Well, thank you, Abe, for reading that text and leading us in those songs. It's officially Christmas. We're singing Christmas hymns. It's going to be a wonderful season ahead of us as we set our minds on the reason for the season, the Christ child coming and offering salvation to those who would be prepared to turn to Him for that wonderful blessing. I hope you've got your Bibles open still at Philippians chapter 1. We've been in the chapter for a while now. And if you remember what we saw last time, is Paul's confidence that he had in Christ. In the midst of his imprisonment, hidden as he was in the Lord Jesus Christ, eternally secure, absolutely confident in Christ's ability to cause him to stand, no matter what opposition there was. And friends, there would have been a lot of opposition. We saw it inside and outside of the church. But there he was rejoicing, choosing to rejoice, it should be said, in the midst of his imprisonment, confident that he would be a bold witness for Christ, whether by life or by death, able to stand such that the Lord would be honored in his body. Now, as we noted those things, we took a look at Philippians 1.21. Abe just read it for us. Let me read it again. Paul there asserts, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. That's an inspiring verse, isn't it? When you read through the Bible, that stands out as being a distinctly Christian verse. This is the verse that we might long to assert with Paul as those who also desire to follow Christ faithfully as Paul did. Last time we reflected on how it captured Paul's single-minded devotion to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, whether in life or in death. and how it explained his perspective on facing opposition as he was, such that even death, even death, even death would be gained to him, should that be his lot. Tonight, I want to revisit that verse. I want to look at that and open it up with you in more detail as we also progress through to verse 26. I want to do this all with this question in mind. Here's the question. What does it look like to live a Christ-centered life? With a statement like he made in verse 21, I'd like to suggest this evening that we can look to Paul and learn what it looks like to live a Christ-centered life as we look at what his mindset was when he says, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. And I'll grant you that we have to be careful in looking at human examples. We recognize that human examples are given that we might learn what to do and what not to do. Paul is a good example, one that we should follow, but we recognize that just like us, he's a sinner saved by grace. So we want to be careful not to overplay how much of an example he is. Christ is the example. Christ is the supreme standard that we're called to emulate by his spirit. But in passages like 2 Timothy 3, he does commend his own faithful example to someone like Timothy. He does tell the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 4.11, imitate me as I imitate Christ. Safe to say then that we can look to Paul's example as one worth following, a godly example against which we can measure our own devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ as we study it from the scriptures. I think the passage that we're going to study tonight will help us answer our question, what does it look like to live a Christ-centered life, as it opens up to us what Paul was thinking, what Paul was wrestling with, what Paul had his hopes set on in the midst of his imprisonment. What we'll see from verses 21 to 26 this evening is a chain of thought that he recorded for the Philippians, and also by extension us, that really helps to understand how focused on the Lord Jesus Christ he was as he stood in prison seeking to make much of him. In seeing all of this, in seeing his example, I want us to come away both encouraged and challenged to consider how fruitful and faithful a life we can have if we also would commit to following the Lord Jesus Christ as Paul did, as one wholly given over as a servant to the Lord Jesus Christ, such that everything he did was about making much of and delighting in the Lord Jesus Christ. I want us to live the Christ-centered life, and I want this text to inform it. the way we should go about that. Let me ask you, is that something that you want tonight? Is the spirit at work in you such that you want to say with Paul, to me to live is Christ and to die is gain? We're gonna use three D words. Three D words, three coat hangers to put our thoughts on as we go through verses 21 to 26. First I want us to see Paul's dilemma. His to live is Christ and to die is gain mindset. led to a wrestling in his heart, a wrestling in his mind as he considered two good options in his uncertain future. He didn't know whether he would live or die. Only God knew that. God was sovereignly working out his plan, and yet in Paul's heart was this dilemma. He wasn't certain about what the Lord's plan was, but he went back and forth between what could happen. He was hard-pressed to decide. That was his dilemma. The two options we're gonna see revealed his desire. That's our second D. which as we'll see was ultimately to be with Christ. But as we'll see, his heart of self-denial, the work of Christ in him shone through as he wrote to the Philippians and revealed his dedication to them. His resolve he had to want to stay and serve them even if it meant waiting on what he most desired. So our three D's are his dilemma, his desire, and his dedication. Hope those things will be helpful for you as we just walk through this passage together. My aim, again, is to encourage you, is to challenge you to think biblically, think Christianly, think like Paul about what it means to love and know Jesus Christ. I'm gonna read our passage, verses 21 to 26, and we'll work through those three D's together. Paul says, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. 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. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 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. The first of our D's then is dilemma. And as I've said, it captures that back and forth that he has in his heart on the heels of what he's just said, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Think of verses 22 through 26 as really developing that thought when he says in verse 21, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. He says in verses 22 and the first part of 23, if I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose, I cannot tell. I'm hard pressed between the two. when he says at the end of verse 22, yet which I shall choose, I cannot tell. He has in this mind on one hand, continuing the life he currently has, albeit in prison, but nevertheless a faithful servant of Christ, given over to following and serving Jesus Christ wherever he was. On the other hand, the second half of verse 23 says, he's got this wrestling to depart and be with Christ. Can you hear those two options? The dilemma is set up in his heart as he works through this hypothetical decision between the two good options, options between which he is torn. To be hard-pressed here is his way of emphasizing how difficult it is for him to decide which he would prefer. Perhaps you've been in that situation. Two good things, two God-honoring things, which one should I choose? And as we've said, his lot, his decision about whether he would live or die is ultimately not in Paul's decision. It was the Lord who was sovereign over whether he would lose his life or continue to live it out in prison. Nevertheless, his devotion to Christ shines through in these two good options. On the one hand, as we've said, staying where he was on the earth, in the flesh, Living as a faithful disciple would mean fruitful labor for him. It would be work. We often forget that. We often forget how hard Paul worked, but he's reconciled in his mind that to stay would be fruitful labor for him that would bring advantage. That's that word fruitful. It would be profitable for those he was ministering to in a Philippian church and others, of course. But we recognize that it would be work. He recognized that it would be work. He often agonized, ministering through tears as he saw Christ's people matured into Christ's image. He describes his own efforts in Colossians 129 as both toilsome and struggling. The nature of his ministry was busy. He was always about the work of the Lord, both in public and private, often with tears as he labored to see Christ formed in those whom he was given to serve. but it would be that work that bore fruit for Christ's glory in the people that loved Christ and him dearly. The choice between his good options, to be with Christ or to stay and minister for him, was a hard one. That's the dilemma that set up in his heart. Notice again what he goes on to say at the end of verse number 23, which moves us from seeing his dilemma to his desires. He says, I am hard-pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. Back in verse 21, we saw his unshakable confidence in the fact that for Paul, death would bring gain. Here in verse 23, we see that explained with the euphemism that Paul uses in reference to his death, that idea of departure, of leaving this realm and perhaps sailing off as a ship into the ocean to the next, which would lead him, the text says, to be with Christ. That, he says, is far better. I don't think that there's a better statement in Scripture to capture the eternal hope and the heart's desire of a Christian than this one here. The fact that he's reconciled in his mind, he's comforted by the fact that for him to die is gain. Think about what Paul is saying here for a moment. He's saying, I would rather depart from everything I enjoy in this life so that I can be present with Jesus. To die is gain, my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is better. What crosses your mind when you picture your own death? What crosses your mind as you're about to breathe your last? Think of it for a moment in terms of what you'll leave behind, what you might look as loss. Do you see what you'll gain as far better? I thought about this and I tried to put myself in a situation, in my imagination, where two good things are set up. And here's what I came up with. I hope it'll be a blessing as you work this through and you try to understand and appreciate where Paul is at between these two good things. Imagine, this is a sad scene, but imagine it with me. There's a young father. He's a faithful, fruitful servant of the Lord. and he's laid out in hospice care. He's lacking strength, becoming weaker. Follow this with me. Death is closer now than he has ever seen it to be. Hearts are full of grief. Each person has never experienced this grief before, but humanly speaking, this is an untimely death. There's so much life ahead of this dear saint. There's so many opportunities for him to enjoy the blessings of God. There's so much good for him to grasp at. And you see him here in this scene with as much strength as he can muster. He looks up at the wife that's by his bedside and he says, I love you so much. He says, I want so much to stay with you. I want so much to see you grow in the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to serve alongside you. I want to see these children that we have to grow. These are good things, good desires. Can you hear those good desires in his heart? He wants to stay. His children, they've grown up a bit and he says to them, this is so hard. He says, my heart yearns to stay. I want to see what God will do in your lives. Again, more good desires, he wants to stay and minister them and enjoy them. He's got friends around the bedside, and he says to his friends, oh, my friends, I love serving the Lord Jesus Christ with you. We've done so much in church together, and I wish I could stay and work with you to see what he's going to do through this church. You've been so encouraging to me, and I want to stay and enjoy your friendship. yet more good desires to stay and enjoy gifts, blessings from the Lord. But, he says, with all the strength he can muster, I know there's something better ahead of me. As much as I love you, as much as I want to stay and enjoy these gifts, these blessings that God has given, I want to go and be with Jesus. For that is far better. Oh, to have a heart so in love with Christ that we can say with Paul in a moment like that, I would rather depart from everything I love in this life to depart and be with Him, for He is so much more glorious than the things we have. And aren't those good things good? To die is gain, says Paul. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. Do we have such a longing in our hearts? That's where Paul was, that's where we see our second D, that's his desire shining through in this text. Friends, in our living, how much are we thinking about our dying? Does the way we think about death indicate a transforming work of God's grace in our lives? Are we thinking about death in such a way as to prepare Christianly for it? Are we convinced on the basis of God's promises that for us, for you and I personally, for you here tonight, are you convinced that for you to die is going to be gain? Because that's what scripture holds out as a promise to us. Can we say with confidence like Paul, in the full assurance of God's forgiveness because of Christ's perfect life, substitutionary death for us, and death defeating resurrection, That we too will die and be absent from the body, present with the Lord. Do you believe that tonight? There's no need to fear death if you're in Christ. He delivers us from that fear. No condemnation. Now I dread. If you've thought anything about dying, you reconcile in your mind, you recognize in your mind that some of the ways in which we could pass from this life into the next are absolutely horrific. But consider who is there on the other side of the veil to welcome us home, where it will be far better than anything good that we enjoy right here. If you've turned to Christ and had your sins forgiven, to Christ you shall go when you die. That will be far better than anything you and I have on this side of heaven. No eye has seen, no ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. Paul saw with eyes of faith the beauty and grace and love and wisdom and power and compassion and sweetness of Christ as so precious that he ultimately desired more of Christ. He believed. the words of Psalm 16, verse 11, that at the Lord's right hand were pleasures forevermore. And he had his heart's desire set on enjoying those pleasures in Christ's presence when he left this life. He had tasted and seen that the Lord was good to the extent that what was far better in his eyes was to be in Christ's presence and enjoy that goodness forevermore. even more so than to stay and enjoy the good things that Christ has given in this life. He was so convinced that the Lord's dwelling place was lovely as his soul long, yes, fainted for the courts of the Lord, yea, even more the Lord himself. And so he saw his death as gain because that was far better. I dare say that what Paul had in this life, he was so thankful to enjoy. but that it paled in comparison to having more of Christ and his goodness. For Paul, death was gain. To be with Christ was far better. Oh, to have a view of death like that. Wouldn't you love to stare death in the face and say, death, where's your sting? I'm gonna pass through you and go to something glorious. Matthew Henry says, see the power of faith and of divine grace. It can reconcile the mind to death and make us willing to die. Though death is the destruction of our present nature and the greatest natural evil. The world is terrified of death. The world wants nothing to do with death. You bring up death in the lunchroom and instantly you're gonna empty that place out. And yet, to the Christian, it's but a sweet gateway to paradise. To be with Christ is far better. That's the perspective we receive on death as we live the Christ-centered life. Death to the Christian is but a gain. But doesn't that perspective seem so far away at times? How do we get there in our thinking? That's a good question. I'm sure it's going to take us a lifetime to figure out that answer. But if we were to start thinking about what it looks like to embrace that perspective tonight, what is it that we would have to do? How do we get to where Paul was? Perhaps we could start by lining up in our minds, taking inventory, layout in our imaginations, all the things that we stand to leave behind as we breathe our last. Can you do that? It'll take a lifetime, I'm sure, but there's so many good things that we'll leave behind when we breathe our last. I would suggest this, if we cannot evaluate the loss of those things that we've just laid out in our minds, if we cannot evaluate the loss of those things as gain when we reach the Lord Jesus Christ in favor of getting more of Christ, then those things that we've just taken inventory of are problematically more precious to us than he is. And don't hear what I'm not saying. Don't hear me as saying that it's wrong to enjoy the good gifts that God gives. Paul would never conclude that. In fact, he taught that everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. He said that God richly provides us with everything to enjoy. So Paul's not some kind of earthly, like a Scrooge, a curmudgeon that says, well, you can't enjoy those things here. But what he wants us to do is set those things in their proper perspective, such that we are willing to leave those things behind in favor of getting Christ, because that's far better. Growing to know and serve and love one's spouse is a gift. Children are a gift. Deep friendships in the Lord Jesus Christ are a gift. Material blessings are a gift. Ministry opportunities are a gift, even as Paul is going to say in the remainder of our passage. Those are good things to be enjoyed, but for how good and enjoyable and so much a blessing those things are, and for how privileged we are to enjoy them, We are called to delight in the giver more than the gift, such that when we get into his presence, all of those things will look like crumbs, as good as they once were. I wonder whether the fact that we delight in the gifts more than the giver so much of our day is part of what gets in the way of our being able to say with Paul, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain, my desire is to depart and be with Christ for that is far better. So take that inventory, friends. Line those things up, stack them up against how much more precious Christ is and pursue the one more than the other. Matthew Henry on this passage writes some challenging words. He says, death is a great loss to a carnal worldly man, for he loses all his comforts and all his hopes. In other words, one living for the world is going to be very disappointed at death. But to a good Christian, one who is progressing in Christian character, it is gain, for it is the end of all his weakness and misery, and the perfection of his comforts and accomplishment of his hopes. It delivers him from all the evils of life and brings him to the possession of the chief good. That's what death is to the believer. Praise the Lord. What hope there is for the dying servant of Christ. Let's be encouraging one another along these lines. Let's be encouraging us as spouses and parents and friends and brothers and sisters in the Lord to pursue that mindset, to see Christ as more precious than the earthly goods that he has given. Paul had grown in his love for the Lord to the point that he could say, especially through our text, that it was better to leave behind the things he most loved to get more of the one he loved, the Lord Jesus Christ himself. May God put in us that perspective. lest we conclude that being delayed in our departure, that having to live with Christ in this life, this side of heaven, constrains us to a life of disappointment and drudgery. Let me see with you the remainder of our passage, because that's certainly not where Paul leaves us. Paul says, or what Paul says in verses 24 to 26, should guard us against concluding that life this side of the veil, lacks the joys and the blessings that God gives. That is, of course, if we maintain that Christ-centered mindset. That's what we're looking at this text for, isn't it? We're following his example and we're asking the question, what does it look like to live the Christ-centered life? So what does it look like this side of heaven? That, for Paul, meant serving Christ in whatever situation he was, and in the context of the letter that we're studying, ministering for the growth of his friends, the Philippians. So having considered his dilemma and the desire that he had, let's come to the last part of our passage here. We're gonna see his dedication, which is yet another reflection of how devoted to Christ, how Christ-centered that he was. He says in verses 24 to 26, even after expressing how much more desirous he was to be with the Lord Jesus, but to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 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." So here, if you've been following his wrestling, he seems to flop back to the side of desiring to press on in his earthly work. He's okay with that. It was something that he was eager to do, eager to press on in if that was God's sovereign plan for his life, albeit not being as desirable as being with Christ in heaven. I don't think we want to understand Paul and interpret him as having some meager consolation prize. That's not where he's at. You know, you didn't get Christ in heaven, but just stay here and suffer through this for all. That's not what he's saying. That's not his heart. That's not where his heart is devoted to Christ. I think rather what we want to do is understand his perspective as being so dedicated to making much of the Lord Jesus Christ. So about making much of the Lord Jesus. that he genuinely wanted to pour himself out into this Philippian congregation and whomever else he had to minister to, if that was the Lord's plan for him. Because, for, to live is Christ, is what he says. Even if that meant delaying what he most desired. Notice that his dedication shines through in verse 24, when he says, but to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. He knew that they had more growing to do. He knew, having spent time with them, you know, Euodia and Syntyche, I want to talk to them. I'm going to write the letter to them. I'm going to write to this congregation about their need to service one another or to serve one another. counting others more significant than themselves. That's going to come up in chapter two. You know, in chapter three, he wants to guide them in maturing through erring on the side of lawlessness on one side and legalism on the other. You know, this congregation, I've got to do some more work. There's more toil, more labor. He sees them as anxious and lacking contentment, and so that's why in chapter four he says, you know, don't be anxious, and you know you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. He knows that they need to grow. It's more necessary on their account that he stay and pour out himself for their benefit. He recognized in his wrestling as one who dearly loved Christ and the Philippians that it was more necessary to stay and push through that ministry, persevere in that ministry, on their account. At this point, what I hope you're seeing with me is that Paul's heart for Christ had led to such a life-giving perspective on death and a dying-to-self perspective on life that whether living or dying, it was all about either enjoying or magnifying the Lord Jesus Christ. Who was at the center of his desire to depart? It was Christ, right? What about Paul's decision in this part of the text to remain in the flesh? Again, it's not Paul at the middle of it. It's Christ and Christ's people. Because Christ was at the center, Paul wanted to serve not himself, but others in the fruitful labor of discipleship. Look again at verse number 24 with me and mark this. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. I want to remain, he says, for your sake. If the Lord should decide to keep me here, my beloved Philippian friends, he says, I want to give my life to see Christ formed in you. He's not wanting to stay on the earth and wanting to live it up in luxury, to lounge around making much of Paul. If that's our approach to Christianity, then we've got it very wrong. Your life. My life, it doesn't belong to any one of us. It belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ, bought with a price, shed his blood that we might be redeemed. Paul is not wanting to stick around to serve himself, but instead serve those whom Jesus will mature through his ministry. Let me put it to us this way. If our lives are marked by a consistent desire to serve ourselves instead of Christ and his people, We are far from Paul's example as it comes through in this text. My life, your life, is not for you and I to do with what we best decide to do with it. It's to be poured out in service of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask yourself in light of that fact, in light of this text, is my life marked by serving others? Do I, like Paul, in humility, count others more significant than myself? Do I look not only to my own interests, but to the interests of others? Is there some area of ministry that you're being asked to participate in, and you're saying, no, I don't want to do that, that's too much effort? See how misaligned that is with Christ's purpose for his people? Do I have the mind of Christ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant with the goal of giving his life for the benefit of others who needed it? Am I, like Paul, compelled by the love of Christ for me that all I want to do is serve him with every fiber of my being? That's a challenging thing to evaluate, isn't it? What trajectory are you and I on this evening as we consider Paul's example in our text tonight? Remember that for Paul, to live was Christ. That meant serving Christ's people in the context of this letter, even when that meant delaying that which in his eyes was far better. As Paul saw his faithful servant, mindedness or his faithful service to the Philippians as so much more necessary for their growth. He says in verse 25, see it with me, convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith. Convinced of their need, he knew of their need and was willing to act upon it. He had a willingness of heart to delay departing and being with Christ in favor of remaining in the flesh to continue with them all for their progress and joy in the faith. It's very much a statement assuring them of his care for them. I don't think it's really an indicator to us about whether he actually knew whether he was gonna live or die. As we've said, that was for the Lord to decide. Nevertheless, he was decided in his heart, based on the need that they had, based on his ministry, that he could supply to them, that he would stay in the flesh and minister to them. if that was God's will for him. What an incredible commitment that Paul had to these Philippian believers. What a godly desire to see them persevere in the trials that they faced, to see them grow in Christ's likeness. What a blessing for the Philippians to have such a pastor-type figure, that faithful, selfless servant of Christ who was so willing, even at a cost to his own desires, to see them make progress in their journey in becoming more like Jesus Christ. With that progress, with that knowledge of who Christ is and what he's done, would come increasing joy in the faith, is what he says. As he was able to rejoice in the Lord through the trials that he faced, so he wanted the Lord to work through him so that they would be able to persevere with the same joy. as he wanted the gospel to expand through the Roman Empire. So he wanted their faith to develop alongside his. So he was willing to stay, minister to him so that their progress, their joy in the faith would, by God's grace, increase along with his. What's the goal of all of that fruitful labor? It gives us that goal in verse 26. He see again so much devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ and his dedication to them. Listen to the goal, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus because of my coming to you again. That little phrase, so that, at the very beginning of verse 26, it's important. Notice what it does. It takes his desire to persevere in the hard work of ministry for their progress in the faith and their furtherance of joy, And it connects it to the goal, which he says is for them to boast not in him as a servant, but in Christ as the one who they're all serving. Again, take note of what we're seeing here. What was his death all about? More of Christ. Who was his living aimed at in magnifying? Christ. Who did he want to see the Philippians' glory in? More of Christ. It wasn't about them making much of Paul, the servant, but the one that they're ultimately serving together, the master, the Lord Jesus Christ himself. That makes sense, doesn't it? If you think back what we've seen so far in chapter one, it's perfectly consistent with what we've seen. Remember from verse number 11 that any fruit of righteousness comes through Jesus Christ. Recall with me from verse 19, what we saw last time, that it's the spirit of Jesus Christ whose help accomplishes God's will in the lives of his people. So it makes sense that any success, any boasting that follows, belong ultimately to the Lord Jesus, not the faithful servants that he might be pleased to use. It's all about Christ. Someone says, well, what's the point? What effort do we have to play? Well, I'll tell you what we have to play because Paul says that it's based on his coming to them again. We ought not to conclude here that we have nothing to do as disciple-makers. Paul certainly concluded that his life was to be poured out for the Philippians. Effort had to be given forth on his end so that they would be matured through his ministry. Let's not ignore or undervalue the work Christ's people do in discipleship, because without it, God's people don't grow. We see that, don't we? We need to be involved in one another's lives, as Paul was involved in their lives, if we'll see one another grow, because it's that agency of human servants that Christ uses to mature his people. But we just have to keep boasting in the right place. We have to make sure we keep boasting in Christ for what he accomplishes through the faithful servants he's pleased to use. The Philippians would be glorying in Christ because of Paul's coming to them again. Now as we wrap all of this up, I don't know about you, but this is a challenging passage to evaluate, isn't it? When we hold this passage up to our lives, we hold it up as a mirror, as we should with the word of God, and we see Shadows of Christ in the example of Paul. More than shadows, we see the glory of Christ shining through him in his example because he's so willing to give himself for the benefit of others. As we've looked tonight at what that meant for Paul to live as Christ and to die as Gain, we've seen this idea in terms of a dilemma that is set up in his heart, this desire that he ultimately shows to be with Christ and the dedication that he's given toward these Philippian believers. All throughout, have we not seen a complete devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ? We've really been led to evaluate where our own allegiances lie. That's a good thing. For what or for whom are we living? Can we say, as we think of our death, I'd rather leave behind all that I love because to be with Christ is far better. If it's not yet our appointed time to depart, Is our heart desiring to be so marked by Christ-like other-centeredness so that we can truly say that we're living the Christ-centered life? There's two parts to this, friends. There's thinking about death as we live and thinking about dying to ourselves while we contemplate what Christ has done for us. Friends, if you have but a spark of that desire, to serve as Paul did, then please, fan it in the flame. Because that is what Christ wants for his people. He wants people on fire for him, being willing to give themselves for his cause, that other people would glorify him in the midst of their ministry. Hold one another to account. Sharpen one another in conversations. Are you pursuing Christ in that activity? Because that seems to be Paul's example held out to us this evening. As those who claim the name of Christ this evening, may we be found pursuing him as Paul did, loving Christ more than anything that Christ gives us, and eager to serve his people faithfully as we put others' needs above our own desires so that they would be able to glorify Christ more as a result of our efforts that God is pleased to use. We want God to work in us those attitudes, those actions, the words that have been seen in our text tonight, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Those are the words that we want to mark our lives. Those are the words that capture the Christ-centered life. Let's pray together. Father in heaven, we're challenged by this text. this evening. We're humbled by it as we recognize that so often we live self-centered lives. Lord, we're living for the things of this world that are passing away. But we're also reminded as we look at this text, Lord, that you have given us so much to enjoy in this life. You've given us so much blessing in being able to come and pour out our own lives for the benefit of others in serving the Lord Jesus Christ, to making him known, whether in a first-time saving way or a way that builds people up in the faith. You've given us this church, Lord, to minister in the midst of, that we might be ministers of your grace to see others built up and glorifying Jesus Christ through the work that you're doing in us. Help us do that faithfully, Lord. We want to be servants of the Lord Jesus. We want to be living the Christ-centered life. Lord, we've been challenged again this evening to evaluate how we think of death. God, what a sweet relief it is to know that that's just the beginning as we recognize that Death is for us as Christians the gateway to paradise. We're recognizing again afresh this evening Lord that the gospel gives us so much hope in the midst of death, in the face of death because there is for us in Christ Jesus no condemnation. It is for us a hope to say and echo the words of the Lord Jesus that though we die yet shall we live because he has been risen from the grave. Help us to live our lives as those who are willing to die to ourselves, knowing that the fullness of eternal life, the fullness of being with Jesus, that which is much better is still yet to come. Lord, form this mindset in us, for that is the Christ-centered life. May we be known for that in our community, in the company of one another. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.