Sermon Idea: The joy-filled Christian life trusts that God works in us to advance the gospel and for our progress in the faith.
Introduction: C.T. Studd was a renowned cricket player in England, the best of his time. He was the son of a wealthy father and inherited a large inheritance upon his father’s death. His story is not one of fame or fortune but of forsaking both.
Studd gave away a large inheritance and became a missionary to China with the China Inland Mission in 1885. According to the Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, this decision “caused a sensation in the public press.” Except for some breaks because of health reasons, Studd would spend his life committed to foreign missions, first in China and then in Africa, until he died in 1931. Part of his legacy is a poem with a famous refrain. I want to read a portion of this poem to you, and I would be grateful if you could listen to the refrain at the end of each stanza.
Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Studd’s life and this famous poem testify to a single devotion: Christ is all of life, and all of life is for Christ.
We can say this and more about the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:12-26. As Paul provides an update about his circumstances, he sums up how he understands his entire Christian life in two verses.
12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel… (Php 1:12)
25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith (Php 1:25)
The word “advance” in verse 12 and the word “progress” in verse 25 are the same, just translated differently to better fit the context.
Paul sums up his whole life in two ways: the advance of the gospel, and the progress of Christians in the faith.
This is why one of my former professors, Andy Davis, speaks of the Christian life as two journeys: the inward journey of sanctification and the outward journey of gospel advancement. We are to grow more like Christ and to proclaim Christ to the glory and praise of God.
These ways, Paul tells us, are the way of joy. Paul knows joy in all circumstances because his life is Christ and all his life is considered in light of Christ.
So this morning I want us to learn from Paul about the joy-filled Christian life.
I want us to see that the joy-filled Christian life trusts that God works in us to advance the gospel and for our progress in the faith.
I.) God works in us to advance the gospel (Phil. 1:12-18)
Verses 12-26 are essentially an update about Paul’s missionary efforts, much like we would hope to receive from missionaries that we support. He wants the Philippians to know that God is still at work even through his imprisonment. Their partnership and friendship are still needed.
There is one encouraging update that Paul wants to give the Philippians: his imprisonment has served to advance the gospel, and he provides two means of testimony to support this.
The first testimony Paul gives is that the gospel has advanced so much, that even the imperial guard and many others have come to learn that Paul is imprisoned for Christ.
12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. (Php 1:12–13)
In Rome, where Paul is likely imprisoned, those held were done so as they awaited a trial or waited to be executed. Paul doesn’t share the details of his imprisonment, but we know that he was chained. The phrase “my imprisonment” is literally “my chains,” as the NIV and NKJV translate it. Whatever the details, it was not a pleasant experience. It was one of suffering, and it was suffering in chains.
Paul would likely have been chained to a rotation of guards who changed shifts every four hours. This would provide Paul with numerous opportunities to share the reason for his imprisonment, the gospel of Jesus Christ. So words begin to get around, and that word is about Christ.
Not only did these chains not stop the gospel, but Paul’s chains became the means for the gospel’s advancement, even among the imperial guard, which was an elite group of troops who were like special bodyguards for Ceasar.
The second form of testimony is found in verse 14. Many people have been inspired toward greater confidence and faithfulness in preaching the gospel.
14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. (Php 1:14)
It is not that these brothers were excited about imprisonment and suffering, but saw firsthand what God was doing through Paul’s suffering in chains and it was God’s work in this situation that made them confident in the Lord, and so they began to preach Christ boldly without fear.
God has used Paul’s imprisonment as a servant for gospel advancement. The chains of Paul become a means to accomplish God’s purposes.
There is nothing that a government can do foreign or domestic to subvert, silence, or stop the advancement of God’s Word in the gospel. Paul’s testimony in Philippians reminds me of God’s promise in Isaiah 55 about his Word and purpose.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Is 55:10–11)
The gospel’s advancement is not only one way Paul understands his life purpose and current circumstances; it is a source of joy. Even when Paul reports that some are preaching with poor motives, Paul’s focus is rejoicing that Christ is being proclaimed.
15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (Php 1:15–18)
A lot of ink has been spilled in an attempt to understand the nature of this division. Are these two factions of one larger group of true brothers and sisters in the Lord? Or are these two different groups? What matters most though is not the historical background, but Paul’s perspective.
Paul’s life is of such singular devotion that he rejoices in the proclamation of Christ no matter the motive.
So, if God works through Paul’s imprisonment and works in others to advance the gospel, how might we reflect on God’s providence in our own lives so that the gospel might advance through our lives?
How has God providentially ordered your life? What neighborhood do you live in? What vocation do you have? What recreation spaces do you find yourself in? Who are the people that God has brought close to you?
If Paul can view his suffering and imprisonment as a means for gospel advancement, why can’t we view our regular lives that way?
Who has God brought close to you? Have you considered that God might be preparing someone for salvation by bringing them near to you?
If you want to rob yourself of joy in this life, view all of your circumstances apart from God’s providence and apart from the purpose of advancing the gospel.
Your job is not a cosmic accident. God was not careless when your realtor found your house. Your networks of recreation—sports, dance, outdoors, etc— are not meaningless extracurricular activities.
In the words of a dear friend of mine, God has you where has you to advance the gospel through you.
A really practical way to respond is to start thinking about the people in those areas of your life. Write down one person in your neighborhood whom you can pray for, get to know, and befriend. Do the same for your job, your recreation space, etc.
What might happen if we all thought about our regular lives in light of God’s providence to advance the gospel?
Paul’s joy is not only in the gospel’s advance but in the truth that Christ is his life. Paul’s life is for Christ, for the progress and joy of others in the faith. His life is Christ, so that even in death he gains more of Christ.
Let’s look at the end of verse 18 and see that God works in us for our progress and joy in the faith.
II.) God works in us for our progress and joy in the faith (Phil. 1:18-26)
Paul is confident that he will ultimately be saved or delivered despite his suffering. Now, Paul might be convinced that he will soon be released from prison, and that makes sense because he expresses his hope to revisit Philippi in verse 26, “so that in my you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.”
He may be convinced of this, but he is confident in much more than this. He is confident that he will be saved and delivered no matter what happens to him.
Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Php 1:18–21)
If he is executed for preaching Christ, he will share in the suffering of Christ in his body but will be saved through prayer and the help of the Spirit. Paul isn’t going to compromise, he isn’t going to fall away, he isn’t going stop preaching Christ. He will honor Christ in his body even in death. And if he dies, he will die in Christ and live forever in the presence of Christ.
Last week, I introduced the sermon with a question from the Heidelberg Catechism. The most famous question of that Catechism is the first one. It fits our text perfectly and is simply too rich not to share.
Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A. That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul,
in life and in death—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
Finding comfort in these glorious truths, memorized by Christians for hundreds of years is only possible by someone who believes what Paul has written in verses 20-21.
as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
The deliverance that Paul is confident of his salvation in Christ Jesus by God’s grace, a salvation that will be fully realized in glory. Salvation in Christ is the only way death becomes gain!
Paul believes that death is gain, but we must not miss what it means to live as Christ.
22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. (Php 1:22–23)
All of Paul’s life is for Christ, and so if he continues to live in the flesh, he will fruitfully continue labor. He will preach the gospel, make disciples, plant churches, and strengthen other believers.
Paul speaks as if he’s hard-pressed between life and death, not because he is suicidal or hoping to die. It’s a rhetorical device that speaks of his life in uncertain terms. Paul may not be released and at worst be executed. Paul may be released and at best continue to be fruitful in ministry.
By speaking of both with uncertainty, we have to consider equally what both life and death mean for someone who is in Christ. Paul wants us to see death as gain in Christ and life as Christ that consists of fruitful labor in the gospel.
His love and affection for the Philippians leads him to ultimately say that he desires to pursue their progress and joy in the faith.
24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. (Php 1:24–26)
Much like God used Paul’s sufferings to advance the gospel, God is going to use Paul’s life toward the progress and joy of the Philippians faith. In the next few weeks, Paul is going to parse out what this progress looks like. To progress in the faith means to live in a manner worthy of the gospel (1:27), to stand firm in one spirit (1:27), and to live in humility, seeking the interest of others over one’s own (2:1-4).
We will get to that in time, but what I want us to see is that God works in us, often through others, for our progress in the faith. We are meant to grow in our adoration of Christ and into great Christlikeness.
This is the way of joy! A life that is spiritually stagnant, discontent, and apathetic toward sin will not cultivate joy.
A joy-filled Christian life progresses in the faith and works toward the progress and joy of other believers. Every Lord’s Day gathering is an opportunity to walk into this building to contribute to another believer’s progress and joy in the faith.
This is one of the primary drives of my entire life. It is to show myself progressing in the faith and laboring toward the progress and joy of God’s church. Another occurrence of “progress” appears in 1 Timothy, and its use is similar to Philippians 1:25.
15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Ti 4:15–16)
One of the things God is doing in your life at this very moment is working through the preaching of the Word toward your progress in the faith and toward greater joy in the faith.
Friends, sin is the path of shame and guilt masquerading as a path toward joy. Our sin patterns are broken cisterns. They’ll never satisfied, and they will never be a source of Joy.
Believe God and trust His Word. Believe that a life devoted to a single vision is the path to joy. Christ is our life, and our life is for Christ.
When we do this, we’ll see our lives as a means of gospel advancement, and we’ll work toward not only our progress and joy but the progress and joy of other believers. This is a life’s purpose worthy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Nathaniel R. Martin 