Advancing Through or IN Adversity~Philippians 1:12-26

“Advancing Through or In ADVERSITY” ~ Philippians 1:12-26 

THEME of Chapter : Christ OUR Life…….Verse 21 “For To Me , to LIVE is CHRIST To DIE is Gain”

Four Qualities of AUTHENTIC Christian Faith:

1. Adversity means to ADVANCE
2. Rivalry causes Rejoicing
3. TESTING Produces Triumph
4. DEATH Unveils Delight

PHIL.1:12-14(NKJV)

ADVERSITY MEANS TO ADVANCE:

12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance (ADVANCE)of the gospel, 13 so that it has become evident to the whole [a]palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; 14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

• ITIM 4:12-15 12 Let no one [a]despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, [b]in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to [c]14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. 15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.
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• II Chron. 20:20,21 20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the
• beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
• PROSPER = saleah (SAH…LAYACH)…To advance ,prosper, make progress, push forward breakout
• WENT out BEFORE =yasaw (YAT-Saw) …To Proceed, move forward in front
• 2:2 2 but having both suffered before, and having been injuriously treated (as ye have known) in Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the good news of God in much conflict,
• PROVERBS 28:1 The righteous ARE BOLD as a Lion

 

 

PHIL. 1:15-18(NKJ)

RIVALRY CAUSES REJOICING:

15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

• I Cor. 3:1-7  Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
• Acts 8:12-17 Philip, James , & John work together in Samaria to further the Gospel
• ROMANS 12:10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
• 5:15-26 Fruits of the FLESH devour…Fruits of The Spirit bring LIFE!!
• James 3:14-16 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
• I Peter 2:1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
• “I Want The Biggest TENT!”
• 4:2 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
• Hebrews 10:24 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds

Can you take the success of others? That's one of the hardest tests of Christian maturity, isn't it? I don't think there is a clearer mark of Christian maturity than to be able to genuinely rejoice -- not just say pious words -- but genuinely rejoice in the success of another(THE LADDERJ)

PHIL. 1:19-20

Testing Produces TRIUMPH

19 For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance(salvation) through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.

• “THIS” Refers to the fact that Christ is being EVEN MORE WIDELY PROCLAIMED due to Paul’s imprisonment
• “Deliverance/Salvation” (SO..TERIA) not referring here to phys. Salvation…but more of a connotation of health & well being( 9:21,22) …This WORD means deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation (Phys. Or spiritually)…the context decides meaning
• BEAUTIFUL TRUTH HERE = The know. That Paul’s Imprisonment was actually
• advancing the Gospel Message was like a TONIC to Paul’s soul = HIS SALVATION, brought well- being to Him!!,instead of discouragement
• PRAYER!! Not possible w/o Prayer!
• 20..”EARNEST EXPECTATION”—( apokaradokia…Apo…kara…dakia)literally ‘away the head to watch’ = to look to watch…to crane & out stretch ones Head LOOKING for something in Eager expectation!:-)(see ROMANS 8:19)….AN INTENSE FOCUS…Not looking anywhere else RIVETED on something…in this context, next phrase defines what Paul is focused on…w/ His whole HEART/Being
• “In nothing I Shall Be ashamed…BUT w/ALL BOLDNESS”….This literally means ‘The TOTAL Freedom of Speech”…..as He was in House arrest He could have given in to Fear of Govt.( Roman Empire)in Retaliation for His Preaching …shrunk back & failed in His Mission as The Gentile Apostle …He wanted to Maintain His Bold Testimony as shown throughout His missionary career
• NOTE it was Paul’s INTENSE DESIRE (Earnest Expectation) to Magnify God IN /W HIS WHOLE HEART/BEING, not just His words, even if He had to lay down his life as a martyr……….see….
• Christ will be magnified in my body…MAGNIFY…Literally to MAKE GREAT, Conspicuous..to GET Glory & Praise!
• I Cor. 4:5-12 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.
• 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
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• I Peter 1:6,7 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been [a]grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
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PHIL. 1:21-26

“Death Unveils Delight”

21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I [a]cannot tell. 23 [b]For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. 25 And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, 26 that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.

 

• with Christ, which is far better. = A Christians VIEW of DEATH
• HOWEVER……  For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain =Paul’s VIEW…He was content even overjoyed either way!...he was not ‘pining’ for heaven…what about us!?, are we living such a LIFE, fully content, fulfilled, walking out God’s plan daily (In EXCITEMENT! )& yet READY & Desirous of HEAVEN!?
• 3:4when the Christ -- our life -- may be manifested, then also we with him shall be manifested in glory.
• ACTS 17:28 For In HIM we LIVE & Move & Have our Being!
• “To Die” more literally, to Have died… this is showing that the state of death will usher in The Glorious heavenly realm
• I COR.5:1-8 For we know that if our earthly [a]house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our [b]habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as [c]a guarantee.
• 6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

CONCLUSION:

• What do you think is really living? What kind of circumstance do you have to have before you can say "Oh, now I'm really living"? What do you substitute for "Christ" in these words of Paul? "To me to live is money"? Then to die is to lose it all, isn't it? "To me to live is fame"? To die is a name in the obituary in the paper and never have it there again. "To me to live is pleasure"? To die is to go out into an unknown. "To me to live is health"? To die is to lose my health. You see the only thing that makes sense in life is to say with the Apostle, "for me to live is Christ," because then you can say "to die is gain."
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• The truth about the Christian faith is that heaven begins down here.
• 1:3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who did bless us in every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
• 2:6; For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms—all because we are one with Christ Jesus.

 

Adversity First, let’s look at the meaning of ADVERSITY, and allow that to saturate our minds and hearts.

In Hebrew, the word is “ra,” and has these following connotations: affliction, calamity, distress, hurt, evil, sorrow, trouble, being mistreated. Adversity is not only physical duress, but is often accompanied by a heavy mental and ---------------------------------------------------------emotional state of being as well. The word “ra” comes from a root word meaning to spoil harm, break, or grind into pieces that are good for nothing--worthless!...........see Job 1& 2

Ecclesiastes  7:13-14 Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what He hath made crooked? In the day of prosperity enjoy the good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing {of what shall be} after him. (Darby trs.)

Psalm 51:17  DAVID pleaded with God to have a BROKEN Spirit, and a BROKEN and CONTRITE Heart. In the Hebrew language, both BROKEN and CONTRITE in their root forms mean to be shattered and ground up into pieces beyond recognition. This shows then that David had accepted the “Gift of Adversity” that God had set before him. Amazingly this takes us back to the basic root meaning of ADVERSITY, which also means to be broken and ground up into nothing. Adversity, then, is all about leading us to fully humble ourselves in repentance, submission, and trust in our Heavenly Father, realizing that only by trusting in Him can we have the life he desires for us.

I PETER 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: