JOY AMID COMPETITION AND CRITICISM – Philippians 1:15-20

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INTRODUCTION:

It’s hard to believe that any Christian would oppose the apostle Paul, but there were believers in Rome doing just that. The churches in Rome seemed to be divided into two groups.

I. THE TWO GROUPS (verses 15-17)

The first group of Christians that Paul mentions, in verses 15 and 16, preached Christ insincerely out of envy and strife. Those two words go together, just as love and unity go together. They were jealous of Paul, and therefore they wanted to cause trouble for him. Verse 17 tells us that this group “preached Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives”. They envied Paul’s reputation and the following he had among Christians. Their goal was to make Paul miserable and upset. They wanted him to become afraid of losing his reputation and his followers. They thought that what would worry Paul the most would be for him to hear about the success of their ministry. The apostle James said it well in James 3:16, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.”

These Christians that Paul is talking about, in verses 15 and 17, had the aim of promoting themselves and winning a following of their own. Instead of asking, “Have you trusted in Christ”, they may have been asking, “Whose side are you on, ours or Paul’s?” Sadly, this kind of religious politics is sometimes practiced today. We are always going to be living around, or dealing with, ungrateful people. But we should not become offended or stop doing good because of a lack of gratitude.

There is also another group of Christians in this passage of Scripture. They are proclaiming Christ out of love for Him and for others, following the example of the apostle Paul. In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul acknowledges this group of faithful believers in Rome in order that they might be an encouragement to his readers in Philippi.

II. PAUL’S RESPONSE (verses 18-20)

How does the apostle Paul respond to the divisive group in the church at Rome? Paul was encouraged by the fact that Jesus Christ was being proclaimed, whether the motivation was true of not. In verse 18 Paul says, “in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice”. Paul found something to rejoice in, even though the motives of many of the Christians in Rome were wrong.

ILLUSTRATION: It’s a historical fact that the two great British evangelists , John Wesley and George Whitefield, disagreed on some doctrinal matters. Both of them were very successful, preaching to thousands of people, and seeing multitudes come to Christ. It’s reported that someone asked Wesley if he expected to see Whitefield in heaven, and Wesley replied, “No, I do not”. “Then do you think that Whitefield is a converted man?” “Of course He’s a converted man”, Wesley said, “but I do not expect to see him in heaven because he will be so close to the throne of God and I will be so far away that I will not be able to see him”. Though he differed from his brother in Christ in some matters, Wesley did not have any envy in his heart, nor did he seek to oppose Whitefield’s ministry.

Criticism is usually hard to accept, isn’t it? How was the apostle Paul able to rejoice, even in the face of criticism? Paul was single-minded, and saw his critics as another opportunity for the furtherance of the Gospel. He rejoiced, not in the selfishness of his critics, but in the fact that Christ was being preached. His attitude toward such people was to look for the good in their actions. As Paul said in Romans 12:21, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”.

Verse 19 indicates that Paul expected his case to turn out victoriously because of the prayers of his friends and the provision of the Holy Spirit. From the Greek word for “provision” we get our English word “chorus”. Whenever a Greek city was going to have a special festival, someone had to pay for the singers and dancers. The donation had to be a very large one, so this word came to mean, “to provide generously and lavishly.” Paul was depending on the generous resources of God, given by the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s desire, his hope, and his goal in verse 20 was that Christ might be magnified in his body, whether it be by life or by death. Does Christ need to be magnified? How can a mere man magnify God? Well, the stars are much bigger than the telescope, and yet the telescope magnifies them and brings them closer. The Christian’s body is to be a telescope that brings Jesus Christ close to people. To the average person, Christ is a mysterious person in history who lived centuries ago. But as the unsaved watch a believer go through a crisis, they can see Jesus magnified and brought much closer. A microscope makes tiny things look big. To the unbeliever, Jesus is not very big. Other people and other things are far more important. But as the unbeliever watches the Christian go through a difficult and painful experience, he ought to be able to see how big Jesus really is. The Christian’s life is a “lens” that makes a “little Christ” look very big, and a “distant Christ” come very close.

We might ask ourselves these questions. Are the things we are living for worth dying for? As people get to know us, are they also getting to know Christ better?

When William Carey, the great missionary to India, was dying, many of his close friends and acquaintances visited him. Among them was Alexander Duff, who deeply admired the great missionary statesman. Because of his appreciation for him, he talked at length with Carey about his active life of service to the Lord. Finally the dying man said “pray”. He did so; then he bid farewell to that valiant soldier of the cross, not knowing if he’d ever see him again in this life. He no sooner closed the door than he heard someone call his name. It was Carey, wanting one last word with him. “Duff”, he said, “when I am gone, say nothing about me – speak only about my Savior “. These words remind us of the desire of Paul’s heart expressed in this passage of Scripture. May the aspirations of the apostle Paul and William Carey become the pattern for our lives. May the motivation to exalt our living Savior so dominate our lives and our service that we would seek no praise for ourselves, but only desire that Christ would be magnified. As the hymn writer put it:

O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer; This is my constant longing and prayer. Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures, Jesus Thy perfect likeness to wear.

TRUE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP – Philippians 1:1-11

INTRODUCTION: How many Christians can you name with whom you feel you have a “deep relationship”? If you can name them on one hand, you’re probably about normal. If your list is too long, you may not know what deep relationships are. In Philippians 1:1-11, the apostle Paul demonstrates true Christian fellowship.

I. THE GREETING (vs. 1-2)

Notice that Paul begins his letter by saying: “Paul and Timothy”. Is Timothy in prison at Rome along with Paul? No, but Timothy was with Paul when Paul first came to Philippi, and he helped Paul start the church there. Timothy may have also been Paul’s “stenographer”, listening to Paul as he dictated his letter, and writing down every word.

We also know from Acts 19 and 20 that Timothy visited the church in Philippi at least twice before Paul wrote this letter. Paul refers to himself and Timothy as “bondservants of Jesus Christ”. Exodus 21:5,6 beautifully illustrates this relationship of a servant’s total and loving submission to his master. This is what it says: “But if the slave plainly says, “I love my master, my wife and children; I will not go out as a free man”, then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.”

Then Paul gives his usual greeting in verse 2. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Sometimes we tend to forget the greatness of God’s grace and the reasons for His grace. ILLUSTRATION: After the communists took control of mainland China by force in 1949, tens of thousands of refugees flooded into Hong Kong, bringing with them poverty, misery, and despair. A Christian man who worked there recalls feeling great pity for the little children in rags that he saw playing in the streets. He came to know and love a few of them very dearly, however, and what a difference that made! One child he had known for several years showed him her shoes. Both of them had holes in their soles, exposing her bare feet. Without hesitation the man bought her a new pair of shoes and pretty new dress. “When I gave them to her”, he recalls, “she climbed on my knee and buried her head into my shoulder. Her heart was too full for words.” That man’s deed was grace in action. And it was grace motivated by love.

So too, it was God’s great love for you and I that moved Him to meet our deepest need by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. Now we have peace with God, and true joy, if the risen Christ lives in us.

II. TRUE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP DEMONSTRATED (verses 3-11)

In verses 3-6, Paul is saying to them, “I have you on my mind.” In verse 3 he says, “I thank God in all my remembrance of you.” Paul reminds himself of their “participation in the gospel” in verse 5. Not only have they been sharing their faith in Jesus Christ, and the church has been growing, but they were also giving financially to Paul’s support. Paul was confident that they would excel in the good works they were doing by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ.

ILLUSTRATION: A preacher asked an elderly man how long he had been a Christian. “Fifty years”, he replied. “Well”, said the minister, “after keeping the faith for so long, you must be pretty confident of holding out to the end.” “Brother”, the man said, “it’s not a question of my ‘holding out’; it’s whether the Lord is ‘holding on’ to me. And the Bible assures me that I can trust Him for that!”

In verses 7 and 8, Paul tells them that his concern for them is even deeper when he says, “I have you in my heart”. They have been ministering to Paul, and his love was overflowing because it was Christ’s love flowing through him. Paul’s words in verse 8 depict the closeness of his relationship with the Philippian church. He is saying, “I long to be with you again”, “I have an affection for you”. Are we channels of God’s love, allowing Jesus Christ to fill us with his love for others, and to use us to minister to others?

Thirdly, in verses 9 to 11, Paul demonstrated his fellowship with them by praying for them. It’s a real encouragement to know that we are being prayed for by our friends, isn’t it? It’s especially encouraging when they tell us specifically what they are praying for us. Paul prays that their love would grow and mature in several areas. First, “that their love might abound more and more in real knowledge”. This occurs as we spend more and more time beholding Christ in God’s Word. Secondly, Paul prays for growth in discernment: making good judgments and right decisions. Thirdly, Paul prays that they might be “sincere and blameless”. The world needs to see Christians who are genuine, and whose lives don’t cause others to stumble. A person who is true to God will never be false to others

Fourthly, Paul prays that they might mature in their Christian service, bearing fruit in their own lives and also in the lives of others. Bearing fruit is a work that Christ accomplishes through us when we rely on His strength and give all the praise and glory to Him. This is true Christian fellowship, the kind of fellowship that produces joy no matter what the circumstances may be. Let your circumstances bring you closer to God and to God’s people. ILLUSTRATION: A man named Jerry had to go to New York City for a special surgery, and he hated to go. “Why can’t we have it done at home?”, he asked his doctor. “I don’t know a soul in that big, unfriendly city!” But when he and his wife arrived at the hospital, there was a pastor to meet them and invite them to stay at his home until they got settled. The operation was serious, and the wait in the hospital was long and difficult, but the fellowship of the pastor and is wife brought a new joy to Jerry and his wife. They learned that circumstances need not deprive them of joy if they will permit these circumstances to strengthen their fellowship with God and with other Christians.

How would you evaluate your life today as compared with a year ago? Have you grown in your love for God and for others? If so, give God the glory, and let your heart be filled with joy. If not, speak to God in prayer today. Ask God to fill your heart with love for Him, and for the people that cross your path; and spend time daily enjoying God as you read, study, and respond to His Word. A greater joy awaits you!

Philippians: Background and Survey

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Jesus Christ was described in Scripture as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Yet He possessed a deep joy that was beyond anything the world could offer. As He faced the cruel death on the cross at Mount Calvary, Jesus said to His followers, “These things I have spoken to you that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be made full.” About thirty years after the death of Christ, the apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church at Philippi from his cell in a prison at Rome. Yet his letter is filled with joy.

II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

Paul first came to the city of Philippi about ten years earlier while he was on his second missionary journey. Philippi was named after Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. The city at that time had a population of close to half a million people. Most of them were Greeks, with a small group of Jews and Romans.

The first converts to Christianity were Lydia, a dealer in crimson fabrics, and the town’s jailor. The members of their families also became Christians. The church at Philippi was the first church in Europe. It has been referred to as the birthplace of European Christianity. Most of the congregation were Greeks, along with some converted Jews. By the time Paul wrote this epistle, the church at Philippi had grown and become well-organized. It had both elders and deacons.

Philippians has been called Paul’s love letter to the church at Philippi. It contains less correction and more praise than any other epistle. Many Bible scholars have called it “the epistle of joy”.

III. AN OUTLINE

Here is a simple outline of Paul’s letter to the Philippians:

Chapter l – The Joy of Christ Our Life

Chapter 2 – The Joy of Christ Our Example

Chapter 3 – The Joy of Christ Our Goal

Chapter 4 – The Joy of Christ Our Sufficiency

IV. THIEVES OF JOY

The epistle of Paul to the Philippians talks about four thieves that can rob you and I of Joy:

1. CIRCUMSTANCES

Most of us would have to agree that when things are “going our way”, we feel a lot happier, and we are much easier to live with. Little Peggy said to her girlfriend one day, “Dad must have had an easy day at the office. He didn’t squeal the tires when he pulled into the driveway, and he didn’t slam the door when he came into the house, and he even gave Mommy a kiss!”

But have you ever considered how few of the circumstances of life are really under our control? We have no control over the weather or over the things people say and do. The person whose happiness depends on ideal circumstances is going to be miserable most of the time. And yet here is the apostle Paul in the worst of circumstances, writing a letter filled with joy.

2. PEOPLE

A second thief that can rob us of joy is people. A little girl jumped off the school bus as it stopped in front of her home and slammed her way through the front door. She marched up the stairs with an angry look on her face, went into her room, and again slammed the door. All the time she was muttering under her breath, “People . . . people . . .people . . . PEOPLE!” Her father went to her door and knocked softly. “May I come in?” She answered, “No!” The father asked, “Why can’t I come in?” She answered: “Because you’re a people!”

All of us have lost our joy because of people, haven’t we? Maybe it was because of the way they were, or what they said or did. And no doubt we’ve helped make someone else unhappy. It works both ways, doesn’t it? But we have to live and work with people. We can’t isolate ourselves and still live to glorify Christ. The apostle Paul was in prison with some of the cruelist and most sinful people, yet he still had joy.

3. THINGS

A third thief that robs us of joy is things. A wealthy man was moving into his mansion, and his Quaker neighbor, who believed in simplicity of life, was watching the activities carefully. The neighbor counted the chairs and tables, and the vast amount of knickknacks that were being carried into the house. Finally, he said to the owner of the mansion: “Neighbor, if thou dost need anything, come to see me and I will tell thee how to get along without it!”

Abraham Lincoln was walking down the street with his two sons, who were crying and fighting. “What’s the matter with the boys?” a friend asked. “The same thing that’s wrong with the whole world”, Lincoln replied. “I have three walnuts and each of the boys wants two!”

Things! What thieves they can be! Yet Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things which he possesses. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned against laying up treasures on earth. They aren’t safe, they don’t last, and they never satisfy. Yet most people today think that joy comes from the things that they own. Actually, things can rob us of the only joy that really exists.

4. WORRY

The last thief that robs of joy is worry, and this is the worst thief of all. How many people have been robbed of peace and fulfillment because of worry. You can purchase “sleep” at the drug store, but you cannot purchase “rest”. If the apostle Paul wanted to worry, he had plenty of reasons. He was a prisoner facing possible execution. He had no mission board supporting him and no Legal Aid Society defending him. But in spite of these difficulties, Paul does not worry. Instead, he writes a letter filled with joy and tells us how to stop worrying.

Worry is actually wrong thinking and wrong feeling about circumstances, people, and things. Philippians 4 tells us that we have God’s peace, God’s power, and God’s provision available to us. With resources like these, why should we worry?