I Shall Rejoice

In this part of the sermon: To understand the text, Martin explains Paul's specific circumstances: a prisoner in Rome with some liberty, a favorable trial, and a growing conviction of release, yet facing the…

Understanding the text is like opening a door with two locks, requiring two keys: Paul's specific circumstances and the preceding context. This analogy frames the sermon's interpretive approach.

As we stand on the threshold of seeking to grasp the meaning of the Apostle's words and the message of those words to this church and to us as a church of Christ, I would suggest the analogy of standing before a door, that has two locks, and if the door represents an accurate understanding of the text, then the two locks must be opened by the two appropriate keys. Key number one, if we are to understand this passage, is comprised of an understanding of Paul's specific circumstances.

3:23 - 4:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: To understand the text, Martin explains Paul's specific circumstances: a prisoner in Rome with some liberty, a favorable trial, and a growing conviction of release, yet facing the…

Paul's use of 'whether by life or by death' was not poetic but a stark reality, as his life hung on the whims of Nero, with the executioner's axe a real threat. This emphasizes the gravity of Paul's situation.

And so when the apostle introduces this language, whether by life or by death, Christ shall be magnified, he was not simply using excessive poetic language. It wasn't as though he was sitting in his living room in total freedom with his wife's arm, if he had a wife, which she didn't have, of course, at this time, but assuming a man is in that posture, and talking about his love to Christ, saying, well, whether I have to live or die, I love the Lord.

7:40 - 8:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not detach experience and doctrine in your thoughts or attitudes, for God has joined them together.

Paul's deep experimental joy is connected to his clear knowledge by a 'living umbilical cord,' illustrating that doctrine sustains the life of Christian experience.

Now, what is more experimental than holy joy? When a child of God is exalting in his spirit in the midst of adverse circumstances, and can say, even if I must go to the executioner's block, I shall rejoice, I say, what is more deeply experimental than that kind of Christian joy? And yet the apostle draws a straight line, or to change the analogy, he portrays a living umbilical cord between his deepest experience as a Christian and the clear white light of knowledge that he possesses.

15:02 - 15:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Seek a constant balance between emphasis upon experience and upon doctrine in your Christian life and understanding.

The devotional frame of Paul's heart is embedded in the 'reinforcement concrete of doctrine,' showing that spiritual feelings are grounded in truth.

And the apostle makes it plain that his experience is rooted in his knowledge. He makes plain that the devotional frame of his heart is embedded in the reinforcement concrete of doctrine. And that is why, dear people, you will find in this place, as long as any of us who preach, have any sensitivity to the truth of the Bible, a constant desire to balance the emphasis upon experience and upon doctrine. And while I've been at it in this area for 18 years, I can say I have felt in my 18 years amongst you and in my almost 30 years...

17:01 - 17:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Paul details his explanation: the certainty of deliverance from his true dangers (shaming Christ), the means of this deliverance (Philippians' prayers and the Spirit's supply)…

Paul's 'earnest expectation' is likened to eagerly watching for a loved one at an airport gate, head stretched out, on tiptoes, illustrating intense anticipation and desire for deliverance.

i'm confident that there will be deliverance this shall turn out to my salvation the means their prayers and their prayers and their prayers and their prayers and their prayers and their prayers nowjohn clear the supply of the spirit now he gives onto described the measure of his desire for and confidence in this deliverance this delivered until come according to pattern of verse twenty my earnest expectation and the word for earnest expectation is a very good good Muslim's to watch surely day headed stretched out in the moment I did a little word study on it I thought of what I've seen again ...

27:37 - 28:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Learn that you have grounds to boast, not in yourself, but in the grace of God that will meet every need and bring you safely home.

Martin quotes lines from hymns by Augustus Toplady ("The work which his goodness began") and John Newton ("Tis grace has brought me safe thus far") to illustrate Paul's confidence in the predictability and sufficiency of God's grace.

Prayer shall be heard. The Spirit will supply all that is needful. Though the hymn had not been composed, if it had been, I'm sure, Paul would have loved such hymns as Augustus' Top Ladies, the work which his goodness began. The arm of his strength will complete.

34:55 - 35:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third message reveals that the source of Paul's continued joyfulness is a single-minded focus on Christ. His joy is not dependent on personal comfort, possessions, or health…

Paul's joy is not diminished by preachers with evil motives who seek to put a 'galling chain around my spirit,' emphasizing that his focus is on Christ's proclamation, not personal offense.

Now here is an example of what that text means. With Paul, joy was not dependent upon personal comfort, personal ease, reputation, notice, not even upon life itself. One thing was the basis of his joy and that thing was Christ. If Christ is proclaimed, he says, even though these evilly motivated preachers are out to rub it under my nose, they seek to put a galling chain around me, a galling chain around my spirit.

44:42 - 45:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that inconsistency in Christian joy often stems from a divided heart, not solely fixed on Christ.

The executioner's sword hanging over Paul is described as a 'sword of Damocles,' highlighting the constant, imminent threat to his life.

I rejoice. Now the Philippians say, But Paul, what about the future? We can understand the rationale for rejoicing in the past. But there's that executioner's sword hanging over you like a sword of Damoples.

45:41 - 45:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that inconsistency in Christian joy often stems from a divided heart, not solely fixed on Christ.

Martin uses the childish phrase "Nobody loves me. Everybody hates me. I'm going out and eat worms" to mock believers whose joy is easily eroded by losing friends, illustrating a divided heart.

The reason some of you sitting here this morning are so inconsistent in the area of Christian joy is that your heart is divided into too many pieces. You don't have a single heart. Your joy is partly in Christ and partly in your friends. So you lose a friend or two and you go down in a heap.

46:31 - 46:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Grow up from childish reactions to loss of friends or possessions, and root your joy in Christ alone.

When physical pain dissipates joy, one becomes "as cross as a bear all robbed of its whelps," illustrating the loss of temper and peace when joy is not rooted in Christ alone.

Whether or not your nerve endings are all quieted, sending no signals to the brain saying, pain and hurt. Some of you have great joy when no such signals are going to the brain reminding you that there is an arthritic joint or there is some other point of real pain. You're fine, but let God allow in His providence some affliction to come that from morning to night sends signals to the brain saying, hurt, hurt! And your joy is all gone.

48:21 - 48:54 Read in full sermon

The point: If you find Paul's joy in suffering incomprehensible, it is because you are a stranger to the grace of God and need to flee to Christ.

Martin imagines someone thinking Paul must be 'high' or 'cruising at 40,000 with something' to be joyful in prison, contrasting this worldly explanation with the true source: Christ in his heart.

A guy sitting in a prison chained to a soldier, possibly going to have his head lopped off in a matter of a few days or weeks, and he talks about being full of joy. Somebody must have been putting some stuff through the bars or through the soldiers or something. He must have been high. He must have been cruising at 40,000 with something.

50:52 - 51:13 Read in full sermon

The point: If you find Paul's joy in suffering incomprehensible, it is because you are a stranger to the grace of God and need to flee to Christ.

Quoting a hymn, "Solid joys and lasting pleasures none but Zion's children know," to emphasize that true, stable joy is exclusive to those who know God's grace.

It's not pot in his head or coke up his nose. It's Christ in his heart. And the scriptures make it abundantly plain that this experience is totally foreign to those who are strangers to grace. In the paraphrase of one of the songs we often sing, solid joys and lasting pleasures none but Zion's children know.

51:32 - 52:00 Read in full sermon

The point: If you find Paul's joy in suffering incomprehensible, it is because you are a stranger to the grace of God and need to flee to Christ.

Martin recounts childhood experiences of chasing shadows and trying to salt a bird's tail to catch it, illustrating the futility of pursuing fleeting worldly joys and the impossibility of grasping them.

You kids, you ever had fun chasing your shadow? I can remember doing that as a kid. Chasing my shadow. And it always was a step away from me.

52:10 - 52:18 Read in full sermon

The point: May God write this passage upon our hearts so that we, in our generation, manifest the apostle's spirit of joy in Christ to all our contacts.

Precepts tell us what we ought to do, but examples (like Paul's) show us that it can be done, highlighting the encouraging power of seeing grace in action.

We thank you for all of the precepts which tell us the things that grace can do. But we praise you even more so for the examples. For in the precepts you tell us what we ought to do. In the examples you show us that it can be done.

55:46 - 56:06 Read in full sermon