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Advancing the Gospel...By Any Means!

Sunday, February 26, 2023
Pastor Alex Chen

Weekly Bulletin | Worship Lyrics

Philippians 1:12-18

 

Philippians 1:12-18 – “Advancing the Gospel… By Any Means!”

Outline
1.     Advancing the Gospel… By Any Means
2.     We All Need So Much More of This… More Gospel Backbone
3.     The Power of the Gospel that Overcomes the Weakness of Man

Advancing the Gospel… by Any Means
·       v.12-13 -- 12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.
·       Acts 21:10-13 -- 10 While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
·       DA Carson -- The first thing this book says is put the gospel first… Put the gospel first.

We All Need So Much More of This… More Gospel Backbone
·       v.14 -- 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
·       DA Carson – A whiff of persecution sometimes puts backbone into otherwise timid Christians.

The Power of the Gospel that Overcomes the Weakness of Man
·       v.15-17 -- 15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
·       Gal 1:8-9 -- 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
·       HB Charles -- Our preaching is not the reason the Word works. The Word is the reason our preaching works. 
·       Martin Luther --  I simply taught, preached, and wrote God’s Word; otherwise I did nothing. And then, while I slept… the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that never a prince or emperor did such damage to it. I did nothing. The Word did it all.
·       Rom 1:16 -- 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for IT is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
·       v.18 -- 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.