Rejoicing in suffering… (8 things)  

• 1^st – The theme of the book of Philippians is joy…  

• When we are going through trials and tribulations – joy is not our first response…
  • Our natural reaction is to want to complain – we want to curse and get mad…
  • But if we are honest – the trials we are going through are really not that bad…
  • Consider for a moment Job – who lost everything he had – wealth / family / heath…
  • It would have been easy to give up – just to curse God and walk away…
  • But instead Job worshiped the Lord – and in all he did he did not sin – Job 2:10
  • Paul takes it a step further – not only are we not to curse God – we are to rejoice!
• We rejoice in tribulations/hardships – because they serve a purpose – Romans 5:3-5…
  • When we face trials/tribulations in life – we get to see God’s faithfulness
    • When we have no money – and we see the Lord provide for all our needs
    • When we are sick – and we see the Lord miraculously heal
    • If there were never any challenges – we would never get to see God do a work!
  • Tribulations give us perseverance/patience…
    • As we experience God taking care of all our needs – looking out for us
    • We gain confidence that He will take care of us the next time as well…
    • When we sit down in a chair – we do not inspect it first to see if it will hold up…
    • We have confidence because the chair has never failed us before!
    • It is not that we are men of great faith – we have seen God’s great faithfulness!
    • We are confident the Lord will take care of us – cause He has never failed us
      

• Our confidence in the Lord’s faithfulness – gives us a godly character…
  • We become known as those who trust in – rely on the Lord…
  • Men who do not panic in the trials – men who patiently wait on the Lord…
  • Who trust in / depend on Jesus – cause we have learned He is trustworthy…
  • So we can rejoice in trials because we know they make us Godly men!
    
• 2^nd – Because trials spread the Gospel… vs. 12
  • The word ‘spread’ – is a military term that means to trail blaze…
    • Paul was a trailblazer – going to spread the Gospel where it had never gone before…
      • Romans 15:20 – “My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard…”
      • As a results Paul went through a LOT of trials – he was in CONSTANT danger!
      • I Corinthians 11:23-25 – “I have… been put in jail often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.  Five different times the Jews gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned.”
      • The path of the Gospel was paved with the trials of those who shared Jesus!
    • All of these things happened – because Paul was out sharing the Gospel message…
      • While life might have been easier if he kept his mouth shut – people needed to hear!
      • There are few things that will inspire more hated in men – than love for Jesus…
      • The more we stand for Christ – the more others will come against us…
      • The question is do we let those trials shut our mouth – or make us bolder…
      • Often people turn back from sharing Jesus just because of little incontinences…
      • It is raining – I do not want to get wet / there is a basketball game on TV…
      • People need to hear the Gospel – the alternative is hell – so we need to tell them!

• 3^rd – Because God has us where we are for a purpose… vs. 13 
  • Paul was in Rome – in prison in the Praetorian Guard house…
    • He was there for two years chained to Roman soldiers – 24 hours a day 7 days a week…
    • The soldiers would change shifts every six hours – a new person to tell about Jesus!
    • Paul was not chained to a guard – they were chained to him – captive audience!
    • God had put Paul right where He wanted him – as an opportunity to share Jesus!
  • God has us where we are on purpose – it is no accident…
    • We often make the mistake of overlooking the opportunities in from of us…
    • If we are in school – we might think of it as a prison – but it is an opportunity…
    • For 8 hours a day we are surrounded by students who cannot go anywhere!
    • Or perhaps it is our work – and we feel like it is a prison…
    • But God has us there so we can use it as an opportunity to share the Love of Jesus!
    • We think about Jesus in church – but it is the everyday people that need to hear!
      
• 4^th – Because it gives boldness to others… vs. 14
  • Most believers were much bolder because of Paul’s chains…
    • They saw that Paul was not going to let anything stop him from sharing Jesus…
    • And the boldness of Paul was contagious – it helped others stand up as well!
    • When Joseph of Arimathea stood for up for Jesus – so did Nicodemus – John 19:39…
    • The boldness of Joseph was contagious – Nicodemus stood up for Christ as well!
  • When we stand up for Jesus – we will find we are not alone…
    • Whether we know it or not – people are watching us – following our example…
    • If we are conforming to the world – chances are they will ‘stumble’ with us…
    • The opposite is also true – if we stand up for Jesus – it will give boldness to others…
    • When you are willing to go to Bible studies – you will find others follow…
    • When you stand up for Jesus around family / friends – it gives other boldness too!

• 5^th – Because God has called us… vs. 15-18
  • Some people preached the Gospel – trying to add to Paul’s chains… vs. 16-17
    • In other words there were people who wanted to get Paul into even more trouble…
      • Speaking of the Judaizers – religious teachers who said you had to keep the Law…
      • Paul had an ongoing battle with these false teachers…
      • His first encounter with them came after his return from his 1^st missions trip…
      • Acts 15:1 – “Certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’”
      • They thought by ‘preaching in Paul’s name’ – it might add years to his sentence…
    • Others preached the Gospel – out of Love for Paul…
      • Not wanting to add to Paul’s chains – they knew he was there to defend the Gospel!
        • Defense – apologia – defense / reasoned statement / argument (apologetics)
        • It is important to be able to give a defense for our faith in Jesus
        • We do not need to be able to answer every question – know every verse…

• But we should be able to answer questions – tell people about Jesus!
• I Peter 3:15 – “If you are asked about your Christian hope… be ready to explain it.”
• Paul did not care what their motivation was – he was not going to be distracted…
  • No matter what others did – He was going to just do what God called him to do!
    • People are going to say bad things about us – false accusation to make us look bad…
    • We can defend ourselves – run around putting out all the little fires…
    • But no sooner to we extinguish one – than anther accusation pops up!
    • We cannot react every time someone makes a false accusation against us…
    • If we do we will waste all our time and effort – rather than using it to serve God!
    • If we are guilty – then we need to repent / if not – then who cares what people say…
    • God knows we are innocent – and He is the only one who really matters…
    • Do not be distracted by the comments – be faithful to the calling God has given you!
  • No matter what their motive – Paul rejoiced Jesus was preached!
    • There are a lot of people today who abuse the message of the Gospel…
    • There are many ‘pastors’ / ‘teachers’ today who use the Bible as a way to get rich…
    • TBN – if you do not give us money – it is your fault people will go to hell…
    • Or pastors who will send you their sweaty cloth to heal you – for a small ‘love’ gift…
    • Televangelist who talk as much about money as about the Good News…
    • Amazingly God can still use these people to spread the Gospel – people get saved…
    • Not to their credit – but to the credit of God – who can use people with bad motives!

• 6^th – We know what happens in the end… vs. 19
  • Paul knew the trials would have an end – one day he would be saved…
    • Our trials are only for a moment – heaven will last for an eternity…
    • We can also rejoice in hardships – knowing what waits for us in the end…
    • II Corinthians 4:17 – “Our light and momentary troubles…”
    • Following Jesus is not a guarantee we will not go through suffering in this life…
    • But it turns out to be just the opposite – Jesus guarantees suffering – John 16:3
    • But it turns out – they are just little problems – in the light of eternity!
  • But how to we find the strength to endure the trial…
    • Paul gives two things – prayer / and the supply of the Spirit of Christ…
    • We are not alone in our trials – we are called to pray for each other…
    • James 5:16 – “Pray for each other… the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.”
    • Pray that the Spirit is poured out on our lives – so we have the strength to stand!

• 7^th – Christ is magnified… vs. 20
  • Paul understood that as he stood boldly in his trials – people would see Jesus…
    • If God blesses us – and we praise Him – that is nothing extraordinary…
    • When we are in the midst of a trial – and we praise Him – people take notice!
    • God uses us to reveal Himself to others who otherwise do not know Him!
  • Why does God need us in order to magnify Himself…
    • Our sun is so big – if hollowed out – could hold 1.3 million earths
    • The next closest star to our sun (Antares) is so large it could hold 64 of our suns
    • In comparison – the star Hercules could hold 110 million Antares…
    • Epsilon – the largest known star – could hold 3 million Hercules…
    • Yet – they only look like a prick of light in the sky – because they are so very far away…
    • God is huge – but lost sinners are very far from Jesus…
    • It is though our lives that we magnify Christ so that they can see His love

So whether we live or die – it is all about one thing – Jesus!

8^th – To lvie if Christ – to die is gain… vs. 21

Paul understood that it was all about Jesus…

While he was still alive – He lived to tell others about the Love of Christ…

Life ultimately has one purpose – to choose where we will spend eternity…

Nothing else is as important – no other decision we make lasts forever!

So as long as we are alive – we should live to tell others about Jesus!

Paul looked forward to the day when he would die…

That was the ultimate victory – to go home and see Jesus face to face!

Death to us is not scary – it is not uncertain – it means going home!