Life Worthy of the Gospel

September 20, 2026 Philippians 1:21-30 Life worthy of the Gospel 17th Sunday of Pentecost Year A Prelude Greeting Call to Worship In the prayers and the praise, in the words and the wonder: we are given enough joy to live each day. In the justice for the oppressed, in the unexpected generosity for the lost: we are given enough compassion to use in service each day. In the promises made to all, in the mercy offered to each: we are given enough grace to share each day. (LectionaryLiturgies.com, Thom Shuman) Invocation Sovereign and Awesome God, we come to worship you, to know you and to be known by you. Expand our hearts to love fully. Build our courage to receive the truth. Nurture our spirits to be gracious, merciful, and kind. Transform us in your image and for your glory as we dwell in your presence. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Song Spirit of the Living God UMH 393 sing twice A Sermon for all Ages Keep Moving Forward Scripture: Philippians 1:20–30 Object lesson: A pair of shoes or sneakers Good morning! I brought something with me today. A pair of shoes! What are shoes for? (Let the children answer.) That's right! We wear shoes when we walk, run, play, go to school, and travel somewhere. Now, what do you have to do if you want to get from one place to another? You have to keep moving forward! What happens if I take one step and then stop? (Demonstrate taking one step.) I'm not going to get very far, am I? Today our Bible lesson comes from a letter that a man named Paul wrote to his friends in a church in a place called Philippi. Paul loved these people very much. But when Paul wrote this letter, something was wrong. Paul was in prison. Do you think Paul was happy about being in prison? Probably not! Paul didn't even know exactly what was going to happen to him. But Paul knew something very important. Jesus was still with him. Paul knew that if he was free, Jesus was with him. If he was in prison, Jesus was with him. If he was happy, Jesus was with him. If he was afraid, Jesus was with him. And because Paul knew Jesus was with him, he could keep moving forward. Sometimes things don't go the way we want them to. Maybe school is difficult. Maybe someone hurts our feelings. Maybe we don't make the team. Maybe we have an argument with a friend. Maybe something changes in our family. Maybe we are worried about something. What should we remember? Jesus is with us! Let's try something. When I say, “When things are good,” you say, “Jesus is with me!” When things are good! Children: Jesus is with me! When things are hard! Children: Jesus is with me! When I am happy! Children: Jesus is with me! When I am afraid! Children: Jesus is with me! When I don't know what will happen next! Children: Jesus is with me! That's what Paul wanted his friends to remember. And because Jesus is with us, we don't have to give up. We can put on our shoes, take another step, and keep moving forward in faith. We can keep loving. We can keep helping. We can keep praying. We can keep being kind. We can keep following Jesus. So the next time you put on your shoes, remember Paul and remember this: Jesus walks with you wherever you go. And because Jesus is with you, you can keep moving forward! Prayer Dear Jesus, Thank you for always being with us. When we are happy, be with us. When we are afraid, be with us. When life is difficult, help us not to give up. Help us to keep loving, keep helping, keep believing, and keep moving forward with you. Amen. PRAYER OF CONFESSION We continue to believe that we must earn our way into God's heart. But God's grace is given to each of us, for all of us, freely, unconditionally, always. Let us open our lives to this mercy as we pray, saying, It seems we cannot decide, Cloud of Glory. We say we will live to serve others, but end up meeting only our needs. We claim to live in a way that honors Christ, but we do not take him to work, school, home. We believe that the gospel can transform lives, (at least, for those who need it - not us). Forgive us, Presence of Peace. Instead of grumblers, may we be ambassadors of grace. Instead of continual complaining, may we carry compassion to the hurting. Instead of whiners, may we be workers with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, to reach out and bring the kingdom of God to everyone we meet. Silence is kept Assurance of Pardon This is the good news: there is no ranking in God's kingdom. God graces everyone with the same gifts: mercy, restoration, new life. God has kept the covenant. We have been forgiven, we have been made new people. Thanks be to God. Amen. Written by Thom Shuman, from Lectionary Liturgies. Passing of the Peace Scripture Philippians 1:21-30 Sermon Life Worthy of the Gospel Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 1 to live a life worthy of the gospel. In this letter, Paul uses the Greek word – politeumai – which means to be a citizen of the gospel. Whatever country we might be a citizen of, whereever we may live, and whatever the circumstance – as a Christian, our citizenship is contained in the gospel. as he tries to convey the essence of a gospel-centered life to these first-century Christians. Certainly some of the Philippian Christians Paul was addressing were also Roman citizens, that is, holders of the most coveted political identity one could have in the first century. Rome was the super power. Rich. Powerful. Its ideals and lifestyles, its gods and its culture, were recognized as the best, the highest ideal, in all the civilized world. But not by Paul. Once he had identified himself as a proud Roman citizen, but now Paul knows that there's only one power that holds his ultimate loyalty, that directs his every action and attitude. All those who confess Christ, whose life is in Christ now and forever, are citizens of the gospel of Christ, and it's in accordance with that citizenship that a life of faith must be lived. The book of Philippians is known as a prison epistle. Paul wrote the book of Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon and Philippians while he was in captivity in Rome. The book of Philippians is also the most heartfelt, vulnerable letter that he wrote. By 60 AD he had been in prison long enough that he started to get afraid. He knew that he was innocent, and should be aquitted, but he had started to doubt that the system was fair. He was afraid that they would kill him, just because they were not in favor of Christianity. In this time of fear, he writes a letter to the first congregation that he ever founded, trying to encourage them to remain faithful and to live out the lessons of Christ, whether he was able to join them again or not. He gave them encouragement and instructions to move forward. The book of Philippians is dear to me because it contains the motto of Northwestern. I also like the book because it is short – only 4 chapters, and it gives some very practical advice in everyday language. Philippi, was a relatively small urban town – of about 10,000 people. I visited the remains of Philippi on a trip to Greece. We literally had to get out of the tour bus on the side of the Egnatia Highway in Northern Greece on the way to Turkey. Egnatia just means ancient Roman Highway. The remains of the city are on either side of the road. Philippi started as an outpost of retired Roman soldiers and their families. Since soldiers came from all walks of life, the town was valued diversity and the acceptance of all people. So when Paul approached them with a gospel saying that we were all God’s children and that we were all accepted by God’s grace – they were very welcoming. Most of the churches that were open to listening to Paul – were along that highway in Northern Greece. It was a little more isolated and rural. The large urban areas of Greece, hated Paul’s message and they would do whatever they could to run him out of town. Most of the early churches that Paul started were amongst the soldiers. He talks about Macedonia, who became a very giving church, and Corinthians who were happy givers. But he cared the most about the Philippians. He wanted to encourage them to keep the faith and not forget what they had been taught. Suffering was a large part of the early faith. There were so many people who were killed because of their faith, the church made a big deal to encourage others not to become discouraged. There is a story of early martyrs. I read about a Christian who was about to be burned at the stake. In fact, they had already lit the embers and the flames were beginning to lick at his feet. One of his tormenters said, "What can your Christ do for you now?" This brave Christian said, "He can do, and is doing, three things. First of all, He can cause me to love you, and I do. Secondly, He can give me a joy unspeakable, so full of glory that I can't feel the pain, and He has." He said thirdly, "He can take me to a place where I will never feel pain again, and He will." That was the message that Paul wanted to teach all Christians – that following Christ gives us the strength to deal with the hard times of life. Pauls message to us – live a life worthy of the gospel, stand firm in what you have been taught, and stick together in the struggle. For Paul – the Christian community was everything. He did not want to face his suffering I prison alone, so he reached out to the people who supported him in ministry. He felt that he could be honest about his fears with the Philippian church – while encouraging them to keep the faith. These were people who like Paul, who took their Roman citizenship seriously. They devoted their life and death to being a citizen. Paul reminds us that citizenship is important, but our first loyalty is to the gospel. Being a citizen of the gospel isn't about taking the most comfortable position, or doing the most important tasks, or achieving the most accomplishments. Being a citizen of the gospel means that the needs of others and the community itself determines our course of action. When it's time to give aid we must give aid. When it's time to give thanks for the gifts of others we must give thanks. As citizens of the gospel we find our strength in Christ--even as we become vulnerable to the whole world. Maybe the best way we can repair our image in the world right now isn't to know and show how to BE STRONG, but to learn from Katrina how to BE WEAK. We know we can be a good giver. Can we be a good receiver? Can YOU be a good receiver? ChristianGlobe Networks, Collected Sermons, by Leonard Sweet Pastor Dan Mangler tells an old fable from Holland about three tulip bulbs. These bulbs were named NO, MAYBE, and YES. Someone had placed them in the bottom of a tin to save them until planting time. One day they were discussing their future as tulip bulbs. NO said, “As far as I am concerned, this is it. We have come as far as we are going to come as bulbs. That’s all right. I’m content. I don’t need anything else.” MAYBE said, “Well, maybe there is something more. Perhaps if we try real hard good things will happen to us.” And MAYBE tried hard to be all that he could be but little changed and soon he gave up in frustration. YES, on the other hand said, “I believe there is something more, but I don’t believe that it is up to us. I have heard that there is One who can help us be more than we are if we simply trust him.” One day a hand reached down into the tin to select bulbs for planting. NO and MAYBE shrank back but YES gladly gave himself into the hand of the gardener. He could scarcely believe what was happening when he was buried underneath a mound of dirt. But when the springtime came YES burst forth in radiant color. He was now a beautiful flower. (8) The good news for us is that being able to say yes to our faith, is good for our lives and for our health. In a 1995 report on 232 people who underwent elective open-heart surgery, it was found that those who received no strength or comfort from religion were more likely to die within six months of the operation. A decade-long study of 2,700 people showed that after accounting for all risk factors, only one social attribute, increased church attendance, lowered mortality rates. (I'm glad you showed up this morning. You may just live longer because of it.) Among women recovering from hip fractures, those with stronger religious beliefs and practices were less depressed and could walk further when they were discharged. In a rigorously controlled study of elderly women, the less religious had mortality levels twice that of the faithful. A review of one group of 200 studies suggest that religion has positive effects on diseases ranging from cervical cancer to stroke. In short, the evidence indicates that faith is good for us. When we have faith we have a choice of how to respond to the challenges of life. We can respond in fear or in faith, we can respond in love or hesitation. We can choose our attitude and our perspective. In faith, Paul was able to say that living is serving Christ, and dying is better. Some versions of the bible says that death is a gain. For most of us, death is a loss not a gain. I have not reached a point in life where I have had to accept death, but I have certainly walked with those who are faced with that choice. I have not reached a point of saying that if I die it is okay, but I have walked with those who do. Even in my faithfulness, death is still a loss. Paul reminds us to look for the grace, even in the midst of loss. I am not by any means minimizing grief, loss or death. But Paul’s words remind us that suffering and faith go hand in hand. How we face the valleys of life is a question of faith. There are moments in life when we have to decide whether we are going to stop where we are or keep moving forward. Sometimes moving forward is easy. Everything is going well. The doors are opening. People are encouraging us. We can see where we are going. But sometimes moving forward is difficult. Sometimes we are tired. Sometimes we are disappointed. Sometimes the future is uncertain. Sometimes we wonder whether all the work we have done has made any difference. And sometimes we simply do not know what is going to happen next. That is where Paul is when he writes the letter to the Philippians. Paul is in prison. He does not know whether he is going to be released or executed. And yet, from prison, Paul writes one of the most joyful letters in the New Testament. That is the remarkable thing about Philippians. Paul is in chains, but his faith is not chained. Paul's future is uncertain, but his hope is not uncertain. Paul does not know what tomorrow will bring, but he knows who will be with him tomorrow. And so Paul can say: “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” Either way, we are a child of God. God loves us. And if we have lived in a way that honors the gospel – There is an eternal promise for us. Dwight Moody, the founder of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, was an evangelist in the 1800’s. he once said “Someday you will read in the paper that D. L. Moody of East Northfield, Massachusetts, is dead. Don’t believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up higher, that’s all…out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal, a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body fashioned like unto his glorious body.” Three men were the closest of friends. They loved nature, and especially loved to go hunting and fishing together. Well, they had gone to Alaska to hunt, and they were sitting around the fire drinking coffee and watching the very early dawn sun come up. Several weeks before this trip, the oldest of these three men had become a Christian. but he had not yet had the opportunity to share the excitement of his life with Jesus Christ. As they sat around the fire, they began talking about their various adventures. One of the younger men suggested that they each answer the same question—what is the most exciting experience in all of your life? Well, the first man told of a tiger hunt he had been on and how they had to stalk this tiger for more than two days. He said the final six hours of that hunt were the most thrilling of his life when he found himself face to face with that tiger. Just as that hungry animal leaped, he fired and just a few feet from where he was standing that great tiger fell dead. He said, "that was the most exciting experience of my life." The second man told of an experience there in Alaska, north of the Aleutian Islands that involved an enormous grizzly bear. He said it all happened so fast it wasn't until the whole experience was over he realized how close to death he had been. He literally, in a split second, came face to face with an unbelievably huge grizzly bear, and he said he had to squeeze off three shots at point blank range in rapid-fire succession before that grizzly bear dropped literally at his feet. He said that is the most exciting adventure of my life. Well, finally the oldest man spoke. He said, "I wish I could tell you about my most exciting experience, but it hasn't happened yet." One of the men said, "Well, when will it happen?" He said, "The first second after I die, when I stand face to face in the presence of Jesus Christ." My friend, if the most exciting moment of your life is behind you, you are lost. But if the most exciting moment of your life is still in front of you, you are saved. I hope now we will all know, and never forget, that when the time comes for us to face death, if you know Jesus it is a great gain to die because it will be the most exciting moment in your life. ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Collected Sermons, by James Merritt Look for the grace in spite of the pain. Nat King Cole sung a song that says Smile though your heart is aching Smile even though it's breaking When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by If you smile through your fear and sorrow Smile and maybe tomorrow You'll see the sun come shining through for you That is the choice that faith in Christ gives us. This message in Philippians is among some of the greatest Christian messages of what faith is all about. The early Christians honored the Christian Martyrs, not as an example for us to follow into death – but as a means to put our faith in action through those difficult times. There are many faithful people who saw death coming, and encouraged us to keep the faith. Martin Luther King gave his speech about reaching the mountaintop the night before he was assassinated. Deichtrich Bonhoffer wrote a book about faith while he was in jail for standing up against Hitler – he was executed. Christ was resurrected from crucixifixtion to remind us to live in the gospel. The bible is interestingly silent about what happens to Paul while he is imprisoned. Remember I told you that there were some towns who embraced Paul’s message, but there were a lot of towns who resented him so much that would arrest him. Being a nuisance is not a crime punishable by law. But his Roman citizenship was important to him. He felt that if he was going to be charged by a crime, then he has a right to be heard by the Roman government in Rome. That is how he ended up imprisoned in Rome. He did not anticipate that the Roman government viewed Christianity as a threat. They beheaded him just because they could. His words in Philippians remain as a testament to his faith. If I stay alive I will help you progress in the joy of your faith. Live in a manner worthy of Christ’s gospel whether I come and see you or I am absent. Stand firm, stay united, and struggle together. If you do this, you do not have to be afraid of anything that the enemy does. It is in this sense that we are encouraged and enabled to move forward in the work of the gospel, knowing that the "gates of Hell shall not prevail against us," and by this conflict which is worthy of the gospel, which is marked by no fear, and which manifests unity, we become faithful in the things which pertain to peace. Amen. CSS Publishing Co., Inc., Pastoral Care Issues In The Pulpit, by Gregory J. Johanson Song Every Time I feel the Spirit UMH 404 Pastoral Prayer Fresh as each morning you come to us, Crafter of manna. Your grace rests gently upon us, waiting to be gathered, to become the bread of life we share throughout the day. Fresh as compassion's justice, you come to us, Servant of the poor. Choosing to give as you desire, you show us the last, so we can make them first in our hearts and hopes. Doing no wrong, you make us right with God for all time. Fresh as the water which turns a desert into a meadowland of flowers, Spirit of uninterrupted grace, you come to us. When we would grumble, you give us the gospel to live out; when we would protest, you teach us songs of praise; when we would utter laments, you fill us with God's laughter. God in Community, Holy in One, refresh us with your presence as we pray as Jesus taught, saying, (The Lord's Prayer) (LectionaryLiturgies.com, Thom Shuman) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Matthew 20 begins with Jesus’ story of the day-laborers in the vineyard, and the landowner’s generosity. I wonder how many of you appreciate the IDEA of generosity, especially when we’re on the receiving end? When those who worked only one hour received a full day’s pay, those who had worked all day surely surmised they’d be getting quite a bonus. The anticipation of those day-long workers may have been almost tangible! It’s the landowner’s privilege to pay the workers what he wanted to pay, knowing the first workers agreed to accept a denarius as their day’s wage. As we come to our time of offering, I encourage each of us to imagine ourselves in the place of the landowner. Each one of us has the capacity to delight in generosity! Whether that’s a coin, a “quiet” offering of bills or a check, or a recognition of our joy when we’ve been able to budget carefully and share from careful oversight of our income. Let’s present our gifts with joy! Prayer of Thanksgiving Generous God, we give you thanks for the many ways you pour out your gifts for each of us. Thank you for the abundance we have: air to breathe, water to quench our thirst, food as fuel for our bodies, and the joy of gathering for worship with siblings in Christ. In gratitude, we ask you to receive this offering, help us utilize these resources to their full, and share them with generosity for those who struggle for basics. Inspire us once more to live with generous hearts, minds, and shared resources, seeking to be faith-filled followers of Jesus the Christ, AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for YouTube My prayer for us today, Beloved of God, is that our eyes are open to the people we discount. May we humbly accept that God’s love does not fol- low our logic. May we be freed from the burden of our resentments. May the Holy Spirit create a new work within us so that we can bring about the kingdom of God, here on earth. In the name of our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, I bless you. Go and be at peace. (Presbyterian Outlook, Rose Shrott Taylor) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction As you go from this place, may God bless you with wisdom, courage, and perseverance to live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ as you work, rest, play, and strive side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, July 2026 Additional Illustrations There’s a story about the old evangelist, Billy Sunday, which illustrates this. He was in New York City preaching a revival and he had a day off, so he thought he’d see the sights. He went down to the EmpireStateBuilding, and got on the crowded elevator taking sightseers to the roof. They all stood there in the elevator as people do in elevators, not saying a word, eyes forward. Finally, someone broke the silence and said, I wonder if the elevator cable broke, would we go up or down? That’s all Billy Sunday needed. He was off and running. It depends upon the way you’ve been living, he said. And he preached a sermon right there, calling for a decision in the elevator. Now don’t miss the point I’m making. I’m not holding Billy Sunday up as a model. I’m simply saying that the principle is valid for all of us. The circumstances of our lives may determine how we share the gospel, but it doesn’t determine whether we share the gospel. Do you get it? The circumstances of our life may determine how we share the gospel, but not whether we share it. We can proclaim the gospel anywhere. Not only can we proclaim the gospel anywhere – we are to proclaim the gospel everywhere. Whether through Paul, a prisoner, or the guards, or the servants in Caesar’s household, or the ordinary citizens of Rome, the gospel was to be proclaimed everywhere. I remember an experience I had a couple of years ago in Bloomington, Illinois. It was at once frustrating and funny, sad and satisfying. I had finished some lectures and went to the airport to catch a plane to Chicago to connect to Nashville. It was a commuter run, and I’m always a bit nervous about those. When I arrived at the airport in Bloomington, I discovered that there was no flight, it had been cancelled, thus my frustration. There were two other persons in the terminal – one trying to get to Chicago, as I was – the other, completely bewildered and dejected. The bewildered and dejected one was a fellow from Germany who spoke broken English, and he was trying to get to Bloomington, Indiana. Now you’ll find this hard to believe, but the people who ticketed him from Germany sent him to Bloomington, Indiana, instead of Bloomington, Illinois, where he wanted to go. Now this was the sad thing – he was trying to get to Bloomington, Indiana, because his brother teaching in the university there, was dying of cancer. Can you imagine the trauma, the frustration, the helpless anger – in a strange land, getting off at a strange place where you knew no one and stuck? Wanting desperately to get to a dying brother, but no plane for another six hours? The other person in the terminal was a mammoth man, who looked like he was out of place, but he would have looked out of place wherever he was. It’s amazing how sympathy grows in such a setting, and how friendly you can become with strangers, and how productive you could be if you maintained some degree of calm and clear headedness. This mammoth man, would you believe his name was John, had concluded that we had no choice, there was really only one alternative – if we would do so quickly, we could rent a car, drive to Chicago, get there in time for me to make my connection, which was a close one, and he would have plenty of time to make his. Given that idea, it seemed to me that our German friend could get from Chicago to Bloomington, Indiana, far easier than he could get there from where he was. It took a bit of doing to communicate that, but we did, and the three of us were soon on our way. As I settled down into the backseat, John driving, and our German guest beside him in the front, I was almost instantly confronted with the thought that I ought to share some sort of Christian witness, especially to the German who was so depressed. How would I do it? I didn’t want to come off as a preacher, I wanted to be natural and I wanted to communicate authentic caring. While I was mulling it over in my mind, trying to devise a strategic entree, communication was already going on up front. It wasn’t free flowing and it wasn’t easy, but this fellow who looked like he didn’t belong anywhere, was coming through with real concern for Hans, our German friend. And soon I heard him talking about his church, his Christian friends, and how in the past two years, the Christian life had taken on deep meaning, and had sustained him through a recent, very sickness crisis. The witness was clear, and Hans received it. Now there was no conversion in the car that day, so far as I know. But the gospel was proclaimed, not by this preacher, but by a layperson who had experienced new life and was willing to share it. John got me to my airline, assured me he had time to check in the car and help Hans find a plane to the right Bloomington. We quickly exchanged address cards, John took a double breath when he saw that I was the editor of the Upper Room, because he was a Methodist, and it was obvious that he knew that publication well. I noted that he was the president of a silo construction company, which I later learned was the second largest of its kind in the world. But both of us knew those credentials didn’t matter. What mattered was what had happened in the car. We are to proclaim the gospel everywhere. I remember somebody asked Woody Allen once what kind of a funeral he wanted. He said, "All I want is just a few of my close friends to gather around my coffin...and do everything they can to bring me back to life." That can't be right. There must be something else here. I got an insight into it when I read Moorehead Kennedy's account of his being a prisoner in Iran back in the 70's. You remember when the Ayatollah Khomeini held those American hostages, Moorehead Kennedy was one of them. Later he wrote about his imprisonment. He said, "You know when you are going through a bad moment in normal life, you usually say to yourself, 'Well, it could be worse; at least I am still alive.' Well I was imprisoned in Iran, and all of a sudden I realized that may no longer be true." That is to say, it was no longer a source of hope to say, "It could be worse; I am still alive," because he knew in that situation of extremity, he was reminded of it by his captors, that tomorrow he could die. He continued. "From that realization came the greater awareness that life is not just for now and here. There is a plan somewhere. You are part of a much larger thing, much larger than one's own life. God's plan, if you will." Have you seen that old cartoon. Two prisoners in a cell. No windows in the cell, just stone walls. They are both manacled to the wall. One prisoner turns to the other and says, "Now here's my plan." That is Paul, and a whole lot of other faithful people I know, who know that if the future belongs to God, then anything can happen. So keep on making plans. I looked up the definition of "horizon," in the dictionary. "The horizon," it says, "is the boundary line at which earth and sky appear to meet." It was something like that for Paul, only a little different. The horizon for Paul was the boundary line where earth and heaven meet, and on the boundary, there is an empty tomb. So with his eyes on the horizon, he not only saw the limit of this life, he saw all the possibilities of another life. A number of years ago I flew in a private plane. It was a small four-passenger plane. I have built model airplanes bigger than that plane. You had to have something like Paul's faith "for me to die as gain," in order to get into that plane. But it turned out to be a wonderful flight. I learned a lot about flying in small planes. I noticed, as we were flying, the largest instrument on the panel, right in front of the pilot, was an instrument with a little plane on a horizontal line. I asked the pilot what that was. He said, "That's an artificial horizon. It is the most important instrument on the plane." Then he told me stories of what happened to pilots when they don't pay attention to that, flying through bad weather with no visibility. If they don't have an artificial horizon, they are in trouble. He demonstrated how it worked. He dipped the nose of the plane, and that little plane on the instrument panel went below the horizontal line. He pulled the stick back, and it went above the horizontal line. When he was flying straight ahead, the little plane was right on that horizontal line. Here's where Paul uses the Greek term politeumai, literally be a citizen of the gospel, Citizens of the gospel participate in the greatest power in the universe. There's no force that can defeat Christ's gospel, the message of divine love and grace. Yet that doesn't mean citizens of the gospel are all-powerful. Remember where Paul is writing from as he pens these words: he's writing from a prison cell. He has endured prosecutions, persecutions, humiliations, and brutal beatings, hardships on the body, mind and the soul. Part of the gospel citizenship is trusting in Christ, but equally part is also suffering for him as well (verse 29). I'll never forget eyewitness accounts of helicopters under fire, of people shooting at rescue workers coming to save them. "What kind of person shoots at you when you're coming to rescue them?" one officer asked (The Seattle Times, 03 ix 05, A11). Now we know a little of how Jesus must have felt . . . Doing what's best for the community of faith, participating day-by-day in those actions that bring the gospel of Christ to all the world, isn't the easiest way to spend your life. You'll be shot at and attacked by the very people you're trying to save. But it's the only way to spend your life if you're a passported citizen of the gospel. The great Bible teacher, John MacArthur, told the story of how recently his sister died of cancer, and went to be with the Lord. One of the last times John saw his sister was at the hospital. She was suffering terribly. They talked very candidly about the future. She looked up at him and said, "John, I am going to die very soon and be with the Lord." Dr. MacArthur looked at his sister and made this statement. He said, "Sis, just remember, the worst thing that can happen to a Christian is the best thing that can happen to anyone else." Now I find that to be a very interesting perspective on death. Here's what these children said: Everybody has to die sometime, even if you don't want to. When you die, God takes care of you like your mother did when you were alive, only God doesn't yell at you all the time. God doesn't tell you when you're going to die, because He wants it to be a big surprise. Only the good people go to Heaven, the other people go to where it is hot all the time like Florida. Everyone is scared to die, except the people who are already dead. A good doctor can help you so that you won't die. A bad doctor sends you to Heaven. Everyone cries when somebody dies because they don't want to be left behind. Heaven is the only place in the universe where no one ever gets stressed out. There is no sweating, there is fretting, there is no hurry, there is no worry. It is a place of perfect peace, and a place of perfect rest. There is the peace factor. Just imagine that you were invited to the White House (with a President that you wanted to see) and you were invited to go into the Oval Office. Now just imagine that when you walked in there, the President said, "I want to give you some Presidential Cufflinks; I want to give you a Presidential Pen; I want to give you a Presidential Coffee Mug; I want to give you a Presidential jacket, and then I'm going to fly you home on Air Force One." Now you would the first one to say that all of that wasn't necessary. You would just be grateful to God that you got to go to the White House. God says He is not only going to take you to Heaven, but for those of us who are faithful to Him, we are going to be rewarded. I heard about an old godly Christian who was not far from death. His pastor came to see him and he said, "Pastor, I've been thinking about dying. It has hit me that it is going to be the best business transaction I've ever made in my life." The pastor said, "Brother John, what do you mean?" He said, "Well, it just hit me. My Heavenly Father has insured me for far more than I'm worth, and the only way I can collect the policy is to get into that grave, and I'm ready to go." Well, that is true. Our Heavenly Father has insured us for far more than we're worth, and when we die we will collect every bit of His policy. Now let’s look at verse 20 of our scripture lesson. Verse 20. It is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether I live or whether I die. Now that’s the Revised Standard Version of the verse. Now listen to my choice translation of this particular verse, the New English Bible. For as I passionately hope, I shall have no cause to be ashamed, but shall speak so boldly that now as always the greatness of Christ will shine out clearly in my person, whether through life or through death. Now if you’re taking notes or outlining this passage in your Bible, you might title this section, “Believing and Suffering.” If you’re not taking notes, register it firmly in your mind. This radical notion of Paul’s that believing and suffering go together. So let me tell you a story, and this will give you its meaning. My friend, Don Shelby, a Methodist preacher in Santa Monica, California, tells of a colleague who was from missionary parents. When the boy was 12, his parents went back to their mission station in India, and left one boy with his grandmother to raise, expecting that it would not be too long before arrangements could be made for them to be reunited. But it so happened that as they left for India, it was on the eve of the breaking out of the Second World War, so the family was separated for eight long years. For all those years, they couldn’t get together, then on the boys 20th birthday, they finally were reunited. And it happened like this – after a three-month ship trip across the south Atlantic, and around the Cape of South America and California, the parents sent a telegram back east to their son who was now in college – he got it in a philosophy class. The telegram said that his parents were now in the United States, were getting on a train, and would be in his town on a certain day at a certain time, and would their son be there to meet them. The son said, I’ll never forget it – and he wrote this. “It was almost dark when the train finally pulled into the station, and mother and dad were the only ones to get off. I could barely see them in the haze and they couldn’t really see me. We embraced in the semi-darkness, then mother took my hand and we went into the waiting room, where there was more light. With tears running down her cheeks, my mother looked at me, she kept looking at my face, long and hard – staring at me. Then she turned to my dad, calling him by name, ‘Arnette,’ she cried, ‘Arnette, he’s gone and looked like you. He looks just like you.’” Oh what glory - to move in our relationship with Christ to the point that we will look like Him. His life will be our life. That’s the gospel through the person. For to me, to live is Christ. Do you quiver inside as I do when you hear that word? Dare we breathe it silently as though it were our own? I tremble with a kind of awe, but my mind and heart convulses with excitement about the possibility that is mine. That I will get so caught up in Jesus that I will allow him to own me so completely that his word will be more than a longing sigh and will become a personal, verifiable claim – for me to live is Christ. That’s when the gospel will be coming through clearly in your person and mine. And that’s the end toward which we should all deliberately be moving. Maxie Dunnam, by Maxie Dunnam certain advertising agent decided to trade in his winged-tip shoes for a white robe. He set himself up as a swami in one of the Eastern religions. He advertised his ability to answer life's most profound questions and eventually gathered a group of disciples who sat reverently about him while he remained lost in meditation. Finally the newly made swami broke his trance long enough to utter his profound insight for the day: "Life," he said, "is like a can of Pringle potato chips floating in a bowl of Pepsi Cola." The disciples nodded respectfully ” except for one. He said, "But swami, why is life like a can of Pringles floating in a bowl of Pepsi Cola?" At this, the ex-advertising agent lifted his head, fixed the questioner with an icy stare and said, "Listen, fellow, did you come here to learn or to argue?" What is the meaning of life? Beethoven once played his latest sonata for a group of his friends. The music filled the room. As the last note lingered, the friends asked Beethoven, "What does it mean?" Beethoven's only answer was to return to the piano and play the entire sonata again. Finished, he said to his friend. "That is what it means." Someone saw this sign on a subway wall: "Life is one contradiction after another." Underneath someone else had written: "No, it's not." On a bulletin board someone found this cryptic message: "This life is a test. It is only a test. Had it been an actual life You would have received Further instructions on Where to go and what to do!" What is life all about really? Without a moment's hesitation she made her reply. "Never before," she said, "has the world been so desperately asking for answers to crucial questions, and never before has the world been so frantically committed to the idea that no answers are possible. To paraphrase the Bible, the modern attitude is, Father, forgive us, for we know not what we're doing ” AND PLEASE DON'T TELL US!'" (5) Author Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to prove his skill as an author by writing a story in only six words. Hemingway responded with these six ingenuous words: “For sale: baby shoes. Never worn.” It would be difficult to tell a heart-breaking story more succinctly than that. The book contains submissions by obscure writers, too. I like this one from someone named John Kurtz: “Kentucky trash heap yields unexpected flower.” And this plaintive plea from an unknown person: “Applied at Target. World is ending.” And this one from a 27-year-old man after a breakup: “I still make coffee for two.” How about this one? “70 years, few tears, hairy ears.” And the best one of all? Here’s my choice: “Cursed with cancer. Blessed with friends.” (1) St. Paul is writing to the church at Philippi from a prison cell. Even in prison his ministry has been fruitful. He wants the Christians at Philippi to know that what has happened to him his imprisonment and persecution has actually helped to spread the gospel. His steadfast witness has won converts even in jail. Still, he knows that his situation is precarious. He knows that he could be facing martyrdom and so he begins to ponder what this might mean. And here is his conclusion it’s a win/win situation. In fact, he sums up his situation in what could easily be two four-word memoirs: “to live is Christ; to die is gain.” Josh McDowell tells about the time he was visiting with a “head-hunter” an executive recruiter who seeks new corporate executives for companies. The man told McDowell about a recent experience he had with a man he interviewed. “When I get an executive that I’m trying to hire for someone else,” said the head-hunter, “I like to disarm him. I offer him a drink, take my coat off, then my vest, undo my tie, throw up my feet and talk about baseball, football, family, whatever, until he’s all relaxed. Then, when I think I’ve got him relaxed, I lean over, look him square in the eye and say, ‘What’s your purpose in life?’ It’s amazing how top executives fall apart at that question. “Well,” he continued, “I was interviewing this fellow the other day, had him all disarmed, with my feet up on his desk, talking about football. Then I leaned up and said, ‘What’s your purpose in life, Bob?’ And he said, without blinking an eye, ‘To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can.’ For the first time in my career,” said this corporate head-hunter, “I was speechless.” (2) “To live is Christ.” That’s a four-word memoir that sums up the abundant life.What would you substitute in its place? “To live is work?” “To live is football?” “To live is my iPod?” Surely you can see how pathetic that is. I suspect some of you would substitute “To live is my family.” And certainly our family is important. But here is the truth of the matter, there are many people with good jobs, nice families and fun hobbies, who when they come to the end of the day realize that none of it is enough to satisfy their deepest hunger. It’s like a story that is told about the great evangelist Dwight L. Moody. Moody was traveling by boat on one of the Great Lakes when a really bad storm developed. The other passengers on the boat cowered in fear. They even started an impromptu prayer meeting asking God to deliver them from the storm. Moody didn’t join in this prayer meeting. When asked why not, he answered with these words, “I have a sister in Chicago and one in heaven and I don’t care which I see tonight.” (7) If you were to sum up your life in a six or eight-word memoir, how would it read? One writer suggests that our memoirs would be quite different from St. Paul’s. “To live is to be entertained, to die is to miss all the fun.” “To live is all of the things I want, to die is to lose it all.” “To live is to be in the best of health, to die is to lose my life, what now?” (9) It is a sobering thought. It sort of sums up what we said earlier, Without Christ, why bother? Could we sum up our lives in the way St. Paul summed up his? “To live is Christ; to die is gain.”