3/30/08
KNOWING CHRIST
PHILIPPIANS 3:7-11
INTRO-
GOOD MORNING:
TURN TO PHILIPPIANS 3:7-11, PAUL STARTS OUT THIS CHAPTER TELLING THEM TO REJOICE IN THE LORD, AND TO BE CAREFUL OF THOSE WHO WOULD CAUSE YOU TO BE PULLED AWAY FROM THE LORD.
HE TELLS HIS LISTENERS A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS THAT MAKE HIM APPEAR SUPERIOR BECAUSE OF HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
IN VERSE 7, HE BEGINS TO GIVE US A TESTIMONY AND APPLIED EXPERIENCE FOR US TO LEARN FROM..
PHILIPPIANS 3:7-11
MANY PEOPLE TODAY STRUGGLE WITH THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
BUT IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD, THEY ARE NOT REALLY WORKING ON IT.
THEY SPEND LITTLE TIME IN PRAYER
THEY DO NOT STUDY THE WORD OF GOD LIKE THEY SHOULD.
THEY DO THINGS THAT ARE HARMFUL AND KNOW ARE WRONG.
THEY HAVE RESISTED THE CONVICTION THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS GIVEN
THEY HAVE FOCUSED ON STUFF INSTEAD OF THE LORD.
NO ONE ON THEIR DEATHBED WILL SAY THAT I WISH I SPENT MORE TIME AT THE OFFICE. THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BUY THEIR HEALTH.
WHEN YOU WANT TO KNOW CHRIST AS MUCH AS YOU DESIRE THE NEXT BREATH OF AIR, YOUR GETTING CLOSE.
PAUL HAD A DRAMATIC EXPERIENCE ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD. IT CHANGED EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM. IT CHANGED HIS OUTLOOK.
ALL THE THINGS HE THOUGHT IMPORTANT, ARE NOW NOT AS IMPORTANT.
PAUL UNDERSTOOD AFTER THE ENCOUNTER THAT WE HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER CHRIST BUT OURSELVES.
WHEN WE FILL OUR LIVES WITH THE WORLD, OUR DESIRES FOR CHRIST COOL DOWN, BUT WHEN WE RETURN TO OUR FIRST LOVE THE DESIRE INTENSIFIES AGAIN.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE LEARN, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE MORE TO LEARN.
YOU CANNOT BE A CHRISTIAN WITHOUT BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.
YOU CAN BE A CHURCH GOER
YOU CAN BE A NICE PERSON
YOU CAN BE A LAW ABIDING PERSON
BUT YOU CANNOT BE A CHRISTIAN, WE ARE CONNECTED RELATIONALLY TO GOD THROUGH CHRIST.
MATTHEW 16: 25,26- READ
JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT AN EXCHANGE. HE IS TALKING ABOUT LOSING SOMETHING TO GAIN SOMETHING.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU HOLD ON TO THE THINGS THAT YOU THINK ARE PRECIOUS AND REJECT THE THINGS THAT TO GOD ARE PRECIOUS, IT WILL COST YOU ETERNITY.
THAT’S WHY HE SAYS, WHAT GOOD IS IT TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSE YOUR SOUL.
THERE IS AN EXCHANGE IN SALVATION- SALVATION IS FREE , WE CANNOT BUY IT,CANNOT EARN IT, BUT WE EXCHANGE ALL THAT I AM FOR ALL THAT CHRIST IS.
THE WISE PERSON LOOKS AT EVERYTHING IN LIFE, MEASURES IT AGAINST THE VALUE OF HIS SOUL AND THEN ASKS IF IT IS WORTH IT?
IF YOU ARE GOING TO KNOW CHRIST THE WAY THAT HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW HIM...YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE THE CONNECTION WITH HIM
ILLUSTRATION-
IT IS JUST LIKE YOUR CELL PHONE;
AT TIMES THE SIGNAL IS STRONG
AT TIMES WHEN IT IS WEAK
AT TIMES WHEN THE CONNECTION IS LOST.
WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY THAT LIVES THEIR LIVES IN CHRIST LIKE A DROPPED CALL.
WE GET BUSY
WE GET ASHAMED OF WHAT WE ARE DOING AND HIDE FROM HIM
WE SHIFT OUR FOCUS, WE GET DISTRACTED.
QUESTION - ASK YOURSELF THE TOUGH QUESTIONS
AM I GROWING IN MY FAITH?
HOW HEALTHY IS MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD?
DO I ENJOY BEING WITH THE LORD?
WHAT ARE MY PRIORITIES?
QUESTION-
HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THE BAGGAGE WE CARRY AWAY FROM JESUS? IT IS NO WONDER WERE TO TIRED TO SERVE JESUS, WE ARE TOO EXHAUSTED TO FOLLOW JESUS, THE BAGGAGE IS TO HEAVY.
JESUS NEVER HIDE THE COST OF FOLLOWING AFTER HIM.
I SPENT THE FIRST 20 YEARS TRYING TO FIND MYSELF, I SPENT THE NEXT 30 YEARS TRYING TO GET OVER MYSELF AND BE TRANSFORMED BY HIM.
ILLUSTRATION-
GREG BEARD OFFERS FREE MEMBERSHIP FOR ALL WHO WANT TO EXERCISE WITH HIM BY CUTTING SOME TREES DOWN. IF HE NEVER SHARPENED THE SAW, IT WOULD GET HARDER AND HARDER TO CUT THE TREES. WE ARE APPROACHING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WITH A DULL SAW, AND WE DON’T TAKE THE TIME TO GET IT SHARPENED.
ILLUSTRATION-
A STUDY SEVERAL YEARS AGO SAID THAT ONLY 10 PERCENT OF EVANGELICALS LIVE LIVES DIFFERENT FROM NON-CHRISTIANS. SO THEY DETERMINED SUNDAY SCHOOL WAS IN EFFECTIVE AND MANY CHURCHES DROPPED SUNDAY SCHOOL.
THEY DID THE STUDY AGAIN LAST YEAR AND THE NUMBER WENT TO 9%. 9% OF CHRISTIANS LIVE DIFFERENT LIVES THAN NON CHRISTIANS. SO THEY WANT TO ELIMINATE SMALL GROUPS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT WORKING.
ARE YOU CATCHING THIS? THE PROBLEM DOESN’T LIE WITH THE SUNDAY SCHOOL OR SMALL GROUPS.
THE PROBLEM IS A HEART PROBLEM.
WE ARE SPOON FEEDING CHRISTIANS INFORMATION BUT THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY RECEIVING THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE HEART.
BEING A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST MEANS A TRANSFORMED LIFESTYLE.
IT IS NOT TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT RATHER WALKING THE WALK.
IN THE USA, WE TALK ABOUT COMMITMENT, IN OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE THE CHURCH IS PERSECUTED, THEY TALK ABOUT SACRIFICE.
MY OBJECTIVE AS A CHRISTIAN IS TO KNOW CHRIST, TO KNOW THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, KNOWING THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERING, AND CONTINUE TO LIVE MY LIFE AN STRIVE TO BE MORE CHRIST LIKE....SO I MAY ATTAIN THE RESURRECTION OF DEATH LIKE JESUS DID.
TO KNOW CHRIST MEANS TO SHARE THE WAY HE WALKED, SHARE THE CROSS HE BORE, THE DEATH HE DIED, AND FINALLY SHARE THE LIVE HE LIVES FOR EVER MORE.
THAT COMES FROM HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST
TALKING TO HIM DAILY
DIGGING INTO HIS WORD TO SEE WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT ISSUES.
CLOSING:
KNOWING CHRIST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN LIFE.
YOU CAN BE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THE BUSINESS WORLD, BUT THE VOID CAN ONLY BE FILLED WITH CHRIST
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF;
I DON’T UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE?- WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT THAT?
MY LIFE IS A MESS- WHAT ARE DOING TO CHANGE IT?
WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY ALL ABOUT?
IT IS NOT ABOUT ETHICAL BEHAVIOR OR CODE OF CONDUCT- THE DO’S AND DON’TS
SOCIALLY- THE RIGHT THING TO DO
IT IS A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST
LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF JOHN ON THE ISLE OF PATMOS;
I TURNED AROUND TO SEE THE VOICE THAT WAS SPEAKING TO ME, AND WHEN I TURNED I SAW SEVEN GOLDEN LAMP STANDS, AND AMONG THE LAMP STANDS WAS SOMEONE LIKE A SON OF MAN, DRESSED IN A ROBE REACHING DOWN TO HIS FEET AND WITH A GOLDEN SASH AROUND HIS CHEST. HIS HEAD AND HAIR WERE LIKE WHITE WOOL AS WHITE AS SNOW, AND HIS EYES WERE LIKE BLAZING FIRE. HIS FEET WERE LIKE BRONZE GLOWING IN A FURNACE, AND HIS VOICE WAS LIKE THE SOUND OF RUSHING WATERS
WHEN I SAW HIM, I FELL AT HIS FEET AS THOUGH DEAD. THEN HE PLACED HIS RIGHT HAND ON ME AND SAID; DO NOT BE AFRAID, I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST. I AM THE LIVING ONE. I WAS DEAD, AND BEHOLD I AM ALIVE FOR EVER AND EVER. AND I HOLD THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HELL.
HALLELUJAH
WHEN YOU WANT TO KNOW CHRIST AS MUCH AS YOU DESIRE THAT NEXT BREATH- YOUR GETTING CLOSE
ALTAR:
