A Longing For More--What’s In Your Hand?

A Longing For More--What’s In Your Hand?”

Philippians 3:10-11

The Apostle Paul was confined to prison while writing this wonderful letter to the church of Philippa. Paul found fulfillment in Jesus alone. That’s possibly the reason in four chapters of Philippians, Paul uses the word--joy or rejoice, sixteen times.

Paul understood--Jesus is enough!

Philippians 3:10-11NLT I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

What does Paul mean when he say’s, “He wants to know Christ, and experience the mighty power that raised Jesus from the dead?”

Paul wanted the fullness of the Holy Spirit. He longed to experience the power of God, the Holy Spirit in action.

Again, This power, the Holy Spirit, is what raised Jesus from the grave.

Again, Philippians 3:10-11TM  I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.11 If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.

How many of us desire to experience the overflowing power of the Holy Spirit’s working within? It might mean giving up on the inferior, while watching, and listening for the internal.

Paul wrote in, Romans 8:11KJV But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead-- shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Could it be, that believers live in this spiritual environment everyday without even being aware of it? Could it be, that believers experience glimpses of glory and are not aware of it?

On a January morning in 2007, a world-class violinist played six of Johann Sebastian Bach’s most stirring compositions from the solo violin. In fact this was a 300-year-old stratosphere worth $3.5 million. Two nights before, Joshua Bell had performed a sold-out concert where patrons gladly paid $200 for nosebleed seats, but this time the performance was free.

Bill ditched his tux with coattails, wore a Washington nationals baseball cap, with regular street clothes, and played incognito outside the L’ Enfant Plaza Metro station. Street musicians are a common sight or sound for people in Washington DC.

This experiment was originally conceived by a Washington Post columnist, and it was filmed by hidden cameras. Of the 1,097 people who passed by, only seven stopped to listen to the 45 minute performance. It ended without any applause are acknowledgment. Joshua Bell netted, $32.17 in tips which included a $20 spot from the one person who- recognized the Grammy award winning musician.

Again, Two nights before, hundreds of people shelled out big time money for this same event.

The question should be asked, “If I fail to stop and listen to one of the greatest musicians in the world, play some of the finest music ever written, from one of the most beautiful instruments ever made, how many other similar God moments do we miss out on during a normal day?”

Let’s look at the first miracle preformed by-- Jesus: John 2:1-11TM 1-3 Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. Jesus and his disciples were guests also. When they started running low on wine at the wedding banquet, Jesus’ mother told him, “They’re just about out of wine.” 4 Jesus said, “Is that any of our business, Mother—yours or mine? This isn’t my time. Don’t push me.” 5 She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.”

6-7 Six stoneware water pots were there, used by the Jews for ritual washings. Each held twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus ordered the servants, “Fill the pots with water.” And they filled them to the brim.

8 “Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host,” Jesus said, and they did.

9-10 When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn’t know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, “Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you’ve saved the best till now!”11 This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Q&A--How many glimpses of glory do we miss during a single day?

I love the fact that this first miracle of Jesus is not about saving a life. It's about saving face! (Back in this day and time in Palestine, running out of wine would've meant public humiliation). This reveals how much God cares about the minute details of our lives.