In the world where we live today, fear is a common theme, right? And the thing that is very clear in our society, in Canada especially, people think that they have authority over life and death. The world thinks they may choose to live or to die or when to die. But the truth is, is people simply do not cherish either living or dying. The world today is in a crisis, crisis of true delight, true hope. And all that results in what? A crisis of motivation to live. Life seems pointless. Their worldview, saying that we are here by chance, that doesn't help. And you can see, suicide rate increases. Medical-assisted death, medical-assisted dying increases by 31.2%. That's in 2022. 31% increase. But think about this. People choose death not because they delight in death. But because they just can't stand living. What's the point of life? There's no delight in life. What do I live for? So then let's choose death. It's an escape from that painful life, right? But you see, life is not first choice. Death is not first choice either. Nothing's delightful. The world resents life. They fear life. They're afraid what happens tomorrow. But they cannot embrace death either. They just don't know what to do. They think that death is a way out, not knowing, not sure what's next. Researchers have shown that nurses accept the phenomenon of death as a natural process of human life. So they can receive death as a natural thing. However, they continue to suffer from death fear and death avoidance, which were particularly more obvious during the pandemic of COVID-19. They're so afraid of death now. Can you see how it reflects their hearts? They fear dying, they fear living. It's not life. They don't know what will happen in life, they don't know what will happen in death. And those who fear death, they fear losing their lives. They fear losing their loved ones, losing their riches and possessions. Since life and death are just too much to deal with, Let's just not think about that. Let's just numb our conscience with temporary pleasures that we can get. Live day by day, get drunk or do whatever you want, bask in work. Let's just not think. Let's just live with no aim, with no purpose. Now, Christians have completely different story. We have delight. Christ is our delight in life and in death. So today we will learn from Paul as he speaks of joy, his cause of rejoicing, cause of delight, Jesus Christ. So that he can say, for me to live is Christ, to die is gain. So let's read what Paul writes in Philippians, Philippians chapter 1 as we're going through Philippians. You can find that on your Bible's page 1798. 1798. We will be reading from Philippians chapter 1 verses 18 up to 26. If you found it, let's read this. Philippians chapter 1 beginning to read from 18 together. What then? only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached, and in this I rejoice. Yes, and will rejoice, for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live, Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor. Yet what I shall choose I cannot tell, for I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident on this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you, with you all, for progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again." Because Christ is Paul's delight, both in life and in death, Paul is determined to die to live. You'll be like, what? Yes, you heard me correctly. Paul is determined to die to live, to die to self in order to live to Christ. So because of Christ, our delight, Christians, we are determined to die to ourselves so that we may live to Christ. We'll look at that as we study from Paul. Let's pray before we go into the text. Father, you have given us life, and this life that we live is not ours anymore, but it's Christ's, because we have been redeemed with a priceless blood. And we who are alive today, we live, but Christ lives in us. So Father, help us, teach us, so that we may be in step with you, we may walk in harmony with you. Help us to delight, both in life and in death. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. So from our text today, we will first see Paul's delight. Delight in life, delight in death, and then we'll proceed to the second point, his determination to die to self and to live to Christ. As you might have heard, the book of Philippians is known to be the most joyful, book in the Bible, 66 books, and this tiny little letter is the most joyful book, they say. Only in four chapters, the theme of joy recurs 16 times. Can you imagine that? That's very dense with joy and joy and joy and joy 16 times. So immediately in the beginning of our text today, what do you see? Verse 18, Paul says, I rejoice. He delights. Because one way or another, Christ is proclaimed. He said it twice, verse 18. Keep your Bibles open, right? Verse 18, I rejoice first pertaining to what we talked last week, Christ proclaimed by others, either by those who preach out of love or those who preach out of self-ambition, in pretense or in truth. Christ is proclaimed, I rejoice, says Paul. And then the same verse, he says, I also rejoice, pertains to himself. Christ proclaimed by Paul, whether alive or dead. In death, in life, Christ proclaimed, I rejoice. Brothers and sisters, this is the guy who's been suffering physically, emotionally, the guy who's being imprisoned right now for false accusations. And he rejoices in pretense, in truth, in life, in death. He rejoices. He has a positive outlook on life. Now move on to verse 19. Paul knows as a fact that his suffering will turn out for his deliverance. Think about it. Now the word deliverance makes it seem like, oh, he's talking about his deliverance from prison. But if you look at the Greek word, Paul actually uses the word soterion, which means salvation. In all of Paul's writing, soterian is always used exclusively to refer to salvation, eternal life. So verse 19, he says, everything, his sufferings will turn out for his salvation. He might allude to his release from prison after the trial, but at this point, he's sure about one thing, not that. What is he sure about? Eternal salvation. Whether by life, whether by death, He will honor Christ. Our Bible says He will magnify Christ with His body. Whatever the result of His trial in prison, He is sure of one thing, I will not be ashamed. The gospel will not be confined. My faith will not waver. Now let me put you into his perspective. Paul says that everything will turn out for his salvation. How? Look at 19. For I know that this will turn out for my salvation through your prayer. and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Can you see that? Paul, being in prison, he is very optimistic of one thing. My salvation is secure. How? Through the prayers of the saints and the help of the Spirit. So again, in the book of Philippians, what do you see? The importance of prayer. just one chapter in, right? We're not even through one chapter. We already hear three times, three references to prayer. Verse 4, Paul prays, give thanks. Verse 9, Paul prays for the Philippians. Now verse 19, Philippians prays for Paul. Prayers play an integral and instrumental part in how God accomplishes salvation for His people. Even Paul's growth, Paul's sanctification does not take place in isolation. It doesn't happen apart from the support of the church. Their partnership in the gospel strengthens Paul's faith. Their prayers bring about Paul's spiritual deliverance. It is a sobering thought that our relationship with God It's not purely individualistic concern. We are dependent on the Spirit's power in answer to the necessary prayers of God's people. Did you hear what I said? God's help often or normally come in answer, as an answer, to our prayers. Prayers is the means by which God gives His grace. So, prayers is one of the means of grace. God in His sovereignty chooses to use us, even our prayers, to carry out His sovereign will and His plan of redemption. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1, oh, I didn't include that in your handout, but He's saying, in intense suffering, we rely on God. We set our hope in God alone, who will deliver us again, verse 10. But then he continues, 2 Corinthians 1, verse 11. Let's read that together. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many." Can you see that? The doctrine is clear. Through prayers, God gives His blessing. Because we set our hope on God alone, because we trust in God alone, we pray. And through prayers, blessings are given. And that causes us to rejoice, to give thanks. Do you pray for others? Do you pray for every single thing that comes to your head? Communicate with God. So do not take lightly the task God gives to you. Our duty and privilege to pray. to intercede for one another. May we grow as the church that prays fervently. Back to our text, verses 19 and 20. Through the Philippians' prayers, the Spirit's help, Paul will honor Christ. He will magnify Christ. He will do that with full courage, with boldness, the Bible says. All boldness, as always, alive or dead. And then he goes on, verse 21, because to me, to live, Christ, to die, gain. If you look at your Bibles, you see the italics, printed in italics? Those are showing that those italicized words are not in the real Greek text, the manuscript, the autograph. So it's translated and then inserted into the translation to make that make sense in English. So Paul says, to live, Christ. To die, gain. So now you know why the italics are there, okay? This is just old story. There's an old pastor who was not really, you know, studying the language, original language. They believe the English Bible is good enough. And then he thinks the italic is the important word. So he focuses on those words and he preaches on those words. It's just funny because those are actually the added words. So now you know why we have italics, side story. Back to our text. So Paul is saying, through your prayers, the speediest help will come, and I will boldly magnify God in life or in death. So now let's look at the life, to live Christ. Why is it? We talked about this last week. The purpose of living is pressing on, straining forward to know Christ, to serve Christ. He tells us actually Philippians 3, 13 and 14. Let's read that together. One thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. What is our call, you ask? He tells us in verses eight to 11 of chapter three, to gain Christ, to be found in Christ, to know Christ, to share in His sufferings, to be like Christ in His death, and to attain the resurrection from the death like Christ. Now imagine Paul's life. Paul's life is not easy. He was pursued and had to flee from Thessalonica. He was shipwrecked three times. He was beaten up multiple times with rod. He received 39 lashes. He was stoned and left for dead. His life constantly in danger. These are all his words. Danger from his own people. Danger from the Gentiles. Danger in city. Danger in the wilderness. Danger from false brothers. Not to mention his sleeping problems. And then he's often hungry, cold, without food and shelter. Leo, where do you get this? It's in 2 Corinthians 11, read your Bibles. Check that out at home. At this point now, he is in prison, waiting for his sentence, and yet he continues to have positive outlook on life. He is eager to live on. Why? Galatians 2.20, because it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the result? Suffering. Huh. I'm not only eager to live, but delight in living. I will suffer well. I will fight the good fight, he says. Each day I'll live to Christ. What does that mean? To grow, like the babies grow each day. Do we grow each day spiritually? and to live for Christ. His life is to serve Christ's body for the progress and the joy of the church. Look at your Bibles, verse 22, to live on means fruitful labor, right? For Paul. Ongoing life is continued gospel work. What kind of work? Jump to 25. to remain, to live on, is to continue with his gospel partners, to bring joy, bring progress. And he does not live only for his own progress, but for others' progress, for others' joy. Might be easier for him to just go home, but imagine the churches. If God still has mission for him, he chooses to stay. Do you have such desire to live, New Horizon URC? Maybe you think life is difficult. Financial constraints, health problems, sleeping problems, mental problems, family problems, I can go on. None of these things, though, nearly come close to what Paul went through. And what Paul went through was nowhere close what Jesus went through. If there is a man who should never suffer, a person who deserves the best life, that man is Jesus. The one who has no sin, the only one who lives and loves perfectly, and yet that man suffered the most. No man suffered more than Jesus did. He died unjustly to bear your sin, to bear my sin, so that we don't need to suffer that eternal punishment, so that we may have eager expectation to live. If your life is not in Christ, come today. Come to Jesus Christ. If Jesus can transform Paul, the murderer, into an apostle, If Jesus can give Paul joy amidst his intense suffering, surely Paul can transform you all and I too, right? Surely Jesus can give us joy. He will remove that sin, guilt, bitterness in life. He will give you strength through every trial and sorrow. He knows every pain that you have. So come to this Jesus. your Savior, your Lord. Come, have fellowship with God and His people. Be one with us. Share in the joy. Share in the body of Christ the Church. Share in the suffering, too. And together we will grow to know God. And this is what truly life is for. John 17, three, Jesus says, together, And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." Together with Paul, all the saints, we join them, saying, to live is Christ. But not just that. We also say to die is gain. That's our second point. To understand what Paul means, though, by this, we need to understand what death really is. God gives human beings a built-in instinct to preserve our lives, right? We fear danger because we have that instinct to preserve our lives. Naturally, human beings fear death because death is not meant to be. What is death? The wages of sin is death. If you talk to those who experience near-death experience, you will figure out the fear is not only death itself, not only dying itself, but what is coming next. Deep in our hearts, human hearts, every man, No, every man knows judgment is coming. Hebrews 9.27, together, and just as it is appointed for a man to die once, and after that comes judgment. And it is right for us to fear judgment because we know, again, we sin. Deep down, we know we fail. But Satan tricks people into believing that death is relief. I mentioned that earlier. Upon death, no more pain. Upon death, no more sorrow. You'll just be gone. Sleep forever. You're just no more. That is a lie straight from hell. That's why even those who believe those lies, they will still fear death. And Jesus says, Satan is a liar who speaks lies out of his own character, the father of lies. And people who are already looking for an escape from their painful life, Miserable life? Let's just believe Satan, right? We're just desperate for that answer, so let's just believe Satan's lie. They suppress the conscience, the truth that they know deep down, and convince themselves to embrace death as a relief. And hastened death, euthanasia, assisted death, even blatant suicide, you name it. Jesus says Satan is a murderer. He lies to what? To trick people, to kill people. Maybe some of you are thinking then, wait a minute, Paul says to dice game. Is Paul tricked by Satan? Why does he like death now? Oh no, Paul is not pro-death. Paul knows and teaches that death is not meant to be. Paul writes in Romans 6.23, death is wages of sin. Paul knows and affirms there's judgment coming, but Paul writes in Romans 8.1, there is no more condemnation for those who are in Jesus. That's why Paul does not fear death or the upcoming judgment. And then he wrote Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians 4, 14, let's read that together. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep, that Jesus who was once offered to bear the sin of many will come again to save those who are eagerly waiting for him, Hebrews 9, 28. He died, yet he lives. So we will too. When we die, in Christ we'll live. So no need to fear death. No need to fear the judgment that's coming. Jesus has defeated death. He conquered death for us. But Paul means much more than just that. For the world, death is loss. You lose your earthly possessions, left it here, right? everything you have earned, everything you have worked hard for, someone else will claim it, someone else will enjoy it. You lose your loved ones, you'll be separated, you lose your life. Even if Satan's scheme is true, even if it is true, it's not, but if it is true, that you'd just be gone, no more after death, death's a loss. You lose yourself, you lose your life, you lose everything. And I have worse news for you, yet worse than that. Those who died without Jesus Christ will burn forever in the eternal unquenchable fire where the worm can't die. You don't only lose everything, but you suffer eternally. To die without Christ is the most terrible loss one can suffer. But for us Christians, if you are in Jesus Christ, to die is gain. John 11, 25, Jesus says, let's read it together. We do not even lose our lives when we die, because death is just the entrance to eternal life. What's next after death? You see Jesus, your dear Savior and Lord. face to face. Your faith will become sight. You gain Christ fully. You will know Jesus like never before, intimate knowledge. What a glorious, glorious day. Everything we have in this world, rubbish, dung, Paul says. Paul lists all his pride and earthly accomplishment in Philippians, right? Philippians 3. And then he says, I count it all as loss. Philippians 3, 8, and 9, let's read that together. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing word of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him. I did some street evangelism on Saturdays, join me if you want. But you will go through some sects, Christadelphians, I met them, JWs everywhere, and Seventy Adventists. They teach that upon death, we become unconscious, asleep, waiting for the last judgment. It's called soul sleep. But that teaching is not biblical. It robs away our joy. Paul says to report. is to be with the Lord, verse 23 of our text. To be away from the body is to be home with the Lord, 1 Corinthians 5.8. Jesus speaks of the repentant thief. I say to you, amen, amen, truly, truly, today you will be with me in paradise, Luke 23. And in Revelation, the saints are all alive, conscious, praying to God for justice. That's why Paul says, to die, to depart, is far better, verse 23. We won't just be asleep. We won't just be unconscious. We will be with the Lord. We will immediately see Him. We will know Him as we are fully known. I want you to imagine the intimacy that we have once we see Jesus. Never to part again. free from sin, free from sorrow, free from pain. The lies that Satan borrows, we have it as truth. How is this applicable to us? If you are suffering, if you are facing terminal illnesses, or someone in your family is facing terminal illnesses, bring this hope. There is joy. And this is how you can also gauge your love for Christ. Do you long to be with Jesus more than anything else? Are you ready, are you willing to part with everything you have on earth? My house, I just renovated. I don't have a house. My car, my brothers and sisters, my worldly possession, the fun, the good weather. Am I willing to let go of these? Do I love these more than I love Jesus? In short, is Jesus my greatest treasure, my greatest desire? We have seen the desire to live, as Paul says, and the desire, the delight in also to die for Christ. Now let me point out two unhealthy extremes among Christians. One extreme, you don't really treasure Jesus. more than this life. You love doing what you do. You love your job. You love your house. As I said earlier, your life is good. And the other extreme, you really just want to die. You just want to escape from the sin, which is good, but then that's all you can think of every day. You have no vigor in life. You have no motivation to live on, to labor for Christ, to love the church. You just think of, Lord, take me home, Lord, take me home, Lord, take me home. Both are not healthy. Extreme one, unhealthy longing for death. Extreme on the other side, unhealthy longing for the world, for life. You love the life, the gift of life more than the giver of life. If you belong to this group, then you just look too much on yourself. You look too much on your sin, maybe, on your troubles, but you don't look at your Savior. And if you think about this, Jesus redeems you. He gives you His life. And you don't value His gifts? You don't respect His sacrifice? You're not thankful for the gift of life? You don't trust God that he will carry you through, through every hard day, every lonely night maybe, or every suffering, every pain of illness or sickness. Do you trust him? So ultimately, both extremes are selfish. Ultimately, that means, that shows that we live for our own sake. And we want to die because we want to escape from life. My sake. I want to live because I like doing what I do. My sake. So we need to pray for God, for a healthy desire in our hearts. Paul knows to die is far better. And he desires to be with Christ more than anything else, but to live on is fruitful labor, serving Christ, being with His bride. And Paul can't choose. Verse 22, I can't choose. I'm hard-pressed. Both are good. What do I do? Verse 23 says, I cannot tell. My desire is to be apart with Christ, but to remain is also more fruitful for you, more necessary for you. So 25, he said, convinced of this, confident of what God is calling me to do, says Paul, he knows I will remain and continue with you all. Live on for the sake of the church's progress, for the sake of their joy and faith. And through that, you may glory boast, is the word, in Jesus. Paul's own comfort would be to depart, home soon. Yet he delights to remain, to suffer, serve Christ. If it's suffering, if it brings joy to Christ, brings glory to Christ, and joy and progress to people, he will live on, rejoicing all the way. Let me conclude. Remember our identity. We're slaves of Christ. We begin Philippians with that. We are servants of Christ, redeemed to do good works He has prepared for us to do, wherever He's stationed us, as ambassadors here on earth. That's our mission. We're redeemed to serve one another. We're redeemed to encourage one another, for the church to be encouraged. There's a mission to the church, mission outside, mission to the church, both are important, all for God and God's glory. May we have sound doctrine of life and of death. To live is Christ, enjoying Christ, laboring for Christ, fellowshipping with Christ's body, the church. And to die is gain, not as escape, but finish line. After we fight the good fight, after we run the course God set, we gain Jesus as a prize. Paul says, Romans 14, 7 to 8, let's read that together. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. If you struggle to accept death, Or the other side, if you don't pray for Jesus to come soon because you're afraid of that, maybe you're busy living for yourself, maybe busy doing your own thing. Jesus' coming would be interruption to my life. We might be doing good things, raising family, but if we love that more than Christ, that's sin. The other hand, if you struggle to want to live, if you are constantly longing to die, that shows you're also focused on your own. If you want to have satisfying life, if you want to see God's hand guiding you, give yourself to others. Pour out yourself to others. As Isaiah says, hear God's promise here. Isaiah 58, 10 to 11, let's read that together. If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorching places and make your bones strong, and you shall be like a watered garden. like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. As you serve others, God will guide you. He will satisfy you. From now on, die to yourself so that you live for Christ until He calls you home to be with Him forever. Let's pray. Father, we live in this twisted world, crooked world, The world who longs to die but fears death. Yet they do not enjoy life, they fear life as well. Father, the world's so confused. And this is why we know you place us in this world, to bring the light, to bring the good news. So Father, help us to be faithful. And we cannot do this if we do not know the true doctrine of what life is for. not for my glory, not for my ambition, but for You, for Christ, for the church, for the progress of Your saints and the joy of faith. Help us, Father, to love life for You. Help us, Father, to die to ourselves and to live for You. And help us to embrace death when we are called home. as a finish line that you have called us, and you're waiting behind that finish line, and you will say, well done, my faithful servant, now dine with me, sit with me forever. Until that day, Father, keep us faithful. Help us to have the joy in Christ and in Christ alone. Help us to not worry about our daily bread, to not worry about what we'll eat or we'll do, or our comfort. Let us trust that even through the sleepless nights, you are there, and you are the source of our rest and strength. Help us to live for you. In Jesus' name we ask, amen.