Will grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My wife and I are extremely humbled and honored to be visiting and worshiping with you this morning. And I'm especially humbled and hopefully rightfully fearful to bring you a word from our Lord, from Philippians chapter one. My wife and I have prayed for each of you. We have prayed for this church, for this church to advance the cause of the gospel in Weatherford for a while now, and so I'm thankful to be here. I'm thankful to look out and see your faces, and hopefully you may be built up, exhorted, and admonished by the word of our Savior, which cuts deep and heals and restores. So if that, turn in your Bibles to Philippians chapter one, Philippians chapter one. A few words of introduction for the context of the book, and then I'll read the text, and then we'll pray, and then we will dive in. So Philippians chapter one, just so you know, Paul in these verses, he's rationalizing his reasons for remaining in this life. He's writing from a prison in Rome, and desires to encourage the brothers and sisters in this little church with the truth of our Savior. He's concerned for their knowledge and faith to grow in love for Jesus despite trying circumstances. The message of Philippians is simple. It's joy, and it's persevere, brethren. Your God goes with you. Come what may. The gospel is advancing. No prison, no government, no Caesar can stop it. And here in our text, Paul is resolved to remain with the Philippians because he believes he is not done running his race. Dying for Paul would be so desirable. He wants to go be with Jesus. But he will remain for their further sanctification and the glory of Christ. By illumination, beloved, may you see that you should wait and desire to be called to him. But until then, live and die for the glory of Christ. Live and die for the glory of Christ. Turn your eyes to Philippians 1, beginning in verse 19. For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance. For it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage, now as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. For 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. Beloved, the grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our Lord stands forever. Let's pray. Almighty God, grant us to know that we exist and move in you alone, so that we may submit ourselves unto you, not merely being directed by your secret providence, but showing ourselves your willing and obedient followers. May we endeavor to glorify your name in this world till we arrive at the enjoyment of that blessed heritage which is laid up for us in heaven. Lord, may I diligently preach the word. May your means of grace propel your people to duly follow you in obedience that all here may receive the crown of everlasting glory through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. There is only one life worth dying for. Many years ago, in my early 20s, I walked into the house of a friend of mine from church. When I walked into his house, I saw a picture of a man who was black and white, who was fuzzy, who was a handsome guy, 20-something. It looked like it may have been from the 50s or the 60s. He was smiling, and look at, it may have been my friend's family member. On the photo was a little caption that read, he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. That day I learned who Jim Elliott was. If you'd ever heard of Jim Elliott, he was a missionary in Ecuador to the Alca Indians, a group that had never had access or contact to Christianity before. After about a year of efforts, just anniversaries nine days from now, on January 8th, 1956, he and four other companions were speared to death after attempts were made to make contact with the tribe. Their bodies were thrown into the Curare River to be discovered downstream. He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. Friends in Christ, we have gained the greatest possession. Those who belong to the ancient of days are the richest people on this earth. To possess him is to possess everything. What greater gain than the gain of Jesus? Could any other gain compare? What fear is there in death when we have such confidence that our God is true and will raise us up on the last day? This morning, let's look at what the Apostle Paul says here in Philippians when it pertains to the joys of the Christian life. The main point is this. While you wait and desire to be called to him, live and die for the glory of Christ. What are the characteristics of a life like this? Consider your life, beloved, and consider that there is only one life worth dying for. Three things, I think, in the text to help us understand Paul in this Christian life. The first is living for Christ. The second is dying for Christ. And the third is the glory of Christ. So we'll take each one and turn. The first, living for Christ. What could a man in prison possibly have to say about living? What advice could he possibly be giving to the Philippians when, as far as we can tell, his life is over? What could he possibly be living for? As we have seen, it seems like this kingdom that God is inaugurating is an upside down kingdom. But really, friends, is it not right side up? What do you live for? What will you live for? Are the things you're living for worth Christ dying for? What will you live for? The world says living is, fill in the blank. The world says living is pleasure, so dying then must be the ceasing of pleasure. The world says living is the attainment of wealth, so dying is to be poor, is to have no wealth. If living is entertainment, Dying is no more enjoyment, no more phone, no more TV. If living is Christ, is dying no more of Christ? We would say, with Paul, absolutely not. Beloved, could I compel you to live for something that has gains beyond this temporal world? Set your eyes on something that cannot be seen, but will be seen by your death. Paul's desire to live on for Christ comes out in two ways, living with contentment and living fruitfully. So that first part, living with contentment, prison, is the means by which Paul will glorify God in his body. God never promised Paul he would never be in prison. He never promised Paul he would not suffer for the cause of Christ. Think of your life. I think of my life. How often is it interrupted by God sending things we did not expect? We never could predict this or that happening. He never promised your marriage will never have issues. He never promised that you will live long enough to see your children or your grandchildren. He never promised that this life would be easy. What he did promise is that he will never leave you nor forsake you. He will see, friends, that you will arrive, if you are in Christ, to that golden shore in heaven. Paul's encouragement to the Philippians through his example. is ultimately the same encouragement for us that our suffering is not the end of our story. Our suffering, friends, is not the end of our story. Why then is Paul so content with living on when he's in prison? Because Christ did all the dying for him. Why is Paul so content to die? Because Christ did all the living for him. And verse 19 says, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance. We didn't read it, but in verse 13, he says his imprisonment is for the spread of the gospel, and it's ultimately for Christ. He has confidence that two things will turn out for his deliverance. The first is prayer. Prayer will turn out for his deliverance. And the second is the spirit of Jesus. We can take great confidence that our prayers are not for nothing. When he says deliverance, this will turn out for my deliverance, what is he referring to? He can mean a literal deliverance, that he will see the Philippians again, but it seems I think more likely that he is referring to that will come from belonging to Jesus, God's saving power. What greater deliverance could there be? Paul has confidence that through life or death, he will be vindicated on the last day. His king will receive him into glory. In verse 19, Paul refers to the spirit of Jesus as a provision for him. Church, what is your provision for you this morning? Is it the spirit of Jesus, or is it the spirit of this world? Verse 20, it's interesting how he words this. He is saying, Virtually, I fully expect that I will not shrink from the gospel. Christ will get the glory in this prison. And he was right. Before this, he said that the whole imperial guard had heard the gospel. He was aware of why he was there. He was there for Christ. He was there for our Lord. This is not a hope. He says hope in verse 20, is my eager expectation and hope. This is not like a, I hope to get married someday. I hope to go to college. I hope today that we will eat lunch. That's not the kind of hope he's talking about. The hope he's talking about is he fully expects with confidence that what he's saying will happen. It is a confidence in the future. Paul expects that he'll be saved from the shame of denying Christ. He'll be bold and proclaim him to his very last breath. In his life or in his death, he is confident that Christ will be magnified. One writer summed up Paul's words here saying, quote, my body will be the theater in which Christ's glory is displayed. I wonder if you carry that same contentment with your life and with your body. In verse 21, he grounds this statement, and it's almost like doubling down. He's saying, in case, Philippians, you don't get it by now, I'm in this prison for Christ. I will be delivered from this prison for Christ if I live it as for Christ, if I die it as for Christ. Come what may, I am here for my King. The way he is expressing this is to communicate that there is a great deal of emotion tied to the action. He is saying, as I look at it, to live is Christ. Christ is my living. as a branch fetches sap from the root. So Paul draws on Christ to live. When the disarray of our lives comes, and maybe for some of you it's already come, when we find ourselves in the prison of our circumstances, what will we draw from? Perhaps even now you struggle to see how what is happening to you makes sense. One thing that does make sense is that your king is alive and reigning at the right hand of the father. Because Jesus is alive and on the throne, he will see to it that you arrive safely home. Nothing else may make sense except Christ is my king and he will take care of me. This is Paul's disposition, and may it be ours too. What he says later in chapter four echoes this. I have learned in whatever situation I am in to be content. So that's living with contentment. And the second subheading, living fruitfully. He begins to open up the two outcomes of this situation in verse 22. For I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. If Paul lives through this, if he presses on in this life, then he will continue to lay his body down for fruitful labor. Not just labor for labor's sake, but fruitful labor. Living for Christ doesn't mean we isolate ourselves from the world or from the hurting. Living for Christ means we are active in the field. We are active in fruitful work. We must not be content with how the world is now. As long as we have breath in our lungs, we still, church, have work to do. To live for Christ is to commit yourself to the cause of Christ. The prayers in verse 19 of the church propel Paul, and the provision of Christ sustains Paul, and the promise of Christ keeps Paul. And all this is wrapped up in the beautiful phrase in verse 21, and gives Paul all that he needs, and that's Jesus. There's only one life worth dying for. So we looked at living for Christ, let's now consider dying for Christ. In World War II, when all the men perked up, I said that, in World War II, when Britain was doing everything they could to keep the Nazis from committing to a ground invasion of the United Kingdom, the Royal Air Force had many brave pilots who paid the ultimate price to defend their country. When a plane was shot down, they never spoke of a pilot being killed. They always spoke of him as having been, quote, posted to another station. For Paul, he's posted at this station. And soon, Paul will be shot down in the battle, and he'll be posted to a better station. I'm sure most of you have been to a funeral. Imagine for a moment, we were all at a funeral right now. There's the casket and the flowers, and there's mourning, and we're all wearing black, and imagine the one we are mourning is not a Christian. Now for some of you, that doesn't mean much, but for those who are in Christ, that means a great deal. As far as we could tell, this imaginary person, they never demonstrated a life of faith and repentance, never had a commitment to the cause of Jesus. Most of us have been, I'd imagine, in this scenario. And maybe even now, you're thinking of someone and you shudder at the thought of what their reality is at this very moment. But what about the funeral of a Christian? The funeral of someone who knew Christ? What a contrast that is. What a contrast it is to sit in the same room, doing the same exact thing, but the realities are completely different. They are in glory. Friends, when a loved one dies and the Lord mourned their death, it's okay to cry, but also rejoice that they are now seeing what no eye on this earth has ever seen. The reality is the believer's last day, it is their best day. There is great gain in our death. The gain is not found in the earthly heartache we leave behind, but the heavenly home, beloved, we are ushered into. This home is a place, this home in heaven is a place where graves are never dug, where the black chariot of grim and night and darkness and death never passes the mourner. It is the land of the living And here's the scandal of the gospel. To get to the land of the living, you and I have to die, but die in Christ. Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 5.8 ring true. Maybe you know this. We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. Paul sees this tension in verse 23, and he's unsure of what he would rather have. He reasons out the pros and the cons. Do you see the irony? A man in prison rationalizing his verdict, an outcome as if he knows what will happen to him. And in a sense, the Apostle Paul does know what will happen to him. Christ is a Lord not only over Paul and his arrest, but over every guard, over every bar in the cell, over Caesar and over Rome. Can a spider web stop a falling boulder? Of course not. Soon as the rock touches the web, it is obliterated. So it is with the authority of Caesar and the authority of Jesus. The authority of Caesar is that of a spider web. The authority of our Lord and Savior, meek in compassion, died a death we deserved. He is like a falling boulder in his authority in the face of temporal things. Nothing can thwart the plans of our king. Paul may be in prison, but Paul is the freest man in Rome. He wishes to just die and be with Jesus, for that is far better. Paul is telling the Philippians that he would rather die and be with Jesus than be alive and be with them. Is that not just a little bit unsettling? How rarely do we think this way? I'd rather die and be with Christ than be alive and be with you. You wouldn't want to ever tell your spouse this. It wouldn't go over well. But to be with Jesus is more sweet than the best of days with our loved ones. The tension Paul expresses is a tension of every true born again believer. Paul does not, he's not saying I want suicide. That's not what he's saying. He's not trying to escape this life. Paul wants to take hold of the one that has taken hold of him. Why is Paul so content with dying? Because Christ did all the living for him. What he gains is better than what the Philippians would lose. I was working at a church in central Pennsylvania, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This was a few years ago, and one of my weekly tasks was visiting shut-ins and widows, soul care kind of stuff. It was one of my favorite times of the week. It was just lovely because often I'd go with a Bible verse or a quote from a Puritan or a minister, just something to be edifying. And often I would leave their home with them teaching me and not the other way around. If you've done this work, you know what I'm talking about. I would come into their home, visit for a bit, hear the concerns for their souls, share a word. And one man I visited, this brother, he had lost his wife a year prior to COVID. And before finding Jesus, him and his wife had lived awfully sinful lives. Before they were married, they had previous marriages, had kids with those people, and just lived for the world. They lived for pleasure, entertainment. And they met each other, and they became Christians. It's a really lovely story. They had many years together. But when this brother's wife died during the pandemic, he never left his house. He lived out in the mountains, in the woods, hard to get to, hard to leave. And he went into a deep, dark depression. And as I'm meeting with him, he confessed to me, he said, Tyler, I'm considering suicide. I've considered suicide in the past. And I asked, I said, brother, what has kept you going on? How have you remained in this life? How have you stopped yourself? He missed his wife so badly, he was willing to do this. And I asked him how he was able to keep going. And he said with words, I don't think I will ever forget. He said, what she gained is better than what I have lost. What she gained is better than what I have lost, Tyler. That's how I have stopped myself. Truly, beloved, we can say with Paul, to die is gain. Why is this far better? Does Paul not care for the church on earth? Are we just so heavenly minded there's no earthly good? Because Paul sees things rightly. For Paul, the presence of Jesus in a glorified body outweighs any worldly endeavors. In the kingdom made right side up by Christ, there is gain in death. There is life in death. The kingdom advances through martyrdoms and prison. Just think, Paul entered heaven to the cheers of those he martyred. This is precisely what Jim Elliot was getting at when he said, he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. This kingdom advances through beheadings and spearing, through suffering, through the movement of peoples, through war. In all the good we do, we must always see that to be with Christ is far better. Beloved, do you really believe this? Really ask, do you really believe this truth? Is it far better to be with Jesus than to live a long life, see your children grow, enter into the ministry, do some sort of endeavor you've been looking forward to? This is the last sermon of 2023. But friends, this could be the last sermon you ever hear. Are you content to end your days today or tomorrow? Would it content you for today to be your last day? Look within yourself and see if you share with Paul his desires to be with Jesus. The Spirit says in Romans 14, eight through nine, for if we live, we live to the Lord. If we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end, Christ died and lived again, that he might be both Lord of the dead and of the living. What is the drive for the living of Paul? What is the purpose of Paul's death? It is the glory of Christ. So we've seen living for Christ, dying for Christ, and the last point, the glory of Christ. John Calvin says, quote, we may patiently pass through this life with its misery, hunger, cold, contempt, reproaches, and other troubles, content with this one thing, that our King will never leave us destitute. but will provide for our needs until our warfare ended, we are called to triumph. Here in verse 24, it says, but to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Paul triages his desires with the needs of the church. Paul's chief concern is the glory of Christ. "'Whether he lives for Christ or dies for Christ, "'he will do both for the glory of Christ. "'It is better for them if he were to live on "'and encourage them in the gospel. "'He is displaying what he later will say in 411. "'I have learned in whatever situation I am in "'to be content.'" Verse 25, what can man in prison be so convinced of? He says, convinced of this. What could he be so convinced of? He is convinced that it is necessary to press on for the Philippian church. He says with assurance right after that, I know, I know. He knows he will press on in the progress and joy into faith. Verse 26. "'so that in me you may have ample cause "'to glory in Christ Jesus "'because of my coming to you again.'" He says, "'so that,' quote, "'so that,' the beginning of the verse, "'he will continue on in their progress "'not to have an abundant faith.'" That is secondary, not to have a great theological knowledge, as great as that is, but for the glory of Jesus Christ. That is why he will press on. Ultimately, he is living for Christ, even though it is better to die and be with Jesus. It is for the glory and worship of Jesus Christ that he will remain for them. He desires to be delivered ultimately for the glory of Christ. And friends, do we often forget why we do what we do as Christians? Perhaps you've missed the reason for being a Christian. The church does not exist to merely be a place for a community or benevolence or missions or sound doctrine. As great as those things are, if you have chalked up your piety up to meeting needs of community and mission and theology, then beloved, you have missed it. You have traded the glory of Christ for something that's a little bit lesser. We exist to give glory to God. That is why we exist as Christians. Progress in the faith is not the end, but it is the means. The end is the glory of God in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. This is the end for all that we do. Christianity is not just about a community or a morality, but it is about a person, the most glorious person, the person who died on the cross for you, who suffered the pain of death in his physical body, but above all, he suffered the wrath of the Father there on the cross for you, beloved, for you. what captured the heart of Paul, what captured his motives for writing all that he did, for doing all that he did, it was the person of Jesus Christ and nothing else. If Grace Covenant Church is to be marked for anything, it is that you do what you do for the glory of Jesus Christ. Never settle for anything less than that. This passage may be summed up in Westminster, Shorter Catechism, question one. Probably many of you know it. What is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. You may also pair that with Heidelberg Catechism question one, which maybe some of you know, what is your only comfort in life and in death? My only comfort in life and in death is that I am not my own, but belong, both body and soul, life and death, to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. Do you hear the spirit of Paul's words in those two statements? How do you attain that comfort in life and in death? And this is how living for Christ and dying for Christ intersect with the glory of Christ. And that is you can only have the deepest comfort with man's chief end. To glorify God and to enjoy him. will propel you to wait for him in this life and long for that thing that Paul says is far better, to live for Jesus. You and I have to die, but die in Christ and be raised again in the spirit of full salvation, to die for Christ's true living. Beloved, we live for today and we live for that day. As we begin to close, how do we live with the tension of waiting to be called to our home? Perhaps there are days when you feel like giving up and retreating into yourself. Maybe you are living not for the glory of Christ, but for the glory of yourself. Maybe you are living for the glory of something else. When you go back into that meeting tomorrow, clock in another eight hours, change another diaper, probably soon from now, cook one more meal, remember this one thing. A man lived a better life for you in your place. One man died a death. You deserved a most glorious person, majesty and praise, worthy of all excellence. having the most honor of all of our affections and joy and comfort. He did this to save you from your sins, but listen, also to be with you forever. Were the holidays this year hard for some of you? Perhaps that loved one was not with you this year opening gifts. I can relate, my grandmother, who lived next door to me my whole life, died five days before Christmas in 2015. I know the feelings of loss and loneliness the holiday can bring. And maybe for some of you, old hurts have resurfaced with the holidays and around family. Maybe you have seen the absolute insanity of worldliness in the world, and even in your own family. It breaks your heart. It breaks mine too. Beloved, hear this. Your King is with you through it all. These sorrows and pains we feel should make our souls ache for the glory that will be shown to us. Until then, may I compel you to work for the glory of Christ. Work for something greater than this world could ever offer. Wait for Him and trust Him that He has marked your days for good. Wait and desire to be called to Him. Do you have to be like Paul or Jim Elliot to live a life like this? Do you have to live like them to do this well? We often think like that sometimes, don't we? Oh, if I became a missionary like Jim Elliot, or a pastor like Brother Joel, or whoever, if I did this ministry, then I have arrived to the apex of Christianity. Of course not. To those who go to work, you can live and die for the glory of Christ by working really hard, showing your coworkers that you have a possession that is far more precious to you than a job or a career or a paycheck. You can tell your coworkers that there is a man who died for sinners like them, and it may cost you your job. It may cost you the thing you've worked so hard for, but it is worth it. Moms and grandmothers, how do you live and die for the glory of Christ? One way is to let your children hear your prayers for them. their souls, that they would not be ensnared in sin, that they would keep the faith that you have kept, that they may know the same Jesus you do. But what about you, fathers? What about you, sons? Be present in the home. Read the Bible at dinner. Lead them into family worship. Good Christian books. Be compassionate and kind. Disciple your family. Do not skimp on doctrine or theology. They can understand it far better than you realize. but love them, serve them. Love your wives, serve your wives, be tender and compassionate with them. Do not be harsh with them, as the scripture says. As you focus and live in this seen world, would you, friends, set your eyes on a world that has yet to come. If you're in Christ, you have a place there, but a place prepared for you forever. So let's get to work. Many of you have heard of Billy Graham, but too often we don't hear enough about Billy Graham's wife, Ruth Graham. She has a hopeful poem that I think captures this well. Here it is, she says, Christ, in him I dwell, wherever else I be, as bird in the air, as branch in the vine, as tree in the soil, as fish in the sea, he is my home. My business address, here, Little Piney Cove. London, Corinth, Calcutta or Rome, Shanghai or Paris, my business address, wherever he puts me, but he is my home. Friends, heaven is our home. This is just our business address. So let's get to work for the glory of Christ in Weatherford and Texas. How do we live and die as a Christian? We learn from the one who lived and died for us. To live and die for Christ, we must believe in Christ. Maybe you're here and you are not a Christian. You are not a Christian because you have not repented and believed. You have not turned with warm affection to Jesus Christ our Lord. I beg you to hear me. Believe in Jesus, repent of your sins, and see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Salvation is not an assent to facts of Christianity. It is a complete denial of yourself and running with warm affection to Jesus Christ. Jesus was crushed by God the Father for sinners like you 2,000 years ago on a hill in Jerusalem called the Place of the Skull. He was buried in the tomb, rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father. From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. There is no U-turn from the throne of God, beloved. Be right with God today. His arms of love and mercy are open today for you, sinner, and may Christ save you. May even the faintest whispers of Calvary draw our affections to Jesus in the most earnest and sincere devotion. Climb upon the cross and put to death the old man. Are you crucified to the world? Or does it fascinate you this morning? Turn to Christ and be saved and say with the hymn writer, nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling. Naked come to thee for dress, helpless look to thee for grace. Foul I to the fountain fly, wash me Savior or I die. Paul is deferring his desire to be with Jesus so that he may serve the Philippians more. And it's true, it's going to cost Paul. It's gonna cost him everything. But the cost Paul is paying could never compare to the great cost Jesus Christ went to make Paul the Philippians and you and I citizens of heaven. Paul is laying his life down to serve his friends, but Christ laid his life down to serve and to save his people. What greater act of love is this than one who lays down his life for his friend? Jesus, friend of sinners. He's your friend. Paul is content with dying because someone lived a better life for him. But also Paul is already dead. Galatians 2.20. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. In 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. He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. Let's pray. We ask, Lord, that you may make your word efficacious for the Christian's heart. We plead for the souls of the lost who hear this, that they may know your salvation. I pray for the rest of this day that it may be consecrated to you, that we may live today as a taste of better days to come. Days in heaven, where we will dwell with you forever. Not as ones who are dead, but ones who are very much alive. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.