Eternal Joy

Philippians:   •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Intro:

One of the greatest memories I have from my childhood is going on vacation with my family.
Stuck between two decisions?
Some of the best memories I have are the ones that my family made while on vacation in the summertime.
Stuck between a transition you are making possibly in a job or a move?
I’ll never forget that one of the worst things growing up was being stuck in a car on the way to vacation.
It was a tradition for my family that every summer we would travel to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina for a week of fun and relaxation.
As fun as vacation is, for a child, the worst part is traveling. Those famous words my sister and I would ask mom and dad. “Are we there yet?”
Maybe you can relate, but I didn’t grow up with smartphones or tablets, so my sister and I had to come up with ways to keep ourselves entertained on the way to vacation.
We would play hours of eye spy, or sing songs, and mostly just fight and argue. Nothing was scarier than dad’s arm reaching my leg to pinch it when I was being mean to my sister.
Although traveling was not always fun, in the back of our mind was the excitement of reaching our destination.
The travel might not have been the fun part, but it was all worth it because we would eventually reach
This morning, we are continuing our study of Philippians and we are going to see the Apostle Paul discussing the journey and the destination of the Christian Life.
Philippians 1:19–26 ESV
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 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. 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.
Philippians 1:19-
As we continue in Philippians this morning, we come to a section in the letter to the church at Phillipi where Paul is struggling with the questions: Is it better for me to stay on earth and minister to others, or is it better to be in heaven with Christ.
So far, Paul has given an update to the Church at Phillipi that he is still alive but that he is in prison.
Last week we looked at Paul’s encouragement to the church that God was still using him in his imprisonment to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We looked at the importance of rejoicing in our suffering because God uses suffering for His glory and may just lead us to share the good news of Jesus with someone.
We come to V. 19 and see Paul transitioning into the thought of life and death.
We know Paul was in prison and near the end of his life, so one of the things he probably thought about often was joy of being in heaven one day and experiencing the reward he has in Christ Jesus.
There are two things I want us to look at from this passage this morning: a Christian’s journey and a Christian’s destination.
The Christian Journey refers to our walk with Christ while we are on earth and what that journey looks like but we are also going to look at a Christian’s destination which is eternal life with Christ and how that affects the journey.
The first thing that we see through Paul’s difficlut situation is that A Christia’s journey rejoices, depends, and honors Christ in all circumstances.
Although Paul is transitioning his thought in this letter, he ties it in to V. 18.
Philippians 1:18–19 ESV
What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. 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,
He makes the statement “Yes, and I will rejoice”
Paul finds confidence that no matter what, He will choose to rejoice in his current state because he has hope.
Last week, we looked at the purpose of suffering and how Paul rejoiced even in the face of opposition because he was being used by God to proclaim the Gospel to the imperial guard and people were hearing the good news of jesus and in that He rejoiced, now we see Paul rejoicing in his situation knowing that the suffering would turn out for his deliverance.
You may or may not struggle with this but I want to be real and honest with you this morning that I oftentimes think about the future.
If I were to be completely honest with you, I sometimes worry about the future and sometimes stress over uncertainty in my life.
Studying this passage this week gave me so much encouragement because Paul makes the statement that he will rejoice knowing that the current situation he is in will turn out for his deliverance.
Paul makes it clear that he rejoices knowing that his life is in God’s hands and his treasure is Christ and nothing else.
As a follower of Christ, we have the same encouragement knowing that whatever happens to us in life, God is using for our good. It may not seem that way, but we have to find confidence and joy knowing that whatever our current situation is, God is in control.
Having confidence in the sovereignty of God leads to rejoicing and peace.
We see men and women of faith in God’s word placing their hope and joy in the One true God amidst their trials throughout Scripture.
Listen to the words of Habakkuk
-20
17  Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18  yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19  God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments
Habakkuk rejoiced in the Lord knowing he had no food in the fields and no cattle in the stalls.
Listen to what Job says’ in
20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job proclaimed “blessed be the name of the Lord.” after losing everything he had, Job proclaimed “blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Take some time to read Job chapter one and then notice Job still finding his hope and joy in the Lord and praising his name.
We can look at these characters and see what they have lost and say the same things because we serve the same God they did and we have a God who is all powerful and who is worthy of our worship.
Paul’s writing is the same as these men. No matter what happens, I will choose to rejoice.
Not only did Paul rejoice in the Lord, but his dependance on the Lord is evident in his life.
Paul makes statement that he rejoices in the prayers of the church at Philippi and the Spirit of Jesus Christ that his suffering and imprisonment will turn out for his deliverance.
The word deliverance can be looked at in a couple different ways.
Quickly reading this verse, we can assume that Paul is talking about being delivered from his suffering and be released from Prison, however, there is greater meaning.
Looking at the word Deliverance as it appears in this verse, we also see that this is referring to Salvation: the state of having been saved.
Paul’s confidence did not rely on his suffering being taken from his but his confidence relied on the fact he was saved by the blood of Jesus and his suffering may not have ended while on earth but he knew that if he were to be delivered over to death, He would be gaining everything that heaven has to offer.
Paul’s words in verse 19 are a direct quotation from
Job’s words in the beginning of both verses read: Though he slay me, I will hope in him; This will be my salvation.
Paul was in the same situation of Job. Both men had not done anything to deserve the torment or suffering they were going through but their dependance on the Lord led them to say that no matter what happens, their salvation was in the Lord.
Paul completely depended on the Lord knowing his life was probably going to come to an end soon.
So Paul rejoices and shows his dependence on the Lord, now look at what Paul’s eager expectation was in V. 20.
Philippians 1:20 ESV
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.
Paul’s desire was that Christ will be honored in his life whether on earth or through his death.
These words proved true of Paul’s ministry, because several other places in the New Testament, Paul writes that as a follower of Christ, our live’s should glorify and reflect the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthains 10:31
Romans 12:1 ESV
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
We look at Paul’s life and see that his ambition to see God glorified was consistent in his life even toward the end of his life.
I can’t think of a better testimony we have than to bring God honor and glory in whatever situation we are in.
We know that God allows his children to go through tests and tough times and when our prayer and hope is that God would be honored and glorified in our lives’, people will catch that hope and be inspired by trust and confidence we have in the Lord.
Our journey as believer’s will be filled with seasons of joy and seasons of suffering, but one thing holds true. God desires his children to point to Him through it all.
No one in this room has had a perfect life. Some of us have experienced suffering and tribulations on different levels, but the one thing we have in common is that we serve a God who loves us and constantly pours his grace and mercy on us.
There are situations in our journey where money, family, and friends will not help us but only placing our absolute confidence in the Lord will help us deal with whatever we are going through.
We are not called to honor ourselves but to honor God with every situation life throws our way. We honor the Lord when our trust and confidence is in Him and Him alone.
So looking at Paul’s situation, we know that a Christian’s journey rejoices, depends, and honors God in all circumstances.
Now let’s talk about the destination because the destination is just as important as the journey.
Philippians 1:21 ESV
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
This is one of the most quoted verses in all of Scripture. If we aren’t careful, we can read it and completely miss the glorious truth that God is speaking to us this morning.
This verse really captures the essence of what the Christian life is.
When we talk about a Chrisitan’s destination we see the second main truth in this passage is.
2) A Christian’s destination provides meaning for the journey.
I think we get confused sometimes when it comes to our Christian walk because we neglect to remember what Jesus paid for on the cross and what Jesus made possible through His resurrection.
When Paul utters the words “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” we see some very practical but deep truths for the Christians journey and the Christian’s Destination.
For a Christian, our life and our destination is not a place but a person and his name is Jesus.
I have no idea why I remember this but I remember asking some questions about heaven to my Sunday School teacher when i was around six years old.
I was probably that kid in class the teachers were like “here we go again.” I really wanted to know what heaven was like so I asked my teachers what types of things were in heaven.
I asked “Will there be toys?” “Will I get to see my friends.”” But the most important question I had and I still remember this to this day. “Will there be a pool table in heaven?”
Whether or not we will be playing billiards in heaven is separate from Paul’s aim at writing these words in his letter to the Church at Philippi.
When Paul says’ to die is gain, he is referring to gaining union with Christ.
This is powerful because as a Christian, we live our entire life walking with Jesus, learning who Jesus is, depending on Jesus, and then when we reach heaven we finally get to meet Jesus and worship Him with no sin in the way.
That is the gain that Paul is talking about. to die is gain is experiencing genuine fellowship with the one who saved him.
I want us to look at this morning because when we see the words in this verse and combine it with , we see a picture of what exactly Christianity is.
Galatians 2:20 ESV
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.
Combine that with
Philippians 1:21 ESV
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we have been crucified with Christ. Our old life has passed away and new life has come.
James Montgomery Boice wrote: “Christianity is faith in Christ, it is fellowship with Christ, and it is following after Christ.”
The heart of Christianity is “Christ.” Paul’s words reflected a man who had new life in Christ and whether he would remain alive, his life was in Christ, or whether he were to be taken from the earth, he would gain Christ.
Knowing that we get to have genuine fellowship with Christ when we leave this world makes our journey with him so precious.
We find our hope in Christ because he gave his life for us so that we could be saved and reconciled to God the Father.
Eternity is hopeless and dark without the good news of Jesus Christ.
We can not find hope in our walk with Christ and in the journey with him if our hope is in something besides him.
I love my wife more than anything in this world but my identity is not found in being a husband. My love for my son grows every single day and I love watching him grow and spending time with him but my identity is not found in being a father. I love being in ministry and serving others and leading but my identity is not in being a Pastor.
My identity is in Christ. My hope is in Christ, My confidence is in Christ. If it’s not, everything else falls apart.
Paul’s destination, a Christian’s destination is eternal life with Jesus and when we grasp that it changes the way we live our life on earth.
If you take Christ out of V. 21 everything falls apart.
To live is ______________ and to die is __________________.
To live is money and to die is being broke.
To live is power and to die is being powerless.
To live is entertainment and to die is no more fun.
Living for anything except for Jesus Christ will lead to emptiness.
Having a relationship with Jesus is the only thing that leads to an even better life after we leave this earth.
That’s why we should be so passionate to share the good news of Jesus with others.
Jesus is worth it all. Paul proclaimed this message at one of the most horrific times of his life, but this was a natural statement from someone who desired fellowship with God more than anything else.
As followers of Christ, our journey in life reflects this statement and says’ “Jesus is everything, death is nothing because we get to fellowship with Jesus for all eternity.”
So knowing our destination as Christians, we can live a bold and fearless life.
One of my favorite worship songs is called “Marvelous light” and a line in the song says’
“sin has lost its power, death has lost its sting, from the grave you’ve risen victoriously.”
Holding to the truth of eternal life and gaining Christ when we pass away makes for a joyful and fruitful walk with Christ while we are on the journey.
Not only do we see hope for our journey through knowing our final destination but we also know that.
3. A Christian’s Destination leads to the ultimate reward in Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:22–26 ESV
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.
Paul is in this predicament because he is battling the thought of staying on earth and the benefits that has but also going to heaven which he says is “far better.”
We’ve established the last few weeks that Paul loved the church at Philippi and they also loved him and this letter is a letter of encouragement.
As Paul contemplates the situation he is in, he makes it clear that if it’s God’s will for him to remain alive, it would be to encourage those that God placed in his life to stand firm in their faith and to live out their calling as Christians.
On the other hand, Paul’s desire is to be with Christ in heaven. As it says’ in V. 23 that is would be much better for him.
He’s not saying this because he wants his suffering to go away because we’ve already seen Paul giving encouragement for why he is suffering but He knows that his ultimate reward is in heaven and that reward is Jesus.
Back to my story about vacation, Traveling is often tough. Whether it’s by car or by plane, a long trip is not fun at all.
Think of a time when you were traveling and you finally reached your destination. How excited and joyful you were to finally reach the place you were heading.
The same goes for Christians. Our journey may seem long and tiresome, but our Christian life is worth it all when we receive our reward in heaven through Jesus Christ.
The difference between a vacation and our life though is that when we reach our destination as Christians, it’s for eternity.
We will experience all that heaven has to offer and we finally get to be in perfect fellowship with a Holy God.
We can live our life with confidence knowing that whatever happens to us, we know where are destination is.
There is hope and assurance for us in the midst of our journey because God has promised eternal life for us through his son Jesus.
John 3:16 ESV
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Eternal life is the absolute best gift we can ever receive. That gift was purchased by Jesus. Once we follow Jesus Christ, our journey with him begins but the journey on earth is temporary.
Our destination is eternal life in heaven with Christ and we get to experience an eternity of perfect fellowship with Jesus with no end.
Philippians 1:21 ESV
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
This morning, I pray you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
God’s word tells us that we are great sinners but we serve a great Savior.
You can have the same joy and peace that Paul had when you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.
All it takes is that you repent of your sin and turn to Jesus in faith, placing your trust in Him and calling on Him to save you.
Our life and journey with Jesus is great but when we think of our destination, it’s even greater.
Let’s pray.
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