Servants: Living Together to Advance the Gospel

1
Servants Living Together to Advance the Gospel

• Deitrich Bonhoffer
• Martin Niemoller
• Helmut Thielicke
• All 3 lived in a similar environment, but all
  working through different means to advance the
  Gospel.

2
Paul

• Paul lived this way.
• He wanted to go to Rome and preach Acts 1921
  Romans 115
• Prisoner instead of preacher.
• Verse 12 refers to all the things that happened
  that brought that about. The Philippians knew the
  facts, but they worried about Paul because they
  had not seen him for four years and had heard the
  rumors.

3
Paul

• They heard about his condition, but were they
  true.
• What happened to Paul could happen to them. Was
  it all worth it?
• Paul circumstances were not ideal.
• But they had resulted in the advancement of the
  Gospel.

4
Paul

• The word advance means pioneer advance
• Greek military term- the army engineers went
  before the troops to open the way to new
  territory.
• Not just a prisoner
• New ministries opened up.

5
Servants

• What circumstances do we face?
• What are our desires?
• Is it to advance the Gospel?
• Will we advance the Gospel and take it to new
  areas that are opened up for us?
• God often uses strange tools to help us advance
  the Gospel as pioneers.
• From our text this morning I want us to see two
  of these tools.

6
God Can Use Our Circumstances to Advance the
Gospel.

• Phil 112-14, 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.

7
Circumstances

• Paul did not let his circumstances control him.
• His chains released him instead of binding him.
  Later Paul wrote this to Timothy.
• 2 Tim 28-9, Remember Jesus Christ, raised from
  the dead, descended from David. This is my
  gospel, for which I am suffering even to the
  point of being chained like a criminal. But God's
  word is not chained.

8
Two Groups We Can Influence

• Our Circumstances give us contact with the lost.
• Paul was chained to a guard 24 hours a day.
• Shift changed every six hours, four men per day.
• This also gave Paul contact with officials in
  Caesar's court.

9
Influence to the Lost

• Everyone who knew of Pauls imprisonment knew why
  he was in prison
• God can use our chains, our worse than the best
  circumstances, to advance the Gospel in places it
  would never go.

10
Circumstances

• Fanny J. Crosby
• Blind at 6 years old
• 8000 hymns
• All the songs we have sung and will sing today
  were written by her.

11
Circumstances

• Randy Green
• 1969
• 1985
• 2003
• What are the chains, circumstances, that limit
  your life?

12
Second Group We Can Influence

• Our circumstances give courage to the saved.
• Many of the believers in Rome had become
  intimidated by government pressure not to speak
  about Christ.
• Phil 114, Because of my chains, most of the
  brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to
  speak the word of God more courageously and
  fearlessly.
• speak- not preach but everyday conversation

13
Influence the Saved

• Christians got involved in conversations about
  Paul and the Gospel.
• Ive told you about Gerald Bailey.
• Instead of us encouraging him, he encouraged us.
• Encouragement has a way of spreading just as
  discouragement does.
• Use your circumstances to encourage others!

14
God Can Use Our Critics to Advance the Gospel

• Phil 115-18, 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 defense 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. 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. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,

15
Critics

• Critics have selfish ambition
• Some around Paul preached Christ out of envy and
  rivalry- self ambition.
• What could they get out of the church.
• Ambition- to canvass for office, to get people to
  support you.
• Not seeking a following for Christ, but for
  themselves.

16
Critics

• Paul is in prison for preaching the Gospel
• His critics did what they could to make his
  conditions even more miserable.
• 2nd Century- Clement believed that Paul was
  executed due to the jealousy, strive and selfish
  ambition of Roman Christians.

17
Critics

• We have critics today.
• We see jealousy between churches
• Jealousy of Christian leaders.
• Some Christians believe they are not doing Gods
  work unless they are fighting someone.

18
How should we deal with such critics?

• We need spiritual ambition ambition free of
  motives.
• Two Generals
• He asked my opinion of him he did not ask for
  his opinion of me.
• In Rome there were those who had this kind of
  ambition.
• Preached out of good will.
• They preached out of love.

19
Critics Today

• Pauls only thoughts were that the Gospel be
  preached.
• Doesnt matter the reasons why the Gospel is
  preached just that its preached.
• This is how to deal with critics, dont lose
  sight of the goal.
• False motives same word in Mk 1240.
• Mark 1240, They devour widows' houses and for a
  show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be
  punished most severely."

20
Critics Today

• Paul says that even when some of the preaching
  was pretext, used to camouflage attacks on him,
  they could be ignored, provided that the Gospel
  was preached.
• We need to seek that kind of ambition if the
  Gospel is to be advanced.
• Brother Brown in Liberia.

21
Conclusion

• We will have difficult circumstances.
• We will have critics.
• But we live together for a reason
• To advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• B. E. Stanley Jones once wrote
• The early Christians did not say in dismay
• Look what the world has come to, but in
  delight,
• Look what has come to the world.