Welcome to Fife's Pulpit. My name is Pastor John and we're here again studying great principles from God's infallible Word that will help us, I hope, become better Christians and help us to love the Lord Jesus Christ more and more each day. Philippians chapter 1 verse 21 says this, For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me, and I don't know which one I should choose, for I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that because of my coming to you again, your boasting in Jesus Christ may abound. And then if you just go to the next little epistle, Colossians, it's Philippians and Colossians chapter three. It says this in verse one, just a few verses. So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above. not on earthly things, for you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you shall also appear with Him in glory. Amen. I'll try and link those texts together in the theme of what I want to say to you today. Now this week, in reading the Philippians, I came across a text that I had read many times, but then read the old Puritan Richard Sibbes, and his comments upon it actually shook me. It shook me because I realised that I have been looking at my Christian life from the wrong angle, that I have been seeing things through selfish and comforting eyes, and therefore somehow just missed the mark. In fact, I began to realise that not only I, but I think many other Christians had missed the mark. I'll explain that in a moment. In the letter to the Philippians, Paul is in a quandary. He doesn't know what to long for. He has a double desire. First, as regards himself, he longs to be with Christ. Then his other desire is for the church, God's people. He wants, therefore, also to stay on earth, to watch over, to teach and strengthen them. Now, this dilemma is not new for us all, how we long for eternity, yet we don't want to leave those we love. We don't want to leave our friends and our relatives. We just don't want to cause them pain by leaving them. There is so much more we want to do. So many words we want to speak to them. So many hugs we want to give them. So many happy times of mutual encouragement. But we're actually in a dilemma. We're happy as Christians sharing fellowship and joy together. Then there is a glorious eternity waiting for us. For Paul, he wanted to stay a little longer so that he could benefit to those he had loved on earth. But he was saying, it's better for me to die, but it is better for you that I remain. He'd also said in Acts 20 to the Ephesian elders in that very emotional chapter, that after his departure, many wolves would come among the flock and they hugged and they wept together as they said goodbye. I wonder how many pastors could say that to their people. I want to go to heaven. It's better for me, but it's better for you that I stay. Maybe many congregations would say, please just go. But Paul, he really loves his Christian friends so much that he chose to stay a while longer with them rather than go to eternity. Of course, we know it is God's choice when we go to eternity. But Paul's choice at that moment was that he didn't want something selfish for himself. but he wanted to give himself for his people and be a blessing to them. Of course, the wicked are also really, if you think about it, in a dilemma. But their dilemma is that they don't want to give up all they have. They've built bigger barns and their dilemma is that they're scared of leaving everything behind. I don't want to go. I will have to leave all that I have, all my possessions. This of course is a very different problem to the Christian who wants to go. In the Greek, the desiring to go, epithumia means desire, passionate longing. It's even been used for lust in some cases, although obviously not in this case. But the emphasis is a very strong emotion, a heartfelt longing. The Christian has this longing, as Paul says, a longing to go. And Paul had this, but his longing to stay and help the people was even greater. Now, this is important. On the one hand, we have our longing desire to go to eternity. On the other, we have the necessity. And the word necessity means necessary, essential, intimate, right and proper. It is all these things that we are needed on earth at the moment, by church, by our friends, to teach and to encourage one another, as what Paul thought. So now notice what Paul does. He puts aside his selfish desires and chooses that which is needful. Such is the man that Paul is, that he's like Moses, who chooses the hardships of this life, the wanderings in the desert of sin for the sake of those he is helping. Of course he longs for the beauty of eternity. Of course he longs to be free from his sufferings, from that wretched thorn in his flesh, that sin that keeps on besetting him. his beatings and his mockings and all the arguments and opposition. But for the Philippians' sake and for ours, he lays aside that splendour of heaven and sees it as necessary that he stays with them. You see, in this way, he has been like our Lord Jesus, who remained for 33 years on earth, pushing aside the splendour of heaven because he loves us and wants to be with us. But you know, there's something else here. And this something else is the centre of this text, really. And it hit me like a sledgehammer. And I began to then see where I'd missed the mark. And as I thought of all this, all kinds of texts came flooding into mind. What Paul said shocked me. Notice this, that Paul did not not say that he longed to be in heaven. That's right. You see, when we long for eternity, we say, oh, I long for heaven. I long to be healed, to see the beauty there. to meet my friends who have gone before me, to maybe discuss the wonderful issues with those great biblical people of the past, to feel such joy and peace, to see the colours and smell the smells and the sights. Remember, Paul said that he knew a man who had visited heaven once, probably most people think it was him, and it was so beautiful that he was tongue-tied. He said, I has not seen it, nor he has heard it. But in this text, he does not mention heaven. He does not say his desire is for heaven. Nowhere does he mention this. Why is this? Well, says the Puritan Richard Sibbes, because heaven is not heaven without Christ. It is better to be in any place with Christ than to be in heaven without him. Notice what Paul says, and really this hit me because I thought about it already lots of times. For the first time, I really understood what he was saying. He says, I long, I have this passionate desire to depart and be with Christ. There you have it. When we speak of eternity, we are in the main selfish. We maybe don't realise it, but we long for this thing called heaven where our personal joy will overflow. But we are really self-centred and Paul brings us up sharp and this shook me. Why do you want to go to eternity, dear Christian? Well, says Paul, I want to go to be with Jesus. because he just said in the previous verse, for me to live is Christ, to die is gain, that is to gain Christ. I live here for Christ and then I long and I desire and I have a passionate longing to go to him. Heaven is called heaven because he is there. And again, Richard Sipps says, True love is carried to the person. It is adulterous love to love the thing or gift more than the person. Paul said, I long to depart. I have a passionate longing to be with Jesus. Listen again to him in Colossians three, verse one that we read together. Seek the things above, he says. where Christ is. Seated at the right hand of God, set your minds on things above, not on earthly things, for you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, then will appears, then you will also appear with him in glory. You see, for Paul, it was all Christ. He loved to see him. He loved to embrace him. And then enjoy all, of course, that he had given him. But his prime great purpose was Christ. Again, this beauty of the Christian life. As the life I now live on earth, I live for and with Christ. And although we cannot see him, we know his comforting, strengthening presence. So why then do we desire in our deaths to push him aside and embrace the beauty of heaven? But instead we should long to see him above all other things. In that lovely hymn, The Sounds of Time are Sinking, we read this verse. The bride eyes not her garment, but her dear bridegroom's face. I will not gaze at glory, but on my King of grace. Not on the crown he giveth, but on his pierced hand. The Lamb is all the glory of Emmanuel's land. Now all this really shook me. Where has been my emphasis all these years? Could I say, for me to live is Christ? to die is gain because I will see him and be with him? Or do I really want to go to heaven so I can personally experience joy and freedom from tears and pain? Well, of course, that is going to be wonderful. But is that what my life is all about? I labour here so that I can just enjoy heaven. Again, the words of the wise Asaf from Psalm 73 came to me in verse 25, when he says this, in conclusion to all that is around him, who do I have in heaven? Not what do I have in heaven? Have you noticed that? Not what do I have in heaven? But whom do I have in heaven? But you, he says. And I desire nothing on earth but you. And my heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. But as for me, God's presence is my good. You see, the old wise Asaph, as he had looked at the world and failed and felt himself slipping, now he comes to this conclusion. Who do I have in heaven? Who is it? Again, the beauty of all this is as long as I remain and walk with Christ, minister Him only, encourage others to serve Him whilst serving Him myself, if I suffer for Him, try to witness for Him, and when my time is up, I go to Him. And then added to that, I get all the beauties of heaven as well. But I should always understand that the Lamb is all its glory, that the Lamb is the centre of heaven and the glory of His splendour and the brightness of His throne will eclipse everything else. I think when we get to heaven, we will see Him. We'll not be gazing around looking at the wonders of heaven. There'll be millions of years to do that if we want. But the first thing is, we will gaze at Him Again, I quote it from my dear friend Randall, who is now with the Lord, but he was blinded as a young man. I remember him saying, John, the next thing I will see will be Him. Him, not the splendours of heaven, says Randall, but Him. Does the non-Christian desire to see Christ, who is the centre of heaven? I think not. They come up with all kinds of fanciful ideas of what they think heaven is. All of which are really extensions of their own pleasures. Oh, says one, we will have beautiful golf courses, better than St. Andrews, better than Florida, better than California. We will be able to play golf all day, every day on beautiful courses. There'll be palm trees, there'll be streams of water for the Muslim martyr There'll be an endless supply of virgins. For a Jehovah's Witness, it will be a place like earth. They can live like they already have. I remember speaking to a Jehovah's Witness couple who lived quite near us when I lived in England. And they said, what I think of heaven is a place just like where I am at the moment, but with a little stream running by the side. That's what I think God will give me in heaven. You see, it was all just very self-centred. And for the ignorant, there are plenty of bars, they say, plenty of nightclubs, plenty of parties and drinking with friends. Wait till we get up there with our friend and we'll drink, drink together. And so it goes on. Ask any non-Christian if they accept some sort of afterlife. It is usually a very confusing description green fields, meeting their granny, or be greeted by their long-lost pets, or just generally having a good time with their wings flying all over the place. But for the Christian, says Paul, it is Jesus. I would rather depart and be with Him. the one who died to bring us here and who loves us so much and is waiting there to greet us when we arrive in heaven. But now here is something else that I think we are careful we don't get wrong. Of course, we are quite right to oppose evil. Sin grieves our Lord. But what are we to be known for most of all? Surely on earth it is to declare our Lord Jesus Christ in our lives and in our living and in our words. Of course we ate evil, but because he is watching and will one day welcome us home, we shouldn't. Now, of course, we should now, of course, be making more of Jesus on earth. or soon we shall stand in awe before him and find that even if we didn't make much of him on earth then when we get to heaven we find the angels make an awful lot of him and the all angels and the archangels and all the company of heaven are forever praising the lamb upon the throne so sadly we don't make much of him on earth but the heaven makes much of him the old puritan said He is heaven's darling. For Paul, you see, it was Christ first, Christ last, and Christ in the middle. It was the Lord who stood beside him when he was in prison. His whole life was Christ. He declared openly, wrote it down on the pages of scripture for everybody, for every generation to read. For me to live was Christ. is Christ, to die is to gain him. When he stood there in Athens, remember, in Acts 17, and his burning desire was not to condemn the philosophers, because he knew that by not believing in Christ, they were condemned already, as John 3 says, that if you don't believe that Jesus didn't come in the world to condemn the world, the world is already condemned, it's already lost. But no, he didn't stand up and condemn them, but he looked about them and he saw lots of temples. Did he then go into a stream of condemnation about false gods? He could have done, and no doubt he felt it. But no, he was wise. He drew alongside of them. commended them, that they were a very religious people. They had a very spiritual religious side. Then he noticed the statue to the unknown God. Now again, he didn't condemn them and said, what's this, the unknown God? Don't you even know anything about gods? What's up with you? Because they were condemned already anyway. But he drew alongside them a bit like Jesus did in John four with the woman at the well. Gentleness and light wins the day. Ministering in the way Jesus did, ministering Him. They were saying, like the woman at the well, we're thirsty. And He had come to give them living water. I have come to tell you, says the apostle, of this unknown God. And he quoted then one of their own poets at mass, the stroke, saying that your poet says that in Him we live, move, and have our being, and we are His offspring. Many told them that God is more than an image, more than a statue, but he is the living God, creator and sustainer of all the universe, to which we all have to give an account to him. It was then he spoke of the atonement and the fact that this God whom they sought after had actually appointed a man by whom he would judge the world. And there is no doubt in my mind that Paul went on to speak of the atonement This Jesus, no doubt, he would say, who died for us. And then he says was raised from the dead. They didn't like the resurrection. You see, some did, some didn't. In short, he gently led them where? To Christ, to the cross. He didn't deliberately castigate them, but just like the woman at the well, he brought them along and pointed to Christ. Jesus could have challenged the woman straight away, saying, you're a harlot, you're living with a man you've had five husbands and the man you're living with now is not your husband, and condemned her lifestyle. But no, he wanted her to see it for herself. After all, Paul said to the Corinthians, I determined to know nothing among you but Christ and Him crucified. And this was His message, Christ. This is the gospel, good news. We're not meant there to point our finger at people, but to point to Christ and the cross. If we point out people's sin today, then we need to get them to see it for themselves. We know that the Spirit then is working with us. We intend to bring people to face Christ. So gently we can explain the commandments, asking if they really, really do think, in honest discussion, that they keep them and they let themselves see it. Because immediately if we point a finger and say, you're a liar, you're a thief, you're an adulterer, then they will immediately think you're judging them and turn away. Remember, they're condemned already. We just need them to see it for themselves. Paul gradually drew the Athenians along. Jesus gradually drew the woman along to see for themselves and realise it. Again, we must proceed at the speed of the Spirit and fish for souls that are coming under conviction. My point is that our whole message should be centred around Christ. For it is, as I said, the Lord that wounds, the Lord that heals, and our message is to bring the healing balm of the Gospel to people. Our message is Christ first, last and in the midst. One person said to me something I've never forgotten when I started preaching. They said to me, John, all roads must lead to Calvary. If you want to stand outside an abortion clinic with the placard shouting murderers, then that's your choice. But how many of those poor blind lost souls will now listen to the good news of Christ because of what you're doing? If you want to stand up in the street shouting about homosexuality or transgenderism, then although you might rightly believe those things are contrary to the truth, please don't think I am soft on sin, for I, like you, believe these things are contrary to God's holy law. But our message is to be Christ first. It is a positive message. People want to know what we stand for, not what we stand against. And our message is to be Christ first, in the middle, in the end. As the old Puritan Richard Baxter said, who was one of the most successful pastors in those days. He said, I am determined to preach Christ. I preach as if he died yesterday, rose today and is coming tomorrow. And also he went on to say, I preach as a dying man to dying men. This was how this great man built up a people in Kidderminster. He preached Christ first and foremost and his glorious resurrection. I remember listening to a dear friend who is now with the Lord, the Reverend Alec Mortier, and I listened to him often as he preached. And there was such a warmth and a gentleness that rebuked my sin in that, made me feel ashamed of my wretchedness and of my sin. But Alec had a way of drawing you along to Christ. You could almost see Christ as he was speaking. That is what we should be doing. If Jesus is the centre of heaven, and if we go there to be with him, and He must be the centre of our message on earth. And that's why Paul determined to know nothing else save Christ and Him crucified, which is the power of God. Our lives should be lived as Paul says. Like this, Paul says, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. We are to be fishes and men, wise as serpents, harmless as doves. We are to take our Saviour's example and not to break or crush the bruised reed or put out something that is simmering, but to blow on it, to bring it to life. As God spoke to Jerusalem tenderly in Isaiah and sternly, so we are to speak. The only offence is the gospel, not us. We treat even the darkest of souls with care and stern love. You know, I have seen hard men crumble and become preachers as God took away their hard heart and gave them a new one. Do you know what melted them? It was the love of Christ that touched their hearts, opened their eyes to see that they were wretched, vile sinners. And yet he applied the balm of the gospel through the Spirit of God to their souls. Remember the plight of the unconverted. They're lost, they're dead, under condemnation. They're blind, they're deaf. They're like the walking's dead, trying to find some, scratch some pleasures on earth, like Nebuchadnezzar scratching amongst the soil with his long fingernails, trying to dig up some acorns in the ground. So they're trying to find pleasures on earth without reference to God. And they are one heartbeat away from a lost eternity. And it doesn't matter whether they're good living Doesn't matter whether they're bad men or women, respectable or whatever they are. Remember, Paul said to the Corinthians, such were some of you. But he told them that through man's wisdom, the world did not know God and it never will. But we can know God, he says, through the foolishness of preaching Christ and him crucified, which for the intellectual Greeks is foolish, and that still goes for people today. The intellectuals think it's foolish. And for the religious Jews, it is a scandalos, a stumbling block, a scandal. But, says Paul, despite all of this, we preach Christ and Him crucified, which is the power and the wisdom of God. So Paul said he longed to go to eternity, Not to go to heaven, although he was going there, he is there, but to see Christ. But he laid aside this joy to stay on earth, to minister Christ to the Christians. His love and concern is that they should know Christ. And he overcame his personal desire to see Christ. He wanted to pass into eternity, to be with Christ. but he wanted to minister Christ on earth for the blessing of others whilst he could. I think, you know, dear ones, what I'm trying to communicate to you all is that Christ must be the focus on earth and we should long above all other things to see him. Yes, of course, heaven is and will be a beautiful place beyond our imagination. but our greatest desire is to see Him. So our greatest desire on earth should be to live for and serve and proclaim Him as He is the centre of heaven. So He must be the centre of our life and our message on earth. Now some may disagree with what I've said and see that it is their job to call down judgment on people. Now, don't get me wrong, I do understand that, I really do. For we all hate those sins that brought Christ from heaven to the cross. But you know you can stand outside a clinic shouting, waving placards, crying murderers. or you can shoot your weapons in the air in protest or shout at transsexuals or homosexuals or whatever they are. You can protest, you can rebel against government because they infringe upon your personal rights. You're free to do these things if you think Jesus would do the same. But let me tell you that will such things bring one soul in repentance to the cross? You answer that. You may know of people that have been brought to the cross through this. You may know more than I do, but I doubt earnestly whether these things will bring one's soul to the cross. Will these things bring someone to love heaven's darling? Is this knowing only one thing? We must know, and that is Christ crucified. But is that, knowing only one thing, Christ and him crucified? When we're shouting the odds with our contorted faces, shouting at people, is that Christ crucified? You may disagree. You have a right to do that. But we must persuade men, says the New Testament. The definition of the Greek word persuade is patheo, which signifies to apply persuasion to prevail or win over, bringing about a change of mind by influence of reason. Persuasion is not force. It rests on reason. And that reason, of course, is given by the Spirit of God supernaturally. And it means to convince by argument, the spirit of God does that. So we present Christ, his cross and his resurrection. And Paul says to Timothy, that his approach towards those who oppose him must be correcting his opponents with gentleness. The authorised version, which I love says, in meekness, instructing. Paul goes on to say, God may perhaps then grab them repentance, leading to a knowledge of the truth, 2 Timothy 2.25. So although I want to go and see Christ, to have my faith become sight, it is also my desire to be like him and proclaim him here on earth and see others come to know him. Wesley, it is great him, Jesus the name, high over all, says these verses. His only righteousness I show, his saving grace proclaim. It is all my business here below to cry, behold the Lamb. Happy, says Wesley, if with my latest breath I might but gasp his name. preach him to all and cry in death, behold, behold, behold the Lamb. Christ is the centre of heaven. Christ is the centre of our lives on earth. He is our message. His death for sinners, his glorious resurrection, his word going forth, his victory and return. In this we will work with the Spirit, as we are told we are co-workers with God in showing and proclaiming Christ. You see our message, dear ones, is positive. It is called Good News and this happens when Christ is exalted. One of my favorite texts that I discovered when I was just a baby Christian that I kept repeating and heard so many times and I have seen in action in my life and in the life of others, it is this, where Jesus says, if I, even I be lifted up, I will draw all men. as a serpent was lifted up in the wilderness. So Christ said, if I am lifted up, exalted, maybe on the cross, through the words of God's people, through the preaching of God's people, if I, I am lifted up above all other things, above everything else, then men will look at me and be healed. look and live. May God richly bless you all and keep you. Let his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. Amen. O my soul, rejoice! Take joy, my King! In your Worship Him, all my soul rejoice. Take joy, my people. It made a sweet, sweet sound in your ear. I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice O my soul, rejoice! Take joy, my King, in what you hear.