Philippians chapter 1 verses 12 through 15. We'll begin reading at verse 1. Let's give our careful attention now to the reading of Holy Scripture. Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all. In view of your participation in the gospel, from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. In this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment so that you may approve the things that are excellent in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ. having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else. and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear." A reading of God's holy word. Please be seated and let's pray to ask God's blessing upon its preaching. Lord, we pray now for the word as it comes forth. We pray that You would give success to the preaching of the gospel. We pray that You would give success in the hearing of the gospel. And we once again express our dependence on You and Your Holy Spirit in the ministry that He has in our hearts, especially in this regard. that He might illumine the pages of Scripture to our hearts and minds. We ask in Christ's name, Amen. It's estimated that roughly 200 million Christians today are facing persecution, family separation, physical abuse, torture, imprisonment, and martyrdom. Nearly 400 million more face discrimination and restriction as a result of their Christian faith. Over 600 million people testify to the reality of persecution Now we know that persecution is nothing new. We know from biblical history, Paul, a case in point, that the persecution of the church has been ongoing for thousands of years. Paul wrote this epistle, as he tells us, as we read in this first chapter from prison. And the traditional position is that he was in Rome. And the arguments for the traditional position outweigh other considerations that he was in some other place. But more importantly, perhaps, is Paul's relationship with the church at Philippi. It's evident from what Paul says in this first chapter that these were dear Christians to him. Now you'll remember that Paul established the church at Philippi, that he came upon a woman named Lydia there, who was a seller of purple fabric. She was by the riverside where the women met for prayer." And at that time, the church was very weak in Philippi. But the remarkable thing about Paul's letter to the Philippians is that by the time he wrote this letter, it had been established, because he's writing to deacons, and to elders, and to all the saints at Philippi." So Paul has established this church, and they have a special place in his heart, and he has a special place in their hearts because he's their spiritual father. The question I want for us to consider this evening as we consider Paul's imprisonment. And the remarks that he makes here in verses 12 through 14 is this. What's the relationship between persecution and the advance of the gospel? And as we consider these things, it's important for us to think about these on a more personal level. As we undergo the trials and tribulations of this life, it's important for us to think about adversity in general affects the progress of the gospel. And the principle that our text teaches is that adversity functions to advance the progress of the gospel rather than to impede it. Adversity functions to advance the cause of the gospel and not to impede it. Paul describes this principle first in a general way in verse 12, and then in a more specific way in verses 12 and 13. And what links these three verses together is this phrase, my circumstances in verse 12, and then my imprisonment in verses 13 and verse 14. So we want to look at those two things this evening, the general impact, of Paul's imprisonment on the progress of the gospel, and then the specific impact that his imprisonment had on the cause of the gospel. The general impact, then the specific impact. As we think about the general impact, and as we think about this principle that I've just articulated, the first thing that I want you to see is that it functioned to push the gospel forward rather than to hold it back. I want you to know, my brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel." Now, from a human standpoint, that's just the opposite of what we would think, isn't it? Paul's in prison, his freedom has been taken away, and therefore it would seem that he'd be unable to carry out his duties as an apostle and to continue the progress of the gospel. But God's grace enabled Paul, in his chains, to see that the very chains that bound him were part and parcel of the advance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This principle is deeply inscribed upon the pages of the Bible. It's written all over the great stories of the Bible, and Paul had the benefit of all of these accounts that we're about to speak of. And so it was when Joseph was imprisoned, sold into slavery in order to preserve God's people, that God used that for the good of His people and the advance of His people. So it was when Israel finally released after 400 years in captivity in Egypt, after God gave them victory, and they were pursued by Pharaoh's army, and yet God sustained them through all of that. Pharaoh's army was swallowed up by the sea. So it was in the ancient church when Peter and John were thrown in prison, only to emerge with a greater resolve to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. And so it was when Paul himself and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi. And you'll remember that that resulted in the conversion of the Philippian jailer, and the baptism of his whole household. You see how this principle is widely acclaimed in the Scriptures. But more than anything, it's demonstrated in the cross of our Savior Jesus Christ. When He died that cruel death on the cross, and when By means of that very cross, God gave Him victory over sin and death for the sake of His dear people. You see how this principle functions. It functions to push the gospel forward rather than to hold it back. But then secondly, still under this first heading, the general impact, it fostered in Paul optimism rather than pessimism. Paul wasn't pessimistic at all about the cause of the gospel, even though he was in prison. He was the joyful servant. How many times does he express that joy and what brings him great joy? The very thing that brings him great joy is the advance of the gospel, and he was confident Christ, the one he so willingly served and so joyfully served, would take care of him as he was already doing. But far more importantly, Christ would take care of the gospel. The Philippians in all likelihood didn't wholly share in Paul's optimism. Think about it. their spiritual father was locked away. What must have been going through their minds? What's gonna happen to Paul? Will he be exonerated? Will they keep him in jail? What will happen to our dear spiritual father? But Paul was of an entirely different breed. For him, the question wasn't what's gonna happen to me, The question was, how is this affecting the gospel? And the answer wasn't, it's being thwarted. His answer was that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel. Furthermore, his purpose, the very purpose, think about this, the very purpose that he mentioned this to these dear Philippian saints was to assure them Because they were so dear and because he knew how concerned they were for his circumstances, to assure them that he was okay and that the gospel was moving forward. These were partners with him in the gospel. They had a concern for the gospel, too. They had a concern for Paul. They had a concern for the gospel. And he's writing them. He's not concerned about his own circumstances. He's not concerned about what's going on with him and his imprisonment. He's concerned about them, and he's concerned about the cause of the gospel. As I've thought about this passage, I imagined how you or I would likely write to the Philippians. Dear Philippians. Things are difficult for me here in prison. The days are long, the nights are cold, but I'm doing okay. Don't worry about me." But look at the way Paul composes it. Immediately his focus is outward. There's no mention of his imprisonment at the beginning of the letter. He's concerned with his children in the faith. He tells him how he prays for his children in the faith. And even when he does turn to his circumstances, his purpose is to encourage the Philippians by his optimism and by his confidence in what the Lord is doing in the cause of the gospel. He can look at his own circumstances, despite of their difficulty, and say that God is at work, that God is moving the gospel forward. Now, when you consider the current circumstances of the church, dim as they are, in our own nation, our own time. Do you see that God is at work? Do you see that the gospel is moving forward? You recognize that in God's grand design, adversity functions not to impede the gospel, but to advance the gospel. One of the greatest promises that God has ever given to his people in this regard is found in Jeremiah 29, verse 11, and some of you probably have this memorized. There the prophet writes, I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, plans to give you a future and a hope. Now that in itself is glorious. But I think what's most glorious about this promise is the context in which it's issued. Verse 10 says, thus says the Lord, when 70 years have been completed in Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill my good word to you to bring you back to this place. perhaps the greatest persecution that the church of God has ever faced on this earth, in the destruction of Jerusalem, in the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem, in the defilement of the temple, in their exile to Babylon, and God gives us promise. If we think On a contemporary level, the conference for which I prayed this evening that's taking place later this month in Hendersonville is a tremendous illustration of this principle. You who know Pastor Zacarias Abraham know that he has been involved in a Bible study over telecom through the means of telecom with other Eritreans scattered throughout the United States. And in God's providence, The minister who used to be our missionary, the OPC's missionary to Eritrea, now lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina. He's a man named Don Tawes. He's an emeritus minister of the Presbytery of the Southeast, our Presbytery. Now, Pastor Tawes found out about the work that Pastor Zecchi is doing. And he said, let's sponsor a conference. So they're bringing all these Eritreans, many of them who have fled from their country to the United States to gather together for a conference in Hendersonville, North Carolina. What a wondrous illustration of the principle that God uses adversity to advance His gospel and not to impede it. And that should be a great encouragement, a talk that's been going on about how this will affect the church and the possible lawsuits that will come against the church, so on and so on. God is at work. The gospel is moving forward, no matter what. Do you recognize this principle in your own circumstances? If God was at work like this in in the Apostle Paul? Can he not work in your circumstances as well, despite the trials that you're facing, despite the adversity you're facing, besides the difficulty that you're undergoing in your lives? Doesn't this principle transfer from the broader consideration of the church to the individual life of the believer? Well, that's the first thing. generally describes the impact of the gospel. But then in verses 13 and 14, he tells us about the specific impact that the gospel was having there. And there are two things here. In the first place, Christ was being made known. The knowledge of Christ was multiplying in Rome. As a result of his captivity, the whole palace guard had come to know that he was in chains for Jesus Christ. Now, these men who had the position as palace guards were of a very high caliber. They had a high longevity in service. They'd been around a long time. They would have seen many prisoners there in Rome. They would have learned the reason for Paul's imprisonment was his loyalty to Christ. They would have noticed that Paul was different. That there was something about this man that differentiated him from all the other prisoners they'd seen. That he was full of joy. He was a man who prayed. He was a prisoner who was patient and gentle and courageous. A man who deeply loved the people who visited him from great distances. And who was deeply loved by them. And they would have listened to him as he conversed with these visitors, as he dictated this very letter to his secretary, or even as he spoke to these guards directly. And the inevitable conclusion that these guards would have come to would have been that the only chains that bound this man were the ones that bound him to Jesus Christ. Paul's own words underscore this point. And the King James, both old and new, I think have it best when they translate, my bonds or my chains in Christ. And Paul uses that favorite term that we spoke of this morning. speaks of his union in Jesus Christ. He is a prisoner of Jesus Christ because of his union with Christ by faith. And so it became known to the palace guard. It was known by everyone else, he says. The news spread from guard to guard, to the families of the guards, to Caesar's household, that is to Caesar's servants. That's how it spread to everybody else and to the inhabitants of Rome. Paul's cause, or better yet, Christ's cause, had become the talk of the town. Everybody knew about Paul's chains. Everybody knew that he was bound to Christ. And everybody knew that that meant that the gospel was moving forward. Do you see how important it is? Do you see how important your testimony is? in the midst of adversity. People look at us. They look at those who profess Christ, profess to be united to Him by faith, profess to be under God's special favor, and they look at us when we undergo adversity. What do they see? That's the question I put to you this evening. What do they see? What do they see in terms of your outlook of the church? in these difficult times in our nation? What do they see in terms of your outlook concerning your own circumstances and what God is doing in you through those circumstances?" So, Christ was being made known. Then secondly, he said that the brethren at Rome were now more courageous. and speaking for the cause of the gospel. Most of the brethren, he says, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the Lord without fear." Who are these brothers about which he speaks? Years ago, Paul had written A letter that we've been considering for years now in our morning service. He'd written an epistle from Rome. He'd written that letter to the Philippian church. He'd been involved with this church. And notice that 1st Paul says that his chains brought about for these believers in Rome greater trust in the Lord. They saw Paul's testimony. They saw that what Christ was doing and they had greater confidence in the Lord. And out of that confidence, a greater boldness in speaking for Christ. From a human standpoint, Paul's conditions, what Paul experienced in prison, aren't the kinds of conditions that would have been conducive to the progress of the gospel. That's the way we think, and that's why we've got to reprogram our thinking. We think that circumstances have to be just right, that the circumstances have to be favorable outwardly in order for the gospel to to advance. For example, we wait for just the right moment when we're talking to a neighbor or that person sitting next to us on an airplane to say something about the gospel. But God isn't waiting for just right circumstances. He's not doing so in terms of our culture in the United States. He's not doing so in terms of your own circumstances, whatever they may be. That's not how God works because God uses His Word and His promise is that His Word will not return to Him void. The gospel in God's logic and the progress of the gospel in God's logic is far different than ours. Our God can't be thwarted. You would sooner sweep back the tide with a broom than stop the progress of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Adversity functions to advance the progress of the gospel rather than to impede it. We so often lose sight of this principle, not only as regards the church, but also as regards our own circumstances, our own souls, and their progress in grace. What's the solution? Obviously, the problem doesn't lie with the Lord. It lies in the way we think, and the way we think is programmed by our understanding of Scripture. And so we've got to reprogram our thinking. Our thinking must be programmed by the Word of God. We've got to be We've got to have our noses in the Bible. We've got to be reading these stories of the great progress of the kingdom of God in the midst of adversity. We've got to be reading these wondrous accounts of how God has caused His gospel to move forth, even in those circumstances that we would think are the most difficult circumstances in which the church has found itself. It's interesting that Paul, as he prays for the Philippian congregation, prays that they would abound more and more in real knowledge and all discernment. What was he praying? He was praying that they would understand God's revelation so that they could think rightly about the work of his kingdom and the gospel. Brethren, that's what we ought to be praying, not only for the church, but for ourselves, that God would make it known to us that He doesn't need the help of favorable circumstances in our culture, and He doesn't need the help of favorable circumstances in our own lives to advance the cause of the gospel. and to advance the cause of grace in our souls. Let's pray. Our Father, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for the