A Gospel-Worthy Life (2)

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Philippians chapter 1 verse 27,

Philippians 1:27

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ,

that whether I come and see you or else be absent,

I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit,

with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,

and in nothing terrified by your adversaries,

which is to them an evident token of perdition,

but to you of salvation, and that from God.

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, or for the sake of Christ,

not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake,

having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now here to be in me.

The suffering with which Paul is talking here in this passage

is not the suffering that comes as a result of living in a fallen state.

This is not the kind of suffering that applies to every person's life that has ever lived.

There's a few things in terms of hardship that we all face.

Because of our sinful nature, because of the curse of sin on this earth,

through Adam and Eve and so on passed down to all of us,

there are certain hardships that we face.

Death is one of those things primarily.

Paul's discussion here of suffering is not really in the realm of that type of suffering.

It's not hardship for hardship's sake.

It's not just about going through difficult times.

The suffering that he's referencing here in this passage

is a suffering and a persecution

that comes specifically as a result of our commitment to the gospel.

It's not just a suffering with sickness because we have sin-cursed bodies that are in the process of decay.

It's not that type of suffering.

It's the suffering that we may deal with persecution and ridicule

and even face a possible death for our stand on the gospel.

It's preaching the truth and dealing with the opposition.

That's the suffering that he is referring to here.

Kent Hughes, in his commentary on the book of Philippians,

tells the story of a man named Mehdi Dibaj.

Mehdi was arrested by the government in Iran in 1984

after he converted from Islam to Christianity

and became a pastor in a Christian church there in a Christian community.

He spent 10 years in prison

until he was sentenced to be executed for his faith in 1994.

This is just a few years ago.

The Iranians released him under pressure from the United States government,

but he was found dead just a few days later in a park.

He was the third Christian murdered in Iran

after being released from prison during that specific time frame.

Kent Hughes includes some of Mehdi Dibaj's last statement of defense

when he had gone to trial in Iran.

Here's the last sentences that he wrote and that he exclaimed in this trial.

He said,

It's very much reminiscent of verse 21 in Philippians.

Philippians 1, isn't it?

For to me to live is Christ, to die is gain.

And then he said,

Therefore, I am not only satisfied to be in prison for the honor of his holy name,

but am ready to give my life for the sake of Jesus my Lord.

Standing before this council and this defense,

knowing that what awaited him,

if he stood firm on sound doctrine,

if he continued to preach the gospel,

was certain execution,

and those were the words that he expressed to this council.

I stand firmly committed that Jesus Christ is our Savior,

and he is the Son of God.

Of course, God has an amazing purpose,

gospel purpose,

for this kind of suffering.

We've talked about that in our study already of chapter 1 in Philippians,

but a recent article by the Gospel Coalition stated that right now,

in 2019 or 2020 now,

the fastest growing segment of the global church is in Iran.

It's amazing because of the persecution of believers.

The church is growing incredibly in places like the Middle East

and in China and in communist environments.

The church is growing because of the persecution of believers.

People who are willing to stay committed to their faith,

even when being opposed by the people around them.

God has a gospel purpose in that,

and he uses it in a fantastic way.

It's something that we are not so familiar with

because of the blessings that we experience

and the freedoms that we have here.

But all across the world,

there are still people

that are up against severe persecution,

even martyrdom,

all because they're Christians.

Of course, persecution is not exclusive to Christianity.

There's lots of people groups.

There are lots of religions that are persecuted.

But it is to be expected for Christians

according to the scriptures.

Last week, we talked about this demonstration

of the gospel-worthy life.

We'll cover these last two points this morning,

which the first being the sign of a gospel-worthy life.

The sign of a gospel-worthy life.

Look with me again at verse 28.

Paul says,

and nothing terrified by your opponents or your adversaries,

which is to them an evident token of perdition,

but to you of salvation,

and that from God.

In verse 28, we see the words evident token,

which just means a sign.

Refers to proving or giving evidence

of something that's true.

A sign gives direction.

And it's like coming to a fork in the road.

One sign points toward the path of opposition to the gospel

and leads to the city of destruction.

The other sign points toward faith in the gospel

and leads to the city of salvation.

Allowing believers to go through seasons of persecution

is used by God as a means of making a clear separation

of the saved and the unsaved.

Paul says that the willingness of a believer

to faithfully endure suffering

gives evidence of the fact that unbelievers will perish

and believers will be saved.

That's exactly what he's saying in verse 28.

Unbelief demonstrated by those who oppose the gospel

is the sign of coming judgment.

Endurance demonstrated by those who believe the gospel

then is the sign of a coming salvation.

Three quick notes underneath this point

if you're keeping track of them

maybe in your scripture journals.

The first thing is this.

Our endurance is a sign of judgment

to those who oppose the gospel.

Our endurance in the faith and through persecution

is a sign of judgment to those who oppose the gospel.

Paul says it to the unbeliever,

to the adversary, to the opponent.

It is an evident token of perdition

or destruction and judgment.

It doesn't mean that they acknowledge the sign

but the sign is still yet evident.

The believer's willingness to endure suffering

for the sake of the gospel signals to their adversaries

that they will one day be judged by God

for their unbelief and for the persecution

that they have brought on God's people.

But this sign has a purpose

and this is the point that I want us to understand here.

This sign of destruction,

this sign, evident token of perdition,

it has the purpose.

It's not only meant to condemn the unbeliever

but I believe it's actually meant

to draw them to salvation.

There's two ways that I think it does this.

First, it does it, it's produced through our message.

This sign is produced in our message.

Look with me again at verse 27.

Paul urges these believers to let their manner of life

be worthy of the gospel of Christ.

And here's how it would be worthy.

That I may hear of your affairs,

that you stand fast in one spirit,

that's a commitment to biblical doctrine,

with one mind striving together for the faith,

that's the offensive posture of sharing the gospel

with the people around you

and in nothing terrified by your opponents.

It comes by standing firm,

faithfully declaring the gospel.

Our endurance then is clearly lived out,

practically, in action.

And that action is founded on

the declaration of a particular message.

What is this endurance?

It's the message that we give.

What is that message?

That all who reject Christ will die in their sins

and their soul will live eternally,

separated from God in a place called hell.

How is our suffering,

how is our endurance a sign of judgment to our opponents?

Because in that sign is the reality of our message,

that as they oppose us,

what they're opposing is what we are preaching

and what we are believing.

And if we're doing it the right way,

what we're focused on in our preaching

and in our teaching and in our sharing with our friends

is not all of the preferential things of church,

not all of the various things

that we would dig through the scriptures

and try to argue with someone about.

What we are faithfully preaching is the gospel,

that Jesus is God,

that he came to save sinners,

and all who reject him as God

that do not believe

are destined for destruction and hell.

But our message is also a sign of hope.

Because those same opponents

that reject the gospel,

if they will at some point repent in their heart

and repent of their unbelief

and turn to Jesus Christ,

God will forgive their sins

and grant them eternal life.

It's a wonderful sign of hope.

It's not just a sign of destruction.

Our mission is to proclaim the gospel

to sinners just like us.

And it may be that God allows us

to suffer for that proclamation

so that he might use our enduring witness

to save the very person that afflicts us.

It may be that God allows you to suffer

for your faith in your family

or in your place of work

or among your friends

or even a stranger,

specifically so that your enduring witness

would be used by God

to draw that opponent to salvation.

Remember, faith cometh by hearing

and hearing comes by the word of God.

We're to keep defending and preaching Jesus

so that even the most vehement deniers of truth

might hear the message and be saved.

So this is a sign of judgment

and it's a sign of hope.

So the sign is produced in our message.

The sign is also produced in our suffering.

It's also produced in our suffering.

God often uses our willingness to remain faithful

as a means of drawing our opponents to salvation.

Think about the scene of the cross

as Jesus was crucified for the sins of mankind,

for us.

Think about all of the opponents involved in that story.

The first one that comes to mind for me is the thief.

In fact, you could probably go to Luke chapter 23

Luke 23 · chapter mention

and Luke chapter 24

Luke 24 · chapter mention

and see all of these examples in one setting.

Remember the thief on the cross?

There was two of them.

Jesus split the two.

There was one on his right and one on his left.

I think it's the gospel of John tells us

that when they first were being crucified,

both of these thieves were ridiculing and mocking Jesus.

They were asking if he really was who he said he was.

Why didn't he save himself and then save them along with him?

Both of them were involved in this.

But at some point in the six hours of suffering on the cross,

seeing the suffering of Christ,

one of them was impacted in a specific way,

not necessarily because of the words of Christ,

but because of the way that he suffered.

So that some point during that crucifixion story,

one of the thieves looks at the other thief

and says, you gotta stop this.

This isn't right.

And he looks at Jesus and he says, remember me, please.

And what does Jesus say?

It's amazing, his love.

Even in the midst of that, after hours,

this man has been ridiculing and mocking him.

He's in the same condition as him.

He's in no reason to mock anybody,

no condition to mock anybody.

And he's relentless with Jesus.

And then finally something clicks in his mind

as he witnesses the suffering of Jesus.

And Jesus looks at him and says,

today you will be with me in paradise.

Just like that, he's willing to forgive him

and demonstrate his love.

We see because of the suffering of Christ,

the thief on the cross comes to Christ.

Remember the centurion.

That was one of the men that literally crucified Jesus.

Once Jesus takes his final breath,

he says, truly, this was the son of God.

One of the men that was splitting his garments

and casting lots, making a mockery of him,

literally nailed him to the cross.

And he sees the way Christ suffered.

And God uses that to draw him to salvation.

Do you remember Joseph of Arimathea?

Luke tells us that Joseph was actually a part of the council,

that kangaroo trial that night,

that condemned Jesus to be crucified.

He was on that council.

Now there's a good opportunity or a good chance

that he didn't agree with the council,

but he was complicit in what they were doing.

Yet it was Joseph of Arimathea,

after seeing the way Christ suffered,

goes to Pilate and begs the body of Jesus

and takes his body off.

And as soon as they could,

before the Passover Sabbath had begun,

takes him and puts him in that borrowed tomb,

understanding that Jesus wasn't gonna stay there.

And then the crowd that gathered around,

that gnashed on him with his teeth,

that the Bible says wagged their heads and ridiculed him

as they saw the sign above his head that said,

said King of the Jews.

That in this three hours of darkness,

as we see the darkness rest between noon and three o'clock,

as Jesus is being crucified,

we see him absorbing the wrath of God.

In the midst of all of that,

this crowd is convicted so that they end up going home.

And it says they're beating their breast as a sign of guilt

and as a sign of repentance for what they had just done.

Why?

Because they had witnessed how Jesus had suffered.

So God uses that.

He uses our endurance.

He uses our willingness to suffer to bring others to Christ.

Of course, it's not just what Jesus is suffering.

Just in Philippi, they understood this.

Remember the Philippian jailer.

Why was it that he ran into Paul and Silas' jail cell?

And at the end of that night or at midnight and said,

what must I do to be saved?

It was because of the way they suffered

and endured that persecution that he inflicted.

Perhaps even witnessing and approving of the murder of Stephen

was used of God to begin softening the heart of the apostle Paul,

who at that point was known as Saul of Tarsus.

Listen, when we suffer well,

we give evidence of the truth of the gospel.

Why would anyone face death for something they didn't genuinely believe in?

When we're willing to endure opposition

because God will use our testimony to bring others to faith,

and thereby our suffering is a sign of their judgment.

So our endurance is a sign of judgment to those who oppose the gospel.

It's also a sign of our salvation.

It's also a sign of our salvation.

Look with me again at verse 28.

To them, it's an evident token of perdition,

but to you, that is the Philippian believers,

it's a sign of salvation.

Listen, this part's important.

Endurance is not the cause of your salvation.

It is only the sign of genuine salvation.

You are not saved because you endure.

You endure because you are truly saved.

Suffering is the proving ground for authentic faith.

Those who have truly trusted in Christ

will stand firm on the gospel

because they're fully convinced of its truth.

Those who cower and reject the gospel

because of impending opposition

prove that their profession of faith

was not genuine saving faith.

And so in this sign of salvation,

not only does God separate with this sign

the opposition that is destined for judgment

and the ones who endure in their faith

that are destined for salvation,

not only does he make that separation,

but as he gets into this group of professing believers,

our endurance and suffering then becomes another form

of separating the sheep from the goats, so to speak,

where those who do endure

see the sign of their salvation,

those who do not endure

did not have genuine faith.

Of course, the scriptures testify to this over and over.

Hebrews chapter three and verse 14,

the writer says,

we are made partakers of Christ

if we hold the beginning of our confidence

steadfast unto the end.

And then we're reminded by John in his first epistle.

They went out from us, but they were not of us.

For if they had been of us,

they would have continued with us.

But they went out that it might become plain

that they all are not of us.

So this idea of suffering for the gospel

is not only a sign of the opposition's destruction

and the endurer of salvation.

But as you get into this realm of professing believers,

God begins to weed out those who only profess the faith

but have never actually believed it.

It's a pruning process.

God often does with his church.

This is not to insinuate that it's possible

for a person once saved to lose their salvation.

The Bible clearly teaches that that's not the case.

It's not to be representative of a believer

that falls in a moment of weakness and fear.

That's not it either.

This is representative of a professing believer

that when facing persecution for their professed belief

reveals that they never did actually truly believe

so that the result of their rejection

isn't mourning or grief over their sinful denial.

Rather, they end up joining the ranks of the opposition.

There's a difference in how they continue.

And it's at this point, before we move on,

that I want to encourage those of us

that have fallen in a moment of weakness in this way.

Just because you've had a moment

where you didn't stand as firm on the gospel

as you should have or could have

doesn't mean automatically that you were never truly saved.

Your salvation was not earned by works

and it won't be kept by your works either.

It's the power of God that saved you

and it's the power of God that secures that salvation.

Persecution serves as God's means

of exposing those in the church

that have not actually believed.

And there's a difference between a person

that apostatizes the faith

because they never truly believed

and a person that has genuinely been saved

but in some way faltered out of fear.

And I want to give you an illustration

of the two differences.

Turn with me to Luke chapter 22.

Luke 22 · chapter mention

Would you do that?

Luke chapter 22.

Luke 22 · chapter mention

Just a few pages to the left in your Bibles.

I want you to see it

because I want you to believe me.

I don't want you to take my word for it.

I want you to take God's word for it.

Luke chapter 22.

Luke 22 · chapter mention

I want you to see this.

I think it'd be helpful to us.

There's a lot happening in this passage

leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus

but there's two different narratives

that involve rejecting Christ.

One is the narrative that surrounds Judas Iscariot

and his betrayal of Christ.

The other is the narrative of Simon Peter's denial of Christ.

Judas and Simon were not, or Peter,

were not the same in this.

Peter showed an evidence of weakness as a believer

but he was a believer.

Jesus had actually already confirmed that.

Judas' story is different.

Let's look at his first.

Look at Luke chapter 22 verses three through six first.

Luke 22 · chapter mention

Then entered Satan into Judas,

surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the 12.

And he went his way and communed with the chief priest

and captains how he might betray him unto them.

And they were glad and covenanted to give him money.

And he promised and saw opportunity

to betray Jesus unto them in the absence of the multitude.

There's a very vindictive, very adversarial,

very much opposition to Jesus.

That's what's happening there in Judas' narrative.

Now look with me at verse 21.

Verse 21 to 23.

Jesus says,

But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me

is with me on the table.

And truly the Son of Man goeth as it was determined,

but woe unto the man by whom he is betrayed.

And they began to inquire among themselves

which of them it was that should do this thing.

And it's at that point in the narrative

that we understand Judas left the room,

knowing where Jesus would end up going

after the supper was over.

He betrayed Jesus and turned him into the chief priest

and to the soldiers there.

Judas' betrayal of Jesus was rooted in his lack of faith.

He didn't truly trust Christ,

but for three years,

he took part in the ministry of Christ.

There's a warning in this for us,

just in the story of Judas,

that you may sit with someone in church

for years and years and years,

but really when the opposition

really starts to show his face,

you might find out that this person

that is even partnered in ministry to an extent

was not actually a genuine believer

and will just as fast turn on the faith

as they professed that same faith.

Judas was an unbeliever

who was exposed for his unbelief

after three years of trying to hide it

and put on this charade.

Peter was different.

Let's look at his narrative in Luke chapter 22.

Luke 22 · chapter mention

Look with me at verse 31 to 34 first.

And the Lord said,

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you.

Now in Judas, in verse three, Satan entered him.

That's not the case with Peter

because Peter was a true believer.

Satan wanted to destroy him,

but he couldn't enter into him.

He says he wants to sift you as wheat.

But I've prayed for you, Peter,

that your faith fail not.

And when you are converted

or when you are restored or renewed,

strengthen thy brethren.

That statement in and of itself

is evidence that Jesus understood

Peter's genuine conversion.

He was a genuine believer.

He knew he was gonna deny him,

but he also knew that he was a genuine believer

and there was gonna come a time after that denial

that he repented of that denial

and that he strengthened the other apostles

and would once again lead them.

Verse 33,

and he said unto him,

Lord, I'm ready to go with thee,

both into prison and to death.

And he said,

I tell thee, Peter,

the cock shall not crow this day

before thou shalt thrice,

three times deny that thou knowest me.

Let's skip down to verse 54.

This is amazing.

Verse 54.

Then took they him,

that's Jesus.

He's in the process of trial.

And they brought him into the high priest house

and Peter followed afar off.

And when they had kindled a fire

in the midst of the hall

and were set down together,

Peter sat down among them

to witness what was going on with Jesus.

But a certain maid beheld him

as he sat by the fire

and earnestly looked upon him and said,

this man was also with him.

And he denied him,

saying, woman, I know him not.

After a little while,

another saw him and said,

thou art also of them.

And Peter said, man, I am not.

And about the space of one hour

after another,

confidently affirmed,

saying, of a truth,

this fellow also was with him,

for he is a Galilean.

And Peter said the third time,

man, I know not what thou sayest.

And immediately,

while he yet spake,

the cock crew,

and then this is the amazing part.

And the Lord turned

and looked upon Peter.

They saw each other.

They locked eyes.

Now watch what Peter does.

Peter remembered the word of the Lord,

how just a few hours before,

he had said unto him,

before the cock crow,

thou shalt deny me three times.

And Peter went out

and wept bitterly.

There's clearly a difference

between Judas's betrayal of Jesus

and Peter's denial of Jesus.

So there may be a time in your life

where maybe you're in the midst

of a struggle right now,

or maybe there will come one ahead of you

where you will face persecution

and ridicule

and suffer in some way for your faith.

And in that moment,

you may be tempted

to deny that faith

or to pass it off

or to not stand firm on sound doctrine,

to not pursue offensively

proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That time may come,

and it may have already come for you,

that in a moment of weakness,

your faith wavers

and you don't do

what God has told us to do

in proclaiming the faith

and trusting him through it.

But that doesn't mean

that you're not a believer.

What it means

is that you're in a moment of weakness.

And it could be

that you just need

to get on your face

before God like Peter did

and weep bitterly

and repent of this denial.

There's a difference

between a person

that can't suffer

and denies the faith

and leaves it

and a person

who is wearied

in suffering

and falls

in a moment of weakness

but continues

in that faith.

So don't be discouraged

if you've blown it up

to this point.

Forgiveness is offered

to you by Jesus

like it's offered

to anybody else.

Here's the awesome thing

about Peter's narrative.

Jesus dies that next day.

He raises three days later

and then he spends 40 days

and he appears

to various people

in those 40 days.

Acts chapter 1

Acts 1 · chapter mention

picks back up

with the ascension

of Jesus Christ

after Luke

and then 10 days

after Jesus ascends

Peter in Acts

is preaching

on the day of Pentecost.

He's the one

leading the charge

at that point.

He faithfully

preaches the gospel.

3,000 people get saved.

The Holy Spirit

has this amazing demonstration

of his power

among all of these people

and even in the face

of that opposition

which he did get

arrested and beaten for.

Even in the face

of that

he didn't care.

He pursued it.

53 days

after he had denied Christ.

It's only 53 days later.

So he has this moment

of weakness

and just a few days later

God uses him

in a fantastic way.

Where was Judas?

He hung himself.

His life was done.

God still had a purpose

for Peter.

God still has a purpose

for you.

So stand firm now.

Strive together now.

I gotta hurry.

The next thing

that we see here

is that our endurance

produces a particular confidence.

Look at the last phrase

of verse 28

in Philippians 1.

He says

and all of this

comes from God.

The sign produces

a particular confidence

and joy

in the heart

of a believer

that endures suffering

for the gospel.

Our fear

is turned to faith

and our weakness

is turned to strength

when we realize

that God

is in control

and he always

has the last

word.

Paul reminds

these believers

of the fact

that both judgment

and salvation

come from the hand

of God.

The salvation

of those who believe

and the judgment

of those who oppose Christ

are both secured

in his sovereign purposes.

I imagine

that in the midst

of the persecution

of believers

in Philippi

that these Philippians

were tempted

to view that persecution

as a sign

of the superiority

of their opponents.

Think about that.

The intimidation

that they experienced

was driven

as they experienced

this persecution

from a group

of people

that greatly

outnumbered them

that were in control

of every aspect

of their life.

The leadership

of Philippi

wasn't on their team.

I can imagine

that they felt

a lot like Asaph

in Psalm 73

that Jack read

for us

just a little bit ago

and it would have

been easy

for them

to be overcome

with discouragement,

question the faith

that they had professed

and even be in danger

of denying

that gospel

altogether.

What did Asaph

say in Psalm 73?

He said,

my feet had well

nigh slipped

when I saw

the prosperity

of the wicked.

All of these people

that hate you, God,

everything good

happens to them.

They're in control

over me.

They are ruling my life

and I'm ready

to just give up

on all of that.

And he says,

until I went

into the sanctuary

of God,

then understood

I therein.

As he endured,

he was given

the sign

as Paul is talking

about in Philippians

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1,

he was reminded

of their coming

destruction.

And so when we look

like Asaph did

and like these Philippians

did at the opponents

of the gospel,

we don't look at them

with intimidation,

we look at them

with pity.

They may have

the rule now,

but God ultimately

rules it all.

Their judgment

and our salvation

rests in God's hand,

not in our opponents' hands.

They may get victory

over us now,

but we understand

their end.

Their end,

if they continue

in unbelief,

is one that we are

to pity.

He holds both

our salvation

and their destruction

securely in his hands

so that we can view

our suffering

with confidence

that salvation

belongs to them

that love Jesus

and believe his gospel.

And that reminds me

of that famous hymn

that Martin Luther wrote,

A Mighty Fortress

Is Our God.

You know that hymn?

The fourth verse of it,

it says this,

let goods and kindred go.

Let the things

that you own,

materialism

and the relationships

that you have,

be willing to let

those things go.

This mortal life also.

The body they may kill,

God's truth abideth still.

His kingdom is forever.

So there may come times

in your life

as a believer

that you're up

against opposition

and suffering

for the sake of the gospel,

but it doesn't matter.

Let goods and kindred go.

Let this mortal life go also.

The body they may kill.

They may kill this body

that's gonna die anyways,

but God's kingdom,

it endures forever.

His word will never end.

His promises

will never go away.

And so we can look

at our suffering

despite the trial

and the hardship of it.

We can look at it

with confidence

because we understand

that judgment

and salvation

comes from God.

He gets the last word.

And so long as we are

secured in his hand,

we receive the salvation.

And the sign of that salvation

is our willingness to endure.

So we see the sign

of suffering

or the sign

of the gospel-worthy life.

Real quickly,

let's look at the final thought.

The call of a gospel-worthy life.

The call of a gospel-worthy life.

Look at verse 29 and 30.

The call to salvation

is a call to suffering.

Paul brings these two elements

together in verse 29.

He says that the Christ

that has given you salvation

has also given you

the privilege

to suffer for his sake.

There are those

who purport

gospel of wealth

and prosperity.

They claim that

the truly Christian person

will be evidenced

in blessing and wealth.

But the true gospel says

that the genuinely Christian person

will be evidenced

in endurance

through suffering.

Jesus called for this mindset often.

Mark chapter 8,

Mark 8 · chapter mention

he said,

if anyone would come after me,

let him deny himself.

Not seek prosperity,

but deny himself.

And take up his cross

and follow me.

For whosoever would save his life

will lose it.

But whoever loses his life

for my sake

and the gospels

will save it,

Jesus says.

Taking up your cross there

is not the presence of hardship.

Bearing your cross

is an identification with Christ.

identifying with him

even to the point of death

is what it means.

Two things.

There's the guarantee of suffering.

The guarantee of suffering.

Paul didn't tell the Philippians

that they might suffer

for the gospel.

He said that it has been granted to them.

It's been given to them

to suffer for the gospel.

It's a guarantee for every believer

in some form or fashion.

The degree of suffering

will be varied

based on God's purposes

for each individual.

But we will all suffer in some way.

Paul says in verse 30

that they would have

the same conflict

which they saw in him

and now here to be in him.

Well, we understand what that is.

What they saw in him

was that he was stripped naked

in the middle of town.

He was beaten nearly to death

and thrown into prison.

And now they know

that what they have heard of him

is that he spent

the last four years in prison

and that what awaits him

is a verdict

that could end up in him

being beheaded for his faith.

What Paul is saying

to these Philippian believers,

he's not saying

that you will experience suffering

in the same way that I am.

He's not saying

that they're probably

going to take you

before the town

and they're going to beat you to death

and throw you into prison.

He's not saying

that you're going to probably

spend four years in prison

and ultimately be executed.

That was possible for them

but that's not what he meant.

What he meant

is that whatever form

of persecution you face,

whatever degree of suffering

that you experience

will be because you have fought

the same fight as me.

Having the same conflict as me,

it means fight.

That as you pursue the gospel

the way that I am,

you're probably going to suffer

in some way.

It may not look like

my suffering looks

but as long as you're preaching

the gospel,

there will be those

that oppose you.

There's a guarantee of it.

He wrote that to Timothy.

He said,

indeed,

all who desire

to live a godly life

in Christ Jesus

will be persecuted.

You might have a family member

that doesn't want to have

much to do with you anymore

because of your stand

on the gospel.

That happens to a lot

of Christians today

and that's painful.

You may get passed over

for a promotion

that you deserve

over everybody else

not because somebody

thinks you're unworthy

but they just can't stand

the fact that you're a Christian

and you talk about it

and they've already

got a bias about you

and they're never

going to hand you something

unless they're forced to.

You understand that

to be the case.

You may have a spouse

that leaves you.

Paul talked about that

to the Corinthian church.

He referenced the reality

that some spouses leave

specifically because of this.

We know people like that.

I've pastored people like that.

We all will suffer

in a different way

but the reality is

that we will suffer

in some way.

There's the guarantee

of suffering.

There's also the grace of it.

What's translated

as given or granted

in verse 29

can literally be rendered graced

because it means

to give freely

or graciously

as a favor.

The idea here is that

not only is suffering

for the gospel guarantee

it's a privilege.

It's not pleasant

but it is a privilege

to suffer for Christ.

And we see this often

in the Bible.

Peter and John

after being beaten

in Acts chapter 5

Acts 5 · chapter mention

threatened

by the Sanhedrin

for preaching the gospel

verse 41 says

they rejoiced

that they were counted

worthy

to suffer shame

for his name.

Paul will say later

in chapter 3

of Philippians

that his desire

was to share

in Christ's suffering.

Peter instructed

in his first epistle

in chapter 4

he said

beloved

do not be surprised

at the fiery trial

which it comes upon you

to test you

as though something strange

were happening to you

but rejoice

in so far

as you share

Christ's sufferings

that you may also

rejoice

and be glad

when his glory

is revealed

when his glory

is demonstrated

in you

in your endurance.

If you are insulted

for the name

of Christ

you are blessed

because the spirit

of glory

and of God

rests upon you.

We're not to seek

suffering

like some kind

of psychopath

but whenever

it comes time

we are to view it

as a privilege

to do so

for Christ.

That's really

the heart

of the gospel

worthy life.

As Paul turns

his attention

now

to

his instruction

to these people

as a pastor

he's concerned

that

they don't get

discouraged

in their persecution

but that

they live their life

worthy of Christ

that they stand firm

that they proclaim

the gospel

that they don't fear

and that they would

count it as a privilege

when that suffering

and that persecution

does actually come.

And that's

my hope

for each of us

that we'd be willing

to do the same

so that as we

desire

to become

an instrument

in God's hand

for bringing

people to Christ

here in Cornelius

and Davidson

and Huntersville

that's why we've

started our church

we want to worship

the Lord

and we have a mission

we want to see

people saved.

That means we're

going to have to

tell them the gospel

and that means

not everybody's

going to be excited

about that.

but let's

pursue it anyways

and if we face

suffering for that

let's rejoice

in the fact

that God

has counted us

worthy

to suffer

for his sake.

Thank you for

listening to this

sermon made

available by

Lakeside Bible

Church.

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