Good Morning Everyone!
What a joy to worship God and to study His word together here at MGC Global.
This morning we will be looking at Philippians 1:18b-26 and I would like to begin with a question, what are you living for? We need to realize that everyone is living for something or someone. Every person who has lived in the past, who is living in the present, or who will live in the future will have to fill in the blank of this sentence: For me to live is ______________. What are some of the words you have used to fill in that blank?
If you are a basketball player, then you might say, “For me to live is basketball.” If you are a musician, then you might say, “For me to live is music.” Bill Gates might say, “For me to live is Microsoft.” Mark Zuckerberg might say, “For me to live is Facebook.” If you are a parent, you might say, “For me to live is my children.” The list of possibilities is endless. We can live for self, fun, money, career, and so on. But, we must be able to answer the question, what am I really living for?
Your answer to this question will determine the direction of your life. If your purpose is wrong, your direction will be wrong. If your purpose is vague or fuzzy, your direction will be fuzzy as well. And if you do not know your purpose, you will be easily swept by the currents of this world. So, it is crucial that you be clear and correct in answering the question, “What am I living for?”
In our passage this morning, we find two things that we should be living for. The first is…
1. Living to Exalt Christ (Vs. 18b-20)
In verse 18b, Paul says, “Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.” When he said this, he was in prison for over four years. He was facing the possibility of execution. And yet, he uses the future tense, saying, “I will continue to rejoice.” Paul was determined to rejoice with whatever awaits him in the future. And he was rejoicing in his current circumstances because He knew that his hope was in God. Paul’s attitude was right, not because of the circumstances, but because of his focus on Jesus Christ.
At this point, Paul doesn’t know what’s going to happen to him next. He hasn’t been given any divine revelation that he is going to be released from prison. The only two options before Paul at this point are - death or continued ministry. I’m sure most of us are not facing a choice like Paul. But many of us are going through trails, difficulties, and challenges in life which makes the future seem all the more frightening.
Let me ask you, what is your greatest fear for the future? What makes you most afraid of tomorrow, next year and the next ten years? Job, kids, marriage, finances, business, health, death? Brothers and sisters, I would like to encourage you to allow the Lord to show you how to face the future; a future designed by Christ, controlled by Christ and ordained by Christ. And remember that we are being held by the One who holds the future. So, our future is not a matter of fear, it’s a matter of faith. And we should exalt Christ through our faith in Him.
In verse 19, Paul goes on to say, “what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.” He uses the word “deliverance” which comes from the root word for salvation. He is basically saying that no matter what happens, live or die, I am saved! And in verse 20, we see his commitment to exalt Christ “whether by life or by death.” It is remarkable that his focus was not on getting released from prison, but rather on exalting Christ. Whether he lived or died wasn’t the issue; all that mattered to Paul was that he would exalt Christ. Brothers and sisters, are we exalting Christ in and thru our life? To exalt Christ means to give Him proper glory, honor, and praise that He truly deserves. And we exalt Him by our attitudes, our actions, and our words. Let us live to exalt Christ in all we are, and in all we do.
The second thing we should be living for is to serve others.
2. Living to Serve Others (Vs. 21-26)
In verse 21 Paul says,”For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Most people focus on the second part of the verse, “to die is gain,” and they contemplate the joys of heaven. But, we should not overlook what comes before. The importance of the phrase “to live is Christ” cannot be overstated. In fact, it should be the main purpose of every Christian’s life.
“To live is Christ” means to proclaim the gospel of Christ to others. Paul preached in synagogues; he preached at riversides; he preached as a prisoner; he preached as an apostle; and he preached as a tentmaker. He brought the gospel to kings, soldiers, priests, philosophers, Jews, Gentiles, men, and women. He would preach to anyone who would listen. “To live is Christ” also means that we imitate the example of Christ. Everything that Jesus did and said, that’s what we should do and say.
Paul’s purpose in living here on earth was to serve others. He said in v. 22, “If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.” It means he would be visiting his Philippians friends again to serve them. Brothers and sisters, there is more to Christianity than just anticipating the glory of heaven. There is a lost world around us. So many people just outside the doors of this church need Jesus. Henry James said, “The best use for your life is to invest it in something that will outlast it.” There is work to be done and Paul shows us by example how to do it. He was committed to serving others while he was here on earth.
That is why he says in verse 23, “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” From the standpoint of his personal welfare, Paul would prefer being with Christ. All his problems would be over. No more headaches and no more heartaches. But, Paul is not proclaiming his desire to be with the Lord because he has a hatred of life. His attitude is not an escape from the pain of this life. Rather, Paul has an understanding of his life’s goal. He knows that life is ultimately about living for Christ. So, he is ready to serve others regardless of the outcome.
Paul has a deep longing for heaven yet there is work that needs to be done for the Lord on earth. He knows that God has a work for him in advancing the gospel. So, in v. 25 we see that Paul decided to remain and continue that work. His decision was not based on his own welfare or comfort, but on the opportunity to serve others. In Matthew 20:28, we read that “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” We need to be intentional in serving others because our natural tendency is to be served. We can serve by sharing resources, offering skills, visiting sick, baby sitting, car pooling, sharing the Gospel, leading MGroup etc.
Conclusion
Brothers and sisters, going back to the question, what are you living for? For Paul, it was Christ. Everything he was, everything he did was Christ. His whole life was wrapped around Christ. Paul was clear and focused on his purpose. He knew what he was living for. He was living to exalt Christ and he was living to serve others.
As Christians, we need to honestly to evaluate our lives in light of this question, What am I living for? It’s easy to fall into living for good things, but not for the best. God has blessed us with our families, friends, homes, possessions, work, etc. But if we are not careful, these good things become the things we live for.
A closer walk with God, consistent quality time with Him, and an attitude of submission to His will can change the way we live our life. I hope and pray that all of us will live to exalt Christ, and to serve others. So, we can confidently say, “For me to live is Christ.”
Let us pray!
