Making Lemonade

Phil 1:12-30

One of the problems I have found in the trials of life, is that I don’t always see how they are beneficial to me or to God while dealing with them. During WWII, the Germans had besieged the Russian town of Savastopol. An artillery shell exploded near the Russians killing several. Just another bad moment during a bad time as they faced death by the Germans or thirst. Yet, the crater from that shell began bubbling up in a small spring. As it filled it supplied the Russian with much needed water to survive while fighting. What was supposed to deal death ended up giving life.

As we read our text, we see Paul was so focused on the kingdom, that he WAS able to see the good. Even while he was in prison and there were people preaching the gospel and trying to tear down his reputation while they were preaching he saw the good that came of it. The gospel was preached.

This passage is a great reminder to us to find ways to make spiritual lemonade while life gives us lemons.

PRAYER

I. What Has Happened To Me…

A. Paul’s life was difficult

1. Paul doesn’t dwell much on what exactly had happened to him here, but we know from other scriptures that he had suffered greatly in the cause for Christ.

a) He had been beaten, imprisoned, whipped, shipwrecked, and ostracized for proclaiming the gospel.

b) That would demoralize most of us, but not Paul. He says in vs. 12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.

2. Prison

a) He writes this letter while being chained to a Roman soldier every moment of every day.

b) More than likely this letter was written from Rome as he faces trial to convince the Roman government to accept Christianity as a legitimate religion.

c) It must have not been an easy time because the word he uses for “advance” indicates that forward progress was made despite blows against him.

d) Also, a bad outcome to this trial could very will mean his death by execution.

3. Other preachers

a) What may be hardest to deal with is the attacks from within Christendom.

b) He was ready to deal with non-believers bashing at him, but to be in the midst of all of this and then find out that people are trying to tear down everything he had worked so hard to establish must have been very hard indeed.

c) The only authority ministers really have is the moral authority of their integrity. When that is gone, their ability and authority to lead a church is greatly diminished as best, and usually it means an end to their ministry all together.

B. He never quit trusting in God

1. In all of this Paul remained focused on God’s will and glory.

2. He put his life in God’s hands and said, do as you need to do Lord. I trust you.

3. READ vs 20

C. He made the best of his situation

1. Instead of looking at that Roman guard and seeing himself chained to his enemy, he saw a captive audience.

a) They couldn’t leave him.

b) Every six hours a new soldier would take his place.

c) So he had an opportunity to share the gospel with these men every day by direct conversation, prayer, reading his letters, and talking with his visitors in front of them.

2. Instead of chains hampering his ministry, he saw it as a way to encourage other Christians to continue to tell others about the cause of Christ.

3. Most scholars believe he was talking about other Christians joining in the political debate about Paul’s trial and Christianity and telling their friends and neighbors about Christ himself.

D. He encouraged team effort

1. They were to work together as one in vs 27

2. This was a church that had a shared vision and mission for spreading the gospel.

II. Lessons For Rochester

A. As you look at this part of the letter there are applications that we need to apply to us as a congregation

1. seek to do God’s will, no matter the circumstances you are in.

a) It’s so easy to get discouraged with all that happens to some of us.

b) Some here have had just about everything go wrong that could go wrong.

c) It would be easy to get discouraged and quit trying to what God wants you to do.

d) Many have, but look at how you can make lemonade.

2. This is a team project,

a) God’s the main player, but we are all needed to get the gospel message around our community and beyond.

b) Each of us have an important role is taking the message to those around us.

c) Age, race, gender, circumstances put us in different areas that we can use for the glory of God if we are looking for it.

d) Just like any team, there are stars, but you can’t win a game with just the stars. You need everyone doing their part to make a winning team.