Heads or Tails
Notes
Transcript
Handout
One verse
One verse
This morning we are going to focus on one verse in the letter from the Apostle Paul to the Church of Philippi.
I have to admit it has always made me nervous when a preacher stands up and preaches and entire message around one verse.
How much of that sermon is God’s Word and how much is just the guy speaking?
I prefer to preach passages. I prefer to preach in manner that uses large passages of Scripture, and then just add context and application. It keeps me tethered to God’s Word. I am fallible, but God’s Word is without error, so the more of His Word I preach, the less chance there is that I say something stupid....
That said, this evening we are going deviate from that, so here is my disclaimer. My product warning label, if you will.
If I say anything that is contrary to God’s Word, I’m wrong and His Word is right.
The verse
The verse
It doesn’t take long reading any of Paul’s letters to the New Testament Churches to notice, he really likes run on sentences.
That’s one of the ways that scholars identify his writings.
Ephesians 1:3-14 is one sentence. In modern translations, punctuation has been added, but in the original, these 11 verses form one enormous sentence.
However, In Philippians 1:21 Paul is extremely succinct.
He said:
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
We make religion so complicated.
God told His people in the OT to remember the sabbath and keep is holy.
Simple
The Jewish priest then came up with 39 categories of work that was forbidden on the sabbath.
The Roman Catholics added all sorts of conditions and rules to be a “Good Catholic.”
I’m Baptist. If we aren’t careful, we can add enough legalism to suck the fun out of anything.
We make following Christ complicated. But Paul reminds us how simple the Gospel really is.
To live is Christ, to die is gain.
So what did Paul mean? What was he saying, and what was he not saying? Can we say that about our own lives, and if not, what is stopping us?
To die is gain
To die is gain
Let me be real clear… Paul was saying this about his own life.....He wasn’t claiming this a universal truth about everyone.
It is a comparative statement. In math terms, it was an inequality.
death > life.
That isn’t unique to Paul, or to any Christian for that matter
Suicide: In 28 years of law enforcement, I can’t count the number of suicide scenes I have been to. I had had friends of mine take their own life. That is the most devastating things to friends and families I have ever seen and the common theme among every suicide that I have investigated is this:
There was a perception that life was so painful, so not worth living, that they believe death was better. It isn’t that they believed there was great gain after death, but that there was so little value in life.
Suicide Bombers: Just the other day American and Afghani lives alike were taken by two suicide bombers.
This year is the 20th anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.
Those attackers, like the bombers the other day, believed that the reward they would receive after death was far greater than anything they would have here in this life.
Most Americans will tell you they believe in God. That their good will outweigh their bad. The the “man upstairs” will take care of them or St. Peter will let them through those pearly gates.
The fact is this. It doesn’t really matter what you believe. What matters is this: Is what you believe true?
You can believe what you want. You can believe that gravity doesn’t apply to you, but when you fall, it’s going to hurt.
As for me, what I choose to believe about death comes from the one that died, and then rose from the dead.
2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
Consequently: that is what Paul believed as well.
23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;
To be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord.
Are you there? Has your faith in Christ carried you to the place where you can sing the old hymn?
Oh, that day when freed from sinning I shall see Thy lovely face
Clothed then in the blood washed linen How I'll sing Thy wondrous grace
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry Take my ransomed soul away
Send Thine angels now to carry Me to realms of endless day
Warning:
Warning:
To be able to accurately say, “To die is gain.”
You must first be able to say, To live is Christ.
If you cannot confidently say, about your own life, right now, where you are today, “to live is Christ,” I would caution you about believing, “to die is gain.”
Well who are you to question my faith?
I am not questioning your faith, but I strongly suggest you question your faith.
King David did:
He closed the 139 Psalm
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
When Paul gave instructions on taking the Lord’s Supper, he said this:
28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.
That goes for all of us. Some of you may be thinking, “Your preaching to the Choir.” This applies to the Choir also.....
Jesus gave us a the most stern warning of all.
He also said:
13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
What is the narrow way?
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
To Live is Christ!
To Live is Christ!
22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.
23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;
24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.
Did you catch that?
For your sake!
The first thing to learn about you living the Christian Life is this: It ain’t about YOU!
It is about what He does, through you, for others.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
So many people want to believe in Jesus, but live a self centered life. That is a lie straight from the devil.
25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Look at the introductions of the New Testament writers.
1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
1 Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:
1 Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,
To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:
1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,
Bond-Servant
They were living out Christ’s commandment
23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
Being humble isn’t thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.
Make a choice
Make a choice
If you can’t say about your life right now, where you are
As to me, to live is Christ.
Choose Christ. Repent, and follow Him.
Surround yourself with believers you can grow with.
If you can say that.....
For me to live is Christ.
1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
Go find people to disciple.
Make disciples.
Trust Him, Focus on Him. What if I mess up.....You will, repent and share your failure and how He picked you up.
If you don’t believe any of this....
Challenge God to reveal Himself to you…
Prayer
Go in Joy, Sin no more, Love God and serve His Children.
