Philippians 1:12 18, Living for the Advancement of the Gospel, Ed Davis

Living for the Advancement of the Gospel in Philippians 1:12-18

Philippians chapter 1 verses 12 to 18 hear the word of the Lord. I Want you to know brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel so that it has become known throughout the whole Imperial Guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

And. Most of the brothers having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry But others from goodwill.

The latter do it out of love knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Proclaim Christ out of rivalry not sincerely that thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

What then?

Only that in every way whether in pretense or in truth Christ is proclaimed and in that I rejoice. May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. And now we're blessed to have with us.

Mr. Ed Davis.

Thank you, my dear brother. Dr. John. Thank you. Well, if you love the Lord this morning, won't you say man? Come on, I'm giving you a privilege to say say amen this morning. So if you love the Lord, it's a man again Amen, it's a privilege to be here this morning with you all here at Covenant Reformed Baptist Church.

And it's a joy to be able to open the Word of God. I bring you greetings from Raleigh, North Carolina. My wife and I are members of the Imago Dei Church Elder lad and we are rejoicing with you today in the sovereignty of God That no matter what the circumstances of life that we are all facing right now, and it's kind of weird I've been preached in a couple of churches these Recent months and looking out into the congregation and seeing people with Mask on it's a little different but we're so thankful to be with you here today and I want to go to God in prayer if you wouldn't mind Giving me that privilege before we go to the Word of God today And I want to talk to you on the subject of living for the advancement of the gospel living for the advancement of The gospel let's go to God in prayer.

Shall we father we thank you for The Lord Jesus Christ who is our reason for living Lord, we thank you that Surely in him we find life. We find our breath. We find our reason why we're here we find all that is eternal in Christ.

If it wasn't for Christ we wouldn't be but thank be unto God For his matchless grace his matchless mercy forgiveness of sins Lord that we know that We are eternally in the bosom of the Father because of Jesus and we're thankful for that today.

Lord, we're reminded as we even Experienced many today Brief earthquake that we are fragile people living in a fragile nation. At any time life can be taken away from us. But one thing that cannot be taken away from us is you.

And we're so grateful today For the Lord Jesus Christ now God will you speak to your people today? Will you encourage where encouragement is needed? Will you discourage where discouragement is needed and above all may Jesus Christ?

Be exalted and lifted up we ask this in Christ's name.

Amen.

The airline industry referred to David Phillips as the pudding guy. And that's because one writer puts it that he had made the most of a of an airline Promotion that offered frequent flyer miles for purchasing certain brand-name products.

He quickly spent $3 ,000 to buy 12 ,000 150 cups of pudding and in the process earned 1 .25 million miles. Frequent miles. Frequent flyer miles to be exact. And for a time it seemed as if his whole life Revolved around getting frequent flyer miles.

And as people observe our lives the writer continues he says What do they see as being the most important thing in life to us? Indeed I want to ask Additional question and it's this that I want you and I to ponder on With the remainder of time we have today in worship and is this question what or whom are you spending your life for.

Let me say that again beloved. What or whom are you spending your life? for. You see many people today are living for the temporal more so than they are the eternal. For example many today are spending their lives for careers.

Many spend 50 60 70. Indeed, I know people who work in the federal with the federal government who work upwards of 80 hours a week.

They live.

They breathe For advancement in their careers. They live and they breathe for advancement in their particular vocations. They spend their lives for their careers. Many also spend their lives for marriage and family that is to say Everything revolves around their marriage everything revolves around Their family their kids their children and.

They have very little time for God very little time for God's Word very little time for God's Church. In fact many would even argue that they're doing God's will by spending all their time Adorning and Strengthening their marriages and their families by spending most of their time doing family life.

They spend their times with marriage and family. And then there are also those who spend their lives for pleasure. We live in a pleasure obsessed culture. We live in a pleasure pleasure obsessed society.

In Fact many will spend those hours that I told you about a few seconds ago 40 50 60 70 80 hours so that they can live for the weekend. They live for the party. They live for the sexual relationships.

They live for being able to go on vacations and they live for being able to do what they want to do with what they claim is theirs to do it with. Now beloved I don't know if you notice but in every one of those Categories I just shared with you today.

There is nothing innately wrong with them except this when they become the central focus of our lives when they become the central reasons by which we live and breathe sleep and eat and work then those good gifts that God gives us like marriage and like families and like finances and careers and Even pleasure in its right and proper context.

Can become idols. They can become gods if you would in our lives. Paul in our text showed that our lives should be laser focus on making much of King Jesus. By living for the advancement of the gospel watch this regardless of the circumstances.

Indeed the big idea of our text today or the big idea of our sermon today is this. Live for the advancement of the gospel. Watch this now.

Regardless.

Excuse me of the circumstances of life. It doesn't matter if we're living in strange times and we're living in strange times, aren't we. I think it's historic times. I don't ever recall doc. You can you can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think we've ever lived in a time like this in this generation.

We're living in a time where People are even debating where there is such a thing as a pandemic or not right now there. We're living in a time where. You can't go to the grocery store. You you can't go to to in fact, some people can't go to work at all because they've told to stay at home.

But we're living in a time where Where it's almost discouraged to be close and to be in fellowship and to be close to one another. We're living in a time where pandemic is universal not just national in terms of nation-states, but internationally.

Not only are we having a living in a time or in circumstances or in situations where we're living in a pandemic but we also are living in a time where Historically riots are taking hold of many of our metropolitan cities not only in America but even internationally.

On top of all that on top of the pandemic on top of Of the tragedy of the fact that people are dying in North Carolina. North Carolina alone. We've had over 2 ,000 people die this year because of this pandemic.

Excuse me. But on top of all of that sin still prevails right. Sin still is advancing since then sin is Growing and so we have not only protests, but we also have riots. We have people using the occasion of our times for sinful and corrupt and fallen reasons.

Don't get me wrong. I believe that black lives do matter. But only in the context of the fact that all lives matter.

Amen.

Only in the present in the premise that Black lives matter because all lives matter because all lives are created by the Creator. We are all Created in the Imago Dei. Amen. We are all created in the image of God and thereby because of that Black lives do matter.

But even regards to all of that. What is the church to be about what is the Christian what is the follow of Christ should be about. Paul would argue that we should live for the advancement of the gospel regardless of the circumstances regardless of pandemic regardless of protests regardless of riots regardless of Sin continuing to advance in our society today.

Regardless of politicians who want to take advantage to. Try to go beyond what their powers are given based on Constitution and the amendments regardless of the fact that. These politicians these citizens states are telling churches that they can't meet.

While down the street the ABC store and Walmart are able to be open regardless of all that. What should we be about. What should the people of God be about. We should be about living for the advancement of the gospel.

Regardless of the circumstances. So the question I want to pose to you is this how do we how do we make much of King? Jesus we sung about him today. He is the central focus of our worship. How should we make much of King Jesus by living for the advancement of the gospel regardless of the circumstances?

I'm glad you asked our Text gives two ways we can make much of Jesus by living for the advancement of the gospel regardless of the circumstances, so we see first of all in the text and Philippians chapter 1 that dr. John read and I'll miss a few minutes ago.

That we should live for the advancement of the gospel by obedience by obedience. And verses 12 through 13 the Apostle Paul is writing in.

Change.

Now beloved a little bit of history is important here. Philippians is one of what are called the prison epistles. He's not necessarily in a prison as we would think of a prison today, but he is in prison guard.

He has been guarded by the prayer to him and we're going to talk about that and just a little bit more just a few minutes here. But this suffices to say by way of our background of history The Apostles writing if you were to look at the book of Acts or Luke records.

The inspired historical account of these last few days of the Apostle. It will you will be around right about in Acts chapter 21 verse 17 right on through Acts chapter 28. The Apostle Paul Has gone through we know for sure three missional missionary journeys some argue that perhaps even four.

But in this case Paul is in chains and he's writing to the people of Philippi Caesarea Philippi. He has a unique intimate.

Loving.

Endearment type. Relationship with these people. We know this because of verse 1 through 11 in chapter 1 of Philippians in which Paul literally Pours his how his heart out on in this epistle as to how much he loves them and how much they love him.

And Paul tells us in verses 12 through 13 Some very Encouraging words that will encourage us to live for the advancement of the gospel. So let's get into the text itself right now. If I would I'm gonna read verses 12 to 13 again, and then we're going to walk through The text I want you to know brothers.

Paul says That what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel so that it has become known throughout the whole Imperial Guard and to all the rest that my Imprisonment watch this now you if you write in your Bible underline these words that my imprisonment is here.

It is for Christ.

For.

Christ and most of the brothers having become confident in The Lord that's another phrase that we're going to comment on in a few minutes by my imprisonment notice the instrument here by My imprisonment they have become confident.

They have become emboldened if you will To do what God had already called him to do in the first place by his Imprisonment. So here he mentions the fact that he is in prison when he's writing his letter here to the Church of Philippi and he says.

And Are much more bold to speak the word without fear stop right there. So first of all, I want to comment on the idea of obedience. Some years ago a theologian wrote that obedience is essentially willful surrender.

Willful surrender. Paul was a man who was sold out for Christ. In fact, Paul was so sold out for Christ that all he wanted to do with his life and he records this in Philippians 121. In fact, some of you might have that as your life first.

How many of y 'all have that as your life first? Philippians 121 what you remember what it says for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Paul says all that I do all that I live for is Christ. Everything that I do is Christ.

And To die he says is but gain either way I win because I'm in Christ. It doesn't matter what the circumstances are today if you're in Christ you win.

Amen.

So Paul says for to me to live is Christ and to die is.

Gain.

Willful surrender. Paul was a man who was Sold out to Jesus Christ. I want to show you this in our text and only in the first chapter. But we can literally walk through each one of the chapters in Philippians and I'll show you this exactly and that is not only was Paul committed to Christ in terms of obedience to his kingship to obedience to his lordship in his life, but Specifically Paul was obsessed and committed to the gospel to the advancement of the gospel.

Look at verse 5 in the first chapter. Real quick wouldn't if you will and verse 5 of chapter 1. Notice what Paul says here. He's talking to the Church of Philippi. He says because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day on tell now notice verse 7 of.

First.

First chapter of Philippians. Paul said it is right for me to feel this way about you all. Because watch this now I hold you in my heart dear for you are all partakers with me of grace both in my imprisonment and in the defense.

Apollo Gia is the word in the defense and the confirmation of.

The gospel.

Look at our verse 16 Which is a part of our text today, but I'm just showing you a Clear progression in the mind of Paul in his commitment to the gospel. Notice he says here that ladder do it out of love knowing that I am put here for the Apollo Gia of the gospel the defense of The gospel.

One more look at verse 27 If you would only let your manner of life be worthy of what beloved the gospel of.

Christ.

In fact, if you take in notes 1st Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 16 Paul says woe unto me if I do not preach.

The gospel.

Paul was a man who was obsessed about the advancement of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and indeed beloved I want to say just a little something here about you and I this morning if God is going to use us to advance the gospel.

Regardless of the circumstances of life or the situations of life We must surrender our wheels our desires our passions. Yay. Even our plans for his will his desires his passion his plans. Amen. And Indeed we could say before the Lord this morning as we walk in the spirit living in the spirit.

As Paul talks about in Galatians chapter 5 we can say with great confidence that we to live is Christ, but to die is.

Game.

So Paul was a man sold out to Christ indeed sold out to the advancement of the gospel. And in verses 12 through 13 I want to call your attention to what I'm calling the surprise or the sovereign. Surprise the sovereign surprise in verse 12 beginning in the very first part.

We have what's called a meta comment and don't get big on don't worry about that big word. It's a literary device that was used on a regular time in Greco-Roman days. To basically say listen to this.

I want you to hear up. I want you to really get this that I'm about to tell you and Paul says I want you to know brothers. Another one that he uses often in his epistles is I would have you not be ignorant.

That's more of the negative way of the same thing. He's about to set you up with what he's about to tell you that what I'm about to share with you is critically important. Paul says I want you to know brothers.

Notice the word brothers here. It's a term of endearment. Ladies, don't take don't take offense to that. It can also be used as a term of familial endearment. That is it. I think it is faithful to the text to say that Paul is writing to the brothers and sisters in Christ.

And Paul says I want you to know brothers. That what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. In other words. Here's the sovereign surprise and that is that God in his providence. Uses Paul's imprisonment.

Watch this now. Are you listening to say amen? All right uses Paul's imprisonment as a primary means. To spread the gospel in Rome. Now listen to me for just a moment because Paul great desire was to go to Rome.

In fact, he had asked the church several times in his epistles pray for me that God would give me Prosperous journey to Rome. He wanted to go to Rome that great bastion of paganism. And he wanted to go there to proclaim Christ.

He wanted to go there to share the gospel in Rome. He wanted to make a difference in that great metropolitan, which at that time ruled the civilized world.

And.

It's interesting how God does this. He God gives him a progress progress, but he does it by means of imprisonment he does it by means of putting Paul in chains and God takes him into Rome and the gospel is advanced but it's advanced because of his Suffering.

We see that in church history. Do we not? Everywhere in church history, but no matter where you look at you see that where The gospel is advanced. Ultimately people are suffering. The people of God are suffering or have suffering or have literally given their lives and God uses that the seed of the gospel Is drenched in the blood of the Saints.

So this is the same here in in this text. Paul's life has been radically changed. God. God places him under imprisonment. In fact, we have recorded history of what happened here in verses and beginning in Acts chapter 20 and verse 17 Paul is preaching the Word of God and there is a mob That is incited and they are wanting to do nothing else.

But to the but to kill Paul and so Rome sends their guards their praetorian guards because they're from one of their primary jobs. For Caesar was to keep down any kind of insurrection. They didn't want any kind of insurrection to happen.

So what they do they take Paul and they imprison him watch this now not so much because Paul did anything wrong anything Illegal but because they did not want Paul to be radically killed by this mob. So Paul ends up serving for two years in the prison of Caesarea.

Then he is released and acts. Luke records that there was a group of men who had made a pact if you will.

To.

Kill Paul to to end his life. Rome gets a word of this and so they take him away. And when they take him away, he's in front of Felix he's in front of Festus and eventually he makes known that he is a Roman citizen and That he wants to appeal to Caesar and that's when he begins his voyage to Rome.

The voyage is interrupted. They're shipwrecked. They end up on a foreign land and.

Paul.

Ends up literally in a Roman imprisonment in which acts tells us Rome had rented out a home and They placed him in that home and in that home He had freedom for people to come in and to come out. He was in chains for 24 hours a day six hour intervals according to Roman custom of a Roman citizen and it was there that Paul was able to begin to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So when he says I want you to know brothers that what has happened to me. Basically what he's talking about because of all of these things all of these sufferings that I've been through God has used him.

Notice what he says in the text. He says here God has used him or served to advance The gospel these sufferings these these changed all of the things that I went through the persecutions the attacks the mobs all of these things have served by God's providential hand to Advance the gospel.

In fact the word advance is the interesting word Procopy it carries the idea of furtherance. It carries the idea of progressing By means or in spite of opposition literally the word means To cut before in fact in extra biblical literature.

This word was used to represent Those who would go before armies to cut away the brush and the under under bearings so that when the armies came After the work of those who cut up all of the land and the trees or whatever so that the armies could come through.

They could come through in a smooth and orderly fashion and Paul says the the work of the gospel has gone for his advance has progressed by his imprisonment the sovereign surprised that God would use his sufferings as a Means by which the gospel can be advanced.

Now we're living in a day that I felt it almost.

And.

Important to just talk of a few minutes about what is the gospel and D beloved. You could probably do a whole series on that subject already. In fact, dr John might have already done that so this is just review for those of you who might have heard it from him.

But I want to talk about three things real quick. I will not linger long here, but I think it's important that we declare as a Christian Church once again. What is the gospel? So if you would hold your place here and go to 1st Corinthians 15, would you 1st Corinthians 15 verses 1 through 4?

Paul this is the classic text of Paul as he wrote to the church at Corinth in which he defines without question what is the gospel and he defines it in two ways first of all the essence of the gospel and The extent of the gospel.

The essence of the gospel is brought out in verses 3 through 4. So if you would read that with me silently as I read out loud. It says for I delivered to you as a first importance notice what he says here first importance what I also receive.

That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures that he was buried and that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures here Paul sets out without question the Substitutionary vicarious atonement of Jesus Christ the fact that he died.

But that he did not die because he was a sinner. He died because he was a sin sacrifice. He did not die because he did something wrong. He died because we did something wrong because we were sinners. Dead in our trespasses and sin and we desperately need a Savior and there was only one person who could be a Savior, right?

And it was the man Christ Jesus who was the mediator of both God and man first. Timothy 2 5 Jesus died for us the essence of the gospel is a bloody truth that Jesus Christ being 100 God 100 man. Died for sinners who deserve nothing but hell.

But because he died. The gospel is the gospel. Beloved the word gospel literally means you on Galea. It really means good news. What is the good news beloved? The good news is that God came down and he died for sinners like you and me.

That is the essence of the gospel. John Piper talked about that too. I saw that on your website a quote from him. But what about the extent of the gospel? You see many people believe that the gospel is no more than just the door into Christianity.

But the gospel is so much more look at verses 1 and 2 of 1st Corinthians 15. Paul says now I want you I want to remind you brothers of the gospel. I preach to you which you received past tense in which you stand present tense and by which you are being saved.

Here he gives a picture if you're taking notes a very of three very important theological Christological terms, let me give it to you. Justification the gospel is the means into justification. May being made right before a holy God a God who who demands perfect righteousness and perfect justice.

And that the only way you and I who are sinners who could never be perfect in ourselves. We become perfect. We become righteous in Christ. In Christ, how do we do this? Solace feed a.

By faith by.

Grace.

By Christ and Then he says notice what he says though, but then he says you not only received it but you which you stand and this carries the idea of sanctification if you're taking those sanctification the work the process of work that God is doing in our lives to shape and to mold and to Conform us into the very image of the Son of God.

Indeed and he says and notice how he ends this text. I love this. He says by which if you hold fast to the word I preach to you unless you believed in vain. And here Paul is pointing out the perseverance of the Saints.

That is if you're truly born again, if you truly saved if you're truly a Christian you will persevere. You will move on you will continue to love Jesus Christ Despite the circumstances of life. This is the gospel that Paul Seek to advance indeed.

I say to you beloved. This is the gospel that we must advance. So Paul says I he says the his imprisonment served as an advancement to the gospel. But now notice verse 13 so that this is a result clause beloved so that it has become known throughout the whole and The ESV which I'm reading them from it says the whole Imperial Guard if you're reading from the authorized version, it says the whole palace.

It's the word praetoria and it was used in various ways in the New Testament times it was used at a certain time to represent the place of Royalty of a very powerful rich person and then it came to be known as the the tent or the locale of Caesar Augustus or the Emperor of Rome and Then later on it came to be known specifically for a certain group of people.

When Caesar Augustus came to power He set up what he called the praetorian guard. They were a specific.

Elite.

Army these were hand-picked by Caesar himself the number Originally were about nine to ten ten thousand men. They were specially trained. Their main task was to be the Supreme Guard of Caesar the Emperor of Rome.

They were dispersed throughout Rome and Their their job as I said before was to make sure that that Caesar was protected. They would keep insurrections down. They are they were the elite Marine if you will.

They were the Navy SEALs if you will of that of Rome these men were Specifically specially trained by God and notice how God does this here. It is the praetorian guard. Most of the New Testament Commentators I've read and and I agree with this believe that the reference here is to the guard the Imperial Guard these men.

That they were literally chained to Paul now notice the way I said that they were chained to Paul. You know someone say well not only Paul was chained to them. Well Get this now. Can you imagine being chained to Paul for 24 hours?

Can you imagine what the conference on conversation would be. Paul preached the gospel. Paul taught the gospel. Paul taught the whole Council of God. He exalted it was a Christ Centered gospel driven message and Paul would share in fact in Roman custom.

Um, there would be a guard that will be chained to him for every six hours. They will be in shifts. So for 24 hours There will be six men who were bound to the Apostle Paul and Paul was preaching the gospel to him.

He was sharing the gospel to him. FB Meyer in his commentary I was going to share a quote from him, but I'll just go ahead and just give you a summary. What he was talking about. He basically saying that because of the the situation that God set him up with people came from in and out from Rome both free and slaves.

Roman guards even after they got off of their particular shift would stay and ask questions of Paul. FB Meyer said it is evidence of.

Roman.

These wrote these prayer torment Roman guards would get one to Christ and they and their families would come to Christ. And The the gospel was advancing to Rome while Paul was in chains. And that's why he says it here.

He says so that it has become known throughout the whole Imperial God and to all the rest. What is all the rest all the rest in Rome? They were hearing the gospel through Paul's witness and sharing of the gospel the evangelistic Efforts that Paul was doing even while he was in.

Chains.

Paul was sharing the gospel the sovereign surprise. God used this man. God knew that this man was not ashamed of the gospel. God knew that this man would share the gospel in hard places. He would share the gospel.

He would risk relationships to tell people about the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. John MacArthur tells the story about John Bunyan. How many of you have ever heard about John Bunyan?

He says and I quote prior to the writing of pilgrims progress. John Bunyan was known as a great preacher. His preaching was so powerful that they put him in the Bedford jail to silence him. But he preached sermons at the top of his voice.

Which wafted over the walls and people would gather outside the jail jail walls to hear him preach Through though they couldn't see him. They finally silenced him put him down inside the jail and they got him down there where nobody could hear him preach and.

That gave him the freedom to write pilgrims progress. And so they thought they could silence the preacher of John Bunyan but instead John MacArthur concludes he says. But instead they give him they gave him Opportunity to write that which has preached to millions upon millions of people in quote.

You see beloved I believe without question. And that is this that living obediently to Jesus. Results in a gospel centered lifestyle that advances the gospel regardless of life circumstances. In fact, let me encourage you today before we go to our last point this morning that is this you can be used by God to advance the gospel by rejecting a self-centered lifestyle and embracing a gospel centered lifestyle.

Let me give you just three practical points on how you can go about doing that from the from the text. First of all getting informed. Let God feed you his word. Psalm 119 105 says this your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path to Timothy 2 15 and I'm going to quote this in old English.

I memorized it in old English. So forgive me study to show yourself or prove unto God a workman that need if not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth. You see beloved. There's no way that we can Advance the gospel if we don't know it.

Amen.

Secondly, let God equip you to contend for the faith. To contend for the faith in Jude 3. Don't ask me which chapter because if you do we'll have to talk afterwards. But in Jude 3, there's only one chapter by the way, beloved.

I don't know if you knew that not. In Jude verse 3 Jude talks about his desire to share about their common salvation. But God the Holy Spirit instead so moved his heart To talk about something else that was much needed during his time and that is to contend for the faith.

So let God equip you to contend for the faith. The word contend is the word Epongalia and it carries the idea of giving a sound biblical reason for why you believe. A sound biblical reason for why you believe.

And second let God use your change and I use that in a figurative or metaphorical Idea. Many of us here today are not in prison. Many of us today are not chained to a Roman guard. That's the fact.

But.

You may be in a circumstance. You may be in a situation that God has placed you in whether it's your job. You could be chained in in a cubicle, you know, if it was a regular time, but I know we live in COVID -19 now.

So a lot of people aren't in their cubicles. You may be in office. You may be in a warehouse or perhaps you're in home working from home your family or a community. Whatever your circum circumstance is God has sovereignly providentially placed you there to advance his gospel and third be humble and Courageous in the face of persecution.

So what do you mean preacher? What are you talking about? If you live a gospel center life, listen to me beloved if you live a gospel centered life I promise you. You're going to suffer. You're gonna lose relationships.

Family members are not going to want to be around you. Family members are going to talk about you like dirt. You may lose a job. You may lose a a.

Promotion.

You may even lose if you're single and you're trying to find that that's Spouse and when that spouse sees how committed you are that you want to live a gospel centered lifestyle. You may lose that spouse because they aren't committed to follow Christ in that way.