For the Sake of the Gospel

Philippians chapter 1 verse number 12 through 14 will be reading out of the English standard version. It was me the words of a true and living God want to know brothers what is happening is really served to advance the gospel that has become known throughout the whole Imperial guard as all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ and most of the brothers having become confident in the Lord of my imprisonment are much more bold to speak the word without fear as per father, we thank you, Joe sovereignly chosen the means of prayer to open up the windows of your blessing and act in this world at this time I asked that George would bless us and bless my tongue in my mind as I handle the inerrant and infallible Scriptures. What I cannot with all of my pleading and tears because one sinner to come to Christ. But you can Rasta through the preaching of the word tonight that you would bring your elect to yourself and that you be glorified Lord for those who are brokenhearted for those that are discouraged those if the list of the Gospels own progress in this world today may be ceased. Let us be encouraged. We serve a God whose message is an indomitable message we preach, the unstoppable gospel of Jesus Christ.

We pray that through that message tonight. You might be glorified is in Christ name we pray.

Amen and amen it is the early third century man by the name of Arius is walking around town asking young women with their children was a child or before you or did you give birth to that child, that child have a beginning to which the women would save and he would say will certainly if that child had a beginning so that the one who was born in Bethlehem, so Shirley Christ must've had a beginning and so there were jingles that would be sung throughout town.

There was a time when Christ was not in so they began to be quite a bit of an issue and so Constantine called for a counselor General Counsel as he began to ordain this Council of Nicaea. This nice encounter. There stood a small, young, dark man whose nickname was the black dwarf.

He was quiet he didn't say much, but his name was Athanasius. Now this great Council of Nicaea causes me a little bit of humor. This is the one rehear the story about St. Nicholas of Santa Claus so politely greeting his fist to the face. The areas, but is at this Council that we began to read upon our forefathers damning Arianism as a heresy that is not the end of this great heresy and makes his way back in the wants quiet, Athanasius the understudy has now found himself bleeding the charge against this heresy. It is said that they woke up in this is the world woke up overnight as Aryans, Athanasius went on to be the Bishop of Alexandria, but this is not after 3 to 4 banishment throughout his life, and I can understand throughout the mind and life of Athanasius.

He must've thought. Indeed, this is a central message.

This is a prime doctrine for us as believers and I can understand that as the bishops of that will begin the fall.

Arianism, Athanasius's mind without a doubt must've wondered what the gospel progressed through this in Romans chapter 1 verse 10. The apostle Paul writes to the church of Rome and he says, making the request by any means not only that I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come into you that's not the way that it worked in common a process way, at least by the world standards we came as a prisoner in the journey that we see scoping for Max 21 – 28 was not without its tremendous difficulties.

He was imprisoned in Jerusalem really is a way to save his life. The Jews really raised a great bit of turmoil concerning his message. In acts 2122 when the killing comes Rome arresting him really to save his life in a cinema Caesarea for two years before they decide to send him home to Rome ship. He was on the wrong Rex yes to swim to save his life, which we understand the rest of this study is that is a great one to read passport acts 2845 in Rome, where he spends the next two years awaiting euros evaluation of the gospel's decision about it. Thought I have a prosperous journey from our point of view amount of waste or anticipated prosperity as we may very well wish to anticipate prosperity in our own lives.

Rather, God says that he would arrive as a prisoner, but his imprisonment was different. Max 2816.

The text says. And when we came to wrong dysentery and delivered the prisoners to the captain of the God of Paul was suffered to dwell by himself of the soul to the captain. Paul was in The common prison with the rest of the prisoners because genuinely Christianity was considered a sub- sect of Judaism, so he wasn't doing anything wrong. He had committed the crimes they did not imprison with other criminals. No real legal issue was facing him.

It may very well be that this is the case and reason that Aphrodite springs money to Paul to try and pay for this since seemingly rental quarters that he is had certainly would've allowed for visitors, but nonetheless not wanting that the Roman with the criminal. Since there was no real criminal charge at the same time understanding that they could better make a decision about this gospel for release this guy back in the public, the enemy Is a private prisoner with a soldier by himself. But Paul is not only a prisoner in a private situation with regard know that guard was chained to Paul with a chain that could have been about 18 inches long. Today, that would not fit our CDC guidelines. He was chained to a guard 24 hours a day seven days a week for two years. According to the Roman custom, the guard would change shift every six hours. So Paul would have four different men chained him for the duration of the day at all times. We could not escape. He didn't sleep long even eat alone. He didn't pray alone made the loan.

He did write alone. He was always chained to the soldier and all my introverts in here are cowering thinking about possibly. So by this time it's been about four years since the Philippians of heard from Paul or seen Paul but somehow they knew he was in Rome this message is bursting at the seams and the spread abroad, they knew he was in Rome to set up Aphrodite's task into things we assume first Paul, how are you doing second house the gospel is a listing of advertising provide policy money and some friendship. There also want to hear from Paul because they are surely grieving over his condition and grieving over the fact that the seams of the estate of the gospel is hindered. This is the great apostle to the Gentiles visit. Does it not seem that the gospel might be stopped seeing the Paul this great church planter to the Gentiles is now in prison and now seeing all that we've seen so far. Paul writes this little book of Philippians enjoyable book to read very powerful. One of my favorite whole Scriptures in response to these questions.

He is in jail again. Yet he writes the most joyful book in the entire canon. We present but why would Paul have any joy.

Why, if his joy was related to the circumstances. He certainly circumstances of his life. He certainly would be joyful if his joy was related to entertainment, he would be joyful if his joy was connected to his popularity was not very popular so should be joyful, those related to the things of this world. He should have been joyful if he has no privacy, no freedom. People are out to kill him, and he has this lingering understanding that anytime Nero could just ended. This is seem like a man that at the forefront of his vocabulary is a three letter word: joy not getting this is Paul is in this horribly uncomfortable situation.

He is focused on the not focus on his elements is mistreatment's or the inconveniences of this life with noticeably.

This evening in verse number 12.

He says this, the things which happen to me and actually turn out for the furtherance of the gospel.

Paul is saying I want you to know that everything that is happened to me and everything that is happening to me has really been an avenue for the spreading of systems. Paul is a complaining moaning and groaning and Shirley has all reason to do so in our own 21st-century mind visiting.

This is a man whose heart, passion whose life mission, whose true desire is founded in the gospel of Jesus Christ is true desire is in the gospel alone. This message is as bread-and-butter is what gets them going in the morning. It's what gives them purpose. If it's what makes them tick. If you will, and so we must ask ourselves this morning for this evening what drives me. What gives me purpose. What is my passion that I live for what dominates my time in my thinking is the gospel was for Paul, why is he so encouraged that he's facing these problems and what is my perspective in the midst of the trying circumstances. Verses 12 to 13 will be will begin watching the brothers that what is happened to me has really served to advance the gospel so has become known throughout the whole Imperial guard to all the rest. My imprisonment is for Christ, most of you have heard of a man by the name of John Bunyan's offer little progress. John Bundy was known as a great order is a great preacher is preaching was so powerful that many came to hear him and he was non-ordained man in the law.

The times that on ordained man cannot reach to a congregation graded about four or five people a lot more with the computer than that, we find an old John Bunyan gets arrested in the bed for Gail Bedford jail for not obeying the governmental restrictions in the church at the time, but even when they put them in jail. It is said that Bunyan preach, so allow that the Christians figured out.

We can hear them so they would gather outside the walls and so they begin the sale We can figure something out. Took him down into the deepest dungeon they had in the John that women it is set up for quite some time. He begins to preach is not as he can but he finally figured out they probably can't hear me and with all the time that Brother Bunyan has down there.

He pulls out a peer to the rights Pilgrim's progress involving jailers may have thought surely we have shut this manatee cannot preach the gospel.

He writes a book that preaches to millions and millions for generation and that's all it is you Bottle up the gospel. The servant may be bound. Second Timothy 29 tells the word of God is never, never, this problem that comes in Paul's life provides a pathway in this passage, Paul is doing a play on words.

The word furtherance or advancing consular critical precooked pay worker progress. Now it sounds very close to the WordPress coping broke up a prescript by the phone system very close which means hundreds. One of them throw copayments. Progress billing. Amy's hindrance little bit so it Wallace saying he says God is figuring out is that what seemingly is hindering me has been used for the advancement of the gospel. What looks like a constraint upon the gospel in a constraint upon my ministry is a list for the furtherance of this gospel door protocol they would be used to describe someone coming through the blaze a trail for an army to march down Paul is saying that these events that God is silently placed in front of me or to blaze new territory for the skills that put on a new place of the new people to give them a new opportunity to evangel while others may have seen this as an end to Paul's ministry. Certainly, Paul probably thought he would be standing in the marketplace. Speaking just like you did in the Areopagus, in acts 28. Certainly this is probably what he thought of as a profitable ministry imprisonment probably wasn't in my brother so this is Ananda Paul's ministry. Paul saw it as an opening for new ways to minister, so the message went forth, and like Joseph, you said you meant it for evil but God meant it for good. Paul can look at his captors and say you meant it for evil but God meant for the furtherance of his gospel.

Jesus Christ was killed as a common criminal because they want to shut them up very death he died, destroyed deaths in hell and the grave became the means of salvation for his elect.

The early church was persecuted in the eighth chapter of acts the resolve breathing out, threatening slaughter against the church and the threat of death scattered the church, but also scatter the gospel wherever they were placed so to was there gospel.

So it is in the case of Paul Avery means to stop the gospel of Christ is only a catalyst that will further it envious is Paul's joy. If there comes a day when they declared in our nation are in the world of mandatory demand that we must cease the pretrial gospel. We can celebrate because every means that we have ever found the researcher Trillian said the blood of the church is the seed of the gospel wherever you cut one of us down another one of his pops back up. And so whatever hindrance that we have placed upon the church.

We rejoice in knowing the Lord will bring matter-of-factly find it when China brought forth their communist regime, the Christian church went from about 3 million to about 81 million, you cannot stop the gospel. If there comes a time when you found yourself in a dark place in the trying, want to encourage you to ask yourself how my going to give God glory through this and so with that in mind, I want us to capture this main thought leaving for, which is this because there is no stopping the gospel. God can use the trials of this life for his eternal glory. There are two ways that God used the imprisonment of Paul first to encounter sinners. The word palace in verse 13. Severe translations may read the ESV REIT Imperial guard but some of the Madeley Palace. It it doesn't actually refer to a palace. Since Luke tells us that Paul was in a house in the book of acts. Rather, this is referring to the praetorian guard that Paul was tainted not let let's let's understand a little bit about the praetorian guard to understand why this is so exciting. This is like the Green Berets the Navy SEALs in the Marines all gathered together, and then some.

These are some men the praetorian guard were special handpicked group of about 9000 of Rome's most elite soldiers. This group of soldiers ended up getting so much power they became kingmakers overseas or in fact they killed and promoted seizures. They assassinated Caligula. They put Claudius on the throne and later they were the ones who directed Nero as he began to rain describe as a fierce group, but they couldn't intimidate Paul because Paul understood that he started on a far stronger than Caesar is going. The guards would normally see change on a prisoner is a sign of Caesar's power is a demonstrated throughout the world.

The Caesar is Lord bounty. Blood buyers will but we know that Paul says his bonds are in Christ, Paul, is it there because he was a criminal. He was there because of his message. It was a man that was on a mission that was guided by God and is the guard rotate every several hours. It would give Paul a new man to evangelize and with Paul's understanding of the sovereignty of God.

It wasn't Caesar's power that was keeping Paul down to a garden.

It was God's power that was binding to guard to Paul every six hours and be my rights. At times the hired room would be enthroned with people to whom the apostle spoke the words of life and after they withdrew the sentry would sit beside him filled with many questionings as to the meaning of the words which the strange prisoner spoke at other times when all had gone, especially at night when the moonlight shone in the distance… Roddy soldier, and a possible be left talking in those dark lonely hours, the apostle tells the soldier after soldier the story of his own proud career in his early life, of his opposition to Christ and his ultimate, conversion would make it clear that he was there as a prisoner, not for any crime, advocacy, and raise rebellion over and revolted, but because he believed that he even the Roman soldiers are crucified under Pilate was the son of God and the Savior of man in these tidings spread and the soldiers talk them over with one another and Algarve become influenced in sympathy with Meek in general. Apostle who always showed himself so kindly to the man is a shared, however involuntarily, his imprisonment and NFB rights. How absolutely consistent.

The apostle must've been if there had been the least of virgins, day or night from a high standard which you have held his soldier companions would've called at it and pass it on the other. The fact that so many became artist Christians, and that the word of Jesus was known far and wide throughout the praetorian guard indicates how absolutely consistent. The apostles life and message was. I can imagine that the church in Rome and frail Lord, please let us reach the leaders of Rome. Please give us a chance to get the gospel to the phone. Let the gospel reach Caesar's household.

This is a time where they're beginning to notice that Nero is beginning to lose his mind. Nero is Nero is a horrible man Nero takes his sister-in-law or stepsister. He marries her she is pregnant she enrages him one day and he kicks her so hard that it kills both her and the child mirrors a man that would enslave her take those who were enslaved and he would take male servants and mutilate them and make them his personal slaves. Here was a man he would take Christians and would bound them in tar and use them to like his gardens at night. As Roman candles. Nero was a man who would take Christians and sew them up in hides of animals and throw them to the wild dogs in the arena. Nero was a man who like all of Rome on fire because he had a new vision for what Rome would be any new that someone's got to be the blame for this and so he blames upon the Christian. This hadn't arrived yet, but the Christians had began to notice that the politics were turning towards them. And so it would be no great stretch of the imagination to say that they are praying the gospel reaches Nero in quick and in God's divine plan. He placed Paul himself bound to a new soldier after new soldier every six hours as an opportunity to get the gospel to the leadership of Rome. And so, you may wake up every day feeling like you can't do anything but got for God because your Bible teacher, pastoral leader like you can't do anything because you chained to a desk making calls or having meetings you chained to a truck driving day after day at the new place after new place. Are you chained to your chalkboard in the classroom day after day that he ever thought that God may have placed you there for the purpose of living in preaching the gospel to those who are around you. You may be telling yourself. My workplace is a difficult place. That means the light of gospel pierce their hearts. Pierce the darkness. There even that much more unmistakably the first reason that God placed balls that call there that we see is to reach sinners at the end of the book of Philippians are always gets blessed as I read their Paul writes in Philippians 421 greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you and all the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's helpful our gospel will not be stopped. Is there to evangelize the sinners, but this trial because life is also used for the encouragement of the saints. I have found that humans are creatures that follow the example when they see the flock beginning to go one way, they typically began to walk in lockstep. I'll give you a practical example, when I lived in Hillsboro. We didn't have much in Hillsboro. If you ever come out to to Cedar Grove. There's not much there and soak for fun Reagan. I would drive to go to cookout cookout has the best milkshakes that have ever been graced upon this great hand in the cookout has a great blueprint. They have two lines there and one day we go there and there is no one in line to and I'm assuming it has to be broken because there at least 30 cars so I sit there patiently waiting for for that. Thinking that Shirley there must be some after a while I finally get tired of rate, waiting and I just drive up there and in my wife being met my great guardians is you probably should do that all the truths I backed up and I kindly waited until another man came and pulled up there a hassle that he was ordering so I flew up behind them as quickly as possible because there must be no delay in a cookie dough milkshake. People are creatures of habit and they begin to follow what they see and what we find it and imagine about Rome is that this time the church is growing consistently more timid seeing the political upheaval at the time. There is no doubt in my mind that they were probably getting a little bit discouraged but once you notice how Paul in verse 14.

Look there with me speaks of their courage growing, he says, and most of the brothers having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment are much more bold to speak the word without fear is so in the midst of these discouraged church and wrong here comes Paul, the great apostle in chains that probably didn't encourage them.

I can imagine when they said Paul coming great joy flooded their hearts of reason chains.

Oh no, they would be fairly shy in the ministry and rightfully so. His persecution was rapidly growing but was relatively non-violent at the time we noticed there were generally timid but they grow in their confidence the word many there.

Here comes from the word which means the majority so not just a few Christians get excited about this news that God in his sovereignty is opening up the eyes of dead men and calling them to the newness of life.

God is sovereignly saving those officious savages in the entire world by Paul, a man who in their own lives had seen go from he himself being a persecutor to being saved my loving Galatians pauses and they glorified God in me is other, seeing as God is sovereignly saving the savages after the second and I'm sure they got excited to hear this news and a majority of the church was involved. Why will Paul uses the phrase in the Lord there most of the brothers have become confident in the Lord now in the Lord is used to modify attitudes or actions. Paul doesn't specifically in polling speech he uses it to modify actions or attitudes that he wants people to emulate. But in this instance, this phrase is used to point to the Lord as the one who is the motivator and empower of the believers in Rome. How because they saw God used Paul. Even when he was in jail.

Walter Hansen writes the chained motivated the freed the chains that bow down Paul liberated others to speak boldness here. They were encouraged that if God can use Paul while he is in jail for years that I wonder what he could do with the rest of the church that is free and this is where we begin to see that they grew and boldness to speak the word of the Lord without brother or sister in Christ. This could even be you.

Now you might be bound up in a certain circumstance in your life and there might be a fellow brother or sister that may be watching our short, we have not reached the time of year in prison for the preaching of the gospel, however, to apply and contextualize withdrawal life. You may bound up in a circumstance of great fear. The very core of your Christendom may be shot with the sickness of your child or with the loss of your job with the stripping of all of your friends away, and there are others who are watching you and is guided by his grace is strengthening you to preach the gospel without fear and with great boldness, so too will be use that to the encouragement of your brother. In my experience, particularly in my past pastorate, I have witnessed God stoking a wonderful love for his glory within the hearts of morning wind that went widows and her friends and witnessing such a work within their hearts proved to be one of the greatest encouragements to me are large gospel is not one that is hindered by the circumstances of this life, but is one that goes forth to the evangelization of sinners into the encouragement of saints citizen closing. There were two friends who were walking together.

One older lives in the other younger and passing through a severe testing time in his life. The older frame of loving wisdom and patience, says this, no moment will ever again be like this. Let there be something for Jesus is not something for Jesus. If we dealt well our miseries more if we let it pass without a word about our Lord, nor we think that any hand other than is brought us to that place is something for Jesus. If we think and speak about him and his glory is something for him.

If we acknowledge and trust his sovereign will. Wherever he has placed us. I spoke to the teams this morning and they were more attentive than 95% of the congregations I've really enjoyed speaking with them I began to tell them about my own mind.

How had everything planned out a 10 year plan none of that actually came to pass, but I began to tell them in our lives is a wise and good thing.

Even Solomon to consider the ants in their preparation because Libby wanted to submit all of our planning to the Lord is a good thing to have plans in this life. Perhaps you may go forth to be a great engineer for the glory, or a teacher or stay at home mother. By the way, my wife left me home with the baby a few days ago that was a traumatizing experience. We may put you wherever you may be in.

He may be using you for his glory and the passage of your life.

The tumors that you are making God places in a detour if you're like me, I get very disgruntled with detours, derailed the plans I've made, the Lord is place the detours of this life. There is another means to submit ourselves to his sovereign will praise his glory and grace. Beloved, you may go tomorrow and you have the greatest Monday that Monday can allow you to have.

You may go tomorrow. You may have a horrid day, not as you plan but that day has been placed before you took glory and praise grace of your sovereign so as we look at this text, only give you three applications or implications. First first.

I believe that this gives us comfort in our daily circumstances.

This gives us comfort in our daily circumstances, that the God of all glory to take an imprisoned man like Paul and use it for the praise of his glory and grace will do the circumstances of this life probably won't be as bad as being chained to a guard were not able to pay the loan for two years. We can be comforted that in the circumstances of our daily life. There is comfort that our Lord be praised second, there is confidence in evangelism we have confidence in evangelism. Someone asked me to the doctor that you hold strip all of your confidence in preaching and evangelism know it gives me confidence that there will be success the gospel that we believe the success look is that God is by gospel that is maneuvered and utilized by sovereign God will save the wills. We have 100% success rate. When we preach the gospel. We have confidence in evangelism and thoroughly we have a commitment to prayer.

Rather, commitment to prayer. Second Thessalonians 31 says. In addition, the bar menus at this morning's which should be fresh in her mind. In addition, brothers, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and that it may be honored just as it was with you I was speaking with Brother Bartman earlier today as I was reading through some of the reformers that refer to prayer as being a mean God's sovereign means to open the windows of his blessings and actions in this world. So why do we knowing that God is ultimately sovereign, pray because the sovereign God is illustrated and demonstrated.

That is the means by which he works in this world today we pray for our pastors as they go out to the public.

We pray for those ago the abortion mills and we go to pray for those who are going to the hospital as the minister to the broken heart doing. Pray that God in his mercy and grace would bring is elected to himself that he might be glorified and that the gospel is seen effective.

These are the three applications and implications I've found in this brother sister in Christ, perhaps, is either you or your hurting and you're wondering if there to be any good in your pain and I'm pleased to tell you that there certainly is the atheist does not have the confidence that we did. Romans 828 if the beloved of God's assurances.

Paul writes, and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and will call according to his purpose. And so, as you make your way to receive dialysis tomorrow or take that radiation in your schedule to come take us to go to work which you gradually do day after day, five days away 20 years 30 years four years. Whatever you have before you understand the privacy you as you are taking dialysis God is put you there for the encouragement of states for the evangelizing of sinners, God is put you in every place that you are in your life for a purpose is not forget, or perhaps this evening you have found yourself bound by different change.

Perhaps the spirit has eliminated you that you are bound by the chains of death in your sin and rebellion against God.

Brashear here this evening sitting as a skeptic, wondering if one were going on about so passionately is even true or not.

I am please know that it is not surprising, sovereign Lord of heaven and earth that you showed up at all, is the one that ordained you should be here to hear the preaching of the word Saturday. Perhaps he is revealed to you that you have sinned against a holy God. But I am pleased to tell you that this gospel, this intolerable gospel is what Christ said it is as 11 which will go through the world is as a mustard seed, which shall expand this gospel that Christ has come bearing the covenant of the Lawley is come bearing the totality of the law in his helmet seamlessly living the life that we cannot live dying the death that we should have died for all rebellion against the sovereign Lord who is pure and holy in all of this means understanding that we too should be Christ beneath his wrath. Christ is taken back for us and just as Christ was crushed beneath the wrath of the father on the cross, he too gave up the ghost and has victoriously been resurrected from the dead, declaring our over death hell and the grave.

He is seated at the right hand of the father upon high and is making all of his imminent enemies underneath his footstool. This gospel that I preached today is the gospel that sinners maybe Reagan or United with the God against tune, they have sand in Maine and enemy so I plead with you as the spirit is done is working your heart, to Christ, repent of your sins and acknowledge the Lord of glory is gospel will not be stopped, and we shall be held accountable for the word that we have heard this evening so believer be comforted in this indomitable message and sooner come to Christ. Our only hope in life and death in men) that heavenly father we thank you that you have blessed us this evening with the word of life you have granted me the privilege of speaking to your church. I don't deserve it and hope that I did this passage.

Justice and that you would be glorified Lord for that brokenhearted brother or sister who is looking at the pain that is set before them in single or I don't understand. What do you want from this. How can you be glorified. Give them peace. I and all of this is a line for your and Lord, that we can rest knowing that from eternity past, you put your love upon us, and even into eternity future.

We have been placed with in your hands and time you're going to use all of our lives for the glory and praise of your name.

Give us comfort that this evening give us boldness as we can read your gospel.

Perhaps there is one who is not saved here today or that you have chosen them for life.

Would you please do your work of regeneration, calling them the faith in our beloved Lord you receive glory in your churches in Christ name I pray