“HOW GOD BRINGS GOOD OUT OF BAD”
Philippians 1:12-20
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Tonight we’re going to see how God brings good out of Paul’s bad circumstances.
You recall that Paul was under house arrest for having preached the gospel and for healing a demon possessed woman.
Because of these two things the Roman authorities had placed Paul under house arrest.
HOW DID PAUL’S ARREST HELP SPREAD THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST?
1. Unbelieving Palace guards came to understand that Paul was not in prison for committing a crime but for being committed to Christ.
There’s a big difference between being arrested for doing something wrong and being arrested for doing something right.
Knowing that Paul was arrested for his faith and not for some crime would have made a deep impression on these faithless palace guards.
Their religion was Rome. Their faith was in their military. Their god was Caesar. These were people who put their faith in the state of Rome.
But seeing Paul stand for something he believed in, seeing Paul sacrifice for a cause greater than himself would have moved these people.
What does this teach us?
Spiritual Application: As a Christian I can surrender to my circumstances or surrender to Christ’s cause.
Paul could have given in to the pressure being put on him by the Roman Guards and Leaders. These politicians were putting pressure on Paul to get him to stop preaching Christ.
Arresting Paul was one of their methods for censoring him.
But Paul made a choice. Instead of give in to the Roman government he gave himself over to Jesus Christ and obeyed God instead.
Richard Wurmbrand is the founder of a ministry called “Voice of the Martyrs”. Some of you receive their publication.
Richard Wurmbrand was a Romanian Pastor who was imprisoned by the Russians and tortured for his faith in Christ.
In May of 1966 Pastor Wurmbrand testified in Washington before the United State Senate’s Internal Security Subcommittee. During this testimony Pastor Wurmbrand stripped to the waist to show 18 deep torture wounds that covered his body.
After the Communists came to power in Romania, they convened a congress of all Christian bodies in Romania’s Parliament Buidling.
There were 4,000 pastors, priests and ministers from different denominations in attendance. These 4,000 chose Joseph Stalin as honorary president of this congress.
Pastor Wurmbrand recounts that one after another, bishops and pastors arose and declared that communism and Christianity were the same and could coexist together.
This was at the same time that Joseph Stalin was raising Russian children to be atheists and at the same time killing Christians.
Pastor Wurmbrand and his wife were there and his wife said to him, “Richard, stand up and wash away this shame from the face of Christ. They are spitting in his face.”
He said to his wife, “If I do so, you lose your husband.”
She said, “I do not wish to have a coward for a husband.”
So Pastor Wurmbrand stood up and began to praise Christ and declared that their first loyalty was to God and His Son.
Pastor Wurmbrand wrote, “Afterward I had to pay for this, but it had been worthwhile.”
There is a great difference between suffering for the wrong reasons and suffering for the right reasons.
“For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.” – I Peter 2:19-20 (NIV)
Paul shows us that a Christian can surrender to Christ and not their circumstances.
What circumstances are getting you down lately? Do you have any situations in your life that are negatively affecting you?
Can you adopt the attitude of Paul in your present circumstances?
Can you choose to surrender to Christ instead of give in to your circumstances?
2. Seeing Paul Stand Up For Christ Motivated Others To Speak Up For Christ.
“Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.” – Philippians 1:14-18 (NIV)
Spiritual Application: God is just as concerned about my motives for serving Him as my methods of serving Him.
Here we have two kinds of people using the same method but from very different motives.
Both were using the method of preaching.
The word Paul uses that is translated ‘preach’ is the greek word karusso. It means ‘to publicly announce something, to proclaim’.
Preaching is one method God uses to meet the needs of people.
There are many other methods God uses in the Bible for ministering to people.
Here in this passage Paul references the method of preaching.
Both groups are preaching but with very different agendas.
One group’s motive was love. The other group’s motive was rivalry.
One preached from compassion the other out of competition.
God cares more about our motives than our methods in ministry.
While we’re looking for better methods God is looking for men…women…boys…girls.
Spiritual Application: God uses people with mixed motives.
Paul tells us that either way Christ is preached.
How to apply this passage to my life: What am I going to do with what I’ve learned tonight?
1. I will rejoice.
“And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.” – Philippians 1:18c (NIV)
Instead of complain, or give up, or leave, or quit, or whatever, I will rejoice.
I will turn “Ain’t it awful” conversations into “I am thankful” conversations.
Paul never prays for God to change his situation.
While we are looking for God to change our situation God is looking to change us.
2. I will check my motives each time I serve Christ.
“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.” – Philippians 1:15-17 (NIV)
• Am I preaching/teaching because I want to put others in their place or because I want to put Christ in His rightful place? Why am I doing this?
• Am I serving because I want people to recognize me or because I want to please God?
• Am I serving because I’ll feel guilty if I don’t or because I am grateful for God’s grace?
• Do I love the people I’m serving or do I just love to serve? Do I love the people I preach to or do I just love preaching? Do I love the people I teach or do I just love teaching? Do I love the people I’m leading or do I just love to lead?
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” – Hebrews 4:12-13 (NIV)
3. I will help others understand Jesus better with my behavior.
“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” – Philippians 1:20 (NIV)
Some translations translate this verse as “Christ shall be magnified in my body.”
Have you ever used a magnifying glass? What is the purpose of a magnifying glass?
A magnifying glass does several things: it makes the object look bigger thus making it easier to examine and see. It also brings the object into greater focus, enabling us to see detail we would not be able to see without the magnification the glass is performing.
The word Paul uses here, which is translated magnify or exalted, is the word ‘megaluno’. It comes from the word ‘mega’: which means great, strong. To make great, enlarge.
The Idea is that our bodies, our actions in these bodies, act like magnifying glasses. People look through our actions to see Jesus.
In other words, through our words, actions and gestures, people are to be able to look at you and see Jesus enlarged.
They are to be able to see Jesus easier through your actions.
Now, does that describe you? When others look at your behavior, do they see Jesus easier or does looking at your behavior make it harder for them to see Jesus?
It’s like our lives are a window. People walk up to the window and look through it to see what Jesus is like, His nature, His attributes, His character, His personality.
Sin is like dirt clouding up a window, or dirt smudging the magnifying glass. The more sin that gets in our bodies the cloudier the glass becomes and the harder it is for others to look through our actions to see Jesus clearly.
Is there any dirt on your magnifying glass tonight? Is there any sin in your life that you need to wipe away and clean off?
