The Fruitful Labor of the Believer - Philippians 1:22-26
The Fruitful Labor of the Believer - Philippians 1:22-26
Pastor Lee Hemen
March 15, 2009 AM
How does a person measure their life? Some do it with the number of years they live, while others do it through the personal achievements they made during their lifetimes. Still others measure their lives through their financial success, the gathering of wealth, or material possessions. Some measure their lives by the family they have. While some of these are quite important, for the Christian there should be a different criteria in how we measure our lives. How do you measure your life? This is a incredibly crucial question for the Christian to consider in contemplating the conclusion and contentment of their continuation! It was for Paul and he mentions this to the Philippians!
We find that fruitful labor for Paul was not measured in the number of notches he had on his witnessing belt nor was it found in the final tally of the bodies he registered through the doors of the churches he helped to establish. Paul’s measurement of his personal life was seen by him in the fruitful lives his disciples lived in Jesus Christ. It became a dynamic choice for Paul as he sat in prison and wrote the church at Philippi. He was torn as to what the labor of his life would reflect not just about himself but for those he influenced as well. What then should the labor of a believer’s life be measured by? Let’s learn what Paul considered the fruitful labor of the believer…
READ: Philippians 1:22-26
Growing up literally in the middle of an apple orchard helps one learn just how important certain tasks are. In fact it taught me to realize very quickly that the life of a farmer was not for me! The reason? No matter what, you had to take care of your crop. In season and out of season it demanded one’s constant personal attention. If the weather was bad, holidays were forgotten in order to make sure the trees were protected. Birthdays, vacations, or weekends went by the wayside if the trees needed pruning, fertilizing, or watering. Just as a farmer learns that a farm takes personal sacrifice, so the believers does as well. In fact, Paul taught that…
I. The fruitful labor in the believer’s life demanded personal sacrifice! (Vv. 22-24)
1. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) In coming off the comment where Paul boldly declared that “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain,” he now writes that “If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.” What does Paul mean by this? He wanted his readers to fully understand what a Christian’s life should be measured by. If Paul, the pastor, was to continue to live his life for the Lord, it meant “fruitful labor” for him. Some think that Paul had reached, by this time, a kind of a fatalist view of his life. They think he saw that his life was going to be cut off soon, so he was now resigning himself and his readers to his ultimate fate. His imminent death. This is hogwash! For Paul it was not resignation but rather a real conflict to glorify God: “Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!” What a difference between believers of our day and Paul’s attitude! He was actually “torn between the two” choices of whether to continue to live his life for the Lord here or to be present with the Lord in heaven! “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;” he related, “but it is more necessary for you (Philippians) that I remain in the body.” Paul was willing to sacrifice whatever he personally desired for God’s plan for his life. Going home for Paul meant being with Jesus and no longer having to face persecution, hardship, and the loneliness that ministry often brings. Paul’s selfless and sacrificial attitude is exposed here by his placing this church’s needs and God’s will above his own desires. This is why he could boldly tell others to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship!” (Romans 12:1) Fruitful labor for the believer comes when the Christian understands that life demands personal sacrifice!
EXAMPLE: In a March 2008 study by ZDNet they discovered that 51% people said they would not give up their cell phones and in a March 2009 survey by the German broadband company Bitkom they discovered that Germans between 19-29 would rather lose their partners or their car before they lost access to the Internet, and 97% said they couldn't live without a mobile phone! The Catholic Church in Italy recently asked teens to give up texting for the 40 days of Lent. Most have refused. The down turn in the economy has not yet affected private broadband subscriptions or cell phone contracts. It seems that even during tough times, folks are unwilling to let go of their texting and Internet. Another study showed that 51% would forego intimate relationships with their spouse rather than give up the Internet! WOW! No wonder Christianity hits a brick wall when asking folks to sacrifice some of their time, talent, or treasure for God’s kingdom. Far too many want spiritual “sacrifice” on their schedule or not at all. However, we have learned from Paul’s writing to the Philippians that fruitful labor in the believer’s life demands personal sacrifice. Are you willing to sacrifice?
We have all heard the old adage that “It does not matter whether you win or lose, it is how you play the game,” but let me tell you the real truth of this little saying: It does matter if you win or lose and it does matter how you play the game. Salvation is not the end to the believer’s life in the Lord, they are to also continue in Him. Just as planting apple trees is not the end of the orchardist’s duties! The farmer knows they have to prune the trees, tend the trees, and then pick the apples from the trees. But their work is still not done! It begins all over again for the following season! You have to be willing to see it through to its conclusion year after year or you do not benefit from your labor! Paul understood this and wrote that…
II. The fruitful labor in the life of a believer demanded staying power! (Vv. 25-26)
1. “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:4-6) Paul knew what was “necessary” for the Philippians and being “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith!” He did not do it for himself, he decided to sacrifice whatever he desired in life for them. He wanted to see them “progress” in the Lord. He wanted to see his young disciples in the Lord realize the “joy” of their “faith!” Can you imagine such a demonstration of love and devotion to Jesus to see others grow in Him? WOW! In our day we find far too many that are more concerned about the “bottom line,” numbers through the doors, or how popular their church is rather than glorifying God and wanting to see individuals grow spiritually. But not Paul! He knew that if it was God’s desire to free him he would see them again and “so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me!” Do you realize what Paul is saying here about himself? He is saying: “I will keep on keeping on, not concerned about myself, but that only until your joy in the Lord ‘overflows’ on account of what God is doing through me!” That is staying power! We find churches that go through congregations like cookies and pastors like peanuts. Spiritual snacks to be gobbled up until the crowd is selfishly sated. Pastors jump from one prospective church or “job” to another not in the least concerned about the ungodly spiritual wake they leave behind. We find cultural Christians who jump ship at a moment’s notice because they become dissatisfied with the sermon, the recreational activities, the Sunday morning show, or how they think things should be done to personally please them. Fruitful labor in the life of a believer demands staying power whether it is from a pastor or a church member.
EXAMPLE: I find it humorous when politicians do not want to accept the blame for the really stupid decisions they make. But what do we expect? Few today want to take the blame for any mistakes they make or the sins they do in life. Financial wizards steal their investor’s money; sports stars make excuses for drug enhancement; and the Hollywood elite say they are misunderstood. All of this reflects a spiritual shallowness that has infected our entire society. We have become a nation of excuses where we do not expect things to last, whether it is someone’s promise or what we buy from Wal-Mart. Therefore, when we read the Apostle Paul telling the Philippians “I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,” we cannot comprehend the immense personal sacrifice involved. We want it, we need it, and we expect it from others, but just not from ourselves. Yet, Paul makes it very plain that fruitful labor in the life of a believer demands staying power! Do you have what it takes?
Conclusion:
How do you measure your life? This is a incredibly crucial question for you the Christian to consider in contemplating the conclusion and contentment of your continuation! For Paul the fruitful labor in life demanded personal sacrifice and the fruitful labor in life demanded staying power!
—
This article is the copyrighted 2009 © property of Lee Hemen and may not be copied or reproduced in any way shape or form without using the full text of this entire article, and getting the permission of its author.
Pastor Lee Hemen
March 15, 2009 AM
How does a person measure their life? Some do it with the number of years they live, while others do it through the personal achievements they made during their lifetimes. Still others measure their lives through their financial success, the gathering of wealth, or material possessions. Some measure their lives by the family they have. While some of these are quite important, for the Christian there should be a different criteria in how we measure our lives. How do you measure your life? This is a incredibly crucial question for the Christian to consider in contemplating the conclusion and contentment of their continuation! It was for Paul and he mentions this to the Philippians!
We find that fruitful labor for Paul was not measured in the number of notches he had on his witnessing belt nor was it found in the final tally of the bodies he registered through the doors of the churches he helped to establish. Paul’s measurement of his personal life was seen by him in the fruitful lives his disciples lived in Jesus Christ. It became a dynamic choice for Paul as he sat in prison and wrote the church at Philippi. He was torn as to what the labor of his life would reflect not just about himself but for those he influenced as well. What then should the labor of a believer’s life be measured by? Let’s learn what Paul considered the fruitful labor of the believer…
READ: Philippians 1:22-26
Growing up literally in the middle of an apple orchard helps one learn just how important certain tasks are. In fact it taught me to realize very quickly that the life of a farmer was not for me! The reason? No matter what, you had to take care of your crop. In season and out of season it demanded one’s constant personal attention. If the weather was bad, holidays were forgotten in order to make sure the trees were protected. Birthdays, vacations, or weekends went by the wayside if the trees needed pruning, fertilizing, or watering. Just as a farmer learns that a farm takes personal sacrifice, so the believers does as well. In fact, Paul taught that…
I. The fruitful labor in the believer’s life demanded personal sacrifice! (Vv. 22-24)
1. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) In coming off the comment where Paul boldly declared that “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain,” he now writes that “If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.” What does Paul mean by this? He wanted his readers to fully understand what a Christian’s life should be measured by. If Paul, the pastor, was to continue to live his life for the Lord, it meant “fruitful labor” for him. Some think that Paul had reached, by this time, a kind of a fatalist view of his life. They think he saw that his life was going to be cut off soon, so he was now resigning himself and his readers to his ultimate fate. His imminent death. This is hogwash! For Paul it was not resignation but rather a real conflict to glorify God: “Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!” What a difference between believers of our day and Paul’s attitude! He was actually “torn between the two” choices of whether to continue to live his life for the Lord here or to be present with the Lord in heaven! “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;” he related, “but it is more necessary for you (Philippians) that I remain in the body.” Paul was willing to sacrifice whatever he personally desired for God’s plan for his life. Going home for Paul meant being with Jesus and no longer having to face persecution, hardship, and the loneliness that ministry often brings. Paul’s selfless and sacrificial attitude is exposed here by his placing this church’s needs and God’s will above his own desires. This is why he could boldly tell others to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship!” (Romans 12:1) Fruitful labor for the believer comes when the Christian understands that life demands personal sacrifice!
EXAMPLE: In a March 2008 study by ZDNet they discovered that 51% people said they would not give up their cell phones and in a March 2009 survey by the German broadband company Bitkom they discovered that Germans between 19-29 would rather lose their partners or their car before they lost access to the Internet, and 97% said they couldn't live without a mobile phone! The Catholic Church in Italy recently asked teens to give up texting for the 40 days of Lent. Most have refused. The down turn in the economy has not yet affected private broadband subscriptions or cell phone contracts. It seems that even during tough times, folks are unwilling to let go of their texting and Internet. Another study showed that 51% would forego intimate relationships with their spouse rather than give up the Internet! WOW! No wonder Christianity hits a brick wall when asking folks to sacrifice some of their time, talent, or treasure for God’s kingdom. Far too many want spiritual “sacrifice” on their schedule or not at all. However, we have learned from Paul’s writing to the Philippians that fruitful labor in the believer’s life demands personal sacrifice. Are you willing to sacrifice?
We have all heard the old adage that “It does not matter whether you win or lose, it is how you play the game,” but let me tell you the real truth of this little saying: It does matter if you win or lose and it does matter how you play the game. Salvation is not the end to the believer’s life in the Lord, they are to also continue in Him. Just as planting apple trees is not the end of the orchardist’s duties! The farmer knows they have to prune the trees, tend the trees, and then pick the apples from the trees. But their work is still not done! It begins all over again for the following season! You have to be willing to see it through to its conclusion year after year or you do not benefit from your labor! Paul understood this and wrote that…
II. The fruitful labor in the life of a believer demanded staying power! (Vv. 25-26)
1. “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:4-6) Paul knew what was “necessary” for the Philippians and being “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith!” He did not do it for himself, he decided to sacrifice whatever he desired in life for them. He wanted to see them “progress” in the Lord. He wanted to see his young disciples in the Lord realize the “joy” of their “faith!” Can you imagine such a demonstration of love and devotion to Jesus to see others grow in Him? WOW! In our day we find far too many that are more concerned about the “bottom line,” numbers through the doors, or how popular their church is rather than glorifying God and wanting to see individuals grow spiritually. But not Paul! He knew that if it was God’s desire to free him he would see them again and “so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me!” Do you realize what Paul is saying here about himself? He is saying: “I will keep on keeping on, not concerned about myself, but that only until your joy in the Lord ‘overflows’ on account of what God is doing through me!” That is staying power! We find churches that go through congregations like cookies and pastors like peanuts. Spiritual snacks to be gobbled up until the crowd is selfishly sated. Pastors jump from one prospective church or “job” to another not in the least concerned about the ungodly spiritual wake they leave behind. We find cultural Christians who jump ship at a moment’s notice because they become dissatisfied with the sermon, the recreational activities, the Sunday morning show, or how they think things should be done to personally please them. Fruitful labor in the life of a believer demands staying power whether it is from a pastor or a church member.
EXAMPLE: I find it humorous when politicians do not want to accept the blame for the really stupid decisions they make. But what do we expect? Few today want to take the blame for any mistakes they make or the sins they do in life. Financial wizards steal their investor’s money; sports stars make excuses for drug enhancement; and the Hollywood elite say they are misunderstood. All of this reflects a spiritual shallowness that has infected our entire society. We have become a nation of excuses where we do not expect things to last, whether it is someone’s promise or what we buy from Wal-Mart. Therefore, when we read the Apostle Paul telling the Philippians “I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,” we cannot comprehend the immense personal sacrifice involved. We want it, we need it, and we expect it from others, but just not from ourselves. Yet, Paul makes it very plain that fruitful labor in the life of a believer demands staying power! Do you have what it takes?
Conclusion:
How do you measure your life? This is a incredibly crucial question for you the Christian to consider in contemplating the conclusion and contentment of your continuation! For Paul the fruitful labor in life demanded personal sacrifice and the fruitful labor in life demanded staying power!
—
This article is the copyrighted 2009 © property of Lee Hemen and may not be copied or reproduced in any way shape or form without using the full text of this entire article, and getting the permission of its author.
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