Introduction to Philippians

I'm sure we all remember it. I know I do, as if it were just yesterday. The day of infamy, a day long remembered is what they called Pearl Harbor but it is what I call that day that I was laid low, afflicted, perplexed, persecuted. We have all had those times, some more than others, but we all have had them. It is one of those universal truths. You know some universal truths: God is love, we will suffer, we will die (some would include taxes).

You do remember it don't you? That day the school you wanted to go to didn't want you to go there; the day your boyfriend or girlfriend said, "Asta la vista, baby!"; the day your SAT scores came back just a little lower than you expected; the day your best friend said you were no longer friends; the day your mom and dad said they were divorcing; the day the world, your world, caved in. You know the day, it felt as if you were thrown into a prison, the door locked and it rained all the time--in your cell.

I remember it for me, actually there have been many, but this one I remember clearly. It may surprise 99.9% of you. That day, as I remember it, the almanac may say something different, was dark, cold, and dreadful. I don't remember the exact day--I'm sure my sister does. I think it was six years ago. I was told my sister's three day old son died. How do you answer the question, "WHY!?!", at a time like this? How can you tell someone that God is love and all things work to the good? Will they listen to the rhetoric? No. Can you answer their questions? No. Do they even want you to? No.

I remember doing the funeral, I was prepared for anything. After all, I had been to a few funerals, but they had been those of older folks in the 70's. This one was for a person who was only in his 70th hour, not his 70th year. I saw his body lying in state. I heard the questions of why again, but this time I was the one who asked. I saw the prison door slowly closing. I heard the Liar laughing. How do you encourage someone while you are in such a way? How can you tell others not to lose heart but rejoice when you are angered by that laugh, by the unanswerable death of a child?

Paul was in this situation. He had one of those days that seemed to last years. Paul's prison door was real, the darkness was from being placed in an actual prison, most likely a pit. In spite of this he encouraged, he uplifted, he ministered!

I have always wondered how Paul could write a book like Philippians while in jail. This is a book characterized by thanksgiving, joy and rejoicing. The one who needed uplifting, ministering and encouragement wrote to uplift others. I began to study that book and began to realize that it is a book that presents the way Christians need to bear the marks of Jesus in whatever circumstance they are in. Timothy, Epaphraditus, Paul and the others in the book are labeled as bearing the marks of Christ. I also noticed a direct parallel to the passage read in 2 Corinthians 4 as to why and how Paul could write this type of letter at a dark hour of his life, at a time when despondency would seem the order of the day and not joy.

In all his situations he remembered his duty to present Christ; he remembered the presence of Christ; and he remembered he would be presented by Christ.

The glory of it is he saw even his worst times as opportunity to present Christ. He called this, the presenting of Christ even in hardships-or as Peter would say, in season and out of season-as bearing the marks of Christ.

One sure way to overcome those dark days is to turn them into days of glory for God by using them as a tool to present Christ.

I remember the eulogy at my nephew's service. I came to grips that week with the eternal state of children who die young and used this death to present Christ to the 30 or so who attended. Many questioned why and through their questioning a few were saved and a few went back to church.

To read through Philippians, you get the sense that Paul believes that his God is the best that could be. That if all of life was hardship he would still serve God, read Philippians 3 and see for yourself. Why could he hold to this? I believe it has to do with how he viewed Christ. He continually sought to know Christ--this is another characteristic of Philippians- in all of His god head

II In Philippians 3 he says he would throw all away just to know Christ. Paul experienced life as if Christ were there beside him living it with him. How else could he carry on? How else could we carry on?

Jesus was active in Paul's life. Earlier in 2 Corinthians we see that it is the Holy Spirit doing His work of glorifying Christ in Paul that is God's presence (3.8). This is the presence of Christ within the believer.

Have you allowed God to minister through you and in you by the Holy Spirit on those days of infamy? I remember God healing old wounds between my sister and me through that day. Since that day our relationship has changed dramatically. That is how God ministered in me through that hard day. I believe it was a day when the Spirit who is in me groaned with a groaning to deep for words on my behalf. Another way He ministered through that day was He brought my other nephew into His kingdom.

Throughout Philippians you see this. In chapter 2 God is working in Paul; in chapter 1 you can see God working through Paul to reach others for God.

Through our hardships God wants to work in us and through us. Have you allowed God to take your dark days and turn them to glory that is incalculable (v. 17, B)? Are you allowing Him to change you from glory to glory-renew your spirit through your hardships (v. 16, NASV)?

I can't picture Paul totally forgetting those dark hours and not being affected by them. I remember the initial reaction to death--anger. I see David being angry over death, I see God being angered over death, I see Paul telling death to take a hike. And I saw me shaking my fist at God asking why. But I can also see Paul, and me, allowing God to turn it for good. He doesn't ask us not to be angered over death and other hardships. What He does ask us to do is to allow Him to work within us to change it to good.

He took the death of a child and turned it for good. I admit that it is hard to see how the death of a loved one could turn to good. But I also see the changed relationships and lives that occurred--how can that be measured? It is a glory incalculable.

Paul looks to the future for ultimate understanding. In Philippians his desire is to know Christ, to know Him in a particular way--the power of His resurrection. I can hear Paul say and you and I have: let me learn from the past while forgetting them but also let me see what that future resurrection day will be like.

III. He is in essence saying: I will present Christ, I will allow His presence to be manifest in me but let me be presented in Christ on that day.

One day we will be raised in the power of His resurrection to the presence of God. In that presence we shall be presented, as Jude says, holy and blameless.

Paul looked forward to the day that John saw in the Revelation of Jesus Christ. A day when there would be no more pain, no more tears, no more, "WHY!?!".

Paul sees all hardship as a momentary trouble (v.17, B) which produces eternal joys.

How have you re-acted in your moments of distress? Do you read 2 Corinthians 4.8-9 without the second half of the verses? Or do you read it all? Do you hope in Christ and glory in Him by presenting Christ to others in those dark hours or because of those dark days? Have you allowed Him to turn your mourning into joy? Your anger into love?

How we re-act is how we allow God's presence to work in us. It is important to allow Him to work within our trials to His glory and perfect end.

Do you have that hope of His resurrection dwelling within you? Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15 that if we do not have this hope we are miserable and are to be the most pitied people in the world.

If you desire prayer in this area, please come forward and kneel before God allowing us to pray specifically for you. If you have that desire, come.

Out of Paul's hardship came a small book to a little town which we call Philippians. I challenge each person here to look at their own personal day of infamy and write their own personal book to the Philippians to encourage the church and yourself. I lay out this challenge as we venture to study through the book that calls us to bear the marks of Jesus.

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