Philippians (Lesson 14)

Thanks to each every one of you for tuning in today.

I'm Brother James, and I greet you as always in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world, and I welcome you once again to the Preaching of the Cross Radio Broadcast.

Very happy that you've tuned in today.

I believe that you'll be happy as well if you can stay with us.

We are enjoying ourselves as we study the wonderful book of Philippians.

We are all the way down to verse number 23 of chapter number one, and we are reading about a man who wants sincerely to leave his bruised and broken body and his sad and troubled world and go to be with the Lord Jesus Christ in the glories of God's heaven, but he has such a love for and concern for his brothers and sisters in Christ who would be left behind, that part of him wants so badly to stay in this world that he really doesn't know which he'd rather do leave this world and go to heaven, or stay in this world and be a help to others.

Now, verse 21 of Philippians 1 says, For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

That's the fact of the matter.

On this earth we can live not for vanity but for Jesus, and that makes our life a life worth living, but we honestly must testify to the fact that we'd be better off in heaven than we would be down here, even living the best of lives down here.

One martyr on the way to death said, You take a life from me that I cannot keep, and bestow a life that I cannot lose.

But the verse we come to today is this twenty-third verse, and it says, For I am in a strait, that's a tight and narrow place, betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better.

Verse twenty four, nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

So on the one side he has what would absolutely be best for him, and on the other side he has what would most likely be best for others, and he's having a hard time making the call.

In case you didn't know, I'm not going into a hole in the ground.

I'm going to be with Christ.

I'm not going to sleep like Lazarus did before Jesus rose from the dead.

I'm going to be with Christ.

I'm not going to get in line to wait for my turn to be reincarnated.

I'm going to be with Christ.

I will be as much alive when this body I am in right now hits the dirt.

I'll be as much alive then as I am right now, in fact, more so, more so.

You see, our departure is not into the great unknown.

Our departure is not a leap into the dark.

Our departure is not a trip to the city garbage dump outside Jerusalem to smolder in Gehenna until the resurrection.

No, we are departing to be that's existence, to be, that's life, to be, that's ongoing enjoyment of all God's blessings.

We are departing to be with Christ.

With Christ.

You know, so many times the trappings take precedence over the important thing or the important matter.

And it's understandable if you're a little child and the family says we're going to grandma's house.

Now as a little child you think you think of grandma's house as the place to get pie, the place to play in the in the swimming pool, the place to run in the big backyard, the place to play in the closet with all the interesting old clothes.

You don't think of the joy of seeing grandma.

But you know when that's your dear mother, and her life is nearing its close.

You don't care a thing about the play toys and play pretties at grandma's house.

You just want to see your dear mother one more time.

Now I ha I find no fault whatsoever with a brand new baby Christian wanting to marvel at the golden streets of heaven.

I find no fault whatsoever at those who cannot wait to gaze upon the jasper walls and the gates of Pearl.

I I don't.

I have no quarrel with those who are curious about seeing the tree of life or the crystal river.

I I do not, I do not.

But quite honestly, quite honestly, if none of those things were in heaven, and they are, the Bible says they are, but if none of those things were there, but Jesus Christ the Savior was there, and I was certain that I would dwell with him in that place, quite honestly, I wouldn't care if it was a trailer park instead of a mansion city.

I wouldn't care if it was a collection of tents rather than one of magnificent structures.

Honestly, I I'm not I am not in any way making light of the beauty, its splendor, and wonder of the heaven that God has prepared for his own.

I'm not.

But it's Jesus Christ that makes the place what it is.

We are not departing to be in heaven.

In fact, that's never said to be the hope of the Christian.

We are departing to be with Christ.

That's the great, that's the great anticipation.

You know, this body of flesh may fool you for a little while.

It may trick you into thinking that we are wearing out and we are dying and we're going nowhere but the grave.

I'm telling you there's a man on the inside, and when he leaves this body, when he departs this body, says goodbye to this world, he has a destination.

And on the other side up there in heaven, somebody's somebody is looking at the screen that says arrivals.

Down here, departures.

Up there, arrivals.

And one of these days my name is going to show up on that arrival board.

I'm going to make it to the other side, praise the Lord.

So verse 23 says, Depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh, that is, in this body, is more needful for you.

And having this confidence I know that I shall abide and continue with you all, for your furtherance and joy of faith, that your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me, and by my coming to you again.

Okay.

His reasons for staying first that their joy might be furthered, and second that their faith might be furthered.

A man can bring joy to others by his return.

The classic example from the Bible is the story of the son that returns from the years of being prodigal, how he'd wandered out into a place where he'd wasted his substance, and then he came home, got right with his father, having gotten right with God.

How about Jesus?

When he comes back, that will certainly bring joy to his people.

What about a son that comes home from the war?

Or a family member that comes home after a long stay at the hospital?

We all understand this idea of someone that has been gone coming back and bringing joy.

What a thrill it is, what a blessing it is to see those that you love once again.

How it picks your heart up and encourages you.

But how about these people looking forward?

The word spread.

Paul's out of jail.

The man that came here and told us about Jesus, the man that led us to the Lord.

He's coming, he'll be here in two weeks.

Paul is going to be here.

What a rejoicing that would be.

Wouldn't you like to be that to your church?

Wouldn't you like to be the kind of person that made people happy when you showed up?

Why were they so glad to see Paul?

Because he had invested something in their lives.

He had earned it.

You can't require that.

You can't say I am coming and you were going to be happy about it.

You can't mandate it.

Here's the rule, you'll be happy to see me.

You've got to earn it.

They were glad to see Paul.

It was a happy reunion when he got back into town.

Now how about this?

He not only he not only came back to bring them joy, but he came back to strengthen their faith.

More words of encouragement to be spoken, more prayers to be prayed, more Bible lessons to be taught, more examples to be set, and that ought to be the purpose of our fellowship.

To bring joy to others, and then to help others, to help others in their growth in spiritual matters.

I don't know about you.

I think about my departure to heaven.

And I hope and pray that when I go, there will be those who will be sad to see me go because I have brought them joy in my life, in their life, that our lives together, my life lived for them, and the benefit to their life, I hope and pray that they will say, I'm sorry to see him go.

At the same time, I hope I will have taught them enough about the true, genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that they will be happy for me, knowing, knowing that I am, not as people say with no idea what they're talking about, but I as people say who actually know what the Bible teaches, that I am truly in a better place.

Now I want to give you some of these verses because that they're more than one, more than two, more than three or four, about this departing to be with Christ, and it's well worth our time and our attention.

The Bible says this in Titus chapter number two, Titus chapter number two and verse thirteen, we are looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.

You see, we're not looking for heaven, we're looking for Jesus.

Our hope is not a place, our hope is a person, but it is a blessed hope indeed.

Then the Bible says in Colossians chapter three and verse four.

Colossians chapter three and verse number four.

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear.

You see, our life is not the things we do when we get to heaven.

Our life is not the things we see when we get to heaven.

Our life is the person of Jesus Christ who resides in heaven, and he's coming to receive us unto himself.

In 1 Thessalonians 4, a very favorite passage of so many.

1 Thessalonians 4, verse 16 says, For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with a trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive of the remains shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be listen with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:16

We're not going to meet heaven in the air, we're going to meet the Lord in the air.

We're not going to be with heaven, we're going to be with the Lord.

Now listen, Paul's desire wasn't to get out of trouble and into rest.

His desire wasn't to get out of jail and into a mansion.

His desire wasn't to get out of Jerusalem and into the new Jerusalem.

His desire was to be with the one who loved him and died for him and saved him and gave him life.

That was his desire.

To depart and to be with Christ.

Now I'm looking forward to getting out of this body of aches and pains and being in a glorified body.

I'm sure you are too.

I'm looking forward to going to a place where there's no dirty language, no dirty talk, no dirty deeds, no dirty intentions.

I'm looking forward to all of that.

But it's Jesus, it's Jesus that makes heaven heaven.

It's Jesus that is our glorious hope.

That's what we're looking forward to.

The Bible says in Second Timothy four, Second Timothy four and verse number eight.

Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day.

And not to me only, but also unto all them also.

Now stop.

Paul says the Lord is going to give me a crown.

And he's also going to give it to all them that that.

So why is Paul certain he's going to get a crown?

Why can any other save man or woman be certain they are going to get a crown?

The verse concludes unto all them also that love his appearing.

Now I know a lot of Christians who don't care at all to leave this world.

Their every hope, desire, every ounce of love and affection is wrapped up in the things of this world.

They have no interest whatsoever in going to heaven.

I can't do anything but urge you to keep listening, and we'll try our best through the preaching of God's Word to help you with that.

Then I know Christians, and I've got to admit, I spend more than a few days in this frame of mind.

There are Christians who love their disappearing, not his appearing.

You say, Brother James, what do you mean?

Well, surely, surely, we would love to get out of this world and go to a better place.

But that's not that's not what gains for one a crown.

We are talking about leaving a place where Jesus is not, and going to a place where Jesus is.

Now look at Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Look at Romans chapter number eight.

If the Lord came for you today, if he came for me today, or if he came for all of his church today, collectively, and that'd be best.

But if this was our last day on earth, the first thing you would realize tomorrow would be the hope of Romans 8, verse 19 fulfilled.

Romans 8:19

You say, What's that?

Well, let's start at the 16th verse.

Romans 8 starting at verse 16.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

This is not two people who meet on a sidewalk and instantly know that each other are born again.

This is the Holy Spirit of God within you, confirming to your heart when God's word is proclaimed, that you are indeed a child of God.

No conviction, no condemnation, no fear, no guilt, no dread, certainty that my soul is saved.

And verse seventeen, if children then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together, for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.

I haven't suffered much.

Most of you listening to my voice right now probably have not suffered much.

Some aches, some pains, some physical sufferings, some broken bones, little disease here, little ailment there, some ridicule, some betrayal, some false brethren, some attacks upon my reputation.

That's not much.

When you compare it to maybe a POW camp survivor, someone who's been tortured, my suffering's not been much compared to what many have endured.

But the Holy Spirit wrote through Paul to any believer who had suffered any degree of heartache in this life and said and said, When you step into the presence of the Lord, it will be so good that no matter how bad you suffered on that earth, you will be Won't give it a second thought.

It won't even be worthy to be compared.

Now, if the Lord tried to describe what real suffering was and what real pain was and what real heartache was, and then said that it's going to be better up there, somebody would say, Now wait a minute, you didn't cover my case.

But the Lord can make a blanket statement.

Whatever you suffered, whatever you suffered, it won't even be measured when compared to the glory that God has laid up for you in heaven.

Praise the Lord.

Verse 19, for the earnest expectation.

That's the phrase you got in Philippians 1.

Of the creature, it's everything God made, waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Everything is suffering in this world because of Adam's sin.

How long is everything going to suffer in this world because of Adam's sin?

Until it is manifest to the world that we are God's children.

We are right now.

The Holy Spirit tells us that.

But why does the Holy Spirit bear witness inwardly that we are God's children?

Because there is seldom, if ever, any external proof of that.

You don't get a halo when you get saved.

You don't sprout wings when you get saved.

You don't give off a glow or an aura when you get saved.

You know why we have to open our mouth and witness?

Because lifestyle evangelism can't cut it.

No matter how good you live, that does not manifest that you are a son of God.

You have to tell somebody.

You can't just live a good life and people know you're different.

There are plenty of lost people on their way to hell in your town living as good as you or better.

That doesn't accomplish anything.

You've got to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

But there is a day coming when in glorified bodies with their Lord Jesus the sons of God will be manifest on this earth.

But in the meantime, the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly.

The animals, birds, fish, creeping things, they didn't sin, but they suffer because of man's sin.

Anyway, by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also should be delivered from the bondage of corruption and to the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Killing bloodshed, suffering, torture, torment, over in the kingdom.

Now watch verse twenty two.

We know that the whole creation groaneth and travelleth in pain together until now, and not only they, but ourselves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body, for we are saved by hope.

But hope that is seen is not hope, for what what a man seeth might yet hope for, but if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Now listen.

Two things are important in this passage.

One, the Holy Spirit of God lives in me.

And what am I waiting for?

I am longing for something I can see.

Well it's not the Father.

He's invisible, first Timothy one seventeen.

It's not the Holy Spirit.

He's a ghost.

Inside deep down I am longing for the fulfillment of my blessed hope, and that is seeing the Lord Jesus Christ face to face.

You see, heaven is never said to be the hope of the believer.

Being with Jesus is said to be the hope of the believer.

I wasn't saved by a place, nor was I saved to go to a place.

I was saved by a person so that I could dwell forever with that person, and that's the longing and desire of my heart and I hope of your heart.

You see, when Adam sinned, it wasn't the garden that he lost.

It was his relationship to the Lord Jesus that he lost.

When Adam sinned, he didn't lose his wife.

He lost the joy of communing with that voice that walked in the garden in the cool of the day.

And what has been God's purpose since the day man fell?

It has been to restore that relationship between God and man, man and God.

And that is done through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is our Savior, and He is our blessed hope.

Well, we'll have to pick right up there next time.

I thought we could get through this topic, but I I should have known better.

It's just too much fun to talk about.

This entire study of Philippians is available to you.

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Go to the little search area, and just type in Philippians, and there it'll be.

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Until then, I'm Brother James.

May the Lord richly bless you.

And good day.