Philippians 1:21-30: Sunday Evening Gathering
Notes
Transcript
Story about Grandma.
If you would, open your Bibles with me to Philippians 1, we will be in verses 21 through 30.
The Word of the Lord says this...
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.
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 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. 27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
To live is Christ to die is gain. What a marvelous statement. I would venture to say that like me this is not everyone’s first thought when they wake up in the morning. I would venture to say that for some of us, death is a really scary thought. This could either be because we really enjoy the life in which God has given us and do not want to depart from our loved ones. This could also be because we simply do not enjoy God as he intends us to now, so the thought of heaven sounds bleak or even boring, and we would rather just enjoy life on earth forever. I know I have moments like this, especially when I can not imagine anything to be better than the highest joys in which this life brings.
How does Paul maintain this mindset?
How does Paul maintain this mindset of to live is Christ to die is gain?
Paul is constantly doing ministry but also consistently suffering.
If you can remember back to 2 Corinthians 11:23-29
Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
He knows that this life Holds trials and suffering, and knows how sweet it will be to be with Christ face to face. He recognizes that true hope and satisfaction comes from God alone, both in this life and in the next.
But why the idea of living is Christ?
We can tell based off of the next few verses.
Paul chooses to press on in faith knowing that Christ name will be greater magnified and in turn the ones in which magnify is name, will be blessed.
This too should be our mindset. Let us adopt the same mindset. But how, brothers and sisters. How can we not just avoid the thought of death and say to live is Christ and to die is gain. We must understand the purpose for which we were placed on this earth. Our primary purpose for being on this earth is to worship God. We are called to worship him and invite others into this worship. In order to keep this primary calling as believers let us remind ourselves of our marvelous God morning after morning and rejoice in his goodness. Let us get up a few minutes earlier to dig into the Scriptures for the sake of remembering our God. Let us ask God to search our hearts and show us where our hearts are worshiping something other than him. Time and time again I have to remind myself that my true hope and happiness is not found in my relationship with my wife, or my true hope and joy is not found in the task that God has for me but rather in the God who has given me the task. Let us remind ourselves of this brothers and sisters, but also consistently be reminded that this life is a vapor.
Psalm 90:10-15
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?
So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
We have but 70 or 80 years and then we will pass we are like a flower that blooms and then out of season dies. let us remind ourselves of this truth so that we can truly live for Christ. The more we remember that death is coming the more we are moved towards living for Christ right now.
Conclusion: C.T. Studd, who was a great missionary in the late 1800s and early 1900s, wrote a poem once and the famous line that I am sure many of you have heard before is this
“Only one life twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ shall last”.
Reaching and Teaching Preview Day:
What is Reaching and Teaching International Ministries?
They are a missions agency that aids the local church in sending missionaries to accomplish the goal of making disciples in all nations.
Establishing Healthy churches, making mature disciples, and training local leaders
Their emphasis on the fact that organizations are not in the Bible, so with that being sent they exist to aid local churches to send their missionaries to the nations.
They do not exist to send missionaries separate from the local church for the local church is called to raise up missionaries
Their emphasis on the need for the missionary to be in a local church at all times, even if that means that the team in which the missionary goes with needs to covenant together as a church
Their focus on planting churches slowly in order to raise up leaders that are genuinely trained and qualified for taking over the leadership of the local church
Their emphasis on the connection between the sending church, receiving church, and their organization. It is a venn diagram where there is communication and trust between all three, and where the local church in which the missionaries are a part of on the field will take the role of protection and discipline as this church currently does for us, and the sending church holds authority on the placement of the missionary and continual guidance on the missionary task, and finally reaching and teaching’s role of authority for employment.
RTIM’s focus on handling logistics, helping local churches communicate with churches on the field in which missionaries will find themselves. They focus on member care with trained biblical counselors to pour into the lives of the missionaries, but significantly encourage the local church to take care of, support, and visit their missionaries, since it is the sending church that raised up and sent the missionary in the first place.