Three Catchcries for a New Year

The reading today is from Philippians 1, 1 to 26.

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are

at Philippi and with the overseers and deacons, grace to you and peace from God our Father

and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all

making my prayer with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion

at the day of Jesus Christ.

It is right for me to feel this way about you all because I hold you in my heart for you

are all partakers with me of grace.

Both in my imprisonment and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel.

For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with affection of Christ Jesus.

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment

so that you may approve what is excellent.

And so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness

that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel

so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment

is for Christ.

Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill.

The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel.

The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

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, 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 honoured 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 labour 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.

Thanks, Alan.

The title of the sermon this morning is

Three Catch Cries for a New Year.

I was speaking with John Hollier and he suggested they should be Aussie, Aussie, Aussie.

But after our shambolic performance at the MCG the last couple of days,

I don't think that's fitting,

so we'll go for three catch cries.

They'll be from the Book of Philippians.

If you're one of the children who's normally in Grace Kids in primary school

and you can come and tell me at the end of the service this morning

what those three catch cries are,

that means you've been listening very, very carefully

and I may have your choice of some M&Ms or a strawberry cloud

or a sour worm or something.

Some lollies anyway.

So, yeah, so kids, listen out,

but what are the three catch cries can you tell me?

Can you tell me?

If you're someone who's in youth group in high school,

you need to work a bit harder for your reward.

That is, in my first catch cry,

I have three sub points about halfway through

and one of them is...

I've got to remember what they are now.

Well, maybe I've forgotten what they are,

but you can tell me what they are, right?

One of them is the wellspring of something,

one of them is the bedrock of something,

and, you know, you can tell me what the three are,

so you need to be listing out for those

because they're not on your outlines.

You'll have to write them down and try and remember them.

Okay.

Well, let's get into it.

Now, according to a survey done by finder.com.au,

71% of Aussies, that's 15.5 million people,

will make a New Year's resolution for 2026.

71% of us.

And though you're much more likely to make a New Year's resolution

if you're young.

So 88% of Gen Z will make a New Year's resolution,

but only 39% of baby boomers.

Maybe the baby boomers are tired of making New Year's resolutions

and not keeping them.

But 71% of us.

And the top four most popular New Year's resolutions for Aussies

all concern physical health.

Number one, improve fitness.

Number two, eat more healthily.

Number three, lose weight.

Number four, sleep more.

And then number five is travel overseas.

Are you one of the 15 million?

You know, maybe you have a New Year's resolution or two.

Is your resolution among the top five?

Well, if so, I have some disappointing news for you.

That 80% of New Year's resolutions fail by February.

What that means is,

if you've been paying attention to those statistics,

and I think if I've got my maths right,

that means each year more Aussies fail to keep New Year's resolutions

than fail to make them.

Well, today from Philippians chapter one,

this is our final sermon for 2025.

It's also, in a way, our first for 2026,

because we're beginning a new series that will carry us through to February.

That is, carry us through to about the time

all those New Year's resolutions are failing.

This portion of God's word will give us something better

than resolutions to carry into the new year.

What we'll see this morning are three catch cries for all God's people.

I say they're catch cries for all God's people

because that's how Paul addresses this letter,

at least to the Philippians.

In Philippians chapter one, verse one,

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi,

with the overseers and deacons.

This is a letter Paul wrote for all believers,

all the saints in Philippi, not just for the leaders,

but neither excluding the leaders, the overseers and the deacons.

It's for them too.

The message of this letter was for all.

And these three catch cries we're going to see from chapter one

are better than New Year's resolutions

because their power comes,

the power of these catch cries comes not from our own discipline

and constancy, which is rather unreliable,

but from the goodness and faithfulness of God.

Now, I was talking with Gareth at church on Christmas Day.

We were having a chat.

And he knew I was preaching on this passage

because he was preparing the kids' talk.

And he suggested that this passage was too long for me to preach,

which I think was more a comment about my preaching

than about the passage per se.

But I think we might be able to manage it

if we focus on these three catch cries

because each of them takes us to the heart

of one of the three main sections of this passage.

So for each of these sections,

we'll begin with the catch cry

and then we'll use that as a springboard

to get into the section as a whole.

So first catch cry for us to take into 26

from verses 3 to 11 is this.

We are all partakers together of grace.

We are all partakers together of grace.

Now, as usual, Paul begins one of his letters

with thanksgiving and prayer.

But look with me at verse 7.

In the ESV, it's right in the middle of the verse.

If you have another version,

you probably find this phrase at the end of the verse.

But there in verse 7, Paul says to the Philippians,

you are all partakers with me of grace.

Or to express it another way, he says to them,

you all share together with me

in the grace of God.

You all share together with me in the grace of God.

And that is true of every Christian.

Indeed, you could say that is what it means

to be a Christian.

A Christian is someone who shares in the grace of God.

If you're someone that is who trusts in

and who follows Jesus,

then God's kindness,

his generosity,

his favour,

his blessing,

his joy,

it's all yours.

You share in it.

It belongs to you.

And if you're not yet a Christian,

if you're someone here who is exploring

or thinking about God

and about Christianity,

if you're not yet a Christian,

then I want you to know

this is what Jesus offers you.

A share in God's grace,

all of his goodness.

You, Christian,

can wake up each morning

and say to yourself,

the goodness of God is mine.

The grace of God is mine.

I share in it.

And that is true,

that is true of you,

no matter what else is going on in your life.

No matter what your circumstances,

it was true of Paul,

in prison in Rome.

It was true,

or perhaps elsewhere,

but let's go with Rome.

It was true of the Philippians,

threatened by opponents in their own city.

And it's true of you,

whatever your circumstances,

as you face a new year.

You might face a new year with anticipation.

You might face it with dread.

But if you are someone who loves Jesus

and trusts in him,

this is true of you.

You share in the grace of God.

Your sins are forgiven

and that cannot be taken away.

You can call God your father

and that cannot be taken away.

You have the gift of God's spirit.

You have an inheritance in heaven.

God is always working for your good

and none of these things can be taken from you.

You share in God's grace.

Not because you deserve it,

not because any of us deserve it,

but because God freely gives it.

And that one thought,

that catch cry,

ripples throughout Paul's thanksgiving and prayer

in this first section.

Let me show three ways.

Firstly,

knowing that we share together in grace

is the wellspring of affection and joy.

Sharing together in grace

is the wellspring of affection and joy.

Look at verses seven and eight together.

Paul says to the Philippians,

it's right for me to feel this way about you all

because I hold you in my heart.

Now, what's Paul talking about here

when he says it's right for me

to feel this way about you all?

Well, he's referring in part

to his thankfulness and joy,

which he mentions in verse three and four.

He says, verse three,

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

always in every prayer of mine for all of you,

making my prayer with joy.

And now in verse seven,

he says,

it's right for me to feel this way about you all,

this thankfulness,

this joy,

because I hold you in my heart.

Why?

For you are all partakers with me of grace,

both in my imprisonment

and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

It's because the Philippians share with Paul

in God's grace

that Paul says it's right,

it's just,

it's fitting

that he should hold them in his heart.

It's fitting that he should be

filled with thankfulness and joy

on their account

because together with Paul,

they share in God's grace.

And this is the basis of Paul's affection for them too.

We see that in verse eight.

Verse eight,

for God is my witness,

how I yearn for you

with all the affection of Christ Jesus.

Paul loved his brothers and sisters in Philippi.

He felt affection for them.

He longed to be with them.

You can see

from Paul's precise words in verse seven

that it mattered to the apostle

not only that in which we share,

that is God's grace,

the thing we share in,

but it also mattered to Paul

that we share in it together.

You are all partakers with me,

Paul says,

of grace.

See,

sharing in something unimaginably,

as unimaginably good as God's grace

is reason enough

for affection and joy

and thankfulness

between believers

and on behalf of one another.

Think of it,

think of

two groups of

exuberant fans

of a sports team

that has just won the grand final

or maybe the fourth test.

And they

see one another

on a train

or a tram

on the way home

from the sports ground

and they recognise

the team colours

and maybe the accents

and they've never met before.

Their names are unknown

and yet they recognise

one another

and they cheer

and they laugh

and they sing the team song

or the national anthem

and they retell

the most memorable moments

of the match.

They're so elated,

these fans,

sports fans,

so elated

that they cannot possibly

feel badly

toward one another

for they share

in the same victory.

And if that's

the camaraderie

and euphoria

over something fleeting,

over something

that doesn't last,

well how much more fitting

is thankfulness

and mutual joy

and affection

that these

are the mark

of those

who share together

in the grace

of God.

We share together

in

infinite riches,

the infinite riches

of God's grace

and that's a basis

for affection

and joy.

But there's more.

Not only

is being partakers,

fellow partakers

in grace

the wellspring

of affection

and joy,

it's also

the bedrock

of assurance.

The bedrock

of assurance.

Look at verse 6.

For God is my witness,

oh sorry,

that's verse 8,

verse 6,

and I am sure

of this

that he

who began

a good work

in you

will bring it

to completion

at the day

of Jesus Christ.

Paul was convinced

that God

would continue

his work

in the Philippians

until the day

Christ returns.

He was certain

they would persevere.

He was certain

they would press

on as believers

until the end.

How could

Paul be so sure

about the Philippians'

future?

Were the Philippians

super-Christians?

Was it because

they were more tough,

more resilient

than anyone else?

Well again,

follow the logic

through.

I'm sure of this,

Paul says,

that he who began

a good work

in you

will bring it

to completion

at the day

of Jesus Christ?

How so?

Verse 7,

it's right for me

to feel this way

about you

because I hold you

in my heart

for you are all

partakers

with me

of grace.

It's right for me

to feel this way

about you.

Right to feel

what way

about the Philippians?

Well part of

how Paul feels

about the Philippians

is his confidence,

his certainty

that God

would complete

his work

in them.

And again,

the basis

of this

is what Paul

says in verse 7

that it is

because they

are partakers

with Paul

of grace.

To put this

another way,

how was Paul

so confident

for the Philippians?

Well his confidence

was in God

himself.

It's God

who began

the work.

It's God

who would

complete the work.

because of course

God will complete

what he has begun

because we share

in his grace.

What would grace

be if it carried

us only halfway

there?

So Paul

was confident

for the Philippians

but he was

confident

in God

and in his

grace.

Sharing in grace

is the bedrock

of assurance.

And thirdly

and finally

in this section

being partakers

together

in grace

is the root

of our

fruitfulness.

It's the root

of our

fruitfulness.

Look again

at verse 6.

Paul says there

I'm sure of this

that he who

began a good

work in you

will bring it

to completion

at the day

of Jesus

Christ

or perhaps

better

will bring it

to completion

until the day

of Jesus

Christ.

There's a sense

of God

carrying it

on throughout

that whole

time frame.

But what

is the good

work which

God will

complete

and perfect

until the

day of

Jesus Christ?

Well in part

it's our

faith and our

salvation as

I've just

implied.

But if we

look in the

context in

verse 5

Paul has

just been

thanking God

for the

Philippians

partnership

in the

gospel from

the first

day until

now.

So they

were not

only Paul's

partners in

the blessings

of the

gospel sharing

in the

blessings that

come from

God's

grace.

They were

also partners

with Paul in

the proclamation

of the gospel

in evangelism.

Now later on in

Philippians in

chapter 4 we

learn at least

one way they

did this was

by giving

financially to

support Paul's

evangelistic

mission to

the nations.

They had done

that in the

past.

Indeed they

had done it

Paul says

from the first

day ever since

they first

became Christians.

Christians they

had shared with

Paul in his

mission.

They had done

it again

recently sending

another gift to

Paul to meet

his needs even

as he was in

prison awaiting

trial.

But Paul was

confident that

God's grace

would continue

to make them

fruitful in

love and

righteousness and

good deeds.

Hence his

prayer for them

in verse 9 to

11.

We won't look

at all of it

but his prayer

concludes in

verse 11 that

they will be

filled with the

fruit of

righteousness

that comes

through Jesus

Christ to the

glory and

praise of

God.

They would be

filled but it

would be through

Jesus and so

the glory would

be to God.

It's grace,

it's a gift,

it's God's

work, it's

fruit, fruit

which grows on

us but which

comes from

him.

Trust that he

will do it,

that sharing

in his grace

will be for

you the

root of

fruitfulness,

that there'll

be fruit,

he'll do it,

there'll be

fruit in your

life,

fruit of

evangelistic

fruit, fruit

of righteousness,

of holiness

and godliness,

he will do it

even for you,

even for the

person sitting

next to you.

And so

partaking of

God's grace

is the

wellspring of

joy and

affection,

it's the

bedrock of

our assurance

and it's the

root of our

fruitfulness.

What a catch

cry to carry

into 2026.

How much

better than a

new year's

resolution which

depends on us.

We are all

partakers together

of grace.

That is what it

means to be a

Christian, we

share in the

grace of God.

Well the

second catch

cry of this

chapter from

verse 12 to

18 is this,

what has

happened has

actually served

to advance the

gospel.

That comes from

verse 12,

verse 12 Paul

writes to the

Philippians,

I want you to

know brothers

that what has

happened to me

has really

served to

advance the

gospel.

Now what has

happened to me

Paul is there

referring to his

imprisonment as

verse 13 makes

clear.

There are three

main candidates

for which

imprisonment this

was, Paul was

imprisoned multiple

times.

It may have been

his imprisonment in

Caesarea from

AD 57 to 59, we

can read about that

imprisonment in Acts

Acts 23 · chapter mention

chapters 23 to 26.

It may be his

imprisonment in Rome

around AD 60 to 62,

we read about that in

Acts 28.

It may be an earlier

imprisonment in

Ephesus, we don't

have any direct

evidence of that but

it may have

occurred in the

mid-50s.

I'm not going to go

into the arguments for

or against each of

these locations.

In my view, Rome

best fits the

evidence and I'm

going to treat it as

if he's in prison in

Rome but if it's in

one of the other

places it doesn't

really change the

meaning of the book

we have before us.

In any case, Paul

is under arrest,

he's in custody,

he's chained,

he's facing trial,

the threat of

execution hovers

over him and all

of that must have

seemed like a major

setback for the

cause of the

gospel of Jesus

Christ.

Well, Paul says

what seemed like a

setback was actually

a step forward.

I want you to know,

brothers, that what

has happened to me

has really served

to advance the

gospel.

Don't be discouraged,

he says to the

Philippians, take

heart.

He assures them,

not just I'm okay

but the gospel is

okay, the cause of

Christ is okay.

Now, how could that

be?

How could this be the

case?

Because this was

Paul, right?

Paul, the one who

had been appointed by

Jesus Christ himself

as the apostle to the

nations, languishing

in chains in Rome.

This is Paul, the

travelling missionary

who had been deprived

of his liberty and

freedom of movement,

now stuck in place.

This was Paul, the

church planter, the

pioneer.

He planned to carry

the gospel even further

west to Spain.

But now here he is in

Rome, a city the gospel

had already reached even

before Paul got there.

You know, things had

certainly not worked out

as Paul himself had

planned and hoped.

But now, Paul says,

this apparent retreat

was in fact an advance.

How so?

Well, in two ways.

First, in the

opportunity it afforded

Paul and secondly, in

the way Paul's

imprisonment inspired

others.

So first look at verse

13.

It's really served to

advance the gospel,

verse 13, so that it

has become known

throughout the whole

imperial guard and to

all the rest that my

imprisonment is for

Christ.

In Acts chapter 28, we

Acts 28 · chapter mention

read that Paul in Rome

was allowed to stay by

himself in his own

sort of rented

quarters, but with a

soldier who guarded

him.

And that during the two

years he spent there,

Paul continued to

proclaim Jesus with

boldness and without

hindrance to any who

visited him.

Now, presumably, you

know, there's a soldier

with Paul guarding him.

Presumably, there wasn't

just one guard who lived

permanently with Paul.

What seems more likely,

and verse 13 would tend

to corroborate this, is

that various soldiers of

the imperial guard, the

praetorian, rotated on

shifts, keeping watch

over Paul.

And that created

opportunities for Paul to

share the gospel with

them.

I mean, they're stuck

with him.

What are they going to

talk about?

Why he's in chains?

Why not start there?

Even if Paul didn't get

to share the gospel with

them directly, they may

well have been listening

in as Paul shared the

gospel with others who

visited him.

Certainly, given Paul's

relatively high status as

a prisoner by this time,

it's no surprise that

over time, the entire

imperial guard and all

the rest learned the

reason for his

confinement.

At the end of the

letter, Philippians 4,

Philippians 4:22

verse 22, Paul passes on

to the Philippians that the

believing members of

Caesar's household send

their greetings to the

Philippians.

So Paul's imprisonment

created opportunity for,

you know, his lengthy

imprisonment.

It led directly to the

spread of the gospel at

least among some portions

of Rome's civil and military

administration.

Paul's imprisonment gave

Paul opportunities for the

gospel, but there's a

second way in which it

served to advance the

gospel, and that is in how

it inspired other believers.

Look at verse 14.

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, that's a seemingly

strange comment to make,

isn't it?

How could Paul's

imprisonment lead to

others being confident

and preaching the gospel

without fear?

Wouldn't it be the

reverse?

You know, Paul's in

prison.

Paul's been arrested, so

maybe I could be arrested

too, so I better shut my

mouth.

But it doesn't work that

way.

It had the opposite

effect.

Most of the brothers were

apparently more impacted by

the example of Paul's

courage than by his

confinement, fear of his

confinement like his.

Actually, Paul goes on to

explain it was a mixed bag of

people who had stepped up

their evangelistic efforts

around the city of Rome.

Verse 15, some indeed

preach Christ from envy and

rivalry, but others from

goodwill.

The latter do it out of love,

knowing that I'm put here for

the defence of the gospel.

The former proclaimed Christ

out of rivalry, not

sincerely, but thinking to

afflict me in my

imprisonment.

See, there are those who

were sincerely motivated.

They loved Paul.

They shared his desire to see

the gospel advance, and so

they were emboldened to

preach Christ.

There are others who are

motivated by rivalry, who

envied Paul and who

imagined that by making more

noise about Jesus in Rome,

they might stir up some

trouble for him, they might

cause him some problems.

Isn't that a very sad state of

affairs, actually, that second

group?

That there might be people who

preach Christ in order to

bring trouble on another

believer.

And yet it's, you know, it's

an accurate and damning

appraisal of the human heart,

isn't it, that sin can be so

insidious that it's possible

even, that even in the most

noble of activities, preaching

Christ, we can be motivated by the

most base of desires, envy and

malice.

But listen to Paul.

Paul offers his own remarkable

commentary on this situation,

considering these two groups

preaching Christ.

Verse 18, what then?

Only that in every way, whether in

pretense or in truth, Christ is

proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

You know, what a testimony to the

heart of the apostle here.

If I were in his situation, you

know, even if I could somehow

stoically endure the physical

ordeal and confinement of my

imprisonment, I can't imagine

responding to the activities of

those rivals with anything other

than outrage and self-righteous

indignation.

You know, their intentions were so

mean and warped.

But Paul's not concerned about his

own status or his own well-being

or his own vindication.

He just wants people to hear

about Jesus.

That mattered more to him than

anything.

As long as more and more people

were hearing about Jesus, it

didn't matter how it was

happening.

That was enough for Paul to

rejoice.

He didn't care what it cost him

personally.

He just wanted people to hear

about Jesus, about their Lord and

Saviour.

And in writing to the

Philippians in this way, Paul

clearly expected them to share his

value system.

Now, I want you to know, brothers,

Paul begins in verse 12.

He expects his words in this section

to comfort the Philippians, to

reassure them.

But they can only comfort and

reassure the Philippians if they did

share his value system, or at least

if these words of Paul would help them

change their perspective.

Now, the Philippians loved Paul, and

so they had reason for anxiety and

grief because of the troubles he was

facing.

But Paul expects that what matters

most to the Philippians will not be

Paul's well-being, but the same thing

that matters to Paul, that more and

more people hear about Christ.

And when it comes to people hearing

about Jesus, God loves to turn setbacks

into opportunities.

John Piper, in his book, Let the

Nations Be Glad, tells numerous stories

from the last two centuries of how

suffering and seeming setbacks have

served to advance the gospel.

Here's one of them, which Piper takes

from a book by Bill and Amy Stearns.

In the 1930s, the Japanese invaded

North Korea and thousands of Koreans

fled.

And many of the Koreans who fled settled

around Vladivostok.

And then in the late 30s and early 40s,

Joseph Stalin began developing Vladivostok

as a weapons manufacturing centre.

But he deemed that the Koreans who were

living in the region, in the area, they

were a security risk.

And so he relocated them throughout the

Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin.

Relocated them to five different areas

of the Soviet Union.

One of those areas was Tashkent, where

these group of Koreans were settled among

a staunchly Muslim population, the Uzbeks.

Now, the Uzbeks are a large people group which

had for hundreds of years violently resisted any

Western efforts to introduce Christianity.

But when these Koreans were moved in to live

amongst them, they welcomed them because of their

industry and kindness.

And within a few decades, this community of Koreans

had integrated with Uzbek cultural life.

Among the Koreans were pockets of Christian believers.

He began bringing Uzbek and Kazakh friends to Christ.

And so on June the 2nd, 1990, the first open-air

Christian meeting in the history of Soviet Central Asia

was held in the capital of Kazakhstan.

Through the labours of these Korean believers.

Now, consider the hardships that those Korean

believers faced.

First displaced from their homeland.

Then again, forcibly relocated by Stalin.

And placed among a foreign culture and a foreign

people.

And yet God used that to bring the gospel to an

unreached people group.

Actually, a people group that is still largely unreached

today.

But the work has begun.

God turns setbacks, apparent setbacks, into steps

forward.

Now, what will 2026 bring for you?

What will 2026 bring for me?

What will it bring for us as a church?

What will it bring for the missionaries we support?

Now, if you've been here as part of this church for a while,

long enough to hear about the missionary support, and I'm

speaking about the others, not about myself and the AFES

team here.

But if you've been here long enough to hear about the

missionary support, you will know the hardships and the

obstacles and the apparent setbacks that each of them are

facing.

And have faced in recent years.

What will 2026 bring them and us?

There may be griefs and trials and obstacles and setbacks.

Don't be surprised.

But let us carry this catch cry into 2026.

What has happened has actually served to advance the gospel.

God's mission won't fail.

His plan won't fail.

Let's be open to unexpected twists in the mission of God.

Let us be ready to see in our weakness, Christ's strength.

In our defeat, Christ's triumph.

And let us learn to prize the cause of Christ more than we

prize our own comfort.

You know, what could be better, however much it cost us, what

could be better than that more and more people hear of Jesus?

And in a similar vein, let's carry into 2026 our third and final

catch cry from this passage.

For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

That statement comes from verse 21.

Verse 21.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Now, why does Paul say this?

Paul says this because he's confronted with those very two, there's those two

very real possibilities, life and death.

He's a prisoner.

He's awaiting trial.

His imprisonment could end in either way.

It could end in his condemnation and execution, his death.

Or it could end in his acquittal and his release.

Life.

And he weighs up.

These two alternatives are before him.

And in verse 22, he weighs them up.

He says, verse 22, if I am to live in the flesh, that will mean fruitful labor for me.

Yet which I shall choose, I cannot tell.

I'm 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 considers these two alternatives, life and death.

He desires to depart and be with Christ, better by far, Paul says.

But he knows that if he stays in the flesh, that will mean fruitful labor.

Now, I was reading this passage with some uni students earlier this month.

And I asked them, I want to ask you the same question.

What do you think about verse 21?

In particular, do you think that verse 21 is as true for you as it was for Paul?

Is that a true statement for your life?

For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

I asked these uni students that question and they answered in the affirmative.

They said, yes, it is.

What do you think?

Just ponder that for a moment.

Is verse 21 true of your life?

Is it a catch cry that you could hang over your life?

Now, I pushed the uni students I was reading the Bible with.

I want to push you a bit too.

Do you really believe it's as true for you as it is for Paul?

Let me offer three reasons why it might not be as true for you as it is for Paul.

Reason number one, Paul himself says at the start of verse 21,

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Could it be that Paul's just sharing his own personal opinion here?

This is how Paul feels.

It may not apply to us.

Second reason, Paul says, to me, to live is Christ.

And that if he went on living, it would mean fruitful labour for him.

Well, of course it would for Paul.

Paul was an apostle.

So, of course, life meant fruitful labour for him.

He'd been appointed to preach Christ.

Of course he could say to live is Christ.

His entire life was about Jesus and making Jesus known.

Specifically called to that.

What about you?

Are you an apostle?

Sure, Paul's life was all about Christ, but is mine?

Is yours?

Third reason it might not apply to us the way it applies to Paul.

Paul says, to me, to die is gain.

Because when he died, he would depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

This is one of four verses, I think, in the New Testament that is talking about the intermediate state between our death and resurrection,

where we go to be with Christ.

We can talk about that later if you want to.

But he anticipates that when he dies, he'll go to be with Christ.

And, of course, that's far better for Paul.

I mean, after all, Paul was a prisoner.

Paul had enemies.

He had opponents.

He had rivals who were out to trouble him.

He'd been beaten.

He'd been stoned.

He'd been shipwrecked.

He'd been hungry, cold, in danger, persecuted.

Life for Paul was one misery after another.

One suffering after another.

But me?

I have a very pleasant life.

I live in a comfortable house.

I have a beautiful wife.

I have four amazing kids.

I have a wider family that, for the most part, gets on incredibly well and where people love and respect one another.

I enjoy good physical health.

I have leisure time.

I have hobbies and interests I enjoy.

I mean, of course, Paul would say to die is gain because his life was horrible.

But could I say it?

I mean, are those words equally true of me?

Wouldn't I rather say to die is loss?

But what do you think?

Is verse 21 equally as true for you or equally as true for me as it is for the Apostle Paul?

Is it true that for you to live is Christ and to die is gain?

Do you really believe that verse is true for you?

And if you do, why?

Why do you believe it?

Perhaps you remember the words of our Lord.

Then he said to them all,

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

What good is it for someone to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

For me, to live is Christ.

To die is gain.

And if that is true for you too, ordinary disciple,

if it's true for you,

is that a catch cry you're willing to carry into 2026?

For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

If this is your catch cry for 2026,

then you'll have the same prayer and ambition as Paul

and the same hope as Paul.

See, look, the last couple of verses we'll look at, verse 19 and 20.

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, my salvation.

Now, when we first read verse 19,

what is the deliverance?

What is it that Paul expects in answer to the Philippians' prayers?

We might, our first thought might be,

he expects to be released from prison.

But that's not actually what he's talking about.

I know this will turn out for my deliverance,

verse 20,

The deliverance, the salvation that Paul anticipates is that he will not be ashamed,

but that Christ will be honoured in his body,

by whatever means, whether by life or by death.

That's salvation for Paul,

to be someone who is unashamed of Christ,

someone in whom Christ is glorified.

His ambition, his prayer, his expectation, his hope,

is for the magnification and exaltation of his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,

in Paul's body,

by whatever means the Lord may choose,

however the Lord may do it.

And if you're serious that this is your catch cry for 2026,

to live is Christ and to die is gain,

then you are saying to the Lord,

Lord Jesus,

may you be magnified in my body,

in my life,

by whatever means and whatever path you choose.

may you be magnified in my body,

whether in health or in sickness,

whether in life or in death,

whether in prosperity or in poverty,

whether in honour or dishonour,

whether in comfort or in adversity,

whether in laughter or in sorrow.

whatever you will,

Lord,

I will receive from your hand.

Only may you be honoured in my body.

And when the days of my mortal life draw to a close,

receive me to be with you forever.

For I know that whether my days are spent

among the splendour of kings

or in the dust of the destitute,

whatever I enjoy,

whatever I suffer,

to be with you is better by far.

So, Heavenly Father,

engrave these words as the cry of our heart.

We are partakers together of your grace.

whatever happens,

may it really serve to advance the gospel.

To me,

to live is Christ

and to die is gain.

Engrave these words on our hearts.

We ask this through Jesus and in his name.

All glory and praise be to you.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.