Why We Aren’t Crazy — Philippians 1:21-26

Introduction

Most people think we’re nuts. Our lives look completely crazy to them. Let me give you an example. In 2014, Dr. Kent Brantley left behind children, a wife, and a prosperous career to go to Liberia with Samaritan’s Purse and serve at ground zero of the Ebola outbreak. Well, Dr. Brantley ends up contracting Ebola himself, and Ann Coulter wrote a scathing article calling him ‘idiotic.’ She asked, “Why did Dr. Brantley have to go to Africa? The very first risk factor listed by the Mayo Clinic for Ebola - an incurable disease with a 90 percent fatality rate - is: ‘Travel to Africa.’” In other words, she viewed Dr. Brantley, not as heroic, not as inspirational, not as sacrificial, but as dumb.

To Coulter, Dr. Brantley’s decision seemed irrational and illogical. She thought he was crazy. And, the same is going to be said of your life if you follow after Jesus with all of your heart. If you turn down the opportunity to date a beautiful girl because she isn’t committed to Jesus or if you take a job making less because it allows you to minister in a way that you know you’re called or if your kids don’t prioritize the team more than the church, people aren’t going to be able to understand it. They’ll think you’re crazy.

God’s Word

But, what’s important to know is that there was a logic behind Dr. Brantley’s decision, and it’s the same logic that has led teenagers to accept unpopularity and parents to embrace a different philosophy of parenting and seniors to adopt a different view of retirement, even if it’s a logic that is hidden from Ann Coulter and everybody else. In Philippians, Paul is giving a missionary report, and he’s explaining why being in prison doesn’t disprove him as a disciple or prevent him from accomplishing the mission that the Philippians have helped to fund. And, to that end, Paul shares with us The Logic Behind the Christian Life: (Headline), and it’s the logic that’s behind his life. It’s a logic that shows that we aren’t crazy to live in a way that doesn’t make sense to the world. In fact, it shows that we might be the only ones who are thinking truly rationally.

We “want” a life without loss.

Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Philippians 3:7–8 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”

A life without loss is the only rational and reasonable way to live. No one is aiming to squander their life or waste their potential. And, that’s at the center of the argument that Ann Coulter makes as to why Dr. Brantley is so dumb to go to Liberia. He could lose his life. His kids could lose their dad. His wife could lose her husband. Millions of dollars are lost trying to get him well. And, him trying to stop Ebola was like a mosquito trying to push back a hurricane. It seems like an obvious net loss on every front.

Christians aren’t “wasting” their “lives.”

But, as Christians, we aren’t trying to lose. Dr. Brantley isn’t trying to waste his life. That would be irrational. No, he’s trying to ensure the opposite. He’s using his life in a way that really counts. The difference between Coulter’s worldview and Brantley’s worldview is the way that they figure gains and losses. And, it’s this difference that Paul is getting at to explain the logic that lies behind his life and ministry. It’s the difference that enables him to be convinced that his life is not wasted when his ministry headquarters are his prison cell.

Paul summarizes the logic of his life, and I would argue the logic of Kent Brantley’s life who risked himself for the Liberians and Corrie ten Boom’s life who went to a concentration camp because of her Christian convictions and Jim Elliots life who died at the hands of the very Ecuadorian peoples who went to reach this way: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Paul’s logic goes like this: Christ is the prize, and the more of him I have, the fuller my life becomes. His resurrection has given me a new life now and an eternal life later. So, if I’m alive, every experience is for me to become like Christ, to glorify Christ, and to increase my reward in Christ. He’s all I want, and my life will be spent pursuing him. If I die, then I’m with Christ. And, He’s all I’ve wanted. He’s what I’ve been pursuing. Then, I’d have him in full. So, if I live in Christ and for Christ, then I’m always gaining, not losing — even if I get sick or end up in a concentration camp or murdered by the people I want to reach or become an outcast in my class. None of those things are net losses. And, if i do die in this pursuit, I get the ultimate gain.

Christians are “living” for true “gains.”

Coulter’s equation for avoiding West Africa and your classmate’s logic for going to the parties and your coworkers reasoning for indulging themselves are the opposite of Paul’s: If I die, I lose. If I suffer, I lose. If I miss out, I lose. So, I have to run from death and I have to run from suffering and I have to keep from missing out so that I can delay the losing as long as possible. Now, that seems irrational, doesn’t it? Paul’s philosophy, legitimized through the resurrection, means there’s only gains either way — whether in prison or in prosperity or in death. But, Coulter’s logic and the logic of our world means that you’re doing everything you can to cling to short-term gains since your assured of long-term losses. That’s the “idiotic” way to live, Ann.

That’s why Jim Elliot said:  "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." That’s why Jesus said that the man who finds a priceless treasure in the middle of the field will, “in his joy,” go and sell everything that he owns to buy that field. That’s why Bonhoeffer says: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Death is a gain for those in Christ, and so we live our lives, not running from it, but looking forward to it. That’s the secret to living well. That’s the secret to living without resentment and bitterness and fear.

And, that’s the transformation of the New Covenant. It’s a transformation that explains the difference between Coulter’s view and Paul’s, your neighbor’s view and yours. Coulter asks: Why does anyone live this way? Paul asks: Why wouldn’t everyone live like this? And, the answer is that it is hidden from the world and revealed only by the Spirit. This is where the Big Story has been pointing us. The Spirit must open your eyes to see and your heart to understand the difference between real losses and gains. Otherwise, you’ll waste your life running away from death. You’ll settle for the best middle-class life you can scrape together and miss out on an eternal, abundant life with Christ.

So, this morning, how do you measure losses and gains? Paul says that (ch 3) “whatever gains” he had, however nice his house, however important his job, however popular he was among his peers, was “rubbish” in comparison to what he’s gained with Christ, even though he’s in prison. But, what about you? If it comes down to magnifying Jesus and being alone or compromising Jesus’ way of life and having a date, how will you measure what is loss and what is gain? If you have to choose between the ethics of Christ and the advancement of your career, how will you measure what is loss and what is gain? If you have to choose between your kid’s athletic scholarship and your devotion to Christ, if you have to choose between your kid’s popularity and Jesus’ way of life, how will you evaluate what is loss and what is gain? Honestly: Is Jesus all that you really want? Is He your prize? Is He the treasure in the field worth everything you have? Do you want him so badly that whatever and whoever falls away as you pursue him can still be measured as gain so long as you have Him? Honestly? Day in and day out, the decisions that you make and the prizes that you chase are revealing what you really want. So, how will you measure losses and gains?

We “have” a life without loss.

Philippians 1:22–23 “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.”

So, the first layer of logic to making sense of the gospel-centered life is understanding that the gospel-centered life only needs Christ. But, that’s not enough to understand the joy of a life that appears so difficult, so sacrificial, and so self-denying. Paul isn’t just pursuing joy. He already has it. That’s key here. And, He’s following Jesus when he says that. Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus “endured the cross… FOR THE JOY that was set before him.”

So, the logic is that I’m able to live a joyful life even with the potential of great pain and even in the midst of great suffering because all I want is a life without losses, and in Christ, I now HAVE a life without loss. All you want is Christ, and you are already in Christ now and will be with Christ eternally. You HAVE him, and He HAS you! So now, you CAN’T lose. There’s the key to joy!

How was Jesus able to “endure the cross” for the “JOY that was set before him?” He knew the resurrection would secure his Kingdom. It wasn’t a loss. It was a secure gain! How was Paul able to sing hymns of praise and thanks to God as he sat chained in a Roman prison? He knew it wasn’t a loss! It was a gain! God was at work there, and using him there.

You see, if joy is having what you want and all you want is Christ, your joy is secure because Christ is yours and you are Christ’s! “Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ!” And, that means NOTHING can separate you from a life without loss. It’s yours!Think of how this looks in Paul’s life here. He contemplates his situation by playing out hypotheticals. He asks, “Which would would I prefer? Would I prefer to go and be with Christ and have only gain? Or, would I prefer to remain with you and build you up and help you to glory in Christ?” Now, it’s important that you recognize that Paul is not suicidal here. He’s not trying to die. He’s posing to himself a hypothetical question that he already understands, as we can see when he says “Convinced of this” in verse 25, that God’s sovereign providence will determine this for him. Rather, we should see that he is choosing between two near identical desires. He desires to be with Christ for that is ultimate and complete freedom. But, he also desires to help them and to aid them in their passion for Christ and to reach more of them. You can see how strongly he feels about each option when he says, “I am hard pressed between the two.” It’s a phrase that paints a picture like a vice closing in on both sides or like an enemy that has you surrounded and is pressuring your for surrender from every side. It’s an equal pressure. Maybe you’re thinking, “Well, that doesn’t sound very good to be hemmed up from every side.” But, that’s to miss Paul’s point. Paul’s point is that he only has two options, and they’re both good options. Option A: They execute him, and He gains all of Christ. That’s really just a one way ticket to joy for him. Option B: They release him, and he brings glory to Christ by serving the Philippians. More people will know Jesus and have joy if that happens. So, Paul only has good options.

We have “secure” gains.

And, that’s the secret to freedom. True freedom is having only good options to choose from. We are torn between two worlds. That’s true, and it’s hard. But, the Good News is that we can have Christ in both. If we’re here, we live through Christ and for Christ. If we die, we live with Christ in the full presence of Christ. So, this is how Christians are able to fly into the middle of Ebola-ridden Liberia apart from their families and not be complete fools. This is how we are able to send our children to live on the other side of the world and not be fools. This is how you can not maximize your earning potential and not be a fool. If you lose something here, it was already counted as a gain any way. Your gains are secure. Who on earth can scare you if death is a gain for you? Who can stop you if whatever they can take away is already counted as a gain? Your worst case scenario on earth is that they help you realize your best case scenario in eternity — to be with Christ fully!All Paul really wants is ‘to depart and be with Christ. (v. 23b)” That’s better for him! So, he’s not down and out or afraid.

We make a “risk-free” investment.

There is no risk in your investment if your “gains” are secure. If your desire isn’t for a fortune or a mistress or getting even or Facebook attention, but for Christ alone, then you can be assured that you have and will always have what you want. You HAVE what you need for joy, and you will ALWAYS HAVE what you need for joy. So, you can forgive your dad for abandoning you. You don’t need vindication in his sight. It feels risky, but you have Christ, and Christ is secure. You don’t have to run up your credit card bill. You don’t need that stuff. There’s no risk in not having stuff. You have all you need in Christ, and Christ is secure. You can spend your vacation at home with your family playing Yahtzee. You don’t need Maui. Your gains are secure. Your life is already complete. You can move to China to reach the unreached or you can evangelize your neighbor at the risk of annoying them, and your investment, regardless of its seeming cost, will be nothing in the sight of the gains you have secured. Brothers and sisters, we live in the freedom of knowing that we have a life with only gains and NO losses!

And, that’s the logic that lies behind why we live the way we do. What we want is a life without loss. And, what we have is a life without loss. So, now, we LIVE like we’re living a life that has no losses.

We “live” a life without loss.

Philippians 1:22 “If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.”

Philippians 1:25–26 “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.”

Paul’s conclusion is a logical culmination of everything that he’s said. Now, Coulter would say he’s idiotic and dumb, but that’s because she doesn’t understand short-term investments aren’t waste. They’re just that — investments. They’re for long-term gain. So, Paul says the opposite of what Coulter says. All that he wants is Christ, and he will have Christ no matter what. So, he can AFFORD to live for somebody else’s good and somebody else’s glory.

That is, because your gains are secure, you can now intentionally live a life that is aimed at another’s gain. You can go to Liberia and you can be ostracized for your parenting and you can do without the raise and your kid can miss out on the scholarship if that is what is required for faithfulness to Christ and for the good of the souls which have been entrusted to you. So, Paul says, “You can rest assured, if I get out of here “that means fruitful labor for me.” I’m not changing to avoid prison. Prison can’t steal my gains. I’m pressing on to help others find what I’ve found.”

Freedom is “security.”

If you look back to verse 20, you’ll see that Paul’s concern is that “always Christ will be honored in (his) body.” That is, he doesn’t aim to worship God with a few songs and then live his life any which a way. He is realizing the New Covenant ideal of worshipping God through the intentionality of his life — an inner passion, an inner security, an inner freedom that leads to a fruitful life.

This is how Paul views his security. Since Paul is free, he is secure. You can’t intimidate him. You can’t threaten him. You can’t take anything he actually needs away from him. And, that means that YOU. CAN’T. STOP. HIM. He’s living his life out of the reality that he cannot lose. He’s living for Christ like death really is gain.

Freedom thinks “rationally.”

How would a person live who knew that he was invincible? That’s stuff we all grow up dreaming, isn’t it? That’s what amazes us about superheroes. What would it be like to have that kind of freedom, to live the absent of fear? Well, there is a sense in which this is the type of freedom with which Christians live. We aren’t invincible, but our gains are. This is what Paul is talking about when he talks about continuing with them for their ‘progress and joy.’ He’s convinced that in the providence of God that he will be spared, not for retirement, not for resting, not for taking it easy, but to keep doing what got him in trouble in the first place. To keep preaching and to keep teaching and to keep writing and to keep evangelizing so that the gospel might be advanced, so that their joy might be fuller, so that they might continue to progress in the faith. He was going to keep preaching and keep proclaiming and keep traveling so that more glory might come to Christ and more joy might come to Him.

You see, the mind can only think rationally when it is free, secure, and at peace. When the mind is trying to impress others or not miss out on something or trying to pretend like death isn’t real, it can’t think clearly. Fear won’t let it. But, when the mind is no longer afraid of death, when it no longer needs approval, when it no longer needs that job, well, now, it’s free to think without bias. That’s what Paul gets, and that’s the opportunity that’s in front of us. If Christ has not raised, then the Christian life is a waste. If Christ isn’t what you most need, then the Christian life is idiotic and dumb. Because if Christ is not raised and Christ is not what you need, then this life is all that you have and you better have sex with whoever you want to have sex with and you better buy every new boutique shirt you can find and you better try get every award you can get, no matter who you have to step on to get it. Because life is short and prizes are rusting and all of this will end quickly. But, if Christ is raised, if Christ is who you need and who you want, if Christ is already yours “forever”, playing it safe is “illogical”. Playing it safe is idiotic. Coulter and Hitchens and Ehrman and Nietzsche are the irrational and illogical ones. Comfort and convenience and ease of life and accumulating treasures and acceptance by our neighbors are all affordable losses right now. Because they aren’t really losses. Y’all this is what we’re talking about when we talk about the Upside-down Crown. It looks crazy to the world. It looks irrational if you don’t have eyes to see. The logic of it appears upside-down. But, THEN, when you see the Kingdom, when you SEE the crown, you can’t UNSEE it. The Upside-down crown is about affordable losses in light of a greater gain. You can afford to move to an Ebola ridden land. You can afford to be an evangelist at UAB. You can afford to raise your kids to walk against the current of their high school. You can afford to reject status symbols and self-indulgences so that more might hear and more might know and more might have joy that Christ will be glorified. Why? Because Christ has been raised! Christ is the treasure! Christ is the prize! And, you have him. You’ve found the field with the priceless treasure. The only sensible thing to do is to spend your life for it. You see, if Christ has raised, then we aren’t crazy, we aren’t upside-down. We are the ones able to see this life for what it is and respond reasonably to it.