Praying with Paul: Proper Perspective
Praying with Paul • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 6 viewsNotes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Intro:
7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.
Tonight, we will continue [Praying with Paul]. The title of my message is, [Proper Perspective].
Paul lived a full life. He lived through what very few people have experienced. As we study his prayer life we find that he was rooted in grounded in Christ.
I always find his conversion fascinating. Within a few minutes, everything changed for him. He went from being the Christian’s worst nightmare to Christianity’s biggest advocate.
His conversion reminds me of my father. Dad was not a large hater of Christians. But from his background, there was little hope of him getting saved.
Neither side of his family went to church. He was sent on a bus for a while as a child, but his family was far from Godly. It was by happenstance that his best friend was a backslidden Pentecostal Holiness missionary’s son.
Through a series of events, he ended up at a small Full Gospel church in Oklahoma City where the Lord dramatically changed his life.
Whenever someone comes to know Christ, the change in their life should be dramatic. Whether it be a bright light on the road to Damascus, in a small church in Oklahoma City, or in our homes in South Iron Country, whenever someone comes to Christ, everything should change.
Salvation gives us the proper perspective on what is important.
When we find Jesus as a personal Savior, everything should change. I emphasize SHOULD. Many claim Christ but they have not witnessed the change that He wants to bring.
As Paul wrote to the Philippians, he shared what God was doing in his life. God helped him see what He wanted him to see. He gave him clarity and the proper perspective.
I too pray that God will give us the proper perspective on what He has for us.
I have three points, [Proper Perspective on our Past], [Proper Perspective on our Present], and [Proper Perspective on our Future].
Let’s begin
1. Proper Perspective on our Past
1. Proper Perspective on our Past
4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:
5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
One of the problems the Early Church leaders faced was how to deal with Judaizers. The Judaizers were arrogant people who taught Christians that they had to keep the Law to maintain their salvation.
Paul, amongst other leaders, taught against this lie. They continued to explain that salvation comes through grace alone.
The legalistic Judaizers sought to minimize Paul by putting him down. They painted the picture he was not as spiritual as they were and could not fully understand the Jewish law and its importance.
Paul let’s them know, on paper, he should be all in on the idea of keeping the Old Testament Law. Paul was born and raised Jewish through and through:
He had been in the temple on the eight day
He was of the tribe of Benjamin
He was a Pharisee
He was the strictest follower of the Law
That was his life, but everything changed. He counted everything about himself as NOTHING when he compared it to what Jesus did for him.
Elsewhere he explained.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
God used Paul’s past to prepare him for his assignment. Likewise, God uses where we come from, our background, our upbringing, and our personality, but all of that is secondary to who He is and what He has for us.
God uses our past, but He does not want us to live in our past.
Everything we’ve been through up until now has prepared us for what God now.
Therefore, whether our past is good or bad, we need to keep it in proper perspective. All of that is loss compared to Christ.
2. Proper Perspective on our Present
2. Proper Perspective on our Present
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Paul let the reader know of his past, but then he turned attention to what happened in the present. He explained that he counts ALL THINGS as loss .
That is a big statement when we consider how God used Paul. Though he had excellent credentials, after his conversion, he was in exile for a while.
The Jews wanted to kill him and most Christians did not trust him. That had to have been humbling for him.
But, when he began preaching and reaching people for Jesus, he was successful. God used him to reach entire cities, regions, and even continents.
Many might have faced the temptation to become arrogant and self-sufficient. They could have started to boast about their success and all THEY did for God.
But Paul knew better, he looked at everything he did and counted it as nothing when he compared it to the knowledge of Christ.
What is the knowledge of Christ?
It is more than intellectual knowledge, it also has a spiritual component. Paul KNEW all that Jesus did in and through him. He also knew that without Jesus, he was NOTHING.
He lived according to Jesus’s instruction:
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Though he had outward success, he had the proper perspective. Everything he had was because of Jesus.
Everything we have is because of Jesus. Without Him we have nothing and we are nothing.
We must always put Jesus first. Knowing Him is what is most important.
3. Proper Perspective on our Future
3. Proper Perspective on our Future
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Though Paul had a proper perspective on his present, he still suffered in the present. Why did he suffer? Because of his commitment to God’s plan for His life.
How did Paul endure the suffering? He knew God was ultimately in control of his life. He explained it this way to Timothy:
12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
Paul placed his suffering in proper perspective— suffering will not last forever. Therefore, he kept believing God to work all things together for his good.
Sometimes people place themselves at a disadvantage thinking life will always go great. Truth be told, life often has suffering involved.
What is our help in suffering?
We can talk to God and He will keep what we’ve committed to Him. Meaning, He hears every prayer, He sees every tear, and He also knows what will come after the suffering!
Regardless of what we face, God knows what He has for us and He will take care of us.
When we face a hard season in life, the enemy will come and cause us to think that God has forgotten and does not care about us.
It is vital that we have a proper perspective, keeping our focus on Jesus.
Close:
Life with Jesus is better than anything else, but that does not mean life with Jesus is always easy. Therefore, it is important we keep a proper perspective.
How do we do this?
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
When we keep Jesus at the center of all we do, He will become our proper perspective.
On the past, Jesus helps us see how He lead us through our good and bad times.
In the present, Jesus helps us see how He is better than anything and everything else
In the future, Jesus keeps us focused and will keep us until He comes
Jesus is our proper perspective in the journey of life.
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
When we keep Jesus at the center, we will have the proper perspective.
ADVERTISEMENT