PRAISE THE LORD ANYHOW!
PHILIPPIANS 1:12-18
Pessimism/optimism
Glass half-full or half-empty analogy
A family had twins who were opposites in every way.
If one felt it was too hot, the other thought it was too cold.
If one said the TV was too loud, the other claimed he couldn’t hear it.
One was an eternal optimist, the other a persistent pessimist.
On the twins’ birthday, the father decided to try an experiment and teach the twins a lesson.
He loaded the pessimist's room with every imaginable toy and game.
The optimist's room he filled with horse manure.
That night the father passed by the pessimist's room and found him crying bitterly, with his new gifts.
"Why are you crying?" the father asked. "My friends will be jealous, I have to read all these instructions. I'm going to need a ton of batteries. And then, they’re going to get broken anyway!”
Passing the optimist twin's room, the father found him laughing and digging through the pile of manure.
"What are you so happy about?" he asked.
To which the optimist replied, "With this much manure, there's got to be a pony in here somewhere!
Old fable: Two frogs fell into a pail of milk, one of them realized the futility of trying to get out and gave up.
He drowned and died.
The other, unwilling to surrender kept swimming hoping, for a chance to escape.
As he kept churning away, the milk eventually became butter and the frog climbed out of the pail.
A recent article published by Mayo Clinic demonstrates that the difference between optimists and pessimists amounts to about 12 years of life!
William Arthur Ward: “The pessimist nibbles at the negative.
The optimist is nourished by the positive.”
The Philippians have become pessimists–everything is going wrong!
Paul wants us to see what God is doing, through the difficult circumstances.
There is much to praise God for!
The ideal church!
* Endured suffering * Doctrinally sound * Generous
An ideal church faces TWO PROBLEMS:
They are discouraged.
Times are hard. They are suffering. Their leader is in jail.
Their messenger to Paul is sick. Everything seems to be going wrong.
They are divided.
Personal conflict between two women in the church (others seem to have taken sides!)
Divisions between Judaizers and Gentiles.
These two problems feed each other!
Purpose and theme
1. Paul wants to encourage them in the midst of their affliction.
Therefore he writes concerning joy.
2. Paul wants to resolve the conflicts between the brethren.
Therefore he emphasizes unity.
REPORT CONCERNING IMPRISONMENT 1:12-26
Paul’s approach to hard times is counter-cultural.
This ISN’T the way we normally respond to difficulties!
Paul sends a report concerning his situation in prison.
He wants them to know that what is discouraging them, is not a discouragement to him.
They’re mourning over the fact that Paul is in jail.
They’re mourning because Paul’s ministry is curtailed.
Paul wants them to see what God is doing!
God is using his imprisonment for His glory and to spread the gospel.
THE GOSPEL IS ADVANCING THROUGH HIS IMPRISONMENT 1:12-14
God is at work in this! -Encouragement
NOT what you would expect from a prison experience!!!!
Testimony of Paul inside the prison 1:12-13
The guards realize that . . .
Paul is not in prison for a crime.
Paul is in prison because of Jesus.
NIV-"it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ" (i.e., for HIS sake, NOT for some crime).
They are witnesses–up close and personal–that this guy is different!
Paul has the privilege of preaching to a forced audience–they can’t get away they’re paid to stay chained to Paul, while he preaches to them!
They’re chained to him in four-hour shifts.
They listened in on every conversation Paul had.
What do you suppose Paul would talk about?
They would quickly discover that Paul’s life revolves around Jesus!
How else could he ever have the chance to proclaim Christ to this hardened group of men?!!
He never would have had access to the elite Praetorian Guard as a free man!
GOD opened this opportunity for proclaiming the gospel for Paul.
The results of this witness? => 4:22
We need that kind of revised perspective on life.
However difficult our circumstances may be.
They may appear to confine and restrict us.
How could God EVER use THESE circumstances.
Young moms wonder about being chained to young children in their home.
Then they hear of Susannah Wesley, mother of 19 children–two of whom–John and Charles Wesley–made a major impact on Christianity through their songs and preaching.
Fanny Crosby, blinded at 6 weeks old, saw more of God’s work in her life than most of us ever see. She wrote hundreds of hymns and gospel songs that continue to inspire us to worship Him.
The secret is to look at the hard times as God-given opportunities to advance the gospel.
We learn to rejoice about what God is doing,
rather than to complain about what God didn’t do!
But that’s only part of the story, even more significant, since Paul has been in prison, his ministry has actually expanded!
Testimony of others outside the prison 1:14
Because of his imprisonment, . . .
Others have gained courage to talk about Jesus.
So Paul’s ministry has actually multiplied!
The opposition’s attempts to hinder Paul’s ministry
have actually resulted in the growth of their ministry.
It has opened new opportunities–in ways they never imagined possible!
GOD USES DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES TO GLORIFY HIMSELF!
THE GOSPEL IS ADVANCING THROUGH DIVISIVE PREACHERS 1:15-18
That label has to be the understatement of the year.
This isn’t limited to just “preachers.”
It refers to all kinds of people who are proclaiming Christ–i.e., sharing Christ with others, but for all the wrong reasons.
These people aren’t just “divisive;” they’re ornery, mean-spirited, self-serving people.
They want to make Paul suffer because they can do what he wants to do but isn’t free to do.
Some people are preaching for the wrong reasons.
Paul responds, “I don’t care how bad their motive is, people are hearing about Christ! That’s good!
While there’s a divisive attitude among the preachers, that isn’t a cause for discouragement.
At least the gospel is being proclaimed to lost people!
Paul’s words are much abused-
Two things Paul doesn't say:
1. NOT-”Any old message will do!”
It is the gospel they are preaching! Compare his comments in Gal. 1
2. NOT-"Praise God for their rotten attitude!”
He doesn’t let them off the hook for a bad attitude.
It DOES matter what our attitude is!
Proclaiming Christ with an attitude of humility and gratitude is far better.
But the Gospel IS being spread–even if it’s wrongly-motivated.
Their attitude 1:15-17
If they are preaching to spite Paul, that’s their problem.
Notice that Paul doesn’t get involved in their game.
He doesn’t let them drag him down to their level!
Though they want to hurt him, he never fights back!
He just goes on doing what God wants him to do, however much they seek to hurt him!
Their bad attitude still isn’t a cause for mourning!
God is advancing the gospel in spite of their attitude.
Paul’s attitude 1:18
Paul rejoices because others are hearing the gospel.
GOD EVEN USES DIVISIVE CIRCUMSTANCES TO GLORIFY HIMSELF!
-ENCOURAGEMENT
IMPLICATIONS FOR US
Our own pessimism/optimism debate.
We tend to see the hard times from a negative perspective.
“Poor us!”
“Why does God let bad things happen to good people–like us–?”
Paul wants us to focus on what God is doing and praise Him.
The End of the Spear –who would have imagined 50 years ago the numerous ways that event would have been used to advance the gospel?
What a tragedy!!! But consider what God has done!
The progress of the gospel among the Aucas/Waodani
The publication of their story has served to draw many others to Christ
The number of people who have been motivated to commit their lives to proclaim the gospel as a result of their story.
The ongoing ministries of the families of those five men– Elizabeth Elliot, Marge Saint, others
And now, in these days, a reminder for the world of men who were committed to live for God whatever it might cost them.
The story goes on and on–God is able to turn tragedy into blessing–FOR HIS GLORY!
God is able to turn OUR tragedies into blessing too!
We may not face such major, cataclysmic tragedies as Paul in jail, or those missionaries who died,
But we ALL go through lesser conflicts and the stress of the pressures of life–when things don’t work out the way we planned.
Some of us will face some of those hard times this week!
For some the obstacles may be bigger than for others.
Whatever the source of the pressure in our life, we need to learn to look closely to see what GOD is doing in the midst of those circumstances.
GOD CAN USE OUR CIRCUMSTANCES TO GLORIFY HIMSELF TOO!