Philippians 1:19-26
Paul’s Heart (4)
We continue our study in Philippians, and our study into Paul’s heart.
I. \\#Phil 1:1-2\\ Introduction
II. \\#Phil 1:3-30\\ Paul’s Heart
A. \\#Phil 1:3-6\\ Paul’s Love
B. \\#Phil 1:6\\ Paul’s Confidence
C. \\#Phil 1:3-11\\ Paul’s Prayer
D. \\#Phil 1:12-18\\ Paul’s Desire
E. \\#Phil 1:19-26\\ Paul’s Faith - Tonight, we continue to look at
Paul’s heart, specifically some things of which he was certain.
From Paul’s words, there is no indication that the Lord had told
Paul the outcome of his imprisonment; however, he was impressed
in his own spirit that the Lord was not finished with him. When
I speak of Paul’s faith, I am not speaking of Paul’s certainty that
he would be released. I am speaking of his certainty in those
things which God has shown him.
I. \\#Phil 1:19-26\\ Paul’s Faith
A. \\#Phil 1:19, 25-26\\ Paul had faith in prayer.
1. Regardless of what happened to Paul, he was certain that the prayers
of the Philippians would bring about his SALVATION.
2. The word SALVATION literally means DELIVERANCE.
a. Even though Paul had no direct revelation of his future, he makes
several references to his own confidence that he will be
released.
b. See \\#Phil 1:25\\.
3. Paul’s confidence in his release is all the more boosted as he knows
his friends are praying to that end.
4. Throughout life we face situation where we have no direct revelation
from God on the outcome. In these situations, we should do what
Paul did.
a. Personally prayed and sought God’s will on the outcome. Although the
text does not tell us, I believe it is a safe supposition that
Paul had talked to God about what was going on in his life.
b. Have others pray for you.
(1) Prayer is a powerful tool no matter how many or how few are
helping.
(2) But for each Christian that joins in the praying, it is as
if another light was added to a string. Eventually, the
light gets so much brighter that God is simply more likely
to see and move on the righteous’ behalf.
(3) We know that prayer outside of the will of God will never be
answered.
(a) Prayer never changes God's mind.
(b) However, there are many things that God will do for us
but only if we labor to touch the throne of God.
(c) Having many people pray with us increases the likelihood
that we will receive those things from God.
c. Attempt to get a personal sense of what God will do.
(1) Apparently, this is what Paul was basing his CONFIDENCE upon.
(a) Paul does not speak of having any sign given or any
revelation imparted to him concerning his future.
(b) He had heard the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit.
(2) This is what you and I pretty well rely upon.
(a) That voice can some times be so small, you are not certain
it is of God.
(b) However, at other times, it can be so loud that you wonder
that others did not hear it.
(c) And it can be at all other sound levels in between.
(3) Paul had heard that voice and felt fairly certain he would be
released.
(4) These are not the kind of situation where you try to
prove to God how great your faith is.
(a) Some in these situations attempt to put God in a box
by publically declaring how they "know" God will
answer their prayer a certain way.
(b) If God has not spoken, all of your boasting is in vain.
(5) No. Just ask God to direct your heart.
(a) To give your heart a quiet confidence that He has
heard your prayers and is going to answer them.
(b) You can ask Him to repeat it to you louder as well.
(c) And when that confidence comes, hold onto it and
ask others to keep praying in that direction.
B. \\#Phil 1:19\\ Paul had faith in the Holy Spirit what He had supplied.
1. Paul not only had faith in what God would do as He was sought, he
also had faith in what the Holy Spirit would do.
a. The phrasing of this portion of the verse leaves us uncertain
as to exactly what he meant.
(1) Was Paul confident in the supply of the Holy Ghost whom God
had given him?
(2) Or was Paul confident in what the Holy Spirit had supplied
to him?
(3) The verse could read either way.
(4) In situations of that sort, I take it to mean God meant
both.
b. God had given to Paul all of the Holy Ghost he needed to face,
with confidence, whatever God allowed to happen to him.
c. AND the Holy Ghost had given to Paul all the he needed to face,
with confidence, whatever God allowed to happen to him.
2. Again, so it is with us.
a. You and I do not need more of the Holy Ghost.
(1) The Holy Ghost is a person, not a substance.
(2) When you ladies had a baby, you did not get the child in
parts. You just got HIM.
(3) So with the Holy Spirit.
(a) On the day you were saved, the person of the Holy Ghost
moved into your being.
(b) As a PERSON, ALL OF HIM moved into you.
(4) Of course, you and I need to spend time in prayer, giving
more of ourselves to Him—confessing our sins and
shortcomings—but we have all of Him that we need.
b. And again, the Holy Spirit will give us what we need to complete
whatever task we are called to do.
(1) For that to happen, we must keep ourselves clean and pure.
(2) We rob our own power by sin and carnality.
3. But through it all, man’s business is NEED and God’s business is
SUPPLY.
4. We, like Paul, can have faith that God, through the Holy Spirit, will
give us what we need to face anything that comes our way.
C. \\#Phil 1:20-26\\ Paul had faith in God’s plan.
1. As far as we can tell, Paul did not know all the details of God’s
plan for his future.
a. Paul speaks of no divine revelations concerning his life.
b. But even without knowing the plan, Paul has faith in it.
2. \\#Phil 1:21\\ In God’s plan, there appeared to be two options.
a. To live
b. To die
3. \\#Phil 1:21-26\\ Paul saw the advantages to each one.
a. To live would give Paul an opportunity for more service.
(1) He would get to see more souls saved, encourage the churches,
help individuals.
(2) There are also certain perks which come with being alive.
We get to enjoy being with our families, living in a
familiar environment, doing some things that we enjoy.
b. To die would give Paul great privileges. After death we get to
to see Jesus, to experience heaven, to be freed from sin and
corruption, to see those who have gone before, and the list
goes on indefinitely.
c. Paul himself was not sure which of the two he wanted the most!
4. Paul had learned a lesson that you and I must learn if we are to have
faith no matter what the circumstances.
a. The lesson is that Christians can not loose. Whether we live or die,
it is good!
b. At some point, every Christian is going to have to face death.
(1) Some will have to face it young.
(2) some will have to face it repeatedly.
(3) But, unless the Lord snatches us away, we are going to die.
c. Can you take your eyes off of your flesh long enough…
(1) …to face death with faith?
(2) …to realize that heaven is the VICTORY not the PUNISHMENT?
(3) ,,,to bring glory to God, even if you see death coming from
a long way off? even if death’s coming is painful? even
if death’s coming is lonely?
d. That is how Paul’s faith was allowing him to see death!
5. \\#Phil 1:20\\ In fact, Paul was determined that no matter whether he
lived or died, he would not be ASHAMED but would be BOLD, so that
Christ would be MAGNIFIED in his death!
D. This is the faith that abode within Paul’s heart! And what a powerful
faith it was.
II. \\#Phil 1:27-30\\ Paul’s Concern
A. \\#Phil 1:27\\ In Paul’s heart was only one concern and that was for his
fellow Christians.
1. Paul’s concern deals with their CONVERSATION.
a. The Greek word means CITIZENSHIP, or LIFE, or LIFESTYLE.
b. Paul’s only concern for these Christians was that they have the
right kind of Christian lifestyle, regardless of what happens to
him.
2. Keep in mind, Paul’s concern had nothing to do with HIM.
a. Concerning what happened to him, Paul had great confidence that
whatever God allowed would be good.
b. He was concerned, however, with what others might choose.
c. Our concern need never be with what God ALLOWS, but with what we
CHOOSE.
d. God will only allow those things in our life which will bring glory
to Himself; however, many of our choices run contrary to God's
glory.
B. \\#Phil 1:28-29\\ Concerning their lifestyle, Paul was concerned that the
Philippians would choose to be fearful of persecution.
1. We can see that in these two verses.
a. \\#28\\ "terrified by your adversaries"
b. \\#29\\ "It is given… to suffer for his sake"
2. All through the Scriptures, the Bible teaches us that we are not to
fear.
a. When Abraham was concerned that he would have no seed to carry on
his name, God answered him:
Genesis 15:1 …Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
b. When Abraham had put Hagar and Isaac out of his home and they were
without water in the dessert, God answer her:
Genesis 21:17 …fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
c. When the children of Israel were looking across the River Jordan
at the skilled armies, the walled cities, and the giant soldiers
they would have to defeat to take the land, God answered them:
Deuteronomy 31:6 fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is
that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
d. As Joshua took up the mantle dropped by Moses and was commanded to
take Israel into the land to begin the fighting, God answer him:
Joshua 8:1 …Fear not, neither be thou dismayed… see, I have given into thy
hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:
e. As Elijah’s servant saw the Syrians gathered around Elijah’s house
to remove the prophet of God out of the land, Elijah heard a word
from the Lord and told the servant:
2 Kings 6:16 …Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with
them.
f. As angels stood before Zacharias, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds
to announce the birth of Messiah, each time the angels began with
the same message… FEAR NOT.
g. Now as Paul writes, from prison where he could face the death
penalty, he writes to this young church and says…
(1) Do not be terrified of what the wicked can do to you.
(2) God has given you privilege to suffer for Him.
h. If God’s people, in the face of uncertainty, in the face of war,
in the face of God’s holy angels, and in the face of persecution
have been commanded not to be afraid, what could you and I
possibly face which would make us fearful?
3. We know that fear is a human emotion.
a. It is natural for any human being to be fearful.
b. However, Christians are not just any human being.
(1) We have a God who rules over all things and who has promised
to help us.
(2) We are taught to control and use our emotions and not let our
emotions control us.
4. Christians need to understand that when we are controlled by fear, we
are showing some signs of weakness.
a. Fear shows a weak faith toward God.
(1) We must grow in faith and conquer our fears.
(2) As with any other weakness within us, it may take time; but by
the grace of God, we can overcome fear.
b. Not only do we need to conquer fear because of what it says to God,
we need to conquer our fear because of what it says to the world.
(1) Fear is a sign of doubt. When we are afraid, we tell the
world that we lack confidence in what God is doing in our
life.
(2) Fear is a sign of displeasure. When we are afraid, we tell the
world that we do not like what God is doing in our life.
5. \\#Phil 1:29-30\\ From Paul’s concern, we see to suffer for Christ is
not a curse but a commendation.
a. "it is GIVEN to you" - Given means "TO DO SOMETHING PLEASANT OR
AGREEABLE, TO DO A FAVOR, TO GRATIFY."
b. Paul is not referring to the opportunity to suffer for Jesus as a
curse or even something to be shunned and avoided.
c. Paul will go on in the next chapter to describe what Jesus
suffered, making a connection between what Jesus did for us and
what some of us may have the opportunity to do for Him.
d. The notion is that we should not be fearful or despise the
suffering that we go through any more than He despised or feared
the suffering He went through.
e. On the other side of the suffering is reward and joy.
f. We must focus on that.
By looking into Paul's heart, especially at this critical time in his life, we see
more what the heart of a mature Christian should be like. Will we always know our
future? No. Will our future always be pleasant? No. But our future will always
be in the hands of the One who loves us and desires to bring glory to Himself. So
we can face it with faith.
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