Moving Forward in Reverse - Philippians 1:12-14

Pulses on in prison and is infusing the believer with courage and think see how trusting Christ see how God is opening opportunities through adversity for the gospel never been a courageous person was due to you, makes you put them in the front of the line. Of course, but you're willing to follow. Listen what he's saying or implying is that fear is contagious so's current why God wants us to.

Because our example can be an encouragement to those coming behind us. Sometimes God uses the trials and difficulties of our life to move his plan forward things that seem like reversals to us are not reversals to God's plan. Welcome to wisdom for the heart. Today Stephen Davey begins a series looking at how God can use our adversities to advance his plan series is called moving forward and it comes from Philippians chapter 1. Open your Bible to Philippians as we get started in Philippians chapter 1. If you have your New Testament. This We arrive at beginning of verse 12 opens with Paul's reversed thinking she is good thinking. Let's explore these next few verses together and I think you'll understand what I mean when I talk about moving forward even though it seems like were in reverse is read the paragraph 12. I want you to know brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel so that he has become known throughout the whole Imperial guard to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ and most of the brothers having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment are much more bold to speak the word without fear for what what a wonderful perspective on life. Paul turns everything around as he interprets three different issues that would've brought most of us to some point of discouragement. Rephrase, as we work back through this paragraph. What Paul has written with my own three statements to highlight how he is reinterpreting the events of life. The first statement I want to make is this is I paraphrase what Paul is his writing. I have suffered setbacks.

The gospel is advancing those elements in contradictory.thank I have suffered setbacks and the gospel is advancing something similar to the Corinthian believers Reese's. I have this open door are to be effective service and there are many adversaries is one of the other chapter 16 verse nine Paul knows that he is reversing the normal way of interpreting the circumstances of life. So, here the Philippians, Paul does begins in this manner. I began to go back to verse 12 by saying, is looking into that first phrase I want you to know brothers now to the Greek reader that immediately put you on notice. This is a common expression in Paul's data call people to pay attention to something that was good be surprising, something that would be perhaps difficult to understand.

So in our contemporary vocabulary. Paul is effectively saying that God didn't tell you something that can be a little hard to believe you something is getting a hard body into so stay alert stay with me and notice what he says what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, I have suffered setbacks. This is what happened to me. The gospel is advance that Paul could have stopped here in written of volume on those things that happen to him, but he doesn't do it here.

More than likely because the Philippian church had been supporting him faithfully and praying for him and they already knew the events of his life that would have been calculated as reversals. I have suffered setbacks in the gospel is advancing, let me make one more quick comment. He's not speaking with this you know Pietism because he knows what he was studying his letter church one day he was looking at, and I know would be better if I said this means means hilly briefly alludes to the trouble, effective uses a word that really sums up the difficulty uses this word advance is really served to advance Sprott Is the word, it means literally the cut through the brush.

Just picture somebody in in the jungle hatching his way through the underbrush you know and in and in great difficulty and danger to forge a path that's the word he uses here.

I can see when I study that Greek word I can just see Hudson Taylor, we often overlook the difficulty in challenge of this matter. There on the coast on the on the on the borders of China sitting at a desk in an upper floor apartment. The temperatures well over 100° and he sits there translating writing with one hand while in the other hand, he holds a towel as he wipes the sweat that continually runs down his cheeks and rips off his chin for hours. 10 hours a day. The gospel is advancing if you found the Christian experience to be easy or is it like hacking through underbrush notice. He writes next in verse 13 it is become known throughout the whole Imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. Paul effectively writes the whole Imperial guard is actually hearing for me about the gospel of Jesus living paraphrase this second statement to highlight his perspective is what you say I have suffered setbacks in the gospel is advancing and now he's saying I am under military guard and they are my captive audience. Great I love it. I am under house arrest, and these guards can go anywhere. They are my captive audience. Paul is exaggerating you right here that the entire Imperial guard is gotten the message of Christ.

Let me let me tell you what this means. It's staggering their name in the Latin which was the official language of the Roman Empire was the praetorian referenceable building a palace to reference the people. This elite guard. They were stationed throughout the empire to squash the rebellion. Caesar effectively purchased their loyalty, but he did choose them. In fact, the Gustus was the first to enlist these men and create the praetorian guard. They were the only military expedition or force allowed inside the capital city. Their chief role was ultimately to protect the Emperor and the Imperial family hand chosen by Gustus until he reached 10,000 troops. He paid them double pay.

In today's economy.

Each of these men would've made somewhere between 90 and $100,000 a year in today's economy they would serve for anywhere from 12 to 16 years and when they were tired they were automatically honored for their faithful service with Roman citizenship, which was highly valued with many benefits and Caesar gave each of them attention totaling in today's economy nearly $1 million they would eventually become known as the kingmakers that would be their nickname because no Caesar can ever assume the throne without their approval and their protection.

These crack troops had earned the respect of their countrymen, loyal, hard-working, well-trained, skilled soldiers listen in the strategy advancing the gospel.the praetorian guard would make outstanding ambassadors and missionaries.

We know from other passages that Paul was allowed his own private quarters were members of the praetorian guard rotated ships and guarding him to get this 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Paul would be handcuffed with one hand and an 18 inch chain with the Greek term. We know that's about how long it was to this praetorian guard every six hours. The shift change, giving Paul for soldiers every day, seven days a week.

I mean it was Braylon like to go anywhere there handcuffed and for six hours I get to deliver to them the gospel.

Paul didn't complain about his chains. He consecrated his chain God your chain consecrate them whenever that is. That reversal ties you down, you move forward and reverse going in the wrong direction because of your trust in the character of God in the curriculum guide is designed for your life. You actually make forward progress and Paul got it. He interprets his house arrest as a setting where soldiers cannot escape love this man an obstacle. It's an opportunity in real life, but my father still a missionary today to the military. Having found admissions to military when he called me this morning. Since will be preaching and I said this tax that I knew.

This is one of his favorite texts.

He reminded me this is the first military ministry movement in the history of the church incredibly fruitful feel Paul is going to deliver the gospel of Christ to these elite troops who shoveled into his apartment every six hours. Beloved. This means that Paul will have the opportunity when it's over to deliver the gospel to over 3000 soldiers at Rome's expense.

They sent him a new soldier every six hours.

We don't have any of them or say we know when we get to the Philippians pulses all by the way, members of Caesar's household want to tell you hello believers, Paul adds this phrase in verse 13 just the praetorian guard but notice all the rest. He says who are they, well we would understand this process that will ultimately lead to the death of Paul his execution.

This would involve government officials and attorneys representing the government case against him. This would involve Jewish scholars who are coming in to evaluate these doctrines to determine whether or not this sect is dangerous to Judaism and how would relate to the Roman government.

In other words, on the budget of the Roman Empire. All of these officials. All of these high-ranking men are basically forced to study the doctrines of Christianity under the teaching and tutelage of the apostle Paul moving forward and reverse. I am under military guard and they are all my captive audience.

I have suffered adversity in the gospel is advancing one more paraphrase from this text Paul effectively says I am imprisoned so other believers can experience freedom. Notice verse 14 and most of the brothers. This is a generic term he could render brothers and sisters having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

By the way that words speak is in referring a sermon, it is referring to some elder getting up and delivering some message. This is a word that refers to every day normal conversation. The brothers and sisters when they see me in prison are bold in their everyday conversation adopted by Jesus implication here from Paul is that these believers and understandably so. I've been fearful even reluctance to share their faith. There is a growing hostility. Pulses on prison and is infusing the believer with courage is like see how trusting Christ see how God is opening opportunities through adversity for the gospel. Listen what he's saying or implying is that fear is contagious so's courage never been around a courageous person was a duty you want to make you put them in the front of the line. Of course, but you're willing to follow this unfaithful living in the church among believers is contagious so's faithful living contagious as I review the circumstances from Paul's life in the latter chapters of the book of acts are read about how he of his doomed voyage from Fairhaven voyage and eventually shipwreck them all on the island of Malta.

They set out from Fairhaven and it reminded me of something that happened nearly 11 years ago where I made some forward motion by way of reverse and It Took Pl. in Fairfield, New Haven, only difference was I did have a good attitude about until was over. Perhaps you can identify more with me than the apostle Paul, but we can learn together. My wife and I and our younger daughter at the time was about 1110 11 years of age that we were traveling or van coming back from being out of town.

It was raining on interstate. It wasn't hard rain just misty, sort of, but everything was wet and I was really concentrating as I was driving along and will have a good grip on the steering wheel in a puddle on the interstate and jerked me laugh and I overcompensated and pulled the wheel right and just put us into a spin as if we were on ice.

Well the interstate backwards in the grassy slope and we crashed into the gardener. Going sideways, and we just went parallel with that guardrail knocking one pylon down after another, until finally law for blown tires. We ground sat there stunned and guided plan for us to go through that without a scratch on us physically, but our van was completely completely total. I visited a dealer in town to find another one like it is a conversion minivan only make many more. And the sticker shock this sort of gave me a bigger heart attack. In that accident and I thought wow this appraiser were gone up over the years and so went online and I found the exact van just like ours was located in Connecticut's I search the history through the Vin number saw that it was clean, low mileage, one owner I called the dealer negotiated over the phone with the price and agreed to by the van. Wayne with one of our elders was building his air miles is an amateur pilot. He and another young man from the church flew me in their little playing the check shire Connecticut check shire fact it was named after a cat should've given me my first clue this is going to be trouble big trouble salesman met us at that little airport where we inspected the van. My plan was to wrap up the deal and get on the road to make it to my parents home in Virginia by about 10 o'clock that night pull away from the dealer at 2 o'clock in the afternoon everything signed. Everything was working perfectly.

I drove the van about 20 minutes south in the pullover to rest services exit to get some really strong coffee and some of those little chocolate covered doughnuts that are filled with fiber and vitamins you know the kind of dog there.

When I went back to the van. I turned the ignition and nothing happened. Nothing happened except a strange sound night you're like me, you've driven all you get your own car story and and you've heard sounds.

You know the click click click click click of a dead battery was that wasn't the sound of a bad starter was this strange sound so I got my cell phone out. Pull up the dealer's number and I called them in the first thing I said to him was what did you sell me only my pitch was much higher basically mean I said it will not start him only 20 minutes away.

What did you sell me since even we with you that the search together on the computer and said one owner.

It's got low miles. In fact we we found that the only thing was ever wrong with it. Was it needed a new headlamp and one of the locks on one of the doors malfunction that it sings clean. He said you do have roadside assistance for free because it's under warranty of overthrowing music, so I waited for two hours. The record finally came told me to do a little town nearby town of Fairfield, Connecticut, New Haven, Fairfield is not fair and there were no fields downtown Terry, just a little little village little town. We got to the dealership. It was after 5 o'clock and it was closing on the mechanics taught me a lot will take a look at it and he did. He checked he said strange. It's got gas sparked its it's got good battery.

Getting gas I don't know what's wrong they will do is coming tomorrow morning first thing. I'll take a look at it tomorrow morning. He said yeah I plan to spend the night and packed anything.

I asked the Missouri hotel within walking distance. He said yes there's a there's the Fairfield Inn two blocks away so I walk there to the Fairfield Inn I got there. Remember my younger brother the impact these now with the Lord each salesman travel all the time had zillions of miles and he was part of the Marriott membership and so I called lesson is it to mama save the cash I got I don't have much can you book me a room on your on your miles is absolutely no problem just sit in the lobby and waited. Any finally called me exit Stephen. I got the rep for Marriott here and there's there's no Fairfield Inn, where you are at that address. I said yeah I'm standing I'm standing in the lobby of the Fairfield Inn you hold on the legal negative to get the person back on the line about five minutes later, exit Stephen.

There is no Fairfield in where you're standing.

I said there is to I said no way to second wait a second.

I walked outside, looked up at the sign and it said Fairfield motor in and I noticed that there was no air-conditioning in this hotel and the carpet was old it was that you grew up with that shaggy red tan.

Everything was cut chewed up. I thought oh my goodness well. He said Stephen if you can get if you can get just 10 miles north of you to New Haven. I get a free room for you to breakfast.

We pay for coursing stuff your pockets with apples and and and oranges, and then make it through. I know why any this was happening didn't like it at all. I said okay. It's now nearly 7 o'clock at night. I called the dealership. I got the only salesman that was left there and I explained I needed to get to New Haven. Would you be willing to take me. He said you know I'm going to be here relates and that's an hour round-trip for me and I'm sorry I scanned.

I said I understand.

I really did, and we hung when I do I don't have much cash hungry doughnuts of one-off hours earlier by my cell phone is running out of battery.

My van is a lemon is going on. I was about to call another taxi and the lady in the nest said sir you have a call into the phone and it was the salesman he said listen, I been thinking about you and I realize you're stranded. I feel terrible tail another thing help me with a little gas money. I'll take you. I'll take you to New Haven and I said thank you so much little after 8 o'clock.

He pulled up in his car.

We took off. His name was Michael he was in his early 70s, retired buddy started working a little bit selling again to make a little money, you know it'll chitchat up back and forth.

I told the story about Inn of the Fairfield Inn thing he thought that was funny and by the time I'm chuckling a little bit too much at this point he did know I was a pastor or Christian which is good. I didn't really want to act like one anyway so I will and all of a sudden he just kinda starts telling me a story quiet man is good, but he's telling me his story now and he began, he begins to to be rather talkative. The been in the military affected even been captured on that intriguing spent time as a prisoner of war. After getting out of the military married but divorced years earlier in hardly ever saw his two grown children and their families told me got cancer a year or so nearly died but survived the treatment and moved to Fairfield to be near his high school sweetheart was no widow said in a rather harsh tone that he had undergone a number of blood transfusions during his cancer treatment and as a result of contracted HIV.

By the time they discovered it was full-blown. He had been told less than a few weeks before our visit together in that car that he'd been given less than six months to live here. I am complaining about a broken down van and this man is had a reversal in his life like I can imagine he looked at me and he said you know I've never told anyone, anyone that I have AIDS. But then again, not from around here. He said you know what I'm gonna do, and gather up just enough money and I'm in a move to Florida and I'm been a die in the sun. Forget going to die in the sun.

No doubt in my mind that every reversal of the last few weeks have been orchestrated by God so that I would be brought to a town in Connecticut to hear his story and man had never told anybody who was dying. We sat out in the parking lot of the Fairfield Inn. The really in New Haven and after a while Michael bowed his head and put his faith into words as he trusted in Jesus Christ alone. We kept in touch periodically until months later when he did indeed die.

He never made it to Florida.

He didn't die in the sun, but he died so as soon in the embrace of his Lord and Savior. Nye was late in spotting this truth modeled by the apostle Paul change of circumstances, a set of them that seem to be taking me in reverse was God's way of making forward progress. It took me to Fairfield, Connecticut took Michael to have the maturing believer is one this is so convicting to all of us who learns to spot early on to interprets the reversals in life as part of God's ultimate curriculum so that we end up not necessarily getting everything we want or think we need we end up. He wants us and he receives Lori in their deeper trust the lesson you just heard here on wisdom for the heart is called moving forward in reverse.

Our teacher Stephen Devi has taken this lesson and turned it into a booklet that you can read again or share with a friend who might be blessed by if you've never called us before call today working to send you moving forward and reverse. As our gift to you. Call us at 86 648 Bible or 866482425 will continue through this series on tomorrow's broadcast here on wisdom