Phil 1:21-24, Much Rather Better

This message originally recorded on March 31, 1991.

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Follow along as we read Philippians chapter one verses 21 through 24 Philippians 121 through 24. If you don't have the Bible, just listen. For to me to live as Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know. I am torn between the two. I desired to depart and to be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. As a boy, I was totally bored stiff with Christianity, Bibles, hymns, church services were of no interest to me at all. It was about like going to my sister's piano lessons for me to go to church. And my sister's piano lessons were at Mrs. Englishes house, an older woman lived in Broad Ripple, I hated the news when mom said it was time to go to Mrs. Englishes house, because it was her house was full of antiques, everything in there was breakable. And you know, you sort of had to walk through like this. And as a young guy, I hated that kind of stuff. And then you always got I can still hear some of those songs. You know, those practice piano songs. As soon as I hear them, they just bring sort of depression into my heart as soon as I hear them. And maybe another thing that I equated church to is going to the ladies Missionary Society meetings, you know, as a boy, before I went to school, I and my mom was going to those ladies Missionary Society meetings, I remember going to those and, and I still hate the combination of coffee, hairspray, perfume, and donuts, you put those together and into that reaction of boredom comes back to me again. But not only the church seemed totally boring to me, I want to tell you this, that it all seemed to lack any value. I did not understand that there could possibly be any value in going to church. I wanted to live and my theme was let me live Can I hated this go into the all these meetings. I was a pastor son for many years growing up. I wanted Sports, Television, outdoors, guns, knives, cars, I didn't want these anchors dragging behind me. I want to live Come on, let me loose. I don't I didn't see anything. It was slowing me down. It was boring me. I could not figure out why some people were so interested in Christianity didn't make any sense to me. But if there was anything that was even more of a turn off, then church and Christianity was the thought of heaven. You know why? I pictured heaven as one never ending ladies Missionary Society meeting. Or a room full of clouds, where people were sitting around with organ music playing and harps, and possibly gray haired people showing some type of deep interest in something that I thought was absolutely boring. But at the same time that I had that thought towards heaven, I also knew enough about hell because it was a Bible teaching home that I grew up in, but didn't want to opt for that way either. And so I was sort of stuck in my idea was, I think I'll just forget about all of it and just live the best that I can. And I think this that the average American today is a person that has no clue as to how the doctrines or the theology of Christianity can relate to everyday life. Jesus said, I have come that you may have life and that you may have it to the fullest. The apostle Paul says to Timothy in the pastoral epistles teach them so they may take hold of life, that is truly life. But I'll tell you what, everybody wants to really live, don't you? Everybody does. That's live man. didn't get any better than this. Let's come on, let's have a great time. But it seems that all the time, there's a tremendous pursuit of real life today. At the same time, there is that pursuit, there are less and less people that have any purpose or any real goal as to what they're doing. Listen, the teaching of evolution leaves you that there is no god that cares about us. And we're just here and we might as well just get ever we can because there's really no purpose or meaning. As the Harvard professor said, get this Harvard, the top school in our country said we have got to get the notion out of the kids coming to this school that life has any meaning to it. We got to get that notion out of people's heads. narcissism, everybody loves themselves, the emphasis on performance, a lack of understanding of the Bible. I'm gonna tell you all of that you throw it together. And you know what happens, even though everybody wants to live, the depression clinics, the mental health wards are packed full of people these days. And you know what most of them think, listen, most of them think that you go to the church, you don't get any answers, but a bunch of churchianity if there really isn't any answer there. And people are turned off with it. Basically, there's a little treaty of thought today. Deal with your past. Live for today. Don't worry about tomorrow because you can't be sure about anything. Deal with your past live for today. Don't worry about Tomorrow, when bottom line underlying thesis behind all of that, make sure that you keep yourself happy. If there's anything that's important, make sure that you're happy, make sure you stay happy. Now, with all of that in mind, I want to say there's also two subjects that people don't want to talk about today. They don't want to talk about Jesus Christ, and they don't want to talk about death. I just read a little brochure from the funeral home, in which he talks about the unbelievable icy cold feelings people get when you talk about death, I don't want to have to face it. And the whole funeral home industry has had taken a whole new turn towards how to minister to people who look at death as something absolutely dirty or bad guy. And in our passage today, Philippians 121 through 24, I want you to do something. Paul has a dilemma. He loves Jesus Christ. He's in a situation where he might die. And he's very much got a dilemma. And the dilemma is, well, would it be better I'm in prison, my options are this they could come in the courts could turn on me and the in the Roman government the way they were in the persecution that was about to break out upon Christians. He could be dead very soon as he writes this letter, or he might get released. And he may have a long, fruitful ministry. And so I want you to see something tall as a dilemma here. And in seeing that dilemma, I want you to notice a couple of things that he says, he says, Yet, what shall I choose? I do not know. Look down with me to verse 22. He says, For me to live as Christ dies game, verse 21, and verse 22. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. But get this notice this dilemma yet? What shall I choose? I do not know. What do I prefer is where you could actually say, I don't know. If it were up to me, it's not really wasn't up to him. But if it were, I don't know what he says. When I say he says I don't know, that's a little word, which every time it's found in the New Testament, all 24 times it has to do with in the future, it'll be made known. And what you're basically saying here is this. If I can have a choice, if I can have my preference, I'm not sure I'm not sure if I would want to live or if I would want to die. Now most people that say that are depressed people. But this guy isn't depressed at all. It's the complete opposite of someone who's depressed. He's got such a vision of heaven. And he's got such a vision of life here on earth with Christ, the abundant life, the life to the full. He says, Man, I've really got to do it. Honest to goodness deliver. In fact, he goes on to say something, look at what he says, I am torn between the two. Let's see what it says verse 23, I am torn between the two. Clearly here was the choice, dying and going to heaven, staying on and living many more years in the body. Now, I want you to notice something that's very interesting here, when he says I am torn between the two. It's a very interesting Greek word. And I will say this, some of you have New American Standard Bibles. And it says, hard pressed. Well, that's sort of the exact opposite of torn, hard pressed is coming together, torn is ripping apart, the Greek word very much supports the New American Standard. And that is this hard press. The picture of being torn here is this I want you to see his dilemma. It was so real that he was saying this, I feel remember the James Bond movie, or we sometimes seen it seems like to me that he gets thrown into the into that room and all of a sudden the walls start closing in. And he's sitting there and he's trying to think Well, how am I going to get out of this or you know, Batman and Robin, they always have those scenes. And here come the wall starting to squeezed him. Here's actually the picture here. Picture, all of a sudden, we're sitting here and this wall starts squeezes into this Garst which starts to squeeze in this wall, and they start to squeezed like a car in a junkyard. That's the board word here. I'm absolutely hard pressed. It's it's really difficult. You know why? Because I don't know which way to go. It's a win win situation. I don't know if I should die, and go on with the Lord. I don't know if I'm gonna stay on both of them hold tremendous attractions to me. Isn't it interesting? The doctrines of Christianity had such an impact on the guy that while he was in prison looking death right in the face, he could actually say, for me, I might be in trouble here. He doesn't say that. He goes, Look, if I if I do one way, it's great. If I go the other way, it's great. I'm not even sure which way I want to go. The Philippians were so concerned about them that they were thinking, Oh, no, what's happened to Christianity Paul might die. Don't worry about that. That's not the problem. So that was his dilemma. Now let's consider his first option. Noticed option number one. He says this For me to live as Christ. Go back to verse 21. And he says there for me to live is Christ. The word there for me to live or for me is emphatic. And he says this emphatically. As far as I'm concerned, this is my outlook. You see, his creed was so simple, and yet it was so profound. He just for me, this is my artwork, it's to live and in the Greek language, the word is is not in there. So it doesn't say for me to live is Christ. It just says for me to live Christ. Christ was the person that he was living for, and his entire life was the personification of Luke 923. When she denied himself and says, Not my will, but God's will be done in my life today. every waking moment, he did not have a religion. Paul was not a religious man, he loved Jesus Christ, His desire was to live for the God who created him. Consider John 15 He says, I am divine, you are the branches abide in me. Consider Galatians 220 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave me so for me. You see, life to Paul was Christ, Christ gave significance and meaning to his life the end and purpose of his whole life was Christ. Now I call it a word game with you. Okay? Because I say this you're all going Oh, yeah. And you probably feel a little guilty because your life is full of other things other than Christ. Well, we just play this board game when I say the name you think of something that comes to your mind the first thing ready, Jack Nicklaus. Golf comes to your mind. Johnny Bench baseball, Beethoven. Okay. Well, you know what, if I said to you, Paul, you know what Paul would want you to think Christ. Now listen, let's just make this anymore if we were to say your name, Tim Kaufman. What do people think? You want to get a quick bottom line goal of all of Christianity. You know what it is? They want you to think, Christ. For me to live is Christ for me to live as Christ? What does it mean to live for something? Can I ask you this? What does it mean to live for something? When you are really living for Christ? What does that mean? Well, let's just apply it back to Jack Nicklaus and golf. What are the issues of it? What does Jack Nicklaus and golf have in common? Only say this doesn't Jack Nicklaus have a tremendous devotion and love for golf? He does, doesn't he? Isn't there are untold hours of commitment to perfection that he gives himself to, in order to try to become better at the game of golf. Yes, it's true if you're not willing to it is true. How about this? High technical advancement books, studies, videos, articles, TV shows all about different ways the club hits the ball, different kinds of balls, different types of clubs, different angles, different philosophies are paralyzed downhill lies everywhere. Always each thinks every little detail of the game has been fought out to those most minut degree. How about this? propagation, you know that there's all types of children's golf leagues that he has helped start by my nephew, Dayton, in Palm Beach County, Florida, where he lives he gets free golf all summer because he's a teenager and there's a special thing that Jack Nicklaus is set up in that county where he lives so that the teenagers can golf free so that the love of the golf game will be developed in them. Designing golf courses is something he loves to do designing golf clothes. I don't think he designs them, but he sure makes the money off of them. Alright. How about preoccupation with something when you're looking for something? If you were to sit down with Jack Nicklaus? What do you think you would talk about? You talk about golf. Did you think the Jack Nicklaus says, oh, man, I want to get away from the game for a while, and probably from the professional level of the tensity. He does, but when react Nicholas wants to relax, he goes out and plays golf, the very thing that he loves the most. That is what it means to live for someone. When Paul said for me to live as Christ it means this Christ just like golf dominated Nicholas's life dominates Nicholas's life. So I want you to see that living for Christ means Christ, His thoughts, and everything is dependent upon him. You see, you show me No, listen, please listen, you show me someone who is bored with Christianity. And I'm going to show you someone who hasn't grasp the person of Christ and seen as beauty. You show me someone who is bitter and discouraged against the church, and I'll show you somebody who's got their eyes upon people instead of on Christ. Notice this, he says, option one for me to live as Christ and notice how it goes on to develop this. He says in verse 22, look what he says, If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. I get that. If I'm going to go on living. Here's option number one to live for Christ. If I'm going to live, I'm not sure he thinks he's probably going to live. But if I do go on living, it's going to mean fruitful labor for me. Fruitful labor. His outlook on life was, hey, if I continue to live, I'm going to work. You know, think about this. You plug in today's narcistic attitude and Christianity and Paul would have said something like this, Hey, as soon as I get out of this prison, I'm taking a long vacation, early retirement. You guys owe to me Look at all that I've done thinking how many churches I've started. I'm sick of all this work. You see, Paul had an idea that he was gonna get some rest in heaven. He had idea that he would have a body that works Is there such a preoccupation with rest and comfort these days that the apostle Paul didn't know about? Now, I will say this there is a balance Jesus did every once in a while, take his disciples and go out on a little vacation to give them some rest. But the thing is, there was an unbelievable commitment. If I'm going to stay around, it's going to be to work and to work for the cause of Christ, what single minded devotion. You see, if you love someone, you love to do things for them, right? And Paul loves Christ and He says, If I'm gonna go on living, it means fruitful labor. God's bless my ministry, Christ's word has been exalted people have come into the kingdom, I'm going to continue to do that. In fact, notice the second option, excuse me under Option one, notice the second point that is, but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Now, here's where you really start to get some interesting insight into Paul's outlook. He's going to look for Christ, His goal is fruitful labor. And then look at verse 24. But it is more necessary for you, but I remain in the body. Once you say it, well is this to remain in the body means this is the word to stay longer. It's actually translated in Acts 1048. They asked Peter to stay with them for a few more days. By stay around here longer is the word that translated to Romans six one What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin? Grace, Neva? Is the word to continue if I'm going to continue on in this body and that is the word actually isn't bodies. The word sark's is the word flesh. If I stay on with this flesh hanging on, I want you to know that I think I will, because it's more necessary for you absolutely indispensable. The word is translated had, it's absolutely we had to preach the Word of God, as it says in Acts 1346, or it's also the word translated for our close friend. In other words, necessary friend, someone that's very needed needful to your life. If I stay on, it's necessary that I may remain on the body. So if I do, I'm going to live. I'm gonna tell you something. He loves Christ, and He wishes to be with Christ and in heaven forever. But get this he loves Christ so much that he loves his cause. And he loves Christ so much that he loves his people. With a purpose to be alive, let me tell you some friends. When the Apostle Paul got out of bed in the morning, he didn't say Oh, and he probably felt that way like all of us do. But when the Apostle Paul got out of bed in the morning, even if he's in prison, or if he was waking up to a great breakfast at the add ons, that was his house, at the rich man's house, wherever he was staying in comfort and ease, we no matter what it is, when he got out of the bed in the morning, his thought was this for me to live as Christ. You see, if you're depressed and discouraged in your life, I want to tell you something, it's probably because you're not willing for a cause higher than yourself. Because the call of Christ is a lift for a call higher than yourself. And the Apostle Paul girl bed in the morning thinking this for me to live as Christ today, it's not what I'm gonna get. It's not my comfort. It's not what's gonna happen to me. Today it is this Christ will be with Me, he will be in me, he'll be living through me, he will help me he will strengthen me, He will guide me for me to live as Christ, I will be walking with the king by faith today. And you know what? His goal therefore was fruitful labor, not his own comfort, a pleasure. I told you in the past. It's very depressing to be around pastors, because parents, generally speaking and lots of Christians even. But you know that pastors are all the time saying, Hey, I've done my job. You know, I work I'm the pastor, I deserve this. I deserve that. The goal is Christ. Our love is Christ. He's the one that needs to lead this church. He's the one that needs to be the central bar life. His pursuit was of Christ. He didn't get up and grab his daily breads. And now listen, I gotta get a little thought for today. It was this Christ, I love you. You're with me. I'm with you. I'm committed to you today. He was focused on Christ. That was his goal. That was his purpose. Everybody I meet today, every problem I face all is a part of laboring for him, I will minister and every way I possibly can I want to labor for him every way I can. I want to work for him. And more than that, is it's my desire for the cause of the church, even though I'd like to be in heaven. It's my desire for the closer you know what you think about this commitment to living and by the way, friends, listen, you know what everybody wants today. Everybody wants to die as gain. Everybody wants that verse. Everybody wants to die is gain. When you watch people that have never ever desired to live for Christ, or have never ever desired to love God's Word or never ever desire to be with God's people, all of a sudden when it comes to facing death, because what they say are I want to go to heaven. But you see, if you're not living for Christ, you can't claim the second part of the verse. It's not gained to die. Please remember For that, there's a call to live in obedience to Him and our thoughts and our preoccupation must be in to love him. No wonder Paul could say, the time of my departure is at hand. I'm about ready to go. And as I do, I want you to know that there's a crown laid up for me. And I have confidence that when I see I'm going to be accepted and loved, I can't wait to go and be with them. What a purpose to be alive. Was it eventually I can give you the testimony. But eventually, I absolutely had a preoccupation with sports, I ate, slept and drink sports. And I still do that some, okay. But I want you to know something. Eventually, I started to realize the emptiness that sports could bring. And then there was other things. And pretty soon as they realize nothing will fill the void of your life, except Jesus Christ. And for Delta live, our focus must be not to get rid of sports and to get rid of anything that we enjoy. That is not the point, but to make sure that they all have their rightful place behind the master behind the Lord. And our love is first for him. To tell you this is this is a worthy pursuit. You will never I use the illustration of piano lessons. I've never met anybody that took piano lessons that was sorry that they took them. I was sorry that I went when my sister took them all right. But I never met anybody that took piano lessons that was sorry that they took them and I want you to know something. That's a tweak illustration, but you will never spend a moment Living for Christ that you will ever regret. You'll never come to the end of your life and say oh, what have I done all I was vain all was dark. There is the there is the fullness of a CS Lewis said when we live in obedience to Christ is like running a gasoline engine on gasoline. We're loving the way we were created to live. As we live in obedience to Him as we live to follow him as we looked at so many Christians, listen, I tell you, this was such a burden heart. So many Christians tell me that Christ is their Lord. But when it comes to really obeyed him down to the nitty gritty detail, they will not do it. And Jesus says, Why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say? Loving for him, is not a burden. Yeah, it is. It's a burden. When my desires get in the way of his word, then it's a burden. You know, what I mean? is I guess I want my way because I have my flesh loves this way, but his word must be lord over our life. Living with a purpose living to be alive, people don't have a purpose. You know what our purpose should be Christ to be like him to live for Him to further his cause to do everything we possibly can to help him. But notice the second option here, friends, look at this, to die his game. He says, to die is gain. To die is by the way to live for Christ is a present infinitive, continually to die is an heiress infinitive, and the emphasis is upon the split second of time when death actually occurs. When self is separated from the body, and the word gain is very interesting to die is gain. Advantage profit there's nothing neutral about it. Paul did not look at death. Listen, this is so awesome. Paul did not look at death as Southern ally now I guess. I have so many great things around here. But I guess you gotta go on everybody's gotta go on. He said this is I consider death it's gained an advantage. How much better off there's nothing neutral about it. He's not trying to escape a bad life, but it's a wonderful prospect of heaven. With a wonderful prospect of heaven. He says it's gonna be my advantage if I can. I don't know which one's gonna happen to me. But either one it's a no lose situation. Can you imagine my friends no more struggles with sin. Can you imagine no more weariness? No more tiredness, no more sickness, no more tears, no more back pains, no more calf pains. No more anything. Instead a perfect body. Can you imagine this friends? No more interpersonal relationship struggles. Oh, hey, just try to imagine life without an interpersonal relationship struggle. Now I want you to go with me to sound so with new age, I'm not New Age, believe me. But just go on there with a little journey. Think back to the last time you had a wonderful evening out with a couple of friends. And there's your best friend's and you're sitting there with them, you and your wife or if you're not married you and and and whoever is you're with them. And you're just thinking, you know, you're me. You're at the restaurant, the music is playing in the background and you're talking and laughing and having a good time and you're getting ready to go do another fun thing afterwards. And you're thinking, life is so fantastic. And there's not any tension. There's not any innuendos, they're just great, wonderful, loving fellowship between people. I want you to multiply that at best night that you Gonna bring your mind times 10,000 squared. And then you're gonna have about 1,000,000,000th of 1%. Have a taste of heaven. Wonderful fellowship with Christ wonderful shelf fellowship with the body of Christ, and absolutely to die is gain. We do not think about heaven enough. He says this, get this. He says, I desire. Notice what he says, Go down to verse 23. I am torn between the two, I desire to be part get this, this this is not me. I think just the word here is, this is the word for lust in the Bible, epidemics, it's translated last all into the works of the flesh in many other places. But you know what he means here? It's this there is such an inner passion for heaven. There is such a desire, such a burden, such a longing, I cannot wait to go to heaven. I desire it. I'm lusting for heaven. Can you imagine that? I would. Listen. What a reality of the eternal life how heavy this was on Paul's mind. Oh, I desire I longed to be in heaven. We don't think that would today. Listen, I have heard this until I'm sick of it. I don't ever want you to say it again. Okay. How's that for being pretty? Dictator? My name is Saddam Kaufmann. All right. I've heard people say he's so heavenly minded that he's no earthly good, okay. You find somebody like that. And I'll find you 500 that are so earthly minded that they're no good forgotten now. If he then the risen with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. We're supposed to be heavenly minded. We're supposed to be thinking from eternal perspective. We're supposed to be longing for heaven and thinking of heaven and realizing that the old Negro spirituals think about it. He looked forward to the day when they would be in heaven. And he says, this present tense, I have this desire. It's a present tense, having not a whim but a constant part of his feelings. I longed to be in heaven. You see, this is Easter Sunday. What business could it possibly be? And how can I really change your life that Christ is risen from the dead? Well, how about this, you live for Christ. Now that's option one, if you happen to die, one of our members, the first member of our church over to die just died last week. We had the funeral this week. He's much better off. We say it in a winter. It sounds sort of cutesy to say it he would not want to come back. You can. I recommend that the sufferings of this present world are not worth comparing to the glories that you'll follow. The apostle Paul said in Romans chapter eight. You can't even compare him. We'll see song we sing Heaven is a wonderful place filled with glory and grace. Not so burdensome. Can I remember the one of the things that turned me around, I was a teenager and I went to a church. And I heard the pastor, he had the high school class, and I heard the pastor say, Hey, and if you'd like to fish, you know, I was I told you about my view of church, and I love to fish you like to hunt. I love to hunt, your explorers, huh? He goes, Oh, tell you something. You can't believe what if God's allowed us to have that here under sin? Can you imagine what its gonna be like in heaven? I started thinking you got to be kidding. Could you tell me more about this process to die, he's gay. Number one. He says he desires to go to heaven. And notice this. Notice the terms he uses to depart i absolutely love this. Can you imagine what what hope and victory there is in our hearts this morning as Christians if you know the Lord is your savior, because he really describes the death as departing. Now, that sounds like a funeral home man, doesn't it? The Beloved has departed, you know that type. But he means that like this, it's used of Lucy and losing prisoners. It's the removal of the yoke of an ox. It's a ship loosened from his anchor. And listen, when Paul says in Second Timothy four, six, the time of my departure is at hand. You know what, think about that? The time of my departure is at hand. You know what that sounds like? It sounds like a guy talking to his, his wife outside of the airport, gate number 23. Down at work, cook, and then go last call for flight number 246. He goes, honey, the time of my departure isn't hanged. See you later I'm going on a journey and I'm sorry, my business meetings in Hawaii this year. You know that's what it's like I'm going on. To depart and to be with Christ. The Bible says the same thing. Listen, let me read you from Second Corinthians. In the fifth chapter. He says this. Second Corinthians chapter five. Listen, he says, Now we know that if the earthly tent we lived in is destroyed we have the building from God and eternal house and heaven not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be closed with our heavenly dwelling because when we are called we will not be found naked for while we are in this tent. We groan in our burden because we do not wish to be unclothed, but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up our life. Now what is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the spirit as a deposit? Therefore, we are always confident know that as long as we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. What's he mean? Hey, as long as I'm in this body, I'm away from the Lord. That doesn't make sense. I thought Christ was in us and and we're living. It's true, but he means this, the very next verse explains it, we live by faith, not by sight. As long as we're in this body, we have to apprehend the Lord by faith. But the minute we depart from this body, we see the Lord. I want to tell you a few times my life I've been the last person that anybody has ever seen as a pastor, I get called to the side of the death and, and often I've been lost, but can you imagine, they go from seeing this old, bearded, ugly face, and all of a sudden bang, the next person they behold by sight is the Lord Jesus, and possibly a host of angels, ushering them into heaven? Then you asked that person would they like to come back to Earth? They say, Well, the last thing I can remember wasn't too good. I don't think I want to go back. I understand about the sin cursed world to depart, to go and be with the Lord. Listen, Dr. Gurmukhi says this, most people want life without death, rather than life with death. The natural desire of humans is to live not die. Those who choose death over life usually usually want relief from suffering to depression. The case of Paul however, was much different. He had to determine whether he wanted to live today people make choices about living in the city or in the country about residing in the north, or in the sun dealt, the apostle debated the advantages and disadvantages of living on Earth while we were living in heaven. Thus, his approach towards death was unique. He says I desired to depart, and to be with Christ. All the way to you. Please note something here. This is a word indicating eternal fellowship, or listen, look at what the text says. And then you tell me if you see something about an intermediate state of unconsciousness, or some sort of type of soul sleep, or someplace where you could be with Christ presence would not be experienced. He says this, Hey, I desire to depart if I depart, I'll be with Christ. You see, if I depart, I will be with Christ. It's not a matter of how much more or how long do you sleep? And does someone have to pull you out of purgatory? Or do you have to give some money to make sure? Or is there some type of balance? Listen, take this hope, all's you have to worry about is the pain you go through right before you die. I hope for your sake in my seconds, not bad. But I will tell you the seconds you die, you'll be with the Lord. What a hope we have. In fact, he goes on to say And please look at the text. He goes on to say And look at verse 23. With me, I am torn between the two I desire to be pardoned to be with Christ, which is better by far, you see what it says better by far. Look at the Greek it says this much, rather better. Three words much rather better. His point here is this. If I die, I desire I lust for it. It's a departure I'm not I'm not lost, I'm going someplace, I'm going to be with my Christ and get this. It's much rather better. That's exactly the way it isn't. Paul Paul's Way of the Holy Spirit and in writing under the inspiration, the Holy Spirit, and as he does, he's not trying to exaggerate, he's trying to make a point here, and is this much greater magnitude or quantity? Rather, it's used in intensive in an intensive way with a comparative so in other words, there's the word much now you have the word rather or more. So it's, it's a big double emphasis, but that's not it. Then you have the word better. That's the word translated in Hebrews one, Christ is superior. Christ is better, Christ is greater. It's the same word. You know the point. Heaven is much rather better. I desire to be with Christ, and it's much rather better. Everything in other words, yes, super abundantly, unbelievably much better in quantity, and quality and any other comparative way Heaven is superior to Earth. We don't believe that. Hardly do we? We're trying to cling on to this life and get all the gusto we possibly can, my friends. Don't be like the fool. Jesus says the fool is the one that will raise up stores in this earth and Barnes and says, I'm gonna probably live forever so I better save everything I can you floor tonight your soul is going to be required to view then shall who those whose will those things be? You've heard me say before, it will or won't even be funny for most of you that you've never seen a hearse pole in a U haul. Because you're not going to take it with you. And so now store up treasures in heaven. live now in obedience to Christ with this realization of heaven. Listen, a wish. What can I do? Your mind is so alive. Your spirit is so free when you've got this focus. You're so depressed and hopeless when you don't. Because you're all the time man concerned about what you're gonna get out of life. Listen, give yourself to have to the pursuit of of Christ's will so that heaven will be something you can say is much rather better for you. The Bible says this. No, ISC please get this no is seen. Think about all the beautiful things you've ever seen. Think of the sunsets and the Rocky Mountains, think of the sunsets over the ocean. Think of the most beautiful things you've ever seen. No, I have seen no ears heard think of the most beautiful music you've ever heard. no mind has conceived. The greatest even with the computers, and all they can do now in cartoons and videos, and Fantasia, and all this stuff said you can't even conceive what get this God has prepared for those who love Him. You the point here. The reason we have such a poor view of Heaven is because we've got such a low view of God, we can't begin to understand this is one man said it took him six days to create all that we can see. And now he's been up there going to prepare a place for us for 2000 years. Can you imagine what it's gonna be like? It's a win win situation. That's what the Apostle Paul said, I have two choices. Both of them are good, actually, the one I sort of prefers to go to heaven. But if I have to stay around with you, folks, I will. You see living for a higher cause that is actually living for another person instead of yourself making his values yours is living for Christ. And that's a radical difference that Christianity makes. And then death is gained in every way. During our dear brother, Joe's funeral, it again came home to me how precious the gospel is that we're preaching. And how glad I am to be able to proclaim week after week the principles of living for Christ, and the truth, that death will be gained. And this Easter, I hope that the resurrection of Jesus Christ causes such of you and you that Christianity will no longer be like going to Mrs. English as piano lessons. But it will be I want to live for Him, the creator, the one who made me and I desire to be with him and keep heaven in the forefront of my thinking. Let's pray. The society in which we live tells us that Easter is to be a time of happiness and joy and positive thoughts. But Father, if they're not based upon the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and we're really we're fooling ourselves, but we are so thankful that there is an incredible amount of positive to be said, because the Christ has died for our sins and has risen again. And that we can live for Christ. And when we have to face death, it will be our game. Thank you for this very simple truth. In Jesus name, Amen.