To start, I just want to say that I am a fan of Jeremy Lin. Because of Jeremy, he got me interested in watching basketball again. There is nothing wrong being a fan of someone you admire – just don’t make him an idol in your life.
My main point today is about: Are we a FAN or FOLLOWER of Jesus? There is a difference. What it really means to be a Christian? Now that you are born again, what is next? How does God and Bible expect our lives to be different?
In our passage today in Philippians, Paul says in order for him to know Jesus Christ and the power of His Resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering…He is saying “I am a follower of Jesus and not just a fan of Him.
Interestingly, Paul uses this analogy of “Profit & Loss” and “Gain & Lost” to show what following Jesus and living a transformed life is. In other words, we have to renew our minds and re-evaluate our choices in life on what is considered as “Profit & Loss”, so that we can truly follow Christ.
So my message today is not about trying to understand this whole Linsanity Resurrection of Jeremy Lin saving the Knicks franchise and winning fans all over the world.
Today, I want to win your heart to understand this Crazy Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This Crazy Love of God. The God Almighty of this Universe would love this world so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins.
Jesus Christ was CRAZY to come down from his throne in heaven and became a man – but he did! At first, Jesus was winning the crowds by performing all those miracles of healing, feeding, caring. But all of a sudden, the final week, the Holy Week leading to the Cross, in His disciples’ eyes, Jesus was losing.
It seemed, Heaven was being defeated, hell was winning. Jesus cried: “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?.. It is finished!” God was being silent, Satan was shouting victory... “Crucify Him, We won!” And as Jesus died on the Cross, for a moment, all of Christ’s followers were distressed. Some of them went back to their old life business and occupation. They went back to fishing. If there was a “Win & Lost” score board it seemed that Satan has won and God has lost. And most of the followers of Jesus were no longer following Him, but a disappointed fan. But you know what happened next!!!!
BUT ON THE THIRD DAY! (Hallelujah) The stone was rolled out! The tomb was empty! Jesus is no longer dead! Jesus is alive! Jesus has resurrected!
Phil 3:10: That is why Paul passionately said: “I want to know Christ, more and more, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
The Resurrection happened; it was real! Do you believe that? Then you are CRAZY for Jesus! Say I’m Crazy for Jesus!
Paul knew people would think we’re nuts; so he wrote in: 1 Corinthians 15:14 - And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
We have an useless faith with out an empty tomb! Crazy!
1 Corinthians 15:15 - Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.
We are liars if He still lies in the grave! Crazy!
1 Corinthians 15:19 - If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
We are stupid if He’s still a stiff!! We got PUNK’D! Crazy!
If Jesus Christ is just fertilizer for Easter lilies outside of Jerusalem then we are wasting our time, talents and treasures. We are fooling ourselves, lying to others and wasting our lives. The rest of the world should check us in to the nearest mental hospital and rescue us from our deranged selves.
But we are not insane; we’re just CRAZY for Jesus! Because the Bible tells us…
1 Corinthians 15:20 - But now Christ is risen from the dead…..
John 11:25 - “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
And here is a crucial step for all of us to be a Christian…Rom: 10:9-10:
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
This is the reason why you decided to get baptized today, because you have made that confession sometime ago in the past. You were saved on that day or moment when you asked Jesus Christ to come into your heart. You confessed that you were a sinner and you believed that Jesus died on the Cross for your sins. And in that confession, you believed Jesus has resurrected and is the only way to eternal life, so you committed your life to follow Jesus on that day you accepted Jesus. (If you haven’t made this confession, it’s time to make it today)
But now what? What does it mean to follow God and commit our lives to Jesus? The next step for all born again Christians is to transform our “Profit & Loss” Worldly View to a Biblical World View. How Jesus turned our value systems upside down. Jesus often condemns the things that the world commends; what the people thought of as gain, Jesus says is lost.
Matt 16:25: For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
So Paul in Philippians says: “Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.”
Let us have a renewing of our minds of what a Biblical World View considers as a “Profit & Loss” Christian life. What choices in life we make to “Win & Lose” to honor God? What decisions in life that we can “Gain & Lost” which glorify God?
The reason why I need to change my life is “for the sake of Christ”. For the sake means what He did at the Cross and Resurrection. That’s what Paul is saying in verses 7 & 8. “For Christ’s sake” – Everything I thought was gain in life, I have lost all things!
We often use this phrase “For Christ’s sake” in a negative worldly view. For Christ’s sake you can’t do anything right! For Christ sake why can’t you be like your cousin! For Christ’s sake I am right and you are wrong! For Christ’s sake you are such a loser! Some here maybe upset now…Oh for Christ’s sake, how long is this sermon!
But Jesus says, “For My sake…lose your life”
Paul says, For Christ’s sake – Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss.
I want to give us Three Principles of “For Christ’s sake” as born again believers ought be as true followers of Christ.
1. For Christ’s Sake: Gain Relationship with God – Lose Relationship with the world. (Romans 12:1-2) – Romans 12 is a crucial study for every Christian
a. Surrender to God – Love Commandment
• Be transformed by renewing of your mind – love the scriptures
b. Do not conform to the pattern of this world – do not love this world
• Why? 1 John 2:15-17 – craving desires, lust of eyes, pride of life…
• 1 Thess 5:21: But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. (Avoid every form of evil.)
• Second Coming of the Church. By George Barna
A survey was taken comparing the similarity of behavior between born again believers and their non believing neighbors. Stating we have embraced a lifestyle that is not that much different from non-believers.
In other words, Christians are as materialistically worldly as non-believers. We compromised biblical moral standards.
(My German pastor friend: His male student visiting NYC with two females requesting a place to stay. I said, No! – boundary/gender issues…Eph 5:1-10)
2. For Christ’s Sake: Lose Relationship with oneself – Win Relationship with others. (Romans 12:3-13)
a. Humble oneself – sober judgment of yourself (pride is so worldly)
• Think not too low or too high of yourself
• So you can serve the body of the church - we belong to each other
• You are committed to the local church God has called you to serve
• You humble yourself before you can have good relationship w/others
b. Win relationship with others in LOVE
• Love must be sincere (explain meaning of without wax, fake) (12:9)
• Be Devoted to one another with love. Honor one another above YOU
• You are committed to the body of believers because we are reminded: the purpose is we are serving the Lord
• For the Christ’s sake I lose myself and be always humble; and I win others’ affection with Christ’s love
3. For Christ’s Sake: Suffer for God’s Kingdom - Don’t Suffer for Earthly Treasures (Romans 12 :14-21)
a. Suffering for Christ is part of our resurrection life – that’s profit
• “I want the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil 3:10)
• What! Love my enemy and bless those who persecute and curse me! That’s Crazy! A non-believer would think that way, but for us is possible
• What! Don’t take revenge! If my enemy is hungry, feed him! If he is thirsty give him a drink! That’s Crazy! Yes, that’s for Christ’s sake!
b. Suffering for earthly life to gain the American Dream will be a nightmare in hell.
• Jesus said: For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
• George Barna: 35% of born again Christians saying to get ahead in this world, sometimes you have to cut corners.
• Fewer than 10% of American Christians actually possess a Biblical World View
Conclusion: What is a fan? What is a follower of Christ?
(Lin’s knee injury stops playing and I stop watching…I wasn’t a true fan of the Knicks or the game. A true follower doesn’t care who comes and goes)
If we are a fan of anyone or anything (idolize) in this world, we’ll lose everything.
But if we are a follower of Jesus Christ in this world, we will gain everything-life.
