The Greatest Priority
Philippians 3:7-10
January 7, 2006
What would your reaction be if I took a big bag and dumped a bunch of garbage onto the platform?
You know, the real gooey, icky stuff – rotting food, old diapers, that kind of thing.
Hopefully you’d be disgusted. Because garbage is disgusting, right?
We live in a world where casual Christianity is king.
We’re told by popular media and even some in the clergy that living for Jesus is only for those who either desperate or have nothing better to do with their lives because they’re losers who can’t fit in with the “normal” people.
We’re told that God made us to enjoy life (according to the world’s definition) and that God just wants us to be happy, so if something makes us happy, we should do it, regardless of whether it’s morally right, since we’re not supposed to judge what’s right and what’s not.
We’re told to not be “fanatical” about religion, because no one likes a fanatic.
We’re told that Jesus is fine, when you have time for Him, or later in life after you’ve lived life for awhile. But don’t let Him get in the way of living for yourself now.
We’re told that as long as you show up for church once in a while, or pray at a funeral, that God’s okay with that.
You know, I’ve had just about every single one of those attitudes at one time or another. Even after I had put my faith in Christ.
But there came a time in my life when I realized that casual Christianity wasn’t going to cut it.
I would never have the victory I needed in my life, and I would never know the real joy that comes with salvation until I made Jesus and living for Him my main priority.
That decision cost me a lot. I cost me some friends in college and back home in Mission.
It cost me my idea of being a high school band director.
And it cost me my relationship with my family – at least at first.
But folks, it’s worth it. I don’t know how to tell you any better than that.
Living for Jesus is worth it.
My whole goal today is to somehow try to convince you that living for Christ is the greatest thing you can possibly do, and it should be the greatest priority of our lives here on earth. That living for Jesus is worth it.
I wish I could come up with just the right words to say to convince you of that.
But because I’m more than aware of my limitations, I want us to look at a passage of Scripture that I think puts it across better than I can.
Before we get into that passage, though, I want to let you know that God is not okay with casual Christianity, and He’s not okay with the lip-service Christianity that’s so prevalent in the world today.
Not because God’s up there looking for a reason to blast us if we’re not living up to his expectations, but rather because He knows that what He has for those who follow Him whole-heartedly is better than anything the world has to offer.
That’s what I want you to keep in mind as we look at this passage.
I’ve printed out the main portion of this for you in a bulletin insert for you, just like I did last week. I did that because I’m reading it from a different translation than normal, and I wanted you to be able to read this for yourselves and not miss it.
Your note-taking guide says verses 7-9, but I’m going to begin reading from verse 1, and continue to verse 11 to help give you some context.
Philippians 3:1-11 (Contemporary English Version) –
1 Finally, my dear friends, be glad that you belong to the Lord. It doesn’t bother me to write the same things to you that I have written before. In fact, it is for your own good.
2 Watch out for those people who behave like dogs! They are evil and want to do more than just circumcise you. 3 But we are the ones who are truly circumcised, because we worship by the power of God’s Spirit and take pride in Christ Jesus. We don’t brag about what we have done, 4 although I could. Others may brag about themselves, but I have more reason to brag than anyone else. 5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old, and I am from the nation of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a true Hebrew. As a Pharisee, I strictly obeyed the Law of Moses. 6 And I was so eager that I even made trouble for the church. I did everything the Law demands in order to please God.
Here’s where Paul drops the bomb:
7 But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. 8 Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ 9 and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did, 11 so that somehow I also may be raised to life.
The question that keeps running through my mind is this: What would cause Paul to come to the point where He could say that everything is worthless compared to knowing Christ, and that he could count all of his life’s accomplishments as garbage compared to knowing Christ?
I can’t get past that.
Here’s a guy who had a great career as a religious leader ahead of him, and he apparently already had a reputation as an up and coming star.
He had it all going for him.
But he said that it’s all garbage compared to knowing Christ.
One Bible translation says that Paul considered it “filth” compared to knowing Christ.
The passage reads like someone like an accountant who draws up a balance sheet with his gains on one side and his losses on the other.
On the one side is everything that Paul had accomplished up to that point. On the other side is everything He gained as a result of knowing Christ.
And he looks at that side and says, “This is worth it to me. This is the side of the ledger that’s most important. Compared to this side, everything on the other side is worthless garbage.”
In fact, that’s what I hope you’ll take home with you today, and it’s printed in the insert in your bulletin:
The best the world has to offer is garbage compared to Jesus.
Nothing the world offers can compare to what Christ has for those who follow Him.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not a big fan of garbage. I’d rather not have it around any longer than I have to.
And you all know what it’s like to have garbage pile up and start stinking, especially in the summer time when you forgot to get it to the curb in time for the sanitation department to pick it up.
Garbage stinks. I don’t know that the word garbage has any positive connotation, except for those who make their living get rid of it. And I’m grateful for that, by the way.
Anyway, garbage is bad.
Paul was willing to go through anything to know Christ and live for Him.
He was willing to consider even the good stuff of his life as garbage. The prestige and all that.
That’s all fine and dandy, but why is it worth it to throw aside your comfortable life and comfortable religion and follow Christ whole-heartedly?
Well, here’s why I think it’s worth it.
First, there’s blessing in following Christ. I can tell you that living for Christ brings blessing and living for the world brings pain, ultimately.
I had a blast living for the world and for myself. I can’t deny it. But I’ve found that living for Christ is even better.
I have a peace in my heart and soul that you simply can’t get from the world. I’ve got more enjoyment in life than I ever thought possible.
I’m surrounded by more people who love me. And I’m not just talking about my biological family. I’m talking about those who love me because of our common faith in Christ.
There’s also protection and security in following Christ. That’s not to say that nothing bad will ever happen to me.
Nothing in Scripture promises that, and Paul can tell you that his love for Christ actually cost him in terms of pain and suffering.
I can almost imagine Paul being on one of those “big hair evangelist” shows on some of these Christian stations.
“So Paul, tell us how Jesus kept you from all harm since becoming a Christian, okay?”
“Well, to be perfectly frank, it hasn’t been all roses. I’ve been stoned and beaten and whipped, at least twice people tried to kill me, and I’ve been shipwrecked.
“Well, look at the time! Remember folks, Jesus wants you to be happy and healthy all the time, and if you send me a seed gift of $50 dollars, I’ll send you my book about how to avoid sickness and suffering!”
But I know that God will protect me for His purposes, and then one day, He’ll bring me to be with Him.
And not only have I found blessing and protection and security, but I’ve also found significance and meaning in life.
When living for Christ is your priority, your life becomes so much more than getting up every day and going to work, coming home and sitting in front of the TV or playing video games, then going to bed so you can start another day.
Life becomes more than just something you endure while paying your bills until your body finally gives up and you die.
I know that God can bless me no matter what I do for a living and that He can use me to bless others as well.
He can use me to influence others for Him, whether it’s my family or my friends or co-workers or whatever.
My life is full, folks. And it’s because God has filled it through my desire to know Christ and follow Him.
He has proven to me that the best the world has to offer is garbage compared to Jesus.
Others here can tell you the same thing.
Think for a moment:
Who’s running the show in the world today? People? Nope. The one running the show in the world today is the devil.
And he’s going to do all he can to convince you that it’s okay to put Jesus on the shelf and live for yourself.
But let me ask you something. Did the devil die for you? Did the devil put aside all his glory to willingly come and suffer so you could have your sins forgiven and have a home in heaven?
So do you really think he’s got your best interests at heart? Do you really think that he’s interested in giving you what you need to prepare for eternity?
No. So his message is “live for yourself. I’ve got so much for you – pleasure, riches, a care-free lifestyle.”
And on the outside, that’s what it looks like. But what he’s offering you is garbage wrapped up in a nice package.
The problem is that most people get so excited about the wrapping that they don’t notice the garbage until it’s too late.
Jesus’ message is “Live for Me. It’s worth it, and it’ll impact not only your eternal destination, but give you the best shot for a great life here on earth.
“I died to make it possible, and I want to shower you with blessing and meaning and security. It’s yours for the taking.
“The best the world has for you is garbage compared to what I have for those who live for Me.”
Would any of you who have children let them play in the garbage, especially if you knew it was full of rotting food and maggots and such?
Of course not! And if you did, I have only one thing to say to you: you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can a will be used against you…
But that’s just what the enemy of your soul is inviting you to do.
So here’s what I’d suggest, and I hope you’ll really take this to heart, because folks, this is simply too important to blow off.
I’d like you to take this insert with today’s Scripture passage on it, and read it over, praying that Jesus will help you come to the same conclusion as Paul – that nothing is worth the joys of knowing Christ and following Him.
I dare you to do it. I dare you to put aside something in your schedule today and take some real time away from the distractions of life and do this.
I dare you to look at this and say to Jesus, “Okay, Jesus. Convince me that it’s worth it to live for you. Convince me that giving you my whole heart and soul and mind and strength is going to give me the kind of fulfillment Paul’s talking about here. Convince me that the best the world has to offer is garbage compared to you.”
Some of you here today need to look at this passage and say to Jesus, “I’m at the end of my rope, Jesus, and if this isn’t true, then I’ve had it. I’m needing You to come through on this, because I don’t have any other options for finding any real meaning in life.”
Are you willing to take the chance that maybe, just maybe, the Bible is right about this?
Are you willing to take the chance that maybe, just maybe, Jesus wasn’t lying about what He wants for you?
Are you willing to have the guts to really find out if this is true?
I hope so. And it’s my prayer for everyone in here. It’s my prayer for myself, as well.
Just yesterday I was reading in my quiet time in the gospel of John, chapter 4 where Jesus healed a royal official’s son.
The man pleaded for healing for his son, and Jesus responded, “You may go. Your son will live.”
Now that’s pretty spectacular, no doubt. But every time I read this passage, I’m struck by the response of the father:
The man took Jesus at His word and departed.
Folks, everything I’ve tried to share with you today is based on the words of God.
My hope is that all of us will be people who take God at His word.
You know what would thrill my heart?
If you would come to the point where you say, “Let’s check this out for ourselves to see if what Pastor Brian is saying is true.”
I’ve said time and time again that you shouldn’t take my word for anything you hear from me.
Today is no different. Check it out for yourself.
We’re about to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. What a great opportunity for you to reflect on what I’ve shared with you today and to let the Scripture passage.
Communion is a great time for you to not only reflect on the sacrifice of Christ on your behalf but also to dedicate your life to Him all over again, whether you’ve lived for Him for decades or you want to do it for the first time today.
Let’s commit ourselves to be a church filled with people who put Jesus at the top of the priority list.
And may God show Himself faithful to really prove to everyone of us that it really is worth it to live for Jesus with everything in us.
Let’s pray.
