Ready for Either

For me to live is to play games. For me to live is to accumulate, to shop, to golf, to garden, to travel, to grow a portfolio, to build, to get a degree, to watch television, whatever you fill in the blanks. For me to live is whatever I want to live for. Now don't misunderstand, living can involve all of those things. But the question is, are they a part of your life or are they the reason for your life? What are you living for?

Be honest with yourself. We all know the right answer, but what's the real answer? Welcome to this broadcast of Wisdom for the Heart. We're looking today at some verses Paul recorded for us in Philippians 1. Paul wasn't just given a vision of heaven. He was actually taken there firsthand. How was he able to remain content in the face of imprisonment, chains, and beatings? Well, he learned to live for Christ, and we're going to examine that in today's message.

Stephen Davey has a message for you entitled, Ready for Either. In 1934, John and Betty Stamm were new missionaries with the China Inland Mission. Along with their three-month-old daughter, they had arrived and they would serve in a small town for only a few months. Civil war had erupted nearby and the communist, or what was called the Red Army, was fighting with government forces and they were moving toward the mission compound. The town's magistrate, or mayor, knew that this would be a life-threatening situation for any foreigner, certainly for missionaries from the West. So he came to the Stamm's missionary compound and urged them to flee for their lives. Taking no chances for the safety of his wife and daughter, John arranged for Betty and her baby girl to be escorted away to safety, but before their plans could even get off the ground, the 19th Division of the Red Army had already streamed over the mountains behind government troops and entered this town. Gunshots echoed throughout the city. Rebel forces began looting and killing. It wasn't long before some of the soldiers began pounding on the mission station's front gate. John opened it and invited the soldiers in, asking them if they were hungry. Betty set before them tea and some little cakes.

They were uninterested in the courtesy of the missionaries. In fact, they simply demanded all of their money. John willingly handed over what little they had. Still, the men tied up John's hands and he pleaded for the safety of his wife and daughter. All three of them were eventually taken to a local prison where some of the prisoners were released to make room for this family. In the midst of all of the chaos and all of the turmoil, little baby Helen began to cry.

Nothing could console her. Finally, one of the soldiers offered to kill her since she was bothering the rest of the troops. One of the prisoners who was being released, in the process of being released, somebody turned to the soldier and said, how could anyone think of murdering an innocent baby? The soldier turned to him and said, well, I will allow this baby to live tonight, but you will take her place.

In their presence, he cut him down. The Stamps knew that they would more than likely not be allowed to live for very much longer. Like John in that prison wrote a hasty note to the mission explaining how they'd been captured and he ended his note with the words, may Christ be glorified, whether by life or by death. The following day, John handed the letter to the postmaster as they were forced to begin a march and the postmaster who was a believer asked him where they were going and John said to him, we don't know where the soldiers are going, but we are probably going to heaven. After a forced march of 12 miles, they arrived at a town where they stopped for the night at a wealthy landowners home who had fled upon their arrival. Betty was allowed to tend to their little girl, but she did more than that. She hurriedly fed her baby, then hugged her goodbye and wrapped her in a sleeping bag and hid her in one of the rooms of that large estate.

Inside the sleeping bag, she placed a change of clothing, a diaper, and all the money she had kept hidden to $5 bills. The next morning, the young couple was led to the town square. Without their baby, none of the soldiers seemed to notice. Both John and Betty's hands were tightly bound. As they were led past jeering soldiers and citizens who had been forced to empty their homes to come and watch, they were stripped of their outer garments in the tradition of common criminals on their way to execution. John, one bystander would note, later was barefoot, having given his socks to Betty to help keep her warm in the winter air. The commanding officer stopped and ordered John to kneel. John and Betty exchanged a few words that went unrecorded on earth and then John knelt.

As he was praying softly, a soldier flashed his sword through the air and severed John's head with one vicious blow. Bystanders reported that Betty didn't cry or scream out, but merely shivered and then fell to her knees beside her husband's body. And there, with her hands bound, as she knelt there next to him, that same sword rose and fell again, ending her life. Their baby, Helen, was found two days later. Her muffled cries in that abandoned house had aroused the suspicions of neighbors, and they called a Chinese pastor who came and took her to his home. Sometime later, she was safely delivered to her maternal grandparents who would raise her until the age of five.

They were also serving as missionaries in China. Later, she came to the United States where she lived with her uncle and aunt. She would grow to serve the Lord in a variety of ways, including writing. She passed away just a few months ago.

A woman in our earlier service came up to me and told me she knew her. As for her martyred parents, a small group of Christians took their bodies and buried them on a hillside nearby. John was 27.

Betty was 28. Their deaths would impact and inspire the evangelical world in the West. In fact, I read at Moody Bible Institute, upon receiving the news, 700 students immediately dedicated their lives to missionary service, regardless of the cost. Their biography, a brief one, would be written a little later by the daughter-in-law of Hudson Taylor. The courage of John and Betty at that moment that God graced them with wasn't the first to be written in church history. In fact, on their headstones were lines from a letter written by another martyr, lines inscribed next to their names. Her headstones read, John Cornelius Stamm, that Christ may be glorified, whether by life or by death.

Elizabeth Scott Stamm, for me to live is Christ. To die is gain. Of course, these words come from the pen of the Apostle Paul in one of his missionary letters we're studying. At the moment, if you'll turn back to Philippians in chapter 1, like John and Betty, he has, at least at this moment, a suspicion of impending death. He's not sure what the Lord is going to arrange for his future, but he wants the world to know in one of his last letters that this isn't just inspired Scripture. This is a reflection of his heart. This is the motto of his life. Given what we know of his near-term future, as I reached this point in his letter, it brought me, and I think you with me, it brings you to sort of a holy hush and reverence. He plans to return to these believers, but he never will.

We know why. But for now, listen to the passion of his heart at verse 21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. In other words, I don't know what God has in mind for me, but this I do know.

This I know. If I live, it's all about Jesus Christ, and if I die, things will only get better for me. Would you notice, by the way, you might circle the personal pronoun at the beginning of this statement, which makes it clear this is intensely personal. For to me, to me. In other words, I don't know about you, but to me, life is Christ, and dying is gain.

By the way, I can't help but notice there isn't any dread. This is the perspective of Paul for his future. Living, I win.

Dying, I win. If God will use the Praetorian Guard to ultimately lead to his execution, he doesn't resent them. He wants to take advantage of this. He originates the perspective that Spurgeon so eloquently imitated when he wrote in the late 1800s, I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the rock of ages. I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the rock of ages.

Hey, it's a win-win. Now, what Paul goes on to write in this paragraph can be categorized along these two ideas, the reason for living and the truth about dying. The reason for living and the truth about dying. We're going to deal in this session with the time we have left with Paul's reasons for living, and he identifies at least three of them for us. First, he wants to multiply fruit. Look at verse 22. If I live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.

What does he mean? Well, Paul's words translated here, fruitful labor, is an expression he's fond of or a metaphor. He expresses the same idea of multiplying fruit as a demonstration of the control of the Holy Spirit. He talks about fruitful attitudes, basically.

Galatians chapter 5, in that letter, he lists some of them, certainly not exhaustive, but he lists the ones the Spirit through him wants to communicate. Here are the attitudes of fruitful thinking, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control. These are attitudes, fruitful attitudes. He also uses the expression to refer to fruitful actions.

In fact, earlier in this letter, we saw in chapter 1 and verse 11, where Paul calls holy deeds the fruit of righteousness. So you have fruitful attitudes and you have fruitful actions. He also uses this in regards to fruitful additions. He'll use it in Romans 1 and verse 13 to talk about the spiritual harvest of converts.

He views them like ripening fruit. So Paul anticipates one of the benefits of living a little longer should God will it, giving him an opportunity to reap more fruit for Christ. And this fruit, by the way, that he wants to add, is going to last forever because it's related to people, it's related to the gospel, it's related to the Spirit of God, it's related to the eternal Lord. Paul wants lasting fruit, lasting treasure.

Whatever earth produces eventually spoils. Whatever the Spirit of God produces lasts forever. And that's real treasure. Paul wanted more of it.

Betty Stamm wrote these words before her martyrdom. When we consecrate ourselves to God, we think we're making a great sacrifice when we are only letting go of some little trinket. And when our hands are empty, he fills them with his treasures. Paul says, listen, one of the reasons I want to live is to get more opportunities to multiply true treasures that last forever. Secondly, Paul says not only the reason for living is to multiply fruit, but secondly, to motivate growth. I want to stay focused on Paul's reasons for living. So I want you to skip down to verse 24 where he adds these complementary thoughts. He writes, but to remain in the flesh, what he means is to stay alive.

But to stay alive is more necessary on your account. He's convinced of this. I know that I will remain and continue with you all.

He doesn't know how long. For, note, your progress, your joy in the faith. In other words, I know that for the time being, God has me remaining here for the sake of your progress. That word progress has already appeared in this letter back in verse 12. For the progress, the advancement of the gospel. It's a word that refers to cutting a path through thick underbrush.

It's a word that refers to climbing over obstacles to reach your goal. Paul never says that the gospel advancing is easy stuff. For you to grow in Christ, well, that's a piece of cake. He never ever alludes to your growth in mind like that. He's saying, I want you to move forward against resistance and through the thick forest of difficulties. Paul is not just interested in moving forward in his own life.

This is amazing to me. He's just as interested in the Philippians moving forward in the progress of their faith and joy. He's going to model what I'll write in just a few verses where he'll say to the church and to us, don't look to your own interests only, but look to the interests of others.

Let me sort of drop one other thing in here that marks me as he writes with this selfless attitude. Paul is willing to postpone going to heaven if the Lord wills it for their benefit. And get this, he has seen heaven.

He's been there personally. If you study his testimony, you learn that he was personally trained by the Holy Spirit over a three year period of isolation. According to Galatians chapter one. And during that training, the Holy Spirit, we're not told how, what, when, how long, but took him on a tour of heaven. In fact, Paul would write to the Corinthians about it and he would say, look, I didn't even know my body went along with me. It was so marvelous.

It was so amazing. Then he wrote to the Corinthian believers and said that he had seen things. He wasn't allowed by God to describe and he had heard things that God wasn't allowing him to repeat. And I got to say, I'm not happy about that.

Are you? I would love just a few more lines. You know, if he could have just done a drawing or two. Probably not because we're not nearly as patient as Paul.

If we'd seen that, we might not be any good here. Paul is, is, is not allowed by God to reveal what he saw. But I want you to understand when he's writing this, he is saying, I'm willing to postpone what I have seen for you, for your benefit, for your progress and joy in the faith. He would either add fruit and service or he would certainly be willing to depart to that place where he had seen the splendor of the glories and heard the music and the hosts of heaven in that celestial city where he longed to live.

So don't miss the point. He's willing for God to literally postpone heaven in order to allow him to help other Christians grow in their faith. Which leads me to his third reason for living. Not only does Paul want to multiply fruit and motivate growth. Third, he wants to magnify Christ. Notice verse 26, so that, by the way, that's important. This is his purpose clause. Yes, I want to live to multiply fruit and motivate growth. But here's where I'm driving. Here's where I'm taking you. Here's the ultimate cause.

Here's the core of my life's motto. So that, he writes, in me, you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus because of my coming to you. In other words, he's saying if I'm allowed to live, and he will for some time yet, the Philippians will have all the more reason to praise and worship the Lord for answering their prayers that he lives.

Even if it's for a year or a year and a half, we're not exactly sure. But ultimately, Jesus Christ is going to receive greater glory in Paul's living and ministering and preaching and discipling. And he says if the believers are incentivized to give Jesus more glory and more praise by me being allowed to live a little longer, I'm fine with that.

Can you imagine? Paul is so other people oriented, willing to sacrifice, even now, comfort and personal ease, even postpone entering heaven in order to give other believers greater reason to praise Jesus Christ. Desire, influence in the lives of other people, I mean, after they're around us, do they want to give God glory or do they just want to complain? I don't know about you, but I've been around a few people in my life that have made me, even after being with them, want to get alone and pray, Lord, I don't worship you like I should, I don't long for you like I should, but now that I've been in that person's presence, how they have motivated my faith and my joy and a deeper desire to praise you, I wonder if we're like that. I'm convinced that to become that kind of person, you have to mirror these kinds of reasons for wanting to be alive.

To sum up your life with this motto, for me to live, is all about Christ. See, most people that you know are living for the weekend, they have a job basically to pay for how they want to play and what they're going to do for the weekend. You talk to them at work, man, what are you looking forward to?

I just can't wait until the weekend. Are you kidding? Is that it? You probably know some guy who not only enjoys golf, but that's all he can talk about.

In fact, he can't wait to retire so he can play golf every day. Are you kidding? Is that it?

You might know a couple that are saving diligently, passionately, every spare penny so they can retire in a cottage, so they can spend the remaining years living at the beach. Are you kidding? Is that it? Is that life? Is that our great ambition?

Is that where we're heading? How much of what we really want out of life has an expiration date attached? Are our treasures people? Are our deepest prayers for the growth and faith and joy of others? These were Paul's reasons for living.

To multiply fruit for Christ, to motivate growth in Christ, and to magnify worship of Christ. As a young woman, only 18 years of age, just 10 years before she would be martyred in China, Betty Stamm had written out a prayer that would later be published around the Western world. A very simple prayer, but let me read it to you. Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all, utterly to thee to be thine forever.

She's writing as an 18-year-old. Fill me, seal me with thy Holy Spirit, use me as thou wilt, and send me where thou wilt, and work out thy whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever. That prayer would be published, and it would be copied by a 12-year-old girl in the flyleaf of her Bible, who would grow up to be a household name for our generation, known as Elizabeth Elliot.

The fruit continues to multiply to this day. Elizabeth's husband, you know, is Jim, one more martyr in the annals of church history, a like-minded man who once wrote of his life's motto, he is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. Which is another way of saying, for me, to live is Christ. To die is gain.

That was Steven Davey, and this is Wisdom for the Heart. Today's message is called Ready for Either. For the believer who desires to live for Christ, that's the only way to live.

Thanks for joining us today. This message comes from Steven's series entitled Moving Forward. If you'd like to go deeper in your study of Philippians, we have a resource that can help you. One of the books in Steven's Wisdom Commentary series is a book on Philippians. It's a practical and pastoral look at Paul's letter, and I know it would be a blessing to you. Call us for information at 866-48-BIBLE or look on our website, wisdomonline.org. Philippians and all the books in the series are posted there. I'm Scott Wiley, and I thank you for listening. We're honored to have you with us each day as we learn God's Word together here on Wisdom for the Heart. you