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August 7, 2021 2:00 am
After studying about the believer's death, resurrection and heaven for four months now, maybe you can relate to these words by Puritan author, Thomas Watson, "Spiritual things satisfy; the more of heaven is in us, the less earth will content us." Knowing what we know now about the believer's future world, how can life be different in this present world?
This teaching is from the series From the Edge of Eternity.
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This is his motto.
This is a slogan for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. I wonder what one sentence would sum up your life there is to be something on your tombstone that remarked to you in this life. How you live would be. I heard about a dentist who died in on his tombstone simply said here lies John Smith filling his last cavity. That's not too comforting.
What is your fantasy vacation trip to the Caribbean and African Safari that affect adventure for luxury groups. There are plenty of exotic luxurious destinations on this planet for consumer the ultimate vacation spot but all of them pale in comparison with the one true paradise to the hearing correctly Skip weekend division Skip Heitzig includes our preview to report life after death, and more specifically with life in heaven like and will discover today if you want to reach the ultimate getaway spot you need another white person will begin today's message or just a moment the first we have a great resource for you this month in the correctly Skip resource Center reading the Bible can lead to asking some serious questions like is the rapture real or how can I overcome anxiety.
These two questions are among those answered in pastors gets picked a new DVD of four impactful messages my Skip I think, imagine knowing somebody who knows everything about. Now imagine somebody who knows everything about you and loves you and that's what were dealing with and we deal with the knowledge of God. This collection of some of Pastor Steph's most memorable teachings also includes what most people don't know about heaven and it's our thanks for your gift of $25 or more to connect more people to God's life changing word visit connectwithskip.com/offer to get online securely or call 800-922-1888, 800-922-1888 and request your copy of Pastor Skip your Bibles to Philippians chapter 1 as you do so with joy. Skip Heitzigs for this final message of our series for the edge of eternity else to say.
This is the obvious that he believed the moment he died. At that very moment be with the Lord. There's no holding pattern is no waiting.
There's no going somewhere else. There is no limbo there's no purgatory there's no soul sleep is some hold that if you die as a Christian you going is this sort of suspended state of unconsciousness, until the Lord returns, then you're awakened and you're with Paul. Witness said that if you believe that because he thought we depart so be with Christ, which is far better. He was anticipating to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord I'm in review something else. Dwight Lyman Moody.
I've quoted him on many occasions a great evangelism pastor of Moody Bible church last generation. He was on his deathbed while he was there and he did know what the future state would be. He told his family gathered around him. I'm not discouraged. I want to live as long as I'm useful when my work is done. I want to be up and off when to push off. That's my desired to depart when it's my time.
After particularly restless night. The next morning with a very careful, measured speech. He said this earth recedes heaven opens before me was signed.
It was at his bedside thought pops is dreaming, and Dwight said to his son know this is not a dream will it's beautiful. If this is death. It is sweet. There's no valley here God is calling me and I must go when a great way to go. It's so great to have lived that kind of a life so that it then you this is it. I'm graduating now this is sweet so go back to Paul. He's in prison in Rome writing to the Philippians doesn't know which way the verdict will pass on his behalf or will he be killed and as he wrestles with this.
He says let me just tell you where I'm at where I'm at my own personal desire be a lot easier a lot better for me to leave this earth and be home with the Lord. However, the 24th verse switches gears.
That's what he wants.
The third word he's willing to persist. He's willing to stay and work for the Lord on earth, for he says nevertheless, to remain in the flash or in my physical body is more needful for you and being confident of this. I know that I shall remain and continue with you for or excuse me I did I forgot the word all and continue with you all is from the south for your progress and joy of faith. So you see what he saying is much as I want to go home.
I understand that I have some unfinished work Karen I have a hunch that I'm in a stay around for you all is what I want you to notice. Here's a spiritual man caught between two worlds, earth and heaven, and as a spiritual man, though he would live just be in heaven because it's a place of comfort and joy and reward. He's balancing out what he wants with what they need any places what they need before what he wants is a spiritual man what a way to see about Paul is that he just didn't preach great sermons. This is how he lived. Go to chapter 2 verse three he writes to them. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Here's a guy who will practice what he preaches.
Here's Paul in prison. Putting them in their interests even before his own go back now to chapter 1 verse 22 but if I live on in the flesh, but as if I if I don't die if I get released if I live on in the flesh. This will means fruit from my labor yet what I shall choose I cannot tell other words as long as I'm still kicking I'm to be serving the Lord. I want to make sure that all labor and be energetic and produce fruit. Jesus himself said, you can tell about a person's life by the fruit that they produce. And if you're a spiritual person will go produce spiritual fruit. John Stott said these words, the Christian should resemble a fruit tree not a Christmas tree for the Godey decorations of a Christmas tree are only tied on whereas fruit grows on a fruit tree know what's what.
What is fruit. The result of work right.
A farmer will so in the Bible says whatever you so you'll reap so fruit comes from one's the labor.
That's why Paul uses the term from my labor unless you actually do something as a Christian.
You'll never be fruitful.
Note begins by just a connection with Jesus Christ you abide in the vine, and as you abide in the vine.
He energizes you to serve, to serve people to work now before we move on from this notice that toward the beginning of that sentence. Verse 22 is the word if don't miss this, but if I live on in the flesh. You see Paul as a note if he'll die or if you live right so because that huge condition is sitting in front of him this if he understands that if I live I'm to be fruitful because once I die, my opportunity to labor and produce fruit is over. Right your knocking a witness in heaven, not to pass tracks out in heaven your knocking to be giving money to further God's kingdom in heaven. You will be discipling in heaven you're in heaven. The reward comes so yes I live on in the flesh.
All of my labor and all of my energy and all of my fruit must be produced now on this earth before I get to heaven. Now I take you to the fourth word and that is waiting. Paul's been wrestling with the predicament wanting to depart and be with Christ willing to stay here if that's what God desires.
But I say this, which is I think the best for the last this is Paul now waiting with a passion. Verse 20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that a nothing.
I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always. So now also Christ will be magnified in my body whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain of that is Paul's life sentence that that sums up in my view all of Paul's life and death.
This would be a great thing to have on his tombstone. This is his motto.
This is the slogan for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. I wonder what one sentence would sum up your life.
If there is to be something on your tombstone that marked who you were in this life and how you live, what would it be. I heard about a dentist who died in on his tombstone. It simply said here lies John Smith filling his last cavity. That's not too comforting. All he did in life is fill cavities and I was just filling in this cavity and the earth. This good old dentist is filling his last cavity for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. So let's just consider enclosing those two options. Let's say Paul got out of jail. Okay Paul, you're free. Now you get to continue and live on in the flesh. What's what your life to be all about Christ you know. Talk about a guy with a one track mind is Paul. I I've been honestly convicted just reading through Philippians in preparation for this morning's message because I notice how often Paul zeros in on and mentions Jesus Christ and just the first chapter were in Christ Jesus you are in Philippi butchering Christ I'm in prison but I my chains are in Christ. I want to spread the gospel of Christ. This guy lived with the one track mind.
You wrote to the Romans and he said I've determined that a nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified was all about Christ like a little boy he went to Sunday school and he got his first time you ever been to church. Got a Sunday school and his mom. So how how was it was good was your teacher's name is I don't know her name but she must've been Jesus grandmother because Jesus was the only one she could talk about the whole class like that's just like Paul, Jesus is the only one he seems to talk about in this life for me to live is Christ. I want to tie something to that. Don't don't lose this one. Look at verse 20.
I want to unpack that according to my earnest expectation and hope that a nothing.
I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always. So now Christ will be magnified in my body whether by life or by death. See that those two words earnest expectation to what that means.
It speaks of a person sticking his head out to see what's coming up. He's intently focusing on what's coming up that he's eager he's anticipating his thing. As long as I live my my one focus of what's coming is that my life might magnify and glorify Jesus Christ. I want to live in such a way that my own body becomes a base of operations for Jesus Christ. I don't miss this because I have met too many Christians with this weird view of the body and the body's all bad spirits all good. Don't worry about the body.
It's all about the spirit there's truth to that. I know where they're coming from, but the Bible says your body ought to become the base of operations in a vehicle for him to work verses like Romans 12 present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, which is your reasonable service. Romans six present the members of your bodies as instruments of righteousness to God first Corinthians chapter 6, do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit is what all that means your hands can become like his hands, his instruments to do his work. Your mouth could be so yielded to him that your speaking his words and speaking life to other people. Your feet could be on a mission to do his work.
Your whole life, marriage, hobbies, occupation could be to magnify Christ, the great composer Bach said all of music should have no other aim than the glory of God whenever he wrote a score he would begin by writing two letters at the top J. J.
J. Sue Giovanna which means Lord Jesus, help me, and he dried his music at the end he would write three initials at the bottom. Yes, D. G.
Soli Dayo Gloria to God alone. The glory all of life was lived to magnify and glorify Jesus Christ. Now again were not done yet with that verse.
Look at this phrase, Christ will be magnified a disinfection of minds what it means to magnify Christ. Mega Luna is the Greek word means to enlarge or to make great. Here's my question. How in the world. Could we possibly make great or any greater. The greatest person who ever lived, Jesus Christ, let alone to our bodies. How's that possible I tell you how there's here's an illustration and then the application out there in the universe out there in the heavens.
There are stars that are so much bigger than the sun.
Some of the stars are a thousand million miles in diameter but there's so far away. You can't see them. You can apprehend them unless you have an instrument called the telescope that magnifies them and enlarges them and brings them closer will I suggest to you, but just like the stars are in the heavens. Jesus Christ is to most people. He's so distant.
He's so 2000 years old. He's a misty figure of history that nobody thinks is relevant for today you have the opportunity to magnify him to make him large.
And here's how. As people watch your life, especially as you suffer like Paul was in prison. It's an opportunity for people to go while there is a Jesus who is alive and makes a big difference in that person's life. He's now larger-than-life. I see him at work in his people to get the idea of what Paul says when five live or die.
Want to enlarge, magnify the Lord Jesus Christ is brought closer okay so that's one option. If I live now this is if he dies, and this will be close for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. We spent four months in the last part.
The game part. We talked all about what you gain as a believer when you die and what's up ahead were not afraid of death. Death to sweetens the pie fact not even think it's accurate to say he died or she died is better to say he moved. She moved they've relocated.
I've watched a lot of people die. Over the years I've set a deathbeds little over a year ago with my own mother and several other people even here in this fellowship, and I've watched those last breaths and I've I've looked into their eyes and I've heard that last on many occasions, nothing more. And it's a holy moment for me because I imagine at the end of that labor breath with the next breath so to speak, in heaven, must be like. I guarantee it's not. It's more like wow that's if you know Christ. If not, might sound something like so certainly don't want that now only the person who can say for me to live is Christ is the one you can say to die is gain. You fill in the blank for me to live is whatever and I don't know what that is. I don't know honestly what would sum up your goal in life. Let's just suppose it's finances its materialism. Okay, so let's finish the sentence for me to live is money to die is to leave it all behind that again.
It's a loss let's say you want status notoriety position.
Okay, let's finish the sentence for me to live is notoriety to die is to be quickly forgotten. Let's say it's a perfect physique. Just for me to live is a perfect physique to die while you get really ugly after you die so you lose it all. Only the person who can say for me to live is Christ can say to die is gain. The Indians had a great saying I do know which tribe of Native Americans was but there's a little old saying in one of those tribes goes like this when you were born you cried, but the world rejoiced.
Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world tries and you rejoice is good wisdom and that put it in Paul's words for me to live is Christ and therefore to die is gain.
Heaven is something were all invited to go to but just as I needed a passport to get out of this country into another country. The only way to get into heaven only passport into heaven on the merits of Jesus Christ on your behalf until we get there.
My prayer heaven will be more than the destination become our motivation is no secret how you can get to heaven it doesn't involve a secret secret handshake secret code word or anything at all that secret. In fact, God is those very plainly how we can enjoy eternity with him. All we need is Jesus Christ.
So if you haven't secured your passport to heaven yet. We encourage you to not wait any longer take care of that right now. If you'd like to know how please call us at 1-800-922-1888. That's all the time we have for today but before we go. Here's information about this month's correctly Skip resource offer. You know those times you hear a sermon that really speaks to you. It's almost as if the pastor knows what you personally going through and he teaches a message like you're the only one listening. It's not that the pastor knows you personally that God knows you personally hear skip. I think in nearly 40 years of expository teaching. I still love hearing that one of my messages spoke to someone personal that it burned them on to know God better or become more like that's not because of me that's just the power of the word of God doing the work of God in the hearts of the people get to know the God who knows you pastor Skip pics a collection of some of pastor skip's most memorable teachings, including the rapture. Real and overcoming an anxious mind this for DVD collection. Our thanks for your gift of $25 or more to help keep this ministry connecting more people to Jesus. Call now to request a copy of pastor Skip pics 800-922-1888 working online securely connectwithskip.com/offer if you like a copy of the final message of the series from the age of eternity. Just call us at 1-800-922-1888 or visit connectwithskip.com. Each copy is just six dollars which includes shipping. Or you can also order the entire series from the age of eternity for only $39 plus shipping and it's a great series this year was someone he was questions about death and the afterlife.
So call us today to ask about ordering the complete series from the edge of eternity again. Just call 1-800-922-1888 or visit connectwithskip.com and come back next week with pastor Skip starts a brand-new series is entitled church.
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