21For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. 22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. 23I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; 24but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. 25Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, 26so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again. 27Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, 28and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. 29For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well— 30since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. Philippians 1:21 - 30 (NRSVA)
Have you ever heard that old song “Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries”? Whoever wrote it needs a serious dose of reality. In case you hadn’t noticed lately – life is not a bowl of cherries; mostly it’s a struggle! Life is filled with complex and often dangerous or difficult choices.
What shall I choose? Have you ever been faced with choices? We don’t have a choice about being born, our family, or any of the conditions with which we begin life. The choosing begins with how we will use the circumstances we inherit.
In 1784 Ben Franklin wrote to his daughter expressing his disappointment at the poor choice he felt the American government had made in selecting the eagle as our national symbol; Ben wanted the TURKEY! (I’M SO GLAD THEY DIDN’T LISTEN!)
Some choices carry greater consequences than others. A student nurse came into the hospital room to give her 79-year-old patient a shot. She asked him, "Which hip do you want the shot?" Said he, "YOURS, HONEY!"
Choosing is important in the Christian life. Alaska’s highway is well-known for its primitive roads, and the long, lonely stretches. A sign located at the beginning of one such stretch reads:
CHOOSE YOUR RUT CAREFULLY...
YOU’LL BE IN IT FOR THE NEXT 200 MILES!
Paul had a hard choice in front of him. He was languishing in a Roman prison - a dark, dirty, sickening place. His circumstance of life was appalling. He certainly wished for release (nobody likes prison). But he had another choice that took precedence - should he just sit back and wait to die? (At least he’d be with Jesus - that was preferable in Paul’s eyes.) Or should he remind God how useful he could be for the furtherance of the ministry?
This was a trying decision for Paul. And we face many decisions about family, job, relationships. We (like Paul) want to make sound decisions, Christian decisions - choices that will be good for our welfare, and pleasing in God’s sight. The question before the house today is,
HOW CAN I MAKE SOUND, CHRISTIAN DECISIONS?
Paul’s answer to that question is a diatribe, one of those question and answer sessions you have with yourself pacing the floor. He uncovers for us four FACTORS that influence Christian decision-making. The decision that you make is determined by:
I. What You Want
Paul knew what he wanted; whether in prison or free, he wanted to please God. He chose Jesus in everything. The question becomes, "Do you want Jesus, and the life He offers?" C.S. Lewis, the author of “The Chronicles of Narnia” also wrote: "...every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part that chooses, into something a little different than it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, you are slowly turning this central thing either into a Heavenly creature or into a hellish creature..."
Here is the lesson about choosing - When you choose Christ first, you begin to know Christlikeness firsthand. I often pattern my prayer after Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, "Lord, I want to be more like you when I make choices - NOT MY WILL, FATHER, YOURS!" The bottom line is that when you begin to want Jesus, you will begin to want to BE like Jesus, and your decisions will be more like Jesus makes!
Secondly, notice that Christian decision-making is influenced not only by what you want, but by:
II. Whom You Depend Upon
Jesus depended upon the Father. Paul would later write (2.7) that Jesus "...made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant." You say, "Of course I depend on God -- Who else do you think I’m praying to?" The point of prayer is not the issue - it is the person of your prayer. Do you leave room in your petition for the miraculous? When Jesus prayed He expected an answer - BUT HE ALWAYS LEFT THE KIND OF ANSWER IN THE FATHER’S HAND.
It is appropriate to make our requests known and even our wants....But it is so much smarter to leave the way God answers up to Him. He has been known to come up with better answers than what we can even dream! All your plans for your family, ministry and relationships need room for the miracle-working power of God. Remember, if you’re covering every angle it is YOU that you’re depending on, not God.
III. Your Attitude Towards the Body of Christ
This is a focus that requires a different kind of lens. Jesus is worthy of our worship. Paul knew that there was a chance he wouldn’t ever see daylight as a free man. So he said, "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." (Php 1.27 NIV) Our decisions are not made in a vacuum. Everything we do affects other people. It is especially so in the body of Christ. What is it that the body chooses?
UNITY - "One spirit" "One man" The church of Jesus Christ is to be a united church. An attitude of selfishness, or carelessness does not belong. It is like my hand deciding to go on vacation. If the hand decides the mouth doesn’t need to be fed, the entire body will suffer. It is that way with believers who imagine their place in worship or Bible Study can be filled by somebody else. Unity is only a reality when the whole body is working together. The church also chooses to honor Jesus in...
INDUSTRY To "contend" means to work! Christ never intended the church to limp along on short rations. Every member can make a contribution to the body. If you really want to help you can find a way. If you have trouble finding a way to help – ASK! Nothing gives a pastor or Nominating Committee chairman more pleasure than a willing member who says, "I’d like to fill in one of your blanks." Unity, Industry, and...
INTREPIDITY To be intrepid is to be courageous. Paul says that the body of Christ, standing as unified and industrious will be intrepid – unafraid of opposition. The word comes from an ancient Greek word ptoo’-ro, which literally translated means "to spit." A perfect example is the camel. When surprised, or frightened, a camel will spit at its enemy. The application is simple; whatever happens in this life, the Christian that is standing united with the church, working diligently in the kingdom will not be unduly frightened by ANYTHING! Now that is a freedom that’s worth having.
IV. Your Willingness To Serve
The servant index is simply a measure of your Christlikeness; it is a measure of your willingness to follow Jesus on HIS terms, rather than your own. Jesus suffered, and so will His followers. We must be willing to choose following Christ - despite the cost - or we cannot be considered worthy to be called His disciples. Jesus said, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9.23 KJV)
And so, the crux of the matter is, are you willing to suffer? Paul was, and he warned the church that one of the great gifts God had entrusted them with was the privilege to suffer for him. In their day it was arenas with lions. For us it means choosing Bible Study over sleeping-in on Sunday; tithe over treasures; worship over worldliness, and outreach instead of television.
Now, put it all together. Paul was speaking to the church of joy. He shows us that all this,
WHAT YOU WANT, WHOM YOU DEPEND ON, YOUR ATTITUDE and YOUR SERVANT INDEX, is all working together to produce joy in your life. The question is,
"Do you want it?"
To help in deciding this vital issue, consider this scenario. We go to the state fair. We are standing in front of a booth where you throw the darts at colored balloons; bust the balloon and you’re a winner!
The blue balloons are worth $5 each; the yellow are worth $500 each; and the red ones are worth $50,000 apiece. No tricks. Which balloons will YOU throw at?
Christian decision-making is just that uncomplicated. Jesus is the big prize! Love him.....Depend on him....Love and work for his church....serve. It will produce genuine joy no matter what the circumstances!
