Living for Christ: Embracing Death as Gain
Summary
### Summary
Good evening, everyone. It is a joy to be back and see the work that continues to exalt Christ. My wife Sandy and I have been in Mexico for two years, working with a mission agency focused on unreached language groups. These are places with no access to the Bible, no church, and no Christians in their language. We are grateful for your support in this mission.
Tonight, I want to talk about the meaning of life and how we should view death as Christians. Imagine an angel appears and tells you that you will die tomorrow. How would you feel? Death is a reality we all must face, and it should be a topic of excitement for Christians. The Apostle Paul, in Philippians 1:21, says, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Paul faced the possibility of imminent death but had no fear because he knew the meaning of life: to live for Christ.
Paul's life was entirely centered around Christ. He thought about Christ, talked about Christ, studied Christ, served Christ, and loved Christ. For Paul, everything else was secondary. He saw death as gain because it meant being with Christ, the ultimate goal of his life. This perspective is challenging but essential for us as Christians. We must live for Christ in such a way that death becomes a gain.
Living for Christ requires exclusivity. Too often, we try to live for Christ and other things like our job, family, or hobbies. But Christ demands to be our priority. We must serve Christ, love Christ, and help the church grow in Christ. Serving Christ means engaging in fruitful labor that produces spiritual results in people. Loving Christ means longing to be with Him, even to the point of desiring death to gain Christ fully. Helping the church grow in Christ means focusing on the spiritual progress and joy of our fellow believers.
In conclusion, the meaning of life is to live for Christ. To live is Christ, and to die is gain. Let us serve Christ, love Christ, and help the church grow in Christ so that we can face death with joy and anticipation, knowing that we will gain Christ fully.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Meaning of Life is Christ-Centered: Paul’s life was entirely centered around Christ. He thought, talked, studied, served, and loved Christ. Everything else was secondary. This Christ-centered life is what gave Paul the confidence to face death without fear, knowing that to die is to gain Christ fully. [36:13]
2. Death as Gain: For Paul, death was not an escape from pain or misery but the ultimate gain because it meant being with Christ. This perspective challenges us to view death not as a loss but as the ultimate reward for a life lived for Christ. [39:22]
3. Exclusivity in Living for Christ: Living for Christ requires exclusivity. We often try to balance Christ with other priorities like work, family, and hobbies. However, Christ demands to be our priority. We must serve, love, and prioritize Christ above all else. [45:22]
4. Serving Christ Through Fruitful Labor: Serving Christ means engaging in fruitful labor that produces spiritual results in people. This involves proclaiming Christ, sharing the gospel, praying for others, and building up the church. Our service should aim for character change and spiritual transformation in others. [47:02]
5. Helping the Church Grow in Christ: Building up the church is a crucial aspect of living for Christ. This involves helping fellow believers progress and find joy in their faith. Spiritual progress should be evident to all, and we should encourage and challenge each other towards transformation. [01:03:11]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[28:53] - The Unreached and Our Mission
[30:23] - Prayer and Humility
[32:25] - Facing Death and Mortality
[34:29] - Reflecting on Life and Death
[36:13] - The Meaning of Life: To Live is Christ
[39:22] - Death as Gain
[41:33] - Exclusivity in Living for Christ
[45:22] - Prioritizing Christ Above All
[47:02] - Serving Christ Through Fruitful Labor
[50:26] - Character Change in Service
[54:12] - Loving Christ and Longing for Heaven
[55:26] - Death as the Best Choice
[56:28] - Our Citizenship in Heaven
[57:16] - Loving Christ Fully
[01:02:28] - Helping the Church Grow in Christ
[01:03:11] - Spiritual Progress and Joy
[01:11:27] - Living for Christ and Facing Death
[01:12:37] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Philippians 1:21-26 (ESV): "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."
#### Observation Questions
1. According to Philippians 1:21, what does Paul say is the meaning of life and death for him?
2. How does Paul describe his feelings about the possibility of dying in Philippians 1:23-24?
3. What does Paul mean by "fruitful labor" in Philippians 1:22?
4. In Philippians 1:25-26, what reasons does Paul give for choosing to remain alive?
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Paul view death as "gain" according to Philippians 1:21? How does this perspective challenge common views on death?
2. What does it mean to live a life that is "Christ-centered" as described in the sermon and Philippians 1:21-22?
3. How does Paul's desire to remain alive for the sake of others' "progress and joy in the faith" (Philippians 1:25) reflect his priorities and values?
4. The sermon emphasized the exclusivity of living for Christ. How does Philippians 1:21-26 illustrate this exclusivity?
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Is Christ the center of your thoughts, actions, and priorities? What specific changes can you make to ensure that He is?
2. Paul describes death as gain because it means being with Christ. How do you currently view death, and what steps can you take to align your perspective more closely with Paul's?
3. The sermon mentioned the challenge of balancing Christ with other priorities like work, family, and hobbies. Identify one area in your life where Christ is not the priority. What practical steps can you take this week to change that?
4. Serving Christ involves engaging in fruitful labor that produces spiritual results in people. What specific actions can you take to serve Christ more effectively in your community or church?
5. Paul was committed to helping the church grow in Christ. How can you contribute to the spiritual progress and joy of your fellow believers? Identify one person you can encourage or help grow in their faith this week.
6. The sermon discussed the importance of having hard conversations for the sake of spiritual growth. Is there someone in your life with whom you need to have a difficult but loving conversation? How will you approach this?
7. Reflect on the idea of "fruitful labor" in your own life. What are some ways you can ensure that your efforts are producing spiritual transformation in yourself and others?
Devotional
Day 1: Christ-Centered Living
The meaning of life is found in centering everything around Christ. Paul exemplified this by making Christ the focal point of his thoughts, conversations, studies, service, and love. Everything else in his life was secondary. This Christ-centered life gave Paul the confidence to face death without fear, knowing that to die is to gain Christ fully. As Christians, we are called to adopt this same perspective, making Christ the center of our lives and allowing everything else to fall into its rightful place.
[36:13]
"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21, ESV)
Reflection: What are some areas in your life where Christ is not the center? How can you begin to make Christ the focal point in those areas today?
Day 2: Death as Gain
For Paul, death was not an escape from pain or misery but the ultimate gain because it meant being with Christ. This perspective challenges us to view death not as a loss but as the ultimate reward for a life lived for Christ. As Christians, we should look forward to the day we will be with Christ, seeing it as the culmination of our faith and the fulfillment of our deepest longings.
[39:22]
"For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2 Corinthians 5:1, ESV)
Reflection: How do you currently view death? What steps can you take to align your perspective with the biblical view of death as gain?
Day 3: Exclusivity in Living for Christ
Living for Christ requires exclusivity. We often try to balance Christ with other priorities like work, family, and hobbies. However, Christ demands to be our priority. We must serve, love, and prioritize Christ above all else. This means making intentional choices to put Christ first in every aspect of our lives, even when it requires sacrifice.
[45:22]
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." (Matthew 6:24, ESV)
Reflection: What are some things in your life that compete with Christ for your attention and devotion? How can you begin to prioritize Christ above these things?
Day 4: Serving Christ Through Fruitful Labor
Serving Christ means engaging in fruitful labor that produces spiritual results in people. This involves proclaiming Christ, sharing the gospel, praying for others, and building up the church. Our service should aim for character change and spiritual transformation in others. As we serve Christ, we should seek to make a lasting impact on the lives of those around us, helping them grow in their faith.
[47:02]
"By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." (John 15:8, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you engage in fruitful labor for Christ this week? How can you help others experience spiritual growth and transformation?
Day 5: Helping the Church Grow in Christ
Building up the church is a crucial aspect of living for Christ. This involves helping fellow believers progress and find joy in their faith. Spiritual progress should be evident to all, and we should encourage and challenge each other towards transformation. By investing in the spiritual growth of others, we contribute to the overall health and vitality of the church.
[01:03:11]
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)
Reflection: How can you encourage and support the spiritual growth of someone in your church community this week? What specific actions can you take to help them progress in their faith?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Imagine with me for a moment this evening that you're getting ready for bed... the room erupts with light an angel appears with all the radiance and splendor of God... he simply tells you that tomorrow you will die be prepared and just like that he's gone. How would you feel what would be your response?" [32:25] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "If you are a Christian to christians to us death should be one of the most exciting topics and one of the most wonderful things to talk about how can that be turn with me in your bibles to philippians chapter 1 verse 21 our text for today is truly one of my favorite texts in all of scripture the apostle paul was facing the real possibility of imminent death he says in verse 20 really i could die it could happen i could be sentenced to death and beheaded but paul has no fear he's not worried instead he has joy joy he rejoices why because he knows the meaning of life he knows the meaning of life" [36:13] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Paul was excited about death because he would finally be with the one he loved with the one he worshiped with the one he had been living for his whole life in the greek grammar to live is christ and to die is gain is really one idea it's like two sides of the same coin the coin is christ heads i live for christ tails i die and get to be with christ either way if you have the coin you have christ and paul had the coin is this you do you have the coin does this describe you do you think about christ love christ worship christ" [41:33] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Living for Christ is so much more than attending church. Living for Christ is so much more than doing spiritual disciplines. Living for Christ is so much more than a great summer camp experience, more than serving at La Vallejo, home, more than being an usher, more than doing whatever. Living for Christ requires exclusivity, exclusivity." [45:22] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "So what is the meaning of life? The meaning of life is living for Jesus Christ. To live is Christ and to die is gain. So how do we live for Christ? Number one, we serve Christ. Number two, we love Christ. And number three, we help the church grow in Christ. Will you live for Christ? Will you live for Christ so much so that death is gain?" [01:11:27] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "Paul begins our text with the answer to the question what is the meaning of life and he says the meaning of life is to live for christ to live is christ and for paul and for every christian life is all about christ paul thought about christ talked about christ studied christ served christ planned his whole year around christ spent his money on christ worshiped christ and loved christ paul's past was fixated by the memory of what christ had done for him paul's present was single-mindedly obsessed by his identity in christ and paul's future was consumed with the hope of being with christ everything else in paul's life was secondary to christ" [37:44] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Serving Christ is doing whatever work it takes to produce spiritual results in people. Serving Christ is the work that produces transformation in people. Serving Christ is the work that helps Christians be different from the inside out. Is that you? Is that your service for Christ? Is that your heart? Always looking for new opportunities to help others transform, be different, change in Christ. Are you looking for new ways to help or pray or to do something to help serve, to help assist others change in Christ?" [48:24] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Paul is saying that if he is to live, it will be better for the Christians in the Church of Philippi. Paul is concerned about them, about the church, about other believers, not his desires. Life, his life, is all about other Christians. It's about the church. D.A. Carson wrote about this, and he says, Often we are tempted to evaluate alternatives by thinking through what seems best for us. But how often do we raise as a first principle what is best for the church? What would be best for my brothers and sisters in Christ?" [01:03:11] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Spiritual progress is change. Spiritual progress is transformation that should be obvious to all over time. And that, my friends, should be super humbling right now. You should get a big lump in your throat. Paul lived for Christ by helping the people of the church transform in obvious ways. Obvious ways. When you look at this guy's life, you go, Wow, Timothy is a different man. Look how much Jesus has changed him. So that Christians everywhere would be saying, Yeah, it's obvious. He has changed so much." [01:05:26] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "And this is scary. This is super scary. But ask them, Am I making spiritual progress that is obvious to you? Am I making spiritual progress that is obvious to you? That is obvious to everyone. In the last five years, how have I changed? How have you seen me change? What progress have I made? What ways have I been transforming? Not what have I read in the last five years. Not what have I studied in the last five years. Those are great things. Those should lead to change. Not what things I have done in the last five years, but what character change have I made that God has made me to do?" [01:07:54] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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