Wilber Talk/Devotional

Good morning everyone. I’m really honored to be here with you this morning and to help kick off the new year by turning our thoughts and affections toward Jesus. There’s no better way to start off a new year than by resting in Him.

If you’re anything like me, you love the start to a new year. It just brings a sense of freshness and almost like a reset. So, whether you make resolutions or set new goals we typically like to start the beginning of a year with a purpose. I would argue to make habits rather than resolutions. Resolutions fade, habits remain. Habits form who we are.

And so, this is also a good time to evaluate your life. What are you living for? What gives your life meaning and purpose? As followers of Jesus, what’s it look like to live for Christ? That’s what I want to talk about with you from the book of Philippians.

Many of you here are probably familiar with the story of Aron Ralston. Even if you don’t recognize his name, you most likely know his story. In 2003 Aron was canyoneering alone through Bluejohn Canyon in Utah when he dislodged an 800lb boulder which subsequently pinned his right arm against the canyon he was descending.

After five days of trying to get free he finally made the decision that the only way to live would be if he amputated the pinned forearm. So, with a dull pocketknife, he got to work and freed himself. He then had to repel 65 more feet with only one hand and then hike another 8 miles until a vacationing family found him and called for help.

He lived.

Human beings will go to great lengths to live, but culturally speaking we struggle to know what we’re living for. We know we want to live, we desire life and vitality and to flourish, but humanity wrestles with the meaning and purpose of what we live for or what gives us that ultimate sense of purpose.

A simple search on Amazon for “Meaning of life books” will turn up over 30,000 results. A search for “self-help books” will turn up over 100,000 titles.

We’re searching. We’re hungry to find purpose and meaning in life but it doesn’t seem like the world is giving us answers that outlast the next new book coming out.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we see a man who found purpose and meaning to his living. We see someone who’s free to live a life of joy regardless of circumstances. And this freedom wasn’t found through a self-help book. It was found in Jesus.

Jesus is disruptive. Jesus changes everything. But always for the better.

Hear what Paul says.

Philippians 1:18b-26, Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

What do we desire? What do you desire? What just gets your heart absolutely racing? What makes you happy?

David Brainerd, a missionary to the Native Americans back in the 1700’s once said this,

“It is impossible for any rational creature to be happy without acting all for God. God Himself could not make him happy any other way…There is nothing in the world worth living for but doing good and finishing God’s work, doing the work that Christ did. I see nothing else in the world that can yield any satisfaction besides living to God, pleasing Him, and doing his whole will.”

“What do you live for?”

Paul says, For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

This is arguably one of the most well-known verses in Philippians. And rightly so. It’s an unbelievable declaration and really the foundation of our text today. What we live for affects how we live and how we view life and even how we view death.

How would you fill in the blank, “For me, to live is _________”?

What are the common ways humanity seeks to answer this question? Power, relationships, success, riches, security, control, fame, beauty, family, sports and the list goes on.

But here’s the main problem with all those things. They just don’t last.

Think of each of these like a top that spins. When you first start the top it starts off strong, but over time it begins to wobble and shake and then eventually runs out of momentum and tips over.

That’s exactly what seeking worldly pleasure or power, success and security, money and entertainment does every time. Starts off strong where you drink of it and think, “this is pretty good,” but down the road it begins to wobble and shake, the taste becomes sour or dull until eventually it no longer is sustaining the same level of enjoyment that it once did.

So, what’s the sinful heart do? It searches for the next fix. Another dose, maybe larger this time to get that enjoyment back. But the cycle will continue. Tastes good for the moment and begins to dull.

Listen, that’s everything on this earth. Nothing lasts! Everything fades.

Paul says, “For me to live is Christ.”

So, what is a life worth living? Paul answers it.

Philippians 1:20, As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

Simply put, it’s honoring Jesus. Exalting Christ. Glorying in Jesus. Creating habits in our lives that stir our affections for Jesus.

So, every second, every moment, whether I have breath, or my breath is fading, I want to live for Jesus.

So big picture, a life that is worth living is a life that honors Jesus. That’s a 30,000-foot view, but let’s land, get on the ground and see how this plays out day to day.

Paul identifies four life-changing, Jesus-exalting, liberating and freeing attitudes of the heart:

Number 1.

A life that honors Jesus finds joy in Jesus.

It’s what you see at the end of verse 18, Yes, and I will rejoice.

Paul was sitting in a jail cell as he wrote this letter. His life was one marked with constant suffering, but it was also a life marked with constant rejoicing. No matter the circumstance, he knew one thing, he would rejoice.

A life that honors Jesus finds joy in any and every circumstance. Tomorrow for some in here, the sun is going to shine and for others, tomorrow storms are going to come. A life that honors Jesus, a life that is free is one that says, even so, I will find joy in Christ. He is who makes me happy.

Why does rejoicing in Christ bring honor to Jesus? Because when you find joy in something, it displays it’s worth and value.

Do you treasure Jesus? In the midst of the highs and lows of this life, is Jesus everything to you? So, when you get the job promotion and the raise, is your joy and thankfulness in Christ and his goodness to you?

When you lose a job, is your confidence and security still found in Jesus?

In all aspects of life, in every moment of your life, is your joy found in Jesus?

The world can take everything from you, but that can’t take Christ. If you lost everything, but still had Jesus, that’s a win.

That’s the value and worth of Jesus.

Number 2.

A life that honors Jesus depends on Jesus.

Philippians 1:19-20, For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

Paul’s confidence was not found in himself, in his ability or in his strength, but in Christ. Jesus was his rescuer, his redemption, his salvation. So, whether he lived or died, however this present circumstance turned out for him, Paul’s aim was to please the one and depend on the one who had redeemed him.

You see a life that honors Jesus looks to him for salvation, looks to him for deliverance and depends fully on Him.

The culture that we breathe as Americans is one of self-preservation, individual autonomy, self-reliance. I can be whoever I want to be. “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.” Whatever you dream, just work hard, apply yourself and you can be anything you want to be. You don’t need to rely on anyone else.

As Christ followers though, we do not live in such a way that declares our independence from our Creator.

We are completely and totally dependent upon him for every breath, every beat of our heart. You are here this morning because our great God rules the universe with his very word.

And we are completely and totally dependent upon Christ for our very salvation. Understand that when God saves you, you bring nothing to the table of any value or worth that would cause God’s mercy to rest upon you. Nothing. We come empty-handed pleading the blood of Christ and nothing else. That’s dependence. And that honors Christ.

Is your confidence in Christ? He is the source of your salvation. Remember that at one time you were lost and dead in your sins. Hostile towards God and incurring on yourself the wrath of God for your betrayal. You were in a hopeless place.

But it was God who is rich in mercy who saved you, redeemed you, made you right through his grace given to you through the cross of Jesus. You had no ability in and of yourself to make things right with God. Listen, there was nothing you could do, no amount of good works could ever or would ever earn you salvation. It was through Jesus and Jesus alone.

That’s the confidence that we can have in Christ. And here’s why it honors him. We get the reward; he gets the glory. We receive salvation, he is our merciful provider.

It honors him when we humble ourselves and admit that apart from him we can do nothing, that we are completely and totally dependent on him. Whether in life or in death, our aim is to honor him through our dependence in him.

Number 3.

A life that honors Jesus speaks of Jesus.

Philippians 1:21-23, For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which shall I choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

Human beings naturally praise what brings us delight.

When my kids were born, I couldn’t wait to get out of that room to go share the news.

When they said their first word, took their first step, all of that, we share with others because we naturally speak of what brings us joy.

When my wife and I got engaged, you call people, you celebrate. Today, I feel sorry for guys having to plan a proposal nowadays. You’ve got to plan that out years in advance, call Hollywood, get a production team, it’s crazy. But what’s behind all of it though? A desire to speak and spread what we delight in.

C.S. Lewis in his “Reflections on the Psalms” captured this reality so beautifully when he said,

“The world rings with praise — lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favourite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favourite game — praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars. . . . Except where intolerably adverse circumstances interfere, praise almost seems to be inner health made audible. . . . I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: “Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that magnificent?” The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about.”

Paul can’t stop talking about how great Jesus is. He’s better than anything, even life itself. It’s better to go be with him.

Do we speak of Jesus like this? Has he captured our hearts? Is he the delight of our soul?

What Lewis captures is not only the natural desire to delight in what we value most, but to lead others into that delight which is the fourth way we honor Christ.

Number 4.

A life that honors Jesus invites others to experience Jesus.

Let’s finish our text out today.

Philippians 1:24-26. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

Even though Paul knew death was better because it would usher him into the eternal presence of Christ, he resolved to stay with the church to serve them and help them grow into the fulness of Christ.

Paul had tasted and seen that the Lord is good and he was eager to help others experience the goodness of Jesus as well.

(Ex. Baxters restaurant – Slagels)

When we find joy and delight in something, we actually experience the pleasure of inviting others to experience that joy as well.

Jesus is the delight and treasure of our hearts. There is nothing, there is no one that has come before him or will come after him that surpasses his greatness, his beauty, his glory.

Are you captivated by the glory of Christ to the degree that you are rejoicing in him, depending on him, speaking of him, inviting others to know him?

Are you serving one another in such a way that displays the gospel: dying to self, seeking the good of others? Building up one another up to treasure Christ, depending on him, resting in him?

He is worthy is he not? A selfless Savior who has reconciled us back to God through his life, his death and his resurrection. He gave all of himself to us, let us therefore in response give all of our life to him for our joy and his glory.