Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

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1 PHILIPPIANS 1. The Biography of Philippians: The Author Philippians 1:1 and Acts 9:1-9 Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Over a year ago my friend Brian recommended that I read a book by George M. Marsden. I asked him what the book was about, and I was a bit surprised by his answer. He told me that it was a biography of the very famous C.S. Lewis book, Mere Christianity. I d heard of biographies and autobiographies. But I d never heard of a biography of a book. So I got it and it was amazing. Marsden tells us the story of the book that has left a massive mark on countless lives. Marsden gives the birth account of the book. The book that has changed so many lives was not designed to be a book. C. S. Lewis originally presented it as four separate sets of radio broadcasts that he was asked to deliver for the BBC during the grim days of the Second World War. 1 Marsden said that for us to understand the book we needed to know something about the author of the book because an author initially gives a book its life. Though we know that the Holy Spirit is the author of the Scriptures we know that He gave them to us through the agency of human authors. I had read a fairly in-depth biography of Lewis years before. But as I was reading about Lewis in the context of authoring Mere Christianity I found myself thinking that if I ever taught the book of Philippians that I should do the introduction to our study of the letter like a biography of the letter. The letter is perhaps the most personal of all his writing. In it the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to let us in on the story of his relationship with the Christians in Philippi how he treasured the memories of living on mission with them the special place they had in his heart his absolute certainty that the powerful work God had begun in them would come to its perfect completion and how he loved them with the very love of Jesus. 1 Excerpt From: George M. Marsden. C. S. Lewis's "Mere Christianity. 1

2 We will never understand the depth of those sentiments unless we understand that no one in the world including Paul would have ever imagined that he would be writing those things to those people! For us to really get the heart of this man for these readers we have to go all the way back to the first nine verses of Acts 9. Are we going to study the book of Philippians? I m still not certain. Whether we do or not Acts 9:1-9 is a huge bit of Gospel business that we need to get our heads and hearts around! Before we begin I want to read two passages of the New Testament to you. Romans 5:20 But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 1 Corinthians 15:10-11 But by the grace of God I am what I am Bible Scholars generally agree that next to the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus the event recorded at the start of Acts 9 ranks as one of the most significant events of the New Testament, and probably modern history. It is so significant that the Holy Spirit inspired Luke (the author of acts) to give the record of this event three times: Here in Acts 9 and then again in Acts 22 and 26. CHRISTIANS The whole world is broken and fallen because of sin and desperately in need of a Savior. There is not a single man or woman; a single ethnic group or a single geographic region that does not need the Gospel. Jesus said that the mission is global! Mark 16:15 And he said to them, Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Though there is nothing too hard for God, there were some huge obstacles to overcome on the human level. The first obstacle was to get Jewish Christians to proclaim the Gospel in Samaria. The apostle John articulated 2

3 the antagonism between Jews and Samaritans in his gospel (that was written to a Greek audience). John 4:9 The Samaritan woman said to him, How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) On the human level that was a big obstacle to the advance of the Gospel along the lines that Jesus laid out in Acts 1:8. But there s nothing too hard for the Lord! Jesus said, Jerusalem first, then all of Judea and Samaria, and that s exactly what Jesus did. There was a systematic, relentless, organized, violent assault on the church in Jerusalem. This mega persecution actually caused the Gospel of the Kingdom to advance in the place that no one really wanted to go to (Samaria), and in the people no one really wanted to talk to (Samaritans). By the end of Acts 8 we have Jerusalem, all of Judea and Samaria. The next major obstacle (on the human level) to the advance of the Gospel was the very real and massive gulf between Jews and the non-jewish cultures of the world; Greek and Roman cultures with their philosophies and their arts. (The of city Philippi was dead center in that demographic). On the human level what the cause of the Gospel needed to reach the uttermost parts of the world was a redeemed, reconciled rebel who possessed a tremendous working knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures. This was an essential because the Gospel has its roots and origin in the Hebrew Scriptures and because there were Jews living in cities that were colonies of Rome steeped in Greek culture. But this person also needed to be steeped in, and at home with, the Hellenistic culture, with its arts, philosophy and religion. To articulate the Gospel to such diverse worldviews would require an extraordinary intellect. But there were other crucial elements needed in the composition of this person. The scope of the mission would require a breadth of vision that could take in the unreached world. The opposition that the Gospel would face would be relentless and violent; the travel involved would be taxing on every level. This person would need to be a man of incredible commitment to the mission possess a zeal and a determination in the cause of the Gospel that was fierce, fearless and relentless! 3

4 Where do you find such a vessel? In a way that is utterly and totally Jesus, He had a vessel that was handpicked and a vessel perfectly prepared for that massive challenge. He was a man of unique birth, unique background, unique training and unique character. THAT is what makes Acts 9 such a radical Jesus moment! Jesus knew exactly who this person was. Not only did Jesus know who this man was Jesus knew exactly where to find him! In fact Jesus was chasing him down! We find this man in the opening words of Acts 9 Acts 9:1-3 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, 1 But Saul, Luke, the author of Acts, reintroduces to us this man we met at the end of Acts 7 and the opening of Acts 8 Acts 7:58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.. Acts 8:1 And Saul approved of his execution. Saul was the ruling authority in the murder of Stephen. He authorized it and supervised it. Saul hated the name of Jesus. He hated those who loved Jesus and proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world. How full of hate? Well, Saul looked at the face of Stephen when Stephen was being interrogated before the Sanhedrin Acts 6:15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Saul watched as stones crushed the face of Stephen. Saul heard the last words of Stephen Saul heard Stephen pray for him and for every man that had thrown a stone. Saul s heart was so filled with hatred for Jesus that he would not be content with the death of just one Christian. He was a man of vision he saw Christians and the Gospel as a global threat. He would not be content until he had killed Christianity in its infancy. As far as he was concerned it was like a horrible cancer that had been detected and 4

5 needed to be wiped out before it could spread. He would not rest until every last witness to the name of Jesus was wiped from the face of the earth. He was prepared to go anywhere, at any expense to do it. So while godly men buried Stephen and mourned over Stephen s death Saul was ravaging (mauling and mangling) the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison (Acts 8:3). 1 But Saul, DON T MISS THIS The Holy Spirit reintroduces us to Saul by way of a conjunction. He wants to set Saul and his efforts in contrast to, and in opposition to Jesus (the Jesus Saul hated). The conjunction but is a reference to all that Jesus was doing in and through the agency of His church in Chapter 8 and it shows Saul s heart and Saul s efforts (his Systematic, relentless, organized and violent persecution of the church) in a head-on collision with the heart and work of Jesus! DON T MISS THIS This radical moment actually had a HISTORY OF GRACE. QUOTE: William Barclay.we will see that this is not a sudden conversion but a sudden surrender. The Holy Spirit had been at work in this man at least as far back as the interrogation and murder of Stephen. Some students of the Bible believe that Saul would have even been at the house of the high priest the night before Jesus died when they beat and interrogated Jesus and broke every law of Jewish jurisprudence before the turned Jesus over to Pilate to be crucified. Then, there was the way Stephen died. Saul no doubt wrestled with that. He couldn't divorce the way Stephen died from Stephen s character. Bad men don t die like Stephen did. Stephen s final words were seared into Paul s mind. They sounded so much like the words Jesus uttered from the cross right after they had driven the wrought iron nails through the hands and feet of Jesus. No doubt Saul heard the same thing and saw the same thing in those he dragged from homes and threw into prison. All of that is rolling around deep in this man s heart when he went to the Sanhedrin for official permission and funds to carry out his war against Jesus in Damascus. The journey only made matters worse. It was about 140 miles from Jerusalem to Damascus. The journey would be made on foot and would 5

6 take about a week. He would have travelled with a band of arresting officers. Just as we can find ourselves in a crowd he was alone in that company with those thoughts. But he was not alone there was the grace of God dealing with him pursuing him, and the Holy Spirit convicting him, reminding him of Jesus. The trip to Damascus would have gone through Galilee, and Galilee brought Jesus even more vividly to Paul's mind. The Holy Spirit was winding this hand picked vessel of Jesus really tight. So he came near Damascus, one of the oldest cities in the world. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 5 And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do. 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. There is a common belief among unbelievers that Christianity is a crutch for the weak. The premise is false because it assumes that before God some are strong. Before the living God everyone is powerless to save himself. Those who can stand before kings, or stand apart from their peers in talent or success or power, are nothing before the Lord. But let s grant that they are talking about those who are emotionally or intellectually or socially or economically weak who use Jesus as a prop. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus utterly dispels this myth because he was in no way a weak man. First of all, he was intellectually strong. Acts 22:3 educated at the feet of Gamaliel Acts 26:4 NLT As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem. He was one of the most promising young Pharisees in Jerusalem and was well on his way to becoming a great leader of the Jews. 6

7 Galatians 1:14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. He was not only an intellectual force in Israel, he was also a driven man, wielding all of his religious and political power to exterminate Christians and Christianity. Acts 22:4-5; 10; I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished. 10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me. 19 And I said, Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him. Acts 26:10-11 And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities. raging fury = to transform; to become maniac; to go insane; to be mad. He would snap. He would threaten. He would be angry to the point of violence. This man was no weakling, no coward. The conversion of Paul leaves no doubt that Christianity is not only for the weak. But it also leaves NO DOUBT that Jesus receives sinners. 1 Timothy 1:13-15 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full 7

8 acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. It was while in that state of maniacal rage that Jesus met Saul on the road to Damascus! QUOTE: Tim Chaddick There is more grace in the heart of God than there is sin in the heart of man. THIS IS HUGE In his conversion we also see that Jesus not only receives sinners, He PURSUES them. Saul was not pursuing Jesus, yet Jesus went and apprehended Saul on the road to Damascus. Jesus was not waiting for Saul to find his way into a Bible study so that He could save him. HERE S THE PICTURE Even when you weren t coming to church looking for Jesus, Jesus was out there looking for you. I also believe that somebody in Jerusalem was PRAYING for Saul of Tarsus because they remembered that Jesus said Matthew 5:44.Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, DON T MISS THIS Redeemed, reconciled rebels have their hearts knit to the heart of Jesus who pursues sinners. One way they participate in that pursuit is by praying for people who need to meet Jesus. Luke tells us that Jesus came upon Saul SUDDENLY. Very few people wake up and say, Today I shall meet Christ and be converted. My testimony. Students in England (You ve turned my world upside down / Andrew). DON T MISS THIS Paul had no where to run, no where to hide. Acts 26:13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. The word shining means, to flash and blaze, to flash all around, an envelope of light: 8

9 HERE S THE POINT Becoming a Christian is not joining a club or becoming a member of a group it is a matter of the risen Jesus pursuing a man or a woman and then shining into their hearts the light of the knowledge of the glory of God! Luke tells us that Saul fell to the earth. There are those who think that if they were to see Jesus that they would stand up and give Him a piece of their mind. There are those who actually believe that they are great and Jesus is nothing. Bumper sticker of an evolutionist My god can kick your God s Here we see arrogant Saul on his face before the presence of Jesus. Luke tells us that Saul Heard a voice. QUOTE: Matthew Henry God s manifestations of Himself were never shown without words, for He magnifies His Word above His Name, and what was seen was always designed to make way for what was said. No voice but the voice of Jesus can reach the heart of man and convert him! No word but the Word of God can reach the heart of man and convert him. When we teach and preach to you the Word of God, you are hearing from God, not man. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. If you are a Christian today it is because GOD spoke to YOU. CLOSE DON T MISS HOW BIG AND AMAZING OUR GOD IS. He has His plans and His purposes and they are infinitely beyond anything we could ever imagine. As we look at His incredible plans and purposes; as we see how He advanced His Story for His glory by way of the greatest hater of Jesus; as we see how He would pursue and save the greatest hater of Jesus to be His instrument to reach the non-jewish world we more than ever 9

10 find ourselves resting in and trusting in the truth that we have sung so many times OUR GOD IS MIGHTY TO SAVE! DON T MISS HOW BIG AND AMAZING OUR GOD IS. He has His people some of them are the very ones we think least likely to become on of His own in fact they might even be the greatest nemesis of the Gospel at this moment. (Imagine a George Soros getting saved!) The Hebrew of the Hebrews would become the apostle to the Gentiles; the persecutor would become a preacher; the legalistic Pharisee would become the great proclaimer of the grace of God. God had his man all along! Galatians 1:15-16 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, Saul was made for God s story and God s glory. Saul was fearfully and wonderfully made possessing all of the vision, courage, zeal and commitment that would be needed to bring the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the world. Until Acts 9 everything that made him the perfect instrument for bringing the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the world had been perverted by sin and was being used against the cause of the Gospel and against the name of Jesus. GRACE redeemed all of those talents and traits and used them for God s story and God s glory! GRACE TRANSFORMS! 1 Corinthians 15:10-11 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. THAT S THE STORY of the man who wrote Philippians. The one who killed those who preached and those who believed became the one preaching so that men would believe? If you re a Christian in a very real way Paul s story is YOUR. I never persecuted and Christians but I can tell you I NEVER would have dreamed that I would be a Christian. I wanted nothing to do with Jesus or those who spoke of Him. They were to be pitied and mocked. But all the while He was closing in on me. His love for me the reality of His 10

11 grace totally transformed my values my passions my pursuits the way I use my time talents and treasures. I NEVER would have dreamed that I would stand before men women and tell them about Jesus travel around the world to tell people about Jesus. And yet, here I am. And he had that in mind all along. LISTEN If you think you are beyond saving Jesus saved the chief of sinners. He can and will save anybody! It is possible that there might be with us this tonight those who resent Jesus just as Saul did. You might think Jesus hates you. But let me assure you that the One who saved Saul of Tarsus is looking down on you with the same compassion as He did Saul. He has pursued you to this very building tonight. He knows every ounce of your bitterness your opposition and hatred of the Gospel and those who proclaim it. But you re hatred of Jesus cannot change His love for you. Romans 5:20 But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 11