WEBVTT 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:03.299 We are exhorted by the Apostle Paul to give attention 00:00:03.299 --> 00:00:06.639 to the reading of the Word of God. I invite you 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:10.759 to open your Bible with me and look at Philippians 00:00:10.759 --> 00:00:14.099 chapter 1 as we begin reading in verse 12 through 00:00:14.099 --> 00:00:18.519 the end of the chapter. I'm reading from the 00:00:18.519 --> 00:00:23.660 NIV. Now I want you to know, brothers, that what 00:00:23.660 --> 00:00:26.420 has happened to me has really served to advance 00:00:26.420 --> 00:00:30.620 the Gospel. As a result, it has become clear 00:00:30.620 --> 00:00:33.399 throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone 00:00:33.399 --> 00:00:38.380 else that I am in chains for Christ. Because 00:00:38.380 --> 00:00:40.920 of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord 00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:43.880 have been encouraged to speak the Word of God 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:48.659 more courageously and fearlessly. It is true 00:00:48.659 --> 00:00:51.500 that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, 00:00:51.899 --> 00:00:55.880 but others out of goodwill. The latter do so 00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:59.060 in love, knowing that I am put here. for the 00:00:59.060 --> 00:01:02.939 defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ 00:01:02.939 --> 00:01:06.980 out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing 00:01:06.980 --> 00:01:09.359 that they can stir up trouble for me while I 00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:13.859 am in chains. But what does that matter? The 00:01:13.859 --> 00:01:17.060 important thing is that in every way, whether 00:01:17.060 --> 00:01:20.840 from false motives or true, Christ is preached. 00:01:21.819 --> 00:01:25.709 Because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue 00:01:25.709 --> 00:01:28.290 to rejoice for I know that through your prayers 00:01:28.290 --> 00:01:31.290 and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ 00:01:31.290 --> 00:01:34.590 what has happened to me will turn out for my 00:01:34.590 --> 00:01:38.689 deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I 00:01:38.689 --> 00:01:42.489 will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient 00:01:42.489 --> 00:01:46.030 courage so that now as always Christ will be 00:01:46.030 --> 00:01:49.450 exalted in my body whether by life or by death. 00:01:50.510 --> 00:01:54.769 For to me to live as Christ and to die is gain. 00:01:56.150 --> 00:01:59.290 If I am to go on living in the body, this will 00:01:59.290 --> 00:02:02.530 mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I 00:02:02.530 --> 00:02:07.730 choose? I do not know. I am torn between the 00:02:07.730 --> 00:02:10.289 two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which 00:02:10.289 --> 00:02:13.909 is better by far, but it is more necessary for 00:02:13.909 --> 00:02:18.330 you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, 00:02:18.330 --> 00:02:20.710 I know that I will remain and I will continue 00:02:20.710 --> 00:02:23.870 with all of you. for your progress and joy in 00:02:23.870 --> 00:02:27.050 the faith, so that through my being with you 00:02:27.050 --> 00:02:29.990 again, your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow 00:02:29.990 --> 00:02:35.030 on account of me. Whatever happens, conduct yourselves 00:02:35.030 --> 00:02:39.129 in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, 00:02:39.129 --> 00:02:41.550 whether I come and see you or only hear about 00:02:41.550 --> 00:02:44.990 you in my absence, I will know that you stand 00:02:44.990 --> 00:02:49.370 firm in one spirit, contending as one man for 00:02:49.370 --> 00:02:52.699 the faith of the gospel, without being frightened 00:02:52.699 --> 00:02:56.800 in any way by those who oppose you. This is a 00:02:56.800 --> 00:03:00.439 sign to them that they will be destroyed, but 00:03:00.439 --> 00:03:04.439 that you will be saved, and that by God. For 00:03:04.439 --> 00:03:06.699 it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, 00:03:06.740 --> 00:03:09.400 not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer 00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:13.080 for Him. Since you are going through the same 00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:17.199 struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:22.710 have. One of Job's counselors observed, man is 00:03:22.710 --> 00:03:26.210 born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. 00:03:28.050 --> 00:03:32.689 Job himself offered, man born of woman is a few 00:03:32.689 --> 00:03:39.750 days and full of trouble. Gladly we can say that 00:03:39.750 --> 00:03:43.569 troubles usually pass, to be followed by periods 00:03:43.569 --> 00:03:48.270 of respite. But no life, and I mean no life, 00:03:48.680 --> 00:03:53.240 is free from the gales and the waves of trouble, 00:03:54.120 --> 00:03:57.639 be they physical, emotional, spiritual, material, 00:03:57.819 --> 00:04:02.340 or whatever. Any aspect of life is vulnerable 00:04:02.340 --> 00:04:06.520 to affliction. But Christians have a resource 00:04:06.520 --> 00:04:11.520 in the storms of adversity. That resource is 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:15.580 our relationship to God through Jesus Christ. 00:04:16.649 --> 00:04:21.350 And we realize the strength of the anchor when 00:04:21.350 --> 00:04:27.110 we feel the stress of the storm. The joy of the 00:04:27.110 --> 00:04:30.709 Lord can be discovered in the midst of adversity. 00:04:32.730 --> 00:04:35.610 One secret to finding that joy of the Lord in 00:04:35.610 --> 00:04:39.910 adversity is to develop and cultivate a prayerful 00:04:39.910 --> 00:04:44.709 heart. Thus, we can experience the joy of a prayerful 00:04:44.709 --> 00:04:48.810 heart. That's the kind of heart that Paul discloses 00:04:48.810 --> 00:04:55.069 in chapter 1, verses 1 through 11. But there 00:04:55.069 --> 00:04:58.110 is another secret to finding joy in your adversity, 00:04:58.209 --> 00:05:02.949 and that is to see your circumstances from God's 00:05:02.949 --> 00:05:07.790 perspective. That viewpoint will liberate you 00:05:07.790 --> 00:05:12.050 to find joy in whatever circumstances you may 00:05:12.050 --> 00:05:17.430 be living at any moment. To find joy in your 00:05:17.430 --> 00:05:21.709 adversity. Learn to see your circumstances from 00:05:21.709 --> 00:05:26.230 God's perspective. I believe that in the text 00:05:26.230 --> 00:05:29.449 we've read this morning, God's perspective is 00:05:29.449 --> 00:05:35.490 summed up in three ideas. They are, to live is 00:05:35.490 --> 00:05:44.959 Christ. To die is gain. To suffer... is honor. 00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:49.959 If you and I could just get a hold of those ideas 00:05:49.959 --> 00:05:56.339 and write them on our hearts and learn to see 00:05:56.339 --> 00:06:01.100 our circumstances through those lenses, we would 00:06:01.100 --> 00:06:04.939 gain God's perspective on our circumstances. 00:06:06.040 --> 00:06:09.620 And we would find joy in that perspective. To 00:06:09.620 --> 00:06:14.060 live is Christ. Dr. Homer Kent has said the very 00:06:14.060 --> 00:06:18.560 essence of Paul's present life was Christ. And 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:21.399 all that this entailed, from the theological 00:06:21.399 --> 00:06:24.240 fact that Paul was identified with Christ in 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:28.319 a vital spiritual union, issued far -reaching 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:32.220 practical implications. Christ had become for 00:06:32.220 --> 00:06:36.199 him the motive of his actions, the goal of his 00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:40.420 life and ministry, the source of his strength. 00:06:41.100 --> 00:06:47.360 For me to live is Christ." The essence of life 00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:50.740 to the Apostle Paul was to glorify Jesus Christ. 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:55.839 He could not separate his daily routine from 00:06:55.839 --> 00:07:00.879 his union with Christ. That vital union with 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:03.220 Christ, that he was in Christ, that he was one 00:07:03.220 --> 00:07:07.899 with Christ, impacted everything about the Apostle 00:07:07.899 --> 00:07:14.680 Paul. Stuart Briscoe has remarked, Paul was convinced 00:07:14.680 --> 00:07:18.600 things could only happen to him if God permitted, 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:23.019 that God would not allow meaningless things to 00:07:23.019 --> 00:07:27.060 happen. And as he looked for the divine purpose 00:07:27.060 --> 00:07:31.439 in all that took place, he had discovered that 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:35.600 things happened to him, in order that things 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:40.829 could happen in him. and things happened in him 00:07:40.829 --> 00:07:45.910 so that things could happen through him." That's 00:07:45.910 --> 00:07:50.689 a great insight. You and I need to be reminded 00:07:50.689 --> 00:07:56.290 that our lives are being sovereignly guided by 00:07:56.290 --> 00:08:02.029 God. All of our circumstances, even those that 00:08:02.029 --> 00:08:06.959 we foolishly bring upon ourselves, can be used 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:11.980 by God to advance His purposes. We need to get 00:08:11.980 --> 00:08:17.000 a hold of that. That the very essence of life 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:20.839 in this world for the Christian is Jesus Christ. 00:08:22.980 --> 00:08:29.620 What an honor that God should be so vitally concerned 00:08:29.620 --> 00:08:34.299 with you and me. He would see that every circumstance 00:08:34.299 --> 00:08:36.840 of our lives would ultimately be for the good. 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:42.019 Romans 8 .28. That it would advance his purposes. 00:08:44.620 --> 00:08:49.100 Paul knew that truth. And as a result of it, 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:53.620 he said, my circumstances, my adversity extends 00:08:53.620 --> 00:08:58.559 the gospel to New Territory. He says, I am in 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:02.889 chains. And his situation was that he was under 00:09:02.889 --> 00:09:05.629 arrest. He had been now for three years, basically 00:09:05.629 --> 00:09:09.450 incarcerated. Most of that time in Caesarea, 00:09:10.610 --> 00:09:13.190 in Palestine, but now he has gone by ship to 00:09:13.190 --> 00:09:16.450 Rome and there he's responsible to rent his own 00:09:16.450 --> 00:09:23.350 home while he's a prisoner. And guarding him 00:09:23.350 --> 00:09:27.649 24 hours a day is the elite guard of Caesar, 00:09:27.850 --> 00:09:32.279 the Praetorian Guard. Two of them are assigned 00:09:32.279 --> 00:09:37.539 to him for four hour shifts. One is chained to 00:09:37.539 --> 00:09:40.039 one hand, another is chained to the other hand. 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:48.120 Paul says, in my chains, the Gospel has been 00:09:48.120 --> 00:09:54.120 extended into the very household of Caesar. Do 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:58.529 you see his joy in that? He says, for me, even 00:09:58.529 --> 00:10:01.590 these circumstances, living is Jesus Christ, 00:10:02.370 --> 00:10:05.330 and God is involved in my circumstances and is 00:10:05.330 --> 00:10:08.309 extending the gospel into unreached territory. 00:10:09.889 --> 00:10:16.909 Who can imagine that Nero, the man of questionable 00:10:16.909 --> 00:10:22.210 sanity, who became such a great persecutor of 00:10:22.210 --> 00:10:26.159 both Jews and Christians? that in the household 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:31.220 of this very man, his elite guard, there would 00:10:31.220 --> 00:10:33.740 be those who'd be converted to faith in Jesus 00:10:33.740 --> 00:10:36.980 Christ because God assigned Paul to be chained 00:10:36.980 --> 00:10:39.879 to them. And you can just imagine, when they 00:10:39.879 --> 00:10:43.960 got shackled up together in those chains, they 00:10:43.960 --> 00:10:48.620 knew what was coming. Paul says, you know why 00:10:48.620 --> 00:10:54.179 I'm here? No? Why are you here? I'm in chains 00:10:54.179 --> 00:11:00.480 for Christ. For who? And he takes off. Or they 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:03.419 get chained to Paul and he says to them, have 00:11:03.419 --> 00:11:05.860 you come to that place in your spiritual pilgrimage 00:11:05.860 --> 00:11:08.580 where you know for certain if you die tonight 00:11:08.580 --> 00:11:11.860 you'd go to heaven? Or a word something like 00:11:11.860 --> 00:11:17.139 that. You see, Paul saw his circumstances being 00:11:17.139 --> 00:11:21.179 used by God. They weren't fun circumstances. 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:27.820 They were hard. Nonetheless, he says, for me 00:11:27.820 --> 00:11:31.779 living as Christ, even in this adversity, our 00:11:31.779 --> 00:11:35.700 circumstances too can extend the gospel to new 00:11:35.700 --> 00:11:40.820 territory. I don't know what your adversity is 00:11:40.820 --> 00:11:49.299 today, but can you get that lens in focus? God's 00:11:49.299 --> 00:11:52.299 using your adversity for some purpose. It may 00:11:52.299 --> 00:11:55.240 be to extend the gospel where it's not been before. 00:11:56.919 --> 00:12:00.059 And then Paul was able to see that God was using 00:12:00.059 --> 00:12:03.139 his circumstances to encourage others to faithfulness. 00:12:04.659 --> 00:12:06.740 He says, around me there are those who are now 00:12:06.740 --> 00:12:11.179 more bold, more courageous and fearless to speak 00:12:11.179 --> 00:12:16.580 the gospel because of my adversity. Can you see 00:12:16.580 --> 00:12:21.580 God using your circumstances that way? changing 00:12:21.580 --> 00:12:24.679 the lives of others around you so that they will, 00:12:24.679 --> 00:12:28.519 because of you, be more faithful, be more bold, 00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:34.440 be more courageous for Christ. If you can, then 00:12:34.440 --> 00:12:37.700 you're getting into focus this lens that to live 00:12:37.700 --> 00:12:44.080 is Christ. That's God's perspective. And Paul 00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:48.210 was able to see that his adversity enabled him 00:12:48.210 --> 00:12:53.690 to see what was really important in life. He 00:12:53.690 --> 00:12:56.230 says there are some who are preaching Christ 00:12:56.230 --> 00:13:00.669 sincerely. They've sort of taken up my place 00:13:00.669 --> 00:13:04.629 because I'm chained. He says there are others 00:13:04.629 --> 00:13:09.710 who are preaching Christ in this city who are 00:13:09.710 --> 00:13:13.970 doing so with impure motives. Somehow they think 00:13:13.970 --> 00:13:20.879 they're going to trouble to my life. Paul may 00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:24.059 be talking about some, it's hard to imagine this, 00:13:24.299 --> 00:13:28.759 but some who may have been jealous of Paul. And 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:30.960 their real motive was that Paul couldn't be out 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:33.039 there on the center stage and now they could 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:38.600 be. Paul says, what do I care? The important 00:13:38.600 --> 00:13:40.940 thing is that Jesus Christ is being preached. 00:13:42.820 --> 00:13:45.850 You see, his circumstances help Paul to see what 00:13:45.850 --> 00:13:50.029 was truly important. It wasn't his situation. 00:13:52.110 --> 00:13:53.970 It wasn't whether others had the good motives 00:13:53.970 --> 00:13:56.870 or the bad motives. It was that God's purpose 00:13:56.870 --> 00:13:59.470 is being accomplished. Christ is being proclaimed. 00:14:03.909 --> 00:14:06.389 Our circumstances, too, can enable us to see 00:14:06.389 --> 00:14:10.470 what really matters. Too often in our circumstances, 00:14:10.730 --> 00:14:14.559 especially in adversity, We get focused on our 00:14:14.559 --> 00:14:17.679 difficulties to the point that we lose sight 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:23.379 of what's important in life Paul says here's 00:14:23.379 --> 00:14:26.720 what's important Christ being preached to me 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:32.940 to live as Christ And Paul was able to say quite 00:14:32.940 --> 00:14:36.740 transparently that his adversity was energy to 00:14:36.740 --> 00:14:40.500 him He was being energized to an even greater 00:14:40.500 --> 00:14:45.139 devotion to Christ. He says, I am trusting God 00:14:45.139 --> 00:14:49.720 that like has been true in the past so it will 00:14:49.720 --> 00:14:53.740 be true now, Christ will be exalted in my body 00:14:53.740 --> 00:14:57.440 whether it means that I will go on living or 00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:03.779 I am martyred in Rome. If you and I can get a 00:15:03.779 --> 00:15:08.250 hold of God's perspective. in our circumstances, 00:15:08.330 --> 00:15:11.429 it will energize us to greater devotion as well. 00:15:12.929 --> 00:15:15.450 So will you ask God to give you His perspective 00:15:15.450 --> 00:15:20.429 in your circumstances? Will you ask Him to help 00:15:20.429 --> 00:15:25.950 you to learn to see that for you to live is Christ? 00:15:27.350 --> 00:15:32.190 That's the important issue. To believe that. 00:15:35.009 --> 00:15:38.090 You must see that God will allow nothing meaningless 00:15:38.090 --> 00:15:41.490 to happen to you. That everything that comes 00:15:41.490 --> 00:15:44.590 to you, like Briscoe said, comes to you so that 00:15:44.590 --> 00:15:48.289 God can do something in you and then do something 00:15:48.289 --> 00:15:56.210 through you. For me to live is Christ. If you 00:15:56.210 --> 00:15:57.929 and I can get a hold of that perspective and 00:15:57.929 --> 00:16:01.470 that idea, it will transform our attitudes about 00:16:01.470 --> 00:16:05.240 our circumstances. and produce joy in our lives. 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:10.820 The second idea that I see here is in the second 00:16:10.820 --> 00:16:12.940 half of that verse. Paul says, to me to live 00:16:12.940 --> 00:16:19.700 is Christ, to die is gain. There are some people, 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:21.919 very secular people in our world today who would 00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:25.480 agree with that. There was a doctor on trial 00:16:25.480 --> 00:16:29.700 in Michigan for assisting the suicide. of two 00:16:29.700 --> 00:16:31.960 women. He would agree with this. To die is gain, 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:34.059 especially when you're in pain and suffering. 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:38.679 And there are those who take their own lives 00:16:38.679 --> 00:16:40.460 and who say, well, it's better for me to die 00:16:40.460 --> 00:16:43.320 than to live with this guilt or this anguish, 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:48.240 this pain that I have to be in. And so they might 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:50.879 think that they understand what it means when 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:54.700 Paul says, to die is gain. But they totally missed 00:16:54.700 --> 00:17:02.149 the point. That is not what Paul meant. Paul 00:17:02.149 --> 00:17:05.130 is not saying this because he would escape his 00:17:05.130 --> 00:17:10.710 problems. He doesn't mean to die is gained because 00:17:10.710 --> 00:17:13.049 then I'll be out of these chains. That's not 00:17:13.049 --> 00:17:18.829 what he means. He is saying this because to die 00:17:18.829 --> 00:17:22.309 for him as a Christian meant that he would experience 00:17:22.309 --> 00:17:29.849 glory. What does it mean to die? Undoubtedly, 00:17:29.910 --> 00:17:32.490 most of us here have experienced death of someone 00:17:32.490 --> 00:17:37.049 significant in our lives. And we have stood beside 00:17:37.049 --> 00:17:41.490 that bed, or we have wept beside that casket. 00:17:42.849 --> 00:17:45.210 We have hugged our family and friends at the 00:17:45.210 --> 00:17:50.109 grave site. And we're overwhelmed by this whole 00:17:50.109 --> 00:17:54.990 idea of death. What does it mean to die? Paul 00:17:54.990 --> 00:17:57.569 tells us here what it means to die for the Christian. 00:17:59.150 --> 00:18:03.309 He says it means to depart. Do you notice his 00:18:03.309 --> 00:18:10.210 language? It means to depart, he says. The word 00:18:10.210 --> 00:18:15.349 was used in that day to break up a camp. To depart. 00:18:16.529 --> 00:18:21.430 To break up camp. Or it was used for the loosing 00:18:21.430 --> 00:18:23.849 of the moorings of a ship so that the ship could 00:18:23.849 --> 00:18:31.039 go out to sea where it belonged. To depart. It 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:36.279 means to unloose. It is used in the Bible in 00:18:36.279 --> 00:18:40.819 Acts 16 verse 26, interestingly, in Paul's very 00:18:40.819 --> 00:18:45.640 experience in Philippi of a prisoner being freed 00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:52.000 from his chains. Paul says death for the Christian 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:55.900 means to depart. But he doesn't stop there. He 00:18:55.900 --> 00:19:01.430 says, and to be with Christ. It's not merely 00:19:01.430 --> 00:19:07.269 leaving, it's arriving. It's like stepping through 00:19:07.269 --> 00:19:10.509 a door. When you leave here this morning, you 00:19:10.509 --> 00:19:13.529 will step through a door and in one step, you 00:19:13.529 --> 00:19:16.150 will leave this worship center and go into the 00:19:16.150 --> 00:19:20.430 hallway. You leave and arrive with one action. 00:19:21.009 --> 00:19:23.609 And that is exactly what Paul is saying. To die 00:19:23.609 --> 00:19:27.410 for the Christian means to depart this world 00:19:27.410 --> 00:19:34.890 and to arrive in the next one That fast. Paul 00:19:34.890 --> 00:19:41.049 is not talking about reincarnation. That's a 00:19:41.049 --> 00:19:45.829 lie of the devil. There is no such thing as reincarnation. 00:19:48.609 --> 00:19:51.490 To depart does not mean to go into oblivion or 00:19:51.490 --> 00:19:55.970 to nothingness. To depart and to be with Christ 00:19:55.970 --> 00:20:00.519 does not mean to go to purgatory. To depart and 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:03.980 be with Christ does not mean that one experiences 00:20:03.980 --> 00:20:07.059 soul sleep or unconsciousness until the future 00:20:07.059 --> 00:20:10.599 resurrection. Not at all. He is saying that to 00:20:10.599 --> 00:20:13.900 depart from this world means to be with Christ 00:20:13.900 --> 00:20:17.980 and aware of it. And so he says in 2 Corinthians 00:20:17.980 --> 00:20:22.480 chapter 5 and verse 8 that death for the believer 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:27.200 means to be absent from the body and to be at 00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:33.720 home. with the Lord." That was the phrase that 00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:40.660 we chose to put on my mother's tombstone. After 00:20:40.660 --> 00:20:43.019 it gives her name and the dates of her birth 00:20:43.019 --> 00:20:50.839 and death, it says, at home with her Lord. That's 00:20:50.839 --> 00:20:54.420 what death is for the Christian. And Paul says, 00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:59.500 for me to die is gain. But Paul, what is death's 00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:04.900 result? Well, he says it's better by far. It's 00:21:04.900 --> 00:21:11.519 better by far to die. Paul does something unusual 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:14.960 here. He brings together an expression technically 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:17.940 found only here in the New Testament. He finds 00:21:17.940 --> 00:21:20.680 three comparatives and crunches them together. 00:21:21.220 --> 00:21:24.039 Literally, he says, which is more excellent to 00:21:24.039 --> 00:21:28.660 a greater extent by much. It's terrible English. 00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:32.799 And that's why it's translated a little differently 00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:36.099 for us. But Paul is saying there is no way to 00:21:36.099 --> 00:21:41.880 describe to you how much better it is to be in 00:21:41.880 --> 00:21:49.339 glory with Christ. Dying at the hands of Rome 00:21:49.339 --> 00:21:55.119 was no tragedy in Paul's eyes. He saw it through 00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:59.299 God's eyes. this whole situation. He had God's 00:21:59.299 --> 00:22:03.859 perspective on it. If he were to die, he would 00:22:03.859 --> 00:22:06.519 only support the very witness that he had been 00:22:06.519 --> 00:22:14.220 giving. He could die a martyr's death and know 00:22:14.220 --> 00:22:17.819 that his mission was accomplished, that mission 00:22:17.819 --> 00:22:24.019 of preaching Jesus Christ to the world. He had 00:22:24.019 --> 00:22:27.230 God's perspective on it. He says, for me, living 00:22:27.230 --> 00:22:31.549 is Christ. God is at work in my life in every 00:22:31.549 --> 00:22:34.269 circumstance I go through. God is using that 00:22:34.269 --> 00:22:37.289 for some good purpose to advance the Gospel, 00:22:37.450 --> 00:22:40.410 to minister to others, to grow me. God's working. 00:22:41.150 --> 00:22:45.990 And he says, to die, that's even better. He says, 00:22:46.170 --> 00:22:51.269 that's gain. If you and I can assume that death 00:22:51.269 --> 00:22:54.549 is the worst circumstance that could ever befall 00:22:54.549 --> 00:22:59.160 us, And if we believe, as the Scriptures say, 00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:03.579 that death is better than this life, then in 00:23:03.579 --> 00:23:06.900 the midst of every adversity, you and I can find 00:23:06.900 --> 00:23:10.940 joy. Because the worst that can ever happen to 00:23:10.940 --> 00:23:15.839 us, if we look at death that way, will only bring 00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:21.859 us eternal gain. That's why someone who is not 00:23:21.859 --> 00:23:27.049 afraid of death, like Paul. is the most potent 00:23:27.049 --> 00:23:34.250 force in the world. Armies cannot stand up against 00:23:34.250 --> 00:23:39.750 people who believe what Paul says here. That 00:23:39.750 --> 00:23:46.670 death is gain. The two ideas that we've looked 00:23:46.670 --> 00:23:49.230 at that help us to understand God's perspective 00:23:49.230 --> 00:23:53.670 about our circumstances are that to live as Christ 00:23:53.670 --> 00:23:57.910 and to die as gain, the third idea is to suffer 00:23:57.910 --> 00:24:01.710 as honor. Now the assumption here is that our 00:24:01.710 --> 00:24:05.930 suffering is as a Christian. That is for the 00:24:05.930 --> 00:24:08.190 sake of Christ, that we are suffering in some 00:24:08.190 --> 00:24:13.029 manner due to the will of God in our lives. Paul 00:24:13.029 --> 00:24:16.450 says, in essence here, we can count on opposition. 00:24:17.420 --> 00:24:20.319 There will be adversity in life. Suffering is 00:24:20.319 --> 00:24:25.380 certain to occur. We must anticipate that. But 00:24:25.380 --> 00:24:28.440 even as we count on it, we must conduct ourselves 00:24:28.440 --> 00:24:33.640 worthily. And he tells us how to do that. We 00:24:33.640 --> 00:24:36.700 are to conduct ourselves with dignity, verse 00:24:36.700 --> 00:24:41.740 27. He says, live as citizens of God's kingdom. 00:24:42.920 --> 00:24:48.009 When Paul uses that expression in verse 27. conduct 00:24:48.009 --> 00:24:52.049 yourselves in a worthy manner. He uses a word 00:24:52.049 --> 00:24:54.950 that would have just turned on lights and whistles 00:24:54.950 --> 00:24:58.890 to the Philippians because they lived in the 00:24:58.890 --> 00:25:02.950 city of Philippi which was a Roman colony. There 00:25:02.950 --> 00:25:06.710 were not many of those in the Roman Empire. It 00:25:06.710 --> 00:25:11.430 was intended to be a little Rome, a Roman miniature, 00:25:11.430 --> 00:25:15.829 and to be a citizen of one of those colonies. 00:25:16.490 --> 00:25:22.549 was a mark of great dignity. Paul says, now you 00:25:22.549 --> 00:25:27.430 live as a citizen, not merely a Philippi, that's 00:25:27.430 --> 00:25:32.549 small stuff. Live as a citizen of God's kingdom. 00:25:35.710 --> 00:25:38.630 Conduct yourself with dignity as a child of God 00:25:38.630 --> 00:25:41.509 in the midst of your suffering. Understand that 00:25:41.509 --> 00:25:46.660 to suffer for Christ is honor. And he says, conduct 00:25:46.660 --> 00:25:50.920 yourself with unity. Verse 27. Note the oneness 00:25:50.920 --> 00:25:56.240 in that verse. Stand in one spirit with one soul, 00:25:56.819 --> 00:26:00.599 striving together. Striving together is a word, 00:26:01.140 --> 00:26:03.759 sun -ath -le -o. Do you hear any word in there 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:07.640 that sounds familiar? Ath -le -o. It's our word 00:26:07.640 --> 00:26:11.140 for athlete. Paul is using the picture of an 00:26:11.140 --> 00:26:13.440 athletic team, and he says, you is a body of 00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:17.420 people. As you're suffering for Christ, work 00:26:17.420 --> 00:26:20.920 together like a team. Don't pull apart. Be a 00:26:20.920 --> 00:26:29.619 team. And suffer. Conduct yourself in your suffering. 00:26:31.259 --> 00:26:36.380 In unity. And he says, conduct yourself with 00:26:36.380 --> 00:26:44.700 intrepidity. Be courageous. Be fearless. Be brave 00:26:44.700 --> 00:26:48.920 in the face of your problems. Look at verse 28, 00:26:48.980 --> 00:26:51.460 the first part of the verse, without being frightened 00:26:51.460 --> 00:26:59.460 in any way by those who oppose you. That doesn't 00:26:59.460 --> 00:27:03.460 happen naturally. You and I can experience that 00:27:03.460 --> 00:27:07.680 in the power of God's Spirit. A supernatural 00:27:07.680 --> 00:27:14.000 courage. Paul says to suffer is honor. conduct 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:16.960 yourself as one who is a citizen of the Kingdom 00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:21.099 of God. And he says consider the suffering you 00:27:21.099 --> 00:27:26.400 experience as a gracious gift from God. Verse 00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:33.319 29, it has been graciously granted to you on 00:27:33.319 --> 00:27:36.599 Christ's behalf not only to believe on Him, but 00:27:36.599 --> 00:27:42.140 to suffer for Him. We would rather talk about 00:27:42.140 --> 00:27:44.440 the gift of salvation. Paul says there's the 00:27:44.440 --> 00:27:49.940 gift of suffering too. They come together. And 00:27:49.940 --> 00:27:53.720 both of them are granted by God to us by grace. 00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:57.980 But in this world we can't experience salvation 00:27:57.980 --> 00:28:01.980 by believing on Jesus Christ. And in this world 00:28:01.980 --> 00:28:06.480 we will suffer for Christ. And that is God's 00:28:06.480 --> 00:28:09.759 gracious gift to us. What an honor and a privilege. 00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:14.640 You and I will find joy in our adversity if we 00:28:14.640 --> 00:28:17.980 understand that suffering in God's will is an 00:28:17.980 --> 00:28:22.359 honor He bestows upon us. Is that the way you 00:28:22.359 --> 00:28:25.660 see your life and your circumstances this morning? 00:28:28.519 --> 00:28:31.539 Are you able to look at your problems in your 00:28:31.539 --> 00:28:37.859 family? Your problems in your marriage? Your 00:28:37.859 --> 00:28:41.220 problems in your relationships at work, your 00:28:41.220 --> 00:28:45.960 problems with your job, your problems inside 00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:49.740 yourself, are you able to gain God's perspective 00:28:49.740 --> 00:28:57.019 on those? To live is Christ. To die is gain. 00:28:57.119 --> 00:29:02.259 To suffer is honor. As you and I can put those 00:29:02.259 --> 00:29:06.240 lenses into focus in our lives, we will see our 00:29:06.240 --> 00:29:09.920 adversity. from God's perspective and we will 00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:14.640 have joy. But how do you gain that? How can we 00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:20.299 really do this? We are built so that we like 00:29:20.299 --> 00:29:24.839 to have four steps to it. And if we do those 00:29:24.839 --> 00:29:28.640 four things, it'll happen just like that. And 00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:33.039 that's not the way this works. You and I gain 00:29:33.039 --> 00:29:38.960 God's perspective in this book. by getting to 00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:43.960 know Him as He reveals Himself to us in the Word. 00:29:44.519 --> 00:29:47.359 How do you know what I think? Or how do I know 00:29:47.359 --> 00:29:49.940 what you think? The answer is we have to get 00:29:49.940 --> 00:29:53.619 to know each other. And if we're going to gain 00:29:53.619 --> 00:29:56.099 God's perspective on our particular problems, 00:29:56.400 --> 00:29:58.980 we need to go to the Word of God and get to know 00:29:58.980 --> 00:30:04.700 God. And we can find that joy that God promises 00:30:04.700 --> 00:30:13.400 us in this world. John and Betty Stam served 00:30:13.400 --> 00:30:17.559 Jesus Christ in China as missionaries. Actually, 00:30:17.619 --> 00:30:20.839 they had met when they were each in Bible school, 00:30:21.859 --> 00:30:26.500 and as singles, they went to China. But about 00:30:26.500 --> 00:30:29.180 a year after going there, they saw each other 00:30:29.180 --> 00:30:32.279 again, fell in love, and got married on the mission 00:30:32.279 --> 00:30:36.359 field. They were only in their mid -20s, and 00:30:36.359 --> 00:30:39.140 God had just given them a newly married couple 00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:48.480 a little baby when war broke out in China. And 00:30:48.480 --> 00:30:51.380 the two of them, actually the three of them, 00:30:51.859 --> 00:30:54.579 were caught up in that war, were taken prisoner 00:30:54.579 --> 00:31:01.099 and held. One of the Chinese who was helping 00:31:01.099 --> 00:31:04.440 them at the time was able to hide the little 00:31:04.440 --> 00:31:09.400 girl, the little baby. But John and Betty Stam 00:31:09.400 --> 00:31:14.059 were taken one morning in early December of 1934. 00:31:14.700 --> 00:31:22.039 She was 28, he was 27. They were forced to kneel 00:31:22.039 --> 00:31:26.880 and they were beheaded in China for the cause 00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:34.599 of Christ. Interestingly, their niece attends 00:31:34.599 --> 00:31:41.019 our church. when she's in the cities? Ruth Jordan? 00:31:44.700 --> 00:31:46.819 John and Betty Stams' martyrdom for the cause 00:31:46.819 --> 00:31:49.799 of Jesus Christ shook the world in the 30s. And 00:31:49.799 --> 00:31:54.460 as a result of that, Dr. Will Houghton, who was 00:31:54.460 --> 00:31:56.420 the president of the Bible School where they 00:31:56.420 --> 00:32:03.579 went, wrote a hymn in memory of them. It's entitled, 00:32:03.700 --> 00:32:08.400 By Life or By Death. And it's based on the text 00:32:08.400 --> 00:32:11.359 that we've used this morning. The words go like 00:32:11.359 --> 00:32:17.119 this. So this is life, this world, with all its 00:32:17.119 --> 00:32:22.099 pleasures, struggles and tears, a smile, a frown, 00:32:22.359 --> 00:32:26.779 a sigh. Friendship so true and love of kin and 00:32:26.779 --> 00:32:32.380 neighbor, sometimes tis hard to live, always 00:32:32.380 --> 00:32:38.819 to die. The world moves on. So rapidly the living, 00:32:39.240 --> 00:32:43.559 the forms of those who disappear, replace. And 00:32:43.559 --> 00:32:47.660 each one dreams that he will be enduring. How 00:32:47.660 --> 00:32:54.720 soon that one becomes the missing face. In life 00:32:54.720 --> 00:32:58.759 or death, and life is surely flying, the crib 00:32:58.759 --> 00:33:03.039 and coffin carved from the self -same tree. In 00:33:03.039 --> 00:33:07.549 life or death, and death so soon is coming, Escape, 00:33:07.829 --> 00:33:10.630 I cannot, there is no place to flee. But thou, 00:33:10.670 --> 00:33:15.789 O God, hast life that is eternal. That life is 00:33:15.789 --> 00:33:19.549 mine, a gift through thy dear Son. Help me to 00:33:19.549 --> 00:33:24.150 feel its flush and pulse, supernal. Assurance 00:33:24.150 --> 00:33:30.329 of the morn, when life is done. Help me to know 00:33:30.329 --> 00:33:34.410 the value of these hours. Help me the folly of 00:33:34.410 --> 00:33:39.019 all waste to see. Help me to trust the Christ 00:33:39.019 --> 00:33:44.779 who bore my sorrows, and thus to yield for life 00:33:44.779 --> 00:33:52.000 or death to thee. In all my days, be glorified, 00:33:52.180 --> 00:33:58.119 Lord Jesus. In all my ways, guide me with thine 00:33:58.119 --> 00:34:05.339 own eye. Just when and as thou wilt, use me. 00:34:05.420 --> 00:34:12.820 Lord Jesus. And then for me, it is Christ to 00:34:12.820 --> 00:34:20.840 live or die. How are you looking at your circumstances? 00:34:22.219 --> 00:34:25.340 If you're prospering, there may be the temptation 00:34:25.340 --> 00:34:32.719 to boast, to be self -indulgent, to say I deserved 00:34:32.719 --> 00:34:38.179 this. But what is God's perspective of your prosperity? 00:34:39.480 --> 00:34:44.300 What ought your response to it to be? How would 00:34:44.300 --> 00:34:48.119 God have you to handle it? What should you do 00:34:48.119 --> 00:34:53.480 with it? And if you're suffering today, there 00:34:53.480 --> 00:34:57.219 may be the temptation to be resentful or bitter. 00:34:58.880 --> 00:35:04.860 You may be confused or worried. But what is God's 00:35:04.860 --> 00:35:13.360 perspective? To find out, seek the Lord. It may 00:35:13.360 --> 00:35:15.420 be instead of seeking the Lord, you've been running 00:35:15.420 --> 00:35:22.699 from Him, avoiding God, or resisting Him. Today 00:35:22.699 --> 00:35:27.420 it's time to stop, to turn around and seek Him, 00:35:28.139 --> 00:35:32.820 and say, God, in whatever circumstance I am. 00:35:35.440 --> 00:35:40.800 Show me to live life from your perspective. Let's 00:35:40.800 --> 00:35:49.679 pray together. Sing with me this chorus. Turn 00:35:49.679 --> 00:36:02.239 your eyes upon Jesus Look full in His wonderful 00:36:02.239 --> 00:36:14.239 face And the things of earth will grow strangely 00:36:14.239 --> 00:36:28.420 dim In the light of His glory and grace. Friend, 00:36:28.579 --> 00:36:32.800 have you been resisting God? Running from God? 00:36:34.460 --> 00:36:37.059 Today, will you give Him your anxieties and your 00:36:37.059 --> 00:36:41.239 cares? I hope you will. We're going to take time 00:36:41.239 --> 00:36:44.099 to sing a verse of a final song in just a moment, 00:36:44.139 --> 00:36:47.840 and when we do, I want to invite you, if you'd 00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:50.139 like to pray with someone, if today you want 00:36:50.139 --> 00:36:53.880 to seek the Lord and you need someone to kneel 00:36:53.880 --> 00:36:57.880 with you, I invite you to come as we close the 00:36:57.880 --> 00:37:03.000 service. Father God, give us your perspective. 00:37:03.230 --> 00:37:05.949 Even upon this invitation time, give us your 00:37:05.949 --> 00:37:11.289 perspective. And may living be Christ for every 00:37:11.289 --> 00:37:15.269 one of us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.