The apostle Paul offers the church of Philippi encouragement by telling them that his imprisonment has counter-intuitively helped the spread of the Gospel rather than harming it. It seems that those who know of Paul's arrest have not been intimidated into silence, rather they have begun to preach with boldness and courage because of the example of Paul. On top of that, Paul's conduct while "in chains for Christ" has been an example to the soldiers and government officials connected to his case. How would we respond to such persecution, would the threat of prison or worse silence our witness to the Gospel? That isn't a question we can answer ahead of time, but certainly something for us to remember when things far less serious than that stop us from witnessing.
Paul also tells the church that he isn't worried about those who are preaching the Gospel because of their jealousy of Paul. They may be spreading the message of redemption through false motives, but the message they are sharing is still the hope that the Lost need so desperately. How do we respond when others share the Gospel through ways and means that we don't appreciated? Do we rejoice when others Christians have success in their ministry even if we don't? Paul knew that only the important things, such as the preaching of the Gospel, are worth fighting for. To get sidetracked by our ego is to lose track of the servant's heart that Christ demonstrated; the Gospel must come first.
Paul's demonstration of grace in the face of trails, from without (his arrest) and within (those jealous of him), is an example to us all. Are we focusing on the Gospel, have we kept are eyes on the primary duty of the Church?
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video
This blog serves as an outreach for Pastor Randy Powell of the First Baptist Church of Franklin, PA. Feel free to ask questions or send me an e-mail at pastorpowell@hotmail.com
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