Our culture is trapped in a disease for the desire of things, and we are not sure what to do about it. Consider the following facts…
Gambling
60 % of adult Americans gambled in the last 12 months
20 years ago, two states had legalized gambling, while 48 states outlawed gambling – today 48 states have some form of gambling while only 2 states prohibit gambling.
Credit card debt
US Consumers have racked up credit card at an alarming rate, today Americans carry 750 billion dollars in credit card debt, and the average family has $8,900 in CC debt
The desire for things has had its risk;
In 2006, 780,000 people filed for personal bankruptcy.
Crimes related to greed have also risen…
In May, six people in Oregon were indicted in a “PHANTOM COW” scheme, selling cattle that do not exist, bilking their investors for $100 million dollars
Recently in San Francisco, a police officer was sentenced to 15 years in prison for stealing Elvis memorabilia for his private collection.
A Florida teenager recently plead guilty to putting bleach in orange juice and rat poison in hamburgers, then feeding it to his grandmother hoping she would die and he would be able to cash in on her inheritance.
Hearing these stories, we have to realize we are living in a world caught up in greed. You say that is not us – after all it is easy to spot greed on a game show or in a casino, but greed has a softer side as well. In our abundance, we have acquired more and more stuff, trying to find fulfillment. We often times forget the things we think are necessities are actually luxuries.
William Boice wrote in his prayer journal…
Dear Lord,
I have been re-reading the story of the rich young ruler and his obvious wrong choice. However, it has set me thinking. No matter how much wealth he possessed; he could not ride in a car, have any surgery, turn on a light, buy penicillin, hear a stereo, watch TV, wash dishes in running water, type a letter, mow a lawn, fly in an airplane, sleep on an inner spring mattress or talk on a phone. If he was rich then what am I?
In our continuing series of joy stealers – I want us to look at what I believe is the #1 joy stealer for American Christians; the obsession toward materialism.
Mother Teresa spoke on the endless want of things saying, “Once the longing for money comes, the longing also comes for what money can give; nice rooms, luxuries at the table, more clothes and more and more. Our needs will increase, for one thing brings another, and the result will be endless dissatisfaction.
Lets be honest – we are a consumer nation. With blessings, other countries can only dream of. Consider the following facts;
We own…
71% of the cars in the world
80% of the hospital beds
60% of the world’s life insurance polices
82% of the bath tubs
We have…
7% of the world’s population
6% of the world’s land
50% of the world’s wealth
Yet with all the material blessings this life offers, the United States rates 12th among all nations when it comes to satisfaction and happiness in life.
While seeking the good life, someone has stolen our joy. Jesus warned his followers - "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot." Luke 12:15
Yet most people think that joy comes from the things they own. In reality, things can steal our joy quickly.
Paul understood how things could steal our joy, that is why he gave us two admonitions to keep us from the snare of materialism. Each of these admonitions strike at the heart of materialism
Do not trust in your credentials , but in Christ
Philippians 3:1-6
1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.
3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—
4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:
5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;
6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
TO UNDERSTAND THIS PASSAGE ONE MUST UNDERSTAND THE BACKGROUND OF THIS PASSAGE
For the first 10 years of Church’s growth, the gospel was preached to Jews only. In fact, the first seven chapters of the book of Acts deal only with Jewish believers or with Gentiles who became Jewish proselytes.
In Acts 10, Peter takes the message to the gentiles, and for the first time in church history, there is a chasm with in the church. To the Jews, gentiles were seen to be outsiders to God’s grace. They did not belong at the table with the Jews.
Soon there was a movement to make gentile believers become Jews first, before they could become Christians.
The apostles, under the direction of the Holy Spirit explained how God was God of not just the Jews, but of all peoples. A majority of the church agreed and welcomed the gentile converts into God’s family.
There were some who refused to recognize God’s will and they opposed this action. This group was known as the Judaizers.
The Judaizers would go from town to town teaching one had to become a Jew first, before they could become a Christian. They would point to their history, as children of the promise, being from the line of Abraham and being God’s chosen people.
By the time the Judaizers got to Philippi they had stirred up enough trouble with this false teaching, Paul had to confront them.
Paul pulls no punches
Notice Paul calls them out calling them dogs, evil workers and mutilators of the flesh. While this group was proud of their heritage, Paul points to their work as being detrimental to the cause of Christ. They men were proud of their religious ancestry & their allegiance to the law. They felt they had the right credentials to be God’s people.
If anyone could boast in his or her credentials, it would be Paul.
Vs. 4, If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more
Paul mentions makes several claims regarding his credentials…
Circumcised on the 8th day – just as god had told Abraham
From the tribe of Benjamin – Israel’s first king was from Benjamin. Jacob’s favorite son was Benjamin, born of his favorite wife Rachel
A Hebrew of the Hebrews – he was an Israelite from both sides of his family, his mother was a Jew, he father was a Jew, from one generation none of his ancestors had mixed with the gentiles another, no gentiles had mixed with his family
As for keeping the law – he was a Pharisee, holding strictly to the OT law
Zeal, he persecuted the church believing it was a enemy of God’s people
Moral righteousness – he was faultless, no one could point a finger of accusation toward this man
Paul had enough morality to keep him out of trouble, but not enough righteousness to get him into heaven.
Do you know people like that? They boast about their good works, or what they or their family used to do at church as if doing good things saves us.
Paul says you want credentials; you want to brag about your family, while I can too, but look what he says in verse 7.
I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.
With all the credentials Paul could hope for, Paul said they are worthless compared to knowing Christ.
How about you, how are you measuring up?
Are you climbing the ladder to success, are you seeking degrees and rewards and letting your relationship to Christ suffer?
Do not be caught up in seeking awards and titles that you forget to seek Christ and his kingdom. Remember the words of Jesus - Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot."
Admonition #2, Our Joy is found not in the ability of keeping our past, but in our ability to press on.
Note verses 10-15
10 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!
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.
13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,
but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.
A. Don’t you love reminiscing about the past?
Life seemed so much simpler back then. Issues were black and white. Children behaved, the good guys always won. Deals could sealed with a handshake. There are many days we long for the good old days, when things were peaceful and seemed so much better. Those were the days!
B. I am sure Paul would like to relive his past as well.
Remember he is presently in prison, chained to a Roman guard, his future is uncertain at this point. How he might have longed for the old days…
Personally called By Jesus
Dear friends such as Timothy, Barnabas and Silas
The excitement of starting churches in Corinth, Colossi and Thessalonica
Paul could have looked at his past and said you know I have had a good run. I have accomplished much for the cause of Christ. It is time to coast; let some of those new converts pick up slack!
C. Paul was not about focusing on the past
Look at verses 13 & 14, I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on
I PRESS ON
That is what is so exciting about being a part of God’s kingdom, while we may have a glorious past, the future is ahead of us – thus we press on.
When we press on, God brings to us new challenges, new opportunities – so we press on. As a church, we must always be pressing on. The cause of Christ it to great to be trapped by the things of life, that will steal our joy – we must press on.
D. Why press on?
Paul states it clearly in verses 10-11
10 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!
Paul says I want to know Christ; I want to experience…
His power
His resurrection
His suffering
Share in his death
So that I might experience the resurrection from the dead. I press on knowing that if I am faithful in life, he will be faithful at my death. This week we said goodbye to a prince among preachers. Bill Gaslin lost his fight with cancer, yet he was victorious in his fight with death. For he experienced the resurrection Jesus promised in John 11, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. John 11:25-26
If you knew Bill, you knew he was a man who pressed on. Not holding on to the things of the past but pressing on to what God would do through him. Listen – When things trap you it is impossible to press on. When you are focused on the next thing to have; whether it is the bigger boat, the new car, the larger stock portfolio, the bigger house or you fill in the blank. You will never be able to experience the power Christ has planned for you. We must press on.
How do we press on?
Simple, begin asking yourself, what can I do for the cause of Christ?
And then do it!
Some of us need to be serving in our Children and Student ministries. Our new Fall schedule kicks off on August 15, we need 30 new servants who will pour their lives into the lives of students and children and make a difference in the cause of Christ. During the month of July we are going to be focusing on recruiting these difference makers – I hope you will consider the challenge – and press on.
Some of you have been blessed with material resources and just as God as blessed you need to be a blessing to others, generously giving so that cause of Christ can continue – Pressing on.
All of us need to look at our network of friends, neighbors, associates and co-workers and extend an invitation to come and worship. Listen Statistics say 50% of the unchurched population would attend worship, if they were simply invited. Press on!
All of us need to recommit to pressing on for the cause of Christ.
This is the 26th week of the year – there are 26 weeks left in 2007 – what would happen if we decided as a church family to press on for the next 26 weeks – to give, to serve, to invite, to invest in the cause of Christ? TO PRESS ON I believe we would experience what Paul desired in Philippians 3:10 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!
PRESSING ON CHALLENGE
It is time to press on – on the back of your bulletin is a PRESSING ON CHALLENGE: Understanding the Cause of Christ is great I will press on by ____________________
Take some time to think about how you can press on for the cause of Christ – write it down, post it in a prominent place, share it with someone (become accountable) In your mind it is a good intention, but if you will write it down, post it and share it, ther is a good chance you will PRESS ON for the Cause of Christ!
Listen church, our joy is not in our earthy destiny but in our heavenly citizenship.
An earthly destiny trusts in one’s credentials, what I have done. Paul says you want credentials – been there done that! In fact, Paul would say, The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ.
An earthly destiny rests on ones accumulation of awards, trophies and resources – but, Paul says forgetting what is behind me I press on!
An earthly destiny is trapped by the things of this earth, focusing on what one can get rather than what one can share for the cause of Christ.
This past month, journalist Larry King has celebrated 50 years in broadcasting. There have been many tributes and interviews in his honor. In one of his interviews, he was asked. What is the most important question you ask of those whom you interview? Without hesitating, he said it is a 3-letter word – WHY.
He said, “Every interview boils down to that question – WHY DO YOU DO SOMETHING? WHY DID YOU MAKE THAT DECISION? Answer that question and you soon discover the person’s motives and priorities.
WHY? Not only is it a good question for a TV journalist – It is an important question for us as well.
Why do we work so hard?
Why do we keep so much?
Why do we put so much trust in things?
Why do we not trust God more?
As part of our worship this morning we sang the Hymn, turn your eyes upon Jesus. Do you remember the words to the chorus? Look full in his wonderful face – and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his wonder and grace.
Have the things of this earth entrapped you? Has your joy been stolen because you have focused your credentials and your past? Paul says is so there is but one solution – to press on, for the cause of Christ.
PRAYER
