Suffering with Christ

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I wonder what you would say the normal Christian life should be like? What do you expect from being a Christian?

Here’s a quote from Joel Osteen, the well known Christian author, pastor and televangelist:

“We have a right to total victory. I want you to get that down on the inside. Not partial victory where you have a good family, good health, but struggle with your finances. That’s not total victory. Maybe God has blessed you good family, good job, but you have had a pain in your body for years and years. That’s not total victory. God created you to be totally free - to have peace, to have divine health, to have plenty to pay your bills. You have rights and privileges and one of those privileges is total victory.”

I wonder what you make of that? We may not express it as crassly as that, but deep down do we think that the normal Christian life is when there are no problems and there is health, wealth and prosperity? That when everything’s going well, that’s when we are best placed to serve the Lord?

Or do we think that if there are problems then they should go immediately when we pray. And if they don’t, perhaps we are not praying properly. Now, don't get me wrong. God does answer prayers miraculously. I’ve experienced that. I hope you have too. But is that the normal Christian life - that problems are always solved instantly (click fingers)? Or that they shouldn’t even arise in the first place?

Well that sounds great - especially if you have been going through a rough time this year. But it’s not the truth of the matter as the apostle Paul makes clear to us here in Philippians 1 verse 29: “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him...”

This is a recurrent theme throughout the Bible so Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3v.12 “...everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted...”

And again in Hebrews 12v.7: “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.”

OR James 1v.2: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds...”

OR 1 Peter 4.12: “...do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.”

Just before you think this is just a bunch of overzealous, masochistic disciples here, what about Jesus in Matthew 5v.11 as he says: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”

Do you get the picture? We all know that in this world there will be pain. Behind our smiles we all carry secret worries and pains. But the Bible is saying that this side of heaven it will be no different for a Christian. So we mustn’t be surprised if we suffer. The Bible says that difficulties are not strange or odd. They are normal.

Which sounds a bit depressing when we’re barely 24 hours from Christmas Day - “Happy Christmas everyone... you’re going to suffer!” - But, the Christian’s trials and hardships are not in vain. They have purpose. They are for God’s glory and our good. In fact more than that, they are for God’s glory and everyone’s good.

That’s the message that the apostle Paul would call out to us from Philippians 1. He was in prison and he was facing execution. And yet he was not depressed. Actually he’s radiant, as he constantly talks about joy amongst other things.

In this chapter the great apostle tells us the secret of his joy. And I don’t know about you, but I want to know that. I want to know the secret of Paul’s joy. I want to know the source of his incredible energy that enabled him to face the trials of life without being worn down and worn out.

Well let’s take a look at that this evening as we see 3 tests Paul had to endure as he suffered for Christ with joy. His first test was imprisonment, or...

(1.) The Test of Freedom (v.12-14)

Here in this letter we meet Paul in prison handcuffed to a Roman soldier, awaiting trial before the Emperor himself. The great activist was planning to push west with the gospel - going across Turkey to Rome and then onto Spain. But his plans have been derailed. He is locked up... and he isn’t going anywhere.

Visualise him there in a deep dark prison in Rome. How do you see Paul? Do you see him as caged Lion? A pinioned eagle? Well you’d be wrong to see him like that. Paul here welcomed his imprisonment because however much frustration it brought him, it turned out well for Christ. Philippians 1 verse 12:

“ Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.”(v12-14)

In short Paul was glad to have lost his freedom if thereby the gospel gained a greater freedom. As he may well be trapped in a prison cell, but the gospel is still going out - in this case to the prison guard. You can imagine them coming on guard duty as Guiseppe learns he’s down on the roster for another stint with Paul: “Not again (Head in Hands)! I got 4 hours with him yesterday. I know the whole thing now. I could tell you it all” and all the other guards gleefully wish him well: “Well good luck to you mate. In you go (Wave)!”

You see Paul is not put off by circumstances. To him the circumstances he finds himself in weren’t enemies to be frustrated by. They were opportunities to be grasped.

Why? Because Paul believed deeply in the Sovereignty of God. He actually believed what he has said in verse 6 - that “...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” So everything that could have gone wrong had gone wrong for Paul for about 2 or 3 years and his 5 year strategic plan for gospel lies in tatters, but Paul still believes that God is working his purposes out. God is still in control so he says: “...what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”

Paul believed in the sovereignty of God. That God has a plan for his world. He has good purposes for his children. And God’s plans cannot be thwarted - Not even by the might and power of the Roman Emperor. So even though it looks like everything is unravelling for Paul and that the plans of wicked men will triumph he believes that God is still in control. God rules.

When you really believe that you start to see, like the Apostle Paul, that even opposition provides opportunity.

I heard the testimony of a guy who’d recently become a Christian a while back. He’d been working in a hair salon with a girl who was a Christian herself. She was always polite, ever so helpful, charming and kind to everyone who came in, and was forever inviting him to come to church with her. He always managed to find a reason to politely decline, until one morning she came in all bright and breezy after he had a pretty heavy night of it the evening before. She invited him to a special event at church at the weekend and something inside him just snapped. He felt a distinct urge to persecute her. Now I don’t know how you persecute someone in a hairdressers, but judging by some of the haircuts I’ve had over the years, I’m pretty sure I’ve been a victim myself on a number of occasions.

For this guy it sufficed for him to sweep hair from under his chair to hers, to hide her scissors, mess up her clipper tips, till eventually she issued her invitation to church again and he tipped over her chair, slapped her hard across the face, and stormed out of the salon. He was at home later that night when the phone rang. It was her. She said, “You didn’t answer my question about whether you wanted to come to church this weekend.” He didn’t have the heart to say no. He went and what he heard was the most wonderful news ever - that Jesus had died for sinners like him - and he gave his life to Jesus there and then.

I guess that girl in the hairdressers saw things just like the Apostle Paul - that opposition is just another form of opportunity. Because God is still God even when the going gets tough.

Perhaps that’s the message you need to remember tonight. As right now you are in a very difficult place. You face extraordinary pressures and problems. And it’s been one set back after another. Remember God is sovereign. God rules. God is accomplishing his purposes. The pressures of life are the hands of the potter who is actually our heavenly Father. God places you or me in certain situations to make a difference for him. To stand for him and live for him. To stand for his truth and his principles and his word. So we are not to be tempted to give into opposition. We are not to be silenced! All we need to do is be faithful. Opposition is an opportunity!

Who know what might happen if we take the opportunities opposition presents. For that girl in the hairdressers she persevered and seized the opportunity - And the gospel went out. Maybe you’ve seen fruit like that too? Then Praise the Lord! Yet for others like friends of mine who this term had the courage to speak up for the Bible’s view of marriage in the face of the government’s proposal to introduce same sex marriage - they seem to have received only scornful abuse and vitriol. But their example encouraged others to be bolder. They encouraged me to be bolder. And if more of us were to stand up and speak out then the more we might encourage one another in that way. We may not always convince the opposition, but our courage can still bless the church.

After all, that’s what Paul’s example did. We don’t know how many of Paul’s Roman guards came to faith, but we do know that they heard the gospel and that because of Paul’s faithful witness in extreme circumstances - verse 14: “...most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.”

That’s the test of freedom. Secondly we move on to...

(2.) The Test of Reputation (v.15-18)

As damage was being done to Paul’s reputation. Those who were made more bold to preach as a result of Paul’s imprisonment were a very mixed bag indeed. Check out verse 15:

“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.” (v15)

Now these guys weren’t false teachers - Paul would never have rejoiced in a false Christ being preached. But they preached from false motives. They didn’t necessarily want to exalt Christ by their preaching, they wanted to humiliate Paul. That was their agenda. They were jealous of him and they were kicking him when he was down. They were looking to eclipse Paul and steal the hearts of his followers. Paul’s reputation was being viciously attacked and he could do nothing about it. He couldn’t visit the churches to explain himself, or sue or even write to the Rome Times. So what did he do? Verse 18:

“But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.”(v18)

Paul rejoiced. He could handle a sullied reputation because Christ was proclaimed. He didn’t care what others thought of him or what they said about him behind his back as long as the gospel was going out. It’s not written in any of his letters but I’m pretty sure he was the originator of that saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

Well as we reflect on this, I think we’ll agree that if it is hard to lose our freedom, it is as bad to lose our reputation. Our good name is one of our most treasured possessions. It doesn’t matter what position we have formally, what people think of us and our reputation matters a great deal. Yet Paul’s concern here was not for his reputation, but Christ’s proclamation. I have to say that this speaks to us really deeply to us, because if any of us speak out for Christ and for his word in this country our reputation will be sullied by some. If we stand up for Christ and his standards at work we may well be ridiculed.

Let me ask you - in 2012 did you gently and graciously challenge an injustice at work? Was there anyone among your colleagues or friends who you told, with tears, that unless they respond to Christ they will face the judgement of God? Did you risk your reputation with anybody? They may well slander you - they probably will. But if we love them more than we love ourselves we will tell them.

Paul would not have cared that his reputation was sullied. He only would have cared that the right thing was done and that the gospel went out. Time and again I have to say I do not want my reputation damaged. I don’t want to be called a bigot or a nutter. That’s what keeps us from speaking up isn’t it? The fear of what others might say. But there are worse things that can happen to us then being called names.

Which is the third and final test tonight...

(3.) The Test of Life (v.19-26)

A friend of mine called Sophie who I worked with for UCCF went on to serve with the student movement in Belarus. She was quite anxious before she went. A friend asked her, What was the worst thing that could happen to her? “I could be killed,” she said, “No, no. I could be raped. Yes, that would be worse.” She looked up, suddenly realising, “No, that’s not true is it? The worst thing that could happen is that the people of Belarus don’t hear the gospel.”

It’s no wonder that the Apostle Paul isn’t worried about the trouble makers in the church. What’s the worst thing that could happen to him? Is it death? Well look at verse 23: “I desire to be with Christ, which is better by far.” Death is a blessing to Paul. He gets to go and be with his Saviour. So what about being kept alive in prison? Well look at verse 24: “But it may be more necessary for me to remain in the body.” For in the body, even in prison, he can preach the gospel, and encourage the brothers, as we’ve already seen.

So what’s the worst thing that could happen to him? Verse 20 holds the key:

“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”(v20)

The worst thing that could happen to Paul is that he blows it and doesn’t exalt Christ. He’s hoping that after having been imprisoned for his beliefs, he’ll still have the guts to live and proclaim those beliefs right up to the bitter end. That even in the darkest times he will still have the discipline and desire to stick close to Jesus. He says, “Whether I live or die is not the question. How I magnify Christ is the question.” “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

That’s a very challenging attitude isn’t it? We don’t tend to have a difficulty with the first 6 words. “For to me to live is...” because we’re all living for something. And it can be for good things. The family, my job, my garden, or my social life. It could be sport, or the stock market. Many live at school or university for popularity or to get a good degree or just to have a laugh. But so often if we’re honest, it’s not for me to live is Christ. It’s for me to live is me. It’s actually me. I’m the one I’m living for.

But for Paul it was Christ. He did not live for himself. Paul saw everything as to whether it brought honour or dishonour to Christ. Everything in his life was passed through that sieve.

This is an incredible statement of faith as he determines himself no matter what happens to keep the main thing the main thing. It makes me wonder - how would we handle a similar time of crisis?

Many of you will know the author John Piper. He’s a pastor from America and he’s written a number of really helpful books. A few years back he was diagnosed as having cancer and the night before his surgery he wrote an article entitled “Don’t Waste Your Cancer”. You can find it online and I think it’s also been produced as a short book now. In it he gives the following headlines:

1. You will waste your cancer if you see it as a curse and not a gift.
2. You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than comfort from God.
3. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.
4. You will waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as you did before.
5. You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and the glory of Christ.
6. You will waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading about cancer and not enough time reading about God.

It’s an extraordinary article and an extraordinary thought - Don’t waste your cancer. I think Paul is the original example of that. He didn’t waste his crisis. He’s in prison for goodness sake! He could well lose his head... which he did in the end. But the crisis cleared out the clutter and focused his mind so that he could have a laser beam focus. “It’s not about me,” says Paul. “It’s not about my rights and my comfort and my needs and my leisure and my money and my dreams. It’s not about my life. No! It’s about Christ’s!”

Perhaps this last year you have faced an enormous crisis. Out of the blue everything just changes. And of course you’re human so you’re shocked and numbed and can’t sleep for anxious thoughts and maybe you’re even angry with God. But surely there ought to come a point where with John Piper we say - “Don’t waste your cancer. Don’t waste your crisis. Don’t waste your pain.” Where we ask: “How can God use this to make me more Christ-like? How can God use this to focus my mind, my life, my thoughts on Christ? How can God use this so that I can share the gospel with others? How can God use this so that I can throw out all the clutter, all the self-centredness so that I can say with Paul: “For me to live is Christ...”

So... we see in this chapter, Paul was in danger of losing 3 precious gifts. Gifts which we all value very highly. His freedom, his reputation and even his life. And yet his priority was always Christ’s glory. It’s a deeply challenging chapter is it not? It’s not for the fainthearted. As Paul would not enjoy his freedom, or hear his praises sung or live a long life if the only way of getting those things was by keeping his head down and denying or disowning Christ. He would not play it safe! He simply wouldn’t. He would sacrifice all those things rather than forgo his love of the Lord Jesus.

So, what about us?

I don’t know what 2013 holds in store. I pray it will bring great joy, but pain is just around the corner in this world. We will only be ready for those things if we can deep down say that the bottom line is that Christ is honoured & glorified. The bottom line is that “For to me, to live is Christ...”

Will that be our motto for the year ahead? Let’s pray that it will. Because that is the way to joy no matter what life throws at us.