Day 1: God's Work in All Circumstances
Paul’s imprisonment did not deter the advancement of the gospel. Instead, it served to spread the message even further, showing that God can use any situation for His glory. Our circumstances, no matter how challenging, should not dictate our commitment to advancing the gospel. [41:17]
Paul's imprisonment might seem like a setback, but it actually became a catalyst for spreading the gospel. His chains became a testimony, encouraging others to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. This teaches us that no matter what situation we find ourselves in, God can use it for His purposes. Our circumstances, whether favorable or not, should never be an excuse to shy away from our mission to share the gospel. Instead, we should see every situation as an opportunity to demonstrate God's power and faithfulness.
When we face challenges, it’s easy to become discouraged and think that our efforts are in vain. However, Paul’s experience shows us that God’s work is not hindered by our circumstances. In fact, it can be through our trials that His work is most powerfully displayed. We are called to remain steadfast and committed to advancing the gospel, trusting that God is at work even when we cannot see it.
Philippians 1:12-14 (ESV): "I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."
Reflection: Think of a challenging situation you are currently facing. How can you use this situation to advance the gospel and demonstrate God’s power?
Day 2: Overcoming Fear and Discouragement
Fear can lead us to act in ways that are contrary to the gospel. Paul encourages us not to be discouraged by adverse circumstances or cultural pressures. Instead, we should remain bold and steadfast, trusting that God is at work even in difficult times. [44:26]
Fear is a powerful emotion that can paralyze us and prevent us from living out our faith boldly. Paul, despite being in prison, encourages believers to not let fear dictate their actions. He reminds us that fear and discouragement can lead us to act in ways that are contrary to the gospel. Instead, we are called to be bold and steadfast, trusting that God is at work even in the most difficult times.
Cultural pressures and adverse circumstances can make it challenging to live out our faith. However, Paul’s example shows us that we can overcome fear by trusting in God’s sovereignty and His plan. When we remain steadfast in our faith, we become a testimony to others, encouraging them to also live boldly for Christ. Our courage in the face of adversity can inspire others to trust in God and speak His word without fear.
2 Timothy 1:7-8 (ESV): "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God."
Reflection: Identify a fear that is holding you back from living out your faith boldly. How can you trust God to help you overcome this fear and act in ways that align with the gospel?
Day 3: Pure Motives in Ministry
Not everyone who preaches the gospel does so with pure intentions. Paul acknowledges this but rejoices that Christ is preached regardless. This teaches us to focus on the message of Christ rather than the motives of others, ensuring our own hearts remain pure. [54:03]
In ministry, it’s important to recognize that not everyone who preaches the gospel does so with pure intentions. Paul acknowledges this reality but chooses to rejoice that Christ is preached regardless of the motives behind it. This perspective teaches us to focus on the message of Christ rather than getting caught up in the motives of others. Our primary concern should be that the gospel is being proclaimed and that we are doing our part with a pure heart.
It’s easy to become disheartened or critical when we see others preaching the gospel with impure motives. However, Paul’s response encourages us to maintain a positive outlook and rejoice in the fact that Christ is being proclaimed. We should also take this as a reminder to examine our own hearts and ensure that our motives in ministry are pure. By focusing on the message of Christ and keeping our hearts pure, we can contribute to the advancement of the gospel in a meaningful way.
Philippians 1:15-18 (ESV): "Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice."
Reflection: Reflect on your own motives in ministry. Are there any areas where you need to purify your intentions? How can you focus more on the message of Christ and less on the motives of others?
Day 4: Eternal Perspective on Life and Death
Paul’s perspective on life and death is profound. To live is Christ, and to die is gain. This eternal perspective should shape our daily lives, encouraging us to live sacrificially for others and hold onto the hope of eternal life with Christ. [52:12]
Paul’s statement, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain,” offers a profound perspective on life and death. For Paul, living meant continuing his work for Christ and serving others, while dying meant being with Christ, which he considered far better. This eternal perspective should shape how we live our daily lives. It encourages us to live sacrificially for others, knowing that our ultimate reward is eternal life with Christ.
This perspective challenges us to evaluate our priorities and how we spend our time. Are we living for Christ and serving others, or are we focused on our own desires and comforts? By adopting Paul’s eternal perspective, we can find joy and purpose in living sacrificially, knowing that our true home is with Christ. This mindset helps us to hold onto the hope of eternal life and to live in a way that reflects our faith and commitment to Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (ESV): "So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord."
Reflection: How does Paul’s perspective on life and death challenge your current priorities? What changes can you make to live more sacrificially for others and hold onto the hope of eternal life with Christ?
Day 5: Boldly Advancing the Gospel
We are called to advance the gospel boldly, regardless of our circumstances. This involves living with integrity, trusting in God’s plan, and being willing to step out in faith even when it’s uncomfortable. Our mission is to proclaim Christ and live for His glory. [50:21]
Advancing the gospel boldly requires us to live with integrity and trust in God’s plan, even when it’s uncomfortable. Paul’s example shows us that our circumstances should not deter us from our mission to proclaim Christ. Whether we face opposition, cultural pressures, or personal challenges, we are called to step out in faith and share the gospel with courage and conviction.
Living boldly for the gospel means being willing to take risks and make sacrifices for the sake of Christ. It involves being a light in dark places and standing firm in our faith, even when it’s not popular or easy. Our mission is to proclaim Christ and live for His glory, trusting that God will use our efforts to advance His kingdom. By living with integrity and stepping out in faith, we can make a significant impact for the gospel.
Acts 4:29-31 (ESV): "And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to step out in faith and boldly share the gospel? How can you live with more integrity and trust in God’s plan as you advance the gospel?
Coming to you again. This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
Thank you, Tony and Lynn, for reading the word for us this morning. I invite you to turn to that section of the scriptures, Philippians chapter 1, beginning in verse 12 through 26.
We do have two services here at Westover, and as I was listening to Tony actually read the scriptures, and he said in the first service, "I've memorized it," I went, "Oh my gosh, like I am in trouble." Like this dude is just going to just like go and just speak this incredible thing, and then I was realizing... Because I was relieved when he did not memorize that, but I do appreciate that. Appreciate all that he does, he and Lynn, and our Awana's leadership as well as Global Missions.
And it is good to see you today. It's good to welcome you who are joining us over the internet today and our social media platforms, as well as you who are here today.
Amazing past couple of weeks, my wife Christine and I were able to spend some time with our high schoolers. Good to see you guys this morning as they were... Project Serve, serving long, long days there. Amazing things have happened in the past couple of weeks with our Mars Hill. That's where eighth graders go and serve in Mars Hill, as well as our high schoolers that were serving in Project Serve and in North Carolina down by the coast.
We had 10 between high schoolers and middle schoolers, 10 middle schoolers, five high schoolers that were baptized in these past couple of weeks. And we'll show those to you, so you can see those. But God's doing the work in our next gen. Amazing. Excited to see what God is going to do as they grow in the faith, as there is so much joy in what they're doing in their life.
I love student ministry. I got to hang out with some of these guys that did student ministry a long time ago. And one of the things that when I was in student ministry that people love to do, and we'll talk about teenagers, but adults too, was play paintball.
Now listen, if you've never had the joy of being in the gym, you've never had the shot with a paintball. You just need to come and work in next gen ministry. There you go. It's a great place.
But one of the things that we would always do on retreats, we would always ask paintball, and there were two types of students that would play paintball. They're the ones that would come and from the top of their head to the bottom of their feet, they were decked out. They brought all their own supplies. I'm talking about bandana. They are embodying the spirit of Rambo out there. They are ready and they are set.
Okay. And in paintball, if you're like, "What is he talking about?" Yes. What it is, is little round balls filled with paint that when it hits you, it's supposed to explode and you're out. Often it hits you and it bounces and it hurts. But I've been playing paintball a long time. So it's those kinds. They were like, "Let's go."
All right. So we would play games called capture the flag. If you don't know what capture the flag is, put a flag in the middle and you have two opposing forces and then they run and they're supposed to get the flag. And so those people who were ready, embodying Rambo, when the whistle blew, barrel rolls, army crawling. I mean, it was on.
And then there were the other kids. The kids that when the whistle blew, they stayed with their back against the tree and would not move. And would let the game come to them.
As a student minister, I can remember sitting there going, "Okay, here we go. One, two, three." All the kids run out and all of a sudden there are these kids right here. I'm like, "What are you doing? You've got to go because you've got to take some position."
"I know, we're going to stay here." And they never advanced. And what ended up happening is as the game unfolded, they weren't even a part of it. But the game was unfolding.
When you see Paul writing here, he is going to talk at the last section that we looked at beginning this sermon series last week. On the joy this gospel brings him. Remember, he talks about Christ some 18 times in his first chapter.
And now he gets to this second part and he talks about what does it look like to advance with joy the gospel of Jesus Christ where he is. You see, where we can learn from this and lean into this a little bit is often the safety of the trees hanging back seems like the thing to do sometimes. Especially as culture advances, as we see it.
But God is calling us. He is calling us into the game. Into the game to advance his cause and his kingdom despite our circumstances.
So as you look at this passage, as it unfolds, we invite you here. Philippians chapter 1 beginning in verse 12. And he says this, this first clause. "I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served."
Why? What we just talked about. "To advance the gospel." So that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.
And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are being more bold to speak the word. And here's so key, without fear.
Here's the first thing I want you to see is that our circumstances, whatever you and I are going through today, do not dictate the advancement of the gospel.
He says, "I want you to know," and this is an important assertion by the apostle at this point. Because there could be some misunderstanding about his circumstances and why he's in jail.
There is all kinds of, when you hear something and you wonder why, often we make assertions that do not hold truth or do not hold weight. And what Paul was writing to the Philippians is this. He's like, "I want you to know why I'm here. Because you may have heard why I'm here. But it's not for why you think I'm here. I'm actually here and my circumstances do not get in the way of the advancement of this gospel that we see."
Often when we hear something has gone awry, a leader in prison or something has happened, or it seems the kingdom of darkness has somehow infiltrated or pushed against the kingdom of light. What does that lead to? It leads to discouragement. It leads to sometimes throwing our hands in the air, wondering what we can do.
And Paul is saying, "I want you to know, that is not what is going on." He wanted them to understand that this world is not their home. And often they're going to live in exiles, in an exile way.
That the way that they view life, the way through a Christian worldview, is not going to be on par with the way that others around them see that. Hence, he's in prison for the preaching of the gospel. But he doesn't, he does not descend. He doesn't descend into self-pity.
He doesn't say, "Woe is me, these things have happened. Woe is this. Oh, the culture is so bad. Or this has happened. Or if I could just go back to the way it was." No, he doesn't. He says, "I want you to know. This has not deterred me from what God is calling me to do."
Sometimes when we live as exiles, we can see and we forget that we live often in a hostile environment. And you can get discouraged incredibly easily. All you have to do sometimes to get discouraged is watch a program, see a news feed, or watch a story develop in real time. And it's very easy to get discouraged.
So easy to get discouraged. Paul is writing to the Philippians and saying, "Listen, don't be discouraged. Don't be fearful." Because what does fear do to us sometimes?
Fear propels us to act in a way that is contrary to the gospel that we've been saved by. That's what fear does. Fear begins for us to look at different ways besides the preaching and the heralding of the gospel and doing what God has commanded us to do to live as he would live.
We begin to look at other ways to do things sometimes because we are just fearful. So what fear can lead to is advancing the gospel with wrong motives, which he's going to address here.
And there could be a pressure here. Reading a book called Faithful Exiles. It's a collection of works about just living kind of in Babylon in a way, in that exile mentality.
And Stephen McAlpine, he writes this, and I think it is so important. And he says this. "One of the pressures we will face as believers is will we bow down to the supposedly unifying cultural idols of our church? To advance ourselves and our causes."
What he's saying there, it really matters how you live. It matters what you do. You could be right in the end and do it with the wrong motives. So how are you going to live in these circumstances that we find?
It says this. "The ideal is once we get the power or the levers of power, once we're in control, once we have the majority, once we're the ones on top, we can pull them to the direction of our liking."
And Paul is saying, "Listen. I'm not defeated here. Yeah, I'm in prison. But guess what? I'm in prison in Rome. I'm in the imperial guard. I'm very close. And God is going to use me in a way that is absolutely miraculous for me to live as Christ and to die as gain."
So he finds himself in that prison. And he's not saying, "Hey, will you get somebody to get me out? Will you do this?" No. He's very comfortable where he is. His recent circumstances were not detrimental. But they were advantageous.
Are your recent circumstances detrimental or were they advantageous? Do you feel you've got a raw deal out of life? Or do you feel that God has got you in the right place at the right time to accomplish his will and his good work in the place where you have planted right now in this generation for the very glory of God?
So where do you see yourself? You see what happens is when we have this need to control, okay, a lot of times we will often snuff out what God is doing. And God was doing something in that cell. God was doing something.
Actually, people were coming to him. He says here in the scriptures is that the whole guard now, guess what, knows about why I'm in chains. Christ is being preached. Christ is being preached in a powerful way.
And he says it's become known throughout the whole imperial guard. This is in verse 13. "And all the rest of my imprisonment for Christ." What's happened to me is for the benefit of Christ.
What he's saying to the Philippians is this, is that what God is doing, he doesn't know what God is going to do. Maybe his trial date will be moved up. Maybe that's advantageous. Maybe he'll stay there. Maybe he'll die in prison.
He doesn't know what's going to happen, but he's seeing the gospel make headway in spite of blows. That's what advancement means. It means that we advance. Even though the wind is against us, we advance and we make headway, even though there is an opposition that is coming.
It means the gospel—listen to this. Hope this encourages you—the gospel can gain ground in less than perfect environments. Don't always try to make the environment perfect. Make the gospel proclaimed. It's how we live.
And so his imprisonment was for Christ. He was seeing real progress as the kingdom was testified to Roman guards, to Gentiles and Jews. In Acts 28, 17, it says after three days of his imprisonment, he called together the local leaders of the Jews.
The ones who were in the synagogues in Rome. And here it is. He is seeing this powerful gospel still move even when he's in chains. And here's what he did not do. He didn't fall into self-pity.
We can't fall into self-pity. It's really easy to say, "Woe is me. I wish it was better. I wish it was like. I wish it was another decade. I wish this was going on. I wish morals were better. I wish schools were better. I wish politicians were better. I wish we had better choices. I wish it was this. I wish it was that."
And never advance the kingdom. The kingdom of God often gets more headway when things are really, really bad sometimes. We have to remember that.
He didn't fall into self-pity. But boy, it's easy to fall into self-pity, right? Because fear keeps us back instead of going forward. That's what fear will do. Fear will keep you back.
Okay? Just like in paintball when all those folks are huddled behind here instead of advancing, they stay back. Fear will keep you back.
You see, his principle is for Christ. And his advancement is more. And what it did is it emboldened people. When you saw an advancement, now there was a quick infusion of courage.
What does that mean? It doesn't mean that the danger was lessened. It doesn't mean that the danger was lessened. Often, what we want is circumstances to change to where it's not as dangerous or maybe we won't get hurt with relationships or the environment is better.
And until we see that, we will not move. Paul says, "I'm in chains." And actually, the ones who are there who are proclaiming the gospel, they're more free to be bold now. And it didn't mean that the danger was lessened.
No. It just means that there was a quick infusion of encouragement. And also, courage in this place.
So, what keeps you from boldly telling the story of Christ? Even when you're the minority. Even when maybe you're the only one in your family who believes. Maybe when you long for the good old days. Whatever that means.
What keeps you going? What is it? What emboldens you? I love what Russell Moore says in his book, Onward. Engaging the Culture Without Losing the Gospel. He says this.
"Our story is that of a little flock and of an army. Awesome with banners. Our legacy is a Christianity of persecution and proliferation. Of catacombs and cathedrals. If we see ourselves as only a minority, we will be tempted to isolation. We will run to refuges and we will not advance the gospel.
If we see ourselves as only as a kingdom, we will be tempted toward triumphalism. We will be tempted towards prosperity. We will be tempted toward pride. We have it all together. We are indeed a church. The called out of God. The ecclesia. We are a minority with a message and a mission.
And that's how we live. We live with that message and we live on mission. That's what these high schoolers did this past week. They took their time and their resources and they lived on mission. May we do the same.
We don't wait for the circumstances to be just right. That's a Goldilocks mentality. I don't want that. "Oh, it's too hard. Oh, it's too hard. Oh, I wish this would happen." No. Christ is still on his throne. So let's preach the gospel.
This is Paul's, the way he saw life. That's how I want to see life. Listen, we are a minority with a message.
Here's one thing that I think is so important. Not everybody in the minority really has the right motives. And this is it. When you look at this next passage, I wanted to encourage you because I understand there's different terms that go around in the Christian life.
And one of them is church hurt. And one of the things with that moniker, church hurt, it doesn't mean that you fell in the halls, right? It doesn't mean that. It doesn't mean you ran into something in a church.
It just means that in your local congregation, in some way, you may see somebody who has either hurt you or somebody that doesn't have the right motives. And I want you to know you're not only alone. Paul dealt with the same thing.
So here's a truth just for us all to understand and to understand the scriptures from this. Some are not trustworthy with the gospel. And students, I will tell you, as you grow up in a less than perfect world and a less than perfect culture, not everybody who names the name of Christ and not everybody who preaches the gospel will often look like Christ or even act like Christ.
Don't let that discourage you, though. Don't let that discourage you. Okay? Look what he's going to say here. "Some indeed preach Christ." Now, he's excited. He's excited about Christ being preached from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill.
The latter do out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely, not sincerely, but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.
Verse 18. "What then?" Paul has this question. And here's the reality of it. Some are not going to be trustworthy with the gospel.
So let's look at a couple things. Understand, church, there is always going to be a tension in the church that everybody, not everybody, will minister with the right motives or heart posture towards God.
Now, we have to understand and be mindful of this temptation so that we don't go there because we can get into Christian competition. This is what's going on. Rivalries. There is no place for rivalry.
There is no place for rivalries in the kingdom of God. We do not compete against other churches, other congregations like it's the NFC South. That's not the way we live. That's not the posture.
Westover, you don't have to be the best. You don't have to be the biggest. We don't have to have all the things. But I will tell you what we do have to do is advance the kingdom in our time where we are right now for the very glory of God.
That's what God is calling us to. We don't go out of rivalries or because we want some kind of setting in the community or to be known for something. My goodness, let us be known for one thing, Christ and him crucified.
That's what we're known for. We're known for Christ and him crucified. It is so easy for churches to look at each other and have some kind of rivalry with another. Let it not be so, brothers and sisters. Let it not be so.
He says they preach Christ. They're not like the Judaizers who would actually preach to people and say, "Listen, you need to be circumcised in order to receive the kingdom. Or you need to do this in order to receive the kingdom. Or you need to keep the tradition of the fathers in order to receive the kingdom."
He talks about those people in Galatians. He also talks about them in Philippians 3 because he'll say, we'll look at this later, he calls them mutilators and he also calls them dogs in a sense.
He's not talking about that. What he's talking about is people who will preach the gospel but their heart is not in the right place. You're going to run into these people. You really are. We don't want to be that.
Here's what was going on with our heart motives. As one commentator said, these preachers were selfish and they were mean. They were slandering Paul. He was in prison. And his imprisonment was an opportunity to make a name for themselves.
They were opportunists and they grabbed the golden ring when Paul was put in prison. They preached Christ to their gain. That's one of the things that can happen in our life if we don't realize it.
What it means is that we can be doctrinally correct and our heart be all over the place. That's why we have to come to the cross. That's why we have to come to Christ. That's why we have to be there.
Listen, a lot of us can know everything about Jesus, teach all kinds of Bible studies, be so in, and our heart have a disposition that is poisonous to other people. Let's not be that way.
You see, some were taking this opportunity to preach Christ from goodwill. And that they had with Paul and they were stepping up at this time. They were saying, "Even though Paul's in prison, I'm going to step up."
And I want to tell you, I appreciate so many of you guys who have stepped up and you're teenagers. That as a generation, you're taking the mantle of the gospel. I saw your work this week. I saw what you did with my own eyes. And I praise God.
I'm so glad that we have a generation that will carry on the gospel forever and ever and ever. Praise God for that. You see, they didn't do it out of a rivalry.
And you know what they need to hear from you adults? They need to see you not scared but advancing the gospel. That's what they need to see out of you. That's what you all need to see.
That we would not be scared. We would not be like, "Well, we would be here if it was good." No. Advance the gospel. Advance the gospel. That's what they need out of us.
And so when we see this, why do we not advance the gospel? Here's what Paul says. What do we say to this? What do we say when things are less than great?
Here's what Paul's going to say. If you were interviewing Paul and you're like, "You know what? There's some dudes that are some real jerks out there preaching the gospel." What do you say to that, Paul? What do you say to that?
Here's what he's going to say. He's going to say, "What then?" Verse 18. "Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed and in that I rejoice."
So let me say this. If every church in Greensboro, North Carolina, and the world will preach Christ and we don't grow a bit, may I rejoice. Because Christ is preached.
That's what Paul is saying. That's what Paul is saying. That is what Paul is saying.
Why do we? Why do we not advance the gospel? Why do we sometimes give up? Why do we have a less than favorable understanding of what God is doing in this generation right now? Why?
Often it's because we get caught in a hurt cycle. And because people have less than good motives. And there are those who will hurt you when they're preaching Christ.
I talked about it a while ago. Church hurt. That somebody did something, said something. And I am very sorry. I am really sorry for that. It happens in the past. It happened in God's day. It will happen in so many other days.
But I would ask you not to look at your circumstances right now. And I would ask you to trust that God is doing something. I would take it further than that. I believe with all my heart God is doing something at Westover.
I think God is doing something in the next generation. I think God is going to do something in this generation. I think God is going to do something that will knock the socks off.
I think God is going to do something that will knock the socks off of everybody. Because he is God. He's on his throne. And we advance the kingdom. I absolutely believe that with all my heart.
What happens is sometimes we get so hurt that we hold things that we need to release. And a lot of that is forgiveness. And you do time and life with one another very long. You're going to rub against each other. And there's going to be friction.
And we have to have that posture of forgiveness. It doesn't mean that it makes things alright. It doesn't mean that we justify behavior in any way. No, it doesn't.
But I love what Henry Cloud says in his book, Trust. "Forgiveness has to do with the past. Trust has to do with the future." Trust that God is going to do something. Trust that God has you in your circumstances. Paul did. Paul trusted that.
So what's an action step for maybe you today when we ask about knowing that not everybody that you're going to run into is going to really hold the gospel in their heart. They may preach correctly. Or maybe they hurt you in some way or another.
What would I say to you? Will you have a posture of forgiveness to those who may have hurt you? And trust the Lord, not in man, that he'll do his good work.
See, that's what Paul is saying. Whether in pretense, whether this happened, I rejoice that Christ is proclaimed. Then he says, just in case you didn't get this, he says, "Yes, and I will say again, rejoice."
I rejoice. So we come to this point in the scripture and we have to ask ourselves, "Hey, if it's less than favorable circumstances, things sometimes in our world don't look like they should."
If some of you have been around for a while and you remember when maybe the culture and the landscape totally looked different from the way that you would see it and you see as little as possible, if it's less than favorable circumstances, then how are we going to live now?
How would we live? Paul's going to answer this question. How do we live? We live for Christ. That's the answer.
Now watch as he gets into this. How do we live? We live for Christ. "For I know that through your prayers and the helps of the saints of Jesus Christ it will turn out for my deliverance.
As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, that with full courage, now as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death."
Verse 21. "For to me to live is Christ. To die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.
I'm hard pressed between the two. My desire is to part and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.
Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith."
How are we going to live in this time? How will we live in Greensboro? How will we live as a light to the nations? It's a big question, right? What will we do? What will we look to?
You see, Paul has an understanding in how he's going to choose to live in Rome amongst even Jews and Gentiles. How do we choose to live where we are?
You see, he hopes in his deliverance. He hopes in his deliverance. Maybe he will be let out of jail. Maybe. But will he see victory in the end? Definitely.
He's not defeated, even though what's happening. His posture is that he will stand before men and God unashamed of how he lived his life.
Now, what happens in our life? And I will tell you, teenagers, it's just a fact of life, is that often the way that we try to get Christian obedience sometimes is through shame.
And that's not how we are to work. We don't shame each other into right living. We don't shame each other into doing something a lot of time. We don't do that.
Why? Because there's love, and love builds up. And so not being ashamed means our focus is on Christ, not circumstances. Ultimately, he understands this.
Ultimately, in the broadest sense, he will see victory. So his posture towards his situation is the Greek word picture is he stretches out. He sticks his neck out. That's the picture.
He's not back behind the bushes worried that his world is going to blow up because he serves a different kingdom. He's a different king than Rome, and we serve a different king.
His name is Jesus, and he is still doing great things. And so he will see victory. And as he waits, this eager expectation he has is founded in a well-founded hope.
Now, when he says that his body, Christ will be honored in his body, this is so important. It says this. It's in the passive sense. It's not active.
So it doesn't mean that he's going to get all this courage, and he just gets all this self-directed, and he's going to pull himself up by his bootstraps in a way, and that he says, "I will exalt Christ."
No. What it is is this. It's not "I will exalt Christ," but "Christ will be exalted." Whether I see victory or not, whether I die or I live, Christ will be exalted.
He's the one in control. He's the one who is leading the charge of the church, and he is good. And Christ doesn't need the best circumstances to do his work in the world.
He's counting on the prayers of the saints. He's counting on those things. When he comes to this place, he wants to see the power of Christ on display.
And this is emphatic, especially in verse 21. Christ was his motive. And to die when he thought about it, what would it be to live, to die or to live in Christ?
I'm hard-pressed between the two. It doesn't mean that he's hard to make up his mind. It just means that he's pulled apart by both these thoughts.
He's just literally, the language is he's pulled apart. And after such a life of grace, dying would be great gain to be with Christ.
And often in our life, we see death as something to avoid. We try to live it up while we're here. And that you, youth, is meant to live when actually Christ calls us to die to self, doesn't he?
This week, Shirley Hamilton, longtime member of Westover, she sat right back there, went to be with the Lord, served this church so long. She came to the end of her life.
I got to visit her in the hospital. She had a pretty long hospital stay. And with everything in her, she grabbed my hand. And she says, "I am ready to be with the Lord." Dying was gain for her.
And now she doesn't hurt anymore. It's the reality of the Christian worldview that she's not soul sleeping. She's not waiting. No, she opened her eyes and she saw the very kingdom that God has secured for her.
For us to live is Christ and we gain it all. For him to stay, it wasn't going to be an easy life. Why? Because the church was crazy.
If he was released out of prison, the Corinthian church, man, they got things on fire over here. There are family relationships all over the place. The Galatian church, they were really struggling with the gospel.
The Philippians need to be encouraged. I mean, he would have went right back to it, right? He would have went right back to it. Life was going to be hard for him no matter what.
And then if he keeps on preaching the gospel, he'll probably get put in jail. And if he dies, it's not going to be like he dies of natural causes. Probably he will be executed.
He's right there in that tension. He's right there. And can I admit something to you? I wish I was there. I wish I could just emphatically tell you to live is Christ and to die is gain and all that.
But you know what? I struggle with that. I really struggle with that. But I want to be there. I want to be there, right? I want to have that kind of faith.
I want to think that tomorrow God would grace me. That I would think that tomorrow, that I could continue to grow in Christ. And that means our story is not over.
Even though you're not there yet. Students, maybe you're not there yet. It's more than lip service. But you can be there. You can absolutely be there.
Because a faith like that is powerful. He had work to do for the sake of others. He says here in this passage, this is so powerful.
He says here in this passage, whether he's here or gone, he says this, is that whether I come and see you or I'm absent, no matter what, as he's thinking about this glory that he has in Christ, he says, "I will remain here and continue to your gain."
Here's what he wants them to understand. To your progress and joy in the faith. He completely had his life living for others.
Students, I want you to look around at this body. We are here for your progress and your joy in the faith. And we will faithfully hold up the scriptures to you to no matter what this world is like, and no matter what it's going to go, we will be faithful to the gospel and pray for you.
For your joy and your progress. Do not look at this culture or the world or what's going on in your life and be faint of heart, but you be emboldened and encouraged by the prayers of the church on your behalf.
That's the way we live. We hand off the baton to the next generation. We don't hold it and try to make it our own, but we hand it off.
Dave Platt says this, "There is an indescribable joy, deep satisfaction, and an eternal purpose in dying to ourselves and living for Christ."
Where do you need to die today? It's gain in Christ. What does it look like to die to ourselves? Well, sometimes it means that we come to Christ, we deny ourselves, and we follow after him.
And I get to share with you today, I want to share with you a picture of that. So I want to ask two of our mission teams, our short-term teams are going to join me up on the stage.
To my right, we have a team that's leaving for Angola this week. And to my left, we have a team that is heading for Japan. They have trusted the Lord for their resources.
They have trusted the Lord for their training. They have been getting ready for that to be set out by us. They have been getting ready for that to be set out by us. Into a world that is less than perfect. Into a world that needs the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So if you are discouraged and all kinds of things you say, I would say point up here and look at what God is doing. Look at what God is doing with our high schoolers. They just come back from Project Serve.
Look at what God is going to do from this team. And here it is. Don't hide in the bushes when it's paintball, but advance the kingdom because the kingdom is advancing.
Take courage today. God is on his throne. As I said in the first service, I'm so thankful for each of you. And we are thankful for each of you for your time, your talents, and your abilities.
We are praying for you and we want to commission you here. And this is the verse that I want to choose to read to them today. It's out of Isaiah 49:6.
"It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob. Talking about Jesus. Like those of Israel that I have kept, I will also make you a light for the Gentiles so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth."
These are the ones that are going to the ends of the earth. And thank you for your giving. Thank you for upholding the banner of missions as we continue to send out those into the field because Christ is to be exalted above all.
Will you pray with me as we send out those? Send these teams out.
Father, we thank you for your goodness and your grace. For the mighty, mighty word. It reorients our heart towards the gospel. It reminds us that we are not alone.
It reminds us that even though our circumstances may be less than, you are more than. Lord, you have given us every provision that we need in Christ.
And yet God, as even Paul longed for the Philippian church to pray for him, we pray for our friends that are going out this week. Father, we pray for financial provision for those who still need finances on this trip.
Lord, we pray, God, for safety. We pray for well-being. We pray for travel, Lord, that there will not be delays. We pray for the opportunity, Lord, to speak in the lives of children, adults, and all those who could hear the gospel proclaimed.
Thank you for a faithful church that continues to year after year give of their resources, their time, their talents for the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ.
I pray that, Lord, there will be many more teams. There will be many more individuals. That, Lord, we will advance the kingdom despite the circumstances that we see and we will do it for the glory of Christ.
And the entire church said, "Amen."
on Jun 30, 2024
