I will never forget the first time I got to lead someone to Christ.  I was helping at a christian camp for a week and I was able to lead a 12 year old boy to Christ.  I will never forget the power the gospel has to change a life.  The boy was crying because of his sin, and he was beginning to understand that Jesus died for him and it just overwhelmed him!

 

Sharing the gospel is exciting.  Some of you have had the opportunity to help lead someone to Christ, some through EE, and it is unforgettable. Unfortunately, in the busyness of life, we often relegate testifying of our faith to events like outreach services or missions trips, and we neglect daily opportunities to share the gospel in word and deed as we go about our routine tasks.

 

For a brief moment I want to focus on Paul’s heartbeat for the spread of the gospel.  When his freedom was curbed by Roman chains and he was no longer able to conduct missionary journeys, he still remained a faithful witness, and the fact that the gospel was being preached by others brought him a great deal of joy.

 

Paul realized that the Philippians were distressed over his recent adversity and current imprisonment, but he wanted them to learn from his experiences. He wanted them to realize that their common goal of spreading the gospel was most important.  Paul did not find his joy in the midst of perfect circumstances, he found his joy in reaching people with the gospel.  If his adversity promoted the gospel, that was all that mattered.

 

He challenges them to keep the right perspective!  God and the gospel is most important.  There will be times where we have no idea what God is doing…. But if you keep the right perspective you will see God do great things.

  

Paul refers to the “things which happened unto me” in verse 12.  We can gain a detailed picture from Acts 21-28.

 

The chain of events started in Jerusalem when the Jews falsely accused Paul of desecrating the temple.  They aroused the whole city against him, and he was illegally arrested. When the military commander learned of a plot to kill Paul, he transported Paul to Caesarea for an audience with Governor Felix.    Felix postponed the trial for 2 years hoping for a bribe.  On his way to Rome, Paul’s ship was tossed for 14 days and then wrecked on an island.  When Paul finally reached Rome he was imprisoned for 2 years.  Paul wanted the believers to understand that what had taken place to land him in prison in Rome had not hindered the gospel.  In fact, it advanced the gospel.

 

The word “furtherance” means:  It describes the work of military engineers who traveled ahead of an advancing army.  These engineers removed rocks, trees, and other obstacles to make a road for the army to march.  Adverse circumstances actually “cleared the way” for more people to hear the gospel.   Most Bible scholars believe that Paul was under house arrest during these two years in Rome.  He lived in a rented house but was always chained to guards at all times.  These guards heard everything Paul said and saw everything he did. They listened to his conversations with other believers. They heard every prayer he prayed and watched as he wrote letters to the churches. There was no way they could escape his personal witness to them.

 

Philippians 4:22 mentions saints in Caesar’s household which means that quite possibly through these guards being saved the gospel got into the palace.  Paul was reaching people for the Lord.  From them, the gospel was spreading out “in all other places.” (13)

 

That got me thinking… what if I had a guard chained to me?  I went on with my day to day life, what kind of a testimony would I be for Christ?

 

Paul’s confident, joyful spirit in prison encouraged other believers as well.   His lifestyle is contagious.   He inspired people to live for God!  From his example they gained courage to speak out for Christ.  One person who takes a stand fro the Lord when it would seem easier to remain silent usually stirs other Christians to action.

 Paul couldn’t do anything to change what was happening, but he could decide how he was going to respond to it.  How often our joy and contentment is found in our circumstances… things are good you are good.  Things are bad you are bad.   Paul came to an understanding in his spiritual life that God is in control of his life and he could accept that or reject that. Your response to your circumstances in life reveals a lot about your faith!

 

Would he be bitter and resentful of those who were trying to make him look bad, or would he be glad that the gospel was reaching more people?  Philippians 1:18 answers that question clearly.  While Paul was not pleased with the motives of the self-seekers, he rejoiced when someone heard the gospel.  It mattered not what the preachers thought of Paul, it mattered only that the gospel was preached.