Sermon Central
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Smiling In The End
Contributed by Joe Rowland on Jan 21, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: God gave me a vision of Jesus smiling at my wife’s grandmother’s death.
Smiling in the End
Subtitle:
Jesus is Smiling
20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
Ro 5:5; 8:19; Eph 6:19-20
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
26 That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
Paul had an understanding that God had a work for him to do.
This work that God had prepared for him sometimes put him in situations that he probably didn’t like.
Paul might not have always liked the situations, but he loved the results.
Sometimes I might not like the situations that I am in, but if I stay faithful to Christ, I will like the results.
God has predestined you to walk the walks that you are walking this morning, there will be trials and test that you will have to go through, but in the end if you stay faithful to God, you will be smiling.
There will never be anything that comes against you as a Christian that you will not be able to handle.
Jesus is your Rock, He is your strength, and He is all that you will need to make it through this morning.
Philippians 1:6 says:
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: {perform: or, finish}
Paul was confident that God which began a good work in him would perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
God has begun a good work in you and He will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (The rapture of the church)
According to Philippians 1:20, Paul had an earnest expectation and hope in Christ that He trusted in.
Paul’s mindset was on Christ and the power of His resurrection.
Paul’s mindset was on God and in nothing was He going to be ashamed.
It did not matter if He was in stocks and bonds in prison, or if he was out preaching the Gospel of Christ, he was not going to be ashamed and nothing was going to stop him from giving God’s good news.
20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
Christ was going to be magnified while in His body, whether by life or death.
Whatever the Lord wanted, is what the Apostle wanted.
Philippians 1:21 says:
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Paul said for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Paul being allowed to live longer makes it possible for him to continue to preach Christ.
When He said to die is gain, He’s saying that it would be gain to him, but not the work of Christ.
Paul was not afraid to die because He knew what the outcome would be.
He understood the concept of Psalm 23.
1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. {anointest: Heb. makest fat}
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Verse 4 says the valley of the shadow of death; Paul understood that death was nothing more than a shadow of what would follow.
Even in death, He knew that Jesus would be with him.
