Philippians 1

Nothing interesting. I just went to get a vehicle serviced and got called from the lobby to come in and pay and I stood up and took a step and my left leg

I did not want to play well with others and it kind of collapsed underneath me and I fell on my left hip and so the x -rays shows that it's not broken.

I'm thankful for that but the owner he came in there and says you know what what happened are you all right and I said

I had a chance to use those words that we've learned for decades and what were those words

I've fallen and I can't get up I had fallen and I could not get up I was on his floor for about 15 minutes before I could get up into a chair and another five minutes before I could get out of the lobby and hobbled down the ramp.

Thankfully he wasn't on a concrete slab. I think it would have it would have cracked it for sure.

So yeah I'm 65 years old as of November 1st and I am officially old and and I'm officially a a spokesman for the medical lurk bud so yeah

AARP brother Mike and he's already got turned on yep he's my hero yeah so brother

Mike sister Sybil are away and it's too late for you to leave now so you're committed

I'm going to be continuing with our study that we started about I guess it's been about six weeks ago or so that when

Mike was down preaching for somebody else this time he's not preaching he's off on a little getaway with his bride and so again as it as last time

I will not attempt to pick up his study from chapter 13 of Revelation but I'll leave that to him on his return and but for us we'll continue with our our study from the the book of Philippians and as it's been a while since we were together in our study of chapter 1

I just want to take a minute to get us back up to speed and on what we were looking at during our last time together chapter 1 has two main sections verses 1 through 11 which includes the greeting and the prayer which we looked at at our last time together and then verses 12 through 30 which are a glimpse of Paul's reflection on his imprisonment and its effect on the spread of the gospel so I'm going to go ahead and read the chapter chapter 1 in its entirety and then we will move into our study

I still hear pages so we're good

Paul and I'm reading for the King James so do not attempt to adjust your your sets

Paul and Timotheus the servants of Jesus Christ to all the

Saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons grace be unto you and peace from God our

Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ I thank my God upon every remembrance of you always and every prayer of mine for you all making requests with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ even as it is meet for me to think this of you all before because I have you in my heart in so much in as much as both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel you'll you are all partakers of my grace for God is my record how greatly

I long after you and all all in the bowels of Jesus Christ and this

I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment that you may approve things that are excellent that you may be sincere without offense until the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and unto the glory and praise of God but I would you should understand brethren that the things which happen unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel so that my bonds so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace and in all other places and many of the brethren and the

Lord waxing confident and by my bonds are much more bold to speak the word without fear some indeed preach even of envy and strife and some also of goodwill the one preach

Christ of contention not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds but the other of love knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel what then not withstanding every way whether in pretense or in truth

Christ is preached and I therein do rejoice and will rejoice I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the

Spirit of Jesus Christ according to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing

I shall be ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now also

Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death for to me to live is

Christ and to die is gain but if I live in the flesh this is the fruit of my labor yet what

I shall choose I not what not for I am in a straight betwixt to having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you and having this confidence

I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith that your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ that whether I come to see you or else be absent

I may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in one spirit with 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 of God for unto you it is given in the behalf 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 so entitled the lesson the last battle so around 20 years after the death burial and resurrection of our

Lord Paul and this small band that are following him were in route to the city of Philippi they're in the early portion of Paul's second missionary journey he was led of God to preach in the area of Macedonia and on arrival there he found out there was no synagogue so they make their way out of the city proper and make their way down to a bank of a river where they find

Lydia and some other women who accepted what he preached to them of Christ and these were baptized

Paul and Silas they're thrown into jail for casting an unclean spirit of a slave girl which led to a jailer and those of his family who believe also being baptized and as such

Paul establishes what is most likely the first church in all of Europe and it's widely believed that Paul wrote this between 60 and 62 ad during his first imprisonment brother

Matt would you would you open up us with prayer and we'll get we'll begin morning father we come to you today

Lord just thankful that we can gather once again house of worship study your word

I want to thank you for brother Mike stepping in his home vacation father and I just ask that you'll use him and his voice and his understanding of your word to give us insight for these things occurring in Christ Jesus name amen amen yeah

I appreciate the prayer for my voice obviously here I'm kind of wanking in my head here verse 11 we'll start it we'll pick up there and begin so being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God so Paul stating that the believer united to Christ is not only declared to be righteous which would be our justification but that they also cultivate holiness and righteousness in their lives which would be our from the back row the the catechism lady said it would be our sanctification she asked me last week last time what six weeks ago said did you did you do this this study on and speak of justification sanctification because it was on the

Wednesday night catechism I said no that was obviously the Holy Spirit had had come up with that so Paul is encouraging his believers to pursue the righteousness that is by Jesus Christ pursue it unto the glory and praise of God living lives that manifest themselves into a doxological praise similar to what we see in the

Sermon on the Mount where in Matthew 5 16 our

Lord says let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your

Father which is in heaven so if our light is shining for any other reason then for glorifying

God then it is a light that has become an idol and it's an idol that'll be worship either by ourselves or by others or by both and we know our

God is a jealous God who will have no rivals no matter what no matter how puny and so there's there's your

Marvel Avengers Hulk Loki puny God scene plug some of some of you who are

Marvel movie I see Rachel back there shaking her head there's a couple of you they'll get that the rest of you can look it up when you get home in the following six verses

Paul despite his difficult circumstances seeks to continue to encourage the

Philippians he's sure they are grieved over his imprisonment and as such he uses where he is as yet another means of spreading the gospel his joy in this difficult circumstance is meant to be an example to the

Philippians to do the same for it seems that they had some issues there in the midst of their own fellowship as we see at towards the end of the letter in chapter 4 verse 2 where it says

I beseech the odious and beseech Cynthia key and that there be of the same mind in the

Lord so I thought it was of interest that that Paul didn't just say that they be of the same mind you know

I want you to be of the same mind of the style of clothing that you wear I want you to be in the same mind of the way that you style your hair or the diet that you have or the same interest we aren't called to be robots we aren't called to be automatons or whatever we we we are individualities we we are called to be those who are followers of Christ and this like -mindedness speaks of the core tenets of the

Christian faith not what color sweater that you're wearing whether you're wearing shorts or a suit

Sybil said told me last week she says I saw a picture of you guys at the fellowship at Lance's house and I was to think that was the first time

I saw mr. Smith and he wasn't in a suit and tie I said I saw a picture of your husband last week or a couple weeks ago from when he went down to preach at another church and that was the first time

I'd seen him in a suit so it's alright verse 12 but I would that you should understand brethren that the things which happen unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel he wants him to get a clear grasp on the fact of despite his imprisonment rather than this stunting his spread of the gospel it has had the opposite effect in that he has an entirely different venue as a result of it all the

Saints salute you chiefly they that are of Caesar's house is what we read in Philippians 422 that's how that's how the book or the letter ends he he's got now he's got this huge opportunity to share where he didn't have that before and and we should we shouldn't be surprised whenever we see these opportunities that opened up acts 2830 says that Paul dwelt two year two whole years in his own hired house this is when he's in imprisoned here so he's we'd say prison you say well that's not a good place to be he's under house arrest he's got people coming he's got people going he says preaching the kingdom of God teaching those things which concern the

Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence no man forbidding him we shouldn't be surprised when

God saves those in higher places or lower places or just your regular guys or gals like us it shouldn't be a surprise

I can't remember the pastor that he was a he was visiting pastor didn't we were down at First Baptist Church and he he said that God would save from the uttermost to the gutter most he could reach anyone so we shouldn't be surprised

I mean he's he's the God of Ephesians 320 that says now unto him that's able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask it or think according to the power that works in us and to him be all glory in the church through Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end amen verse 13 so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace and in all other places

I think the King James loses a little of the effect in in just who it was that are aware of his bonds and why that word palace

I use there has its as its transliterated form the word praetorian which was not only a place the

Emperor's Palace but just as well could mean the Imperial Guard so all the buildings all around the palace with all the people are have been exposed to the knowledge that Paul is in prison for no other reason than for sharing the good news verse 14 and many of the brethren in the

Lord waxing confident by my bonds are much more bold to speak the word without fear many most doesn't say all and that could be in an inference towards those who for reasons of ill toward Paul were preaching like in verses 15 and 16 nonetheless the majority of those beholding

Paul's boldness in his preaching despite his imprisonment were by his example in Bolton they waxed confident it says in their preaching regardless of the possibility of their own imprisonment for the same reason verse 15 some indeed preached

Christ even of envy and strife some also of goodwill so either way the content of what was being preached was the same and what was the content it was

Christ though the motivations were obviously different who these envious strife mongers were is not clearly defined in our text it is a fair guess to say that they could have been the

Judaizers this early group primarily Jewish who insisted that the

Gentile converts had to adopt Jewish customs and laws like circumcision the

Mosaic law feasts all these plus Christ to be considered true

Christians these are more than likely the source of contention although they could have just simply been who they're described as those who envious of Paul's apostolic power and authority his giftedness and success regardless of being in prison so the strife there connotes a sense of rivalry a sense of conflict which would accompany the envy but these are not the only ones mentioned here for there are those also it says that preach of good will goodwill would speak to those who are satisfied those who are content in their place supporting

Paul personally in his ministry verse 16 goes on to say the one preached

Christ of contention not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds but the other of love knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel again as in verse 10 in our first study where Paul used the word sincere it's a two -part word sin meaning without seer meaning wax so without wax which was a picture of a clay pot or a vessel that's been cast it's been fired and it's been found to be of good quality and this as opposed to a pot that not done so well it's cracked and is its maker rather than just getting rid of it he he mixes clay powder and wax any any makes a paste and he fills in the cracks in order to pass it off as quality pass it off as something that's good these would be those who he speaks of there who are not not without wax in their preaching why these two examples are inverted in the

ESV and the in the KJV I don't know and I don't believe it makes a difference both of them convey the same message and simply a different order the one group appears to be preaching for no other reason but spite and contention again not sincere in their motivation but false seeking to add to Paul's already difficult position of imprisonment adding if you will insult to injury while the other group has apparently one motive love love for God love for the gospel love for their dear minister in Christ Paul verse 18 goes on what then not withstanding every way whether in pretense or in truth

Christ is preached and I therein do rejoice yea and will rejoice

Paul's example here graciously extends to to today for us and that he lives out the truth that our joy is not tied to our circumstances this is why this is why a firm grasp of the difference between joy and happiness is needed in order to be able to agree and live out this truth happiness is only temporary happiness is an external feeling made up most times based at some event or some circumstance while on the other hand joy is a deeper and enduring internal state of contentment based on the presence of God the

Father Jesus is his eternal son and the Holy Spirit and the hope that we have of salvation through them throughout the scriptures where we were exhorted to rejoice and why why are we exhorted to rejoice we've got of all month above all people we have something to rejoice about later in the in the book

Philippians 4 for rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice absolutely

James he says my brethren counted all joy when you fall into diverse temptations knowing this that the trying of your faith work as patience he didn't say counted all joy when you're when everything's going well counted all joy when you're not falling down and looking like a goober walking around anyway the

Old Testament I mean they're everywhere Psalm 16 thou will show me the path of life in thy presence is fullness of joy

Nehemiah 8 10 for the day for this day is holy unto the Lord neither be sorry for the joy of the

Lord is your strength at the right hand there are pleasures forevermore and it just goes on and on and on and on and on we could go the whole rest of the time just looking at verses speaking of the joy of the

Lord in Paul's case he's in prison he's dealing with critics and yet he was glad when the gospel was proclaimed no matter who received the credit he endured the unjust accusations without bitterness towards his accusers and instead rejoiced that they preached

Christ even if only in a pretense of godliness in verses 19 through 26

Paul is expressing the grounds of his confidence that he will be released from prison and he and he assures the

Philippians that he believes that he will remain alive in order to minister to them verse 19 he says for I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ Paul's an encouragement to me in that despite him being this this super apostle he does not find it below himself to solicit help and here in this case in the form of prayer from those who are support subordinate of him in the ministry the

King James uses the word salvation the ESV is deliverance descent the word is

Soteria and it is to meet to be saved or to be rescued from Paul isn't doubting his salvation several commentators agreed that he may very well mean more than simply released from prison it could be salvation from the death penalty execution and but he still left in prison either way salvation from this world into the priest in the presence of the

Lord which we know later we'll read he desires above all that's that's where he would desired to move forward to verse 20 according to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing

I shall be ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now also

Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death earnest expectation eager the definition is keen and it's got as a picture definition of one who's stretching out his neck and he's looking out on the horizon to see what's laying ahead of him how many of us have heard these words from our kids in the car as they crane their scrawny little necks up over the seats and out the windows and they ask what are we there yet are we there yet exactly they're bursting with keen anticipation concerning their final destination when in fact we barely made it out of the driveway here

Paul is stretching his spiritual neck with keen anticipation to see

Christ's promise fulfilled Matthew 1032 whosoever therefore shall confess me before men him will

I confess before my father which is in heaven he's hoping he's anticipating it was all these commercials pop into my head as it probably be the 70s or the 80s remember the ketchup commercial and in what

Carly Simon is singing anticipation and they're just waiting is the whole the whole commercial the bottles open and the ketchup hasn't dripped out yet they're saying yeah you might need a knife to get it out of here it's so thick and and delicious

I can hear this playing there as he's he's hoping he's waiting for the for the promise of the

Lord to be fulfilled he's anticipating with pleasure that he will not be ashamed he says just as he wrote in Romans 933 as it is written behold

I lay in Zion a stumbling stone a rock of offense and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed and again in Romans 116 once more he says for I'm not ashamed of the gospel for as the power of God unto salvation and to everyone that believeth to the

Jew first and also to the Greek he is not so much concerned with offending some through his preaching that's that's not what his worry is after all what good is a preacher if all he does is preach the words that the dark tickling ears want to hear we we need to be encouraged sometimes we need to be rebuked and Paul is concerned that he doesn't do anything that would cause him to be ashamed upon his

Lord's return living his life such that it relates to the giving of praise to God with little concern as to whether he lives or dies so long as Christ is lifted up by it

Paul had in his past Paul was in his future or Paul was in his present and he would in his future continue to proclaim the gospel of Christ boldly such that it it's not a matter to him whether he lives or dies only that he continues to be faithful continues to be a faithful witness and as such bring honor and glory again that doxological praise literally that means glorious speaking he wants he wants to have glorious speaking toward his

Lord and he would like for his Lord on his return to say well done thou good and faithful servant verse 21 for to me to live is

Christ and to die is gain so as if to reiterate what he had just said here

Paul states that his life is summed up in Jesus Christ since his conversion

Christ has become his reason for being such that for him to die would be gain what does gain mean and to get more of it exactly lots for me to die is gain his death would merely serve to relieve him of the burdens that he he's got a burden in his heart for every one he's preached the gospel to he's got a burden for every church that he's planted he's got a burden just in the fact that he's in prison right now he might be under good circumstances right now but nonetheless he's still

I think if he had the choice he he didn't just walk up to the

Romans I think and say hey arrest me you know and we'll see how it turns out his death would merely like I said relieve him of these burdens and as well as let him focus totally on glorifying

God because to be absent from the body is to be present with the

Lord yeah we get a better picture of this matter of gain for Paul if we jump forward to chapter 3 verses 4 through 8 where we read though I might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh that he hath thereof whereof he might trust in the flesh

I more circumcise the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew of the

Hebrews as touching the law of Pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the church touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless but what things were gained to me those

I counted lost for Christ yea doubtless and I count all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my

Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but done that I may win

Christ so for a Jew for Hebrew this this pedigree this religious resume and this is the one you wanted to turn in if you were applying for the job of priest or high priest or still

Paul is looking back here to a time when Christ became everything to him and and he adds up that all those things that might have been counted as valuable to him at the end of him he finds

Christ to be more valuable and he surrenders them all to him and for him a 18 times in just this first chapter

Paul directs his readers to that one who alone is the true value he's

Jesus Christ Christ Jesus the Lord Jesus Christ Christ 18 times and just these 30 verses this continues through his life such that he turns to the present tense there in verse 8 where he says and I count all things but lost literally

I am counting right now I'm counting I continue to count all things lost and I am still finding this unimaginable worth of Christ so that his whole life now is summed up as this gradual abandoning of everything else in this in the interest of having more of Christ this this gaining

Christ then for Paul back in our text is just another way of expressing his progressive

Christian experience of sanctification he is continuing to grow in grace as he becomes more and more like Jesus and this is the life gaining of Christ he speaks of and the death is for the ultimate gain

Paul was Paul probably had the original Christ life sticker on his donkey you know he he got it he got it all the way back then he could pretty pretty much sum up his outlook as life means

Christ to me as I as I more fully now know and love him and serve him and day in and day out but then also death means

Christ to me because that day will come and when it does I will finally possess him and enjoy him for forever

Paul probably wrote the first Catechism in the Presbyterian stole it from you know what what is what is the chief end of man the chief end of man is to and enjoy him forever exactly verse 22 and 23 but if I live in the flesh this is the fruit of my labor yet I what what

I shall choose I what not for I am in a straight betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better so where Paul refers to the flesh there he's not referring of course to his his fallen humanness his nature but more straightforwardly to his physical life and he finds himself in a straight he finds himself in a hard place pressed so that his decision is difficult he's not it he's not a dummy he clearly sees there are benefits on both sides on the one side death brings with it the benefit of an end of conflict and the immediate gain of Christ where life holds with it the increase of continued fruit and service to Christ and he's torn with which way to go he says what

I shall choose I what not he says I can't tell both both paths are honorable so he's like Pooh Bear when he's in a quandary and he's standing there tapping himself on the head and he says what to do what to do that's these are references to teen kids young kids little kids lots of books read and videos watched over the course just for myself

I don't have a specific text I suppose something like Philippians 2 5 would get the point across here where Paul writes let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in the fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of a cross

Christ said every right to be equal with God because he is God and yet he yielded himself for us and I personally believe this was the case with Paul also if we find ourselves at an impasse and we're not certain which way to go when neither way is right or wrong always go with the path or the route that leads to the least personal benefit for you

Paul has as he is faced with this double possibility attempts to assess what is involved in each of these courses and he even confesses that he desires to depart and to be with Christ which is far better he says

I'd rather die but it's far better for who but before we look at that at that question

I don't want us to ever look what we could easily miss Paul in just this short but full statement about the death of a

Christian blesses his readers with this insight to the nature of our death the thought that we live or we die and we die and this is an end of it is nothing more than a lie straight out of the pits of hell and if you don't believe what

I'm about to say then I'm sorry because you're deceived that is that what we believe about the end of this life will wholly shape how we live it now

Paul makes it clear that death is not the end it's simply a place of departure

I desire to depart he says think about it we don't depart if we're not going somewhere

I served six years in the military

I know John served 20 plus years in the military multiple deployments see something back there that'll be deploying

I'm sure that you'll have deployments come it just sounds familiar and and as if we we've been on a military deployment now it's complete we break camp the tents come down we load up the trucks and we head out but we're not heading out to another tent rather we're going home home to a place that's been prepared for us the disciples did not yet have so grant strong a grasp as Paul on the matter and they they were as far as they could understand worried as their

Lord has spoken the words of one of their betrayal of his departure the prediction of Peter's denial and so we comforted him that with these words which are familiar to many of us as we've heard them at many funerals

John 14 1 through 6 says let not your hearts be troubled you believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are many mansions but we're not so we would have told you

I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you that where I am there you may be also and whether I go you know in the way you know

Thomas saith unto him Lord we know not whether thou goest and how can we know the way Jesus saith unto him

I am the way the truth in the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me and although Paul was as far as we know never in the military still he was a tent maker and he was no doubt familiar with breaking camp as well as the differences between life and a tent as opposed to a home and in this life we're continually surrounded by uncertainty danger whether physically such as with sickness or disease or financial calamity or relational difficulties or falling down at a store not to mention all the spiritual issues you plug in your own but when we die it's all past and what lays ahead is safety and certainty and although we know little of all that holds for us what we do know without a doubt is that we will be in the presence of the

Lord which he in which ending verse 23 says is far better to me this is reminiscent of the final book of the

Chronicles of Narnia titled the last battle and we'll close with this at the end of the book

Aslan the great lion Lewis's type of Christ turns to the children and says you do not yet look so happy as I mean you to be

Lucy said we're so afraid of being sent away Aslan and you have sent us back into our own world so often no fear of that said

Aslan have you not guesses their hearts leaped and a wild hope rose within them there was a real railway accident said

Aslan softly your father and mother and all of you as you used to call it in the shed are in the shadow lands you're dead the term is over the holidays have begun the dream is ended and this is morning and this is no doubt a reference to Psalm 30 verse 5 weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning this is not to say that sorrow when a loved one dies is not a true thing we can all attest to that the reason that is is because sin attends the funeral as we mourn a death that from the beginning was not ordained for we were created for life not death but for those in Christ this departure is not goodbye but rather until we meet again and whether we and that will take place in heaven we're thankful verse 24 nevertheless to avoid it to abide in the flesh is more needful for you

Paul comes to the place of humble Christ likeness and yields to the needs of others to live and serve

Christ is Lord is of the two possibilities more needful for them more needful for us more necessary on our account again

Paul would for himself choose death in the presence of God hands down but he understands the needs of those in Philippi and all the other churches he ministered to to be as Christ's apostle and without doubt knows the direction he must take for now he dies to his own desires he takes up his cross he follows

Christ until that day of his last battle John would you close us in prayer thank you for this opportunity we had to sit at Mike's feet

Lord and just listen to him proclaim the word and expand on it just really appreciate the work that he put into it

Lord now prepare our hearts to move into the sanctuary and continue to worship through your son our