Sunday, January 28, 2018

January 28, 2018 | Pastor John Bayles | The Joyful Hope | Philippians 1:20-26



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January 28, 2018 | Pastor John Bayles | The Joyful Hope | Philippians 1:20-26

The Joyful Hope
Philippians 1:20-26

Joy is the product of Paul’s assurance to the Phillipian church that he is more than safe in Rome. Ultimately, by the strength of their prayers and the presence of the Holy Spirit of Christ, His circumstances have brought him into the very bowels of the imperial palace. His imprisonment has given him the unique opportunity to preach the Gospel to the entire Praetorian guard and the word of this has spread throughout the entire imperial network. Paul is filled with joy over what has taken place in his recent past.

And Paul continues to be filled with joy because his heart is set on a continued deliverance with the view toward even returning to Philippi and coming into reunion with his dear friends, sharing the victories of the past and pressing on to even more fruitfulness of the Gospel in the future. But Paul’s trial and final sentence by Rome is the Elephant in the room. He goes on in today’s text to carefully express his joyful hope for an ultimate reunion with the Philippian believers, weather in this life or in the life to come.

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Sunday, January 21, 2018

January 21, 2018 | Pastor John Bayles | The Joyful Dilemma | Philippians 1:19-26



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January 21, 2018 | Pastor John Bayles | The Joyful Dilemma | Philippians 1:19-26

The Joyful Dilemma
Philippians 1:19-26

Paul transitions to a new thought, but it is built upon what he has already discussed. It is built upon a renewal of joy within the apostle, because of the fruit his message has produced during his imprisonment in Rome. He is even more filled with joy, for the clarity, conviction and courage his message has produced in his disciples. They have come into a new relevance of their message and a calling, with boldness, to share the Gospel. Here is the fruit of his calling: That he might see disciples of Christ rise up an grow in personal belief and be fortified to share what they have received. As he stated in the letter to the Corinthians: “14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:14-21). 

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