Cocking, Roger: Studies In Philippians Chapters 1 And 2-03 ~ Phil 1:12

We begin tonight, Philippians one twelve, and, uh, try to finish the chapter, because we want to consider the first eleven verses of the first, uh, of the second chapter on the Lord's Day morning, especially since it is the traditional Easter. Beginning reading at verse twelve. Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace garden to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. Now, when he says what has happened to me, he must refer to his imprisonment in Rome. And he says that this imprisonment in Rome has served to advance the gospel. At first sight, one would consider that a paradox, for sure. Doesn't seem possible, and yet it's wonderful how God can take our circumstances, which might be all against us. In this case, the circumstances in which Paul found himself were all against him, it would seem, but he had the habit of turning everything into an opportunity for the spread of the word of God. And, uh, being in prison with lots of time, he spent his time pr- praying and preaching and penning or writing. And so much was accomplished by Paul being put in prison. We can see how God can take these things in our lives, which seem to be against us, and make them a great blessing to us, and also make them a great blessing to many others. Many times we can't see it at the time, but we walk by faith, don't we? Not by sight. And in verse thirteen he says, as a result, it's become clear throughout the whole palace guard. Now, this was Nero's special elite guard of probably some ten thousand picked Italian soldiers, the great imperial guard. And while Paul was there, presumably at this time in his own hired house, yet he was a prisoner and had to be chained to a soldier twenty four hours a day. And, uh, they no doubt had three shifts. If they did, that would be three soldiers a day, every twenty four hours, which would be chained to Paul. And being chained to Paul, they would listen to him pray. They would listen to him preach. They would hear him dictate the letters that he was writing, and he would have opportunity to talk with them personally, and they couldn't get away. He had a captive aud- audience. And as a result of this, many of those soldiers in the great imperial guard of Nero were saved, became the children of God, and they in turn would go tell others. As a matter of fact, it would seem from reading carefully this passage, he says it's become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. His imprisonment for Christ must have been the best advertised event in Rome. They didn't need television and newspapers to advertise it. Everybody seemed to know that Paul was in prison for Christ, and apparently it was common knowledge and common talk among the people of Rome that Paul was preaching the gospel right there in prison and leading people to Christ. Think of what an impact God is making on the city of Rome by means of just one little man in chains, a prisoner. And he says, not only that, but because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. What? When they see this man in chains because he's been preaching the gospel, you mean they go out more courageously and fearlessly and preach the gospel? That's what he says. That's what was happening. That's just how God turns things around. Guy King says, whenever we find ourselves, wherever we find ourselves, and whatever our circumstances, there is opportunity for service. However we may be hindered and hampered by our conditions, there is some way of opening, some opening for testimony, and that all the more effectual, as it is to be seen that we refuse to undergo the trials and resolve to overcome them. I think what he means there is that we refuse to, to let the trials get us down, but resolve to overcome them. How Paul would have hated our all too frequent use of the phrase under the circumstances. He never allowed them to get on top of him in the circumstances, but not under them. And certainly, as we have noticed before, we are never promised an easy path here on earth. On the contrary, we've been promised that our pathway on earth will be a difficult one. Let's go on to verse fifteen. It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, and I kind of get the feeling that there weren't a lot of them, but there were some. Yes, some were preaching Christ out of envy and envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former, those who preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I'm in chains. It's an odd situation, isn't it? And I've thought about this so many times down through my lifetime as I've read it over and over again. Some people preaching Christ because they hated Paul and hoped that that would make it more difficult for him in prison if they did preach Christ. But what is Paul's reaction to this? Verse eighteen: but what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. The important thing is that Christ is preached. This to Paul was of the greatest importance. And sometimes we see people preaching Christ who do not know him at all. I remember J- uh, J. N. O'Brien, a man that I knew well from the time I was a little boy. My dad was saved under his preaching when I was about six, seven years old, Six years old, I think it was. A. N. O'Brien. He was a Presbyterian preacher for fourteen years before he was saved. He was saved under his own. As he opened up the scriptures and preached the gospel, he himself became convicted that he was never been, he'd never been born again, and he was saved as a result. And that's marvelous. And as we've remarked before tonight about that film on TV, uh, sacrilege, does terrible dishonor to our Lord. How any ungodly mere man would dare to try to pose as the Son of God, the perfect Son of God? No. But oh, in the midst of it all, I hope that some way, somehow, there will be some who will be awakened. It's going to a lot of damage. Dramatics are, can be very damaging. Many men of God have warned about dramatics. They fill our minds with things which are not scriptural, and in such a vivid way. But maybe somehow, someway, the Spirit of God might take something and use it to reach somebody for Christ. Only God can do something like that. Only God can bring good out of evil. The whole thing makes my heart sick, but we have to leave it with the Lord and pray for those who do not have discernment enough to rule out such things in their lives. So Paul says the important thing is that Christ is preached. And what Paul was talking about was the pure gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was not some dramatics. He was talking about the word of God, the gospel. The good news of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that's what he's talking about. And that's what he thanks God for. And he says, because of this, I rejoice. Whatever way the true gospel, the pure gospel is preached, I'll rejoice. And then in other passages, he's spoken out so clearly against that which is false and that which is counterfeit. We noticed that in second Corinthians over and over again. And certainly this film is false and counterfeit. And even the ungodly admit that. I read an article by apparently an un- uh, unsaved man, a non-Christian. And he was pointing out some of the bad things in connection with it. Well, we won't say any more about that. He says, yes, and I will continue to rejoice. Verse nineteen, For I know that this word know here is oida, which is to know with a certainty, actual knowledge. I know that definite knowledge. I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. Struck me. Through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Two things there. I know that these two things, your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. Two things coupled together, your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And it was, this struck me as an amazing thing, a wonderful thing. It shows how important our prayers are and how earnest we should be in prayer. Because Paul puts their prayers in the same sentence with the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And it would seem that God, why, I don't know, but that God would encourage us to pray, and then some way, somehow, as a result of our prayers, and of course we're told to pray in the spirit, the spirit of God works to accomplish God's purposes. But God seems to value our prayers tremendously. You remember in the book of the Revelation where it speaks of the clothing, of the bride being... What was that? That was the righteous acts of the saints, wasn't it? But there's another place where we read of the prayers of the saints in the book of Revelation. I can't quite get that connection now. Do you have it? Was it incense? Was it, was it what? Oh yes, incense, that's right. Incense, which were the prayers of the saints. Thank you. So apparently Paul is- expects to be delivered from prison, I suppose. Now the question is, is this deliverance being let loose from prison to live on this earth, or is it when he was executed? Well, as we go on further in the chapter, I think that he must have been, he must have certainly expected that he was going to be taken out of prison to continue on, on this earth for a while. And, uh, if indeed there were two imprisonments, as some believe, and this was written about, uh, sixty two AD, then he was probably executed about sixty AD, so it'd be about five years in between there. And that seems somewhat likely, but be that as it may, notice those two things again, the- your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Now, verse twenty: I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed. Was Paul afraid that he might so behave or fail that he would have to be ashamed? Yes, I believe so. He was a mere man like you and me, even though he was an apostle. There's danger that we might be ashamed, that we might so fail, that we would have to be ashamed before him at his coming, or that we would have to be ashamed before our brothers and sisters, or even before the world. But he says, I don't want to be ashamed. But he says, I eagerly expect and hope that I will have Paul have fears? We look at him as a tremendously courageous man, and sometimes maybe we think that he didn't have any fears. But apparently Paul had fears too, just like we do. Apparently he was afraid that his courage was not always up to par. Because he says, I eagerly hope and ex- expect and hope that I'll have sufficient courage. So he must have had times when he wasn't so courageous, when he was afraid that he just couldn't hack it, so to speak. But his great desire was that Christ will be exalted in my body, or magnified in my body. I want Christ to be made plain to people by either my life or my death, either one. Doesn't make any difference, just so Christ can be magnified through my body. For to me, Paul says, to live is not self, it's not money, it's not prestige. To me, to live is Christ. We could put the word simply Christ. It doesn't say that here, but to me, to live is Christ. What a goal, what an ambition. To me, to live is Christ. Oh, so often you would think that self was our goal, and indeed, so often self is our goal in life. We have to hang our heads in shame and confess it as a sin, and return to that goal of living for Christ. To me, to live is Christ, to die is gain. That too requires faith, and when one faces death, that faith is tested as to whether we really mean it or not. If I'm going to, if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. That was his goal in life, fruitful labor for the Lord. Yet what shall I choose? If the choice were left to me, I don't know what I would choose. I do not know. I am torn between the two. I des- I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. But it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. And this word depart is the word, for example, for breaking camp. You've been camping in an area for a play- for a while. Been camping maybe along along a river. Maybe you've been elk hunting out in the mountains of Colorado or Montana. And then the day comes when you have to break camp and go home. And if you've left loved ones at home, you may be very glad to break camp and go home, especially if your clothes are all dirty and you're, you're cold and food's getting short and the weather's been against you and things have been pretty... It's a wonderful day when it comes time to break camp and go home. Well, Paul hadn't been elk hunting, he'd been soul hunting. He'd been hunting for people to reach for Christ. But he says, I have a desire to break camp and to go home, to be with Christ, which is far better. But it's more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith. Now he says, I w- I know that I'll continue with you, with all of you, for two things, your progress and your joy. In what? In the faith. This is where you have to have a revised version or go back to the Greek to find the definite article. It's not joy in faith, it's joy in the faith, which means joy in that which we believe, which is the revealed word of God, the truth. So he's concerned for their progress in the truth and their joy in the truth. So that through my being with you again, your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me. Oh, what a wonderful thing to rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ. The joy of the Lord shall be your strength, Nehemiah said a long time ago, and he surely knew what he was talking about. And then in verse twenty seven, whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. That whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, striving as one man for the faith of the gospel. There we have that expression, the faith again. That's the truth of the gospel. Without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved, and that by God. For it has been granted to you, on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same conflict you saw I had and now hear that I still have. Five things in this passage, twenty seven to thirty that I see. First, our conduct worthy of the gospel of Christ. Refers to our heavenly citizenship. It teaches us that Christians are citizens of heaven, having a heavenly origin and a heavenly destiny, and with the responsibility of living a heavenly life on this earth in the midst of ungodly people and surroundings, telling sinners of a savior in heaven who will save them. The ethics of this letter are invested with heavenly standards, quoting from Wuest. Your conduct, our conduct, worthy of the gospel of Christ. Is it? Let us each search our own hearts. And as an assembly, we ought to search our hearts. Because he was writing to an assembly here, Philippi. Then he says, whether I come and see your, see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you, second thing, our stand, that you stand firm in one spirit. Standing together with one spirit, one mind, one heart for the Lord. The mind of Christ that we have in the next chapter. Third, our striving. Striving or contending as one man for the faith of the gospel. And we have to strive, contend for the faith of the gospel, the truth of the word of God in this day. Like Jude wrote, contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. That was a message for the last days, and we're living in the last days, when the truth is being corrupted on every hand, by every means possible. And we are to contend earnestly for the truth, the faith, the word of God, which was once for all delivered to the saints. It's complete. Nothing to be added to it. Let's be content with God's Word, and let's search the scriptures and contend for the truth of the Word of God. That's what we contend for, not for ourselves. And it says, without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. There are those who oppose. Sometimes people arise right in our own midst, in an assembly, who oppose the truth. And sometimes they're all around us. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved, and that by God. And now our suffering, verse twenty nine: for it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him. To suffer on behalf of Christ, for his sake. Paul was suffering. He says, you be ready to suffer. You're going to suffer too. And then our conflict. Verse thirty, since you are going through the same conflict, the same struggle you saw that I had and now hear that I still have. Conflict with the forces of evil, sometimes a conflict with our own inner wicked self. And a conflict with the world about us. Our conduct, our stand, our striving, our suffering, and our conflict. May God bless his word to us. Father, we thank you for your word. May our goal in life be that Christ might be exalted and magnified in our body, whether by life or by death. That we might too say, to me to live is Christ, to die is gain. And help us to walk worthy of Christ, of the gospel of Christ. To do these things that we are exhorted to do in this chapter and in this book. Make the Lord Jesus more precious to us, moment by moment, day by day, we pray. Part us with your blessing in his name. Amen.