devotionals

April 3, 2020, (Spread of the Gospel)

In continuing our reading plan, today we look at Philippians 1:12-14. In this section, we read about how God used Paul to spread the Gospel in a very difficult season. It reads:

¹² Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, ¹³ so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, ¹⁴ and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. (Phil. 1:12-14; NASB)

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Examine your situation and see the good
  • Ask God what He wants you to learn, how He wants you to grow, and what is He teaching you through these things. Paul could have been deeply depressed about his imprisonment, but saw the “joy” in that he was there for the cause of Christ by advancing and progressing the gospel message
• Encourage others
  • Paul encouraged the Roman believers and the Philippians by being bold and courageous and telling others about Christ. Whether through word or deed, we all can look for ways to encourage fellow believers to do everything we can to advance the gospel
• Progress and Advancement of the Gospel Message
  • The Greek word used for progress or advancing (prokopēn) the gospel was used to describe blazing a trail before an army.[1] Paul, therefore, saw the events as forging new territory for the gospel. They took Paul into contact with a select group of people, soldiers and Roman officials, who otherwise would have had no relationship to him, and they also prompted a renewed evangelistic effort in the city. While others may have seen the end of missionary activity, Paul saw the new ways the gospel could advance. The events which seemed to inhibit the freedom of the gospel became its springboard. Paul did not say “in spite of” these events, but rather “through them.” There is a note of sacrifice here. Paul’s private concerns did not matter; the gospel did.
  • This is where it is interesting for us in this new day. The virus has spread all over, and now many churches are scrambling to learn how to stream their services. Some have had more successful weeks than others. Some are dealing with overwhelming challenges; while some are already experienced in the live stream universe. (It should be remembered that we are also facing attacks from Satan and his demons as they try to derail these streaming experiences. It is something we need to remember to pray against.) Whatever the case may be, churches, pastors, and missionaries are blazing a new trail on reaching members and the masses through these trials and tribulations. Through all of these “circumstances” God is using something that we tend to see as a hindrance into something mighty and magnificent. People are now tuning into churches that others would never have tried to go to or attend. A friend of mine is pastor of a small church that has 80 normal congregants. The first week of live streaming, they had 500 people viewing their service. The next week, 3,000 people tuned in to see the service. Think about that for a second and what God did. The service experienced all sorts of technical issues and was not smooth, but the fact remains that 2,900 people viewed a church service that otherwise would never have attended any service.
  • When we come out of this, our churches are going to be far more experienced in live streaming and identifying ways to connect with the online community. We can view this with eyes that see the negative or we can take Paul’s approach and see the positive. So, when the next tribulation comes, our churches will be ready and have planned ahead for something like this. It is not easy, and it takes a lot of work. It is grueling and stressful. But God is going to do something so good that it is beyond what we can imagine. And He is already at work doing something amazing.

Read More »Quarantine Devotional – Philippians 1:12-14 Spreading the Gospel