Sermon Tone Analysis

*“Circumstantial Evidence”*

*Philippians 1.12-18*

I want to start this sermon by challenging you to think through the issue of your perspective on life.

Here’s what I mean.

I don’t intend for this to be overly philosophical.

So try to bear with me.

What I want us to think through this morning are life circumstances, how we tend to view them, and how we respond to them.

For me, I know that I have found myself going through the day with blinders on.

In other words, I can be so focused on “surviving the day,” caring for myself and my needs, that I may miss glorious opportunities to minister to others.

I think that for many of us, we have been trained this way in North America.

We learn how to be successful, self-sufficient, self-serving.

And when things get in our way of our pursuits, we view them as obstacles to be avoided or conquered.

We are focused on ourselves.

So we make it our aim to make it through the day with minimal casualties, make some progress on our pursuit, and do it again the next day.

If we’re honest, we would likely conclude that our lives are primarily concerned with the things of the present (or the present world) and the things that concern our well-being.

What I have found is that the Apostle Paul stands this thinking on its head.

I hope that you will be challenged as I have with the perspective of Paul who wrote the letter to the Philippians.

Please turn in your Bibles to the book of Philippians and we’ll pick up where we left off last week.

Philippians 1.12-18.

*READ.*

We began the study last week where we noted that Paul begins his letter speaking of himself as a slave of Jesus Christ writing to the saints in Christ Jesus.

He spoke of his thankfulness for their partnership in the gospel because they were also partakers with Paul of the grace of God.

They were spiritual teammates for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

He demonstrated his personal affection for them because of this unique and eternal bond.

This bond is secure because God will be faithful to complete the work done in those who have trusted in Jesus Christ.

Despite his imprisonment, the believers continued to identify with Paul and his message.

And in this Paul gives thanks to God and the glory and praise to God for his work in them.

The first point we will look at this morning is *Gospel Unchained.

*The very first verse of our section, verse 12, should cause your mind to stutter just a bit.

Paul begins by getting their attention.

The effect is something like, “are you sitting down?

I want you to hear this.

This is important and I think that you will find it valuable for growing in faith and for your encouragement in ministry.

This is profound and will serve as foundational for you all.

I want you to know…” “I want you to know brothers (and in this context Paul is referring to brothers /and sisters /in Jesus Christ) that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”

So, he is speaking to spiritual siblings – those who have trusted in Jesus for salvation.

And then he says that he recognizes that his imprisonment is a divine scenario established by God.

So Paul acknowledges that he is passive in his circumstance.

He doesn’t say, “I know.

I messed up.

Now I’m in prison.

Maybe I should have toned down the message a bit so that I didn’t find myself in this unfortunate predicament.

You really should learn from me so that it doesn’t happen to you as well.”

NO!

            Paul acknowledges that this seemingly unattractive situation is part of God’s plan for the gospel.

Some of your translations (like the ESV) use the word “really” in verse 12.

And it has the meaning of “actually.”

It’s almost like contrary to “how things may appear.”

“Actually, this is working out great!”

The fact that Paul is in this situation beyond his control is a good thing.

Because it has actually served to advance the gospel.

Can you see why I wanted to begin by addressing our perspectives on circumstances?

Honestly, I could only hope to have the same attitude as Paul in prison.

Perhaps God would graciously provide me with this perspective.

But I complain about far less than imprisonment.

How about you?

Wouldn’t we be a bit discouraged?

Wouldn’t we fight for our rights?

Or a retrial?

Whine and complain?

Wouldn’t we see this as a major failure in our lives?

Might we even be so bold to blame God for our unfortunate circumstances?

……….

Paul does not dwell on his suffering, only the gospel.

This goal overrides all else.

Any personal inconvenience he experiences, or sufferings, and imprisonment are secondary to the spread of the gospel.

We will see in verse 21, that */everything that Paul is about is Jesus Christ./*

Oh that I, too, would make this the theme of my life.

When we can get to where Paul is when he says that “for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” we will find that we interpret our circumstances very differently.

Even when treated unfairly by the world, we can see the hand of God superintending all things for his glory.

Remember the life of Joseph.

Retracing the events that landed him in Egypt, we can cry “injustice” to his brothers over and over again.

But Joseph can conclude in the end “as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

He didn’t fight for his rights, but understood his circumstances from a God-focused perspective.

Romans 8:28–29 “28 And we know that for those who love God */all things work together for good/*, for those who are called according to his purpose.

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined */to be conformed to the image of his Son/*.”

Paul and Joseph understood this concept.

It would serve us well to become acquainted with this also.

If */all things /*work together for good so that we are more conformed to Jesus Christ (and likely to spread the gospel), this means that the long line at Save-on-Foods provides a glorious opportunity… or the incompetent driver on the Sea to Sky… or the difficult person at work, the neighbor… You get the point, right?

We need to interpret circumstances differently.

We need to recognize the abundance of opportunities to speak of Jesus… that we miss… because we are consumed with ourselves.

I’ve begun to work more fervently at this because it really helps.

I would encourage you to take Paul’s admonition elsewhere to “pray without ceasing.”

This doesn’t mean that it’s all that you do.

It means that we have an ongoing conversation with God.

As you develop this, you will find yourself more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and you will find yourself praying for the dejected person you see walking down the street, the guy that ticks you off on the highway, and for the lost to find hope.

And you will become increasingly aware of opportunities to speak of Jesus.

You will be less consumed with your pursuits and more aware of circumstances that God brings into your life.

Paul elaborates in verses 13 and 14 what he means by the advance of the gospel.

His imprisonment has effects on believers and unbelievers alike.

The first two words of verse 13 indicate the results.

“So that…” The Roman guards would have had a great window into the life of Paul.

He was likely chained to at least one of them at all times.

And the rest would have likely come in contact through other supervisory duties.

Paul’s resolution to maintain convictions about Jesus and the gospel in imprisonment would have spoken volumes to the imperial guard.

They saw the many visitors that came to him, the letters he wrote from prison, and must have concluded that Paul firmly believed the message he was imprisoned for.

Acts 28:31 says that while he was there he was “31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.”

The text includes Paul’s remark that his imprisonment was for Christ.

This is interesting.

One commentator makes this observation: “‎The palace guard would normally see chains on a prisoner as evidence of Caesar’s power.

These chains were Caesar’s chains, demonstrating that Caesar was Lord, binding the prisoner for Caesar to fulfill Caesar’s will.