LIFE -- Part II

I. A Life of Triumph (1:19)

A. Christianity will triumph in spite of both the weakness of its proponents and the opposition of its opponents

1. It will triumph because it is not we who keep Christianity going but Christ.

(a.) It is the expression of the life of Jesus Christ and he cannot fail because he is the sovereign of the Universe.

(b) Keep in mind that he will triumph and that through the weakness of his human instruments.

(c) In verse 20 - He tells us how we will triumph.

2.Paul's dependence for his personal deliverance was both human and divine.

(a.) Technically speaking they are both divine although one is the human use of a divine provision.

(b.) He needed the prayers of the Philippians and he needed the boundless supply of the Holy Spirit.

(c.) Both are essential. We must have each other and prayer is the link between us.

II. A Life of Confidence(1:20)

A. The meaning o f magnification

1.Word magnify means "to make great" "enlarge"

(a.) It was Paul's ambition to make Christ great.

(b.) How in the world can a mere human being enlarge Christ.

(c.) He is not made one whit richer by our gifts or one whit poorer by our withholding.

(d.) All power, glory and riches are his now and eternally.

2.There is only one place where His Sovereignty is contested

(a.) It is A this world which is blinded to his glory.

(b.) It is left up to us to make known Christ's glory and grace.

(c.) Nothing convinces the world more strongly of the reality of Christ than someone living for him.

3. The world is scrutinizing our lives daily.

B. The medium of this magnification (My body)

1. The stars are much bigger than the telescope, yet the telescope magnifies them and brings them closer.

(a.) The believers body is to be the telescope that brings the infinite Christ closer to people.

(b.) To the average person, Christ is a misty figure in history who lived centuries ago.

(c.) As a lost world watches the yielded believer undergoing crises and yet in love with Jesus,

He magnified Him and bring Him closer to the person who is watching.

2. Although the telescope brings distant things closer, it is the microscope that makes tiny things look big.

(a.) To the unbeliever Jesus is not very big or very important.

(b.) Other things and other people are far more important.

(c.) As he watches our lives, he ought to be able to see how big Jesus is.

3. The believers body is a "lens" that makes a "little Christ" (little from world's point of view) look

very big and makes a "distant Christ" come very close.

(a.) Our bodies have been the vehicle of Satanic use, and now God uses these same bodies to glorify Christ.

(b.) Remember it is not our bodies to be magnified but Christ in our bodies.

(c.) These bodies are to be the earthly frames for heavenly pictures.

C. The measure of this magnification (by life or death) Ch1:20

1. Paul is ready to go the limit for Jesus.

(a.) He isn't concerned about living or dying but only in exalting the Lord Jesus.

(b) Note that no interruption is tolerated in his passion to glorify the Lord Jesus (as always, so now)

D. Motive for the magnification

1. What is needed for you-further progress of your faith (1:24-25)

(a.) Service to others comes before self.

(b.) There is no "what's in it for me" attitude in Paul.

2.Paul tells us he has a conflicting desire (1:23)

(a.) He is not a weary man tired of living, there is no sense of frustration which prompts this statement.

(b.) He wants nothing out of life but to glorify Christ, and nothing out of death but to glory in his presence.

(c.) Christ is the sum total of all his desires.

3. Because of his attitude toward life, he has a different attitude toward life, he has a different attitude toward death.

(a.) If living is Christ (21) then dying is gain.

(b.) Death to the Christian is not a termination but a translation.

(c.) When we die we do not go int~ oblivion but into glory.

(d.) What an unusual person Paul is. He is willing to postpone going to heaven to help Christians grow.

(e.) He is even willing to go to hell in order to win others to Jesus Christ. (Romans 9:1-3)

E. The secret of this magnification (1:21)

1.For me to live is Christ (note it is not Christ like)

(a.) For me to live is Christ-Christ himself living in me (Phil2:13-4:13) (Col 3:4)

(b.) Because Christ is living in me - to die is gain.

(c.) Remove Christ from this sentence - to die is not gain it is loss.

(d.) Take out Christ and you have this sentence - for me to live is to die. Death is no gain without Christ.

(e.) For me to live is money and to die is to leave it all behind.

(f.) For me to live is fame and to die is to be for gotten.

(g.) For me to live is power and to die is to lose it all.

2. I must echo Paul's statement - For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.