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Waverly Church of Christ
“In My Life Lord, Be Glorified Today”
Sunday Morning Worship
Locations & Times
Waverly Church of Christ
438 W Main St, Waverly, TN 37185, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Introduction
Some of you here today are at a point in life where you never thought you would be.
Unforseen circumstances have thrown a “monkey wrench” into your plans.
a. Your dream job didn’t pan out because the company downsized or moved
away.
b. Your happily ever after ended in a divorce and now you are raising your
children by yourself.
c. An unforeseen health problem has changed the way you must now live your
life.
d. Those much anticipated retirement years are being spent taking care of your
parents or raising grandchildren.
How have you responded to such things? Has a grumbling, complaining spirit
begun to dominate your life?
In our text this morning, Paul reveals to us his own unpleasant circumstances.
However, he doesn’t allow those circumstances to weigh him down and cause
him to become bitter about his plight in life.
Instead, he rejoices.
What makes the difference?
Follow with me as we see what allowed Paul to rejoice, in spite of those things in
his life over which he had no control.
Some of you here today are at a point in life where you never thought you would be.
Unforseen circumstances have thrown a “monkey wrench” into your plans.
a. Your dream job didn’t pan out because the company downsized or moved
away.
b. Your happily ever after ended in a divorce and now you are raising your
children by yourself.
c. An unforeseen health problem has changed the way you must now live your
life.
d. Those much anticipated retirement years are being spent taking care of your
parents or raising grandchildren.
How have you responded to such things? Has a grumbling, complaining spirit
begun to dominate your life?
In our text this morning, Paul reveals to us his own unpleasant circumstances.
However, he doesn’t allow those circumstances to weigh him down and cause
him to become bitter about his plight in life.
Instead, he rejoices.
What makes the difference?
Follow with me as we see what allowed Paul to rejoice, in spite of those things in
his life over which he had no control.
I. If Anyone Had A Reason To Complain, It Was Paul
A. PAUL WAS AN INNOCENT MAN BEING KEPT IN CHAINS (PHILIPPIANS 1:7, 13,14,17)
Four times (1:7, 13, 14, 17) describes himself as being “in chains”.
Paul was on up in years by the time he wrote this letter to the Philippians.
At the time of his life when many today would anticipate their retirement and a life of leisure, Paul finds himself arrested for his preaching of Christ.
a. It had all begun a few years earlier in Jerusalem when he was falsely
accused.
b. He had already spent two years imprisoned in Caesarea without any
formal charge.
c. He had also suffered shipwreck and near death on his trip to Rome.
Now, he finds himself “in chains” guarded by soldiers from Ceasar’s elite
Praetorian guard.
It would have been natural for Paul to ask, “Why is this happening to me? I’ve served God faithfully all these years! I’ve always sought to do His will. Why this?”
But he doesn’t say any of this why? We will see in a moment.
Four times (1:7, 13, 14, 17) describes himself as being “in chains”.
Paul was on up in years by the time he wrote this letter to the Philippians.
At the time of his life when many today would anticipate their retirement and a life of leisure, Paul finds himself arrested for his preaching of Christ.
a. It had all begun a few years earlier in Jerusalem when he was falsely
accused.
b. He had already spent two years imprisoned in Caesarea without any
formal charge.
c. He had also suffered shipwreck and near death on his trip to Rome.
Now, he finds himself “in chains” guarded by soldiers from Ceasar’s elite
Praetorian guard.
It would have been natural for Paul to ask, “Why is this happening to me? I’ve served God faithfully all these years! I’ve always sought to do His will. Why this?”
But he doesn’t say any of this why? We will see in a moment.
B. SOME WERE PREACHING CHRIST OUT OF IMPURE MOTIVES, HOPING TO CAUSE PAUL DISTRESS
These preachers were preaching Christ, not out of sincerity, but out of envy
and strife.
It was “selfish ambition” which drove them, the desire to cause Paul distress.
With Paul out of the way, they could make a name for themselves.
It might even have been that these men accentuated their own ministry while criticizing Paul and his ministry.
It would have been very natural for Paul to feel hurt and wounded by these other preachers.
We might have expected him to lash out at them because of what they were doing, but he doesn’t. Why?
[The reason that Paul doesn’t bemoan his imprisonment and lash out against those
preaching Christ with impure motives is because . . .]
These preachers were preaching Christ, not out of sincerity, but out of envy
and strife.
It was “selfish ambition” which drove them, the desire to cause Paul distress.
With Paul out of the way, they could make a name for themselves.
It might even have been that these men accentuated their own ministry while criticizing Paul and his ministry.
It would have been very natural for Paul to feel hurt and wounded by these other preachers.
We might have expected him to lash out at them because of what they were doing, but he doesn’t. Why?
[The reason that Paul doesn’t bemoan his imprisonment and lash out against those
preaching Christ with impure motives is because . . .]
II. Paul Chose To View His Circumstances From A Different Perspective
A. PAUL’S IMPRISONMENT HAD RESULTED IN . . .
The whole praetorian guard had learned of Paul’s imprisonment in Christ (vv.
12,13).
The whole praetorian guard had learned of Paul’s imprisonment in Christ (vv.
12,13).
The full Praetorian Guard, when it was up to full strength, numbered close
to nine thousand.
How is it possible, even if two soldiers are rotated in and out every four
hours, for all of them to be exposed to Paul’s teaching?
The most likely explanation is that Paul proved to be such an
extraordinary prisoner, and his message so compelling, that stories of him
circulated very quickly.
Every soldier who was assigned to guard Paul heard the gospel and some
of his story went away and told others.
Paul didn’t try to convince these soldiers of his innocence, but spent his
time talking about a Jew called Jesus, who had been crucified in Palestine
and had risen from the dead.
In short, Paul proved to be such an extraordinary prisoner that the stories
about him began to circulate around the palace, and not just those
stories, but the gospel as well.
to nine thousand.
How is it possible, even if two soldiers are rotated in and out every four
hours, for all of them to be exposed to Paul’s teaching?
The most likely explanation is that Paul proved to be such an
extraordinary prisoner, and his message so compelling, that stories of him
circulated very quickly.
Every soldier who was assigned to guard Paul heard the gospel and some
of his story went away and told others.
Paul didn’t try to convince these soldiers of his innocence, but spent his
time talking about a Jew called Jesus, who had been crucified in Palestine
and had risen from the dead.
In short, Paul proved to be such an extraordinary prisoner that the stories
about him began to circulate around the palace, and not just those
stories, but the gospel as well.
Most of Paul’s brethren in the Lord had been encouraged to speak the word
of God without fear (v. 14).
of God without fear (v. 14).
The fact that Paul did not cower in fear or complain about the injustice of his situation, but continued to tell others about Christ, gave those in the church in Rome courage to speak themselves.
They may have thought, if Paul can keep talking about Jesus, even while in prison, surely we can as well.
They may have thought, if Paul can keep talking about Jesus, even while in prison, surely we can as well.
B. WHETHER FROM PURE OR IMPURE MOTIVES, CHRIST IS PROCLAIMED! (V. 18)
There are some brethren who preached Christ “out of love”:
a. They realized that God was the one who had brought Paul to Rome for
“the defense and confirmation of the gospel” (v. 7).
b. Now they saw their role as stepping in to fill the gap in regard to
evangelism and speak to those whom Paul can’t.
But the others are speaking out of impure motives, kicking Paul while he was
down:
a. These were not false teachers preaching error because Paul was quick to
identify and condemn such individuals (i.e., false gospel, Galatians 1:6-9;
false brethren, Galatians 2:4).
b. No, these were people whose doctrine was correct, but whose hearts were
wrong.
Was Paul wounded by some the things being said about him?
Most likely, yes. He was human just as you or I, but Paul also saw the big
picture.
And when Paul looked at the big picture, his response was,
a. They realized that God was the one who had brought Paul to Rome for
“the defense and confirmation of the gospel” (v. 7).
b. Now they saw their role as stepping in to fill the gap in regard to
evangelism and speak to those whom Paul can’t.
But the others are speaking out of impure motives, kicking Paul while he was
down:
a. These were not false teachers preaching error because Paul was quick to
identify and condemn such individuals (i.e., false gospel, Galatians 1:6-9;
false brethren, Galatians 2:4).
b. No, these were people whose doctrine was correct, but whose hearts were
wrong.
Was Paul wounded by some the things being said about him?
Most likely, yes. He was human just as you or I, but Paul also saw the big
picture.
And when Paul looked at the big picture, his response was,
III. Regardless Of Our Circumstances Today, We Can Make A Difference For Christ By Our . . .
A. ATTITUDE
I do not believe that any of us could have spent much time around the apostle Paul without our spirits being lifted up and our minds being encouraged to greater thoughts of the God we serve.
In like fashion, the attitude with which each of us approach life is readily apparent to those around us.
We either approach life with an attitude of . . .
a. “Oh woe is me”, or
I do not believe that any of us could have spent much time around the apostle Paul without our spirits being lifted up and our minds being encouraged to greater thoughts of the God we serve.
In like fashion, the attitude with which each of us approach life is readily apparent to those around us.
We either approach life with an attitude of . . .
a. “Oh woe is me”, or
We are either looking forward to our heavenly home or complaining about
We either leave a good or bad impression about the God we serve.
Which will it be for you?
We either leave a good or bad impression about the God we serve.
Which will it be for you?
B. WORDS
A little later in this letter, Paul wrote, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (Philippians 2:14).
If anyone had a reason to grumble or complain about his lot in life, it would have been the apostle Paul.
Instead, three times in this letter he exhorted his brethren in Philippi to “rejoice,” finally writing in 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”
Can others tell by our words that we serve a risen Savior who is in the world today?
A little later in this letter, Paul wrote, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (Philippians 2:14).
If anyone had a reason to grumble or complain about his lot in life, it would have been the apostle Paul.
Instead, three times in this letter he exhorted his brethren in Philippi to “rejoice,” finally writing in 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”
Can others tell by our words that we serve a risen Savior who is in the world today?
C. ACTIONS
One of the things which Peter said about Jesus to Cornelius and his household was that He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38).
In back to back verses in his letter to the churches of Galatia, Paul instructed the brethren to engage in doing good:
One of the things which Peter said about Jesus to Cornelius and his household was that He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38).
In back to back verses in his letter to the churches of Galatia, Paul instructed the brethren to engage in doing good:
Regardless of the hardships we have experienced or are experiencing in this life, let us each make a conscious effort to faithfully serve the Lord so that others may see our good works and glorify God (Matthew 5:16).
Conclusion
In the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Colossians he prays that they might
In the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Colossians he prays that they might
The only time we need “steadfastness and patience” is when we are going through trials.
Paul is saying that God’s power is evident in our lives the most when we have a
thankful, joyous attitude in the midst of trials.
Will God be glorified in your life?
We are the happiest when we glorify Him.
Paul is saying that God’s power is evident in our lives the most when we have a
thankful, joyous attitude in the midst of trials.
Will God be glorified in your life?
We are the happiest when we glorify Him.