Philippians 4:4 – 13
Last week if you remember in our lesson from Acts 27, Paul was being taken from a Roman prison in the Caesarea, along with a number of other prisoners, by boat to Rome for a trial by Caesar himself. Along the way after days of fierce storms the loaded ship was in peril but as we saw Paul calm the 276 men aboard that while the ship would run aground an angel from God had told him that all would be safe. Paul was able to assure the men their ultimate safety because he trusted in the care of God.
I mention that because our lesson today in Philippians is at the end of that shipwrecked trip to Rome. Paul and the others eventually do make it to Rome and Paul waits for trial is put under house arrest at first but he closely watched by guards and when he gets closer to the trial date he is moved into someplace much less comfortable and much more inhospitable.
The Praetorian Guard was a unit of ten thousand picked Roman soldiers, the elite men of the Roman Empire. The guard was, essentially, Caesar’s personal body guard. They were quartered in the Emperor’s palace. They were paid higher wages than any other soldiers. They were granted Roman citizenship, which was a great honor. They were courageous, brilliant, sophisticated, motivated and strong young men. Each served for 12 years and then retired to live a life of means and influence.
When Paul first arrived in Rome those men, in four-hour shifts, were chained to the Apostle Paul. Later Paul found himself chained to a wall in subterranean cell with other prisoners. Imagine of how spiritually stifling that would be for any of us, chained to our oppressors 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. But Paul sees it differently because he is in Rome! It is here, in Rome, that Paul and Timothy write the letter, or as some scholars say the letters, to the Philippians.
The church in Philipi is a church that he founded during his second missionary journey.The Philippians have heard that Paul is in prison and they want to help him. Prisoners in those days could send out and buy things if they had money so they send some money to help sustain him along with Epaphroditus, who Paul in chapter to calls my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.
Despite the fact that he is in prison and he has accepted the help from Philippi, Paul is not sending letters of complaint but rather he is telling them of his excitement and joy for the opportunity to spread the Gospel in the place that he believes is exactly where God has called him to preach, Rome, in the backyard of Caesar himself. Paul writes:
Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.
Paul knows that our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outward circumstances. Paul was full of joy because he knew that no matter what happened to him, Jesus Christ was with him. Several times in his letter, Paul urged the Philippians to be joyful, even to rejoice in their condition because they needed, we presently need to hear this.
It’s easy to get discouraged about unpleasant circumstances or to take unimportant events too seriously. If you haven’t been joyful lately, if you aren’t finding Strength in Rejoicing, you may not be looking at life from the right perspective.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Imagine what it would be like never being “anxious about anything”! Anxiousness, anxiety is the opposite of comfort and peace. Anxiety is the fear of the unknown, it is the lack of trust in our future, the belief that we ultimately have no control over what will happen to us the future or is happening to us in the present.
It would have been easy for Paul to have anxiety over what was going to happen to him but he realized in the end it didn’t matter because the outcome, the purpose of his immediate condition was all that mattered because the Lord was nearby and directly controlled the outcome of the situation.
This gave Paul great peace of mind, the peace of God that transcends all comprehension, a peace that will protect and guard our hearts and minds through our belief and trust in Christ himself. We should all desire to have God’s peace just like Paul.
To help us establish a Godly mindset Paul tells us to program our minds with thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. In that way we can find Strength in Praising what God finds holy, righteous and pleasing to Him regardless of the cost to us. Are you willing to pay the personal cost of witnessing to the world and rejoice in doing it? I know someone that did.
Some of you may know his name and his works. His name is John Bunyan and he wrote a book that is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious English literature, has been translated into more than 200 languages, and like the Bible it has never been out of print. It is called The Pilgrims Progress.
John tells the riveting story of Christian, an every man character, who has been overcome by a great burden (knowledge of sin) which he believed came from his reading “the book in his hand” (the Bible) and he leaves his hometown, the “City of Destruction” (“this world”), to find the “Celestial City” (“that which is to come”: Heaven). This story is such a tremendous retelling of the story of unbelievers in their transformation from being asleep in the world to repentance and ultimately the journey to salvation.
In the 1660’s the Church of England made it hard for those that wanted the freedom to separate themselves from the church to have religious freedom. Bunyan was arrested and charged under a law that prohibited religious meetings outside of church.
While the penalty was only three months in prison, Bunyan refused to comply with the order to stop witnessing outside of a church and consequently his sentence was extended to 12 years! It was during this time that Bunyan, like Paul, decided to witness to the world despite the personal cost by writing The Pilgrim’s Progress.
When asked if he was upset that he would spend so many years in prison because of his faith John Bunyan said that he rejoiced that would have some much time to commit to spreading the Gospel.
Bunyan didn’t allow oppression and prison to slow his advancement of the gospel through his personal witness but instead he rejoiced at the opportunity to witness to the world. John Bunyan found Strength in Rejoicing.
As a result The Pilgrim’s Progress has become one of the most influential books of all time. In fact it is said that in the days of westward expansion in the United States, early settlers often owned only two books, one being the Bible, and the other being The Pilgrim’s Progress. Through his imprisonment for witnessing his faith, John Bunyan found Strength in Rejoicing and used that strength to transform the world!
Here the Good News my Friends………..
I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Paul knew how to be content whether he had plenty or whether he was in need. The secret was drawing on Christ’s power for strength. Paul was content because he could see life from God’s point of view. Paul had his priorities straight, and he was grateful for everything God had given him. He rejoiced in everything knowing that God was always nearby.
Paul was saying:
“Whatever the circumstances, in any and every situation, I can be self-sufficient, I can be resilient, I can be unbreakable and undefeated and victorious in my attitude. I can make the most of things under the harshest of conditions through Him who enables me to do that. He infuses me with strength for this very thing. He strengthens my ability to remain resolute and positive, whatever happens.”
Friends can we give our whatevers, whenevers and wherevers to God? Whatever His will for me, wherever He sends me, whenever He sends me to witness to His power and grace to whoever he needs me to witness, like Paul, like John Bunyan and like Jesus himself.
Paul knew that getting to preach the Gospel to the Romans, for the opportunity to evangelize to the powerful and influential Romans was worth whatever the cost would be, even if it cost him six years in prisons and eventually it would cost him his life at the hands of the Romans.
By throwing Paul into those prisons in Rome, Caesar unwittingly gave Paul the ears, hearts, minds and souls of the entire world. Paul rejoiced, again I say he rejoiced at being God’s instrument and was content with the cost. Can we do the same? Will you do the same? Amen!