Joy Unrestrained: Life worth Living and Dying

Notes:

Monday Morning

Get to Java Jive, meet a group of older gentlemen I’ve been talking for years.

CLICK

How do I describe them? Group reminds me a little bit like these two guys from the Muppets. Commentating about all sorts of things…

2 weeks vacation: Walk up to the group. “Hey, the pastor will help us… What do you think about euthanasia?” WAKE UP! My first response: “Well, I just came from the land of euthanasia, Canada!”

Oh boy… I didn’t yet do research on this passage this morning, so I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into where Paul is having his own personal conversation about life and death...

Theme: Verse: “For to me to live in Christ, and to die is gain.”

v.23: “Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.”

Inner dialogue between living or dying. Strange conversation he’s having with himself.

Part I: Joy Despite Circumstance

Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 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.

Christ is preached: That is the source of his joy: “Yes, and I will rejoice...”

Though Paul’s rivals preach Christ and make Paul look bad, doesn’t matter: As long as Christ is proclaimed!

18a: “In that I rejoice”

Paragraph break: “Yes, and I will rejoice...” Rejoicing continues.

Explain the passage through a paraphrase:

Fee’s Paraphrase: “This whole affair will turn out to my ultimate salvation and present vindication, when, through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Christ my earnest expectation and hope are realized at my trial and not only am I not brought to shame but in a very open (or bold) way Christ is magnified in every way—whether I am given ‘life’ or sentenced to death.”

“Paul expects vindication” Fee

Hope: Christ’s name continues to be exalted even when he faces some type of public trial

Sees his trial as an opportunity for the Gospel to Advance/Exult Christ

Goal: vv.20: “Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”

Christ will be honored whether he gets a free pass or is given the death penalty

Acquittal or execution: Purpose: Christ is exalted through whatever happens to him!

Paul’s speaking out his own personal circumstance here. He faces an acute situation where he seriously needs to ponder the point of life!

Just makes sense that he then says in verse 21: For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Application: How to think about Death

Original Application: How to trust in the Lord despite any circumstance.

But this is not just any circumstance: Paul is facing the very real scenario of death. This is a very isolated issue for Paul. Paul’s contemplating how to take his faith into one of two possibilities: Keep living and serve the Lord, or die and be with the Lord.

Pastor’s Job: Help people die well.

Morbid thought, but sort of true.

Christ will be honored, whether by life or by death

How will my body continue to allow the Gospel to advance?

How could my death be used to exult Jesus?

Purpose of Life: Humanity’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

Paul is living this out on the spot as he stairs the possibility of death in the face: How can I, within the joy I already feel about how God has used my situation, to continue to give Christ glory?!

Joy and giving glory: Due north thought concepts while Paul is in prison.

We often don’t think about death with this kind of perspective.

Challenge: Some of us have had to face death decently. John, you just lost your dad. Travis, you did as well. Others of you have lost parents here. My grandma we lost last year.

My grandma really was in a daze the last few months of her life. She was really just at that point where her will to live longer was gone… She just kept saying, “I’m ready to be with Jesus now. I’m ready to see Jesus now.”

This is really the mentality that we need to foster in our daily life. If I’m NOT ready to see Jesus, if I’m not ready for my death to be poured out as a testimony of the Gospel, then where the rub? What must I address in my own life to say each morning, “I’m ready to see Jesus.” Hopefully I can keep living, for living is Christ, but I’m ready if need be, because to die is gain.

Part II: Reflections on Life and Death

22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

Wonderful kind of moment in this passage where we get to explore a little how Paul thinks. He’s being quite vulnerable with the Philippians.

Important things to consider:

Paul isn’t being flippant about his reflections about death. It’s not like he’s at the beach and thinks, man, being with Jesus would be so much better. I’ve got a few more years of retirement yet, but hey, being with Jesus is better. That’s not the context of this conversation. The context is Paul literally facing the possibility of death. This is important because Paul isn’t being flippant. He’s not devaluing the life that he has. He’s helping us see that we’re able to face death with an incredible amount of hope. These reflections shouldn’t invite us to desire to die as if there’s nothing to live for, but that when we are faced with death or we are dealing with grief, that we don’t do so without hope, incredible hope, JOY even!

And so when facing the prospect of execution, Paul’s wrestling with himself between his two options:

v. 22-23: Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell

I am torn between the two.

Sense in the Greek: Stuck between a rock and hard place

And so let’s jump into his conversation:

First argument: Life’s Worth Living!

Live and Let Live

v.22: If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.

v. 24: But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

Good to live to continue his Fruitful labor

He gets to remain in ministry! He gets to continue to advance the Gospel, reach people for the lost. See people come to Christ!

Important: Life is a gift for us! We have a mission to life.

Purpose: “Glorify the Lord and enjoy him forever.” We can do that now!

Good to live to be in Missional Friendship

v. 25-26: “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.”

Progress and joy are coupled: Two results of Paul’s life, and they modify faith:

If I live, and I see you again, you will grow in faith and have joy in the faith.

These are good things!

Word of encouragement to all of you:

INDIVIDUAL ENCOURAGEMENT:

YOU ARE AN INCREDIBLE GIFT!

YOU HAVE PURPOSE

YOU GIVE US MEANING!

You are more than a number. You are more than a product of your past. Your life is a daily invitation to be a living sacrifice! We are daily dying to self on a spiritual level! You GET to grow in Christ and live on mission for Jesus!

ENCOURAGEMENT IN COMMUNITY

You are needed in community! We are made for community. You are an vital part of our community!

As Paul

Second Argument: Reason why Paul Desires to Die

Live and let Die

v.23: My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

Paul’s preference: Death- “eschatological prize”=Christ

Death is gain, it’s better because although he gets to experience Jesus in his life, he gets to experience Jesus in all fullness in his death. Death, for Paul, is just a blink of an eye. The battle will be over. No more threat of execution. Jesus is the victor regardless of what happens to him. Whether he gets to live and let live or live and let die, Paul’s going to be with Jesus.

Part III: Is Jesus Your Compass in life and in Death:

Heidelberg: What is your only comfort in life and in death?

That I am not my own, but belong, body and soul, in life and in death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.

Paul’s putting into practice two of the most famous lines in Reformed confessions! Westminster Catechism and the Heidelberg Catechism.

Perspective of the Christian:

1. Give God glory.

2. Enjoy him forever.

3. Have daily comfort in the belonging to Jesus whether that means life today or death later this afternoon.

Paul’s THEME: “Glorify Christ and enjoy him forever because Paul belongs to Jesus.”

Resting in Christ. An abiding in Christ. Full assurance in the victory of Jesus.

Healthy Theology of Death

Discussion: One person described a scenario of his mother who doesn’t need a machine to keep her alive, but, as he says, “The Lights aren’t on by no one is home.”

How does a Christian think THEOLOGICALLY about this very difficult pastoral situations.

They all agreed: IT WAS MORE CRUEL KEEPING HER ALIVE THEN ENDING HER LIFE.

Argument #1: God is a God of life, and so should we.

They weren’t convinced by that argument. They’ve heard is a million times… And don’t buy it. “It’s cruel to let them live.”

So how does a Christian face this dilemma, especially in light of what Paul says, “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” They could use this argument and say, out of context, “Look, it says right here that even Paul reflected on the fact that dying is gain!”

I think the answer lies in the CROSS. We need to face these difficult questions with a uniquely CHRISTIAN answer rooted in the TRUTHS of the GOSPEL.

The reason we are able to give Christ glory and enjoy him together and then forever belong to him forever is because of the VICTORY JESUS PROVIDED FOR US IN HIS DEATH!

Purpose: It’s the death of Jesus Christ that gives us the confidence to face the evil look of death in the face. We are more than conquerers:

ROMANS 8:32: He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all...

BECAUSE OF THIS SACRIFICE, WE HAVE CONFIDENCE!

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

include: Brain aneurysms? Leukemia? Colon Cancer? Farm accidents? Drinking and driving?

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Paul’s able to face death confidence, he’s able to face persecution with confidence, he’s about to face all the pain and struggle death may bring because God did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all.

Argument #2: Purpose to Suffering

Pain and suffering: Was not something God desired for humanity.

Response: “Part of God’s will, but not part of God’s originally designed.”

Symbol of Christianity is an Execution Machine. Romans had suffering and death down to a science.

Christianity shows us that we have purpose to suffering…

Before I knew it, I was sharing the Gospel with these guys!

“Purpose in Suffering”: Look at the cross. Our symbol of faith is an execution machine.

The purpose of Christ’s suffering was victory over death. Victory over suffering too! Victory over the suffering that leads to death.

Christians are walking, talking, Victors because of what Jesus did based on his execution.

Paul, many of the other disciples. Many Christians in the first century. The many thousands of Christians who die