In today’s episode, embrace the concept of finding sweetness in bitterness as we unravel Apostle Paul’s journey through trials. With heartfelt reflections and insights from Jeff Archie, we discuss the profound impact of suffering transformed by faith. Discover how difficult paths can indeed lead to divine blessings, encouraging us to seek truth with integrity while nurturing a bold spirit to speak the Word of God fearlessly. Listen in for an empowering message of hope and redemption.
We never know what sweetness will emanate from bitterness, what liberty may spring from servitude, but the Lord does. Well, let’s look at a similar time in the Apostle Paul’s life today. That’s from the International Gospel Hour, and it’s coming up next.
SPEAKER 02 :
It’s time for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jay Webb, and welcome to our study today as we embrace God’s Word to help us meet the challenges of today. Let’s open our Bibles and open our heart for this time of Bible study with our speaker Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, a broadcast of the Churches of Christ. Here’s Jeff.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, thank you to our J-Web and greetings to all of you. And know how blessed we are for you, our listeners, who desire to pursue truth and to know said truth as Jesus said in John 8, 31 and 32. If we abide in Him, we will know the truth, for the truth will make us free. Let us seek for that truth with an honest heart and a diligent search. Again, we’re thankful you’re with us today. And I’ll tell you what, before we get into our discussion today of the fortune of misfortune, I want to pause and defer to our J-Web. He’s got another free publication we’d love to send you from our friends at Apologetics Press. Here is our Jay Webb.
SPEAKER 02 :
Our free publication today is Valor and Virtue, a Christian apologetics magazine for teens. It is a great resource, especially for the challenging teen years. Get your free copy today by calling toll free at 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say Valor. And you can also request it through our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the contacts tab and leave us your name and address and put Valor in the message box. Our friends at ApologeticsPress.org have made this possible for you, our listeners. Get your copy of Valor and Virtue today.
SPEAKER 01 :
The inspired Paul discusses in some detail the fortune of misfortune. Paul’s love and best wishes are expressed in the following way from Philippians 1 and verse 9. And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in all knowledge and all discernment. True yearning will reveal itself in supplication. our best desires for others instinctively pass into prayers, and indeed we may test the quality of our longings for the good of others by the nature of our request that we make for them at the throne of grace. Paul wrote, I pray that your love may abound in knowledge. Love can be unillumined or only partially enlightened, And there is the love of the first standard, an elementary, rudimentary affection where the senses are only partially awake and operative. And then there is an advanced love, a perception of God and men in a deeper and more dedicated way. And this love operates in all discernment, as our verse says. Even though they could appreciate the things that aren’t good, Paul wanted them sufficiently to grow to the point that they could appreciate the better and even the best. When our love is excellent, multitudinous excellences will be seen on every hand. Paul also wrote, Philippians 1.10, that you may be sincere and void of offense until the day of Christ. With such advancing love we’ve mentioned, the character will become increasingly enriched. It will be more and more sincere. And the word sincere literally suggests a perfection so finished and profound that it reveals no stain or defect even to the inspecting quest of the sunlight. Rusty garments may pass muster in the subdued light of the winter, but their imperfections stand revealed in the fierce inquisitiveness of the summer sun. Our characters may appear respectable when judged by the standards of the world, but the question is, will they stand when inspected by the Lord? Ecclesiastes 12, 13 and 14, John 12, 48 and 1 Timothy 5, 24 Now back to Philippians 1 and now verse 12, Paul wrote, Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things which happen unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the gospel. What seemed to be a menace turned out to be a blessing. The cloud, which appeared to be so ominous, brought a gracious shower. The restriction became the mother of a large liberty. How often the apostles’ experiences have been repeated in the lives of other saints. It has seemed at times as if calamity or enmity has checked and even destroyed their work, but the morrow demonstrates that God makes all things work out for our good. Romans 8.28 Perhaps bereavement has come to the family circle, but afterward those remaining do great work for the Lord. Sometimes a fire would mercilessly burn the invading flames inch by inch, consuming every blade of grass until a great area is blackened in unrelieved destruction. However, in some instances, after the passing of some time, in that very area, instead of scarred and blackened ruins, there appears a carpet of grass, fresh and winsome green. Paul also stated, again from Philippians 1, now verse 13, so that my bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole praetorian guard and to all the rest. We never know the real strength of a man’s foundation until he is tested by the storm. Picnic weather does not reveal the sea-going powers of a ship. These are tested by the tempest. When a man is brought into a tight corner, then we shall see the worth or the worthlessness of his religion. But as for Paul, the misfortune which he had feared became a minister of the kingdom. It became evident to those about him that his bonds were in Christ. The soldiers who guarded him began to speak solemnly about their prisoner. It was perfectly plain that he was no ordinary man and that he had amazing secret resources of strength and courage which showed no sign of exhaustion in this day of high crisis and danger. And now to verse 14 of Philippians 1. and that most of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear. Apparent misfortune is transmitted into richer fortune still. The timid-hearted are putting on holy courage as they contemplate the marvelous fortitude of Paul. The fruits of his distress become spiritual stimulants to his brethren. Who could have foretold that the means by which the disciples at Rome were to be encouraged would be the imprisonment of one of their greatest leaders? And so, we never know what sweetness will emanate from our bitterness, what liberty may spring from our servitude. The great Lord is over all. He delights to bring the garden out of the desert. He rejoices to make the wilderness blossom like the rose. Friends, sometimes our misfortune can turn into a fortune. And you know, I’ve had people share with me, Jeff, it hurt to go through what I did. But had I not gone through that, I might not have embraced the blessings that God had put before me. I myself, dear listeners and friends, have had moments in my life that hurt, that cut me to the core. And I began to search through my Lord, who not only had brought me to it, but I knew He would bring me through it. And I knew of the greater blessings that I’d had before. And so patiently, you press onward, and you trust in the Lord. Maybe you’re going through some misfortune right now. We want you to know that good fortune is ahead, that it will get better, that God will provide for us to live within it, and sometimes it brings us to look at our lives to see what we need to change. I know of many an individual who that is sitting in a church building today, because of bad choices in their lives, that they were brought to the gospel message. When they heard the gospel, they listened more. And they embraced that teaching of repentance, which means you can turn away and turn toward God. They confessed the Christ, because what they were confessing wasn’t working. And they were baptized into Christ to put that old man of sin to death, Romans 6, 3-6. and raised to walk in newness of life. And what a beautiful thought. So maybe the misfortune is driving us to think deeper on these matters. And so with that said, let us be of help to you. We know many of you do not have access to internet, but everybody gets mail, and we’re able to send through our friends at the Mount Leo Church of Christ in McMinnville, Tennessee, our Bible study course by mail. They will be of great help to you in your studies. We’d like for you to try it. And here is our J-Web with the details of how you can receive that Bible study course.
SPEAKER 02 :
Our long-time free Bible study course by mail is always available. Have you tried it yet? Just call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address, and just say, Home Study. That’s it. You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab, and leave us the same information, name, address, and type Home Study in the message box. Study the Bible at your own pace. Again, it’s free from your friends here at International Gospel Hour.
SPEAKER 01 :
Friends, we hope that our study today, titled The Fortune of Misfortune, has been of help to you in the study from Philippians chapter 1, verses 9 through 14. You know, God can take a mess and make a masterpiece. My friend Lonnie Jones of Huntsville, Alabama, shared that statement once, and it stuck in my mind. And today I am indebted to the late Garland Elkins for this study of The Fortune of Misfortune. originally printed in the Yoke Fellow, the newsletter of the Memphis School of Preaching, and originally printed in September of 1996. But oh, how those truths stand forward today. Dear friends, we want you to know that no matter where you may be in your life, how thankful we are that there is a cross that still forgives, there is a resurrected open tomb that still allows people to embrace the resurrection of life, and that we in turn can live better lives and better days ahead. Let us hear from you if we can be of help to you in any way. If you’re looking for a Church of Christ in your area, if you’d like to study matters further and you need a call, we’ll be glad to help you with that. And so reach out to us and let us know. Once again, 855-444-6988. And we’ll continue these studies together at another time. So thank you always for joining me here on the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie. And friends, keep listening.
SPEAKER 02 :
God be with you till we meet again. Thank you for listening today. To God be the glory. And we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. Feel free to listen to our other programs at our website at internationalgospelhour.com and join us next time.
