Making Jesus Famous
May our God of grace be with you and bless you this day!
Having just come off a holiday week, it can be challenging to get back into our daily routine. The challenges we face day to day can be somewhat overwhelming. It is because of this that so many people live for the weekend. Their normal weekly tasks are a burden they would rather do without. I am not saying you must love your job, but to put off living until the weekend comes seems like we are missing out on most of life!
The other side of the coin is when life is seen as worth living regardless of the challenges we face! To know that whatever it is we find ourselves doing, it will result in something great in the long run. This is the way we should approach each day of our lives. We know every action we take, every decision we make, has a far greater impact on life than we can see at the moment.
Paul is living his life as a man who is putting the best construction on everything. It seems like there would not be much to celebrate when being held captive and anticipating the possibility of execution. Most people in similar situations adopt the “woe is me†attitude. Not Paul! He sees his situation from a different perspective. He is able to rejoice because Jesus is being made known as Savior, even in backhanded ways!
Hear his confidence as he writes the following: Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from goodwill; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking that they are causing me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. Philippians 1:15-18
Paul can rejoice even in his imprisonment because he sees the calling of his life being fulfilled. It is not about the momentary circumstances but about the ultimate purpose!
What is the calling of Paul’s life? He has made it no secret that Jesus appointed him to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, and that he has spent the past four decades proclaiming Jesus as Savior of both Jew and Gentile alike. He has suffered much persecution and great opposition, but the name of Jesus was proclaimed. Now, in the setting he is in, Jesus is still being preached because of Paul.
Paul makes note of two motivations. There are those who preach Jesus out of love! Paul labored in the churches he established for many months to lay the proper foundation of the Gospel and raise up leaders to take his place once he left. The men trained by Paul were taught the love of God in Christ and they witnessed the example of love in Paul’s life as he gave of himself to bless others. These men learned the joy of leading others to know Jesus as Lord and they, like Paul, committed their lives to the same.
Then there were the others! Have you ever been in the presence of a pastor who is jealous of a fellow clergyman? To hear them badmouth and tear down all another church is doing because the other pastor is more popular than they are! There were many different congregations in Rome where Paul is now imprisoned. Even though he is being held prisoner under house arrest, he is able to receive visitors and he is still writing and communicating with the outside world. There are some pastors in Rome who are threatened by Paul’s presence, just has there have been clergy throughout the church who did not want any of the apostles around.
It is a sad reality that the church can become a vehicle for popularity! Many clergy take a “circle the wagons†approach to the ministry entrusted to them. They live in fear that a pastor more popular than them will steal away their members, so they refuse to associate with any other congregation or ministry. They become chieftain of their own little kingdom.
Then there are those members of the clergy who rightly understand that the pastor is not only replaceable but disposable. I have said this many times! Pastors are a dime a dozen! We come and go but the church remains. Jesus is the head of the church, not the pastor. Each member of the clergy will serve for a time and then be replaced. Each generation of the clergy will serve for a time and then die, being replaced by the next generation of pastors. We are temporary and disposable – Only Jesus is forever!
This was Paul’s attitude! He rejoiced regardless of the circumstances he faced or the flack he took from other pastors. He rejoiced because Jesus was being preached and people were being saved. Even though he was limited by his imprisonment, those who did not like him were working all the harder to prove themselves greater than Paul. This resulted in the Gospel being proclaimed because of Paul! This made his heart happy!
I have often said that there is no one congregation which can meet the needs of all people. Even in our community there are a variety of churches with different programs and opportunities for growth and service. The key is not viewing one congregation as better than another, but rather, are these congregations preaching Jesus? Sadly, in our day many churches are large and seemingly robust, but devoid of the truth. Be it a big church or a small church – your church or the church down the street – If the Gospel is proclaimed and Jesus is lifted up, may God bless that church! In this we too can rejoice like Paul. When Jesus is made know, the mission entrusted to us as His people in the world is being fulfilled.
Amen and Amen!
Pastor Russ
Having just come off a holiday week, it can be challenging to get back into our daily routine. The challenges we face day to day can be somewhat overwhelming. It is because of this that so many people live for the weekend. Their normal weekly tasks are a burden they would rather do without. I am not saying you must love your job, but to put off living until the weekend comes seems like we are missing out on most of life!
The other side of the coin is when life is seen as worth living regardless of the challenges we face! To know that whatever it is we find ourselves doing, it will result in something great in the long run. This is the way we should approach each day of our lives. We know every action we take, every decision we make, has a far greater impact on life than we can see at the moment.
Paul is living his life as a man who is putting the best construction on everything. It seems like there would not be much to celebrate when being held captive and anticipating the possibility of execution. Most people in similar situations adopt the “woe is me†attitude. Not Paul! He sees his situation from a different perspective. He is able to rejoice because Jesus is being made known as Savior, even in backhanded ways!
Hear his confidence as he writes the following: Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from goodwill; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking that they are causing me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. Philippians 1:15-18
Paul can rejoice even in his imprisonment because he sees the calling of his life being fulfilled. It is not about the momentary circumstances but about the ultimate purpose!
What is the calling of Paul’s life? He has made it no secret that Jesus appointed him to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, and that he has spent the past four decades proclaiming Jesus as Savior of both Jew and Gentile alike. He has suffered much persecution and great opposition, but the name of Jesus was proclaimed. Now, in the setting he is in, Jesus is still being preached because of Paul.
Paul makes note of two motivations. There are those who preach Jesus out of love! Paul labored in the churches he established for many months to lay the proper foundation of the Gospel and raise up leaders to take his place once he left. The men trained by Paul were taught the love of God in Christ and they witnessed the example of love in Paul’s life as he gave of himself to bless others. These men learned the joy of leading others to know Jesus as Lord and they, like Paul, committed their lives to the same.
Then there were the others! Have you ever been in the presence of a pastor who is jealous of a fellow clergyman? To hear them badmouth and tear down all another church is doing because the other pastor is more popular than they are! There were many different congregations in Rome where Paul is now imprisoned. Even though he is being held prisoner under house arrest, he is able to receive visitors and he is still writing and communicating with the outside world. There are some pastors in Rome who are threatened by Paul’s presence, just has there have been clergy throughout the church who did not want any of the apostles around.
It is a sad reality that the church can become a vehicle for popularity! Many clergy take a “circle the wagons†approach to the ministry entrusted to them. They live in fear that a pastor more popular than them will steal away their members, so they refuse to associate with any other congregation or ministry. They become chieftain of their own little kingdom.
Then there are those members of the clergy who rightly understand that the pastor is not only replaceable but disposable. I have said this many times! Pastors are a dime a dozen! We come and go but the church remains. Jesus is the head of the church, not the pastor. Each member of the clergy will serve for a time and then be replaced. Each generation of the clergy will serve for a time and then die, being replaced by the next generation of pastors. We are temporary and disposable – Only Jesus is forever!
This was Paul’s attitude! He rejoiced regardless of the circumstances he faced or the flack he took from other pastors. He rejoiced because Jesus was being preached and people were being saved. Even though he was limited by his imprisonment, those who did not like him were working all the harder to prove themselves greater than Paul. This resulted in the Gospel being proclaimed because of Paul! This made his heart happy!
I have often said that there is no one congregation which can meet the needs of all people. Even in our community there are a variety of churches with different programs and opportunities for growth and service. The key is not viewing one congregation as better than another, but rather, are these congregations preaching Jesus? Sadly, in our day many churches are large and seemingly robust, but devoid of the truth. Be it a big church or a small church – your church or the church down the street – If the Gospel is proclaimed and Jesus is lifted up, may God bless that church! In this we too can rejoice like Paul. When Jesus is made know, the mission entrusted to us as His people in the world is being fulfilled.
Amen and Amen!
Pastor Russ
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