INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• It is that time of the year again, a time to make resolutions and to break them. It is day 5 of 2014, it has been a LONG arduous 5 days, how are you doing?
• Robyn wondered if the gym will be packed for a couple of weeks now.
• If your goal is to get in shape, remember, ROUND IS A SHAPE last I checked!
• Why do we go through the pain of making resolutions each year only to have our hearts broken by not achieving them?
• The New Year ushers in a new hope, a new hope that we can build a new you!
• I believe many of us would like to use this year to endeavor to build a new you. The problem with trying to achieve this lofty goal is that it will require a lot or introspection, changes, and hard work.
• Today in honor of the New Year I would like to offer some assistance in building a new you!
• In the book of Philippians chapter 3, I have always gotten the vibe that Paul is reflecting on life and wants to encourage us to do something. He wants us to be the people that God designed us to be, to be able to reach the full-potential that God created us to fulfill.
• Have you ever wanted to hit the reset button? Let’s see the counsel we are given to Philippians so that we can actually make a resolution and keep it!
• SLIDE #2
• Philippians 3:1–7 (HCSB) 3 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a protection for you. 2 Watch out for “dogs,” watch out for evil workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and do not put confidence in the flesh— 4 although I once also had confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; 6 regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless. 7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Reconsider your worldview. 1-7
• If we are going to do a self-reconstruction, we need to reconsider the worldview by which we live. By the way, Ken Martins life group would be a good place to learn more about that subject.
• The way we view the world drives the way we live, the way we see life, the way we derive our purpose for life.
• During the days of Paul, the worldview played a huge part in the way people lived their lives as it does yet today.
• For the Jews, they were God’s chosen ones by inheritance, by birth to put it a better way.
• In the church there were former Jews who were trying to get the Greeks and other non-Jews to become Jews BEFORE they became Christians. This is what Paul speaks of in verses 2-3.
• In verses 4-and part of 5 Paul speaks of how his life once derived its purpose from his heritage.
• 4 although I once also had confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews;
• Then moves on to his accomplishments.
• This is what Paul lays out in verses 5-6.
• ; regarding the law, a Pharisee; 6 regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.
• Paul’s accomplishments were substantial, he could have thought there was no need to change, and life was good.
• The problem was his worldview was all about HIM, who HE was, what HE had done!
• One of the biggest worldview shifts we need to consider is coming to the realization that life is not all about ME!
• See the Jews of Paul’s day felt they had no need of change because they could coast through life based on their heritage and accomplishments.
• Why work on developing a relationship with God if you feel you own it because of your nation of birth?
• When we feel like the focus of life is shining on us we will eventually feel empty and life will lose both joy and meaning.
• Why develop a relationship with God when you could simply EARN one?
• Paul had to reconsider his worldview, a view that was based on self accomplishment and heritage.
• In Luke 12:16-21 we have a story of a successful farmer who thought the world revolved around him. He did not know what to do with the great financial blessings he had so he decided to build bigger barns and then go live the easy life.
• SLIDE #4
• Luke 12:20–21 (HCSB) 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’ 21 “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
• Paul looked at his past life before Jesus and concluded, . 7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ.
• Paul realized that his view of life needed to be reconstructed.
• SLIDE #5
II. Reconstruct a new worldview. 8-11
• Verses 7-8 we see the transition.
• SLIDE #6
• Philippians 3:8–11 (HCSB) 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ —the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.
• A worldview shift from me to Jesus.
• When we start to realize life is about God being the star then we start to really experience life.
• Over the next few weeks as we cover The Story, I pray we will all realize that the Story is God’s story and we are to see how we fit into His Story!
• In verses 8-9 we see a shift from MY accomplishments to knowing Jesus! Realizing that no matter what was “LOST” here means nothing in comparison of knowing Jesus!
• Believe me; Paul knew what it was like to “lose” it all.
• As long as we cling to the view that life is about ME instead of Jesus, we will never be able to fully embrace or enjoy our life in Christ!
• Not having a righteousness derived on my own means that I no longer rely on myself for salvation. That I no longer have the pressure to perform, but rather I can rely on what Jesus has already DONE for me!
• In verse 10 instead of living for SELF, we are encouraged to KNOW Jesus!
• This means more that gathering facts, it means to be personally acquainted with Jesus! To KNOW Him!
• When we realize that the righteousness that God wants us to rely upon is Christ’s, it should cause us to strive after Spiritual perfection. It will cause us to want to step away from the old self and move toward the new. Paul found his complete identification in Christ.
• Our reconstructed worldview is built in such a way that we seek to live for Jesus, not ourselves.
• THEN we strive to be like Him because we love Him!
• SLIDE #7
• 1 John 3:3 (HCSB) And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure.
• When you construct a new worldview, then you will need to make one other change.
• SLIDE #8
III. Rearrange your priorities.
• In order to achieve living out your new worldview you will have to rearrange your life priorities.
• To do this we need to do a couple of things.
• WE need to have the correct mindset.
• Verses 12-13a. (Not that I have already obtained it)
• SLIDE #9
• Philippians 3:12(HCSB) Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.
• Paul’s attitude was one of a person in a race who had not crossed the finish line yet. Too many times we quit before we reach the line.
• In our physical lives we never reach the finish line, we must have the mindset of a person running a marathon!
• We need to forget the past and press on toward the goal. CANNOT LET THE PAST HOLD US BACK. PAST FAILURES DO NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE FAILURES!
• The correct mind set is of no value unless we…
• Exert some energy!
• Look at verse 13
• SLIDE #10
• Philippians 3:13 (HCSB) Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead,
• But one thing I do…
• The runner focuses on one and only one thing, the finish line, they do not look back at the course that they have already run.
• The runner runs with unwavering progression. We do not say, I need to go back and run that last 2 miles again. We continue to strain forward to what lies ahead.
• Exertion is not enough unless we exert our efforts to …
• SLIDE #11
• Philippians 3:14 (HCSB) I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.
• We must press on to the goal of the upward goal of Christ. A lot of people exert a lot of energy, but it is misplaced.
• If we keep our eyes focused on Christ while we run the race, we will run to Him. Try driving down the highway looking in the ditch the whole way.
• You will not stay on the path for very long.
• These words were uttered by Scott Hamilton Olympic skater, shortly after winning his Gold medal: "It was a moment to be shared. Someone asked me why I was looking at the medal so intently. What I was doing was looking at 16 years of my life."
• The goal that we set keeps us running, if our goal is to please God and reach heaven, then we will stay on track.
CONCLUSION
• I come across this many years ago, and I do not know who penned it, but it summarizes well the opportunity the New Year affords us!
• I am the New Year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.
• I am your next chance at the art of living.
• I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months.
• All that you sought and didn't find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it but with more determination.
• All the good that you tried for and didn't achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.
• All that you dreamed but didn't dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have -- these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose.
• I am your opportunity to renew you allegiance to Him who said, "Behold, I make all things new."
• WE have the opportunity to reach in heights in 2014, but for that to happen we have to be willing to strive to build a new you!
