Impossible is Nothing

Series: Breakout
July 27, 2008

Today is our final Breakout Sunday. The past 9 weeks we have driven through a book in the bible called Philippians. And in doing this we have been driven to face this book on it’s own terms. We have heard one thing over and over and over again- rejoice!

"Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, rejoice." And Paul has said it again, and again, and again. Over and over he has called us to a life of rejoicing. Of remembering and rehearsing the boundless joys of knowing Jesus. Through Jesus there is joy inexpressible, there is peace all surpassing, there is hope all inspiring available to anyone and everyone. No matter who you are, where you are, what you’ve done, what’s been done to you, what’s in your past, what’s in your present, what’s in your future. To all who give their life to Jesus there is JOY!

Last week the passage we read ended with this encouragement- whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me- put it into practice. I love what Ben said, theology is not something think about when we’re old men sitting on a stump in the forest- theology, our understanding of God, who he is, what he’s like, what he desires, profoundly effects our life here and now. So don’t wait to get your theology straight in life. In fact, nothing could be more relevant or more important in life than to get our thinking about God straightened out. So Paul says put this stuff into practice. Put it into action! If you don’t your missing the whole point!

So here’s the question for us this morning- have you put rejoicing into practice? Are you more joyful now than 9 weeks ago? Do you have more you can rejoice in? Do you have eyes to see, ears to hear, and lips to praise God and rejoice in his goodness? I want us to examine our lives, look at the message of this book, and ask ourselves, have we moved forward into a more joy-filled life in Jesus? Because if you haven’t, you’ve kinda missed the point. And I desperately don’t want you to miss the point before we close this series. I want you to break free and breakout into the joy-filled life of knowing Jesus. I want you to sense the doors that hold you back opening up, to feel the chains that tie you down drop off, the sense the weight on your shoulders lifting off. I want you to breakout! I want you to feel like Andy…

(WARNING- this clip does have one swear word in it)


After some 20 years in Shawshank prison, enduring hardships most of us will never know or experience, after having every freedom taken away, Andy never lost hope, and he never lost strength. And he finally broke out. Have you ever had that experience?

I was the baby in my family. My older brother, like all older brothers, became an expert in taunting and torture… He knew the best way to get to me, to freak me out, to break me down. It only happed at sleepovers and camping out, because it involved a sleeping bag, and some of you already know what I’m talking about. He would shove me into the bag and hold the opening closed. It was brilliant. He didn’t have to say anything, he didn’t even have to hit me. IN fact, talking would have only provided some comfort in hearing his voice. Hitting me would have been the assurance of his touch. No, he’d just hold it shut, and I was trapped, and I would break. But then finally, after all the yelling and screaming and writhing, the top would be opened, the light would break in, and I would break free. That's the kindof freedom and release god wants to give you in Jesus.

Paul, the author of Philippians, has saved the best for last in his letter, and I have saved the best for last with you today. He wants to tell them a secret, and who doesn’t love a secret? I mean, we love secrets, we whisper secrets, we work to hid secrets and we treasure secrets. But here Paul wants to shout a secret from the mountaintop. It’ s a secret he want them the to know, he wants us to know, he wants the whole world to know. Here he shares with them what is perhaps the greatest lesson any one of us could ever learn. The lesson we all long to know. The lesson that would and will, if we get it right, bring to us the ability to rejoice in any and all circumstances, the lesson that brings true contentment. 4:10-13

10I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

I want you to understand the man who writes these words. That this is not just some feel-good encouragement, empty words without the experience of life. I want you to know that you can believe in the words of Paul, because you can believe in the life of Paul. He is not trying to scam them. He did not wrote them to get money from them, he writes them after they have sent a messenger to him, a man who almost died to bring Paul resources so he could live, but more, encouragement from the people in Philippi. What does Paul have to gain in writing these words- nothing except sharing the greatest life lessons he has ever learned.

Paul was born a man named Saul. And as he told us earlier in this letter, he was born with the right pedigree. He was a Jew, a child of the nation of Israel. Not in part, but full. But not only that, a Jew among Jews, born of the favored tribe of Benjamin. Born into a religiously devote family. A disciple of Gamaliel. He became a Pharisee, committed to religious practice of Israel. To keeping every single law of Moses in the Old Testament. Committed to keeping every single tradition that was passed down through the ages.

Saul knew about this Jesus Christ, and his followers, and the story that was going around that Jesus rose from the dead. He believed Jesus was just another in a long line of false prophets and made-up messiahs. And he knew, that the followers of Jesus were at threat to everything he believed in, because the Jesus movement didn’t die with Jesus’ crucifixion, but began to take on new strength. Saul decided that he would be the one to fix this situation, to destroy the church, and the disciples of Jesus.

Like a cowboy given a badge and license to kill, Paul received the blessing and authority from the religious leaders to do what ever it took, whatever it took, to destroy the church. Our introduction to Saul came at the stoning to death of young Stephen, where he gave his stamp of approve to the mob. With one kill under his belt that we know, with his badge and his pistol, he set out in hot pursuit. He was on his way up to a place called Damascus to arrest the Christians there. Along the way a light broke forth from the heavens, and Saul fell to the ground. A voice said to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

“Who are you Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus.” The voice said. “Now get up and go to the city where I will show you what to do.” Blinded by the light, Saul went to Damascus where for three days he did not eat or drink. Meanwhile, Jesus came to a believer named Ananias, and told him to go to Saul, to pray for him and to restore his sight. Ananias was confused. He had heard of the murderous threats breathed out by Saul. But Jesus told him that Saul was his chosen vessel to take the good news of Jesus beyond the walls of the Jewish culture, and to whole world. And that he would suffer for the name of Jesus. Ananias went, he prayed, Saul’s sight was restored, he immediately began to preach the message that Jesus truly was and is the son of God, crucified for our sins, risen to new life, reigning in heaven, and coming again. He told all people that all who put their belief in Jesus will be saved! Over approximately the next 30 years Paul went on three missionary journeys and planting church after church after church throughout the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean, and into Europe. He wrote 13 of the letters in our New Testament, half of our New Testament letters. He performed miracles, he raised the dead. And just like God promised, he suffered for the name of Jesus.

Paul lived his life in the face of death for the cause of Christ. In another portion of the New Testament, in 2 Corinthians 11 Paul is put in a position where he must defend himself, and his ministry. So he tell tells his story. Five times he received the 40 lashes minus one, which was simply and expression to say they would beat someone so terrible, that if they would be hit one more time, they would die. Three times he was attacked with sticks. One he was stoned by a mob, just like the one that killed Stephen. Three times he was shipwrecked and spent more than a whole day and night floating in the open sea. He could not go anywhere and escape danger- he was chased through the cities, he was hunted down in the country. He was pursued by Jews and gentiles alike, by bandits, robbers and thieves. He had gone with out food, with out water, stripped down naked and left for dead by the side of the road. He was thrown in prison. And as if all this wasn’t enough, the greatest weight he carried, the heaviest burden on his shoulders, was his love for the church, for the other believers in Christ. Seeing other Christians suffer, seeing the church mess things up, seeing Christians fight with one another- this, more than anything he endured in his body, brought him pain.


So when Paul says to us in our passage, I know, I know what it is like to have plenty, and I know what it’s like to be in need. I know hunger, and I know thirst, I know pain, and I know suffering. I know what it’s like to be locked up and chained down, he is not waxing eloquent about a few hardships or a missing a meal. He says this out of the immense amount of pain and suffering he has endured. So he, more than another else, more than any of us, has the authority to tell us something, to teach us something, to share with us how he has gotten through. And he has learned the secret to being content, to being filled with joy in any and all circumstances-

Paul discovered the secret of the joy filled life, the secret that brings contentment that overrides all outward circumstances. And with all due respect, the secret is not the law of attraction. The secret is not to know what you want and to imagine the universe giving it to you. The secret it not to believe it then receive it. The secret is not a catchy title and a massive marketing and packaging machine. The secret is not secret at all. The secret is that in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ is everything we could ever want or need, hope or dream, ask or desire. It is the deep and abiding contentment that comes through life in Jesus. It is the strength that we can have to do anything and everything God calls us to do, through the one who call us his own, Jesus Christ.

I can do everything, everything through him who gives me strength.
You can do everything through him who gives you strength.
We can do everything through him who gives us strength.
Impossible is nothing.

No prison can hold us captive. No chains can tie us down. No weight can crush our soul. When we give our lives to Jesus, he takes our life, and he will give us the strength to do anything and everything he calls us to do. He will give us strength to overcome all obstacles in our path. He will give us the courage to weather every storm that comes our way. He will give s

Learn this secret. Learn this lesson. Because first, we see here that contentment is a learned condition. A learned state. It’s a lesson that far too many never take to heart. That it is a learned lesson is why some people have everything the world has to offer, but never rejoice in anything; and why other people have nothing in the world, but always rejoice over everything. And lest we glamorize suffering, some people have nothing and never rejoice, and some people have much, and do rejoice. It’s a lesson, it’s a lesson learned and Paul is inviting us to learn it sooner rather than later. It’s a relationship that God is inviting us into.

I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. Quit looking to the things of this world to find your contentment, to find your joy. You’ll never find it that way. There will always be a better car, a bigger house. You’ll keep collecting stuff, and none of it will bring you true joy and contentment.

Quit looking to other people. They are searching just as you are. Quit comparing yourself to others, look to Christ for your strength. There will always be someone smarter, stronger, better looking, with better grades, better credentials, a better pay cheque.

Look only to Jesus. Right here, right now, I want you to learn this secret, to embrace this strength, to start living through Jesus. Today you can find the strength you need in Jesus to pull your marriage back together. You can find the strength to tell your spouse what it is you’ve been afraid to say for so long. You can confess that mistake, you can reveal that secret. You can tell that you love them, you can renew your commitment to make things work. You can get help, you can work it out, you can find the strength.

Today you can know the strength to move on if you marriage has already ended. You can pick up the pieces of your life, and you can start again, and you can find joy.

Today you can find the strength to love your child who has become almost unlovable to you or anyone else. You don’t have to give up on them, you don’t have to throw in the towel, you don’t have to cut them loose. But you can reach out, and love them and share your strength with them.

Today you can find the strength to move past the grieving. You can lift your head, you can open your eyes, you can take the next steps in him who gives you strength. Today you can find the strength to pull your household together, by pulling them into Christ. You can find the strength to get out of debt. You can find the strength to break free from addiction. You can find the strength to throw away the bottle. You can find the strength to walk past to porn. You can find the strength to look for a new job. You can find the strength in Jesus. It’s all in Jesus. All the strength you’ll ever need, all the strength you could ever ask for. It’s all in Jesus.