Lessons; GENESIS 50:15-21 PHILIPPIANS 1:12-26

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Gordon Quinn
5 years ago
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1 1 Win/Win. A sermon preached on January 20, 2019 as part of a series of Philippians at St. Giles Presbyterian Church, Prince George, BC, by Rev. Herb Hilder. Lessons; GENESIS 50:15-21 PHILIPPIANS 1:12-26 There are those among us who when we come across or see a pile of horse manure, that is all we see manure! Then there are those who with a broader perspective, more imagination and a sense there is more say Yes, I can see and smell the manure,--but there has to be a pony or horse nearby. A much more agreeable sight than just a steaming, sinking pile of pile of manure! The lesson from the Philippian letter Wayne read a few minutes ago has Paul giving counsel to his first readers and us of how important it is in this life to see beyond the manure of this life the nasty, the unpleasant, the upsetting, the sinking times of this life It s Paul s way of saying, do not be in despair about my state of life!! WHY? my situation is still in God s hands. God has not abandoned me He will not therefore abandon you

2 In fact, contrary to what you in Philippi might think, God has and is continuing to work his purposes through my imprisonment. What Paul speaks about in these verses read is neither automatic nor quickly realized and absorbed into our lives. Paul knew this. Nothing in these verses say that how he views his life, His work at the moment of this writing is easy. His imprisonment has forced him to realize certain things. Paul realized even more clearly that there is no more thorough test of our profession of the Christian faith than the reaction we have and show to circumstances. How do we react in the not so good times? Incessantly grumble? Complain nonstop? Speak of little else but life s unfairness I could have been great, I could have been a contender from On the Waterfront with Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger. Hear me!! There is nothing inherently wrong or unfaithful in complaining. 2

3 The Bible clearly recognizes and accepts the fact of lament in this life. Sometimes and in some circumstances, lament is all one can do! But lament is not to be allowed to be for God s people the default position in this life! By way of encouragement to his readers, then and now Paul writes and fully acknowledges the truth of the nasty, the manure time he is in. At the same time, He has been given by God the insight that his imprisonment has not dead ended or stopped his work for the Lord. In fact, quite the opposite 12 I want you to know, beloved, [a] that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard [b] and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ; 14 and most of the brothers and sisters, [c] having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word [d] with greater boldness and without fear. (1:12-14) Paul is in prison not for any political crime, but for his faith and belief in Jesus Christ as Lord. As such, Paul does have some freedom to have visitors. 3

4 He is also free to carry on his teaching and preaching at least to those who come to the prison (Acts 28:17-31) Yet, Paul is still chained 24/7 to members of the imperial guard. He is never alone I wonder what would it have been like to be a member of the imperial guard chained to Paul for a straight 6 hour shift. I wonder who began the conversation first Paul or his guard. I wonder what they spoke about Certainly one of the subjects would be Jesus. For here to the Philippians, Paul says that the whole imperial guard learned about Jesus an audience Paul would not have had otherwise. Further Paul leads us to believe that with the help of the Holy Spirit, some of the imperial guard and their families became Christians. Even in prison, in chains Paul realizes the Gospel continues to spread!! Adversity will not indefinitely cripple God s message! One of my all-time favorite scenes in scripture is the Genesis lesson Wayne read to us this morning. Joseph s brothers expect that with Father Jacob now dead, 4

5 Joseph will extract from each of the brothers vengeance matching their long ago decision to sell Joseph to slavers! Joseph s word to them is one of the most dramatic in all of scripture. 19 But Joseph said to them, Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? 20 Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.[gen. 50:19-20] Even through the pain, the disorientation, the suffering, the anxiety, the hurt, the sense of forgottenness, abandonment and injustice Joseph has experienced triggered by his brothers action so long ago, Joseph is able to see that God s redemptive work was present in all the nasty times the piles of manure times 20 Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today I have long thought what a gift that would be a gift only God can and does give to someday see the redemptive results of our faithfulness to God 5

6 6 To see that adversity in whatever form it takes in our lives the piles of stinkin, steamin manure is not and was not the whole picture. There were a whole herd of ponies not all that far away So people of Philippi, readers today says Paul do not despair. God is in control His work is moving forward in spite of what you may at present see or be experiencing When we can look beyond just seeing the manure in our lives the adversity, the upset, the unpleasant in whatever form it takes, St. Paul suggests something else happens. Something that has happened to him, while he has been in chains We see this life with Christ or departing this life to be with Christ is win/win. In this imprisonment Paul came to see that as long as he was alive, There was work God s work to do (vs.24) Alive, he would continue to be God s messenger However should Paul be executed or when death were to come in whatever form, Paul came to realize that being with Jesus forever would be far better Verse 21 For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

7 In the end, it did not matter win/win Paul comes back to this idea and puts it in a more concise and more familiar to us verse in his most carefully argued letter his letter to the Romans If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord s. (Romans 14:8) It is not an easy truth to accept. Why? The world we live in does much to undercut what lies beyond this life or that there is even a beyond. It is all about now. Hear me; I am among the last people to want to hurry along the hereafter, But I know there will come a time, when to quote the title of a marvelous book when my breath shall become just air! That is not defeatism or my Eeyore personality gaining the high ground. I do not dwell on this truth all the time, It does not govern all my actions or living in the here and now. But it is part of living out the Christian life day by day, Part of the spiritual journey, Part of being an urban contemplative. 7

8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord s. (Romans 14:8) A Win/Win situation if ever there was. What a marvelous and freeing truth Paul has given us!!! Thanks be to God for Paul s very perceptive words. 8

the chief cupbearer, however did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

the chief cupbearer, however did not remember Joseph; he forgot him. but forgot him. A sermon preached as part of a summer series on the life of Joseph on July 16, 2017 at St. Giles Presbyterian Church, Prince George, BC by Rev. Herb Hilder Lessons: GENESIS 39:22-40:23