Christ Our Goal
Reading - Philippians 3: 1-14
Introduction:
When a little boy fell out of bed and his mother asked him how it happened, he replied, “I stayed too near where I got in.” For many Christians they conduct their lives in the same way. They become satisfied that their sins are forgiven and they become satisfied that there is a place for them in heaven. In other words, they stay near “where they got in” and as a result they experience spiritual boredom and ineffective lives.
Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles could never be accused of settling for where he got in. His life was revolutionized through getting to know Christ. Paul believed that the greatest thing that ever happened to him was getting to know Jesus Christ. He said to the Philippian believers, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (v.8).
Knowledge is a tremendous asset to have. Without knowledge we wouldn’t be able to accomplish much. But too much knowledge can be a dangerous thing, especially if our knowledge is grounded in the wrong areas.
Illustration:
A young university graduate crossed a large river on a barge. An elderly, worn, gentleman was driving the barge. The university student asked the old man three questions: 1) “Do you know anything about physics?” “Nope”, replied the old man.
“Then 1/3 of your life has been wasted!” 2) “Do you know anything about philosophy?”
“Nope”, replied the old man. “Then another 1/3 of your life has been wasted!” 3) “Do you know anything about social sciences?” “Nope”, replied the old man. “Then another 1/3 of your life has been wasted!” Suddenly, the barge hit a large object, took on water rapidly, and overturned. Both men were thrown into the water. The old man cried out to the young student, “Do you know anything about swimming?” The young man replied “No.” “Then your whole life is wasted!” replied the old man.
We may have a tremendous amount of knowledge, but without a knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are nothing (cf: John 20:31).
If anyone knew what he was talking about, it was Paul. He had tremendous credentials (vv.4-6). He had a background which pointed to him being the “cream of the crop” in the Jewish world. He had everything a Jew could wish for, but on the road to Damascus Paul found something far better – Jesus Christ.
When Paul came to know Jesus Christ, he received:
1) A New Perspective – “..he counted all things but loss..” (Phil. 3:8)
Although Paul had a great reputation, a tremendous Jewish heritage and high religious achievements he counted “all things but loss” (v.8). He measured all these things against what Jesus Christ had to offer and considered them to be “rubbish”. All of his achievements were actually a hindrance to gaining a knowledge of Jesus Christ. Some would have thought Paul to be a fool but someone else once said, “He is no fool to give up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose”. Paul lost his religion and reputation, but he gained far more than he lost. His life was now governed by eternal values instead of temporal values.
2) A New Position - “..and be found in him..” (Phil. 3:9; cf: 2 Cor. 5:17))
Paul’s knowledge of Jesus Christ was an intimate knowledge. To be in Christ, united to him, was his goal. Paul’s desire was that others might recognize that he belonged to Christ. That’s why in most of his letters he wrote that he was a “bond-slave” of Jesus Christ.
3) A New Possession – “..the righteousness which is of God” (Phil. 3:9)
Paul received a right standing before God. He no longer stood in his own righteousness.
For Paul, the greatest thing that ever happened to him was coming to know Christ (Phil. 3:7). But, the greatest thing that is going to happen to him during his lifetime is getting
to know Christ better (Phil. 3:10). Paul did not “stay where he got in”. His desire was to know more.
4) A New Passion – “..that I might know him..” (Phil. 3:10)
This is Paul’s crescendo. This is Paul’s ultimate desire. This is Paul’s supreme goal, to know Christ personally and intimately.
Q. How do we gain a better knowledge of Jesus Christ? How doe we get to know someone better?
A) TIME
To get to know someone really well takes time.
Illustration:
A marriage can only develop and mature as the partners take time to get to know each other. I know John Horton as one of our elders and others of you know John as well. But there is someone here in our midst who knows John better than all of us put together – Joanne Horton!!! Why? Because she has spent more time with John than anyone else and therefore knows him better than us. A person who spends more time with another person will know that person better than anyone else.
Do you want to know Jesus Christ better than you do now? Then you need to spend more time with him. Our relationship with Jesus Christ requires an investment of time. How much time have we spent with Jesus Christ this week? Time is a precious commodity and also time is limited. How do we spend our time? Consider this poem,
When as a child
I laughed and wept –
Time crept!
When as a youth
I dreamed and talked –
Time walked!
When I became
A full grown man –
Time ran!
Then, as with the years
I older grew –
Time flew!
Soon I shall find
As I travel on –
Time gone!
Someone has estimated that in an average lifetime, we spend about 26 years sleeping. We spend 17 years eating. We spend 18 years talking (I love telling my mother-in-law this one!). We spend 12 years in recreational activities. But we only spend about 6 months with God.
Time is precious but also fleeting. How should we spend our time with Him?
(A) Through the Word of God. This helps us to know him historically and theologically.
(B) Through acts of obedience and faith. This helps us to know him experientially.
All of this requires discipline and determination. Our knowledge of Christ comes through our experience of Christ. We must not confuse knowledge of the Bible with knowing Christ personally. Although we can learn about Christ from the Bible, unless we translate that knowledge into our daily lives experientially, then we fail to grasp an adequate understanding of Christ.
B) TALK
Another area for getting to know someone better is communication.
Illustration:
If we continue with the illustration of marriage, it is generally agreed that when a marriage goes wrong one of the leading causes is the breakdown of communication. In fact, in a rocky marriage two things can happen with communication: there is either silence or shouting. Both are a breakdown in clear and proper communication. This reminds me of a humorous story. A woman went to her Pastor for marital counseling and declared that her husband wanted a divorce. The Pastor asked her, “Do you have any grounds?” She replied, “Why, yes, we do. About ten acres.” “No”, replied the Pastor, “I mean, do you have a grudge?” She said, “Oh no, we just have a little carport.” “No, no”, he said in exasperation, “Does your husband beat you up?” “Oh no”, she replied, “I get up before he does every morning.” Totally frustrated, the Pastor says, “Lady, what kind of troubles are you having with your husband?” “Well”, replied the lady, “the man doesn’t know how to communicate!”
In order to know Christ better Christians need to talk to him. We need to spend time in prayer with him. My wife is always encouraging me to talk with the Lord wherever I go. While I am jogging, while I am doing the dishes, while I am driving etc. When we talk with the Lord our knowledge of him increases and it will cause us to grow maturely. The primary reason we pray is to get to know the Lord, not to get things from him. Many Christians struggle in talking to the Lord, but Paul also experienced much difficulty, but he exhorts us vv. 12-13 not to give up. Don’t let difficulty stop you from knowing the Lord more intimately.
C) TRUST
If we are to get to know what a person is made of and what they are capable of doing, trust is all-important.
Illustration:
Again if we take the analogy of marriage we can see that one of the most important ingredients in a successful marriage is trust. When two people commit themselves to marriage they do not really know each that well. It will take time, talking and trusting each other in order for the marriage to thrive and become successful. Christians are to trust Christ in the same way if we are to know him better. Christians never learn of Christ’s faithfulness in certain areas, because they have never trusted him
Christians have never experienced his power for their lives, because they have never trusted him fully.
Illustration:
Trust is essential in all aspects of life. For example, you go to a doctor whose name you cannot pronounce and whose degrees you have never verified. He gives you a prescription you cannot read. You take it to a pharmacist you have never seen before. He gives you a chemical compound you do not understand. Then you go home and take the pill according to the instructions on the bottle. All in trusting, sincere faith. And when the medication works, you begin to know the doctor who prescribed it a little better. All because you trusted him.
If you want to get to know Jesus Christ more and more you have to trust him. Not just for salvation, but for our everyday lives. (cf: Matt. 6:31-32). Many Christians find that their lives are mundane and boring all because they do not trust Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ said, “Launch out into the deep”, “Love your enemies”, “Give and it shall be given unto you”, “Go ye into all the world”, “First be reconciled to your brother”. All of these things requires us to trust Him. These things cannot be done in our own strength. To know Christ is to trust Christ and to trust Christ is to know Christ.
Paul said, “I’m going to go on spending time with my Lord by talking to him and trusting him, knowing full well, that as I do I will get to know Him more and more as the days go by”.
There are no shortcuts in knowing Christ. It will take time, it will take talking to him, and it will take trusting him. There is also no easy road. How well do you know Christ?
Resources:
Briscoe, S. Bound For Joy, Ventura: Regal Books, 1984.
