THE RIPPLE EFFECT

 

 

An actual photo taken by one of the five missionaries.

In December 1957 a young marine climbed aboard a bus bound for south California. Chuck was depressed and felt that God had forgotten him, even though he had seldom included God in his life. He would soon leave Cynthia, his bride of two years and family and friends for service in Okinawa. His brother seeing his panic and need of help gave him a book and admonished him to read it.

Chuck muttered, “Oh sure”. What kind of book does he want me to read now? Chuck wondered. However once on the bus he opened the book and began to read. The story of five men willing to give up their lives for God captured his interest, especially since they were not much older than he was. The bus arrived in the marine base long before he had finished the book, but he couldn’t put it down.

He found the only light available –in the washroom – and there he stayed until he had finished the book. The book through the gates of splendor by Elizabeth Elliot (1957), recounted the story of the five missionaries who were speared by the Aucas and it became the turning point in Charles Swidoll’s life. He telephoned his wife to tell her she must read the book saying, “God has gotten my attention and has calmed my panic.”

God used the book and its story of five men obedient unto death to confirm a sense of call to him. He wanted to be available just as those five men were in whatever way God might choose. Swindoll then fulfilled his military service obligation with the United States Marine Corps, on the Japanese island of Okinawa. After his honorable discharge in 1959, he attended Dallas Theological Seminary, where he graduated four years later. He was ordained into the ministry in 1963.

In July 1994, Swindoll became the president of the Dallas Theological Seminary. In 1998 Swindoll founded Stonebriar Community church in Frisco. The congregation grew rapidly from a few hundred members to several thousand in the first few years. Many of the pastors at Stonebriar were graduates of Dallas Theological Seminary. The church is known for its missionary work in India and in other countries.

Swindoll is the founder of Insight for Living, a program aired on radio stations around the world. The program is heard on more than 2000 stations as well as webcast and is translated into several languages. He is the author of more than 70 books. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Christianity today named Swindoll as one of the top 25 most influential preachers in 50 years (1956–2006) Ambassadors for Christ

Paul wrote the book of Philippians in a Roman jail.  Most would have expected his imprisonment to restrict the gospel proclamation but this is not what happened. In Philippians 1:12-14 Paul gave two ways in which his imprisonment advanced the gospel. First the worldly soldiers who were used to guarding rough criminals saw a different attitude in Paul. He never complained, they heard him singing and praising God.

They saw him receive all sorts of visitors. They heard him dictate letters to churches. They heard him pray to a God he seemed so sure was listening. Paul’s attitude and words in this difficult situation not only resulted in witness to these lost soldiers, but it also encouraged many of the Roman Christians to become bold in their faith and gospel witness. His cheerfulness in the midst of trials proclaimed the reality of faith in Christ both to the lost and to the saved.

In Philippians 1:15–18 he gave a third way in which his chains advanced the gospel. He wrote “Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed and in this I rejoice.”

It was not bad enough that Paul was in prison, he had some preachers who are hoping to rub salt in his injuries! These were not false preachers; they were selfish preachers. If they were false, Paul could not have rejoiced at their preaching. They were true preachers who are using Paul’s situation as an open door to advance their own cause. They had the right message but they were preaching it from wrong and unworthy motives.

In verses15 and 17 Paul clearly states that these preachers “preach Christ,” but they do so from “envy and strife” and out of “selfish ambition. The word translated “selfish ambition” was used to describe a selfish worker interested only in his own pay or a politician in the self-seeking pursuit of office regardless of means. In the same vein, with Paul in prison, there is now a perceived vacancy, and these preachers are all seeking to fill it. They are calculating and focused on self-promotion.

What bothered these preachers was that Paul was getting too famous. So they possibly took this opportunity to highlight the accusations leveled against him. They did this hoping to paint him dark so that they could appear white against his dark background.  They may have said things like “its possible Paul is guilty of all the charges against him. He stirs up trouble in every city he visits. It’s embarrassing to have an esteemed apostle in jail”.

It must have broken Paul’s heart to know that some of his fellow preachers were using his prison time against him. Nevertheless, he had a big heart.  He also knew people often do the right things for the wrong reasons. This is why in 1 Corinthian 4:1-5, Paul says that he does not judge others or himself; he leaves that to the Lord Jesus Christ. He knew that God can use bad people to do good things. God can use flawed people to do his will.

 Fortunately, there were those good preachers who proclaimed the gospel from goodwill and out of love for him (1:16). They “do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel”. The word translated “appointed” was a military term indicating a military assignment. These pastors recognized that God had placed Paul exactly where He wanted him.

The preachers knew that God had assigned Paul to his chains. At the time of his conversion God had said to Ananias “this man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:15, 16). God had ordered his courtroom appearance before Caesar to defend the gospel at the highest level in the Roman Empire.

In verse 18, Paul makes a triumph conclusion “What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.” Paul is essentially saying, “what does it matter, the important thing is that in every way whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached, the gospel is advancing! And that thrills my heart!!” Paul’s sentiments are that instead of the gospel not being preached, it’s better for people with impure motives to preach it. It will still advance!

It is easy to be bitter against those who mistreat us and fight back; Paul chose to rejoice in spite of his critics. As long as people preached Christ it did not matter what they said about him. He refused to be diverted into lesser issues. For Paul, the “main thing” was the gospel. Ultimately, he was not concerned with his own fame or comfort. Rather his life revolved around preaching the gospel to a lost world.

Paul demonstrated a complete lack of fear and refused to complain or blame others. He did not let his circumstances rob him of his joy in the Lord. He refused to be mastered by his circumstances, no matter how frustrating they were. He was joyful and resolutely determined to continue to be so (Phil.1:18). He resolved to see the hand of God at work in every situation. What made Paul respond this way?

He believed the truth he wrote in Romans 8:28.  He believed that God was in charge of everything and that in some way unknown to him, God would orders all things for Paul’s good and his glory. Paul had told the Thessalonians’ believers, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (I Thess. 5: 16-18). Paul followed his own advice, what was his secret?

Paul had a good reason to be discouraged. He had spent two years confined in Caesarea without any crime on his part. He had suffered a shipwreck and near death on his trip to Rome.  He could not see the bigger picture. He simply trusted God moment by moment, seizing every opportunity to preach Christ. It is not until he finally arrived in Rome that he realized that his circumstances were only part of a bigger picture.

Phil 1:12–18 present Paul as a model for all believers. Rather than valuing his own reputation and freedom, he put the advancement of God’s plan first. He could maintain a truly joyful attitude even in unpleasant circumstances because he had an eternal perspective in all things. Thus he could find something good and rejoice even in a Roman jail, not sure whether he will survive or die there.how do you  handle criticism from fellow believers? Are you able to see things from an eternal perspective?