Grosey's Messages

Philippians 1:27-30 Stand Struggle Strong

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,30 having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.

 

27 Μόνον ἀξίως τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τοῦ Χριστοῦ πολιτεύεσθε, ἵνα εἴτε ἐλθὼν καὶ ἰδὼν ὑμᾶς εἴτε ἀπὼν ⸀ἀκούω τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν, ὅτι στήκετε ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι, μιᾷ ψυχῇ συναθλοῦντες τῇ πίστει τοῦ εὐαγγελίου,

28 καὶ μὴ πτυρόμενοι ἐν μηδενὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀντικειμένων (ἥτις ⸂ἐστὶν αὐτοῖς⸃ ἔνδειξις ἀπωλείας, ⸀ὑμῶν δὲ σωτηρίας, καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ θεοῦ, 29 ὅτι ὑμῖν ἐχαρίσθη τὸ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, οὐ μόνον τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύειν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πάσχειν), 30 τὸν αὐτὸν ἀγῶνα ἔχοντες οἷον εἴδετε ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ νῦν ἀκούετε ἐν ἐμοί.

 

 

Do Stand

Do Struggle

στήκετε ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι, μιᾷ ψυχῇ συναθλοῦντες τῇ πίστει τοῦ εὐαγγελίου,

Don't Panic

28 καὶ μὴ πτυρόμενοι ἐν μηδενὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀντικειμένων

 

 

Some Christians retreat from the world. Nyngan commune.  Reformed commune. House of the Gentle Bunyip.

   As baptists we tend to retreat into holy huddles.
Some Christians live protesting everything the government does.
Right said Fred.  They can be known for what they are against not what they are for. 
Some are set for the defence of the gospel brandishing fighting words antagonistically over anything not within their small doctrinal world.

Christian nationalism is a term young men throw around and fight over as though they are the first to wrestle with what it means to live as a Christian in a hostile world.
The Apostle Paul wrestled with what it meant to be a Christian imprisoned by a hostile government. And worse yet, some Christians were happy he was in jail and wanted to kick him while he was down!

Paul begins this section with. Note this one thing.
Live worthy of the gospel of Christ.
Gospel centred living in a crazy politicised world.  Just like Rome and Phillipi its colony.
Politeusthai citizens.  Only here in NT.
Col 1:13.
We are citizens of heaven
Ambassadors of heaven.
Are you ashamed of your heritage ?
Do you live unashamedly speaking of Jesus ?
Ashamed of Jesus … hymn.

Be Standing Together

By Standing By Your Priority 

 Don't be distracted

Make the main thing the main thing
Make the gospel not an ideology nor a political party the main thing.

Don't be like Demas

 

Be Struggling 

In Your Adversity 

Suffering is not a sign of God's neglect but it is a sign of God's grace at work in your life.

In spite of Your Diversity 

Fighting for the gospel not against one another
Acts 5:41

Be Strong

Not intimidated by opposition bullies: Don't be like Mark
(1Cor 16:8,9) ie John Knox.  Funeral "here lies one who never feared the face of man."  Matt 10:28

Courageously speaking up for Christ (28) unashamed.
Don't be intimidated

Recognising God's power in persecution     

for God's sake 

for your sake To consecrate you 3:10,11

for the world's sake To convert

 

 

 

You Are Appointed To Persecutions

 

Afflictions, sufferings,  persecutions, hath heen the common lot and portion of the 'people of God in all the ages of the world. Witness the sufferings of the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, the primitive Christians, and the martyrs of a later date. Abel was persecuted by Cain, 1 John iii. 12 ; and Isaac by Ishmael, Gal. iv. 29 ; and Jacob by Esau. That seems to be a standing law, ' All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution,' 2 Tim.

The history of the ten persecutions, and that little Book of Martyrs, the eleventh of the Hebrews, and Mr Foxe his Acts and Monuments, with many other histories, do abundantly evidence that from age to age, and from one generation to another, they that have been ' born after the flesh have persecuted them that have been born after the Spirit,' Gal. iv. 29 ; and that ' the seed of the serpent hath been still multiplying troubles upon the seed of the woman,' Gen. iii. 15. As there was no way to paradise but by a flaming sword, nor no way to Canaan but through a howling wilderness, so there is no way to heaven but by the gates of hell ; there is no way to a glorious exaltation but through a sea of tribulation, of persecution. Acts xiv. 21, 22. The way to heaven is not strewed with roses, but full of thorns and briars, as those ' of whom this world is not worthy ' have always experienced, Heb. xi. The serpentine brood takes a very great pleasure to be still a-representing the people of God as foolish, hypocritical, precise, proud, divisive, seditious, factious, and as persons against order and government, against good laws and customs, as disturbers and troublers of the peace. King Ahab calls Elijah ' the troubler of Israel,' 1 Kings xviii. 17 ; and Haman laid it to the charge of the Jews, that ' they were disobedient to the king's laws,' Esth. iii. 8 ; and the adversaries of the Jews told Artaxerxes the king that ' Jerusalem was a rebellious city, hurtful unto kings and princes,' Ezra iv. 15 ; and the unbelieving Jews at Thessalonica did as much for the apostles, they said they were the men ' that turned the world upside down,' Acts xvii. 6. So Luther was called 'the trumpet of rebellion ;

' and Tertullus calls Paul ' a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition,' Acts xxiv. 5 ; Aolixov, a pestilence, a botch.

Foolish Tertullus mistook the antidote for the poison, the remedy for the disease. Now if so precious a man as Paul, than whom, saith Chrysostom, the earth never bare a better since it bore Christ, were accounted and called a pest, a botch, let us think much if the choicest saints in our days are accounted and esteemed as so many pests and botches. This is the reward the ungrateful world gives the servants of Christ for their zeal and faithfulness in the cause of Christ; instead of encouraging them, they load them with ignominious and hateful terms of rebellion and turbulency, &c., labouring thereby to make them odious, and to enrage the people against them, as the persecutors of old used to wrap the Christians up in bears' skins, and lions' skins, &c., and then to bait them with dogs. It is a very great vanity to think of passing to heaven without suffering. The saints in all ages have found the way thither paved with troubles, and it would be a foolish, childish thing for any of us to think of finding it otherwise now. Constantine the Great, as piously as wittily, told Acesius the Novatian, that if he would not take up with persecution, and such like dealing, he must

 

Polycarp! when the governor promised to let him go free if he would deny Christ, answered, I have served him fourscore and six years, and he never hurt me in anything ; how shall I curse him who hath saved me ? And the governor adding one while promises, another while threatenings, Polycarpus thus cuts off all, Why dost thou make delays? inflict what thou lists." So Galeacius, [Carraciolus,] a gentleman of great estate, who suffered martyrdom at St Angelo in Italy, being much pressed by his friends to recant, and save his life, he replied, that death was much more sweet to him with the testimony of verity, than life with the least denial of truth. Hooper desired rather to be discharged of his bishopric, than yield to certain ceremonies. A man were better displease all his friends, all his relations, yea, all the world, than to displease his God, and displease his own conscience. So Cyprian,—Augustine relates the story,—when the emperor, as he was going to execution, told him that he would give him space to consider whether he were not better cast in a grain into the fire, than be so miserably slain ; to which he replied.  "There needs no deliberation in this case."

The like we read in the history of France, in the year 1572, presently after that tragical and perfidious slaughter and massacre of so many thousands of protestants by treacherous bloody papists, Charles the Ninth, king of France, called the Prince of Conde, and proposed to him this choice, either to go to mass, or to die presently, or to suffer perpetual imprisonment ; to which he returned this noble answer, That by God's help he would never choose the first; and for either of the two latter, he left it to the king's pleasure, and God's providence. Thus you see that the people of God have, when put to it, chose rather to suffer than to sin.

 

 

For Me To Live Is Christ and to die is gain.

Mark viii. 35, ' For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.' There is no loss, but gain, in losing for Christ. It is a very dangerous thing for men to prefer the safety of their natural lives before the glory of Christ, the cause of Christ, the gospel of Christ, and the profession of his name. It is certain that the glory of Christ ought to be more dear and precious to us than our very lives. Christ, for our redemption and salvation, freely and readily lays down his life, ' I lay down my life for my sheep,' John x. 15 ; and shall we stand with him for ours, when our call is clear, to lay them down for his sake and  the gospel's sake ? He that shall attempt to save his life by crossing His light, by shifting of the truth, or by forsaking of Christ, shall lose it. It is a gainful loss to suffer for the truth ; it is a lossful gain, by time-serving and base complying with the times, the lusts, the wills, the humours of the men of this age, in whom the spirit of Cain and Esau works so furiously, to provide for our present safety, security, plenty, peace, and ease, &c., either by denying the truth, or by betraying the truth, or by exchanging the truth, or by forsaking the truth

:

Mat. X. 39, ' He that findeth liis life shall lose it.' This is a strange expression, a riddle to the world, a seeming contradiction, such as natural reason can never reconcile. ' He that findeth his life;  that is, redeemeth it with the forfeiture of his faith, with the shipwreck of his conscience, 1 Tim. i. 19, 20, makes a loser's bargain; he makes more haste than good speed, whilst in running from death as far as he can, he runs to it as fast as he can. See it in some great instances. When Henry the Fourth of France had conquered his enemies, he turned papist, and gave this reason of it, that he might settle himself in peace and safety. Eavaillac, who slew him as he was riding abroad in his coach to refresh himself, confessed that the reason why he stabbed him was because he was of two religions ; and thus, by his sinful endeavours to save his life, he lost it.

 There was one Philbert Hamlin in France, having converted a priest to the profession of the truth, was, together with the priest, apprehended, and cast into prison at Bourdeaux; but after a while, the priest, being terrified with the prison and fear of death, renounced Christ, and was set at liberty.

Whereupon Philbert said unto him, unhappy and more than miserable man ! is it possible that, to save your life for a few days, you should so deny the truth ? Know, therefore, though you have avoided the corporal fire, yet your life shall not be prolonged ; for you shall die before me, and you shall not have the honour to die for the cause of Christ ; but you shall be an example to apostates ; and accordingly, as he went out of the prison, two gentlemen, that had a former quarrel with him, met him, and slew him ; and thus, also, he lost his life by endeavouring sinfully to save it.

The Angrognians that yielded to the papists, and complied with them, that they might sleep quietly in a whole skin, were more sadly and cruelly handled by the papists than those that continued stout, courageous, and resolute for the truth.

Under the fourth persecution there were some Christians who, for fear of torments and death, denied their faith, and sacrificed to idols, yet did not their bloody persecutors spare them ; and it was observed that, being full of guilt, they went to their deaths with dejected and ill favoured countenances, so that the very Gentiles took notice of it, and reproached them as base apostates, and as such who were worthy to suffer as evil-doers. West, that was chaplain to Bishop Ridley, refusing to die in Christ's cause with his master, said mass against' his conscience, and soon after pined away with sorrow and grief.  He that will not suffer for Christ, shall be sure to suffer worse things from Christ than ever he could have suffered for Christ. And therefore Dr Taylor, the martyr, hit the nail when he said. If I shrink from God's truth, said he, I am sure of another manner of death than Judge Hales had, who being drawn, for fear of death, to do things against his light and conscience, did afterwards drown himself.^

Cyprian, in his sermon, De Lapsis, makes mention of divers who, forsaking the profession of their faith, were given over by God to be possessed by evil spirits, and so died fearfully and miserably, making good that word that is more worth than a world, John xii. 25, 'He that loveth his life shall lose it ; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.' ^ A man that is sparing of his life when Christ calls for it, doth take the ready way to lose it ; and he that doth hazard it for him at his call, is sure to live eternally.

Christ approves of no followers who are not resolved on the loss of what is dearest to them, yea, even of life, for his sake ; therefore doth he mention our life to be hated, which is not to be understood absolutely, as if it were a sin to love life, as it is the gift of God, or that they should be weary of it, but comparatively, that they should not love it more than Christ, his word, his worship, his ways. He that resolves to save his temporal life upon any terms, he takes the shortest cut to lose both temporal and eternal life also. ' He that loveth his life shall lose it.'

 

To these I shall add a few examples amongst a multitude of those blessed souls, who willingly, readily, cheerfully, resolutely hazarded all for Christ while they were on earth, and are now a-receiving their reward with him in heaven. Oh, how my heart leapeth for joy, said Mr Philpot, the martyr, that I am so near the apprehension of eternal life ! I with my fellows were carried to the coal-house, where we do rouse together in the straw as

cheerfully, we thank God, as others do in their beds of down.

Mr Glover, the martyr, wept for joy of his imprisonment : and Mr Bradford put off his cap and thanked the Lord when his keeper's wife brought him word that he was to be burnt the next day : and Mr Taylor fetched a pleasant delightful frisk when he was come near to the place where he was to suffer. Mr Rogers, the first that was burnt in Queen Mary's days, did sing in the flames: Vincentius, laughing at his torments, said that death and tortures were to Christians  matters of sport and pastime ; and he joyed and gloried when he went upon hot burning coals, as if he had trod upon roses. Fire, sword, death, prison, famine, are all pleasures, they are all delightful to me, saith Basil ; and in his oration for Barlaam that famous martyr, saith that he delighted in the close prison as in a pleasant green meadow ; and he took pleasure in the several inventions of tortures, as in several sweet flowers. William Tims, martyr, in a letter to a friend of his a little before his death, writes thus,

' Now I take my leave of you till we meet in heaven, and hie you after. I have tarried a great while for you ; and seeing you are so long in making ready, I will tarry no longer for you ! you shall find me merrily singing, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabbath, at my journey's end,' &c. And when they kindled the fire at the feet of

James Baiifliam, Methinks, said he, you strew roses before me.^ When the prefect urged Basil to comply with the emperor, and threatened him with death if he denied, he gave him this resolute and stout answer, ' Thou threatenest me with death,' saith he, ' and I would that it would fall out so well on my side, that I might lay down this carcase of mine in the quarrel of Christ, and in defence of the truth, who is my head and captain :

' and when the prefect pressed him to remember himself, and obey the emperor ; he, rejecting all, told him, What I am to-day the same thou shalt find me to-morrow.

When Chrysostom was greatly threatened by the cruel empress and others, he made this answer, ' If they keep me poor, I know Christ had not a house to put his head in : if they silence me, and put me out of the synagogue ; so was that poor man that confessed Christ, and the apostles enjoined not to speak in the name of Jesus: if they cast me into prison, so was Jeremiah, St Peter, and St Paul, and many more : if I am forced to flee my country, I have that beloved John, and that Atlas-like Athanasius, for precedents of the like nature : or whatsoever else should be done unto me, I have the holy martyrs for my fellow-sufferers ; and I will never count my life dear unto me, so I may finish my course with joy ; but I will, by God's help be every ready, with all my heart, to suffer anything for the name of Jesus Christ, and for the least jot of his truth,' John ix. 22, 24 ; Acts V. 40, &c., and xii. ; Eph. vi. 20 ; Rev. i.

Neither were they only a few choice persons who willingly, readily, cheerfully, and resolutely endured martyrdom in Christ's cause ; but such multitudes, year after year, month after month, week after week, and day after day, as that one of the ancients testifieth that there was never a day in the year, except the first of January, whereunto the number of five hundred martyrs at least might not be ascribed,  So many, one after another, in one day suffered, as the executioner blunted his sword, and, with the pains be took, fainted.  That which many of them endured, though to flesh and blood it seemed intolerable, yet with much patience, excellent cheerfulness, and divine courage, they endured it. They were not like bears hauled to the stake ; but while persecutors were sitting on their judgment-seats, and condemning some Christians, others leaped in and professed themselves Christians, and suffered the uttermost that could be inflicted, with joyfulness and a kind of pleasantness, singing psalms as long as their breath lasted.

Bucer, in an epistle to Calvin, tells him that there were some that would willingly redeem to the commonwealth the ancient liberty of worshipping Christ with their very lives. True grace makes a Christian of a very heroic nature. Holy zeal will make a Christian very ready to endure anything, or to suffer anything for Christ, his worship, his ways, his truth.

It is a high vanity for any man to think of getting to heaven without suffering. In all the ages of the world the saints have found the way to happiness paved with troubles, and we must not think of finding it strewed with rosebuds.

When Paul and Silas were in prison, their hearts were so full of joy that they could not hold ; but at midnight, when others were sleeping, they must fall a-singing out the praises of the Most High, Acts xvi. 25. They found more pleasure than pain, more joy than sorrow, more comfort than torment in their bonds.   The consolations

of the Spirit rose so high in their souls that their prison was turned into a palace, yea, into a paradise. Paul was a man that took a great deal of pleasure in his sufferings for Christ : 2 Cor. xii. 10, ' Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake.' He did not only bear his sufferings patiently, but cheerfully also ; he often sings it sweetly out, ' I Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ,' Col. iv. 3, 10 ; Rom. xvi. 7 ; Eph. vi. 20 ; 2 Tim. i. IG, &c. ; not I Paul an apostle, nor I Paul rapt up into the third heaven, nor I Paul that have more gifts, parts, and learning, than others ; but ' I Paul a prisoner,' to shew how much he rejoiced in his bonds and sufferings for Christ. Chrysostom did not hold Paul so happy for his rapture into paradise as he did for his imprisonment for Christ.

Oh, the sweet looks, the sweet words, the sweet hints, the sweet in-comes, the sweet joggings, the sweet embraces, the sweet influences, the sweet discoveries, the sweet love-letters, the sweet love-tokens, and the sweet comforts that Christians experience in their sufferings for Christ ! In all their troubles and persecutions they may truly say. We have sweetmeats to eat, and waters of life to drink, and heavenly honeycombs to suck that the world knows not of ; and, indeed, when should the torch be lighted but in a dark night ; and when should the fire be made but when the weather is cold ; and when should the cordial be given but when the patient is weak ; and when should the God of comfort, the God of all kinds of comfort, and the God of all degrees of comfort, comfort his people, but under their troubles and persecutions ; for then comfort is most proper, necessary, seasonable, and suitable, and then God will be sure to pour in the oil of joy into their hearts ? 2 Cor. i. 3-5.

 

 

1. Jesus! and shall it ever be
A mortal man ashamed of Thee?
Ashamed of Thee, whom angels praise,
Whose glories shine through endless days?

2. Ashamed of Jesus? Sooner far
Let evening blush to own a star.
He sheds the beams of light divine
O'er this benighted soul of mine.

3. Ashamed of Jesus? Just as soon
Let midnight be ashamed of noon.
'Tis midnight with my soul till He,
Bright Morning Star, bids darkness flee.

4. Ashamed of Jesus, that dear Friend
On whom my hopes of heaven depend?
No; when I blush, be this my shame,
That I no more revere His name.

5. Ashamed of Jesus? Yes, I may
When I've no guilt to wash away,
No tear to wipe, no joy to crave,
No fears to quell, no soul to save.

6. Till then--nor is the boasting vain--
Till then I boast a Savior slain.
And oh, may this my portion be,
That Christ is not ashamed of me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Personally Commit To Jesus Christ. 

 

For me to live is Christ 

 

"Firmly believing that my times are in God's hand, I here submit myself and all my affairs for the ensuing year, to the wise and gracious disposal of God's divine providence. Whether God appoints for me health or sickness, peace or trouble, comforts or crosses, life or death — may His holy will be done! 

 

All my time, strength, and service, I devote to the honor of the Lord Jesus — and even my common actions. It is my earnest expectation, hope, and desire, my constant aim and endeavor — that Jesus Christ may be magnified in me. In everything I have to do — my entire dependence is upon Jesus Christ for strength. And whatever I do in word or deed, I desire to do all in His name, to make Him my Alpha and Omega. 

 

I have all from Him — and I would use all for Him. 

 

If this should prove a year of affliction, a sorrowful year to me — I will fetch all my supports and comforts from the Lord Jesus and stay myself upon Him, His everlasting consolations, and the good hope I have in Him through grace. 

 

And if it should be my dying year — then my times are in the hand of the Lord Jesus. And with a humble reliance upon His mediation, I would venture into the eternal world looking for the blessed hope. Dying as well as living — Jesus Christ will, I trust, be gain and advantage to me. 

 

Oh, that the grace of God may be sufficient for me, to keep me always a humble sense of my own unworthiness, weakness, folly, and infirmity — together with a humble dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ for both righteousness and strength." — 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐲, diary entry for January 1, 1713

 

LORD, IT BELONGS NO TO MY CARE 

1. Lord, it belongs not to my care
Whether I die or live;
To love and serve You is my share,
And this Your grace must give.

2. If life be long, I will be glad,
That I may long obey;
If life be short, should I be sad
to rise to endless day?

3. Christ leads me thru' no darker room
Than He went thru' before;
He who into God's Kingdom comes
Must enter by this door.

4. Come, Lord, when grace has made me meet
Your blessed face to see,
For if Your work on Earth be sweet,
What will Your glory be?

5. Then I shall end my sad complaints
And weary, sinful days,
And join with those triumphant saints
Who sing Jehovah's praise.

6. My knowledge of that life is small;
The eye of faith is dim,
But it's enough that Christ knows all,
And I shall be with Him. (RCH 549