It's wonderful to be with you again this evening and to encourage you from Philippians. The text for us this evening is Philippians chapter one, verses 18b through 26. I take 18b because of the breaking of the paragraph there. So if you're following along, you'll see the heading there in the ESV says, to live is Christ. And that is the portion that we'll be following there, that paragraph. So Philippians chapter one, verse 18b through 26. Paul says, yes, and I will rejoice. For I know that through your prayers and the help of the spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance. As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame. 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. 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. Let us pray. Great God in heaven, what a blessing it is to be here again this evening to worship with your people and to hear from your word, to be encouraged by your word, be encouraged by the example of Paul, and to be encouraged by the Spirit working through these things. Lord, we pray that you would indeed bless us. Bless the words of my sinful lips and the meditations of all our hearts. Lord, that these things would be pleasing and acceptable in your sight, for you are our strength and our redeemer. We pray in the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen. So you see the title for us this evening is, To Live is Christ. Because we have our life in Christ, mortal life and death are of no consequence for the believer. For us, only the glory of Christ, that is all that matters for us. Therefore we must be full of joy and boldness as we glory in Christ Jesus, our Lord. to live as Christ. Therefore, we ought to be a joyful people. We ought to be joyful in our living. Paul is emphatic. He emphatically declares his joy amidst the turmoil around him. After having already stated his joy at the beginning of verse 18, What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice, Paul says. And here again, as he's beginning this new paragraph, the grammar here separates it again, but Paul is beginning the new paragraph with rejoicing. And we'll see that he's rejoicing as he looks back at all that has happened in his imprisonment, but also at what is coming next. He doesn't know whether he will be released or put to death at this point. And even so, he is able to rejoice because he is living in Christ. His life is in Christ. Although his enemies preach the gospel, as we see in verses 16 and 17, Paul is joyful. Although he may even face death, as I've said, he is joyful. As we look at the world around us, it should be easy for us to sympathize with Paul here. He's separated from those he loves, stuck in prison there in Rome, unable to go and see them, and yet he writes to them. He's unsure of what the future holds for him. Do you know what tomorrow will bring? I know I don't. And Paul is here expressing his uncertainty at what tomorrow will bring. And yet life, and yet Paul has confidence. He has joy at what tomorrow will bring. Life has not been easy for us here in the 21st century, in year 2020, these past few months. I've struggled and my family has struggled. This church has struggled and the nation as a whole has struggled amidst all that has been raging. Yet I personally have been able to benefit from this, giving myself opportunity as I observe my coworkers through this time, as I encourage my coworkers through this time, and Lord willing, direct them to Christ in my behavior at work. But I've had opportunities to share with them our YouTube page so that they can be with you now and watch these messages and learn and hear the word of God. That's an exciting thing for me to do. Now, remember, we are a Bible-believing people. We are reformed Christians who believe in the sovereignty of God, that amidst all that is going on, amidst all the pandemonium, God is in control. And that was the message for us last week, that God knows what will happen, and that he is holding us and preserving us. We serve a living God who loves and cares for his people in the midst of his trials. Yet how can we be joyful amidst this physical difficulty, amidst our physical difficulty in this life? Paul stands as an example for us here. His resolute confidence bolsters us in our confusion and in our dismay. This is the reason that he includes it in his letter to Philippi. Despite his chains, Paul is able to rejoice. He is joyful. If you look back at verse 14, you see that Paul points to those who are encouraged by his imprisonment. Verse 14, he says, and most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Now, we considered some of the reasons for this last week, but I want you to think for a minute of your position in this regard. Would you be emboldened by the fact that Paul is imprisoned? Would you be emboldened by the imprisonment of church leaders? Just imagine for a moment, you see the Lake Sherwood email go out this week and it says, Jeff Downey, Rodney King, Larry Minninger, Matt Butler, John Hearn, and David Carnes arrested for preaching and promoting the gospel. How many of you would be encouraged by this? How many of you would say, yeah, that's what I wanna hear, now I'm gonna go out and I'm gonna preach the gospel because their imprisonment has encouraged me in my faith. How many of you would be encouraged to take up the pulpit, to take up the pew next week, knowing that they were arrested for promoting the gospel message? And yet, that is what Paul, that's the reason Paul writes this, because he knows that there are those in Philippi that are not encouraged by this news. He knows that there are those that are in fear because of Paul's imprisonment, because of the shame of the gospel in the Roman world. And so, as Paul is writing to those who are in fear from this message, we can glean encouragement for us amidst everything that's going on. Encouragement for us as we see the gospel is being put aside by the world, by our leaders. And encourage us to take up that charge, encourage us to preach, encourage us to testify in the workplace. Now, if you're like me, you find this news devastating. Your heart would leap into your throat and your limbs become like jelly at the thought of all these men, these great men being imprisoned. I'll be honest, I am like those in Philippi that need to hear this news from Paul, need to hear this encouragement from Paul. Such news would hit me like a freight train and frighten me beyond the point of any physical comfort. This is where many of us stand in this very moment in the midst of COVID-19. In the midst of protests, in the midst of this raging political agenda, the upcoming election, and all the agendas that are being pushed, all the news as they're trying to give one news story about one side or the other, and it just becomes overwhelming. Physically, mentally, and spiritually, it's exhausting for us. And so how can we take encouragement from Paul in prison in Rome amidst all of this, that we can be encouraged to speak more boldly for Christ now? What began for us as merely a physical discomfort has become, for many of us, a mental and emotional avalanche. And Paul is writing to encourage men and women who feel defeated as we do. A church that feels broken down in continual danger of physical, mental, and spiritual suffering. So surely this is a message for us that we can sympathize with in 2020. As I've said, Paul here stands as an example for the church. He is building to a climax in Philippians 2, where Paul will direct our attention to Christ and Christ's example. We talked about Philippians being a book of examples, Epaphras and Titus, or excuse me, Timothy and Paul, and Christ being the chief example in Philippians. In this section for us this evening, Paul highlights the divine and human side of the matter. He speaks highly in verse 19 of the work that the Philippians are doing. He says, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance. Paul cherishes the prayers of the Philippians for him in this physical suffering. Nevertheless, He ultimately takes comfort not from their prayers, but because of the work of the Spirit of Christ Jesus, which sustains him. Thus, he wants the Philippians to know that they too can be joyful amidst all of these physical trials, joyful in the work of the Spirit. in them. Surely, it's much harder to be joyful in mental anguish than in physical anguish. As we try to think back on the promises of God, we're experiencing this continual bombardment of our thoughts. As we think of all that is raging, we get more and more news that feeds into our fears, feeds into our terror during this time and our uncertainty. I mentioned that we are now at the point that the continual bombard of tragedies and difficulties has transitioned from this physical discomfort to a mental discomfort. Even for some of us, perhaps mental depression at this point, as we wonder when will things return to normal? Will things ever return to normal? Indeed, some of you may feel as though you cannot even stand anymore. it's to people like you, people like these that Paul is writing to here in this letter, people who are scared and nervous about what will come next. He tells us in verse 20 that it is his eager expectation and hope that he will not be ashamed. One commentator says that Paul's hope here is demonstrating that for the Christian, hope and shame are mutually exclusive. The Christian cannot be ashamed, cannot be shamed eternally before God when his hope is in God. I'm gonna turn here. You can make in your notes Romans five, verse five. I'll turn there and I'm gonna read that verse for us to give you an example of what Paul is saying here. In verse five of chapter five there in Romans, Paul says, and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. So Paul is speaking of a hope where he cannot be ashamed, although he may be shamed in the courtroom before the tribunal of Caesar. Although he may be shamed in the world, it is not shame for Paul, it is a boast for Paul. It is a boast for Paul to stand as the man on trial for the sake of the gospel. So there's that dichotomy for the Christian, a discontinuity between shame and hope. If we have hope in Christ, we shall not be shamed. When Paul speaks of a hope here, he's not talking about a wishful hope, something that might happen. I hope that it doesn't rain on Sunday. That's not what Paul is talking about. He's talking about a sure and steadfast hope. We considered the hope of the author of Hebrews last week in chapter six, that sure and steadfast hope, that anchor fixed in heaven. Paul has that hope and that anchor fixed in heaven becomes his his point of reference that he can, he is resolutely standing upon that. And that is directing him to Christ. And he's direct, Paul is then directing us to follow his example, to take comfort in the Lord who does not change. And more than that, we can rejoice with him, even when we are mentally drained and abused because of this hope in Christ. Because ultimately Christ stands for you. and ultimately Christ will preserve you and hold you. What does it mean then to be joyful in spiritual difficulties? Paul has spoken of his deliverance here in verse 19, but it's not merely his physical deliverance before Caesar's tribunal. He's not talking about a deliverance and being released physically, but he's talking about an eternal deliverance. On the final day, we can look back in some of the minor prophets of the Old Testament, speak of Satan standing as the accuser. And that's what Satan means, accuser. That Satan will stand on the last day to accuse us. He will stand in our hearts and in our minds and our thoughts to accuse us of things that we know we have done. And Paul stands resolute amidst that because of his sure hope in Christ. that he has this deliverance in Christ. Yes, I have sinned. And yes, Christ has paid the penalty for my sins. Paul is describing his spiritual deliverance before the tribunal of God. After trials have worn us down physically and mentally, they begin to affect us spiritually. And this devil uses these to turn us away from the Lord. But Paul knows that there will be those who doubt their standing before God in Philippi. He knows that the current events will shake the faith of the believers there in Philippi. Therefore, he sends this encouragement to them. I know that this will turn out for my deliverance. Whether I am released from prison, I do not know. But I am released from eternal anguish and prison of hell. That is my hope and that is my encouragement today. It is my encouragement and I want it to be your encouragement, beloved. That's what he says there in verse 19 and that's why he encourages them through that. No matter the earthly and temporal outcome, Paul knows his eternal outcome. He's joyful and he wants the Philippians to be joyful also. Whether in life or in death, Paul can serve God and be joyful in the outcome. Indeed, Paul knows the outcome of life. He says, if I am released, I know what I shall do. I shall serve Christ. I shall go and I shall preach more. And in death, Paul knows the outcome there. If I die, it is to my gain. I shall be with Christ in heaven, eternal communion with him. All believers can and must say with Paul to live as Christ, and to die is gain, therefore we above all others must be joyful. We are encouraged in Christ to face what lies ahead because we know that he preserves us, that he is sovereign over these things. To live as Christ, therefore we must be courageous. We can see this in verse 20 as Paul is describing how he is facing these things. He says, as 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. If Christ is our life and death is our gain, we should be courageous in our lives, courageous for Christ. This is the reaction of those who preach Christ in verse 14. We talked about how we might more sympathize with those to whom Paul is writing, but we can also see what it is that bolsters those in verse 14 who are bold and speaking the word without fear. As they're preaching this word without fear, they're laying hold of the promises that they preach in Paul's absence. I know the God whom Paul preaches. In his absence, I am encouraged to preach of that Christ because I know who he is and what he has done for me and what he will do for his people whom he calls to himself. These brothers are emboldened by Paul's example and they've taken up the charge. For this, Paul commends them and directs our attention to his work that we too might be encouraged. Certainly you're familiar with safety net. We talk about safety nets all the time, whether it be a financial safety net or even an insurance safety net. These are things that we have, but where does this term come from? Perhaps you've been to the circus, you've seen acrobats, and you've seen them at practice where they have the safety net that is laid below all their acrobatics. What is the first thing that an acrobat learns? First thing that a gymnast learns is how to fall properly. Why do they learn how to fall properly? Because they know that a fall is coming. They know they're going to fall. And eventually the safety net is going to be removed. the acrobat is still bold to do his acrobatics. The gymnast is still bold to do their gymnast acrobatics because they know a fall is coming and they know how, they've already prepared for it. They already know how to fall. This is a similar for Christians. We must be bold in our lives as we faithfully serve Christ because we know how to die. We are prepared to die because we know what is the end result of death. After the author of Hebrews lists the great examples of the hall of faith in chapter 11, he turns to Jesus as the great example. He reminds his readers that they have not resisted trials to the point of death. If you want, you can make note, that's Hebrews 12, verse four. They have not resisted to the point of bloodshed. And this is to be an encouragement for them. Even Christ died, so we should be ready to resist even to the point of death. Our Lord suffered and died on our behalf because he suffered and died, but ultimately because he rose and ascended into heaven in his reigning sovereign, we can be encouraged in our life. We can be bold in our living because we know what death holds for us. This then prepares us to be courageous in our death. Because we live in Christ, we are courageous in death. As we live, the Lord watches over us. This gives us great boldness, but in our death, we shall immediately pass into glory and be with our Savior, have eternal communion with Christ and perfect communion. I heard on the radio the number of deaths in Florida from COVID-19 this week is over 3,000. This is a scary number. As the nude feeds this fear-mongering with continual mounting and rising numbers of cases, it's only natural that we begin to fear for our safety and the safety of those whom we love. Nevertheless, we must be able to say with Paul that death is gain for us. If this life is all that there is, we must find, and we must find our enjoyment here, then we are of all people most to be pitied. There's no lasting joy in this world around us. The government disappoints us, our family and friends betray us, but God, God will never leave us or forsake us. For him, we will live. For him, yes, we will even die for Christ. and we do so with great confidence. This does not mean that we should be foolish in our living. That's not what I'm trying to promote, but here to encourage you that amidst all the life that we're living in anguish and amidst the impending doom of death, we should be courageous and bold for Christ. This does not mean that we're foolish, as I've said, but we cannot be paralyzed with fear of death. Death is but an eerie doorway through which we pass into glory. to be with the Almighty God forever. To live as Christ, therefore we must glory in Christ. This is what Paul says in verse 26. As he's talked about living in Christ and dying in gain, he says in verse 26, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ because of my coming to you again. Paul is trying to encourage them, but ultimately for the glory of Christ, that they have ample cause to glorify Christ and his name. He declares, notice in verse 23, that Paul desires most to be with Christ because that is far better. Yet, he even declares that in difficulty of life, he will glorify the name of Christ. In living, in going out, if he is released, he knows what he shall do. He knows that he will come to them and glorify them. He knows that he will have, in verse 22, he says, fruitful labor for the sake of the gospel. One theologian has said, we shall not live on this earth one day more than the Lord has given to us. Nor shall we be taken one day earlier than He has purposed for us. The Lord knows the days that we have, and He takes us when it is His will to do so, something that He has planned before time. We should not desire to extend that, but with Paul, nor should we desire to shorten it. Paul's not talking here of committing suicide. He's not talking about living foolishly and opposing the Roman state. He's not talking about putting himself on the line to be killed so that he can be with Christ. But he says in either result, whether in life or in death, he will serve Christ. This is the meaning of Paul here. He knows that his work on earth will be a blessing for the church, not only the church in Philippi, but the church throughout the entire Roman world. Paul longs to encourage his church plants, longs to be released that he can go out and encourage Philippi and Corinth, to encourage Ephesus and Galatia, to encourage all the churches throughout the Roman world. even desires, as he's expressed elsewhere, to go as far as Spain, to the westernmost parts of the civilized world. Paul longs to go to Spain to share the gospel with them. Paul is seen in this life for Christ more sorrow and suffering than most. When he defends himself to the Corinthians, he speaks and highlights his suffering for Christ. If you want to note, this is 2 Corinthians 11 verses 23 through 30 that I'm about to read from. Paul says, are they servants of Christ? I'm a better one. I'm talking like a madman with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews, the 40 lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I was adrift at sea. on frequent journeys in danger from shipwreck, a night and a day I was adrift at sea, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers, in toil and hardship, through many sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure, and apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me. of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak and I am not weak? Who is made to fall and I am not indignant? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." Paul is talking here of his weakness so that Christ can be glorified in his weakness. Yet even in Paul's suffering, he glorifies Christ and encourages us to do the same. Paul declares that in his safely coming again, Christ will be glorified. That's what we read here a minute ago in verse 26 of chapter one of Philippians. As I come to you, I come for your encouragement that you may glory in Christ Jesus. Sometimes glorifying God in times of ease is actually harder for us than to glorify God in times of suffering. This is one of the reasons that God sends us trials and difficulties, to bring us back to himself. The psalmist in Psalm 119, verse 67 says, before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word. But Paul says that his freedom and fellowship, again with the Philippians, will be ample cause to glory in Christ. In Paul's ease of being returned to them, in his joy of being returned to them, they will glorify Christ. When we receive blessings from God, Paul is telling us, rejoice and glorify Christ. In the midst of trials, glorify Christ and rejoice in his name. Paul is able to glorify God in plenty and in want, in difficulty and at ease, and he wants the Philippians to see this. Indeed, if you recall, this is how he ends the letter of Philippians. If you want to turn there, you may, chapter four. But you can make note, this is chapter four, verses 11b through 13. Paul says, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound in any and every circumstance. I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. And this is to the glory of God. He is pulling from an abundant source, an eternal source that does not run out. The government pretends it is an eternal source, as it prints more money, as it gives more stimulus, but that runs out. It is not a real eternal supply. Yet Christ has an eternal supply, an abundance. And so as we rest on him, he gives us what we need. As we rest on him again, he gives us what we need, and he sustains us, and he will not run out of his resources. Because we are those in Christ, we must glorify his name in times of ease, as well as in times of difficulty. Paul has said that in death is gain. Certainly death is gain for Paul, but death is also glory for Christ. If Paul is martyred for the sake of Christ, it will be to the glory of God. If Paul lives for the sake of Christ, it will be to the glory of God. And in eternity, what shall we do but praise God without end? We don't look forward to small little cupids or angels on wings that are playing harps, but we look forward to singing the praises of our God. We look forward to singing with the angels, glory, glory, glory to God Almighty. Holy, holy, holy is your name. All the earth is filled with your glory. My mom and I had a brief discussion yesterday about human essence and human purpose, or what is our end? I asked, what is the essence of man? What is the purpose of man? Some of you might immediately thought Westminster Shorter Catechism, question number one, which summarizes the essence of man's being and answers the question for what is his goal? The chief end of man, or man's chief end, is to glorify God and enjoy Him. That is our essence. But that's not where the catechism question ends. The answer tells us that it is forever. That we glorify God forever. What we do now in this life as we serve Christ, as we glorify His name, is what we long to do perfectly in eternity forever. This is what Newton describes as being there for 10,000 years with no less days to sing God praise than when we first began, right? This is what we long to do, to lay off our sin permanently forever, to be perfected in Christ and sing his glory. Paul understands this. He knows that if he lives, whether in difficulty or in ease, Christ will be glorified. In his death, Christ will be glorified. Now I've quoted for you Westminster Catechism, Catechism number one. It does seem appropriate also in this context to cite also the Heidelberg Catechism, question number one. The question goes, what is your only hope in life and death? And the answer, that I with body and soul, both in life and death, I'm not my own, but I belong to my faithful savior, Jesus Christ, who with his precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins and redeemed me from the power of the devil. And so preserves me that without the will of my father in heaven, not a hair can fall from my head. Indeed, that all things work together for my salvation. where for where for the his Holy Spirit assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him. As I was preparing this message for you, I endured a great deal of mental anguish the last few weeks, lost sleep and fretted over it, probably, most likely unnecessarily, but I was nervous about what to say, nervous about how to take this text and bring it for you as a blessing, as a blessing, as the word of Christ. As I seek to offer to you Christ, I was nervous and I would wake up, lose sleep. I was telling the Kings, Joel and Nora on Friday night, that I dreamt that I was here and I didn't know what I was gonna say. And Joel asked me what I was gonna say. And I said, can we do it next week? I'm not ready. And then I dreamt that I got COVID and I couldn't preach. So I was very anxious about this. And I'm excited to be here. As I've read through this passage several times this week, several times a day, preparing for it, I wondered how best to give you a picture, give you an idea of what Paul is describing here. And the Lord in his tender kindness helped me intimately to understand this yesterday. Since we have our life in Christ, Mortal life or death are of no consequence for us, but only the glory of Christ and dwelling with Him. Now the way that the Lord in His tender mercy and kindness, His sweet kindness to me, has shown this to me, is something that I've treasured close to my heart, and I hope it has the same meaning for you. Now yesterday, Laura, Peggy, and I went and we had family pictures taken. And the photographer asked us to walk down the road and hold Peggy's hand. And as she took my hand, she was eager to go wherever I led her. She didn't know where we were going. And yet she had my hand. This is similar to the illustration that Pastor Minninger described earlier this morning, holding his father's hand. Peggy was holding my hand and excited to go where I would go. Now, if it were just for this illustration, I wouldn't have made the connection, but then as we closed our evening in worship last night, my mother chose to sing the hymn, He Leadeth Me, O Blessed Thought. It's a beautiful hymn, and the third verse of this hymn says, Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine, nor ever murmur nor repine, content whatever lot I see, since tis my God that leadeth me. Believers are those who hold the hand of God. Thus we must be fully joyful. We must be full of joy and boldness as we glory in life or death for the sake of Christ our Lord. And this is what I wanted you to see. This is what the Lord helped me to see. And I hope that that picture is a blessing for you as it's been not only stated by Pastor Menninger this morning, but reiterated for you now. So as we go out this week, as we go out this evening and finish our Lord's day, may we take the hand of the Lord and go where he leads us. Let's pray. Great God in heaven, what a blessing it is to be your people, to take your hand and be led by you. To know that amidst the trials of life, you are with us. Amidst the life or death that faces us as we go out the door, you preserve us. We are not safer in the world than we are in our beds. For you have numbered our days and you preserve us so that all things work together for our salvation eternally. No matter what the devil says to us in this life or on judgment day, we hold the hand of Christ and he stands for us. And we praise you for that, Lord. We pray that our lives would be those who bear the witness of Christ. that our lives would bring glory to your name, that we would be an encouragement not only to ourselves, to our family, but to the world, to unbelievers. We long to encourage believers, that they would see our life and see the work of Christ in us, that they are encouraged in Christ as the Spirit works in them, but encouraged in Christ as the Spirit works in us as well. and the world would be encouraged by believers as they see our standing before you, as those who hold your hand as light and salt to the world. Lord, we praise you and we thank you. We ask that you would indeed strengthen us this week, that we would be able to meditate upon this in glory in your name. We pray for all these things in the most precious name of Christ, amen.