EPISODE 182 PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 1 "Joy in suffering"

Welcome to Share the Word. Today, Margie Biasotto kicks off Philippians chapter one, which is a testament to the Apostle Paul's unshakable faith and joy, even when facing imprisonment. He demonstrates the transformative power of the gospel and encourages believers to live their lives centered on Christ. Keep your life as a Christian in mind as you listen. Hi, I'm Margie, and this is Share the Word. Today we're beginning the book of Philippians.

Once again, I'm borrowing some from the Amazing Collection workbook. The big idea? Joy in suffering. In 1982, a Tylenol crisis caused the deaths of seven people in the Chicago area. Someone, not an employee of the company, had tampered with the Tylenol bottles and laced them with cyanide. Johnson & Johnson, the producer of Tylenol, immediately removed all Tylenol capsules from the entire United States market, even though the deaths only occurred in the city of Chicago, an estimated cost of a hundred million dollars.

J&J also put into motion a 2,500-person communications team to alert the public and to deal with the crisis. The Washington Post applauded Johnson & Johnson by saying, They have succeeded in portraying itself as a company willing to do what is right, regardless of the cost. What a bold move. Why do you think they did that? That this company responded this way in a crisis. Well, back in 1943, Robert W.

Johnson had written a document for J&J entitled Our Credo. And it began this way. We believe that our first responsibility is to all who use our products, and our products must always be of the highest quality. So what this company believed back in 1943 determined how they responded in 1982. On an entirely different level, the spiritual level, this is just what the Apostle Paul did. His belief that the best is yet to come.

His great faith in Jesus. His confidence that the gospel is true and meant for all mankind. His resolve to focus on the eternal and not the temporal. Determined how he would respond in crisis, how he would respond to suffering, hardship, difficulties and disappointments. How he would respond to physical, emotional, relational and circumstantial challenges. It was all decided beforehand and governed by his credo.

That credo, it can be found in Philippians 1:12 through 21, where the Apostle Paul stated, Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters here have become confident in the Lord and proclaim the gospel without fear. It's true that some preach Jesus out of envy or rivalry, but others out of goodwill. But what does it matter? The important thing is that Christ is being preached, and because of that, I rejoice.

Yes, I will continue to rejoice. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Perhaps if Paul were to expand upon his credo, it might read, Everything in my life revolves around Jesus. He's the meaning of my existence. He's the grid through which I view all of my circumstances. So whatever happens, it doesn't matter if I live or die, as long as Christ is preached, I rejoice.

Yes, life is tough, brothers and sisters. It's tough to be in prison. But what does it matter? To live is Christ. It's tough to have other preachers take advantage of me and slander me. But what does it matter?

To live is Christ. It's tough to know whether I'm going to be executed or carry on to serve. But what does it matter? To live is Christ. To die is gain, and as long as Christ is preached, I rejoice. Yes, I will continue to rejoice.

For though we find Paul incarcerated, the book of Philippians is frequently referred to as the book of joy. Joy is mentioned 20 times in this little book, and once you hear the circumstances, I hope you will find his joy extra amazing and inspiring. Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon are often called the prison letters because Paul wrote them while detained in Rome. And by prison, we actually mean house arrest. Most likely, the apostle Paul was kept close, under guard at all times. He was probably chained to his keeper, a Roman soldier.

But the apostle Paul was clearly given certain freedoms and privileges not offered to most captives, including being allowed to see many visitors and to continue his correspondence with the churches. Despite the favor, the apostle Paul was still very much a prisoner and forced to stay put while awaiting trial. The book of Philippians may have been the last of the prison epistles. All of them thought to be written between 60 and 62 A.D. And though this letter was written during a time of confinement and hardship, the book of Philippians offers a powerful testament to Paul's unwavering faith, his ministry, and his joyful countenance in the face of adversity. It is such a source of encouragement and instructions for believers during that difficult era, as well as for us now.

Per usual, when starting a new book, we give the historical background. The apostle Paul includes in his greetings and salutations a mention of his protégé, Timothy. Timothy is actually mentioned in six of the thirteen Pauline epistles. Most likely, the Philippians would have known Timothy as he accompanied the apostle on his missionary journeys. Both Paul and Timothy are referred to as servants of Jesus Christ. And as we've mentioned before, servants or bondservants means a person who willingly submits to be a slave, and in this case, a slave to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Timothy, in Greek, means honoring God or honored by God. We know that Timothy already had a solid Jewish training in the Scriptures from his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois. Timothy probably became a Christian after the apostle Paul's first missionary trip to Lystra in Asia Minor. By Paul's second visit, Timothy had grown into a respected disciple of Jesus, and it seems he did not hesitate to join the Apostle Paul and Silas on the remainder of that journey. Timothy's mixed Greek and Jewish background might have created problems on their missionary journey, because many of the audiences would have been made up of Jews who were concerned about keeping strict tradition. However, Timothy's submission to circumcision helped to avoid these potential problems.

His willingness to be circumcised as an adult demonstrated his humility, willingness, commitment to Christ, and to the mission. Beyond the tension possibly created by his mixed racial background, Timothy seemed to struggle with a timid character and possibly insecurity regarding his usefulness. But Paul demonstrated confidence in Timothy by giving him important positions and responsibilities even at a young age. We know that they had a very special and sweet relationship. Paul even refers to his love of Timothy in this very letter, saying, I have no one else like him. Timothy has proved himself because, like a son with a father, he has served me in the work of the gospel.

Now, back to Philippi. This small city was an important military outpost in Macedonia. Philippi was first named Crenides, meaning the little fountains, because of the number of natural springs in the region. It was located on the northern coast of the Aegean Sea. It was named after King Philip of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great, in 356 BC. The Romans captured the city in 168 BC and in 42 BC turned it into a Roman colony.

It's said that the massive amount of gold mined near Philippi enabled Philip II to perfect the art of bribery. The Apostle Paul founded the church on his second missionary journey in AD 51 through the efforts of Timothy and Silas and Luke as well. Because we do not read about the apostle first going to a synagogue when entering Philippi, we can deduce that there were probably very few Jews in the city. We do know from the Book of Acts that some of Paul's early converts included a wealthy woman merchant, a jailer, and a slave girl. As usual, the Apostle Paul greets them with both the Greek and the Hebrew. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace in the Greek, charos, meaning God's unmerited favor, His kindness and His blessing bestowed upon those who are undeserving. And peace in the Hebrew, shalom, meaning harmony with God and others. It can also mean comfort, completeness, and a state of well-being, both physically and spiritually. It is assumed that Paul used those terms to honor both the Roman and the Jewish believers making up the church. Unlike most of Apostle Paul's letters, this was penned to just the church in Philippi. It was not meant to be circulated throughout all of the churches.

It is one of the few letters in which Paul does not introduce himself as an apostle. Many scholars assume that is because of his close relationship with these particular believers. Paul mentioned himself more in this book than any other epistle, 120 times to be exact. This letter is thought to be his most personal. Many describe it as a thank you note of sorts for the Philippians' constant love and support. Paul said, I thank my God every time I remember you.

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel. The apostle Paul expressed his personal affection for them often. Six times he calls them brothers and sisters, and three times he calls them beloved. Another interesting thing about Paul's greeting is that he uses the term and phrase overseers and deacons, which only occurs once in all of his letters. And yet, he gives no explanation of the responsibilities. So it is a good thing that our Pastor Paul gives a wonderful explanation of overseers and deacons in Share the Word episode 171.

If you did not hear it, please look it up and listen well. In one of the Peanuts comic strips, Linus asked Charlie Brown if the thing he wants most in life is to be happy. Charlie Brown quickly responds that he would never expect happiness. He just doesn't want to be unhappy. Humanly, we often identify with Charlie Brown. Just attaining neutral ground feels like a victory.

But spiritually, we know there is so much more because happiness is not really the issue. Happiness comes from the word hap, meaning chance or luck. In other words, happiness depends on happenstance or circumstance. Joy, on the other hand, comes from the aforementioned word grace. It is a gift of God. It is not a result of our circumstance or our happenstance.

It is supernatural, not natural. The biblical definition of joy is a feeling of good pleasure that comes from God rather than external circumstance. It's a deep-seated contentment and satisfaction, often experienced even in the midst of trials. Joy is not a temporary emotion, but a chosen attitude of the heart. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is a lens through which we can view our sufferings, which brings us back to today's big idea: joy in suffering.

And of course, back to the Apostle Paul's credo that everything in my life revolves around Jesus. He is the grid through which I view all of my circumstances. So whatever happens, whether I live or I die, as long as Christ is preached, I rejoice. Yes, I will continue to rejoice. And because of that, because of Jesus, there can be great joy despite individual crisis. The Chinese word for crisis is written with two characters.

The first is danger, and the second is opportunity. Danger would certainly describe life for the Apostle Paul and these Philippian believers. But the apostle is reminding them to look for those hidden opportunities, blessings within every difficult encounter, even opportunities to joyfully share the gospel. An American writer, Richard Box Credo, is, There is no such thing as a problem without a gift in its hand. The Apostle Paul raises the bar even higher than that, in verse 27, saying, Whatever happens, conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel, without being frightened by those who oppose you. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Jesus not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.

In his book, The Purpose-Driven Life, Rick Warren states that we can be transformed by trouble. He says that God has a purpose behind every problem. He uses our circumstances to develop our character, and that perhaps God depends more on our circumstances to make us more like Jesus than even upon our daily Bible reading. The reason is obvious. You stay in circumstances 24 hours a day. He goes on to say, Jesus warned us that we would have problems in this world.

No one is immune to pain, or insulated from suffering, and no one gets to escape through life problem-free. Life is a series of problems. Every time you solve one crisis, another is waiting to take its place. Not all of them are big, but all are significant in God's growth process for us. I have a friend that says her suffering is like sandpaper, removing more and more of her rough edges, instead of asking, Oh, why me? She asks, Why not me?

Instead of asking, When will this end? she asks, What do you want me to learn, Lord? Once she grasped the eternal consequences of character development, she found joy, knowing that the suffering is not wasted, that it will be beneficial to her and to others. Her credo is not, Get me out of this, Lord, but, Help this to make me look more like you. The Apostle Paul endured hardship the same way, staying focused on the end result, staying focused on Jesus, not his circumstance. Joni Eareckson Tada understands suffering.

At the age of 17, she dove headfirst into the shallows of the Chesapeake Bay, an accident that left her a quadriplegic. She believes her paralysis, while a devastating physical event, was part of God's plan for her life. She sees it as an opportunity to magnify God's glory and to serve Him in a unique way. Joni's story challenges the notion that suffering is solely a source of despair. She has found joy and great purpose in her wheelchair, using her experiences to comfort and inspire others. She founded Joni and Friends, a ministry that serves individuals and families that have been affected by disabilities, providing practical and spiritual help.

She is a prolific author and speaker, sharing her stories and insights on faith. And despite her physical limitations, she is also a successful artist. Johnny's credo is, when life is rosy, we may slide by knowing about Jesus, imitating Him, quoting Him, and speaking of Him, but only in suffering will we know Jesus. Though Johnny admits following the Lord has not been easy, the suffering, ironically, is the very thing she cherishes the most because, she says, it keeps her so dependent on her Savior. I imagine the Apostle Paul would say the same, that we learn things about our Lord in suffering that we cannot learn any other way, one where joy is still possible. Now, I do not know what your circumstances are right now, and I hate that you might be struggling.

But when we know Jesus, we truly can have joy despite the circumstances. You might wonder, how is that possible? And it might even seem harsh to you that Paul's credo emphasizes joy in suffering. Listen, he is not saying that the Philippians have to rejoice in what's happening to them, but rejoice in God's love, care, wisdom, power, and faithfulness. It is possible to rejoice in knowing that God is going through the pain with us. Jesus enters into our suffering.

He did it when He walked here on planet Earth, and His Spirit does it in us now. God will never leave us on our own. We can decide now how we will respond when crisis hits. Just like Robert W. Johnson decided how J and J would respond before a crisis struck, I believe that the Apostle Paul, the Philippians, and Johnnie all decided well beforehand that they would respond in faith and joy. As I grow older and my health declines, this gets me jazzed, more intentional and purposeful, more excited and joyful for what is to come.

Because I truly believe Paul's declaration, his credo, For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. This is Margie. Thank you for joining us today at Share the Word, and the Apostle Paul's words, We thank God with every remembrance of all of you, always offering prayers with joy for each one of you. Thank you, Margie. That was absolutely amazing. As I listened, I was convicted with the thought that there are so many prisons in our lives, and although Paul was physically imprisoned, his mind and spirit were not.

And there was no doubt that through all of this, Paul remained faithful, which brought me to the question: Are you in the middle of your own prison, and are you living in a way that the world would not recognize you as a follower of Christ? Paul spread the gospel even in prison, and here's my challenge: Look at those moments of turmoil and physical, emotional, and spiritual imprisonment. Will you, like Paul, preaching fearlessly? Did you see God's hand in what you were going through, or were you just stuck in those chains?