Love, the answer to the “hard pressed”—Philippians 1:21-24

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 [s]But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know [t]which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with […]

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 [s]But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know [t]which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.

This week, Paul lets us ______ ________ _______ , letting us know how God was _________ this question about his personal outcome of this imprisonment to _________ Paul.

This week, Paul’s going to reflect on what the _________________ of his imprisonment means.

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21 is kind of ________________ in its succinctness.

Paul not only stated that his first citizenship is in heaven, but he _______ _____ _______.

And the ___________ that one lives for Christ, the ___________ that the __________ will be.

22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.

Live on in the flesh

We all have ______ _________ in a day. We can ________ _______however we choose to.

One of the highest praises the Bible gives when it is summing up a person’s or a ministries’ life, is that their _______ ________ were greater than their _________ _________.

Fruitful Labor

“Great occasions for serving God come _____________, but little ones ____________ us daily”. God loves to use us ______________ as the ________ _____ __________, if we’re willing to _________ ________________.

23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions,

But Paul is hard-pressed from both directions precisely because, depending on Paul’s perspective, either a continued ___________________ _____________ is a good choice, or going to _____ ______ ___________ is a good choice, and Paul doesn’t know which he should be ______________.

having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;

having the desire to depart and be with Christ,

Paul was a __________ _________________ man, and the closer he is to Christ, the _________________ he is.

for that is very much better

Paul is saying that being with ___________ _____ ______________ is so very much better

That’s the truth, from a perfectly _____________ assessment of what’s best for us

24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.

Don’t leave the _____________ before the __________ ______ ___________,

Don’t __________ your time asking God for _________ ___________.

Paul’s __________ for the _________________ themselves, who need him that settles the issue for Paul.

And each of you have ______________ to your families that needs to be completed in a way that only ________ can complete it.

As with Paul, our ministry to our families and to our brothers and sisters in Christ is the ________________ good.

____________ is a ___________ resource here on earth. Use it wisely!