By Any Means
- We’re all moving towards death, or should I say- eternity
- Either we have a living hope- or we don’t.
- Either we have to do and gain everything in this life or we don’t
- Either Heaven is real or it isn’t
- But if we’re going to attain the resurrection of the dead- it should be by any means possible
- Phil 3:7-11 READ
1.Count all things loss
- 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish,
- Last week we talked about beware of Dogs, be the circumcision and be confident in Christ
- Pauls boast was in 1. His rich religious heritage. 2. His illustrious ancestry. 3. His religious party. 4. His devoted zeal. 5. And his purity in keeping the Law of Moses
- Paul had many reasons to boast in who he was and is. But Paul says here “it means nothing to me”
- Paul says- knowing the excellence of the knowledge of Jesus is better
- He says- I’ve lost it all because of him. I’ve suffered because of Him.
- But to me? Rubbish. Some versions- DUNG0- Its all poop to him. It has no value, its refuse
- Paul had every fleshly desire satisfied within the world- but he knew compared to Christ they were nothing- the only thing that mattered to him was Christ the Lord
- What does it mean to you?
- Have you counted all things loss? Have you inventoried your life and see what you value?
- I know what mine are. 1 wife 2 kids 3 pastoring 4 stuff 5. Health
- Those are the things that if I felt like I was going to lose them, I’d be very unpleasant
- And those right there- those are the things that God wants me to “count as loss”
- What are yours? Whats your top 5? I’m not saying that God is going to require those of you
- But God will require to have the primary spot on the throne of your heart
- Paul says “suffered the loss” – it’s a suffering to let go of those things and place Jesus there
- Luke 12:16-21 laying up treasures on earth instead of before God-
- ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
- No one or nothing else- God alone on the throne of your heart- but YOU have to count it!
- Galatians 5:24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
- Count it all loss my friends- there is nothing better than Jesus-
Be found in Him
- 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
- Pauls constant declaration of the supremacy of Christ above the law is a theme in Philippians
- Paul says that the law was able to produce righteousness within himself, but that came from the law- he doesn’t want that- he wants the righteousness that comes from faith in Christ
- Belief in Christ, his sacrifice. His payment. His righteousness. Appropriated by FAITH
- It’s a belief in Christ above all else and above all of our own abilities
- 1 Peter 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
- I realize I revisit this many times- folks we get visitors every week- they need to hear this
- The guilt and the shame you feel from your past can be removed by Jesus Christ
- Any attempt to try and impress God with your ability to make things right doesn’t impress God
- READ Romans 8:1-4 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
- What does it mean to you?
- Be found in Him! Be found trusting him, believing him, living and loving for him
- Living God’s ways and doing God’s things. Believing that the God life is the way to eternal life
- This in no way negates the totality of the Bible or our requirements to be formed and shaped by it- we must be fully submitted to the truth of the Gospel to be formed by the Gospel truths
- Are you being found in yourself? Or being found in Christ?
- Paul is not speaking poetically here.
- He is transforming his entire personhood.
- To be found in Christ is to come to the end of self. The end of sin. The end of me
- Paul is saying that he wants to be defined altogether differently, not dead in sin, but alive to God in Christ (Romans 6:11).
- He is a new man within a new humanity that’s part of a new world (Ephesians 2:14–18).
- Leaving my kids home alone– Even when I’m not there, they do as I ask and don’t do what I have asked them to not do- They honor my love for them
- Dad– we’re being who you have wanted us to be!
- What is it in your life that is keeping you from being found in him?
- What parts of your heart need to be changed? What activities do you need to take off the throne of your life and place Jesus there?
- Are you wanting your identity to be found in Christ? Or in YOU?
Know the power of the resurrection
- Paul love of Jesus and his belief in Him as his righteousness isn’t enough for paul
- Paul says- I want to know the power of his resurrection
- What was the power of the resurrection?
- Victory over sin- Sin no longer would have dominion over man in practice or in control
- Victory over death- Death would no longer power over man in that we could live forever
- Victory over life- That this life which was to be lived on this earth would be victorious the power of the resurrection gives us all power to live as God requires in THIS LIFE (cant do it on my own)
- Victory over Loneliness- Christ is still with us after his resurrection at all times!
- Victory in Heaven- Because of the resurrection we have an advocate in Heaven for US
- Victory over these mortal bodies! We get to have new bodies one day in Heaven!
- How do we get these Victories? How do we Know the power of His resurrection?
- We Must Reject the Things That Will Keep Us From Christ
- Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
- You must count everything else in your life as loss to experience the resurrection power of Jesus
- Its only when we strip away the things of this world that we can be found in HIM
- We sometimes say that the battle is between sin and righteousness; yet in reality it is between self and God. You Can’t experience the resurrection if you’re worshipping self
- Sin is all about pleasing self. That’s what makes it so difficult to resist
- What causes a Christian to do the things that he knows will displease Christ and ultimately grieve himself? It’s the desire to gratify self. That giving up the sin will be satisfying
- As long as self is on the throne, Christ will not be.
- We Must Pursue Christ With a Passion
- Paul was not a casual Christian. As a matter of fact, Paul was not a casual anything.
- Whatever he did, he gave it all or nothing.
- It’s interesting to note that the word he used in vs. 6 for “persecuting the church”, is the same word he uses in vs. 12 for “following after” Christ and in vs. 14 for “pressing toward the mark…” It means to seek after something earnestly with the desire to acquire.
- The same passion with which Paul persecuted the Church was the same passion he had for following Christ
- If you want to know the power of his resurrection live at the foot of the Cross
- You’ve got to give it the bulk of your attention if you hope to experience God’s best
- Brian and Jackie- Jeeping vs Jesusing. They had 3 jeeps and that’s all they did- it not their focus
- Jeeping isn’t bad- its just a distinction of priorities
- I want to know the power of his resurrection- Not a perfect house, car, hobby, body, bank acct
Fellowship in suffering
- One of Pauls spiritual goals was to share in Christs suffering
- This is a theme that he revisits often in his letters to the church-
- Why? Because Paul knew that suffering was good for you!
- Adversity is a much better teacher than success!
- Romans 5:3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
- If you’ve never been through something- you can never see the Glory
- Christ suffered so we identify and become like him in our suffering, or at least we can
- Acts 3:18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.
- Some of you have suffered much, you’ve just not suffered with Christ- you’ve suffered without
- Suffering with Christ is different than suffering with the world-
- Suffering with Christ is to be used as an example of faithfulness through trial, that even in the face of horrible suffering, you still preach Christ. You still show love. You still move on
- Pastor in Indianapolis- in their 20s, young kids, Church planters- Wife raped and murdered
- “I know that in her death and legacy even more people will come to a saving faith in Christ. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt her desire for me would be to continue what we’ve started here in Indy. I hold firm to the belief that God is still good, that He takes our tragedy and turns it into triumph, and that the best truly is yet to come.” Davey Blackburn
- I went to their church website- He’s back in the pulpit. This only happened in November
- That’s sharing in Christs suffering- using the worst of your life to display the best of HIM
- Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
By any means
- 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
- I think its interesting that Paul says “If, by any means”
- Paul has great assurance in his standing with the Lord, but he still throws in an “If”
- almost to say, all of this still isn’t as useful as the blood of Jesus to provide,but Im still doing it
- Paul always viewed in the light of eternity not in the length of his time on earth
- Nothing was more important than attaining the resurrection from the dead
- Galatians 6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
- And this right here is the crux of this discourse- By Any means-
- Paul was willing to do whatever it took to attain the resurrection of the dead
- The question is- Are you? Are you willing by any means to do what you know you need to do?
- What is it that is holding you back from being where you want to be spiritually?
- What sin, what habit, what part of your past are unwilling to consider rubbish?
- What thought, what goal, what hope, what dream are you putting above Christ?
- And are you willing, “by any means” to get there?
- You’ve got to set yourself up to win- you’ve got to be willing to sacrifice
- Its only through the grace and mercy of God that you can do it- and he will help you to do it
