To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain

A Letter of Joy from a Prison Cell

"For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance."

We know the context Paul is writing from. He's in prison. Philippi is a Roman colony full of retired Roman soldiers — a place where persecution, suffering, and tough times awaited the early church.

And yet, this letter from a prison cell uses the word joy 16 times. Paul is constantly telling the church, "You're a joy to pray for."

A Two-Way Relationship With Our Leaders

We want that for our leaders. We want them saying, "Oh, this church is a joy to pray for. It's an absolute privilege to serve them." What we don't want is leaders saying, "Do I have to go to church again?" — because that happens too, when leaders come to a place where they get so much opposition and grief.

We're on the same team. We're meant to be walking in the same direction. So let's be like the Philippian church, looking at Paul and saying, "We're going to make it so easy for you, Paul, even in a prison cell, that you'll have such joy."

There's a relationship that goes both ways between the leaders and the congregation.

Confident Through Prayer

"For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ."

Paul is confident at this stage — and the reason he gives is your prayer.

The Church That Didn't Believe Its Own Prayers

Remember Peter in the book of Acts? The church is praying for him earnestly. God delivers him. Peter gets to the church house, knocks on the door, and they say, "Who is it?" He says, "Peter." And they respond, "It must be his ghost. It can't be Peter. Don't open it!"

The Bible says the church was praying earnestly for Peter's release, and then when God delivered him, they didn't believe it.

Isn't that a picture of the church? We go to prayer evenings. We pray in the mornings. We pray in our groups: "God, bring revival. God, save my family. God, save this person I'm talking to online." We give these specific things to God, and yet inside of us there's this doubt.

Dealing With Unbelief

When Jesus' disciples couldn't deliver a boy from an evil spirit, Jesus walked over and said, "What's going on?" The father said, "These guys can't do it." Jesus said:

"O unbelieving generation, how much longer must I stay with you?... This sort comes out only by prayer and fasting."

The unbelief in your heart — the only way to deal with it is through prayer and fasting.

This is why in Matthew 6, Jesus says, "When you pray, when you fast, when you give." Three characteristics Jesus expected of the church. Two of them — prayer and fasting — are something we should continue in throughout our lives.

The Peace That Passes All Understanding

Paul is confident he'll come through this trial because of the church's prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

That's the peace of God that passes all understanding — the peace Paul is experiencing in this moment. No matter what the struggle, no matter what the storm, no matter what the circumstance, Paul can walk through it or sit in it with this peace. He's going to trial before Caesar, and yet he's sitting there believing he'll be delivered.

What trials are you going through right now? Do you have that same peace? That same expectation? That same confidence that you'll be delivered?

Or is it more like, "I hope this happens" — but there's not that conviction, not that assurance inside you?

Even Paul Wavered

I don't think Paul is 100% confident all the way through this letter. I think he gets to a place where he's strong in faith, but a little short of absolute certainty. And that gives us all encouragement, because we're all in that place at times.

There are moments when we're like, "I'm full of faith. I'm so sure." But would I put 100 on it, or just 99? Paul gives me encouragement because I feel he does the very same thing.

Boldness — The Prayer of the Early Church

"According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness..."

Boldness is key for the Christian. All through the early church, what did they ask for? Boldness. When they were in prison, what did they ask for? Not deliverance — they asked for boldness.

Paul willingly went to prison. He put himself in situations knowing this moment was coming. He knew he had to go before Caesar. He knew his mission. So whatever came his way, he was okay with it. His biggest prayer was, "Lord, give me boldness. Take away any fear, worry, or anxiety."

That's where the peace of God comes in. Peace quietens the anxiety and the fear, and then we can say, "God, make me bold. Make me as bold as a lion. Give me the boldness to speak the words that need to be spoken."

Boldness for Our Generation

We live in a generation and time where we need that same boldness. They're passing a new Islamophobia law where you cannot criticise Islam — yet it's fine for anyone to criticise the church. Why? Because they're antichrist. Not anti-good — antichrist.

I need to start watching these things more closely rather than getting frustrated with what I see happening to our country, our nation, and this world the more they kick God out.

Encouraging Stories and a Vision for LBC

But then I hear great stories — like the man who bought a church and said, "If any church out there wants this building, you can have it free rent. I just want people to worship God." His plan is to buy as many churches as come up for sale.

I pray for a time when we as LBC are in that position — where we can go and buy buildings quickly before they get turned into mosques or flats, so we can do our part to keep advancing the kingdom of God. We will do that. We're going to make a difference.

In these first 10 years of LBC, what great work we've done as a church. That's not pride, nose up in the air. But if you've been part of LBC for any amount of time, you should be proud of what you're part of:

• We're really on mission
• We're really trying to win the lost
• We're not just having a nice community huddle on a Sunday morning
• We really mean business

Look at the Heart

Yes, we've had opposition over the years — even from people who've had differing thoughts about the way we've done things. But what I'd always say is: always look at a man or a woman's heart. Because if you know their heart, you'll probably realise that what you took as an offence wasn't intended that way.

A Lesson From My Own Mistake

I remember a pastor I fell out with in my early, immature days. Whether he was right or wrong doesn't matter — all I remember is focusing on the one thing he did that offended me. I completely didn't look at his heart.

If I had remembered all the times before that one incident:

• The way he treated me
• The way he supported me
• The way he discipled me

...I don't know how I let one little incident change my thinking to the point where I became a hindrance to the kingdom, badmouthing him and his ministry.

That's why I speak against those things — because I used to do it myself. You learn more from my mistakes than from the things I do well. If we're not willing to learn from our past mistakes, we'll keep making the same ones and expect God to bring some form of consequence.

God Disciplines, But Doesn't Ignore

As a father, when my children were young and made a mistake, it didn't mean I smacked them straight away. To be fair, I've never laid a finger on my kids. Not that I'm against a parent giving their child a slap — the Bible says, "Spare the rod, spoil the child." If parents were a bit stricter in this generation, maybe we wouldn't have so many things going wrong with our young generation.

When my children made a mistake, there would be discipline — grounded, Xbox taken away — but I wouldn't just allow it to keep happening. In the same way, God isn't turning a blind eye. Don't think that because there's a delay, God is allowing it or accepting it.

This was Samson's mistake. Because there was a delay in the judgment, he just continued in that wrong lifestyle. And he met his end. Yes, God still used him on his deathbed, but he didn't have to go through some of the things he went through — if only he'd said, "God, I'm going to follow your ways in all areas of my life. Not just look like the Nazirite, but actually be the very thing I claim to be."

To Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain

"With all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death."

Paul says, "Whether I'm alive or dead, Lord, if my death is going to come, make sure it glorifies your name."

A moment ago Paul was confident of his deliverance; now there's the phrase "whether in death or in life." I think he's starting to wane — 99% confident, 98% confident.

Verse 21 — The Verse That Marked Me

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

Church, this is the very verse that hit me and shaped the way I speak. I always say, "When my mission's complete, I'm ready to go home." I think it was Paul himself who put that in my DNA.

What About Purgatory and Soul Sleep?

This verse speaks against purgatory. I know we don't believe in purgatory in this room, but there's a theology — well-held in the Catholic church — that once you die, you wait in a certain place.

There's also a teaching called soul sleeping — that when you die, your soul sleeps in the ground until the day of judgment, when God raises you.

But the Bible speaks of being "absent from the body and present with the Lord." For me, when a believer dies, they go straight into paradise. I don't believe in soul sleep. I don't believe in purgatory. My belief is simply: when a Christian leaves this world, they get to be with Christ.

I mention this because some of you may be questioning, "What happens when we die?" Paul says, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain." We trust Paul on so many other things — why don't we trust him here?

Why are we fearful? Because it's the unknown. It's never happened to you before. The first time it happens will be the last. But for the Christian, we shouldn't fear death. Why? Because to live is Christ and to die is gain.

And remember, all Scripture is God-breathed — not just bits and bobs. Some people say, "That's not Jesus' words, that's Paul's words." But it's in the Word of God. We either accept all of it, or we throw away whatever we don't like.

Paul's Internal Struggle

"But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labour. Yet what shall I choose? I cannot tell."

There's an internal struggle in Paul: "Should I stay or depart? If I depart, that would be far greater. I'm in prison, suffering. My best years are behind me. All I can expect is more beatings. But the church needs me."

That's the heart of Paul.

Putting Others First

Do we put other people first in our lives? Do we ask:

• "I know what I want to do, but what's better for the kingdom?"
• "What's better for my brother? For my sister?"
• "What brings more fruit?"

Paul's only thought was that he would bear fruit — whether he lived or died. Not, "I'm going to build a portfolio, buy loads of properties just for the sake of it." His only thought was to bear fruit.

If you're thinking about portfolios or properties or anything else, just make sure the DNA of it is to build fruit for the kingdom. Like Blackpool rock — snap it in half and "Blackpool" goes all the way through. Let the DNA all the way through your ideas, your heart, your desires, your lifestyle be to bear fruit.

Receiving in One Hand, Giving With the Other

When God becomes central to your thinking, the fruit gets bigger. And when the fruit gets bigger — not that we do this to receive a blessing — but you can't help but be blessed.

It's better to give than to receive. But God likes to give too. As you give for him, I don't believe God leaves you empty-handed.

This is what we do at LBC — and it really impacted one of our Brazilian pastors in Rio: we receive in one hand and we give in the other. As it comes in, we don't close the hand. We keep it open and pass it on. And as we do that, God seems to send more.

The Kenya Story

Remember when we emptied our bank account and gave all our money to Kenya? We hadn't planted any churches yet. It was a Kenyan church with no roof and no sides. I was preaching there, and I believed God gave me the word: "Empty the bank."

We emptied the bank as a church. We gave it all away. We had just received it — we were going to build a bigger church because we'd run out of space. We brought our money in ready to build. Drawings were drawn up. And God says, "Give it all away."

So we gave it all away. And then what did God do? He brought us this building — something we could never have afforded, never have built. Then he gave us the Langley building too.

Sowing and Reaping — But Not Prosperity Gospel

There is a principle in sowing and reaping, but I don't preach a prosperity gospel. I'm not the person who says, "You give a hundred, God will give you a thousand. I need ten people to come to the front and sow a thousand pounds." I never will be that person. There's too much corruptness in it.

For me, that's not the heart of the gospel. The simple gospel is to reach the lost.

But there is a principle that God calls us to give with a generous heart:

"He who sows sparingly reaps sparingly, and he who sows generously reaps generously."

We're not doing that because we want more — but more does come, and we distribute it out.

The Last Door We Give to God

One of the last things to leave a Christian is control of their finances. Someone comes to faith, they're on fire — "God, you can have access here, and here, and here." Then we get to finance, and we close that door.

It is what it is in Britain. We're very private about money. "What's your wage?" "None of your business!" When I travel to other countries, they openly talk about what they earn, what they pay in rent, what food costs. We're guarded.

But remember:

"It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."

That doesn't mean rich people can't go to heaven. It means when riches become your priority, when they become hard to release, they take over.

We have to get to this place where we say:

• "My resources aren't mine. They're yours, God."
• "My time is not mine. It's yours, God."
• "This church building is not ours. It's yours, God."
• "Even my car is not mine. It's yours, God."

I'm not saying give everything away. I'm saying have a lifestyle that understands the principle of reaping and sowing. Take that into every area of your life — your time, your patience, everything. That thinking can only benefit you and show more of the character of Christ.

Not My Will, But Yours

"For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you."

"Not my will but your will." This is what Jesus said in Gethsemane. Paul is basically saying the same thing. "I would much prefer to come and be with you, Christ, but it's more needful if I stay with the church."

Pursue the Mission

We spoke at the marriage conference yesterday about pursuing the mission. Adam was the gardener, the guardian of the garden. God said, "It's not right for you to be alone." That's the first thing God says isn't good. So out of Adam's side comes Eve. And the purpose? To tend the garden together, to help in the work. The married couple were called to pursue the mission.

We're no different — single, married, widowed, or divorced. The mission doesn't change. Paul is saying, "It'd be great to graduate now. But the mission — I can be of more benefit if I stay."

"And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith."

There's that word joy again.

Conduct Worthy of the Gospel

"Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs."

The word conduct literally meant to live as a citizen. We're kingdom citizens. Let your conduct be worthy of the gospel.

The Need for Accountability

"That I may hear of your affairs." This implies accountability. Every Christian needs accountability. Paul is saying to the Philippians, "You're accountable to me."

Too many people don't have accountability. They may start off well, but if there's no accountability, you leave an area open for the enemy to swoop in. You'll find yourself much deeper in the mud and mire than you needed to be.

If you have accountability, when you hit the mud, the people you're accountable to help you. They walk with you. They pull you out.

Every single one of us needs someone — or a few people — in our life:

• Strong in the faith
• Christian
• Able to give good counsel
• Someone you can tell the darkest, deepest secrets to
• Someone you can be open with about the most embarrassing things

It's not about being private. It's not, "I'm not that kind of person." Otherwise, it stays in the dark. And the enemy loves to work in the dark. That's where mould grows best — and that's what the enemy is like: a mould that grows best in the dark.

One Mind, One Spirit

"That you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel."

When we have one mind, one spirit, one accord — then we can actually strive together for the gospel. That is the reward of being together.

When Nehemiah rebuilt the wall, they had one mind to work. It's one Lord, one baptism, one Spirit, one Jesus. Even in the Trinity — three, yet one.

At the marriage conference we talked about two becoming one:

"A man will leave his father and mother, be united to his wife, and the two will become one."

When we become Christians, we're married to Christ. Christ married his bride — the church. We're one.

It's so much easier when we all pull in the same direction. If some pull that way, some the other, some stand still at the back — it's harder to advance. But when we walk in the same direction, advancing is easy. And the kingdom of God, the Bible says, is forcefully advancing. So let's get our backs into it, shoulders down, and forcefully advance together.

Not Terrified by Our Adversaries

"And not in any way terrified by your adversaries..."

The enemy's tactics are fear and intimidation. He's a bully. If he can't win in that area, he can't win.

• The peace of God passes all understanding
• Perfect love casts out all fear

Fear and intimidation are the traits of a bully. We shouldn't have bullies in the church. There should not be anyone among us with bully tactics — because that looks more like the enemy than like Jesus.

Christians Are Not Wimps

I'm not saying we can't stand strong. In one of the letters, Paul talks about "raising up holy hands" — that was a boxing stance. Ephesians 6 gives us the armour of God. Christians are not wimps. We're not doormats to be trodden over.

Look at our heroes:

• Peter, potentially crucified upside down
• Other disciples boiled alive
• People burned at the stake to get the King James Bible into our hands
• Polycarp, tied to the stake, saying, "Eighty-six years I've served him. I will not fail him."

We are the strongest of the strongest. Suffering and persecution come our way, and we do the opposite of what the world says. When your enemy hates you, we're told to love them.

How do you do that? Only real strength can do that. Only real strength holds back when someone spits in your face and you don't respond.

Turn the Other Cheek

That's what "turn the other cheek" means — don't return insult for insult. Not, "If someone slaps me, I'll just be a wimpy Christian and turn the other side." No — it means don't return insult for insult. Half the time when they hit us, we could deck them anyway. We're tougher than them. But the strength is in not fighting back.

We don't fight with flesh and blood. We fight against powers and principalities. That's our warfare, and that's the only thing that will make a difference in this community and world.

As things get closer to the end-time scenario, we've got to be stronger than ever before. The best way to do that is to be together, of one mind, one spirit, in furtherance of the gospel.

Strength Isn't What the World Says

Among us are physically strong people and less physically strong people — "the gym's not for me."

Our strength isn't in:

• Our physical appearance
• The weights we lift
• How far we can run
• Any worldly measurement

The smallest person in the room could be the strongest. Haley — physically small in height — is a giant in the Lord. She could be the tallest giant in this room. We don't look with our eyes.

God said David was a man after his own heart. When Samuel came looking for a king, Jesse had the king standing right there, but sent him off to the field: "Not you, you're the young one." God works differently to the world's standards.

We are strong. Church, understand — you are some tough people.

Fighting From Victory, Not For Victory

Remember the scene in Cool Runnings, in the bathroom mirror? "Look into the mirror. What do you see?" The character gets pumped up, storms out to face the bully, and gets knocked out.

That's not the way it works as a Christian. We don't need to pump ourselves up and then go out to defeat. We're fighting from a place of victory. We've already won. He's won it.

There is nothing this world can throw at us that can defeat us. Why? To live is Christ, and to die is gain.

What's the worst that can happen? Death. But we don't need to fear that.

"Don't fear the one that can just kill the body, but fear the one that can kill both body and soul and throw into hell."

It's God you should fear — not man, not woman, not circumstance, not war around us. A godly fear. An awe of God. He's all-inspiring, God-creating, and at any moment he could say, "I'm fed up of your attitude. You're going home."

The Full Picture of Jesus

If all you have is the fluffy, long-blond-haired Jesus walking down the street — he wouldn't be holding up pride flags in the city centre. He'd be there, but he'd be talking with people, saying, "This is what was intended for you. Don't let the enemy take you down that path." And that's the same with any sin in anyone's life.

A Simple Test

At the marriage conference, someone asked: "Can we as a married couple watch non-Christian films on a date night?"

My answer is simple: if you would allow Jesus to sit with you and watch it, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. If you wouldn't, I wouldn't watch it.

It's the same with anything in our life. If we wouldn't allow Jesus to do it with us, then it's probably not right — probably something you should stay away from. The Bible says, "Anything not done in faith is sin." Stay away from the things you're unsure about.

Love and Judgment

Remember, you are strong people. You are not wimps. Yes, Jesus is love, full of compassion. But don't forget the end of time when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Many will be forced to bow. It won't be "okay, now we accept." They'll be forced. Hitler will bow his knee. All who've gone before will bow. Why? Because he is King. And Jesus will judge this world.

• Yes, Jesus is love.
• And yes, Jesus is judgment.
• He is both.

We are not weak. We are strong. We're the biggest army in the world. Over two billion claim faith — the real number is smaller, but we're still a huge group. You can go into any country and find a brother and sister. Why? Because God's gospel is going to the ends of the world. And as it goes to every nation, then the end shall come.

Suffering for His Sake

"For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me."

Church, we will go through struggles. We will go through persecution. If they persecuted Jesus, they will persecute us.

But we don't go into the fight feeling weak. We don't go in head down, ready to get slapped about. We go in after our Cool Runnings moment in the mirror — but this time it's the Holy Spirit telling us what we look like.

"Look into the mirror. What do you see?"

And Holy Spirit starts to tell you:

• You are fearfully and wonderfully made
• You are a giant in the Lord
• You are more than a conqueror

Now walk in it. Walk in the truth. Walk in the knowledge. Have confidence — God can deliver us from anything.

But what's the very worst that happens? We're "unalived" — isn't that the word the Americans use now? And what? To live is Christ. To die is gain.

Amen.