I hope everyone had an enjoyable and blessed Christmas. I hope that, amidst all the travelling, and feasting, and gift-giving, and family reunioning, and football watching, you were able to remember that what we are really celebrating during this season is the birth of Jesus Christ.
As you may know, the Christmas season has three phases: Advent looks forward to the coming of Christ; it begins on the fourth Sunday prior to Christmas, and ends on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day, on December 25th, celebrates Jesus’ birth. And then following Christmas, on January 6th, is Epiphany. Epiphany commemorates the day that the wise men arrived in Bethlehem to worship Christ and bring Him gifts. Of course, there’s also a secular equivalent to these three phases of Christmas. There’s the season of maxing out the credit cards, which begins on the day after Thanksgiving and ends on Christmas Eve; there’s December 25th, when we celebrate the coming of Santa Claus; and then there’s the season of paying off the credit cards, which begins when the postman arrives in January bearing VISA bills, and which lasts for several months. That’s the season we’re in now.
There’s another tradition we observe at this time of year, and that’s the making of New Year’s resolutions. [I didn’t say the "keeping" of New Year’s Resolutions] There’s something about hanging a new calendar on the wall that convinces us we now have the willpower to do all the things we were failing at miserably the day before. It’s the triumph of hope over experience. We’re going to lose weight, exercise more, give up smoking, get along better with our relatives, save more money, learn to speak French (or in George Bush’s case, English). Have you ever been to a health club in January? They’re packed! You can barely get in the door!
Well, this morning, I’m not going to tell you how to become thinner, or smarter, or healthier, or wealthier. [I’m not sure I’d have much credibility giving advice in most of those areas, anyway.] But what I would like to do is suggest one resolution for your spiritual life; one resolution that each of us, as followers of Jesus Christ, ought to make as we enter the new year. If we would make and keep just this one resolution, it would transform our lives and revolutionize this church. Are you ready?
"I resolve that in the coming year I will seek to know Christ more deeply."
That’s it. If I could have any wish for the coming year, as pastor of WestShore Community Church, it wouldn’t be that our attendance would grow dramatically, or that our offerings would increase, or that someone would donate a nice new building for us to meet in, or even that we would get a drummer for the worship team. My wish would be that every member of this church would come to know God more personally and intimately than ever before.
Why? Why is that so important? Alan, are you sure you wouldn’t rather have the drummer? Yeah, I’m sure. Why? Because nothing else matters. Did you hear what I said? Next to knowing God, nothing else matters. That’s a radical statement. But it’s not just my opinion. Listen to Paul:
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." -- Philippians 3:7-11 (NIV)
What had Paul lost? What had he given up in order to know Christ? (After all, before his conversion, he was a Jewish preacher, and afterward, he was a Christian preacher, right?) Everything. Paul gave up everything. He says, "for whose sake I have lost all things."
Before his conversion, Paul had been a respected teacher in the Jewish religion. He was also a member of a special group, or sect, within Judaism, known as Pharisees. It’s difficult for us to appreciate the social standing of a someone in Paul’s position, since in our day pastors and priests and rabbis aren’t highly esteemed (to say the least). I could name several prominent theologians and most of you would never have heard of them. We honor entertainers and athletes instead. But in first-century Palestine, the Pharisees were absolutely at the top of the heap. They were the interpreters and teachers of all the religious rules. And in a theocratic society structured around religion, this basically made them the authorities over every aspect of life. People respected them, looked up to them, honored them. Listen to how Jesus describes them:
"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees . . . . love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them `Rabbi.’" -- Matthew 23:2, 6-7 (NIV)
Jesus was criticizing the Pharisees, but it shows how high their place was in society. If you were a first-century Jew and you were hosting any kind of social gathering, it would be a real coup, a real feather in your cap, if you could persuade some high-ranking Pharisees to come. "Ah, Rabbi, if you would only grace us with your presence at our daughter’s wedding banquet! It would be such an honor!" And of course, you would sit them right up front, at the head table, where everyone could see them, and admire their fine clothing and comment on their wisdom and exemplary table manners.
When these men attended worship services, of course they sat right up front, in the box seats. When they walked down the street, everyone they met would smile and bow and say, "good morning, rabbi", "good evening, rabbi". "How are you feeling today, rabbi?" If you needed advice; if you had any kind of philosophical or theological question, you went to them. If one of them walked by while you and some friends were having a discussion, you would immediately seek their opinion. "Ah, rabbi, perhaps you can help us to settle our dispute." I mean, it was a sweet deal. The only modern counterpart I can think of would be maybe a U.S. Supreme Court justice, if he was also a cardinal in the Roman Catholic church and a best-selling author. And a snappy dresser. Do you get the idea?
So then, what did Paul give up when he converted to Christianity, when he heard the voice of Christ on the road to Damascus? What was the "everything" he lost? By following Christ, He lost his social standing, his reputation, the prestige of his position. No more banquets, no more respectful greetings. He went from being on top to being absolutely at the bottom - viewed by everyone he had known as a traitor to his religion and his people. [Imagine if Billy Graham suddenly converted to Mormonism, or Jerry Falwell became a Jehovah’s Witness. That’s how shocked people were at Paul’s conversion.] He was hated, persecuted, beaten, whipped, driven out of one town after another. He lost his vocation - unable to earn a living by teaching, he made tents for a living. He owned no property, had no permanent place of residence, no wife or children. He was often deprived of his freedom in jail, and even his physical safety was constantly at risk. Listen to how he describes his life:
"To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world." -- 1 Corinthians 4:11-13 (NIV)
All he has left, literally, is his relationship with Christ. And do you know what he says? Compared to knowing Christ, everything he gave up was like garbage. Trash. Insignificant. It wasn’t even close. Those things meant so little to him that it was like he hadn’t given up anything at all.
Well, that’s what it cost Paul. But what would it cost you to know Christ better? What would it take for you to spend some time every day reading the Bible and meeting with God in prayer? Less time watching television, or working on a hobby, or taking care of the yard? A little less sleep? The possibility of some minor embarrassment if you happen to mention Christ to your neighbor, or if a co-worker caught you praying over lunch? A little money spent on Christian books? Paul gave up all of the things we hold most dear, far more than any of us would likely ever have to give up, and yet he had no regrets at all. He was glad to do it. What he gained in knowing Christ was far better than what he had. Could you say that? Is that your attitude?
I fear that for most of us, our perspective is so far from Paul’s that we can’t even understand what he’s talking about. It doesn’t make any sense. He seems like some kind of fictional character, instead of a flesh-and-blood human being with feelings and desires and emotions like we have. This world has such a hold on our hearts that the things of God appear to have little value in comparison. We need to hear the warning of the apostle John:
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him . . . . The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." -- 1 John 2:15, 17 (NIV)
Brothers and sisters, I’m not trying to make you feel guilty. I’m not saying these things to rebuke you, or shame you, or scold you. I’m saying them to entice you, to whet your appetite, to convince you that knowing Christ, personally, intimately, is worth more than you can imagine. You will never regret anything you give up in order to know Him better. It’s the only thing of true value.
"This is what the LORD says: ’Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD." -- Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NIV)
Do you know Him? Can you say that you understand and know God? That you understand him, as fully as he can be understood through the Scriptures? That you know Him as well as He can be known through His word? What a treasure we have in this book, what mysteries it reveals, how it shows us the way to Christ; and yet we give it less time and attention than the Cleveland Plain Dealer or the CBS evening news. And the Lord grieves, because in Christ we have the fulfillment of all our hopes and dreams, in Him we have comfort and strength for all of our suffering, in Him we have joy and peace beyond our understanding. Our deepest needs and longings are met in Him. And yet we know so little of these things because we will not read, and will not pray, and will not meditate on His word beyond the bare minimum necessary to convince ourselves that we have done our duty.
[If this doesn’t apply to you, then ignore it (and pray for the rest of us). But if it does, then accept it.]
"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." -- John 17:3 (NIV)
Do you want to know what heaven will be like? Do you want to know what it will be like to live forever? I can tell you. Everyone comments on how little is revealed about Heaven in the Bible. But that misses the point. The most important thing about heaven is revealed clearly. Heaven will be knowing Christ. The central feature of heaven, next to which everything else fades into insignificance, is that we will finally see Christ face-to-face, and we will know Him fully, intimately, without any sin clouding our vision [1 Corinthians 13:12]. We will have all of eternity to know him, and we will never tire of his company, nor He of ours. That’s eternal life. That’s what we can begin to experience in this life, now, as we fellowship with him through His Spirit.
So how do we go about it? I almost hesitate to give a formula, or steps to knowing Christ, because at root it isn’t a methodology issue; it’s a heart issue. It’s not a know-how issue, it’s a love issue. If we truly desire to know Christ, if we truly love Him, we will find a way to know Him better. I almost feel as if instead of talking about how to know Him, as if it were so mysterious, we should just fall on our faces and ask God’s forgiveness for ignoring the obvious means of grace he has so abundantly provided us. People should be calling me and knocking on my door and sending me emails - pastor, can you tell me how to know Christ better? Can you teach me to pray? Can you help me understand this passage of Scripture? Can you suggest a book to read on this topic? Can you meet with me to discuss my spiritual life? Can you come pray with me? On Sunday morning, people should be jumping up during the open mike time, unable to contain themselves, just bursting to tell what God had been teaching them and showing them.
Again, I don’t say any of this to scold or rebuke. I’m not frustrated or angry. On the contrary, I feel greatly blessed to be the pastor of this church. My purpose is not to discourage you, but to plead with you, to stimulate you to seek Christ more diligently and to love Him more deeply. And if my speaking a bit more pointedly than usual can accomplish that, then it will be well worth the risk of giving offense.
Having said all that, let me give you some quick suggestions to help you in seeking Christ:
First, read. [one-year Bible reading plan] [Also, Christian books]
"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me . . . " -- John 5:39 (NIV)
Second, pray. The time of day, length of time, manner are not important. Just do it.
Third, obey. Christ will not reveal Himself to those who disregard His commands.
"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." -- John 14:21 (NIV)
Finally, I’d like to end with a promise. God loves us more than we can imagine, and His desire is for us to know Him personally and intimately.
"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." -- Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NIV)
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." -- Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)
Will you do that this morning? Will you make this your resolution for the coming year?
"I resolve that in the coming year I will seek to know Christ more deeply."
(For an .rtf file of this and other sermons, see www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)
