For me to live is Christ

by Dominic Fede
(Sydney Australia)

Philippians 1:21
New International Version (NIV)
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Context:
• Here we come to the book of Philippines
• It is a book written by Paul
• Paul was in prison when he wrote this book
• It was his fist time in a Roman Jail
• Some History about Philippi
• Paul visited Philippi on his second missionary journey.
• On that visit he led a number of people to Christ
• who formed the church there.
• Some of these were Lydia and her family,
• the Philippian jailer and his family,
• and the girl possessed by a demon (Acts 16:14-34).

Why Did Paul write this book?
• To say thank you to the Philippi church for their gift of support they gave him through Epha-phro-dtt-us .


• The second reason was due to a conflict between two women. He mentions and names them in Phil 4:2.

v2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.

Introduction:

What I would like to do with this passage is

Look at the 2 phrases
a. For to me, to live is Christ
b. and to die is gain

1. Lets Look at the words before us what stands out?
2. Looks at the first phrase of Paul’s words “For to me”
3. Lets Look at the Middle phrase of Paul’s words “to live is Christ”
4. Look at the third phrase of Paul’s words “and to die is gain”
5. Lets look how Paul says theses words
6. Lets see when he wrote it?
7. Why does Paul write these words?
8. Why is The Gospel so important for God?
9. What is the Gospel?

Before I we look at these passage
• I want to ask you the question
• Have you made any new years Resolutions this year?
• Have you started implementing your new years resolution?
• It’s good to have a new years resolution
• Because we have a new year before us
• And its good to start in a new year with something new
• I hope that your new years resolution
• Will be the same words has Paul’s words in this passage
• For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain
• Paul was entering into a new faze in his life
• From being a free man
• To A life of Prison
• Because of following Jesus
• A life of hardship and pain
• We are entering into a new year
• We don’t know what this year will bring
• But we must live for Christ and for his Glory.

I. Lets Look at the words before us what stands out ?
a. For to me, to live is Christ
b. and to die is gain

A. These words are very famous words by Paul
B. I have not heard anyone else say these words
C. These words are original
D. These words are simple
E. And Powerful at the same time
F. Because of one word, in the phrase.
G. Christ
H. Christ make all the difference in the phrase.
I. One word can make a person happy
J. One word can make a person angry
K. One word can make a person sick
L. One word can make a person depressed
M. One word can give strength
N. One word can change many things
O. Paul life was changed by one word in his life, Christ
P. Has the Word Christ changed your life
Q. When you Hear the Christ what do you think?
R. Does the word Christ bring a smile to your life
S. Does the word Christ bring a Joy to your life
T. Does the word Christ bring a strength to your life
U. For Paul it did
V. Other wise it would not put Christ in His word

What does the word Christ mean?
• “anointed one”
• or “chosen one.”
• Paul saw Jesus as the anointed one.
• The Messiah
• The one sent by God to save the world

II. Looks at the first phrase of Paul’s words “For to me”

What is Paul saying here?
A. For me Jesus is important
B. For me I have made I decision to follow Jesus
C. For me everything else is secondary.
D. My focus is for Christ.
E. My goal is to please Christ.
F. My life is Christ.
G. My life is to be like Christ.
H. My life is to walk like Christ.
I. My life is think like Christ.
J. My life is to do what Christ did.
K. My decision is to follow Christ.
L. My decision is to only listen to Christ.
M. My decision is to honour Christ and everything
N. Whatever happens to me I will follow Christ.
O. My mind is determined.
P. By heart is focused.
Q. Unless we have the resolve to follow Christ.
R. Like Paul did we can never serve Christ.
S. We must put Jesus in the first place.
T. Paul put Jesus in the first place

How do you put Jesus in first place in your life?
1. You must ask Jesus into your life
2. And Must make A decision to put Christ first
3. Like Paul did
4. Unless you do that you cannot follow Christ 100 percent
5. Will you put Christ first? Its up to you

III. Lets Look at the Middle phrase of Paul’s words “to live is Christ”

In this world there are 2 ways to live

1. To live like the world
2. Or To Live for Christ

• The world Thinks if you live for Christ you are mad

• The Christian believes if you don’t live for Christ you are Mad

Which is best you think?
To test these 2 lives, I’m going to give you 2 texts
A) A life that has no God and a life in the flesh
B) And a life lived according to Gods Promises in the spirit

Lets Compare the 2 to see which life is better

life number 1

Galatians 5:19-21
New International Version (NIV)
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Life Number 2
Galatians 5:22-23
New International Version (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

IV. Looks at the third phrase of Paul’s words “and to die is gain”

A. Here is man that talks about death
B. Not many people want to talk about death
C. But Paul talks about death
D. In our culture
E. Its rude to talk about death
F. But for Paul he talks about it
G. We need to talk about it
H. The Bible talk a lot about death
I. The Bible talks a lot about life too
J. If you were to die this moment
K. Where will you spend eternity
L. Will you spend it in heaven
M. Or will spend it in hell?
N. Are you scared of death?
O. It is amazing how many Christians
P. Are scared of death
Q. But not Paul
R. Paul says to die is gain
S. If you have Jesus in your life
T. It is a gain for You
U. That’s why Paul says these words
V. There where few people not scared of death in the bible
a. Enoch
b. Elisha
c. Jesus
d. And Paul
W. Because they had a living relationship with God
X. Has Christians we should not be scared of death
Y. But Rejoice
Z. Because It will be our gain
 
V.Lets look how Paul says theses words

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

He says these words with
A. Happiness
B. With a letter
C. In a letter you can tell if the person writing is Angry or happy
D. When Paul wrote this letter he was happy
a. He was happy because He Received a gift of support
b. Guards where becoming Christians
c. Because of the advancement of the gospel v12
d. Because the church was being confident in the gospel.
e. Because People are praying for him v19

VI. Lets see when he wrote it ?

A. When he was in Prison
B. When he had no freedom
C. When he new what was going to happen to him
D. When the time was difficult
E. When everything seemed to go wrong
 
VII. Why does Paul write these words ?

a. So that Paul can give a report to the church about him
b. So that people might see that for Paul, Jesus is important
c. So that others may be encouraged to follow Him
d. To show what’s important in his life “The Gospel”

v12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters,b that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.

e. For The Gospel Should be important for us

VIII. Why is The Gospel so important for God?

1 Timothy 2:3-4
New International Version (NIV)
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

a. Gods Desire is to save people from there sins
b. And Bring them to heaven
c. If we don’t preach the gospel
d. People will not come to Jesus

Romans 10:13-15
New International Version (NIV)
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”a
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”b

IX. What is the Gospel?

a. John 3:16

John 3:16-18
New International Version (NIV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

b. That Jesus came to save us from our sins
c. Why do you think I preached about “We should keep Christmas”
d. 3 Weeks ago
e. Even though Christmas is a pagan Festival
f. As we know it was not on the 25th of December
g. But it makes people think about Jesus

Out of Everything I have said this morning
• It is us preaching the Gospel which is important
• The Devil does want us to preach the Gospel
• God has put you on this earth so that you can preach the Gospel
• If you are in prison
• If you are sick
• If you are free
• You must preach the Gospel
• Are you preaching the gospel?