For The Furtherance of the Gospel | Sunday, March 29, 2020

Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi... I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making requests for you all with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus... But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel... For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1)

When the Apostle Paul wrote from lockdown, he discovered that bound circumstances can become the very means God uses to advance His gospel and transform His people.

A Detour to Philippians in a Time of Lockdown

Because things are so different right now, I'm taking a detour from our study in Deuteronomy. We will return to it, but for now we're jumping into the New Testament. Last week we looked at Philippians 4 and the God of peace who gives peace that surpasses all understanding through trying circumstances. There is a lot of anxiety right now—not just about the coronavirus but about the economy, jobs, and income. If you missed that message, you can find it archived at lifeinconnection.com.

This week I want to stay in Philippians but move from chapter 4 to chapter 1. A little background helps. Paul wrote this letter about 2,000 years ago, and he was essentially on lockdown himself. He wrote from Rome—most believe under house arrest. You can relate to him, because we've been confined to our homes too.

A Church That Met in Homes

The church in Philippi didn't have a building they gathered in each week. They met in their homes. So what you're doing right now—gathering for church in your home—is very similar to what those believers did. And we can make a pretty safe bet that if Paul had access to Zoom, YouTube Live, or FaceTime, he would have used them to encourage the church, just as we're doing now.

Right now you may feel bound up at home, unable to go far, with some of your liberties taken away and your immediate future uncertain. Paul was in a very similar situation. As we look at this text, I hope God will minister three things to us. First, though we feel bound, the Word of God is not bound. There are far more churches reaching the world online right now than there were three weeks ago. Last Sunday, so many people went online to watch their churches that they slowed the internet down. The church is engaging culture where the culture is.

Second, the uncertain and challenging circumstances we're in can actually turn out for the furtherance of the gospel—that's what Paul learned in prison. Third, in our moments of uncertainty we need to remember we have a certain and secure hope in Jesus Christ. Our hope is not in the things of this world but in God.

A Greeting of Grace and Peace

Philippians is my favorite book in all the Bible. Nearly every one of its four short chapters contains verses that are near and dear to my heart. I'd encourage you to read the whole book—it would only take about 20 minutes—and if you have questions as you read, text them to us and Pastor Mark and I will answer them on the Questions Podcast.

Paul wrote thirteen of the New Testament books, and every one begins with the same greeting we find in verse 2: "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." This was the standard greeting of the apostles. Even across the distance separating us, that's my prayer for you this morning—that through all we're going through and the stress weighing on people, God's grace and peace would be multiplied to you in our Lord Jesus.

Confident That God Works by Our Prayers

In verse 3 Paul says, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making requests for you all with joy." Paul seems to have developed a pattern: when people came to mind, he stopped and prayed for them. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 he commands, "Pray without ceasing." One small step toward that is to pause for even three or ten seconds when someone comes to mind and lift them up to the Lord. And maybe it's not so random that they come to mind.

Then in verse 6 Paul prays with confidence: "He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." This brings me to my first point: we can be confident that God is doing a good work by our prayers.

Am I the only one who has felt stir-crazy and frustrated during this lockdown? I'm one of those people who constantly feels like I need to be accomplishing something, and so much has been put on pause. My four kids are home from school, the whole household dynamic has changed, and a lot of my calendar has been put on hold. I can feel ineffective. But Paul had learned an important lesson in his lockdown.

Some of God's Greatest Work Was Done in Lockdown

Paul was an extremely high-capacity leader—definitely a type-A, get-it-done personality. For fifteen years he traveled the known world preaching the gospel and planting churches in every major region and capital city: Philippi, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, and ultimately Rome. About three years before this letter he was arrested for his faith, and that high-capacity man was placed where he could not move freely.

What's amazing is that some of his most impactful, long-term work was accomplished while he was on lockdown. The letters to Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, Timothy, and Titus were all written while he was imprisoned. Paul had learned the confidence that God was working in the midst of what he was going through.

What Paul Actually Prayed

What were the specifics of Paul's prayer? Verse 9: "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ." Reading this in various translations gives wonderful amplification. Paul prays roughly five things.

First, that they would abound in love. Jesus said the world will know we are His disciples by our love for one another. Second, that they would grow in knowledge and understanding—my constant prayer for those I teach. Third, that they would discern what really matters.

I've been thinking about the good coming out of this crisis. Normally when someone asks how I'm doing, my answer is "busy"—and so is everyone else's. Now we're not busy, and all the things we thought were exceedingly important—politics, sports, the Olympics, Major League Baseball's opening day—have been put on hold. It gives us a chance to consider what is really important. I read an article this morning suggesting this might lead some people back to faith and to the church. That's certainly my prayer.

Fourth, Paul prays they would be pure and sincere—a simplicity and genuineness, without fluff or fakery. Fifth, that their lives would produce the fruits of righteousness. If you ever wonder how to pray for the people in your life, this is a good pattern.

God's Greatest Work Is in Us

Paul prays all this "to the glory and praise of God." This brings me to point two: oftentimes God's greatest work is that which He accomplishes in us, not that which He accomplishes by us. We tend to think of God's working in terms of what He might use us to do in the world, but His greatest work is often the transformation He does within us, changing us into the likeness of His children. During this forced Sabbath, it might be a moment to stop and ask, "Lord, is there something You want to teach me, something You want to do in me?"

Point three: God's work in us will result in greater glory and praise to His name. When God makes you more loving, kind, genuine, patient, or righteous, He gets the glory. In Galatians 5:22–23 Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, self-control. Where do these come from? From God. When people see them in our lives, it brings Him glory.

Things That Turned Out for the Furtherance of the Gospel

Verse 12: "But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel." What things? A few years earlier, a riot broke out around Paul in Jerusalem and he was arrested. A group had even taken an oath not to eat until they killed him, so the Romans shipped him to Caesarea, where he waited a couple of years for trial, and eventually to Rome. All of it seemed distressing and terrible.

Yet Paul says these things turned out for the gospel: "It has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ" (v. 13). And "most of the brethren... having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear" (v. 14). One of my prayers for our church is that this situation would stir us to be bolder in sharing our faith—even as simple as sending this video to a friend or inviting them to watch a service with you.

This leads to point four: sometimes God's work is furthered more through challenging circumstances than in easygoing times. This is hard for us, because we'd rather things be easy. But it has been my own observation and the observation of those close to me. When we face challenges, we must remember that God understands what He is doing even when we do not. Paul had gained perspective—he could step back and see the bigger picture, even when that picture included people who, calling themselves Christians, were trying to make his imprisonment harder (vv. 15–18). Still he said, "Whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice." God is presently working in our challenging circumstances.

To Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain

Paul wraps up in verses 19–21: "For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Those are powerful words. Paul had the right heavenly perspective. If he stayed in this world, he would live as a bold ambassador for Jesus, sharing the gospel with as many as he could. If he died, that would be gain, because he would be with the Lord.

This brings me to my fifth and final point: the temporary challenges in the life of the Christian are a reminder that eternal glory awaits. If you have put your trust in Jesus, He has promised you will be with Him forever in a new heaven and new earth. To be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord. Our ultimate hope and joy are not in this life—wonderful as our spouses, children, and families are. The challenges we face are always temporary, even if they last a lifetime, and they remind the Christian of eternal glory.

In Romans 8:18 Paul writes, "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." And in 2 Corinthians 4:17–18, "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Look to the Things That Are Unseen

As I close, I want to encourage you to look at the things that are eternal—beyond Washington, beyond Sacramento, beyond the CDC, the World Health Organization, and every place of power. For the Christian who has received the free gift of forgiveness and salvation, eternal glory awaits.

But I must speak to those who have not yet put their trust in Jesus. I encourage you to call out to Him in prayer—prayer is simply speaking to God—and ask Him to reveal the truth of the gospel: that Jesus, the perfect God-man, died on the cross in your place to bear your sin and shame, was buried, and three days later, on what we celebrate as Resurrection Sunday, rose from the dead. He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might receive the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

If you've never put your faith in Jesus, would you pray with me now: "Dear Jesus, I ask that You would come into my life, that You would forgive me of my sin, that You would help me to follow You by faith and to trust You with my life. Save me from my sin and help me to follow You. In Jesus' name."

Closing Prayer

God, I pray right now for anyone listening to our live broadcast or watching this months from now on an archive. We pray that You would do a great work in our nation and in our world, as thousands of churches who never tried to reach out online are now reaching our culture where it is today. Most certainly, if the Apostle Paul were alive today, he would be doing Zoom meetings and YouTube Live and all these things. So use Your church to share the good news with those who have yet to hear. Bring a Great Awakening, not just in the United States but throughout the whole world. Draw people to Yourself and do a work, because we are confident of this very thing—that You are working in this world and You will be faithful to complete that work until the day You return. Until then, help Your church to be faithful in following You. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

And now may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God the Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon and among you and remain upon you always. Amen.