Philippians 1:19-21 "Magnify Christ"

Baptism, Teaching Children, and the Joy of Seeing Families Disciple Their Children

Somebody's getting the high-fives. That's really good. It really is a blessing to see those little ones grow and answer questions and See families putting in the effort to teach their children about Questions like who is to be given the sign of baptism who is it to be administered to?

That is truly a blessing. So today we're gonna be in Philippians chapter 1 verses 19 through 21. Philippians chapter 1 verses 19 through 21. Please start making your way there. Let us begin with the prayer Lord God, I would ask today Lord through the reading of your word that our Hearts our souls with tremble a tremble at the thought of who you are Lord the mightiness of who you are God but as we see our Our deserving wrath being paid upon the cross the Lord that our hearts would grow in love towards you God be magnified today Lord.

Let us rejoice over you being proclaimed in our own individual lives and also from behind this pulpit in the streets of Hagerman here Lord, we just say this again in the holy name Jesus the Christ the one we are so undeserving of.

Amen. I. Philippians chapter 1 verses 19 through 21. Let us read over this text and we'll pray again over it specifically. Let's let's read for I know that this will turn out for my salvation through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ according to my earnest Expectations and hope that I will not be put to shame in anything but that with all boldness Christ will even now as Always be magnified in my body whether by life or by death.

For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Let us pray again God I would ask today Lord that upon our Minds upon our hearts upon our backs Lord that you would brand This saying into our minds for me To live is Christ and to die is gain and that we'd have assurance and confidence in the hope It is to have salvation in the name of Jesus Christ Lord.

Lord, let us have confidence in this and this alone. That if we live another day Lord, it would be a mercy Granted to us and it would be a privilege to proclaim Christ and God in the same way that if we were to die to today We would know that our death is secured in you Lord and that we have a newness of life and that we would be in The presence of you at the finality of our breath Lord God.

I I thank you for this Wonderful reality that we all have Come to and that is to have faith in your son Jesus Christ when we say this in your name, amen. So we need to talk about context first before we open up this text again as we always do on a Sunday.

We need to remind our own minds about what is going on in this text. This is a letter being written from Paul to the church of Philippi while he is in prison. He doesn't know what tomorrow is gonna bring.

He doesn't know if he's gonna die tomorrow and we'll see that in coming weeks that he doesn't know what it's going to bring. He doesn't know that he's gonna live another night here in this prison. He he doesn't know if the the Roman soul sword is gonna come against his neck.

But he surely knows that he's in a time of persecution and suffering and he's writing this letter To this church that he loves dearly one that has been praying for him one that has shown him love. And he's wanting to support this church and encourage them that even though he is suffering that they ought not to worry that they're Securely been built in Jesus Christ that all things are to be considered a loss in the surpassing value of knowing Jesus.

And last week. Just as a reminder goes last week. We are in verses 14 through 18. Which let us just read 18 again. What then is it that only that in every way whether in pretense or in truth Christ is proclaimed and in this I?

Rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice. Last week we spoke of how and What it looks like to speak the Word of God without fear. We also spoke of the better. Hope that Paul possesses as being a member of God's kingdom in Christ.

And we also saw how Paul rejoiced over Christ being preached. Even from the messengers that had wrong motives that as long as they were preaching the true Christ the true gospel. It was something to rejoice over and also in that I hope That we saw in it that we ought to have pure motives in our own daily lives.

And what does those pure motives look like it's that we're doing these things for God. To his praise to his name that we're seeking to advance his kingdom. But it's ultimately for his glory whatever we do as Christians has to be to that end to glorify God.

That is what pure motives look like and I hope that as we saw in last week's text. That Paul while in this terrible kingdom in this this unjust ungodly culture of Rome in that day that Paul possessed a true great joy that he took with him into prison and that's a joy that you and I as Christians have in Jesus Christ.

I hope that as being new covenant members today that this would cause us to rejoice just as Paul rejoiced in prison. Now let us look at verse 19 and this is something that it's going to continue from that context of Paul having joy in Christ.

Regardless of his situation that he's in this is going to play a huge part in how we understand these next verses that we're in today. Verse 19 for I know and we need a pause here and talk about this for a second and we talked about this Paul I think this is the second time he said I know something here in these verses and As we spoke of many many weeks ago when we are in those verses that said I know we discussed about how does Paul know?

Anything of his current physical situation does Paul know if if in an hour from now the Roman soldier is gonna bring him food. Or does Paul know if in tomorrow he's going to have life or does he know if tomorrow he's gonna be free.

Paul doesn't know anything. He just Rick I think even said it today again in Venture Club I'm gonna keep on referencing it because you say great things to the children Adventure Club. Tomorrow, do you know if you were to go to the store of the cashier's name?

That's gonna check you out if you go to Fred Meyer and twin. Do you know the cashier's name? No, you don't know their name. That's how uncertain we are about our future. We don't know things when it comes to the physical world, right?

Paul doesn't know what? Prison is going to bring for him. He doesn't know so that should be a very clear comparison for Paul. When he says something that he does know I know I Know. Now I think about that though for the the person that was maybe Imprisoned next to Paul.

And it doesn't talk about this in the text text. But let's say there's another individual that that is imprisoned with Paul there. Do they know anything? They don't know anything just like Paul doesn't know anything, but Paul does know something.

He says I know. So I would hope that when we read this Whatever Paul saying I know I Hope that you and I as Christians since we have the same hope that Paul has we can say something like this. I Know and we'll see what Paul says.

I know about here. I Know that this Will turn out for my salvation brothers and sisters the point of what I'm trying to get out when Paul saying I know is that In our Christian walk in our daily living rain might come heights might happen towers and armies chains evil pain loss Kingdoms governments principalities, they may all come against the Christian.

Let them come against you. They will come against you you will have hardship trials and difficulties but Christian You ought not to waver in your hope that is in Christ. I Want to read from 1st John 5 10 through 14 here.

It says the one who believes in the Son of God has this witness in himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar because he has not believed in the witness. Which God has borne witness about his son and the witness is this that God gave us Eternal life and this life is in his son.

He who has the Son has the life and he who does not have the Son of God does not have Life these things have been written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know That you have Eternal life and this is the confidence which we have before him that if we ask anything According to his will he hears us Brothers and sisters this text that is being spoken of in here about us.

Knowing that the Christian knowing that we have eternal life because we know The Son is the same thing that Paul takes in the prison and we can see the way that this changes his attitude about everything Going on around him.

I don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow, but I know that this will turn out for my salvation. I know that there's purpose in what I'm going through right now. So what is Paul assured about turn out for my salvation?

This is a very interesting thing. And when I was studying this this week, my mind was absolutely blown away that Paul would quote from this text here. This is being quoted from from Job chapter 13 verse 16.

Job 13 verse 16 which says. This also will be my salvation for a godless man may not come before his presence now. Why does Paul quote from the book of Job? Particularly from this chapter in the book of Job.

It's important to note how Individuals in that day would quote from Scripture in that day. There was no such thing as a chapter and verse break that we have in our text sometimes. Verses they're very helpful for us to be able to turn to a page.

But a lot of times we miss the context because our minds are so focused on the chopped upness of the verses in the chapter. When it was first written all these books in the Bible the 66 books that we have here it was continuous.

It was meant to be read continually and continually. It wasn't meant to be seen as a chopped up Broken text that we sometimes can see as a result from chapter and verses breaks. That's not me saying I don't like chapters and verses.

I wouldn't know anywhere in the Bible if I didn't have it. But let me give you an illustration if I was to say turn your Bible to in the beginning Was God and the or in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

What verse would you turn to as a church? I hope that we all know John 1 1 right? Well in this day when there wasn't Verses if you wanted to have somebody to turn to John 1 1 you would quote that verse to them.

Now if I wanted to get a point of principle of doctrine in a text I would say in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And then maybe if I Talked about the meaning or the importance of Jesus Christ God and flesh dwelling with us.

It means that I'm giving exposition on that entire chapter. There's implications that comes about from John chapter 1. This is a common way that Paul and the Apostles quoted from the Old Testament now.

Why does Job or why does Paul quote from Job especially Job 13? This is really interesting because if you were in that day, you would know exactly where Paul is quoting from and Often if there's implications from that text.

He's referencing the whole chapter the whole context of what's going on in that book. And that's exactly what Paul is doing here when he quotes from John or Job chapter 13. I just want to consider some of the context that's going on in the book of Job because this will make.

This means so much to us as the Christian when we understand why Paul quotes from it. If you want to turn with me you can. But Job 11 two chapters before chapter 13 There's some context that goes on in here that has serious implications for why?

Paul would quote from John Job 13. Now think again Paul's in prison. What did he just make mention of other? Christians that are proclaiming the true Christ, but they're doing it with wrong motives. Saying things maybe along the lines of Paul's in prison were not they're preaching from on pure motives with contempt against Paul so in Job chapter 11 There's some advice that the friends of Job is giving to Job.

Job 11 verses 15 through 20 says this if I am wicked or Job 11. That's a Job 10. Job 11 verses 15 through 20 says this. Then indeed you could lift up your face without moral defect. What has happened to Job?

We should all be somewhat familiar. He's lost his family. He's lost his cattle. He's had physical Terribleness happened to him right and so this friend is saying you could lift up your face without moral defect.

So what is that physical betterment? Physical betterment is the is the is the point that Job's friend is getting out in here. And you would be steadfast and not fear and you would forget your trouble.

You would forget your physical Punishments your physical hardships that you've been in Job if this would go away from you. For you would forget your trouble as the water that passes by. So you would remember it and your lifetime would arise brighter than noon day.

Darkness would be like the morning then you would trust because there is hope and you would search around and rest. Securely you would lie down and none would make you tremble and many wouldn't treat your favor.

But the eyes the wicked will come to an end and escape from with and an escape will perish from them and their hope is The expiring of their soul. What is going on in this text again? We're jumping right in the middle of the book of Job.

This friend of Job is saying that if this if you were to not be this wicked man. You would have a physical betterment. Job that you did something wrong. And so you've got you're now getting punished by God, and it's just this physical determent.

You need to have a physical betterment. That's really interesting. So notice that Job 11 the context of what's going on in Job 13 is a friend. That's giving him this advice on physical betterment. Job then responds in the next chapters, but we'll just read a portion of this Job chapter 12 verses 22 through 25.

Job says he reveals mysteries from the darkness and brings out the shadows of death into light. He makes the nation's great. Then makes them perish. This is this is Job appealing to the mysteries of God's Sovereignty that God is the one that raises nations up and he's the one that punishes them.

He's the one that cuts them down. God is sovereign is what Job is appealing to in this text now. Think about that in his life was not Job this this this righteous man that had many great possessions yet.

He was cut down. Think about that and immediately your mind should think of Job 121 and he said naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I shall return. Yahweh gave and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be the name of Yahweh.

He knows that God is sovereign over his current situations. He enlarges the nations and leads them away. He removes the heart of the wisdom from the heads of the earth's people and makes them wander in pathless ways.

They grope in darkness with no light and he makes them wander about like a drunken man. Job in this text is appealing to the wonderful wondrous mysteries of God's sovereignty in his provision in these texts.

So then we go into Job chapter 13 the text that is being quoted from here in verse 16. But let us read verses 11 through 12 just to understand what's going on in here. Will not. So Job 13 11 through 12 will not his exalt miss.

Terrify you in the dread of him fall on you your memorable sayings. You saying this to his friend. Your memorable sayings? Are Proverbs of ashes. Your defense our defenses of clay. What was the friends?

Encouragement for Job. Physical betterment. Oh if your face wouldn't have moral defect. Job and Job's responses. God raises men up. He cuts them down. Blessed be the name of Yahweh and Your sayings the sayings that have removed God's sovereignty in the midst of my trial is Nothing, but a proverb of ash.

It's proverb death. It doesn't mean anything for me. Consider that. Now when we read verse 16 this also Will turn out for my salvation for a godless man may not come before his presence. Why does Paul?

Quote from Job. Is Paul in a good place. No. Does Paul have a faith in a sovereign God that has raised him up that has cut him down that might be dragging him through mud but he knows That there's a sovereign purpose in this.

This will turn out for my salvation. Paul knows something and he knows that God has a plan in the midst of his suffering. Consider there are so many places that we could look here in the book of Job that illustrates this.

Look at just verse 26 27 and 28 you put my feet as in the saw in the stocks and kept watch over all my paths. You set a limit for the soles of my feet while I am decaying like a rotten thing like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Check out verse or chapter 14 verse 5. It says since his days are determined. This is again Paul talking since his days are determined the number of his months is with you and his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.

This is Job proclaiming God's Sovereignty his providence in all things. It's a mystery to Job. It's a mystery to Paul even Because he doesn't know what tomorrow will bring but they do know this that it will turn out for the salvation of themselves.

That that God has a purpose in it. Why does Paul quote from this section of Scripture while he's in prison? It's clear from the context of Job. The application is for all Christians if our salvation is in the sovereign God then if we are dragged into the cities or if we are fired from our jobs or if we lose our houses or if we Suffer the loss of family or whatever other hardship of today that you can think of that you go through.

The Christians response is and Many times this response is with tears in our eyes. I don't know why. But I know that it will turn out for my salvation. This is exactly why Paul is stating in here and quoting from Job.

He is saying that he has faith in a sovereign God that he trusts has a purpose in the injustice in the wickedness of men. Paul's hope is in a sovereign God that holds man responsible for their own sins.

When I was reading from Job I was blown away that that's why Paul is quoting from Job here is a man that went through suffering and difficulties. That proclaimed this will turn out for my salvation. Paul is applying that to his day.

This will turn out for my salvation. I know it. I Don't know what tomorrow will bring but I know that it will turn out for my salvation. Now it goes on to say. For I know that this will turn out for my salvation.

Philippians chapter 1 verse 19 through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Now James 5 16 therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed.

The effective Prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much now. This is this is the great mystery that we have to have to deal with and a lot of scholars have debated over Centuries on this topic if God is sovereign has predestined things then do our prayers change his mind.

Well, no God has sovereignly predestined woven in his plan the prayers of the righteous man. God has done these things now again. Brothers and sisters we have to be careful because in this even in Paul's Exhortation here that this will turn out for my salvation.

He says that it's also through the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ that even in my hardship God will provide for me. God is going to supply me with what I need to get to the end result of whatever is coming about in prison.

If I Die tomorrow, it'll turn out for my salvation. If I'm released today, it will turn out for my salvation. Paul doesn't know what will happen, but he knows that it will turn out for his salvation because he has faith in a sovereign God.

Now we have to be careful because there's a lot of thinking over the centuries that want to divorce God's sovereignty from his creation brothers and sisters. They are proverbs of ashes when that happen.

They are proverbs of death. That is why Job says they are proverbs of ashes because you've removed God's purpose in it. We Have to say I don't know sometimes and that is the result that I don't know why some things happen.

But I know that God is sovereign in them that his plan will take place. There's a purpose behind it and it will turn out for my salvation. Verse 20. So so so Paul in here is saying this will turn out for my salvation.

It's going to be through your prayers and through the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Verse 20 according to my earnest expectation and hope. My earnest expectation and hope. This is Paul's highest hope that we see in this text according to my earnest Expectations and hope that I will not be put to shame in anything.

So what what is his earnest expectation here? That he won't be put to shame in anything. But that was all boldness. Christ even now as always being magnified in my body. Whether by life or by death as we heard the children in the Catechism talk about the purpose of our baptism.

Is to show what? That we have been crucified with Christ. That is no longer I or you or we that live. But that it is Christ who lives in us and the life which we now live is in the flesh. We live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave himself up for us.

I'm quoting from Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 and instead of reading it as Paul's Writing it in a in a first person. This is a reality for each one of us. Paul says I have been crucified with Christ. There's no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life which I now live.

I live in the flesh. I live by the faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. Brothers and sisters if we have hope. Like what Paul has hope in and we are Christians made new covenant members.

Our courage is never to be put in shame because we are surely been buried with Christ been risen with him and then died With him and the life that we now live is him who lives in us. We have no reason to be put to shame but It's true Valley Baptist.

Oh how the sinner has so much shame. We all fail daily. We all know this we should have shame and how we have failed and broken God's law. We all fail daily in the thought of our shame should cause us to Cower at the thought of being exposed even to one another in our shame.

Let alone exposed to the all-seeing and all-knowing God Should cause us to to shake in our boots. How will we shed ourselves of this weight the weight of shame the weight of insurmountable? Shame that we all have.

How. The answer is we can't. But then how do we come before God? How can Paul and how can us have the hope that is expressed in this text? Like how we would say, oh the sinner has so much shame. We would also say oh how the saint has so much grace.

We can never fall in his love. The thought of our shame being put upon our Savior should cause us likewise to cower. But not in the same way that the one that is uncovered does. It's not a cowering that flees from his presence, but it is the cowering and the bending of our knee to his praise.

How will we praise his name the name that is above all else we are to magnify him whether by life or by death. Let's read this verse again according to my earnest Expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in anything.

But that with all boldness Christ will even now. Where is Paul at right now? Prison. Right now Paul is saying I will magnify Christ. It is my earnest expectation and hope that I will not even be put to shame right now in prison.

That Christ will be glorified right now. Right now even as always May be magnified. Christ would be magnified in my body whether by life or by death. What identity? Does Paul possess in this text. Does Paul?

Sit and say that he's a victim of the state in this text or that he is a Pharisee in this text or anything else. No, his identity is wrapped up. It's wrapped up. It's Fully penetrated through and through it is soaked in.

There is no escape from what Paul's identity is and that is he is in Christ and Christ is in him. That is Paul's identity is that he is a Christian and he has no shame. Because Christ has covered his sin.

Immediately church, this should be our same conviction today. We have that same substance that Paul professes if you have faith in Jesus Christ. Let the world do whatever they want to me. I have no shame because Christ has paid for it.

I cannot be put to shame in anything because Christ has done it. Whether I live or I die I am in Christ. John Fawcett, I found this very fascinating one of my favorite hymns that I did not know. The history behind is called a flame of Afflicted Saint to Christ drawn near.

I would encourage you to go home and listen to this song. Written by a man named John Fawcett. He was an orphan at the age of 12 and He be and he lived during the years of the the late 1700s in the early 1800s.

He was very very self-educated just this not not going to school educated kind of young man. And he was converted by the preaching of a gentleman named George Whitfield at the age of 16. And he began preaching soon after that and in 1765 Fawcett was called to a small poor Baptist Church.

Seven years later after being in the small poor Baptist Church He received a call from a large Influential church in London which if you lived in that day to be a pastor or preacher in the town of London Would be the supreme place that you would want to go preach London England and Fawcett accepted the call to go preach in this large city.

He accepted it he said I'll go and pre the pastor of this church and. And after he gave his farewell sermon to the church the day of the departure came and his family's belongings were loaded on the carts.

But the distraught congregation begged him to stay. They came and grabbed him and said, please don't go. John Fawcett that day decided not to leave and he continued to preach there until he would die.

He didn't leave the small poor Baptist Church that was there and in the midst of all the trials and hardships and difficulties That he went through and the church went through he wrote this song afflicted Saint to Christ draw near.

But I'm just gonna read these verses as we read last week from that other song. Let's read verse 1 afflicted Saint to Christ draw near. Your Savior's grace promise here his faithful words. You can believe that as your days your strength will be.

Your faith is weak. Your foes are strong and if the conflict should be long The Lord will make the tempter flee. That as your days your strength will be. Should persecution rage and flames still trust in your Redeemer's name in fiery trials you shall see that all your days your strength shall be when called to bear your weighty cross or sore affliction pain or loss or deep distress or poverty.

Still as your days your strength shall be. So sing with joy afflicted one the battles fierce. But the victories won. God shall supply all that you need. Yes as your days your strength shall be. We can see throughout the last 2 ,000 years men and women that profess the same hope that Paul and Joe profess and that was a sovereign God having a sovereign purpose in all things and we can see what the result of these things are is.

That it is a Christian that says I don't know how long my days will be but Christ will supply the strength to me. Let them come. Let it happen, but don't lose hope in Christ in the midst of those things.

Whether by life or by death verse 21 in Philippians chapter 1 for to me. To live is Christ and to die is gain. This is this is a wonderful statement that if You wanted to get a tattoo as a Christian. This would be a great little phrase to put on you, right?

If you want to have a banner that you flew above your house. This would be a pretty good little saying to have on that banner for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Why is it gain for Paul to die?

Because his hope is secure in Christ. He will be in the presence of Christ as soon as he dies. So if today he's put to death in prison where he's at gain. Whether he's put whether whether he dies the next day gain whether he dies in 50 years.

It's gain whatever day he dies. It is gain for Paul because his hope is secure in Christ. That is his identity. His identity is the life death burial and resurrection of Christ. His his death is only gain for him.

But what happens if he lives another hour or another day or another week or another year? What is the life of Paul to look like? For him to live is Christ. Now think about that statement that even Paul's making here did like the Christ have a great life.

We read Isaiah 53 for a call to worship surely our griefs and our sorrows. He will bear he will be pierced through for our iniquities. Is Paul rejoicing over what he's going to go through a physical punishment and hardship.

He's saying it's it's a privilege for me to be like Christ. It's a privilege to suffer like Christ has suffered and I'm going to glorify him whether by life or by death. Whatever comes to me as a Christian.

It's okay because I'm in Christ. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Now think about this for a moment. This is actually one of the very first sermons the text I got a preach as As a preacher was from this text and there's something that I still has stuck in me these Several years later is ask yourself.

Is there any other identity or any other type of individual today? That's not a Christian that can say the same exact statement that Paul says in here consider this. Let's say you're a firefighter. Don't know why I'm using this example but let's say you're a fireman and your whole identity is to being making a difference in the community that you live in or It's to run code and have a this adrenaline rush and fight fires.

It's just excitement that you have as a fireman if your identity is wrapped up in a fireman. You might say for me to live. Is to fight fire for me to live it's run cold. For me to live is to go and make it hard.

Interior search for the unknown victim inside a house. That's for me to live is to have this type of a life. That's my identity as a fireman. What happens when the day that the fireman dies? Does he get a run code any longer?

Does he get a fight fire any longer? He suffers a loss when he dies. What about if you're a full-time grandmother. What about if you're a full-time father. For you to live would be to care for your grandchildren.

It would be to teach them and influence them to love on them. But the day that you die. You suffer a loss because you don't get to take care of your grandchildren anymore. What about the teacher? My life is wrapped up in teaching these children.

Well, if that's your identity and that's your only identity for you to die means that you don't get to help teach these children anymore. You've suffered a loss. I'm a full-time student as many of our generation love to proclaim.

I'm a full-time student. I'm going to year. I still haven't found myself yet, right? You die in a terrible way. Last week your life was wrapped around gaining more knowledge. This week you've died. You don't get a gain anymore.

You have suffered loss. When you replace anything in this that when you replace Christ in this sentence for anything that the world offers you. Do you ever get rewarded with a gain when you die? No, you suffer loss.

For to me to live as a fireman to die is loss for me to live as a grandmother to die is loss for me. To live as a teacher to die is loss for me to live as a full-time student to die is loss. Only for the Christian that suffers in this world that says for me to live is Christ is to die is gain.

It's the only identity that suffers a reward that is not based off of your own merit. The other positions the other identities have meritorious rewards in this life. But you suffer loss at your death.

The Christian is the only one that has faith in the gospel that actually has a reward of life at the end of it. You will receive a gain. Our identity must be sustained by it must be wrapped in again. It must be permeated through Jesus Christ his life his death his burial his resurrection.

This is the only way that as the Christian we can claim a gain for us. If the world takes your food away from you. We are sustained by Christ. If the world takes away our families Christ will be our vindicator.

If the world imprisons us unjustly or justly Christ will be our confidence and hope. If the world takes your legs Christians Christ will be the one who carries us along. If the world puts the sword against your neck our Final breath will be from the Lord and it will be for the purpose to proclaim Christ.

If the world Goes through with that sword and cuts out your tongue Your eyes will be pressed towards the heavens to where you will meet your maker and will be standing justified as the Son Before him because you stand Justified and covered in his righteousness.