Philippians 3:10-14

Philippians • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Existence has meaning, and in this life, self-surrender has a goal. It's easy to get stuck in a rut in ministry – same place –same thing – same responsibility. But settling into a rut is dangerous. As Will Rogers used to say, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there!"

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Existence has meaning, and in this life, self-surrender has a goal.

It's easy to get stuck in a rut in ministry – same place –same thing – same responsibility.

But settling into a rut is dangerous. As Will Rogers used to say, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there!"

What does it take to get you moving from a rut?

There are three common motivators:

PAIN:

Often it's not “seeing the light” that gets us going, but “feeling the heat.” You delay the dentist appointment until the pain is unbearable.

PRESSURE:

When the doctor says "Lose 50 pounds or die," or the boss says "Improve performance or be fired," that pressure will motivate you to make a change. The problem with pressure as a motivator is that it doesn't last. When the pressure subsides, so does your motivation. There is a better motivator.

PERSPECTIVE:

When you see the big picture, or when you're inspired by a challenging vision or purpose, you've found the best motivator of all – perspective. You realize that you’re wasting your potential.

The Bible says, "If you wait for perfect conditions, you'll never get anything done." (Ecclesiastes 11:4, LB)

FOUR STEPS FOR GETTING OUT OF THE RUT

1. ASSUME YOUR responsibility for change.

Refuse to be either an excuser (rationalize failure) or an accuser (blame others). Instead, be a chooser, and choose to break out of the rut you're in.

2. BELIEVE you can change!

Stop saying "I can't" and start saying "I can."

3. CLARIFY what you really want.

Write down specifically how you'd like to change.

4. DON'T WAIT for ideal circumstances.

Stop saying "When things settle down ....” Do it now! "One of these days" is really none of these days.

The Church US are here for primarily 5 or six things:

Prayer together, preaching which is part of worshipping together, disciple one another, fellowship together, minister together, evangelism for others.

Have you ever thought of it that way? TOGETHER and OTHERS. Its about relationships: To GOD and that relationship influencing our relationships with OTHERS

I want you to leave this place and travel with me to a dream – A place where people from all walks of life, with all kinds of backgrounds, and experiences, gather together. They come together, not because they have nothing else to do or because it’s the thing to do on a Sunday, because they have found a place where love is given freely and expressed openly because others are there that understand that they are worthy of being loved. Love is simply given to one another without conditions because these people have been so loved by Jesus Christ first and His love guides and motivates them to love others as He did – to lay down their lives for the sake of others.

THIS IS FELLOWSHIP

The congregation comes together because they have found a place where a godly love exists, but also because it is a place where God is lifted up by the worship and He is there receiving it with pleasure. He is speaking to hearts through the teaching of His Word and He is at work molding those hearts because He is personally involved in each person’s life. He expresses the beauty of His creative heart in every drama, video and expression. And He rejoices over every personal story that He hears every time we are together because these stories come from His children – His pride and joy.

OH!, And when this group of people joins together to pray to Him, they don’t just go through the mindless motions only to get it over with and move on to the more exciting things of the day. No, they understand that they are engaging in conversation with the living God. The one who knit them together in their mother’s body. The one who knows their every thought and has an up to date count of the number of hairs on their heads. The one who created and continues to put into motion the inner workings of this vast universe that we live within. These people understand that they have been given the honor, privilege and the wonderful gift of talking with and listening to the most powerful and awesome being in the entire universe. He cares for them intimately and deeply. He hears their prayers and answers them. He moves mountains to accomplish great things for His children. And He loves to work miracles for His family and will do it whenever they seek Him in prayer and faith, believing Him for great things.

THIS IS WORSHIP

Every week these people can’t wait to get together to see what God will do!– to witness miraculous life-change in PEOPLES LIVES and to enter into the mystery of God’s transforming power themselves. They can’t wait because they have already witnessed this personally last week and the week before and the week before.

These people are also eager to get together because God has been at work in their lives all week long, transforming their hearts and minds and touching their relationships with His power and love. His Spirit has showing them the areas of their life that they must surrender. And they do surrender. They give those things up because they’ve come to know for a fact that on the other side of that surrender is life, joy and peace – a freedom that sets their hearts on fire and their spirits in motion toward the things of God.

THIS IS DISCIPLESHIP

And, as the Spirit of God has actively been changing their lives, they have experienced Him change their friends’ lives as well. They’ve been the tool that the Holy Spirit has used. They simply gave the love He gave them to their friends. They displayed His power in their actions. And they demonstrated His wisdom in their thoughts and motives.

THIS IS EVANGELISM

And now they can’t wait to show up to this place to tell their brothers and sisters what God has done through them and in the lives of their friends this past week. Some of them even have the witness of their friends joining them for the first time in this place as living testimonies of God’s work through them.

THIS IS MINISTRY

These people don’t just get together in this place. They are scattered throughout the week. The Holy Spirit is leading them to care deeply for one another. He loves to speak truth into their lives through His Word and through the people who are gathered together. And more and more people are joining these groups weekly because they’ve heard that life together with God is being experienced in those places and they just refuse to miss out on this.

Our verses today are Paul applying and comparing his former success, reorientation since the road to Damascus and his strategy and goal for Life in Christ.

THE KEY VERSE IS FOUND IN In verse 12 hes says “I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”

Read it with me in you Bible or on you electronic device.

NIV- Php 3:10–14.

10 I want to know Christ (NOT JUST LEARN ABOUT BUT KNOW THROUGH DIRECT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN CONTINUITY OF RELATIONSHIP It is personal, intimate knowledge gained by personal experience, which is gained by being in union with him, It is explained by the two following phrases) and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings (It refers to the spiritual experience of dying to Paul’s old life. Since knowing the power of Christ’s resurrection is an inward experience, this closely related phrase must also refer to an inward experience)

, becoming like him in his death,

11 and so, somehow, to attain (ARRIVE AT OR PARTAKE OF) to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect (MATURE, COMPETE), but I press on (CONTINUALLY PURSUE WITH DELIBERATE SPEED) to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

(Paul urgently wants to “grab hold of” God as God had laid hold of him (Acts 9:1–22). Christ had dramatically and suddenly seized Paul on the road to Damascus, and his life was never the same after that.)

13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting (choosing to not let it affect me in the present) what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Why are lives not being changed today? Why are believers scattered? Many are in a rut. We have forgotten our purpose we have left our first love.

We forget that out Existence has meaning, and in this life, self-surrender has a goal.

It's easy to get stuck in a rut in life and as a church in ministry – same place –same thing – same responsibility.

Rick Warren identified four common reasons that people don’t come to church..

And notice that none of them are theological. This is what “They SAY”

1. “Church is boring. The messages/songs/lessons don’t relate to my life. Why should I go? I don’t understand it and it doesn’t really help me.”

Worship services/ Sunday school/ Bible Study does not have to be boring to be biblical, and they doesn’t have to be dry to be doctrinal. This is an extremely important distinction: The unchurched aren’t asking for watered-down messages -- just practical ones! They want to hear something on the weekend that they can apply to their lives immediately. CONVERSELY people see watered down lives that are not clearly living for Christ.

THIS IS A WORSHIP ISSUE and a DISCIPLESHIP ISSUE.

Purposes of Sunday school. Reach, Teach, Lead, Care, Connect

2. “Church people are unfriendly to visitors. It feels like a 'clique.' If I ever went to church, I’d want to feel welcomed without being watched or embarrassed.”

To many people, they feel like church is a “members only” organization. They don't know the “inside” terminology, songs or rituals; they feel foolish and feel church members are watching them in judgment.

The number one emotion unbelievers feel when they visit a worship service is fear! They are honestly scared to death of what might happen. And that means they raise their defenses, so communicating with them becomes very difficult.

THIS IS A FELLOWSHIP ISSUE.

3. “Christians are some of the meanest people that I work with, gossips, and back biters why would I want spend time with them on Sundays?”

I will give that one some credit. Some church people are some of the meanest people that I have met as well. BUT I do not let mean people dictate where I am going to eat or worship. We need to lovingly encourage true Christian attitudes and actions beyond the church walls. Squash backbiting and gossip and deal with impure motives emanating from the face in the mirror before working on other people.

THIS IS AN EVANGELISM ISSUE. WHY? If you are continually mean spirited and mean acting are you presenting the fruit of spirit?

4. “We worry about the quality of the church’s childcare. What will be done with our baby and our children? We’re not sure we can trust strangers with the care of our kids.”

We’d rather go overboard on safety than be thrown overboard with a lawsuit. If we want to reach young families, we must spend the effort to create a safe and attractive children’s and youth ministries. Including upkeep and attractive facilities but more than that meaningful and loving relationships. If you have ever served in youth or Childrens min its cross cultural.

THIS IS A MINISTRY ISSUE.

Some people after hearing something like this in a sermon like this tend to think so what. What are you wanting me to do with this. What difference does this sermon make in my life.

If you are even somewhat of a mature Christian it should impel you to get intentional and purposeful in your WORSHIP, DISCIPLESHIP, FELLOWSHIP MINISTRY AND EVANGELISM.

This IS PART of the THAT mentioned in Phil 3:12

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect (MATURE, COMPETE), but I press on (CONTINUALLY PURSUE WITH DELIBERATE SPEED) to take hold of THAT for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Jesus saved you from Sin and also Saved you to Serve.

This simple reminder should drive you to a greater desire to experience heartfelt, transformational, life-changing worship and in-turn make you such a witness that people start accusing you of being radical in your MATHETES walk rather than just a closer walk.

MIA IS A FRIEND OF MINE HER DAD IS A COACH AND WE SPEND TIME TOGETHER AT GAMES. WE PASS THE TIME TELLING JOKES TO ONE ANOTHER:

THERE ARE THREE FROGS SITTING ON A LOG AND ONE DECIDES TO JUMP OFF….HOW MANY ARE LEFT?

TWO? NO…. THERE ARE STILL THREE BECAUSE THE FROG HAD DECIDED BUT NOT ACTED ON IT YET

Of all of the 4 reasons I gave you about why people don’t come to church and to Christ. I left off the overwhelming number one reason. This reason alone surpasses all of the others put together.

Christians…. WHO HAVE DECIDED BUT NOT ACTED.

Phil 3:12 is a hinge verse Recognize Who and Where You are

Verse 12 is one of those hinge verses in Paul’s thought to which we need to return and ponder often. It comes in the text with striking abruptness. The apostle has passionately set before us what really matters, the guiding purpose of his life and that of all Christians. The commanding motive of knowing Christ and all that means has led to his scathing renunciation of everything less worthy. His word now is an explosive disclaimer: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected.”

It is obvious that Paul does not want his readers to misunderstand what he has just said, for of all people, Paul was aware of how far below the possible glory God had in store for all Christians he was. There was perhaps another equally important reason for this disclaimer. There were among his readers those who maintained that they themselves had arrived at perfection. NONE OF US HAS ARRIVED.

The Christian life is a journey, a process of growth in which we seek to “lay hold” of the fullness of that which has been given us, “that for which I was also laid hold of by Christ.” We are Christians; we must now become what we are. We have been saved; now we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

We are caught in tension. The demand is that we live in the now as those who have “died with Christ” to sin, yet are still sinners. We have been reckoned by God as righteous and He has accepted us by our faith in Christ. Yet we are in fact unrighteous and any claim we make to righteousness is “as filthy rags.” That is the tension. But it is creative tension. We are not caught in impersonal forces to which we are victims. We are drawn by the powerful impulsion of a personal relationship with Christ. He has already made us His own. The impulsion of this love makes it necessary for us to be—and to become—what we are: new persons in Christ.

Every day, then, we begin where we are—claiming boldly and confidently that Christ has made us new, but confessing that we have not become in fullness what Christ wants us to be.

Leave the Past Behind - Past got us here. Honor it and look forward.

Acknowledging who and where we are is necessary at every step along the way to the prize of the high calling. Likewise, every day we must leave the past behind.

From the time of saying yes to the call, he was certain that existence had meaning, and this life, in self-surrender, had a goal. He concluded that witness by saying, “From that moment I have known what it means ‘not to look back,’ and ‘to have no thought for the morrow.’”

Have a Goal

To take no thought of tomorrow does not mean that we have no aims in life, no goals toward which we are moving. It means that the focus of life is in the here and now, and our energy is expended in living to the fullest the life Christ gives us today. A part of that energy for present investment comes from the divine purpose of our life. So Paul says “I reach forward… I press toward the goal.”

None of us know the future. Things change too fast today. Speed is almost as important as wisdom.

OT EXAMPLE

1Sa 14:6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few. ”

1Sa 14:7 “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

Our Ministries exist to reach people for Christ and this church, to connect them with other Christians, so that we can help them develop in their faith, and to challenge the growing people to discover their ministry and Honor God with their life.

In short, our ministry is our best effort at reaching, connecting, developing, challenging, and launching people to Honor God with their life!

Whether is Sunday school, Women’s group, Mens group, choir, FBC Kid, Camp, VBS, or whatever acronym we call it. It is a HUGE RESPONSIBLITY that GOD has honored us with as stewards! It is a huge responsibility that is shared by each of us that Love God and Love People!! God doesnt need our help but has invited us in to HIS WORK. We need your help with working it out effectively.

Our Basic Rational of Ministry:

1. People are important to God and deserve our best efforts to extend the Gospel to them.

2. The story and claims of Jesus must be presented in a way that is relevant to the culture in which our people live in a way that they understand.

3. Reaching people (Evangelism) is a process and is best accomplished within the context of relationships.

4. There are various levels of spiritual interest and Christian commitment and we must exegete both the culture and the Bible

5. Effective ministry is done through the development of real relationships between believers and non churched. Including both “youth to youth” and “Adult to youth” relationships.

6. Ministry done with excellence reflects God and attracts people.

7. Ministry should be built on the team principle not the gifts of one individual.

9. Every person, once they become a Christian, is capable of and should be involved in the work of building God's kingdom.

THIS IS MY SEMI EDUCATED IDEAL FOR MINISTRY

Broad in scope and allows freedom in implentation.

During study and practice OF MINISTRY I have come to understand that there are four areas - or phases - of discipleship discovered in the Bible through the life of Christ. It seems that Jesus was intentional about taking everyone He met and moving them further along “a continual journey” toward maturity in Him. …a life-long journey toward maturity.

Spiritual growth is a process. Each believer progresses at a different pace.

You move from Culture- crowd- connected- congregation- core

Goals are: CONNECT REACH DEVELOP GROW. HONOR/ W

Culture- They are committed to living 5k in center, 26000 in Shelby County.

Crowd - committed to coming to a special event, a large group something. Easter Connected- come regularly and would say I go to church there. Saved.

Congregation - not just formal membership they participate, serve, minister etc

Core- leaders of others. Not just decision makers but are growing, influencing, ministering and multiplying themselves in others

A. Paul Wanted to Know the Lord Personally

Paul doesn’t say, “That I might know about Him,” but, “That I may know him” intimately. (Philippians 3:10) How sad it will be at the Rapture for you to meet a Christ that you may recognize but do not know personally! When the Rapture comes, I want to meet someone face to face that I know heart to heart. Paul wanted to know Jesus personally.

You know, there is a great danger—and it’s the danger of orthodoxy without the Holy Spirit; that is, to be taught by the Bible and yet not taught by the Spirit. You can know all of the facts about Jesus without knowing Jesus. The Apostle Paul said, “That I may know him.” “Well,” I say, “Paul, didn’t you know Him? Weren’t you saved when you wrote this?” Oh, Paul knew Him; but what Paul meant was, “I want to know more and more and more about Jesus.”

B. Paul Wanted to Know the Lord Powerfully

Not only did the Apostle Paul want to know the Lord Jesus personally, but he wanted to know the Lord Jesus powerfully. Paul said, “I want to live with the power in my life that raised Jesus from the dead. I want power over sin. I want power over Satan. I want power over circumstances. I want power over self itself. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead,” the Apostle Paul said, “I want to be rescuing me from the deadliness of the old life. I want every day in my life to be an Easter. I want to know the power of His resurrection.”

C. Paul Wanted to Know the Lord Passionately

But not only did Paul want to know Him personally, and powerfully; he wanted to know Him passionately. I want you to look again at this passage of Scripture where he says, “And I want to know the fellowship of His sufferings, the koinonia; I want to share the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:10)

Have you ever prayed a prayer like that? Have you ever dared pray a prayer like that? Or does it mean anything to you that Jesus still suffers? You say, “How can Jesus suffer?” In acts Jesus said to Saul, who later became the Apostle Paul, “Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4) Now Jesus was already in heaven, but He is still being persecuted. You see, He’s the head, and we’re the Body. Can the body suffer without the head feeling it and knowing it?

When the body suffers, the head suffers. And Jesus is still suffering today. And I would to God that I could know Him so intimately that the things that break His heart would still break my heart; and that I could weep for Jesus and with Jesus; and that my heart would be a broken, compassionate, suffering heart for a lost humanity and for a bruised and battered world, and a church. We need to know the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Apostle Paul said, “This is my desire; this is my goal; this is my ambition: I want to know Him personally; I want to know Him powerfully; I want to know Him passionately. I want to know the power of His resurrection. I want to know the fellowship of His sufferings.”

Is that your desire? If it is—and I hope it will be—if it is, let me show you how to achieve that desire tonight. Let me show you what the Apostle Paul did. And I want to mention three things that I would to God that every one of us would do.

I dream of a place – a family – where the miraculous work of God in people’ lives and the evidence of His power on a day to day basis are no longer the exception but the expectation of the people who gather. They have come to know personally that the God of the universe is not only their God, but also their Father. And His love for them is so great that He gave His only Son so that they might know life abundant and life eternal. They don’t just know about Him, they know Him personally and they are devoted whole-heartedly to following Him all of their lives and loving Him with all that they are. This is a place where God is. This is a place where His family gathers. This is a place where lives are forever changed. And this is a place where He is exalted and glorified because of His great power and love that He is willing to display every week they gather, every day they live and every moment they experience.

There is only one glitch in this dream. It will never move from dream to reality unless we commit ourselves to fully devote our lives to Jesus Christ personally.

We must move from I have decided to I have invested.

From sitting in the premises but not standing on the promises.

That is why Jesus commissions all of us to be a part of this dream. Some of us here today are eager to commit ourselves to the realization of this dream. Others are still wondering what this will require. There are some of you here today who are not yet connected to God in a personal relationship. We are glad that all of you are here and we hope that eventually all of you will join us in accomplishing this dream – this vision.

May of 2002 the I40 bridge (600ft) collapsed over the Arkansas river of Webbers Falls. A fisherman fishing a tourney Saw it as the barge collapsed the Bridge piling. I were actually heading toward the bridge at about 70 mph and got within 600 or 700 yards, and for some reason, my vision focused on the bridge for just a second and it just collapsed, you know. A big wall of water, and it looked like smoke -- I'm sure it was dust -- and everything.

I kept seeing these big splashes at the foot of the bridge and just did not realize what it was until I saw a semi go over, and it was just one car after another just hitting the end of the bridge at 70 mph. Nobody could see that the bridge was gone. That went on for almost five minutes, just one car after another.

We waved shouted and yelled with cars not seeing the void. ”Somebody stop the cars! Somebody stop them!"

Kirk Washburn and Alton Wilhoit -- had enough foresight to pull out a flare gun and shoot at one of the semis headed toward the drop-off.

It looked like he bounced it off the windshield, and that truck locked up and stopped with its front wheels hanging over the bridge. Then he slammed it in reverse and blocked the remaining road.

People can’t see as clearly today.

Headed toward damaged lives. Death, Spiritual death is coming.

We see the collapse, We experience the carnage and debris.

Have we warned? Used every tool that we can to get the message across?

Theology the study of God - KNOW

Doxology an expression of praise to god - EXRESS

Theo should lead to DOX. KNOWING LEADS TO EXPRESSION

Theo without Dox misses the point KNOWING WITHOUT EXPRESSION

Dox without Theo become idolotry or heresy. EXPRESSION WITHOUT KNOWING

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