05/24/2020 - How To Die - Philippians 1:15-30

It's been said that all of man's life is one long attempt to avoid death. But then someone you love dies. You attend the service honoring his or her life. Depending on your age, you might think for longer than a minute about your own memorial and then you push it aside. Still, someday people will be talking about you in the past tense. The apostle Paul was faced with this thought time and again. Perhaps now more than ever because he is a prisoner of Rome and that usually doesn't end well. Especially for a Christian living under the reign of Nero. Paul reveals his attitude...

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

In other words, he's saying, "It doesn’t matter if I live or die, either way, I win." Paul's worldview allowed him to face anything. His circumstances didn't define him, rather his faith defined his circumstances. You see Paul has answered the question, “What am I doing here? Why am I on this planet?” His outlook was both realistic and hopeful as if to say, "Death is not bothersome and yes life is hard, but I don’t want you to be discouraged because of me. I'm doing fine; I know why I'm here and I know where I'm going!" This is a cause for a great celebration my friends. Jesus has answered life's most pressing questions for you and me!