Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Today is the 3rd Sunday of Advent

As we explore our identity in Christ as Sons & Daughters of God, we understand quickly that things have changed.

We are no longer as we were before.

If we believe that Jesus was born only to bring us salvation, we would (after conversion) move into a period of waiting.

We are waiting for Jesus to return or the end of our days so that we can go to Him.

The waiting can become passive even when we read our Bibles, invite friends to church, and worship in community week after week.

But, when we expand our understanding of why Jesus came, why He was born, we realize there is more going on.

Jesus did indeed come for our salvation [for except by Him, no one can be saved],but He come for so much more than that.

He came to give us abundant life.

- The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Life Abundant.

It is this life that is available to those who believe; those who worship Him in Spirit and Truth.

And this abundant life is available now.

This journey we call life really begins once we enter into the Family of God.

So, how do we prepare for the journey?

I think it begins by understanding who we are in Christ Jesus as we choose to follow after Him.

Prepare for the Journey // Lose Yourself

Paul helps us to understand his journey by telling us who he was before he began...

5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;

4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh.

If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:

5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;

6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh.

If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:

5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;

6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of aknowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and cthe fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as are aperfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;

16 however, let us keep aliving by that same standard to which we have attained.

17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.

although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh.

If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;

6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

Paul knew exactly who he was.

He had a lot to be proud of.

He knows his heritage.

He knows the Law.

Some of us may have a little in common with Paul.

I know who I am.

I was raised in the church.

My parents/grandparents/great grandparents (and so on, and so on).

Or maybe you have memorized verses and verses.

You won the award for most bible verses.

Or you’ve taught SS or VBS.

Everytime the door of the church was open, I’d be inside...

Paul said of his status, education, position — it’s all rubbish.

Trash.

It means nothing in comparison to knowing Jesus.

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of aknowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and cthe fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

ore than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of aknowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and cthe fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

When you prepare for a journey it’s easy to overpack.

I remember Kristen and I went out to Colorado (before we had any of the girls), just the two of us.

We were going to camp in order to save money.

Well you’d have thought we were moving with all the stuff we brought.

Our trunk was full.

The back seat of our car was stuffed to the point you couldn’t see out of the back window.

It was comical.

And come to think about it, some of our visits home to KC from Montana were just as packed.

Over the years we have learned not to overpack.

When you have your suitcase open on the bed and are thinking of what you might need; every conceivable scenario passes before you and you put in what you think you’ll need.

If it rains.

If it’s sunny.

What if it snows, or gets warm.

We want to make sure we are prepared for the journey, but Paul cautions us to leave it all behind.

You see, we need to lose our old selves behind, as we embrace our identity as Sons and Daughters.

It can be frightening to think about losing ourselves.

To imagine letting go of everything that got us this far.

We need to understand that we are letting to in order to grab hold of Jesus.

One of the reasons it is so difficult to let go is because

For those willing to lose themselves there is another obstacle on the journey: We are convinced that we are not worthy to follow Jesus.

Prepare for the Journey // Righteousness

Each of us has a past, a time before we came to know Christ as our Savior, a time before we entered the Family of God.

Whether you were five or fifty or ninety-five when you became a Son or Daughter of God, we remember our past.