What Really Matters? - Phil 1:11-19
If I were to ask you “are you obsessed with anything?” how would you respond?
Work? Music? You might be a football fan. That might be your obsession - you might live it, breathe it. May be it is your friends, social group and parties. Is that what you live for?
I don’t know about you, but for me to be totally sold out for something – so consumed by something that it takes over - it has got to be really worth it. I don’t want my life to be consumed by anything that is going to end up being a waste of time so the question is – in reality, what really matters that much to be that single-minded about?
Of course, the answer is - a relationship with Jesus matters that much. The gospel - the one thing that will last and is worth being totally consumed by, obsessed by, sold out too and owned by.
But are we?
As we were thinking just acouple of weeks ago (God's work in progress), Paul is like that. The gospel has got a grip of him. It has transformed his life. In fact, it has changed the way he thinks about himself. Back in Phil 1:1 he calls himself a “slave of Christ”. When Paul’s life was changed by meeting Jesus Christ he went from being the most zealous opponent of the church to become the zealous servant of the church. And God gave him the job of taking the gospel to the non-Jewish world. It was a commission that Paul was willing to go to any lengths to serve. He is single minded and consumed - even obsessed about it.
When he wrote Philippians he was in prison, or at least under house arrest - probably in Rome. He went to Rome to serve his God in preaching the message of Jesus to the non-Jewish world knowing the risks, and trusting God with them .
So what happened to him in Rome, the centre of power of the Roman Empire? He was arrested
If you were Paul, how would you have responded to that? Are you one of these people who get disheartened when things don’t go according to plan? I guess we are all like that to a certain extent.
What was Paul's response?
“I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.” Phil 1:12
I will build my church
A few years previously, Jesus had taken aside his friend Peter and had said to him -
“Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” Matthew 16:18
Jesus says – I will build my church.
God is going to do it and nothing can stop it. It is his job, his plan, his work.
The growth of the church in China is a striking example of God building his church. All the missionaries were forced to leave China because of the severe opposition against Christians. What would this mean for the church and Christians in China? Would they dwindle to nothing?
For years people knew little of what was going on - but then the doors opened against nd the news from the Church in China was unbelievable!
Paul Hattaway wrote a book on the Chinese church and makes this telling statement -
“Many Christians believe the 50 years of persecution they have endured has not been the plan of Satan to destroy the church in China as much as it has been God’s plan to refine, train and equip them to be a missionary community”1
In 2003 there were 58million members of House churches in China, experiencing growth of between 12.5-17.5% per year!
God is building his church, and will continue to do so because it is his 'own possession'. The church as God's temple is an image that Paul often uses in the NT, a temple that God lives in. Christians are the bricks, and God 'indwells' his church by his Spirit.
He will build it - God’s Kingdom will stand.
From a human perspective, Paul should be disheartened. The enemies of the gospel have managed to get the most effective tool for the gospel off the streets of Rome. It is a victory for the enemies of the gospel – surely...
God the Chess Grandmaster
Not in the game of heavenly chess. God is a chess Grandmaster.
Chess is a game of strategy and planning. I can play it but - lets face it - am not very good! I can just about plan a couple3 moves ahead – when I really put my mind to it which is not very often. The Grandmasters have worked out all the possible moves, and therefore what their opponent is likely to do 7 or 8 moves ahead.
So Paul is able to say "everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the gospel". God is building his church.
- The Duke of Wellington, the British commander who fought Napoleon thought of the battle of Talavers in 1809 as one of his most damaging battles. He lost men, lots of men and he didn’t want to do it again.
Whilst the fighting continued in Northern Portugal and Spain, Wellington put his master plan into action until he was ready. Then, in September 1810 he withdrew his men to Lisbon.
During early October Marshall Massena, the leader of the French troops under Napoleon sensed victory and pushed forward down into Portugal. On the 11th October 1810 he was forced to stop north of Lisbon by a wall 46 miles long, with 108 Forts, 151 redoubts, 1067 pieces of artillery and over 68,000 men. The Lines of Torres Vedras built under the command of Wellington.
What looked to Massena like the retreat of the British, and their ultimate defeat actually turned out to be the turning point in the war Wellingtons masterstroke, doing what many considered weakness was actually the turning point in the battle against Napoleon, as Wellington later viewed it after Napoleaon's defeat at Waterloo.
- Similarly, remember the story of Joseph. His brothers hated him, so they threw him in a pit in the ground until someone came up with a better idea. Sell him! So they did.
The brothers told their Father Joseph was dead, showed him the blood soaked cloak as evidence that he had been mauled to death. Yet, years later, when they were reunited with Joseph, in order to save their heads, the brothers fabricated a message from their now dead Dad instructing Joseph to forgive his brothers for the evil he had done to them.
Joseph's reply is telling - “As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil. He brought me to the high position I have today so that I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20
God is the Chess Grandmaster. Paul’s imprisonment is not the end. In fact it is not really even a backward step. It is not really down to Paul.
Paul later wrote to Timothy saying “And because I preach this good news, I am suffering and have been chained like an animal. But the word of God cannot be chained” 2 Tim 2:9
This is such an important attitude for us to learn. And it really matters.
God will build his church. His word is not chained, even when his servants are! And that frees you up to take the opportunities with you next door neighbours knowing that it is not down to you to save them, but that you can play a part. Why wait?
And that is the case for us as individuals and as a church.
- Individuals - There is a fantastic verse in Romans that says - “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
God doesn’t promise to give you an easy ride in life– but if you know him he promises to work everything together for good. He is the Grandmaster and directs your life for good.
- Church - Those of us who have been a part of Bethany City Church from the first week have seen some very exciting times, real growth. We have had some other times when growth feels like it has gone more slowly. We have been able to do things a little differently, being a new church – but regardless of the effectiveness of them, God has built his church and will build his church. We need to keep hold of that and continue to allow him to use us. Because that is what Paul means when he says that all that has happened to him has helped to spread the gospel.
It has helped in 2 ways.
The Trojan Horse
Paul is God's Trojan horse. Remember the story of Odyseus – the gift of a horse turned out to be full of soldiers who over-ran Troy. Of course trojan horses today are computer virus's that get into your computer and empty their contents to put your computer out of action.
That is what Paul is doing. He has been taken right to the heart of the mighty Roman empire and as a result, God has got a foothold in the corridors of power in Rome.
“For everyone, including all the soldiers in the palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ.” v13
As we mentioned earlier, it is likely that Paul was under house arrest - being chained to a guard all day everyday. The guard would be changed every 4 hours. Paul knew them all, and they all knew him! What an opportunity! Plus, Paul was a Roman Citizen which allowed him to make his appeal to the Emperor. Being a prisoner of the Emperor mean't being tried by the Emperor, so as the officials got there evidence against Paul, the man preaching about Jesus, he spoke to them all. Everyone, including all the soldiers knew that he was in chains becasue of Christ because he told them! Brings a new meaning to being a 'captive audience'!
Paul’s explosive witness has come about because God builds his church.
Christians became bold
The other way that God used this to help spread the gospel was that Christians become bold.
“And because of my imprisonment, many of the Christians here have gained confidence and become more bold in telling others about Christ.” v14
And they are doing it for all sorts of reasons.
Some are Paul’s rivals - He had always been a controversial figure from day 1. Some of the Christians would never get over the fact that he had tried to destroy the church before joining it. They saw this as a great opportunity to get at Paul. 'Let us step in, fill his shoes, show him we don’t need him. Let us make a name for ourselves.' Frnakly, selfish ambition.
Some are preaching the gospel because they love Paul - they know that Paul had a job to do that needs to get done so they need to step into the breach. 'If he is not free to tell people, we must!'
But Paul is not disheartened - he is sold out to this task of spreading the good news. Whatever the motivation, he says, the important thing is that the message is preached – so he rejoices.
What about us?
I want to pray that we would become a people who are so consumed with the task of spreading the good news of Jesus, and so confident that God will build his church here in Sunderland, that we will be “confident and bold”. We will trust God that he is several moves ahead of us – we will be risk takers for the Kingdom of God. Because this is what really matters – it is the thing that will last forever.
The question is not whether God will build his church – now or in the future. The question is, are you going to be a part of it?
1 'Back to Jerusalem', page 1