THEY ARE DOING THE SAME.

THIS IS THE FURTHERANCE OF THE GOSPEL, EVEN UNDER MOST DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCE.

HE WANTED THEM TO KNOW THAT HE WAS NOT OUT OF THE LORD'S BLESSING, EVEN IN PRISON.

WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT IT WAS IN THE JAIL AT PHILLIPI THAT THE LORD HEARD THE SONGS OF PRAISE OF PAUL AND BROUGHT A GREAT EARTHQUAKE WHICH FREED HIM.

IT ALSO LED TO THE SALVATION OF THE JAILER AND HIS ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD.

WE ALSO NOW KNOW THAT THE FURTHERANCE OF THE GOSPEL WAS EVEN GREATER THAT THIS LETTER ALLOWS.

DURING THESE PRISON DAYS, HE WROTE THE EPISTLES OF EPHESIANS, COLOSSIANS AND THIS ONE TO PHILLIPI.

THERE IS A GOOD LESSON HERE ABOUT NOT WASTING THE TIME GOD HAS GIVEN US, EVEN WHEN WE ARE IN POOR VALLEYS OF SPIRIT.

WE SHOULD LEARN FROM PAUL TO BE  CONTENT IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES AND TO CONTINUE TO WITNESS FOR HIM NO MATTER HOW DARK THE DAYS MAY BE.

PAUL MINISTERED EFFECTIVELY AND BROUGHT PEOPLE TO THE LORD WITH CONFIDENCE AND BOLDNESS, CONVERTING EVEN PALACE GUARDS WHO WERE ASSIGNED TO GUARD HIM.

HE EVEN SAYS HE HAS BECOME CONFIDENT IN HIS CHAINS.

THOSE AROUND HIM SAW SEVERAL IMPORTANT THINGS:

• PAUL HAD JOY IN THE MIDDLE OF A GREAT  TIME OF TRIAL.

• GOD TOOK CARE OF PAUL DURING THIS TIME.

• GOD CONTINUED TO USE PAUL EVEN IN THIS DIFFICULT TIME.

NOW IN VERSES 15-18 PAUL CONSIDERS THE MOTIVES OF OTHERS IN THEIR PREACHING.

HE SAYS SOME PREACH FROM ENVY & STRIFE.

SOME HAD JEALOUSY IN THEIR HEARTS AGAINST PAUL AND WANTED TO SURPASS HIM.

THEY WANTED TO PROMOTE THEIR OWN NAMES ABOVE HIS AMONG THE PEOPLE.

THEY WERE GLAD PAUL WAS IN PRISON.

BUT PAUL ALSO KNEW SOME WERE PREACHING IN GOOD WILL WITH GOOD MOTIVES.

BUT MANY PREACHED FROM SELFISH AMBITION SO THEY APPEAR TO BE SERVING GOD BUT THEY ARE NOT SERVING SINCERELY.

THEY SUPPOSE THEY CAN ADD AFFLICTION TO HIS OWN CHAINS, MAKING THEM HEAVIER UPON PAUL.

SO EVEN THOUGH SOME WERE BADLY MOTIVATED, PAUL STILL FOUND JOY IN THAT THE GOSPEL WAS BEING SPREAD.

PAUL FELT THAT GOD'S WORD WAS STILL BEING PREACHED AND THAT HIS PLACE WAS NOT TO JUDGE OTHERS FOR THEIR BAD MOTIVES.

THE LORD HANDLED THAT PART IN HIS OWN WAY IN HIS OWN TIME.

PAUL HAS CONFIDENCE THAT HIS DELIVERANCE IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

HE SAYS IT WILL HAPPEN THROUGH THE PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH AT PHILLIPI AND THROUGH THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD WORKING IN HIS BEHALF.

BUT HE ALSO WISHES FOR CHRIST TO BE MAGNIFIED EITHER BY HIS LIFE AND FREEDOM FROM ROMAN CHAINS OR IN DEATH.

IN VERSES 21-26 PAUL REVEALS HIS LACK OF FEAR OF DEATH AND HOW THAT ATTITUDE AFFECTED HIS OUTLOOK.

TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN.

(PETE WELCHEL'S FAVORITE VERSE)

IF HE DIED, HIS DEATH WOULD BE TO GLORIFY THE LORD AND HE HIMSELF WOULD GAIN BY IMMEDIATELY BEING WITH CHRIST FOREVER.

IF HE SOMEHOW ESCAPED DEATH NOW, IT WILL MEAN THERE WAS FRUIT FROM HIS LABORS.

PAUL SAYS HE IS HARD PRESSED BETWEEN THE TWO.

HE DOES NOT KNOW WHICH HE TRULY PREFERS, BUT HE DOES ADMIT HE HAS A DESIRE TO DEPART.

BUT REMAINING IN FLESH WILL BE MORE NEEDFUL TO THE CHURCH AT PHILLIPI.

HE DID FIND FREEDOM FROM THIS PARTICULAR PRISON TIME, AND DID VISIT THE CHUCH AT PHILLIPI AGAIN, AND DID FIND HIMSELF IN ROMAN CHAINS AGAIN LATER FROM WHICH HE FOUND TRUE FREEDOM IN HIS EXECUTION.

NOW AT THE END OF THIS LETTER, PAUL URGES THESE CHRISTIANS TO FIGHT FOR THEIR FAITH.

HE TELLS THEM TO FIGHT SIDE BY SIDE, LIKE THE ROMANS DO IN BATTLE.

HE KNEW THERE WERE MANY OPPONENTS FOR THEM TO BATTLE:

• JEWS WHO OPPOSED THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

GENTILES, INCLUDING ROMANS, WHO WERE AT THIS TIME TURNING HARSHLY AGAINST CHRISTIANS

FALSE TEACHERS OF TWO KINDS:

• JEWS WHO STILL INSISTED ON THE LAW

• THOSE WHO PREACH IMPURE USE OF GRACE TO FURTHER SIN

HE ASSURES THEM THERE WILL BE STRUGGLE BUT THAT FAITH AND PATIENCE ARE STRENGTHENED BY TRIBULATION.

THEY ARE TO PERSEVERE IN CHRIST ONLY TOWARD THEIR REWARD.