Rev.
Debbie Cato
Philippians
1:12-26
Fairfield
Community Church
October
8, 2023
Holy God,
Thank you for your Apostle Paul and his passion for Christ’s life and
ministry. Fill us with joy and hope for
the promises of your good news. Help us
to hear the message you have for each of us today. In Jesus name, Amen.
Full of
Hope
Last week
we started our series on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians – the church he planted in Philippi on his second
missionary trip. We learned that he
wrote this letter while shackled to a Roman soldier in prison. In just the first eleven verses – the salutation
to his letter, he wrote of the joy he has whenever he thinks of the church and each
of the members of this church. He prays
for them “with joy because of their
partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”
We learned that the church in Philippi sent a delegation of members on a dangerous journey to Ephesus where Paul was in prison to bring him a significant gift of money to help him support himself while he was in prison. Food was not provided to prisoners in Paul’s time; they had to provide their own. So the financial gift from the church in Philippi would help Paul provide food and nourishment for himself.
Now take a minute to look at the map on the front of your bulletin. Find Philippi in the upper left-hand corner. Now trace down to your right and you will find Ephesus. That’s how far they traveled. About 490 miles. It would have taken many weeks for the delegation from Philippi to reach Paul in prison in Ephesus.
Paul felt joy toward the Philippians because of their partnership in the gospel with him. We learned that partnership is an important word in Paul’s vocabulary. It’s different from fellowship which generally means social. For Paul, partnership in the gospel meant that the Philippians shared in both the work of the church and in the financial responsibilities of the church. Paul believes his imprisonment is furthering the work of the gospel. In fact, as we read this morning, Paul writes, “it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of my brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare to proclaim the gospel without fear.”
As Paul writes this letter to the Philippians, he is faced with two problems. In both cases, he declares that what looks like major difficulties are being turned by God into opportunities for the gospel. The first problem is that he is in prison. That seems obvious, doesn’t it?! The second problem is that there are people going around talking about King Jesus who don’t really mean it. They don’t believe the message. They merely want to make more trouble for him while he is in prison. Paul has a strong belief in the way God works through unlikely circumstances.[1] Paul says, “What does it matter they are preaching for the wrong reasons? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice!
Paul is writing this letter to the church in Philippi to encourage them, but his words should also be an encouragement to us. How often are we tempted to feel discouraged because our plans were thrown upside down or out the window or because malicious people were trying to make life difficult? We need to learn from Paul the art of seeing God’s purposes working out through problems and difficulties. [2] Paul never loses hope, even though he has lost control.
Did you know that data (I’m not sure what data) reflects that the most stressed-out people are control freaks. Now I’m preaching to myself, but you can listen in if you want. Control freaks fail at our goal to control our world. We can’t take control, because control is not ours to take![3]
Control is an illusion. We can’t engineer our own problem-free lives, and we can’t make others live the way we want them to live. Believe me! I’ve tried! About the only thing we can control is our response to situations. So the questions we need to ask are: Will we look for God in the midst of trouble? Will we trust he is at work? Will we keep doing right no matter what? Paul is a great role model for this. He absolutely refused to pursue his own agenda because he saw himself as nothing more than a mere servant of Christ. He made plans. But he held them in an open hand. When hard times came, his response wasn’t to pout but to yield to God’s authority by humbly saying, “your will be done.”[4]
We need to learn to relinquish things. We need to hold our plans with an open hand. We can’t run the world but we can trust God to. This is the message behind Paul’s admonition to “rejoice in the Lord.” Peace is within reach, not for lack of problems, but because of the presence of a sovereign Lord.[5] We can be full of hope knowing that God has everything under control -even when it doesn’t seem that way.
Paul writes, “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.”
And those troublemakers in the church preaching out of envy and rivalry? Paul says that “whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.”
Honestly, I would be freaking out! But to read Paul is to read the words of a man who, in the innermost part of his being, believed in the steady hand of a good God. He was protected by God’s strength and preserved by God’s love. [6] Do we believe we are?
How might God be wanting to work through the bad situations in your life for his glory and your good? In what areas of your life do you need to completely relinquish control to God?
An unexpected bill. An upcoming doctor appointment. A tense family visit. Everyday struggles of all sizes creep into our lives, leaving us stressed, frustrated, and anxious. Sometimes downright miserable. And the more we try to control the situation, the more stressed we become. Because it doesn’t work!
The believers in Philippi were struggling. They were trying to grow in faith and live for Christ. They were trying to deal with conflict and threats of persecution. The Apostle Paul was stuck in a Roman prison when he wrote this letter to the young church. His letter could have focused on his own troubles. Instead he wrote about living a life full of joy, peace, and contentment, He reminded the Philippians, and he reminds us of the sovereignty of our Lord and Savior. He reminded the Philippians and he reminds us of the sovereignty of God and he asks that we trust that God can and will use all circumstances for his purpose.
A verse from Psalms 46 came to mind when I was writing this: “Be still
and know that I am God.” Be still and know that I am God. God has it friends. That knowl[1] Philippians: 8 Studies for Individuals
and Group. N.T. Wright. InterVarsity Press. 2009. Pg. 17.
[2] Philippians: 8
Studies for Individuals and Group. N.T.
Wright. InterVarsity Press. 2009. Pg. 19
[3] Life Lessons from
Philippians. Max Lucado. HarperCollins Christian Publishing. 2018. P
16.
[4] Life Lessons from Philippians. Max Lucado.
HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
2018. P 18-19.
[5]Life Lessons from Philippians. Max Lucado.
HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
2018. P 16.
[6] Life Lessons from Philippians. Max Lucado.
HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
2018. P 16.
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