Philippians 3:4b-14
“The Greatest Journey Imaginable”
By: Kenneth Emerson Sauer
Pastor of Parkview United Methodist Church
Newport News, VA
www.parkview-umc.org
In yesterday’s newspaper there was a telling story about the power of Christ—to bring Light into a life of darkness—and to turn that darkness into light.
Dan Randall Leach of Rosenberg, Texas had been dating a young lady for several months.
For whatever reason, Mr. Leach strangled his girlfriend—then made it look as if the young lady had committed suicide.
And the medical examiner bought it.
Leach, was, in a sense, home free.
But the hell he must have been going through on the inside…well, only he knows about that.
Earlier this month, nearly two months after the body was found, Leach went to see the movie: “The Passion of the Christ”.
The following Sunday, Leach went to church, announced that he needed to confess a crime and drove himself to the sheriff’s office.
Leach has now been charged with first-degree murder and will most likely spend the rest of his life in jail.
But at least he will have peace with God.
At least he will no longer have to live the rest of his life with the horrible guilt of getting away with murder.
At least he has been forgiven.
He can look forward to a new life, and an eternal reward from our Father in Heaven.
I must admit that when I read this story I felt a real degree of respect for this 21 year old man—who could have gone the rest of his life having gotten away with this murder—but was convicted by God and acted on that conviction by repenting and turning himself in to authorities.
It reminded me a bit of Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector who went to the temple to pray.
And the tax collector, who “stood at a distance”… “would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God have mercy on me, a sinner.’”
That man is the one who went home justified before God.
Dan Randall Leach will spend the rest of his life in prison—he committed a most horrible crime—a young woman lost her life—nothing can change that.
But he is a man who has been justified before God.
Looking at our Epistle Lesson for this morning we see another man who has been justified before God.
We also see another man, who, most likely had been a murderer—the persecutor of the Christian Church who gave his approval as Stephen was being stoned to death for his faith.
We also see another man who was in prison because of the Truth of Christ.
The great apostle Paul, was not in prison for having executed Christians; he was in prison for having—after his conversion—preached Christ Crucified and Risen to a world that didn’t want to hear anything about that.
But even though Paul is now in prison for preaching Christ—he would not have it any other way!
Chains made by human hands can do nothing to take away the freedom he has found in his personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!
And the value of this freedom far surpasses anything else this world has to offer Paul.
Starting at verse 7 of Philippians chapter 3 Paul writes from prison:
“…whatever was 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…”
How many of us can say the same thing this morning?
Paul listed the credentials that, in the past, gave him status in Jewish circles and had previously been his basis for self-confidence.
He now calls all those things “rubbish”…mere worthless garbage!
What credentials do we hold up as the things that give us status and self-confidence?
What do we wave in the air for all the world to see?
Is it our race?
Do we have a financial status which makes us feel superior to others and thus gives us a feeling of self-worth?
Maybe it’s our political beliefs, or our ability to outwit others in arguments and debates.
What is it?
Well, whatever it may be…if it is not “that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”… it is merely garbage…worthless “rubbish”!
The apostle Paul was on the greatest journey imaginable…yet it was a journey that he experienced while he sat behind bars or as his life was being threatened.
And this greatest of journey’s is a continuous experience with Christ.
It’s not a matter of making a decision to follow Christ, and then turning and walking on as you have always walked.
It’s making a decision to follow Christ and continually seek after the knowledge of Him—continuing to seek to know Him more and more.
Paul had a continuous experience with Christ.
Do we?
Paul constantly considered all things as a loss and waste in order to “gain Christ and be found in him.”
The word “consider” is in the present tense; it’s a continuous action.
When we have made the decision to seek after Christ, we are to continue to seek after the knowledge of Christ—to learn all we can about the righteousness and perfection of Jesus Christ.
This goes right to the heart of the argument for the word “must” to be put in front of a certain number of things.
In order to continue to seek after Christ we “must” put away the old and put on the new.
We cannot continue in our old ways of thinking and living and relating to others around us and discover the riches of new life in Christ at the same time.
On what do we ground our self-esteem?
What old attitudes and traits continue to plague our relationships and witness?
How can these things be changed?
In order to be partakers of the greatest journey imaginable we “must” awake each morning recommitting our lives to the One Who has purchased us at such a great price.
We “must” develop the discipline of regular personal and corporate Bible study.
We “must” find our fellowship and friendships among other Christians who are pursuing the same goals.
We “must” be active in our local church—allowing God to use the gifts and graces He has bestowed upon each of us for the building of His kingdom.
If we bury our talents in the ground…they will be useless and so will we.
We “must” come to worship as the Body of Christ…not just when it is convenient…
…not just when we feel like it…
…not just every other Sunday…
…or once a month or once a year…
…but every single week!
“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 the resurrection from the dead.”
To know Christ is to know the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings.
What in the world does that mean?
Paul said that he wanted to know the “fellowship” of the Lord’s sufferings.
That is, he wanted to share in the purpose for which Christ was suffering.
He wanted to take on the ministry—to be in fellowship—to be a partner in Christ’s ministry—which is what caused Christ to suffer.
In the movie, The Passion of the Christ, Satan is tempting Jesus not to go through the arrest, trial and crucifixion.
“They aren’t worth it. They aren’t worth saving,” Satan tells Jesus.
At that, Jesus rebukes Satan by crushing the head of the Serpent.
Jesus suffered for us!
Jesus suffered in order to save us.
There are still so many who do not know the love of God which comes through a personal relationship with Christ.
Paul suffered because he took upon himself the ministry of Christ…
…making disciples of all nations…
…at all cost.
Have we taken on the ministry of Christ?
Do we want to share in the purpose for which Christ was suffering?
That is part of the greatest journey imaginable!
Let’s take another look at verses 12 on:
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
We too, have been called heavenward in Christ Jesus.
And once we take a hold of that calling, accept that calling, our lives are never the same again.
We start to take on the aroma of Christ…
…His love for all people…
…His willingness to go all the way to the death for the sake of others.
We begin the greatest journey, but remember that as it was with Paul, it is for us---a journey.
We are to forget our past mistakes and move forward.
We are to be conformed to the image of Christ…it is the great goal that we are to press on toward.
And considering everything else in this life: material comfort, wealth, selfish ambitions, sinful desires, power, fame, reputation as loss “for the sake of Christ” is the means by which we press on.
When Christ saved Paul, that was just the beginning—not the end.
When Christ saved those of us who are saved, that was just the beginning—not the end.
We who have been saved have been saved to live for Christ and to serve Christ as long as we remain on this earth—considering everything else to be “rubbish”.
We are to attune our entire ‘being’ to gaining the prize through being made like Jesus in self-giving love and service.
And those of us who adopt this mindset no longer need to build ourselves up—by tearing other people down.
We do not need to use our deeds of service as a way to receive recognition and influence.
Instead, we take on a shared vision, one that calls each of us into relationship with the One Who gave Himself for others and sought only God’s approval.
Let us pray: Almighty God, we thank You for the great privilege of being people called ‘heavenward in Christ Jesus’. May we focus solely upon this Your great purpose for our lives. Enable us to put away those things that hinder the journey and to take on those things that conform us into your image. In Jesus’ name and for His sake we pray. Amen.
