Philippians 1:12-20 - Pursuing Jesus By Focusing On Him
Main Idea: We must focus everything we are on exalting Jesus.
We must focus our efforts on exalting Jesus (vs. 12-13)
Put Effort Into Knowing Christ
Put Effort Into Showing Christ
We must focus our emotions on exalting Jesus (vs. 14-18)
Allow Joy And Delight In Christ To Steal Your Focus
Refuse To Allow Envy And Selfishness To Steal Focus From Christ
We must focus our expectations on exalting Jesus (vs. 19-20)
Anticipate Jesus’ Miracles
Anticipate Jesus’ Approval
Anticipate Jesus’ Glorification
Sermon Transcript (Auto-Transcribed by Apple Podcasts)
So, we've been looking at having one pursuit of Jesus alone. And last week, we learned how Paul wrote this letter to the church at Philippi, because he was in prison. That wouldn't have been foreign to them.
When Paul was in Philippi, he was also in prison.
He was kind of that rabble rouser, not for stirring up riots, not for any crimes, but for preaching the gospel, and for kind of upsetting the status quo in that world, which was everyone can kind of have their religion, and everyone has it, and
everything is equal. And we're not saying that there is one God above all other gods. We're not saying there is any king above Caesar. And the claims of Christianity went directly counter to that.
So Paul, for preaching the gospel, is now imprisoned in Rome. The Philippian Church had heard about it. They had sent one of their pastors, Epaphroditus, to go bring a gift, a present, to Paul.
However, once Epaphroditus had gotten there, had told Paul some of the things that were happening in the Philippian Church, he fell sick, almost deathly sick.
And Paul now is sending this letter of the Philippians back to let the Philippian Church know Epaphroditus is okay. He almost died.
God spared him for my sake and for y'all's sake and to address a couple of the things that were coming up in the Philippian Church. And in today's passage, Paul is telling them about his circumstance.
He says, you all sent a gift so that I would be encouraged, so that I would have enough, so that I would be adequately clothed or fed or have what I need, so I want to give you a status report. How is the Apostle Paul doing today?
And that's what we're going to be studying. And today, we're going to be looking at pursuing Jesus, or one pursuit of Jesus, by focusing on him. When Paul was asked how he was doing, his answer was, in essence, I'm focusing on Jesus.
That's how I'm doing. And we'll see how that works today. It is so important to have our focus on the right thing.
I told my wife last night, I have one of my favorite, stupidest jokes in the world that fits perfectly with today. It goes like this, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip.
And after dinner, they got into the tent, and they went to sleep for the night. At about, you know, at some time in the night, Sherlock woke up Dr. Watson, and he said, hey, I want you to look at the stars and tell me what you see.
What do you notice? And Dr. Watson said, well, astronomically, I see that there are millions of stars and possibly billions of planets.
Astrologically, I see that Saturn is in the Leo constellation. Horologically, I see that it's, you know, maybe quarter to three in the morning.
And theologically, I see that God is awesome and omnipotent and incredible, and we are small and insignificant. What do you go to? Sherlock.
And Sherlock says, You idiot, someone stole our tent. He's focused on the wrong thing. Paul here in this passage is letting the Philippians know that though he's in prison, he's still accomplishing everything that God has for him.
And I want to tell us today that we must focus everything we are on exalting Jesus. We must focus everything we are on exalting Jesus.
We see this verse first in verses 12 and 13, which say, Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else
that my imprisonment is because I am in Christ. If we are to focus our efforts on exalting Jesus as the Apostle Paul did, we must first put effort into knowing Christ.
Paul would never have been able to let the imperial guard and everyone else know that he was in prison for Jesus if he didn't know Jesus. Why would a celebrated, accomplished, revered Pharisee give up his entire life and position and job?
Because Jesus of Nazareth was really God. He really did come and live a perfect life. He really did die for sin and rise again, and he really did ascend to his throne.
Paul would later say this in Philippians 3, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ, Jesus my Lord.
Because of him, I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God
based on faith. My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death.
If we're gonna focus everything we are on exalting Jesus, then we'd better make sure that we know what we're signing up for.
Some people view Jesus as a kindly deity, one that will grant them forgiveness for every wrong, but will never ask them to do anything that they don't want to.
Some people view Jesus like Zeus, ready to zap any sinners into oblivion with heavenly lightning at a moment's notice. The truth is, is that Jesus is Lord.
A Lord that demands our conformity to his nature and way, but his nature and way is not simply just and holy and righteous, but it is also merciful and forgiving and kind. He is infinite. He is unlike us in his essence.
He is set apart in how truly good and right he is. How could we get to know the God who created our universe, who breathed the life itself into existence, who sustains every creature and planet and atom at every moment? How can we know him?
Because he made the first step and made himself knowable. He placed his nature and history and emotions and works in the Bible that you hold in your hands or that's in the chair in front of you.
Not only that, he came to the earth in the person of Jesus Christ. So not only can you know him, but he knows what it's like to be you, to be human.
Hebrews 4 says that we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but who was in every way tempted, just like we are, yet without sin.
Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. How do we get to know this God?
Through his communication with us in his word and through his people, through his Holy Spirit, and through our communication with him in prayer. I'd encourage you this week, put effort into knowing Christ, and you will never forget it.
So let's put our efforts into exalting Christ through knowing him, but then secondly, let's put effort into exalting Christ by showing him.
Have you realized in your life that people don't normally just come flocking to you, asking how they can be just like you, or how they can be saved? Wouldn't that be so much easier if that's all that it took?
As God's designed it, however, the primary way that people are saved is through the intentional testimony of our lives and the intentional testimony of our words.
Can I ask us today, if everyone in our church put the same effort into showing Jesus to others that you did this week, what would the future of our church be?
We very often bemoan the state of our world, our nation, our city and state, but are we actually putting in any effort at being the change?
I'd remind us of Christ's great commission in Matthew chapter 28 that we are called to turn the world upside down through making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and to teach them to observe
everything that Jesus commanded. What of those three goals did we accomplish this week? Did I do anything in the past six days to call someone to be a follower of Jesus?
Have I encouraged those who have recently accepted Christ to follow him in believer's baptism? Did I teach anyone anything about God or the Bible this week? Those are not optional.
If we get to it, I'll do those things. Those are the very reason for our continued existence on planet Earth.
If we are not accomplishing the mission that our God has set for us, then we might as well be in heaven, enjoying time with him if we are not going to make a difference on the earth that he has left us to bring his kingdom person by person in.
We must show Christ to others. At times, that will mean showing his forgiveness and patience towards those who have sinned against us or those who frustrate us.
At times, it will mean showing his kindness and generosity towards those who have nothing. Sometimes it may even mean showing his holiness and calling those who name themselves Christians to turn from sin back to the Lord.
In other situations, showing Christ to others may mean actually talking to them about Jesus, about what he's done for you, about his death and resurrection.
The phrase share the gospel, use words if necessary, communicates a good truth about not simply saying that you're a Christian, but living it.
But it falls short in that if we don't use words to share the gospel, we're not actually sharing the gospel.
Anyone can live a moral life, but what separates Christianity from every other religion is not the righteous words and actions of its believers, but the righteous God that we believe in. Here's the point.
If all we do is live good lives, we are falling short of our purpose. Our purpose is not to say, look at me. Our purpose is to say, look at him.
Look at what he's done. Look what he says to you. Our purpose is showing Christ.
This week, how can you show Christ to others? How can you accomplish his mission for you this week? Is there a loved one that you're praying for?
A neighbor that you need to talk to? A co-worker that you have a good relationship with that you need to actually talk with about Christ? Will you put effort into knowing and showing Christ this week?
Paul had put effort in. Verse number 13. It has become throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that my imprisonment is because I am in Christ.
This did not just happen. It was Paul continually. No matter what guard's shift it was that day, they know if I'm going, oh yeah, there's Paul.
I know what I'm going to hear about. Everyone knew. And the whole imperial guard knew, and it says, and everyone else.
It didn't just stick with one person. And can I encourage you, maybe today you have shared with the whole imperial guard. Can I encourage you?
Keep sharing to the everyone else. Or you don't know who in the imperial guard that you've shared with. Maybe they haven't accepted Christ, but they might talk to someone else.
And someone else goes, wow, I know what I need. I know I have this hole in my life that I've been trying to fill with everything else in life. But I need that Jesus.
You don't know how God might use your witness, your word, your sharing and showing of Christ. Can I encourage you? Don't stop.
Keep on going. I put effort into knowing and showing Christ this week. But not only must we focus our efforts on exalting Jesus, we must focus our emotions on exalting Jesus.
We can see this in verses 14 through 18. He says, Most of the brothers have gained confidence in the Lord from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the word fearlessly.
To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. These preach out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Gospel.
The others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking that they will cause me trouble in my imprisonment. What does it matter?
Only that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.
I want us to see first, focus our emotions on exalting Jesus, that we must allow joy and delight in Christ to steal our focus. We have to allow joy and delight in Christ to steal our focus.
I'm going to go through verses 14 through 18 and highlight all of these specific emotions and feelings that Jesus has motivated. Most of the brothers have gained confidence. They dare to speak the word fearlessly.
Verse 15, some preach Christ out of goodwill. Verse 16, these preach out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. Verse 18, what does it matter?
Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice. What was Paul's focus while he was imprisoned?
Was it his cell? Was it the sickness of Epaphroditus? Was it his betrayal by his own people that ended up with him there in prison in Rome?
Was his focus other preachers trying to make him suffer? No, his focus was on how Jesus was being lifted up, and that brought emotions of joy and delight.
He talks about people gaining confidence in Christ, being fearless, having delight in Jesus, preaching from a heart of selfless love, and it brought joy to Paul.
How few bad things have to happen to us to have our focus stolen from the joy that God wants to give us each day?
We can have a home, as much food and clean water as we could want, a church family or our own flesh and blood family that loves us, a car to drive, or transportation to take, clothes on our back, and above all, a relationship with God himself.
One slight inconvenience happens and we're down in the dumps. This week, let's commit our emotions to lifting up Jesus.
If we are focused on only gaining happiness or enjoyment or hope or love from things on this earth, we will inevitably not hold any of those emotions for very long. It's based on what's happening in the here and now.
But if our emotional grounding is in Christ, then no matter if we're in a prison cell or in the best moments of our lives, we can have joy and delight because of our Savior. Philippians 4 and verse 4 says, Rejoice in the Lord always.
I will say it again, rejoice.
Habakkuk 3 verses 17 and 18 says, Though the fig tree does not bud, and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen, and there are no herds in the stalls, yet I
will celebrate in Yahweh. I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. Psalm 37 verse 4 says, Take delight in Yahweh, and He will give you your heart's desires.
Psalm 40 and verse 4 says, How happy is anyone who has put his trust in Yahweh and has not turned to the proud or to those who run after lies. We are called to allow joy and delight in Christ to steal our focus.
Earlier this week, I had some different situations in my life that I was so sad about, and that I was like, oh, great, the music team would know Wednesday was just a bad day overall.
I was practicing, and one of my guitar strings snapped right at the end of practice, and I was like, oh, great, this is just the perfect capstone to today. And man, I didn't think about, hey, I have a warm building to be able to be in.
I have other musicians that want to praise the Lord. I have a guitar that God gave me. I have a replacement guitar that my pastor back in Washington gave me as a goodbye gift.
I have a wife and children to go home to. God has blessed me with so much. But instead of allowing joy and delight in Christ to steal my focus, I let a couple little things steal my focus away.
This week, let's allow joy and delight in Christ, gratitude, joy, happiness, love to affect our emotions, that our emotions would exalt Jesus because when we realize that God has given us all these things, it makes us want to lift Him up.
It doesn't call us to self glory. It doesn't make me want to say, oh, I've done all these things. I've amassed all these things.
I really got Samantha. No, that was all God. But we are called to have joy and delight in Christ.
This was Paul's focus while he was in prison. But I want us to see secondly here, don't allow envy and selfishness to steal your focus from Christ. Here in verses 15 and 17, he says, to be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry.
The word for envy there is, it is ill will, it is detraction, it is jealousy, it is spite. And these people were preaching Jesus because they really wanted to stick it to Paul and be like, hey, look, I'm reaching more people than you are, Paul.
I've got all these followers, Paul, and you're stuck in prison. They're the word rivalry, it's fighting, it's quarrels. They just wanted an argument with the Apostle Paul.
And what a contrast that you're preaching Christ, the one who is gentle and lowly in heart, the one who came to die for sinners, the friend of sinners, the one who knows what it's like to experience all of our sorrows and temptations.
He is the man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. And yet, they were preaching that Christ, trying to win a battle against an Apostle. I don't think that ended very well.
Verse number 17, the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition. That word is one that talks about electioneering and politicking, especially this year.
We will all see people that posture themselves as their God's gift to the United States or their God's gift to Maryland or to Baltimore. We will see this politicking taking place.
And what a sad thing that these people were proclaiming Christ, trying to gain position. Instead of lifting up Jesus, they were attempting to lift themselves up.
Not only that, it says, not sincerely thinking, imagining, expecting that they will cause me trouble. They wanted to wake up.
They wanted to rouse up trouble for Paul that he would not just be imprisoned for the sake of the gospel, but feel horrible that he wasn't doing as much for the Lord as these preachers were. What a sad heart condition.
Do you see the difference in the focus of Paul and the focus of the teachers here? Paul is overwhelmed by all of the good and love and excitement of Jesus being lifted up, and these teachers are stuck focusing on Paul.
Can I ask us today, which of these lists of emotions describe our heart when it comes to serving God?
Do you find yourself constantly wanting to one up somebody else, consistently having to degrade others, thinking about how you can get a better position, a better opportunity, more visibility?
If people just saw how not great this person is, and how holy and talented you are, then God would really have a great person on his team. Pride is an incredibly tricky sin.
It convinces you that your sins are insignificant and overlookable, and that the slightest sliver in someone else's life makes them less loved or usable to God than you.
It convinces you that you are important based on your actions or knowledge or experience, rather than on what Christ did for you.
When it comes to Tabernacle, I encourage us to not allow envy and selfishness and pride to get in the way of us seeing Jesus lifted up.
Let's have the heart of Paul that even when people are serving for the wrong reasons or trying to one up us, that we would still have joy because it's all about Jesus. It doesn't matter what they say about me or do to me, Paul would say.
All I care about is Jesus being proclaimed. Are we pursuing Jesus with our emotions to be able to say that? Or are our emotions tied up in people's opinions and others' actions?
True reality is that all of the bickering and posturing of today will be forever forgotten. But the proclamation of Jesus and the lives that are changed because they followed him will last forever.
So will you choose to be emotionally changed by what is lasting and most real? Will you allow your emotions to be shaped by Jesus' reality?
Not only must we focus our efforts on exalting Jesus and focusing our emotions on exalting Jesus, but lastly, in verses 19 and 20, we must focus our expectations on exalting Jesus.
Verses 19 and 20 say this, because I know this will lead to my salvation through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now, as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honored, magnified, exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
Was Paul simply happy-go-lucky his entire time in prison? Were reading about his joy, his hope, his love? Was he just entirely different than the rest of us?
I love verse 19 for this reason. Here in the phrase, this will lead to my salvation. Paul quotes from the Greek translation of Job 13 and verses 15 and 16.
In his time in prison, hearing about people trying to demean and attack and one-up him while he's locked away for sharing the Gospel, Paul turned his attention to the story of Job.
If you're like me, about eight or nine chapters into the book of Job, your head starts to spin a little, so you hurry forward to chapter 41 so you can read about the sea monster, the Leviathan.
However, for Paul, he knew that the human experience was not always wonderful days of Jericho walls falling or Red Seas parting. Some days you've lost everything in your world, and people are still piling more sorrows on you.
In Job 13, 15, and 16, Job said, even if he kills me, I will hope in him. I will still defend my ways before him. Yes, this will also result in my salvation, for a godless person cannot appear before him.
As Paul is in prison, his mind is not necessarily on some of the portions of scripture where everything is happy-go-lucky, the dedication of the temple, where God's shekinah glory comes down and all of its wonder, and there's big clouds and loud
trumpets. He's thinking about, he's meditating on portions of scripture that we gloss over a lot of times because they're not happy enough. You won't see, even if he kills me, still I will trust in him.
You won't really see that on a nice little placard, like be still and know. Even if he kills me, I will hope in him. Doesn't quite have the same ring, but this was what Paul was meditating on.
His expectation was, I might die here, to be honest, but I believe that this will result in my salvation. He says, my deliverance comes through God. It's not in my circumstances.
It's not in how great everyone else is treating me. Instead, I am relying on God, and no matter what happens, if I live or die, it's all his. My life is his.
It's about exalting Jesus. That was his expectation. For our expectations, I think that we ought to anticipate three specific things that we can see in some of these verses.
First, if we're going to focus our expectations on exalting Jesus, there he says, my eager expectation and my hope, we ought to anticipate Jesus' miracles.
How can a man, Paul, that arrested Christians, threw them into prison, fought as hard as he could against God, say that he expected that he wouldn't be ashamed in anything?
How could the man that described himself as the chief of sinners and said that all the good he wanted to do, he didn't, and all the bad he didn't want to do, he did, how could that man say that he wouldn't be ashamed about anything?
Because Jesus does the miraculous. He takes those that were sinners and turns them into saints. He takes those that were murderers and turns them into missionaries.
He takes those that were impure and unclean and makes them immaculate and unspotted. This week, this year, let's focus our expectations, our hopes and dreams on Jesus. And let's start by anticipating his miracles.
Let's anticipate people that do not currently know or follow him to find and accept Jesus through our witnessing this year.
Let's anticipate Christians that have been on the outskirts or that have been struggling with sin to turn to Jesus wholeheartedly through our encouragement and discipleship and teaching.
Let's anticipate more families coming to Tabernacle so that our church can be filled with the next generation hearing about the God who loves them and who invites little children to come to him.
We can anticipate many things, have goals for many things, but let's anticipate Jesus working and renewing and changing and saving. Not only should we anticipate Jesus' miracles, but we ought to anticipate Jesus' approval.
One of the most crippling fears in my life was hearing that something I did wasn't good enough for a teacher. I would try my hardest on a paper or on a presentation in hopes that I wouldn't have to hear about all the ways in which I failed.
Jesus is not like that. As Paul expressed here, he was eagerly anticipating Jesus' approval. That phrase very literally is like neck outstretched, that he was like, oh, I can't wait for Jesus to give his approval.
If we are truly saved, having been giving Christ full righteousness, having turned to Jesus as our Lord in repentance of sin, then all our sins are erased. We have the righteousness of Christ, and there is no need to fear our Heavenly Father.
If you are a true Christian today, don't fear the Bema Seat, where we will be rewarded for the things that we've done with the bodies that God has given us. And Paul wasn't just looking to have Jesus' approval one day.
He was intent that here and now, in his physical life, Jesus would be lifted there at the end of verse number 20. Now, as always, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether it be by life or death.
How can knowing that we can live without fear, with courage, affect how we live this week?
If you know that you are not under condemnation if you are in Christ, but that you have the Holy Spirit in you, you have a church family that is all for your continued spiritual growth, how can knowing that you are not fighting against the current,
but that you are working with the Spirit of God for your sanctification last week, verse number six, that the one that began the work in you, he will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus. If you know that you are working from acceptance,
from approval, and not for it, how might that change your week? Not only must we anticipate Jesus' miracles and his approval, but lastly, we ought to anticipate Jesus' glorification.
All of Paul's life was bent on magnifying Christ, on lifting him up, on exalting him. He anticipated that Jesus would one day return, and he wanted to do everything he could to prepare the people of earth for Jesus' return. Is that your focus today?
Often we become focused on wanting Jesus to come back and glorify himself, because we are too tired of dealing with people or dealing with our world.
We ought to have a goal and a desire and anticipation of wanting to make a difference for Christ in the people that are around us. When we pray, your kingdom come, your will be done, we're not just saying, Jesus, you come and you do everything.
We're asking God, the song we sang at the end of last week, I then shall live, he says, and may your living kingdom come through me. That ought to be our goal, that I'm not waiting for one day for Jesus to be glorified in my body.
I'm not waiting for one day for Jesus to be glorified in those around me. No, no, no, I am pursuing it. I want the kingdom to come to my area.
I want to be the light that is set on a hill that cannot be hid. I want to lift up Jesus. When was the last time that we shared the Gospel with someone personally?
Not when was the last time you invited someone to church, though that is good, and not when was the last time you told someone to stop swearing or to read their Bible.
When was the last time that you told the story about Jesus' life and death and resurrection, about our sin and how Jesus paid it all? Paul anticipated, hoped, worked towards the goal that Jesus would be glorified through his life.
What's the goal that you're working towards in your life? Do you even have a goal? There is no aim so worthwhile as the goal of lifting up Jesus with your life.
And the incredible thing is that you can do it, whether you're a tent maker like Paul, a shepherd like David, a pastor like Timothy, or a businesswoman like Lydia. Lifting up Jesus isn't something for the seminarians, but for the Christians.
But a goal will never be accomplished if we don't have steps to get there. I love the old saying, he who fails to plan plans to fail. What are the steps you want to take in order to glorify Christ with your life this week?
What steps do you want to take to lift up Jesus? Will you place the hopes and goals of your life on honoring Christ? Today we can see it clearly here from Paul's testimony that he was focused no matter what the circumstance on exalting Christ.
We've seen that we must focus everything we are on exalting Jesus. Today I want to ask this first. Have you turned to Christ alone as your Lord and as your Savior?
You might say I've been in church for five weeks or five years or 50 years. Going to church will not give you a relationship with God. Going to church will not give you a home in heaven.
Going to church will not reconcile you to God. Jesus does that. Have you ever repented from sin and turned to him alone?
Renouncing your way, turning to him alone. Have you asked him for his forgiveness to come and give you what the Bible describes as a new heart, a new birth, a whole new life?
If you have never done that, I would encourage you, please talk to me after the service. Please talk to Pastor Ron. If you're here with maybe a family member or a friend, please talk to them.
That is the most important decision you can ever make with your life. You will never exalt Jesus truly unless you have exalted Jesus as your Lord and as your Savior in your heart. Will you put effort into knowing and showing Christ this week?
It's not going to happen by accident. It has to be intentional. Will we put effort into exalting Jesus this week?
Will we allow our emotions to be shaped by Jesus' reality? Will we allow joy and delight and love and hope in Christ to affect how we view the world and on what we lift up?
Or will we allow envy and selfishness and pride and a focus on the things of this earth to drag us down? Then lastly, will you place the hopes and goals of your life on honoring Christ? What is the aim of your life?
What do you hope to accomplish with the days left that God gives you? Can I encourage you?
Paul's goal was that he would not be ashamed in anything, but that in everything, with all boldness, without all courage, that Christ would be highly honored, would be magnified in his life. What is the goal of your life? What are you focusing on?
What are you exalting?
