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Phil 01 - Circumstances - Phil 1:1-6
 
Philippians is about circumstances
 
& more specifically how God has provided
for you to Walk Victoriously IN your circumstances
 
Philippians is about JOY – & REJOICING
IN the midst of your circumstances
 
& so - If there are any Christians here today facing “Circumstances”
then Philippians is the book for you to study - & apply
 
It was about 61 AD – nearing the end of Paul’s life
 
Paul had been arrested in Jerusalem -
& held in prison in Ceasarea for 2 yrs
 
he survived a storm – shipwreck – snakebite . . .
& finally brought to Rome – still as a prisoner
 
while in Rome (+- 2 more yrs) – he was under house arrest -
24 hrs/day – he was chained to a Roman Guard
(which he saw as a great witnessing opportunity)
 
he had been deserted by most of his friends –
& some of the church leaders in Rome had turned against him,
& were trying to “capitalize” on his imprisonment
 
& under these Terrible Circumstances – The book of Philippians was written
& no book in the NT is as filled with Joy as the book of Philippians
 
All thru the book Paul is speaking of inner-joy - & rejoicing - - -
he makes reference to it 16 times in just 4 Ch’s
 
In Philippians we learn not only ;
How to be Content in whatever state we are in . . .
but how we can actually Rejoice - in whatever state we are in
 
Why did Paul have such joy in Circumstances like these . . .
 
& why do we have such a hard time finding joy in our
Generally Affluent Circumstances
 
Maybe it’s because our Affluent Christian Culture teaches us
to look to our Circumstances to bring us Joy
 
Somehow we’ve acquired this misunderstanding
that our Circumstances & our Joy should be connected
 
& we’ve been fooled into thinking –
if we can just make our circumstances joyful – then we will be joyful . . .
 
& guys THAT is Not True . . . & it’s not Biblical – In fact . . .
It is the opposite of everything the Bible teaches
 
Paul’s Joy came solely out of
his ever increasing relationship w/ Jesus Christ
 
& so his circumstances could never stop his Joy – In fact . . .
they only motivated him to a deeper level of dependence on Christ
 
One of the greatest things about our ever-increasing relationship w/ Christ
is that our circumstances slowly begin to take a “back-seat”
 
As Christ consumes more of our focus –
Our circumstances slowly begin to fade into the distance . . .
 
& our True Inner Joy from knowing Christ –
begins to take the “Driver’s seat” – Christ becomes our focus
 
Our circumstances are still there –
they just don’t have the Top Billing any more . . .
 
They don’t take up our focus, our thought, our efforts –
but instead our ever-increasing relationship with Christ does
 
& that is truly – the #1 secret - to the “Joy-Filled” Christian Life
 
The Apostle Paul’s Focus on Jesus Christ in his life
far outweighed ANY thoughts about his circumstances
 
In the 1st Ch of Philippians alone –
The name of Christ is referenced 17 times in 30 Vs’s

While Paul was living thru what we would consider terrible circumstances His mind was on Christ, it was filled with Christ . . .
 
So much so - that he couldn’t write more than 2 Vs’s
without referring to the name of Jesus in some way
 
Christians !! – We were meant to be “Filled with Christ” –
Not filled with good circumstances
 
We were meant to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit
In the MIDST of our Circumstances
Not demanding that the Spirit FIX our Circumstances
 
THAT is “Joy-Filled” Christian Living
 
(again) During the time Paul was writing this “Epistle of Joy”
he was chained to a Roman guard – awaiting trial & possible execution – for no wrong he had done
 
& that’s when God used Paul to write to US
about how we can have Joy - in the midst of our circumstances
 
God taught Paul – so that he could teach us –
 
that we might say with him - (Phil 4:11)
“I have learned in whatever state I am in – to be content”
 
Paul’s contentment did NOT rely on his circumstances . . .
 
his contentment relied on Jesus Christ –
& on his ever-increasing relationship w/ Christ - & Christ Does Not change
 
Our circumstances WILL change – they’ll go from abounding to abasing –
from having plenty to suffering need (as Paul’s did)
 
But our Joy cannot Rely on our fleeting circumstances –
Our joy must come from our steadfast, guaranteed, relationship with Jesus
Who never changes, and Who has already made a way for us
thru these temporary circumstances - for our ultimate good
 
If our contentment is truly in Jesus Christ –
then we can experience joy in the midst of every circumstance . . .
 
AND THAT - is the primary message of Philippians
 
Phil 1:1
1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
 
Almost all of Paul’s letters start with his position of “Apostleship” –
but not here – here Paul is a co-laborer – a fellow bond-servant of Christ
(& Timothy is with him)
 
bond-servant – Doulos - not just a servant –
most LIT = “One bound to another”
 
It refers to one who serves another to the disregard of his own interests –
A servant for life – One who has no other option
 
& then Paul addresses his letter to
“all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi”
 
Saint = “separated (set apart) one” - “holy one” –
But the Key Words here - are “In Christ”
 
All believers are “In Christ” - & we have been made holy
by the Righteousness of Christ . . .
 
& so – the Bible refers to ALL believers – AS Saints
 
So – Paul the Bond-Servant – writing to all the Saints –
WITH the Bishops & the Deacons
 
Bishops = Spiritual Ministry Overseers
Deacons = Practical Ministry Overseers
 
& so the church at Philippi had some clear leadership structure –
& by all indications they were a “Healthy Church” . . .
 
except for some Cliquish opinions & disagreements (we’ll see later)
 
One way we know Philippi was a Healthy Church is –
they had sent an offering to Paul – to support him financially
 
& In fact – Philippians was written partly to thank the church
for the money that they had sent to help Paul
 
Phil 1:2
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Grace & Peace – Are the twins of most of Paul’s openings
& they are especially appropriate for this book . . .
 
because our True Joy comes only from God’s Grace –
not from our Circumstances
 
& certainly we know that the True “Peace of God”
never comes through our circumstances
but only by God’s grace in the midst of our circumstances
 
Phil 1:3
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
 
Every time Paul thought of the work in Philippi –
including the “less than pleasant” circumstances -
he thanked God for the believers there
 
One of the most incredible Joys in the ministry –
is to see God bring lasting fruit from your service to Him
 
Chuck Smith relates a story in his opening msg on Philippians
that really, really encouraged me
 
he tells a story of the lasting fruit of the ministry–
By describing a couple that walked up to him one Sunday morning with tears in their eyes,
 
& when they met Chuck they said to him –
“we’re from New York, and we’ve been listening to your messages on tape & we’ve started a Bible Study using your teaching on tape
 
& our neighborhood in New York is being blessed by God thru your teaching
 
& as I listened to that I was blown away –
because of ALL the fruit that Pastor Chuck could’ve referred to
as bringing him joy in his service to the Lord
 
he referred to a couple he’d never met - on the other side of the country
who were using his teaching in a place he’d never visit –
to further the gospel message . . .
 
& Guys – that is exactly what we do here –
 
Out of the 400+ people receiving our Bible teaching thru Word-By-Mail –
we have numerous people using our CD’s for small group Bible studies
 
& that - is an immeasurable extension of the ministry
that God has birthed here in Nuevo –
& it’s one that should bring us tremendous Joy
 
& so Paul is giving thanks to God for the lasting fruit of the ministry in Philippi
& praying for them always . . .
 
Read again V.3 - & thru V.5
 
Phil 1:3-5
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,
 
Philippi was the 1st place Paul stopped when he came to Macedonia (Europe)
 
Paul & Silas had just taken on Timothy – as their new “Young Disciple”
(after the “John-Mark incident” – where Paul & Barnabas disagreed)
 
& when they were in Troas (closer to Ephesus) –
Paul had a vision of a man in Macedonian saying “come help us”
 
& Paul got a ship & came to the edge of the European continent -
& they ended up in Philippi (because it was the 1st city they came to)
 
& they 1st met with a group of women down by the river –
& Lydia – the seller of purple got saved - & opened her house to them . . .
 
& so goes the beginning of the church in Philippi –
As goes the beginning of every new church in the CC movement
 
But - the Jewish leaders soon found out & started trouble for Paul –
& Paul & Silas were arrested & beaten – & thrown in the dungeon
 
& this is where in Acts 16 – Paul & Silas were singing & praising the Lord
at the midnight hour when the doors were opened by an earthquake
 
& the jailer, thinking they had escaped, was about to fall on his sword –
when Paul stopped him - & he said “what must I do to be saved”
 
& he took them - & washed their wounds
& Paul shared with the guards family - & they all received Christ
 
Eternal fruit birthed out of seemingly terrible circumstances . . .
 
& so then - the city rulers finally ask Paul to leave . . .
& with that - the church at Philippi began to grow on it’s own
 
PLEASE READ ACTS 16
 
& now Paul says (in V.4) that he prays for them all – WITH JOY !
 
Paul was thankful - & Joy-filled - at what God had done,
& was continuing to do – in the saints in Philippi
 
& ALL this, coming thru some
less than happy or easy circumstances for Paul
 
But Paul was so focused on the Eternal –
that he could barely see the Temporal
 
his circumstances were so “on the back-burner”
he barely knew they were there
 
cont. in V.5 Paul says he is “Thankful” - & “Joy-Filled”
for their “fellowship in the gospel” . . .
 
(again) Phil 1:5
5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,
 
Fellowship – actually means much more than eating together
It means a oneness of sharing - in a communion created by God
 
Paul’s speaking of their Mutual Participation in the Gospel –
It is the bond of a greater calling – of a greater purpose
 
It’s being united by the common goal of the Gospel of Jesus Christ –
& man does the church in America need some more of that !
 
& So - in spite of all his troubled circumstances in Philippi – Paul says
he thanks God upon every remembrance of them . . .
 
& he always prays for them with joy . . . Because of
their Fellowship (Oneness, Communion, Bond) of the Gospel
 
& certainly Paul is also referring here to their ‘Financial Support’
they had sent him just prior to this letter
 
& now – in V.6 - Paul writes the 1st of the famous Vs’s in Philippians
 
Phil 1:6
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
 
Oh . . . If we really believed this –
We would view our circumstances SOOOO Different
 
This is a RIFLE FOCUS Mentality – Paul says;
“I am confident of THIS VERY THING . . .
 
& Then the Focus turns to ALL GOD –
 
that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
 
The work that Paul is confident of - is God’s work in the Philippians -
He started it – He will continue it - & He will finish it
 
God’s not like me, He doesn’t start a project - & then not finish it–
What God starts – He finishes
 
Has God started a work in your life ??
Do your circumstances scream out in Direct Contradiction to God’s Work ??
 
Which one is Eternal – Unchanging - & Omnipotent ? - (your circumstances?)
 
How is it that we can put more faith in our circumstances than in our God ?
How is it that we believe our circumstances more than we believe God ?
 
God saw all those circumstances – BEFORE He began a Good Work in You
& God NEVER Starts – What He CANNOT finish
 
So the question is NEVER – Are the circumstances bigger than God ?
The question is ONLY – IS THIS GOD’S WORK ?
 
Because if it is God’s Work – then it is HIS WORK –
& He ALWAYS finishes what He starts – ALWAYS
 
 
Let’s take Salvation for example –
Salvation is always a work of God
 
You had nothing to offer God – No Way to Earn your Salvation –
Yet God began the work of your Salvation
& what He starts – He always finishes
 
In fact Rom 8:28-30 – shows the guaranteed finish of your salvation
 
If you are Saved today – then God is At Work in ALL your circumstances
to complete the Good Work OF SALVATION – that He began in you
 
Rom 8:28 (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
 
The context is this Vs – is God Completing in us His Plan of Salvation
& all we have to do is read the next 2 Vs’s to see that
 
Rom 8:29-30
29 For whom He foreknew, [meaning those He knew would receive Christ] He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
 
ALL Past tense – From God’s Foreknowledge of you –
to you being Glorified with Christ in heaven – It is a Finished Work
 
& only God is big enough – to be at work in ALL of your circumstances –
to complete the good work that He started in you
 
God Always Finishes What He starts ;
 
& so - what about that other WORK that God is doing in you ?
Is that really God’s work - & not your work ??
 
If it is – Then God WILL finish what He has started
He always finishes what He starts !
 
Your Role – is to Lean on Christ – to Trust Him – in Faith & Confidence
to complete the Good work that He has begun in you
 
& our true Joy comes from learning to lean on Christ –
To trust Him instead of our circumstances
 
My Best Friend From High School – who Pam & I love to death (& his family)
Is a Lineman for Nevada Power
 
& he used to climb those Power-Poles every day (when a younger man)
& those power poles are a good picture of our circumstances
 
There’s only one way to climb a power pole –
you got to lean back & fully trust your safety harness
 
& what happens to the young newbee is –
they have a tendency to not trust their safety harness –
& instead they begin to focus on the pole
 
& if they focus too much on the pole –
they actually try to Hold Onto the Pole
instead of leaning back into their harness
 
& as soon as they do that – the spikes in their boots slip out of the pole
& they slide all the way down that power pole . . .
 
with their arms wrapped around it –
collecting a thousand splinters all the way down
 
How crazy are we to cling to our circumstances – like that Power Pole – instead of leaning back & trusting our Safety Harness of Jesus Christ
 
If we continue to focus on our circumstances –
instead of our safety harness
it’s just like leaning in & hugging that Power Pole
 
& as soon as we do that – we go sliding down that thing –
all the way to the ground
 
& Many of us have a thousand splinter scars –
to remind us that clinging to our circumstances is fast, painful trip down
 
But - when we begin to trust God – in the midst of our circumstances –
then we start to “Lean Back” on our confidence in God
 
& we finally realize – The secret - is to “Lean Back” on Him –
no matter what the Circumstance – we just lean completely on Him 
& then - the circumstance actually becomes a ladder
For us to reach a higher place in our relationship with Christ
 
Phil 1:6
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;