PHILIPPIANS INTRODUCTION

Phil Campbell

Talk I -A Visit to PHILIPPI (Acts 16-17)

MOWING PAST THE BOUNDARY PEG

One thing we’re enjoying as we settle into city life is being part of suburbia. Not that we lived out in the bush or anything down at Maclean, but where the Manse was, it was on a big block right alongside the church. Out on our own with no neighbours.

Now we’ve got neighbours both sides. And as I was mowing out on the front footpath the other day, I noticed an interesting thing. Maybe it’s because we’re in what’s a pretty new estate. But the thing I noticed was the BOUNDARY PEGS. Marking out the end of my bit of footpath. And the neighbours. Either end.

And the thing I noticed with both neighbours, who’d mowed a day or two before me, is the way they STOPPED. Exactly at the boundary peg. Didn’t mow an inch beyond it. Did what they had to. And not a centimetre more.

And I thought to myself as I mowed up to my side of the boundary peg, I wonder what would happen next time, if I get in first. And I go out there and MOW PAST THE PEG. Surprise the neighbours. By saving them a little bit of work.

I’m not sure how they’d cope. Probably won’t even notice. But they might. Might even be surprised. Because more and more, we live in a world, don’t we, where the thing we’re told to do is LOOK AFTER NUMBER 1. And everyone else can just look after themselves. Mow to the PEG. And not a fraction more.

Well, let me tell you the bad news right up front. And that is, that we Christians are called to MOW PAST THE PEG all the time. And we’re going to see that when you look at what happens when Paul and his friends visit the town of PHILIPPI.

In a little while, we’re going to look at Paul’s LETTER TO PHILIPPI. That he writes to them after he leaves. But first this morning, to give us some background, we’re looking at HIS VISIT THERE. The time he first met the Philippians, who he later writes to.

At the moment I’m reading a book by the travel writer Bill Bryson. Telling the story of how he hiked the APPALACHIAN TRAIL in America. A huge track that takes almost six months to walk. Covering around 15 kilometres a day, which he says is enough to almost kill you.

Well, between Acts chapter 15 and 16, Paul and Silas and Timothy and Luke have walked 1000 kilometres along the cobblestone Roman roads - a bit smoother than the Appalachian trail; but if they’re going the same rate as Bill Bryson, it’s two months of solid walking. They started in Jerusalem, they're gone up through Galatia and across the top of Turkey. And then 200 kilometres by boat. And they’ve come to an area called MACEDONIA. Which these days is the top part of Greece.

They’re here because Paul had a vision. A dream that you can see in verse 9 and 10 of Acts chapter 16. Where a man from Macedonia says to them COME AND HELP US. And I want you to have a look there in your bible. Acts 16 verse 9. Because Paul and his friends weigh up the vision the next day; the Macedonian saying come and help us. So they decide they’ll GO AND TELL THEM THE GOSPEL. Tell the Macedonians about Jesus.

Can I say to you before we go any further, as Christians we can very easily get sidetracked. By losing sight of THE HELP PEOPLE REALLY NEED. The Salvation Army found out the hard way. Everybody loves the Salvos, don’t they. Everyone digs deep for the annual Salvation Army appeal. And the way they help people is fantastic. There with sandwiches at the bushfires. There with counsellors at the Thredbo disaster. There with shelters for the down and out alcoholics. Drug rehabilitation. All sort of fantastic HELP. But five years ago they had to start a huge advertising campaign to remind people that the SALVATION ARMY IS ACTUALLY A CHURCH. Because people had FORGOTTEN.

See, Paul has the vision; a man across the sea waving his hands, saying COME OVER AND HELP US. And instead of saying, we’ll bring sandwiches; instead of saying, we’ll come and bring COUNSELLING; verse 10 says - and it’s worth looking at it for yourself - "After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that GOD HAD CALLED US TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THEM. The best help they could ever get. And it needs to be our focus as well. The help we offer.

So verse 11 and 12; they get on a boat down at the docks, and a few days later they’re in Philippi; leading city of the area. Verse 11 to 15; they’re talking to Lydia from the local dress shop; she’s down by the river praying with some other women. And what do they do? They HELP HER. By telling her the Gospel. They TELL HER THE GOSPEL; and it says the Lord open up her heart and she responds. And invites Paul and Silas and Luke and Timothy to stay at her place.

Which I guess is very nice. Lydia sells purple cloth. She's rich - nice house. But the bad news is, they don’t get to stay in Lydia’s guestroom for very long. The place Paul and Silas are heading, the beds aren’t NEARLY as comfortable. And the food’s not so good either.

You can see if you look what happens from verse 16 to 40, Paul and Silas are heading for jail. And it’s in jail where the most UNUSUAL THINGS happen. It’s in jail where we’re going to see that Paul and Silas mow WAY BEYOND the boundary peg. For the sake of THE GOSPEL.

And it happens like this. You can see it from verse 16; they’re heading back down to the prayer meeting at the river, and there’s this girl possessed by an evil spirit. And because she’s possessed by an evil spirit, she can predict the future. And so there are some guys, they’ve got her, and they’re making a FORTUNE from their little FORTUNE TELLING business with this spirit possessed girl.

And she can’t just tell the future. Can you see there in verse 17, she knows exactly what Paul and Barnabas have come for, exactly like the demons do in Mark’s gospel when they see Jesus. EVIL can recognise the power of God quicker than anything. Like when it’s dark you can see the light from a candle a mile off. Well, here comes the candle. And this girl knows exactly what’s going on. And she doesn’t just say it once. She follows them round day after day, and she’s shouting at the top of her voice, you can see what she’s saying in verse 17; "These men are servants of the most high God, WHO ARE TELLING YOU THE WAY TO BE SAVED."

Which is absolutely true. Exactly what they've come to do. But it’s driving Paul and Silas crazy. And so Paul after a few days of it turns around and says to the spirit, " In the name of Jesus Christ, come out of her." Which the evil spirit does.

Now, ask yourself, have Paul and Silas committed a CRIME here? I mean, they’ve done this girl a huge favour, haven’t they? Set her free from the power of evil. But the owners of the slave girl aren’t pleased at all. Because with those 14 words, with the words IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS I COMMAND YOU TO COME OUT OF HER, Paul’s just put them out of business.

And so in verse 19, they grab Paul and Silas and they drag them into the market place to the outdoor courthouse, and they round up a crowd; and they make their accusations to the local magistrate - these guys are doing stuff that’s against our Roman law. And when the magistrates see the crowd that’s around, they give the order; strip them. WHIP THEM. Throw them in jail.

Which is where you find Paul and Silas in verse 23. After they’ve been severely flogged, they're thrown in prison, backs raw and bleeding from the lashes; and the jailer is commanded to guard them carefully.

Now let me say to you, THIS IS NOT FAIR. Is it? I mean, I know YOU’VE had some unfair thing happen to you; someone gossiped about you and it wasn’t true; someone backed into the parking spot you were waiting for; someone cheated when you were playing tennis; someone’s making unfair demands on you in your family situation - and you want to say IT’S NOT FAIR.

And more than that; you want to complain about it to everyone you can. So they feel sorry for you as they sympathise with the GREAT INJUSTICE that you’re going through. And more than that, you want to get even. It’s only natural. Isn’t it?

Paul and Silas are sitting innocent in their jail cell with their red raw backs against the stone walls and their arms in chains and their feet up in front of them locked in stocks. And let me tell you, that stuff would have REALLY HURT. It’s easy to read this stuff and just say, oh yeah, whip. Stocks. Chains. But think about the last time something happened to you that really, really HURT. This was like that. And to add insult to injury, it’s totally UNFAIR.

So when you look at Paul and Silas, what are they doing? They’re PRAYING. And SINGING HYMNS TO GOD. Verse 25; it’s nearly midnight. And that’s what they’re doing. And the other prisoners can’t believe their ears. These guys must be CRAZY!

And then suddenly, without any warning, there’s an EARTHQUAKE. And it seems like it’s coming from right under the prison, because the whole foundations are shaking, and the big iron bolts shake right out of the walls; and the prison doors fly wide open.

Now I read in the papers a few weeks ago, there was guy in a police lockup. And due to what the police are calling HUMAN ERROR, which means a STUFF UP, they forgot to lock the cell. And so the guy calmly lets himself out, he finds another key so he can open the locker and collect his stuff, and he walks through the police station and heads for the car park. They caught up with him later hiding behind a car.

Now that’s the way it usually works, isn’t it. Get a chance for freedom, you GRAB IT. Especially in a case like this. I mean, you’d reckon if you were Paul and Silas, you’d be saying, IT’S A MIRACLE, wouldn’t you. GOD’S OPENED UP THE DOORS. So let’s get out of here.

But look what they do. Cause instead of worrying about their FREEDOM, instead of worrying about NUMBER 1 ... can you see what they’re worried about; They’re worried about the big guy in the soldiers uniform snoring up the end of the corridor. They’re worried about THEIR JAILER. Read verse 27 and 28. And you’ll see what happens. There’s the earthquake, the doors fly open, the jailer who’s been asleep on duty wakes up; and when he sees all the doors open, it says in verse 27 that he draws his sword and he’s about to kill himself, because he thinks the prisoners have escaped. And he knows the rules. Lose a prisoner. You take his place. But verse 28, Paul shouts to him; he says DON’T DO IT! He says, " Don’t harm yourself. We’re all HERE!"

Now here’s a real example of mowing past the boundary pegs, isn’t it. I mean, this is the guy with the WHIP. This is the guy who left them red and raw. Who you’d be thinking, TERRIFIC, let him do himself in. And yet here’s Paul - who’s been singing hymns in his chains. And he cares about his jailer more than he cares about his freedom. Unusual attitude, isn’t it. For someone who’s been treated to unfairly.

But have a look and what happens. The jailer can’t believe his ears. He turns on the lights, he rushes in; and he falls trembling in front of Paul and Silas. And he brings them out and he says to them, he says "SIRS, what must I DO - to be saved?"

I guess he’d heard about the slave girl with the evil spirit; she’d been saying it, hadn’t she - "These men are from God. And they’re telling you how to be saved." And he’s seen them in action. And seen that they’re DIFFERENT. And he wants to be like it.

You see, it might look crazy to SOME PEOPLE to be FORGIVING. Instead of taking revenge. To mow past the boundary peg, to go beyond what's expected. You might look like an idiot to SOME PEOPLE when you put into practice what Jesus said. He said LOVE YOUR ENEMIES. Paul and Silas don’t make excuses. They just DO IT.

Paul himself later on in his letter to the Romans, he says BLESS THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU. And they’re not empty words, are they. Because he DOES IT. Even when it’s NOT FAIR. Here’s the guy who spent half the afternoon whipping them. And Paul and Silas are saying, don’t hurt yourself. We’re all here. We could have gone, but we stayed, because we didn’t want to get you into trouble. And we want you to HEAR ABOUT JESUS. That’s what they CAME FOR, isn’t it. Remember the verse we started with. A man in a vision. Who knows. Might have even had a soldier’s uniform on. Like the jailer. Saying COME AND HELP US. So Paul’s COME TO TELL THEM THE GOSPEL. And here’s a brilliant opportunity. What must I do to be saved?

If you’re a Christian who’s keen on sharing your faith, you DREAM of an opportunity like that, don’t you. If only it was always that easy. If only people came up to you at the office, if only your neighbour came up to you at the fence, and they said, okay, tell me, what do I have to do to be saved.

You know, I reckon it might happen a bit more often - if we were a bit more serious about mowing past the usual boundary pegs. Putting aside our RIGHTS. Not playing by the usual rules of just caring about YOURSELF. Not playing by the usual rules of DOING WHAT’S BEST FOR ME. Being like Jesus.

Before we leave it, we need to notice what they say, don’t we. What do I have to do to be saved? What do you say when someone asks you that. Same thing if you’re a Philippian jailer or a Brisbane Bank teller. And that is BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS. That’s what they say, isn’t it. Verse 31. Not TRY YOUR HARDEST TO BE GOOD. Not, become a Presbyterian or a Baptist and give money to the church. Not MEDITATE and climb up some ladder of spirituality. Not even KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS. But believe. In Jesus. Which doesn’t just mean BELIEVE HE EXISTED. It means put your TRUST IN HIM. With your whole life. Lean you whole weight ... on HIM.

And the jailer does that. And so does his family. And they’re baptised, and they wash Paul and Silas’s wounds and they bandage them up and they serve up a midnight cup of tea and some marmalade on toast. And the whole family is filled with joy. Because they’ve come into the family of God. By trusting Jesus.

Friends, wouldn’t you love to see that happening more often? Every week? Every day? People added to the kingdom like that?

There are three things from this passage that we need to be doing if you want to see that. First of all, praying that God will prepare people’s hearts. Like he did with Lydia. Because unless God’s Spirit prepares the way, nothing happens.

Pray. And here’s the second thing. I’ve said it already. And that is, if you’re wondering why more people aren’t asking YOU what they have to do to be saved, maybe you’re not serious enough about mowing past those boundary pegs. Very visibly, very surprisingly, thinking more about OTHER PEOPLE. Than you do about yourSELF. Who when you’re treated unfairly, takes it as an opportunity to show people WHAT JESUS WOULD HAVE DONE. That’s the secret, isn’t it.

And finally, YOU NEED TO KNOW THE MESSAGE. Just imagine it. Your next door neighbour leans over the fence. And he says, I’ve been wondering. What’s being a Christian all about, anyhow.

I had a guy I worked with say that to me once; we were at the local pub for a farewell dinner for one of the staff, sitting round a table with a bunch of fellers from the office. And he asked the question, just like that. "What’s this Christianity all about anyhow?" And there was a sort of a deadly hush. And everyone else at the table turned around to look at me to see what I was going to say.

Now if that happens to YOU, and you need to be praying it will, ARE YOU READY? In the end it’s simple. But you need to think it through; you need to understand it. And get it right. We’re here to tell people that the way to be saved is BY TRUSTING JESUS. And his death on the cross, that extracts all God’s anger for the way we’ve rebelled against him. And that the way we live as Christians, is by FOLLOWING JESUS. Living his way. Constantly, constantly mowing beyond the boundary pegs. Making ourselves servants. Reflecting Jesus in who we are. Growing as followers of Jesus. Wherever we are. In a way that’s going to grown MORE followers of Jesus. As people see our lives. And say WHAT MUST I do. To be like that. What must I do to be saved.

Well, that’s Paul’s visit to Philippi. The next day they run him our of town. Turns out because he’s a Roman citizen they should never have thrown him in jail anyway. So there’s a cover up. An apology, and they ask him to move on. Which he does. And it’s not until quite a while later that he writes back to the church he’s started there, in the letter we call PHILIPPIANS. We’re going to be looking at Philippians in our small groups in a moment. And I want you to spend some time thinking about what you’d be remembering .. what you’d write back ... to the town where you’d been arrested. Where you’d been whipped. Where you’d been spat on by the crowds. Have a think about it. And then we're going to get back together and look at Philippians shortly.