A Place Of Grace
10-11-26
  • There is a remarkable woman named Joni Eareckson Tada, who became a quadriplegic after a diving accident. In her moments of despair, she doubted her purpose. Yet, her weakness opened doors to a life of profound ministry. She now inspires millions through her art and advocacy. Joni's vulnerability allows her to relate to others' pain, using her experience to spread hope. Her story reminds us that when we surrender our weaknesses to God, He often transforms them into extraordinary strengths that impact lives far beyond our own.
    Philippians 1:12 NASB95
    Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel,

    I Want You to Know...

    We get to see, right here, in this first verse, WHAT God wants the people He was writing to and us to know from these verses
    Paul says,

    My Circumstances Have Turned Out for the Greater Progress of the Gospel

    This. This is what Paul said he wanted the Philippians to know, and this will be the drive of the entire sermon.
    What an amazing promise of God! That God will take any circumstances- any situations- and turn them for the greater progress of His Gospel.
    Important concept: God doesn’t promise to keep us out of difficult times; He promises to be with us through those times.
    Illustr: A piece of Junk being used as art. Redemption.
    In this passage, we get to see the multiple different ways God used Paul’s circumstances for the greater progress of the gospel.
    What are Paul’s circumstances, though?
    Philippians 1:13 NASB95
    so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,

    Paul’s Circumstances

    His Imprisonment in the Cause of Christ

    There were a lot of things Paul went through, even leading up to his imprisonment. You can find them in the book of Acts. Acts 21:17-28:31 for all of you guys who are curious. Acts 21:17-28:31. He’s been through a lot of crazy events up to this point.
    House arrest
    Now he’s under house arrest until he gets a trial with emperor Nero.
    He could not go out preaching in the streets as he loved to do; instead being stuck indoors.
    Roman Guard
    He quite possibly could have been chained to a Roman soldier constantly.
    He was in a position where he wasn’t sure if he was going to live or die
    All of these things were in the cause of Christ.
    Everything Paul did- everything Paul endured- he did in the cause of Christ.
    Paul’s focus was not on his circumstances- not on the things that have happened to him- but on the Person he was serving.
    This reminds me of verse 1. Paul could’ve introduced himself as a prisoner of Rome. He didn’t. He introduced himself as a bondservant of Christ Jesus.
    Here, he could’ve said, “...So that my imprisonment here in Rome has become well known...
    He didn’t. He was a prisoner for Christ’s cause.
    What a mentality.
    There’s no uncertainty in him. He’s not saying, “Guys, I don’t know what God is doing, but I hope He really gets me outta here so I can go preach the gospel again..”
    He says, “Guys, look at what God has done...”
    What faith that is! His perspective is where it should be… On what God is doing instead of the circumstances themselves.
    God has worked so that all these things that Paul’s undergoing for Christ- Paul’s circumstances...

    … Have Become Well Known

    God used Paul’s circumstances to further the gospel. We get to see and know the spreading impact Paul’s circumstances had!
    Through this next verse, we see the impact of Paul’s circumstances expand… and expand… and expand...
    ...and the gospel spread… and spread… and spread...
    It becomes well known that Paul’s in jail for Christ- he himself is innocent; he didn’t do anything wrong that made him deserve being in prison.
    It has become well known that his imprisonment was for Christ.
    Guys, he wasn’t in prison cause he did wrong. He didn’t steal, go to prison, then be like, “I’m suffering for Christ!!!”
    He lived a blameless life. He still went to prison, but he did not question God’s character or His work.
    Paul focused on what God was doing
    We should too!!
    Philippians 1:13–14 NASB95
    so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.
    In verses 13-14, we see...

    3 Groups

    ...God Used Paul’s Circumstances to Impact.
    Paul’s Imprisonment in the Cause of Christ became well known in...

    The Whole Praetorian Guard

    These were probably the people chained to Paul’s wrist for 6 hours a day (that’s how long the guards’ shifts would’ve been).… They were the ones held captive, not him!
    Can you imagine being chained to Paul’s wrist? All day long, he’s writing letters to people he loves, encouraging them to pursue God. He’s inviting people into the house that he can’t leave, he’s hospitable with those people. He shares the gospel with everybody who enters the door, constantly persuading them and reasoning with them to accept Christ- to believe in Him. He prays without ceasing. You get to see him striving in prayer over the believers he loves so much who are struggling in their Christian walk, praying for the believers that bring him joy, having others pray for him, maybe even praying for you!
    He shares the gospel with you. And you can’t get away. For 6 hours. Your shift ends, and you know you’re going to be guarding him a couple of days from then, maybe the next day.
    I am SURE there were a lot of guards getting saved.
    Here’s the awesome thing: those guards who got saved, they might go tell somebody else about Christ, too!
    All we know, however the word spread, is that it was WELL KNOWN in the entire Palace guard… that Paul was a prisoner in the cause of Christ.
    What do the people we’re around all day long know well about us?
    What do our actions say?
    What do our words say?
    We all have people around us the large majority of the day. Think about it.… What do they see of us?
    Would they ever say our circumstances are in the cause of Christ?
    But the impact gets bigger- the gospel spreads further...
    Not only did the entire Praetorian guard know about this “Paul” dude who was in prison for his risen Savior....

    Everyone Else

    ...Everyone else did too
    (Again, as we go through these points, I just want you guys to see… and know… how God used Paul’s circumstances for the greater progress of the gospel)
    He can use your circumstances tooo!!
    The people work on Paul’s case, trying to figure out why Paul’s in prison, reviewing what Paul believes in order to figure out how this new “religion” fits into society...
    Other people in the area might hear news of this really confusing court case, where the guys is innocent but has a hearing with the emperor because of this “Jesus” he keeps talking about.
    Let’s just take a moment and let that sit in… everybody else in Paul’s area… knew that Paul was a prisoner in the cause of Christ.
    So, the sphere of the gospel just grew from the entire praetorian guard… to everyone else… But it just keeps growing!
    Not only is God using Paul’s chains to impact unbelieving circles of people, He also uses it to impact believers as well!

    Most of the Brethren

    Are moved to Action.
    Illustr: One friend does something, so the other does it too
    Paul’s Imprisonment Encourages the Believers to:
    Trust in the Lord
    They go, “Whoa, Paul is in prison? I can do that...”
    Chain reaction; if one person gets moving and is used by God, it encourages others to as well.
    Have far more Courage to speak the Word of God
    You know what courage is? Bravery, Boldness… One way i understood the concept of courage is.… “Forward movement in spite of danger.”
    The danger is still there! You acknowledge that.
    But you keep moving forward.
    “Forward movement in spite of difficulty or danger.”
    And what a blessing it is, to speak the Word of God
    Doesn’t have to be behind a pulpit (I know. Ironic, right?)
    It can be everyday conversation!
    God’s designed people differently. You can share the fact that Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and rose again 3 days later, declaring victory over those sins in everyday conversation as well as preaching.
    You can… God will use it.
    But, when you do speak the Word of God...
    Speak without fear
    To some of us this doesn’t sound possible.
    It’s easy to be fearful. It’s natural to be fearful.
    God wants us to be bold. God wants us to rely on His power and preach His Word, believing it’s true.
    Philippians 1:28 NASB95
    in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.
    The way the beginning church dealt with the first persecution is a good example for us:
    Acts 4:29–31 NASB95
    “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.
    After Peter and John got arrested and threatened, they conferred with their brothers and sisters in Christ. Their church family.
    You know what they did?
    They didn’t pray that God would take the persecution from them...
    They prayed for boldness to endure it.
    God uses us in the midst of persecution.
    We shouldn’t seek for God to remove us from our circumstances… We should seek for God to use us in the midst of them.
    So, not only did it reach the guards, everyone else there, but these believers became emboldened by Paul’s chains and shared Christ with even more people!
    We see the sphere of the gospel expanding through these three groups…
    ...all because of God using Paul’s chains.
    Toward the end of this passage, however, we see another problem arise.

    Motives: Some Good; Some Evil

    Philippians 1:14 NASB95
    and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.
    Most of the believers, because of Paul’s imprisonment, had far more courage to speak the Word of God- to share the gospel.
    Human nature is so sneaky, though. Isn’t it? Sin can creep into any good thing.
    These believers were doing a very good action. They were preaching the Word of God!
    Some of their motives were not where they should’ve been, though. Sin was in their hearts, and they used sharing the gospel as a means to promote themselves.
    Philippians 1:15–17 NASB95
    Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.
    Let’s look at these brethren… Some had...

    Pure Motives

    These believers had the right heart as they spoke the Word (Praise God!)!
    They knew Paul
    They knew Paul’s situation and the reason behind his imprisonment.
    Their motivation was love.
    This group is a group we should emulate. They gained courage. They preached. They did it out of love and support. They were encouraging to Paul- great church family and partners in ministry. They had the right heart while they preached.
    Then there was the other group.

    Selfish Motives

    These believers saw Paul’s imprisonment as an opportunity to promote themselves. They were glad in his circumstances.
    Paul was “out of the way.”
    They preached from envy and strife
    (While i was studying this passage, I looked up the definition of “envy” and “strife” in Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary. The definitions are interesting for knowing what these people may have been feeling.)
    Envy definition, “To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excelence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another’s prosperity.” Basically, it’s seeing someone else doing better than you and not liking it. … “To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excelence...”
    Strife Definition, “Exertion or contention for superiority; contest of emulation, either by intellectual or physical efforts.”
    Sounds an awful lot like comparison, huh? Comparison is a dangerous thing.
    Both strife and envy come when one desires superiority over another.
    Philippians 1:17 NASB95
    the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.
    These people, for whatever reason, did not like Paul
    They sought to worsen Paul’s situation while he was in prison
    Possibly by flaunting the fact they were doing what he “couldn’t”
    Possibly by showing “they’ve won” because he’s in prison (so they are, in fact, superior)
    Their motivation was selfish ambition
    Definition of “selfish ambition”
    Selfish, “Putting one self's interest first, solely, or chiefly”
    Thinking of yourself rather than others
    Ambition, “Desire of preferment, excellence, or superiority”
    There’s that superiority coming up again...
    Which is Evil
    James 3:13–18 NASB95
    Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
    God condemns this attitude as evil.
    There’s no way God could use people with that ‘tude, right?
    Illustr: Using something bad for something good
    What does Paul do?
    In spite of these people, we see Paul...

    Rejoicing

    We see that God can even use people- even in their fallen sinfulness- to accomplish His work and progress the Gospel.

    Christ is Proclaimed

    “In that, I rejoice”
    Paul doesn’t focus on the people. He doesn’t focus on their horrible attitudes, or the fact that they get to preach the gospel out on the streets- not in prison.
    He doesn’t try to get back at them because they’re trying to make his life miserable.
    He simply says, “What does it matter they hate me? In every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.”
    What a focus!
    What a God, Who can take our sinful fallenness and still work good in it!
    Guys, do we rejoice that, in spite of everything, Christ is proclaimed?!

    Own the Joy!

    So, guys, as we move forward, grasp this joy. Own it! Take hold of it.
    What joy we can have when we trust that God will use any circumstance we’re in to draw people towards Himself.
    What joy we can have when we make Him known!!
    What joy! We can have when, instead of focusing on the difficult situation that we’re in or the difficult people who are around us, we focus on whether the gospel is going out.
    Let’s take hold us this joy, and confront the world with it.
    Let’s pray

      • Philippians 1:12ESV

      • Philippians 1:13ESV

      • Philippians 1:13–14ESV

      • Philippians 1:28ESV

      • Acts 4:29–31ESV

      • Philippians 1:14ESV

      • Philippians 1:15–17ESV

      • Philippians 1:17ESV

      • James 3:13–18ESV

    A Place Of Grace
    office@aplaceofgracegbc.com
    9702859862
    http://www.aplaceofgracegbc.com
    73 members • 23 followers