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Contagious Joy \\u2013 Finding Life in Death
A Walk through the Book of Philippians (week 4)
Sermon Summary
Philippians 1:18\\u201321 (ESV)
Yes, and I will rejoice,19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.\\xa0
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This week, Pastor Chris challenged us to adopt an eternal perspective on life. He unpacked how the Apostle Paul lived with joy by understanding how to live in Christ for now and eternity. First, we must believe that Jesus brought us life through His death (Hebrews 12:2). Then, we can know that death was defeated and holds nothing over us. Released from the fear of death, allows us to live a life of abundance!\\xa0
1 Corinthians 15:26 (ESV)
26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
It was never God\\u2019s design for us to physically die. But, because sin entered into the Garden of Eden, we all succumb to death. However, God has given us a way to live life fully, by conquering death (granting his children eternal life) and learning to die to ourselves daily so that His power is working through us.
Genesis 2:16\\u201317 (ESV)
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, \\u201cYou may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.\\u201d
Four Thoughts about Life
To the Apostle Paul, Life is\\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0 Christ\\xa0 \\xa0 .\\xa0 This life is exceeding, abundant, exciting, glorious, adventurous, and so much more (John 10:10). We are not to be spectators in life. Paul\\u2019s personal disciple Timothy heard his tutor say, \\u201cFight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.\\u201d 1 Timothy 6:12 (ESV)
In the end, death comes. Yet, the promise to us as Christ\\u2019s disciples is that life is found in death. We are encouraged to live a lifestyle of dying daily to ourselves. A pastor in a struggling church placed a coffin at the altar for Sunday services. He announced to the congregation, \\u201cToday we have suffered a loss in this church, come forward and pay your respects.\\u201d As the congregants filed past, each looked into the coffin and saw their own image reflected in a mirror facing them. At the end, the Pastor announced, \\u201cChurch we must die afresh, to serve Christ with our whole heart. Today, our body is declaring that we will die to our self \\u2013 self-interest, selfish ambition, and selfish wants.\\u201d
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\\u201c24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.\\u201d John 12:24\\u201325 (ESV)
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\\u201c16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.\\xa0 2 Corinthians 4:16\\u201318 (ESV)
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Discussion Questions
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Application Questions