Advance The Gospel (Jan 9) Ed Gregorcic

Hello and welcome to the Redemption Church Podcast.

We're a church in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada that exists to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission and the spirit of the Great Commandment.

Thanks for joining us today.

Hey, good morning, everyone.

And a happy, belated, happy new year to you all.

Glad that you could be with us here.

A special shout out to you watching online.

Glad that you could join us online.

But uh just want to encourage you, those online, that this is where community is.

So come on down.

Protocols are adhered to.

It'd be good.

It would be good to see you here so we can encourage each other, especially as we embark on a new year.

So you know, we are, right?

We're we're what nine days into a new year.

We're embarking on this new 2022 and days like this, and the days just before the new year, you you you you start pondering, you start thinking about the year that was.

2021.

You start thinking about that, you know, and you you think, well, you know what?

It was smooth sailing, right?

Everything just went according to plan.

It was it couldn't have been any better.

Yeah, not so much.

Pretty tough.

Tough year, challenges for everybody, certainly at a macro level.

All of us have suffered some kind of loss to some degree or another, and at a micro level, for a lot of people, I know myself, uh, people that I know myself have suffered great loss.

So I don't mean to diminish or downplay or disparage anybody's hurt or pain.

It's real.

In fact, on the contrary, my heart goes out to you, my love, the love of Jesus Christ to you all.

But you know, when you think back upon the year that was, you know, and again, challenges that we were all facing, it's it's easy recency bias, you know, leads us to believe that it was pretty bad, right?

It was it was a lousy year.

It was the worst year.

In fact, I think it was the worst year ever.

Yeah, you can you can kind of tend to to come up to that conclusion, but but but hear me on this.

Listen to this.

Uh, speaking about the worst year uh recorded in human history, last year was anything but, far from it.

Listen to this.

The title of the worst year in history is easily held by 536 A.D., long time ago.

Medieval historian Michael McCormick has stated that it, 536 A.D., was the beginning of one of the worst periods to be alive.

In fact, he says, if not the worst year ever.

End quote.

That year, 536 A.D.

began with an inexplicable dense fog that stretched across the world, which plunged Europe, the Middle East, parts of Asia, and northern Africa into darkness 24 hours a day for almost two full years.

Researchers have discovered that a volcanic eruption from Iceland in the early part of that year, 536 AD, right around this time of year, just spewed incredible amounts of volcanic ash.

Consequently, the global temperatures plummeted, which resulted in the coldest decade in over 2,000 years.

Famine was rampant, crops failed, livestock perished throughout that area.

Africa, Asia, Northern Africa.

It gets better, or maybe worse.

Unfortunately, 536 AD seemed to be only a prelude to further misery.

Listen to this.

This period of extreme cold and starvation caused economic disaster, as you would imagine, in that part of the world.

And in 541 A.D., so just five short years later, an outbreak of bubonic plague further led to half of the Byzantine Empire being wiped out.

And that part of the sixth century is widely referred to as the Dark Ages.

Pretty tough.

Pretty tough in light of all the things that we've been through.

And again, I'm not downplaying it for a minute.

But you think back at 536 AD, do you think that as that year began they were wishing each other a happy new year?

Maybe.

Likely.

It's common.

It's been a common greeting that's been going on forever.

So so let me ask you this question, again, as we embark on a new year.

If you could have one thing, just one thing that would make you happy in the year 2022.

One thing, what would it be?

Just think about that.

Maybe it's more money.

I don't know, maybe it's uh a relationship, uh a new job, perhaps, uh status, power, maybe a change of environment.

Maybe I move from here to there, and you know that that'll make me happy.

Yeah, maybe.

For a period of time.

But that kind of happiness is very elusive, isn't it?

Because it's all external.

And even those circumstances begin to change over time, and we're right back to where we started from.

So, how about rather than asking for one of those things, we were to ask for this?

One thing that would make me happy in the upcoming year.

How about we ask for joy?

That's what I want.

I want joy.

Give me joy for this year, and that will make me happy.

And you may be thinking, even as I say that, you may be pondering, well, isn't that the same thing?

Aren't they synonymous?

Joy and happiness?

Well, actually, no, they're not.

They're two different things.

There is similarities and they do overlap, but joy and happiness are two different things.

Happiness is an emotion, is a byproduct, often a byproduct of joy.

Joy is contentment.

Not in spite of the circumstance, but because of the circumstance we find ourselves in.

That's a whole different kind of mindset, a whole different perspective, right?

The Bible kind of defines joy this way, and this is crucial for us to remember, as we're going to be in Philippians, by the way.

So uh fire up your apps, Philippians chapter 1, verses 1 to 18 today, and then we'll finish the chapter next week.

Philippians 1:1–18

Philippians chapter 1, verses 1 to 18.

Philippians 1:1–18

The Bible defines joy this way.

It's a state of delight, well-being, peace as a result of my relationship with God restored through the personal work of Jesus Christ.

The repentance and faith.

That relationship with God, severed, as it were, because of sin, right?

Creation perfect, Genesis chapter 1, Genesis 3, sin enters into the equation and mars all creation itself.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

Then Jesus came, he's the only one who could fulfill the requirement for that sacrifice.

And he, to restore that relationship with God through the personal work of Jesus Christ, he is resurrected, he too, and he will return.

We are in the second advent as we speak, and we will be as he is.

So that joy is based on my relationship with God restored through the personal work of Jesus Christ.

Why is that important?

Because God now relates to us on the basis of who Jesus is, not on the basis of who we are.

God relates to us on the basis of who Jesus is, not on the basis of who we are.

Our relationship with God restored through the personal work of Jesus Christ.

Now we are enveloped, if you can picture, enrobed with the righteousness of Christ.

And God sees us through the lens of Jesus' righteousness, and nothing and no one can ever take that away.

That should give you great joy.

That should give you contentment.

Alistair Begg, some of you may know of Alistair Begg, a Scottish pastor.

I love that guy.

He defines joy this way, in light of what I just said.

He said, Joy is my rational condition in light of my position in Christ.

That's contentment.

Rational, not irrational, my rational condition in light of my position in Christ, my relationship with God now restored.

Yeah, amen.

There you go.

Contentment and joy.

Not in spite of the circumstance, but because of it.

John Piper says, God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in him.

You may have heard that.

As I said, we're going to be in Philippians chapter 1, verses 1 to 18 today, and then the remainder next week.

Philippians 1:1–18

Probably my favorite of all Paul's epistles.

I love this epistle.

Coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ many decades ago and just kind of going through my own challenges way back when I had a very dear pastor friend of mine say to me, He says, Ed, here's what you need to do.

You need to read through the book of Philippians every single chapter for the next 21 days, and then we'll meet again for coffee.

Let's see if your circumstance or your attitude hasn't changed.

And over the years I continue to come back to this letter for that purpose.

It is so rich.

It is such a personal letter.

It's like we are reading an excerpt of the Apostle Paul's diary.

And there's four things that Paul says in this whole letter, but specifically in this chapter, that I hope we get from this today: peace, prayer, purpose, and proclamation.

All as a result of contentment.

All as a result of contentment.

So let me set a little bit of framework before we dive into this beautiful letter here.

Two dates to remember 8051, 8061.

8051 is the approximate date when the apostle Paul arrives on his first missionary journey to Philippi.

Philippi is in Macedonia, northern part of Greece.

8051 is when he arrives.

We see that, it's recorded for us in the book of Acts, Acts chapter 16.

Acts 16 · chapter mention

Highlights, Luke highlights how this happened, how the church of Philippi came to be.

Three primary characters that Luke highlights for us in the book of Acts about this church of Philippi.

First, there's a woman named Lydia.

A woman named Lydia, and Luke even describes her as a worshiper of God, a worshiper of a God, but an unknown God, not the one true God.

But she, Paul, encounters her and an other group of women by the riverside.

What are they doing there?

They're praying.

They're calling out to God.

A God, an unknown God.

The Apostle Paul encounters them, leads her to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Now that relationship restored, and she's worshiping the one true God.

It says of Lydia that she was a purveyor, a seller of purple goods.

Why is that important?

Purple is the color of royalty.

People with influence, people of some substance.

So she's traveling in a different sphere of influence than most of the people in her, certainly in her day.

So there's Lydia.

Then there's another young woman that he encounters.

Paul encounters this other young woman who's described this way.

Get a load of this description.

Demon-possessed, slave girl, fortune teller.

She's held captive against her will.

And her captors, these men, are benefiting greatly from her fortune telling.

They're earning an income off of her fortune telling.

So it's in their best interest to keep her in this state.

They don't want her to get better.

They don't want her to be made whole again because then there goes their source of income.

But the Apostle Paul, by that act of grace, casts the demon out of her.

She comes to her right mind, saving faith in Jesus Christ.

However, no longer able to tell fortunes.

Which makes her captors very upset.

And for this act of kindness, you know what they do?

They have Paul thrown in prison.

In Philippi, where he encounters the third person.

The third person mentioned in Acts chapter 16.

Acts 16 · chapter mention

And this is the Roman jailer.

And this Roman jailer in Philippi, he was pretty zealous.

He was overzealous.

Not only does he put Paul in prison, but he has him put in stocks, you know, with the head and the hands in stocks.

And Luke records for us in Acts chapter 16 that one night at midnight or thereabouts, while in prison, Paul and Silas are praying and singing hymns to God when the foundations shake, the walls crumble, the prison doors open up, and they're free to go.

Acts 16 · chapter mention

The Roman jailer, who probably lives either on campus or nearby, sees this, and he's about to take his own life because that was the deal.

As part of the manager or the warden, if you will, of the prison, it was his life for there.

So if anybody escapes, then it would have been his life.

So he's about to take his own life.

When Paul stops him and says, Stop.

We haven't gone anywhere.

We're right here.

Think about that.

And on that very night, Paul leads the Roman jailer to saving faith in Jesus Christ and his whole family, and he baptizes the Roman jailer and his whole family.

That very night, the church in Philippi is now established.

Three kind of unlikely characters you might pursue.

The church is now established.

Okay, now fast forward to that second date, A.D.

61.

About 10 years later.

Okay, you follow me?

About 10 years later, Paul now finds himself in prison again, this time in Rome.

He's awaiting trial before Caesar.

He's in prison in Rome, not for Caesar, because he broke any law.

He's in prison in Rome, awaiting trial for Christ.

For the proclamation of the gospel.

And he appeals, he appeals to his captors, and they send him to Caesar because he wants to appeal to Caesar to have Caesar render judgment on him, because he's done nothing wrong.

But the Roman authorities think of him that he is trying to incite sedition and he's going to create a riot.

And in any way, this might distract from their power base, so we have to do away with anything of that nature.

So he's in prison in Rome.

Not for Caesar, but for Christ.

And he's under a type of house arrest, meaning that he could receive guests.

And those guests would come and they would bring food and some monetary gifts and just to help to meet his needs.

But he's also chained to a Roman guard, 24-7.

So you can picture like a link on his wrist and a chain link, and then on the other side here is a Roman guard.

In fact, they were the Praetorian Guard.

This is an elite group of Roman soldiers.

This elite group of Roman soldiers was trained for one thing and one thing only.

Conquest.

These guys were ruthless killing machines.

That's what they were.

And he's chained to one, and they take shifts.

One comes, one goes.

Another one comes, another one goes.

He's receiving guests at the same time.

He's under this type of house while in Rome.

He might be acquitted, or he might be beheaded.

That's his only two options.

Okay?

He wanted to go to Rome to preach the gospel, but he was in Rome as a prisoner for the gospel.

His circumstance wasn't one that was certainly one to be happy about.

So there he is.

He's in Rome.

And unfortunately, while in Rome, there were believers in Jesus Christ.

Some were for Paul, some were against him.

Really unfortunate.

So now, now, so he's in Rome.

He's in prison.

The church back at Philippi that he had established, that God used him to establish ten years before, they hear this.

They get word.

They hear of the word that Paul is in prison in Rome.

They're praying for him, their hearts filled with love for him.

They're calling out, and they're prompted by the Holy Spirit to do something.

They decide they're going to send one of their beloved leaders, a man by the name of Apaphroditus.

One of their own.

And you will go to help meet Paul's needs, and you will take this monetary gift with you from us on our behalf to help him.

And he does.

He embarks on his journey.

He arrives in Rome, Epaphroditus.

Paul's in prison.

He seats him out.

He finds him.

However, while in Rome, Ephroditus becomes ill.

Very ill, to the point of death.

That word also gets back to the church in Philippi.

Now, in their, as far as they know, not only is Paul in prison, probably awaiting his death, Ephroditus, whom they said is also near death, and they are waiting here, and they are praying and calling out to God, Oh my goodness.

When?

God restores Ephroditus to full health.

By the grace of God.

He's restored to full health.

He returns to full health, and he's with Paul.

And the apostle Paul says to him, Epaphroditus, you will go back and you will bring this thank you note.

This beautiful letter right here.

That we know as the letter of Paul to the church at Philippi, the Philippians.

This beautiful letter, Paul writes as a thank you to them.

We have the benefit of reading this all these years later, and for eternity, this is the very word of God.

That's the context by which Paul writes this letter.

The words are spontaneous, they're warm, they're from his heart.

Of all of his epistles, this is by far the most personal.

We get a glimpse into his heart here, unlike any of his other epistles.

Again, by far my most favorite.

I love this letter.

Alright, so with that in mind, we're gonna dive in.

We're gonna go verses 1 to 18.

So let me pray.

Strap on our seatbelts, man.

We're gonna dive right in.

This is a fantastic letter.

God help us.

So let me pray.

Father, thank you that even now as we've spoken of the framework of the circumstance that was there in the present condition that Paul and Epaphroditus found themselves in.

We can easily lose sight of your the perspective of the gospel and hardships.

Jesus said, In this world we will have trouble, but take heart, for I have overcome the world.

So God help us in these days, those in this room here, those watching online, Lord, that we wouldn't be easily swayed by the things we've seen and heard, but rather see this as our opportunity by the grace of God to advance the gospel by our words and our deeds.

So bless the proclamation of your word right now, Father, we love you.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Alright.

So verse 1, we're gonna see here there's a peace from contentment.

So verse 1, Paul says in verse 1, he describes himself, he's like his signature is at the top of the letters, which was customary at the time.

He says Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi with the overseers and deacons.

So Paul is introducing himself, but now he's also introducing a young man named Timothy, who they may or may not have been familiar with.

Timothy was a young man who encountered Paul on his missionary journey, and he becomes Paul's protege.

We know this in 2 Timothy chapter 2 that Timothy's grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice, Jewish believers in Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

His father was a Gentile and non Jew and not a believer in Jesus Christ.

But he

He comes into contact with Paul, and Paul takes him in, mentors him, he becomes the protege.

In fact, Paul leaves him later in Ephesus to be the pastor at the church in Ephesus.

But he describes himself, Paul and Timothy, this way: bondservants of Christ Jesus.

You know what a bondservant is?

A bondservant is somebody who willingly puts themselves under subjugation to the master.

That's what a bondservant is.

Willingly, not under any compulsion, not by force.

Willingly puts themselves under the authority of the master for what purpose?

To fulfill the desires of the master.

And the master's purpose is to meet their needs.

Paul said that's how he thought of himself in Timothy.

And we too should think of ourselves that way in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Christ Jesus, he says to all the saints in Christ who are at Philippi, who are with the overseers, it's a Greek word as episopoi, means bishops, those who are responsible for giving leadership over a group of churches, and the deacons who are serving in one church.

But he says, saints.

Who are the saints?

Well, that's you, and that's me.

If we have repented of our sins and trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are a saint.

Nobody confers sainthood on you.

That is a reference of your relationship with God restored through the personal work of Jesus Christ.

Remember I said that?

God relates to us on the basis of that relationship.

All the way through this letter, that's the important thing to remember.

Verse 2, he says, Grace, look at this.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you know if you read Paul's epistles?

He starts every one of his epistles with that greeting or something similar.

Grace and peace to you.

Grace and peace to you.

Every one of his letters.

Everything he says from this point on in this letter is a direct result of that wish.

Grace and peace manifest itself in this way.

Grace is God's unmerited favor, undeserved love.

You can't earn it.

Grace is not opposed to effort, but grace is opposed to earning.

He says, grace and peace.

Oh man, we could sure use a whole big dose.

A lot of talk about dose these days, right?

Dose, dose.

We could use a big dose of grace and peace in our lives this day.

Amen and amen.

Peace.

Ceasing of hostility.

Stop it.

Stop it.

As that video beautifully kind of illustrated, just quiet down.

You know why?

Are you ready for this?

God is sovereignly in control.

He's on his throne.

Sovereignly in control of everything at every moment.

You think he woke up today and went, wow, did that happen?

When did that happen?

No.

Sovereignly in control.

There's peace in that.

There's a sense of contentment that comes with that.

Then in verse 3, we're going to see the prayer now, a prayer in contentment.

So Paul sets this literary introduction, grace and peace, grace and peace, and then he goes on this way.

He says, I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.

Always, verse 4, always in every prayer of mine for you, for you all, making my prayer with joy.

Those are beautiful words, you know.

But if you don't really come to the to to grasp in terms of what he's saying here, it just sounds like poetry, right?

It just sounds beautiful and poetic.

Wow, that's nice.

What's he saying here?

He says, I thank my God.

Thanking God is honoring God, giving God the honor he deserves.

I thank, I honor my God.

How, Paul?

In all my remembrance of you.

Remembrance is like a flash of understanding, right?

Boom, all of a sudden, this got God, prompted by the Holy Spirit, God lays it on his heart.

As he's thanking God, as he's praying God, he lays them, the church at Philippi, on his heart.

Does that ever happen to you?

In your time of prayer?

God just, maybe over time, a few days.

I mean, it happens to me often.

God just puts a certain person on my heart.

Man, wow, this person just comes onto my consciousness in my heart.

That's the Holy Spirit's prompting to you to pray for that person.

Maybe pick up the phone and call them or send them a message.

See, see how they're doing.

He says, I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.

Why?

How, Paul?

Why?

Always, he says, always.

Always.

In every prayer, calling out.

Petitioning the Lord on your behalf.

Calling out to God.

As a result of a relationship with God, talking to God.

Be honest with God.

Calling out to God.

He's calling out to God, he says in my prayer review, making my prayer with joy.

You see, you see, his prayer in joy is in contentment.

And being in, the suffix in means surrounded by.

I am surrounded by this contentment.

As I pray, God brings you to my mind, and I'm thankful.

By the way, he's in prison, under house arrest, chained to a Roman guard, 24-7, might be beheaded, might be acquitted.

Maybe you would think as he's praying, he said, you know, and he's filled with anger and rage, perhaps, that this is unfair.

And he's praying and he's sending the letter back to them saying, hey, listen, come on, you know, just let's storm the gates.

Get me out of here.

This is not right.

This is unfair.

I shouldn't, I'm in prison for no for no uh breaking of any law.

No.

You know what he's saying?

I thank my God in my remembrance of you.

How come, Paul?

Why?

Glad you asked.

Listen to this.

Verse 5.

Because of your partnership in the gospel.

That's why.

That's the whole focus point.

That's the focal point.

Partnership in the gospel equals membership in the church.

If you're a member of the church, if you're a member of this church, and this is the church you call them, you should be a member of this church.

Membership in this church means partnership in the gospel.

Synonymous.

It's one and the same.

Their partnership in the gospel manifested itself in membership in the church at Philippi.

And here.

And all around the world.

Because he says your partnership in the gospel from, look what he says, from the first day, remember that first day they mentioned?

8051?

From that first day, ten years ago, until now, as he's in prison ten years later, oh wait, wait.

And even further.

Your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, verse 6, I am sure of this.

Listen to the certainty, the clarity that comes with it.

What are you sure of, Paul?

Well, that he who began a good work in you ten years ago, God, who used you, used Paul to plant the church and them, and they further grow and they're sanctified in their faith and they're planting other churches, God began that good work in you.

Ten years ago.

He who began a good work in you will bring it, began, and will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

What day does Paul have in mind here?

Paul is fast-forwarding all the way to the future.

Paul always said this.

This thought consumed him as he writes his epistles.

The day that we will be in the presence of Jesus Christ Himself.

That day.

And then don't forget, the church will reign on this earth with Christ in a new creation where God, through Jesus Christ, will restore all things, make all things new, restore creation itself back to its original intent.

That's the day Paul has in mind.

That's the gospel, that's the good news of Jesus Christ.

He says he'll bring it to complete.

That's the day this will be.

Until then, there's lots of work to be done.

Lots of work to be done.

In their hearts and in our hearts.

Verse 7, he says, It's right for me to feel this way about you.

It's right, it's good, it's proper, it's noble, it's fitting.

It's right for me to feel this way about you.

Well, how come, Paul?

Because I hold you in my heart.

What a beautiful expression of love.

I hold you in my heart, for you are partakers with me of grace.

Okay, partnership in the gospel equals membership in the church.

Partakers of grace, participant, we participate in grace means we're mutually beneficial.

Mutually, membership, mutually.

We mutually benefit from each other and from the grace of God.

Even though they're in Philippi and he's in Rome, we are mutually benefiting from the grace of God.

Then and now and forever.

That should bring you contentment and joy.

But now he's going to get very specific, okay?

Look what he says here.

You are partakers with me of grace.

He says this now.

He's going to be very specific, both in my imprisonment, which is his circumstance, that's the circumstance he finds himself in, in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

Which is why he's in that predicament.

That's how he got there.

His defense was his words that he spoke, and his confirmation of the gospel is the life that he led.

His words and his deeds were all about the gospel, and that's how he got in prison.

Not because he broke any laws, but for Christ.

And he's reminding them remember, you're my partner, remember, hey, we partner together in the gospel, and we partake in grace.

And here, right now, here's where the rubber hits the road.

In my current circumstance, Paul, in our circumstance that we find ourselves in, as partners in the gospel and as participants of grace, we mutually benefit from each other from our encouragement.

That's why it's so important for us to be here.

That's enough of this isolation.

This is where we need to be as best we can.

Verse 8, he said, God's my witness.

God is my witness.

He's appealing to the highest authority.

He says, Man, God can validate.

God could speak on my behalf.

God is my witness.

What, Paul?

How I yearn for you with all the affection of Christ Jesus.

God knows, he says.

Listen to what he says.

He clarifies that same sentiment.

1 Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 8.

1 Thessalonians 2:8

Just listen to this verse.

He said, So, Paul, being affectionately desirous of you, this is the church at Thessalonica.

Same sentiment though.

Being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

And that verse right there, 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 8, is probably the best summary of what discipleship you'll ever find in the Word of God.

1 Thessalonians 2:8

That's it right there.

You want to know what's discipleship?

There it is, right there.

We shared ourselves, not only the Word of God with you.

We did life together.

We gather, we grow, and we go.

In the name of Jesus.

So you become, listen to this in verse 9.

And it is my prayer, he's continuing in this petition to Gaul.

It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more.

Picture like an echo, abound more and more and more and more, like an echo.

Their love for Jesus Christ that manifests itself in our love for others.

The Bible describes love four ways.

The Greek words agape, phileo, eros, and storge.

Agape love is unconditional love.

It's just an unconditional love.

I'm not expecting anything in return.

I just love you.

I'm not showing you actual love because I expect something in return.

It's unconditional.

There is phileo love, which is brotherly love, where the city of Philadelphia gets its name.

Phileo love, there is eros love, which is a physical expression of love between a husband, man, and wife, woman in holy matrimony.

Then there is storgay love.

What is that?

That's a family.

The love that a family has for each other, family members, through ups and downs, through thick and thin.

So which one is Paul talking about?

Which of those four?

All of them.

Paul is reminding them, he says, My prayer is that your unconditional brotherly love would demonstrate itself in physical acts of love as you would a family.

That's what I'm praying for you.

And that comes as a result of your relationship with Jesus Christ, your love for Christ, overflows in that kind of love for each other.

Abound, echo, echo.

And he says, with knowledge and discernment.

I love that.

With knowledge and discernment.

You know, Paul also says, be careful, like because knowledge can puff up.

Grace builds up.

Knowledge and discernment.

Think of it this way: knowledge, then there's wisdom.

And wisdom is knowledge acquired.

Discernment is knowledge applied.

It's got to go from here to here.

And then to here.

Your head, your heart, your hands, and your habits.

That's a description of discernment.

Wisdom is knowledge acquired.

Discernment is knowledge applied.

And there's only one way that that can happen.

Not in a classroom.

Go to class.

Kids especially.

Good.

Do that.

But for that to happen, that comes through experience, through life, through ups and downs, through the hardships, through through, through all that life has to offer.

That's how that happens.

Alright, let's keep going.

Verse 10, he says, so that you may approve what is excellent and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

Again, he's got that hold, that day that he made reference to back in verse 6, the day that we will be with Christ.

He said, That you will prove.

Approve.

Test.

Approval.

Remember, he has discernment in mind.

Romans chapter 12, verse 2 says, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God.

Romans 12:2

By testing what is good, acceptable, and perfect.

Perfect being complete.

God's complete will.

God's will for you and me is has never changed.

God's will is that we become like Jesus.

It's that simple.

That's God's will for us.

But you'll test it, you'll approve it, you'll discern that.

There'll be ups and that.

It's gonna hurt.

There's gonna be a whole lot of pain.

Then he goes on, verse 11, he says, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God, filled with the fruit, one fruit.

The fruit.

One fruit with nine characteristics.

The fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5, 22, 23.

One fruit, nine characteristics.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

The fruit, one of the Holy Spirit, with nine characteristics.

You know what that what Paul is describing there?

That's discipleship, that's maturity.

And you don't move from one to the next.

You don't say, okay, I got the love thing done, okay, I move on to the next one.

No, no, no.

No, as you mature, as you mature in Christ, those characteristics become more and more evident in your life.

He says, that's what I'm praying for you.

Your love for each other manifested through the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

One fruit, nine characteristics.

Okay, now he's gonna bring it home.

Now he's gonna get very, very, very personal here.

Verse 12.

And here is it.

This is the hear me on this.

This is the key verse.

These next few verses are the key verses in this part of the chapter.

He says, I want you to know.

Why?

Because maybe you have heard something.

Maybe you've heard something that's not complete, but I'm gonna make it clear to you, church, at Philippi.

You've got to know this.

I want you to know this.

I'm gonna set aside any ambiguity, any confusion, and I'm gonna bring complete clarity here.

In my circumstance, he's in prison.

He's not happy.

But I want you to know this.

He says, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me, you see that?

Was really unfair.

Shouldn't have happened.

I'm not happy about this, man.

You guys, never mind, what are you sending apaphroditus for with money and gifts?

A bunch of you should come over here.

Let's storm the gates, get me out of here.

Is that what he says?

You might you might lead yourself to think that maybe, yeah, I could understand him saying something like that because he was in prison for for no law.

He didn't break any law.

Look what he says.

I want you to know what had happened to me has really served a purpose.

You see that?

What's the purpose, Paul?

Advancing the gospel.

That's it.

In the midst, not in spite of the circumstance, but because of the circumstance.

This circumstance that I find myself in is serving a purpose.

You know what the purpose is?

The gospel is being advanced.

He is confined physically, but the gospel is not confined, cannot be stopped, cannot be halted.

The gates of hell will never prevail against the church of Jesus Christ.

Never.

Physically he's confined, but the gospel is flourishing.

I want you to know that, he says.

Man, I love that.

How so, Paul?

How?

Well, he says, so it's become known, verse 13, throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest, that my imprisonment is for Christ, not for Caesar.

Remember what I said that he's chained to a Roman guard 24-7?

They take shifts?

You know what he's doing?

That's why I love the Apostle Paul so much.

Hey, pull up a chair.

Are you the next guy?

Come on, pull up a chair.

What's your name?

Oh, is that your name?

Hey, let me tell you about Jesus.

You know why I'm here?

There's the guard right there.

I'm here not for Caesar.

I'm here for Jesus Christ.

Do you know Jesus Christ?

You know that he died and raised?

He's alive and that he came and that he came and he took the penalty of sin that we that our relationship with God could be resurrected.

Do you know that?

Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

This guard leaves.

The next guy comes in.

You know what he says?

Hey, pull up a chair.

What's your name?

You know why I'm here?

And on and on and on it goes.

You see how his perspective is changed?

You see?

You see what joy and contentment can do?

He says, I want you to know that this is actually servant.

Look to advance the gospel.

Verse 14 and most of the brothers having become content.

Confident in the Lord, not in him, not in him, but in the Lord, in my imprisonment, in my circumstance, are much more bold to speak the word of God without what does it say?

Fear.

We need a massive dose of bravery and courage.

Not bravado.

I'm not talking about that.

I'm not talking about being foolish.

But this is the time for all of us to starve our fear and feed our courage.

Through the word of God, with the people of God in the community of God.

Paul's saying, I want you to know this, man.

This, you know, you may think that this is pretty hard.

You may be feeling sorry for me.

Don't feel sorry for me.

In fact, this circumstance is advancing the gospel.

Because don't forget, too, as the Roman soldiers leave and the next one comes and the next one comes, they're in the Praetorian, which is the headquarters of the Roman governor in Rome.

It's a massive compound.

Soldiers are stationed there.

Others come and serve as servants.

So there's a lot of people there.

The word is spreading throughout the compound that this guy over here, this Paul guy, he's imprisoned because of Christ, not because of Caesar.

Then the Roman soldiers at some point, you know what happens to them?

They get stationed throughout the rest of the Roman Empire.

They're not in Rome the whole time.

This one goes there, this one over here goes somewhere else, and another, and on and on.

And you know what they're bringing with them?

The gospel.

You see that?

Throughout the entire Roman Empire, this circumstance is serving to advance the gospel.

The servants who serve, the soldiers who serve, they're going about their travels and they're spreading the sweet aroma, the fragrance of the gospel as ambassadors of Jesus Christ.

I love that, man.

Then verses 15 to 18, and I gotta tell you.

I wish the Apostle Paul didn't have to put verses 15 to 18 in there, but he does.

Okay?

Remember, partnership in the gospel means membership in the church.

Partaking of grace means we mutually benefit each other.

But now in verses 15 to 18, he's gonna put his finger on motive.

You mean you can do this with the wrong motive?

Yeah.

And in my travels, I've seen it all across.

I've seen it.

I've seen it.

The message is right and good, but the motive is wrong.

Look what he says.

15.

Some indeed preach Christ, proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry.

Others from a good will.

Envy, to be envious, to be jealous, envious and rivalry.

Rivalry means rather than considering considering us as co-labours in the kingdom of God, I see you somehow as like competition.

Jealous and competitors, he says.

But others from a good will, proper, right, a good will.

Verse 16, the latter do it out of love.

A love for Jesus, a love for the gospel, a love for people.

That's the motive.

Yes, that's good.

He says, knowing that I'm here in the defense of the gospel, not as a result of any law that I broke, which likely would have been some of the hearsay that was spreading throughout the community.

Those who were for him and those who are against him, they would say, Well, you see, he's in prison, see?

He must have broke some law.

He said, No, no, no, I'm here for the defense of the gospel.

17.

The former proclaimed Christ out of rivalry, sincerely, not sincerely, but thinking to afflict me in my own imprisonment.

They're trying to stick it to him.

It's not good enough that he's in prison, going through this hardship.

They're trying to stick it to him.

That's what he says right here.

But look at what Paul says.

Again, perspective.

Look what he says, verse 18.

What then?

Rhetorical question, he's going to answer it.

Here's what?

Only that in every way, whether in pretense, pretense is pretending, it's not genuine, not by any means.

It's not honest.

Whether in pretense, he says, or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

And yes, and I will rejoice.

You know what Paul's saying?

The foolishness of man, the machinations of man, the foolish, these foolish thoughts cannot stop the gospel of God.

His confinement can't stop the gospel of God.

Fear, which by the way, fear is a far greater prison than the actual self, because fear will confine potential every single time if we let it.

So his physical confinement, fear, and wrong motives cannot even stop the gospel.

Nothing can stop the gospel.

But I would tell you this as a word of caution.

As I said, I've seen it.

I've had firsthand experience.

I've seen it in my travels.

You don't want to be involved in a community, in a church that is preaching the gospel with wrong motives.

It never works out.

Might for a while never works out.

Take it from me.

You know what the apostle Paul says about that?

Galatians chapter 6, verse 7.

Galatians 6:7

He says, do not be deceived.

Don't be fooled.

God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

Membership in the church is partnership in the gospel.

Partaking in grace is mutually benefit, but we do it with the right motives.

So as we wrap up and the worship team comes up, here's the thing to remember.

The gospel inspires me and humbles me because I got a lot to learn, man.

The gospel enables me because I have a whole lot to give, and the gospel encourages me because I am not ashamed of the gospel.

Listen to what Paul says for Romans chapter 1, verse 16.

Romans 1:16

I am not ashamed of the gospel.

For it, the gospel, is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and to the Greek, to the non-Jew.

For in it, the gospel, in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith, for faith, for as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith.

Advance the gospel.

True joy and contentment.

We'll finish off the rest of this next week.

So join me as we close on a word of prayer.

Father, thank you as we wrap this part of our service up today.

Thank you, Lord, for the reminder of true contentment, joy in the gospel, joy in Jesus Christ.

And that we rejoice, yes.

Advancing the gospel.

Nothing can confine your word.

The Holy Spirit will lead us, will give us that fresh perspective.

That we would not have ears to hear or eyes to see all of the clamor going on all around us.

But rather seek the word of God and the clearness that comes from your Holy Spirit.

Lord, we do love you.

In Jesus' name we pray.