Living Between Two Worlds - Part B

This is his motto.

This is his slogan. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. I wonder what one sentence would sum up your life. If there was going to be something on your tombstone that marked who you were in this life and how you live. What would it be? I heard about a dentist who died and on his tombstone it simply said here lies John Smith filling his last cavity.

That's not too comforting. What do you live for? Do you have a one sentence statement that sums up your life's purpose? Today on Connect with Skip High Tech, Skip shares the Apostle Paul's life motto and challenges you to evaluate what you're living for. At the end of the program, Skip and his wife Lenya share how you can impact the lives of hurting kids around the world. We're having a hard time or had a hard time finding toilet paper or eggs or whatever the next thing is that's missing. Imagine if you're a refugee.

They don't have anything anyway and living in some of these places is just so hard. And I'm blessed that we were able to provide food and medical supplies for refugees during COVID. Thank you Skip and Lenya. Be sure to stay with us after today's message to hear the full discussion. Right now we want to tell you about a resource that helps you navigate your life circumstances so you can embrace your God-given potential. I've enjoyed watching the growth and the ministry of my friend Levi Lusko. This month's Connect with Skip resource, Take Back Your Life, the new book by Levi Lusko.

Here's Levi to tell you about it. It's all around this idea of taking back your life. It's a 40-day interactive journey to thinking right so you can live right. And it's going to be really powerful and special, I think, for people to have this.

Not only is it in hardcover, which just makes me happy because I've never had a book released in hardcover, but it has a ribbon. So you'll be able to keep track of your progress through these 40 days. It would be an incredible gift to someone who is looking to grow in their faith or for any of us who want to maybe kind of do an oil change for your heart, a checkup on your wellness, on where you're at.

It'll deal with internal difficulties and help you deal better with external circumstances that are challenging as we explore how we can get to the very best version of ourselves that we are meant to be. Get the book, Take Back Your Life, with a donation of $35 to connect with Skip. Call 1-800-922-1888 or online at connectwithskip.com. This hardcover book by Levi Lusko will help you take back your life. It's a 40-day interactive journey to thinking right so you can live right.

1-800-922-1888. Now, we're in Philippians chapter one as we get into the message with Skip Heitzig. There's two modes of transportation to heaven. Number one, death. And so far that's how everybody has gotten there who's gotten there.

Death. Number two is when the Lord comes back and the saints who are alive are instantly translated into heaven. That's the rapture of the church.

That's another way to get there. Those are the only two modes of getting to heaven. That's described in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. It says, we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And here's the best part.

And so shall we always be with the Lord. There's the departure. There's the encounter. And the encounter is the best part. Because once you're with him, you'll always be with him.

Right? Once you're caught up in the air or you die and you're instantly in heaven, you'll always be with him. You'll be with him when he returns to the earth. You'll be with him in the millennial reign. You'll be with him in the eternal city. Forever you'll be with the Lord.

No wonder he says then in the same verse, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, look at this, which is far better. Two words, far better. In Greek it's three words. You know what it reads literally?

Which is much more better. If you're an English teacher that's repulsive to you. That's bad English.

Happens to be good Greek. And it's great theology. Heaven is much more better than earth. The arrival is much more better than even the departure and being here.

Now for Paul to say this, it's pretty obvious that he believed the moment he died he would at that very moment be with the Lord. There's no holding pattern. There's no waiting. There's no going somewhere else. There's no limbo. There's no purgatory. There's no soul sleep as some hold that if you die as a Christian you go into this sort of suspended state of unconsciousness until the Lord returns.

Then you're awakened and you're with him. Paul wouldn't have said that if he believed that. Because he thought when he departs he'll be with Christ which is far better. He was anticipating to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

I'm going to read to you something else. Dwight Lyman Moody. I've quoted him on many occasions.

A great evangelist and pastor of Moody Bible Church last generation. He was on his death bed and while he was there and he didn't know what the future state would be he told his family gathered around him. I'm not discouraged. I want to live as long as I'm useful but when my work is done I want to be up and off. I want to push off. That's my desire to depart when it's my time. After a particularly restless night the next morning with a very careful measured speech he said this, earth recedes heaven opens before me.

It was son who was at his bedside thought Pops is dreaming and Dwight said to his son no this is not a dream Will. It's beautiful. If this is death it is sweet.

There's no valley here. God is calling me and I must go. What a great way to go. It's so great to have lived that kind of a life so that at the end you go ah this is it.

I'm graduating now. This is sweet. So go back to Paul. He's in prison in Rome writing to the Philippians. Doesn't know which way the verdict will pass on his behalf or will he be killed. And as he wrestles with this he says let me just tell you where I'm at where I'm at my own personal desire be a lot easier a lot better for me to leave this earth and be home with the Lord.

However the 24th verse switches gears. That's what he wants. The third word he's willing to persist. He's willing to stay and work for the Lord on earth for he says nevertheless to remain in the flesh or in my physical body is more needful for you and being confident of this I know that I shall remain and continue with you for or excuse me I forgot the word all and continue with you all. He's from the south for your progress and joy of faith. So you see what he's saying as much as I want to go home I understand that I have some unfinished work here and I have a hunch that I'm going to stay around for you all.

This is what I want you to notice. Here's a spiritual man caught between two worlds earth and heaven and as a spiritual man though he would love to just be in heaven because it's a place of comfort and joy and reward. He's balancing out what he wants with what they need and he places what they need before what he wants. That's a spiritual man. What I want you to see about Paul is that he just didn't preach great sermons.

This is how he lived. Go over to chapter two. Look at verse three. He writes to them let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others. Here's a guy who will practice what he preaches. Here's Paul in prison putting them and their interests even before his own.

Go back now to chapter one. Look at verse 22. But if I live on in the flesh that is if I if I don't die if I get released if I live on in the flesh this will mean fruit from my labor yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.

In other words as long as I'm still kicking I'm going to be serving the Lord. I want to make sure that I'll labor and be energetic and produce fruit. Now Jesus himself said you can tell about a person's life by the fruit that they produce and if you're a spiritual person you'll you'll produce spiritual fruit. John Stott said these words the Christian should resemble a fruit tree not a Christmas tree for the gaudy decorations of a Christmas tree are only tied on whereas fruit grows on a fruit tree. Now what's what is fruit the result of?

Work, right? A farmer will sow and the Bible says whatever you sow you'll reap. So fruit comes from one's labor that's why Paul uses the term from my labor. Unless you actually do something as a Christian you'll never be fruitful. Now it begins by just a connection with Jesus Christ you abide in the vine and as you abide in the vine he energizes you to serve to serve people to work. Now before we move on from this notice that toward the beginning of that sentence of verse 22 is the word if don't miss this but if I live on in the flesh you see Paul doesn't know if he'll die or if he'll live right so because that huge condition is sitting in front of him this if he understands that if I live I'm going to be fruitful because once I die my opportunity to labor and produce fruit is over right you're not going to witness in heaven you're not going to pass tracks out in heaven you're not going to be giving money to further God's kingdom in heaven you won't be discipling in heaven you're in heaven the reward comes so if I live on in the flesh all of my labor and all of my energy and all of my fruit must be produced now on this earth before I get to heaven.

Now I take you to the fourth word and that is waiting. Paul's been wrestling with the predicament wanting to depart and be with Christ willing to stay here if that's what God desires but I've saved this which is I think the best for the last this is Paul now waiting with a passion look at verse 20. According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now also Christ will be magnified in my body whether by life or by death for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Now that is Paul's life sentence that that sums up in my view all of Paul's life and death this would be a great thing to have on his tombstone this is his motto this is his slogan for me to live as Christ and to die is gain. I wonder what one sentence would sum up your life if there was going to be something on your tombstone that marked who you were in this life and how you live what what would it be? I heard about a dentist who died and on his tombstone it simply said here lies John Smith filling his last cavity.

Now that's not too comforting all he did in life is fill cavities and now he's just filling in this cavity in the earth this good old dentist is filling his last cavity. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. So let's just consider in closing those two options let's say Paul got out of jail. Okay Paul you're free now you get to continue and live on in the flesh what's what's your life going to be all about? Christ. You know talk about a guy with a one-track mind it's Paul I've been honestly convicted just reading through Philippians in preparation for this morning's message because I notice how often Paul zeroes in on and mentions Jesus Christ in just the first chapter.

We're in Christ Jesus you're in Philippi but you're in Christ I'm in prison but I my chain are in Christ I want to spread the gospel of Christ. This guy lived with a one-track mind he wrote to the Romans and he said I've determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. It was all about Christ. It's like the little boy who went to Sunday school and he got his first time he'd ever been to church got out of Sunday school and his mom said well how was it?

He said it was good. Well what was your teacher's name? He goes I don't know her name but she must have been Jesus' grandmother because Jesus was the only one she could talk about the whole class. All right that's just like Paul. Jesus is the only one he seems to talk about in this life for me to live is Christ. I want to tie something to that. Don't lose this one. Look at verse 20.

I want to unpack that. According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now Christ will be magnified in my body whether by life or by death. You see that those two words earnest expectation.

Let me tell you what that means. It speaks of a person sticking his head out to see what's coming up. He's intently focusing on what's coming up that he's eager.

He's anticipating it. He's saying as long as I live my my one focus of what's coming is that my life might magnify and glorify Jesus Christ. I want to live in such a way that my own body becomes a base of operations for Jesus Christ. Now don't miss this because I have met too many Christians with this weird view of the body. Yeah the body is all bad and the spirit's all good.

Don't worry about the body. It's all about the spirit and there's truth to that. I know where they're coming from but the Bible says your body ought to become the base of operations and a vehicle for him to work. Verses like Romans 12 present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is your reasonable service. Romans 6 present the members of your bodies as instruments of righteousness to God. 1st Corinthians chapter 6. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?

This is what all that means. Your hands can become like his hands. His instruments to do his work. Your mouth could be so yielded to him that you're speaking his words and speaking life to other people. Your feet could be on a mission to do his work.

Your whole life, marriage, hobbies, occupation could be to magnify Christ. The great composer Bach said all of music should have no other aim than the glory of God. Whenever he wrote a score he would begin by writing two letters at the top.

J. J. Je su juva. Which means Lord Jesus help me. And he'd write his music.

At the end he would write three initials at the bottom. S. D. G. Soli Deo Gloria. To God alone the glory.

Deo Gloria. To God alone the glory. All of life was lived to magnify and to glorify Jesus Christ.

Now again we're not done yet with that verse. Look at this phrase. That Christ will be magnified. Now just get a picture in your minds of what it means to magnify Christ. Megaluna is the Greek word. It means to enlarge or to make great. Now here's my question. How in the world could we possibly make great or any greater the greatest person who ever lived Jesus Christ let alone through our bodies? How is that possible? I'm going to tell you how.

Here's an illustration and then the application. Out there in the universe out there in the heavens there are stars that are so much bigger than the sun. Some of these stars are a thousand million miles in diameter. But they're so far away you can't see them. You can't apprehend them unless you have an instrument called a telescope that magnifies them. It enlarges them.

It brings them closer. Well I suggest to you that just like the stars are in the heavens Jesus Christ is to most people. He's so distant. He's so 2,000 years old.

He's a misty figure of history that nobody thinks is relevant for today. You have the opportunity to magnify him. To make him large.

And here's how. As people watch your life especially as you suffer like Paul was in prison it's an opportunity for people to go wow there is a Jesus who is alive and makes a big difference in that person's life. He's now larger than life.

I see him at work in his people. So you get the idea of what Paul says when if I live or die I want to enlarge magnify the Lord Jesus Christ. He's brought closer.

Okay so that's one option if I live. Now this is if he dies and this is where we close. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Okay we've spent four months on the last part.

The gain part. We've talked all about what you gain as a believer when you die and what's up ahead. We're not afraid of death.

Death just sweetens the pie. In fact I don't even think it's accurate to say he died or she died. It's better to say he moved. She moved.

They've relocated. I've watched a lot of people die over the years. I've sat at deathbeds a little over a year ago with my own mother and several other people even here in this fellowship and I've watched those last breaths and I've looked into their eyes and I've heard that last on many occasions.

Nothing more. And it's a holy moment for me because I imagine at the end of that labor breath what the next breath so to speak in heaven must be like. I guarantee it's not. It's more like wow. It's more like wow. That's if you know Christ.

If not it might sound something like uh-oh. Certainly don't want that. Now only the person who can say for me to live is Christ is the one who can say to die is gain. You fill in the blank. For me to live is whatever and I don't know what that is.

I don't know honestly what would sum up your goal in life. Let's just suppose it's finances. It's materialism.

Okay so let's finish the sentence. For me to live is money. To die is to leave it all behind. It's not a gain.

It's a loss. Let's say you want status, notoriety, position. Okay let's finish the sentence. For me to live is notoriety. To die is to be quickly forgotten. Let's say it's a perfect physique.

Okay just for me to live is a perfect physique. To die well you get really ugly after you die so you lose it all. Only the person who can say for me to live is Christ can say to die is gain. The Indians had a great saying.

I don't know which tribe of Native Americans it was but there's a little old saying in one of those tribes that goes like this. When you were born you cried but the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die the world cries and you rejoice.

There's good wisdom in that. I put it in Paul's words for me to live is Christ and therefore to die is gain. Heaven is something we're all invited to go to but just as I needed a passport to get out of this country into another country the only way to get into heaven the only passport into heaven are the merits of Jesus Christ on your behalf. Until we get there it's my prayer that heaven will be more than a destination.

It will become our motivation. That's Skip Hytik with a powerful message for you from the series From the Edge of Eternity. Now here's Skip and Lenya as they share how you can help impact the lives of hurting kids around the world. Well today we were reminded that as long as we're here on this earth we're to serve Jesus by serving other people and Lenya you have the great privilege of doing that through an organization that you founded called Reload Love. We make it a point to highlight this ministry and we do it a lot because we really believe in what's going on all over the world through this ministry.

Would you update us? Well it's so humbling to realize if COVID is impacting us in the United States and we're having a hard time or had a hard time finding toilet paper or eggs or whatever the next thing is that's missing imagine if you're a refugee. They don't have anything anyway and living in some of these places is just so hard and I'm blessed that we were able to provide food and medical supplies for refugees during COVID.

And then also we have this ongoing relationship in Myanmar, Burma and we were able to provide food and medical supplies for a relief mission because one of the villages of innocent people were attacked and during this global pandemic when it's difficult to get supplies somewhere we just happen to know the right people at the right place at the right time that if we just funded them they could make it into this really difficult place to reach. And so we're just thanking God for the way that he has made all things possible when they seem impossible. So you can join the Love Mint and you can make a one-time donation at reloadlove.com. Thank you Skip and Lenya.

God is our sovereign creator but he's also a loving father. We want people all over the world to know they're not alone and to know God's caring love and you can help make that happen through your gift today which also keeps these messages you enjoy coming to you. Give a gift right now when you call 800-922-1888. Again that's 800-922-1888 or visit connectwithskip.com slash donate. Connectwithskip.com slash donate. Thank you. Come back again tomorrow as Skip Heisick begins a series exploring the biography of God so you can get a clear picture of his character. Connect with Skip Heisick is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God's never changing truth in ever-changing times.