Listen to “To Know Christ – Philippians 3.4-14” on Spreaker.
Key points:
Special shoutout to @jedsmiley for giving permission to share about her experience meeting #TaylorSwift & her baptism.
Slides here.
How do you normally introduce yourself, or how do we introduce new people in our midst? Often we begin with our name and title, followed by our function or position, together with the company or organization we represent. “This is Dr. (so-and-so), CEO of ABC company.” Throughout the ages, societies and mankind tend to focus on status and stature, rather than substance or character. This was true in Paul the Apostle’s time as well. In Philippians 3, he begins by listing his pedigree heritage, achievements and accolades (vv. 5-6). But in an interesting twist, he goes on to consider them as loss or rubbish, in contrast to something, or someone, far superior – that is, to know, to gain, and to be found in Christ.
Firstly, he counts everything in his life a loss for Christ’s sake, in his own words, compared to “the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” This knowledge of Christ extends much further than just mere head knowledge or information about someone. It describes an intimate, active and growing relationship with Jesus, cultivated through walking with Him in abiding trust and surrendered obedience.
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Every time you attend a Christmas or Easter service, perhaps you have been
challenged or encouraged to share the gospel with your loved ones or friends. It could have been in
the past or even during a time like this coming weekend, as we spend more time reflecting or focusing on the gospel and the
message of the cross.
Paul writes about this in Phil. 2:12-13, “Therefore, my dear friends … continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” There is an amazing balance of responsibility when it comes to our salvation, the work of the gospel in our lives. On one hand, God tells us in His Word to “work out” our salvation, and yet on the other hand, He reminds us that it is He who “works in” us to will and act out His purposes. It is the ultimate truth that at the end of the day, it is both God and us that works for the sake of His glory.
What does it mean to “work out” our salvation? A quote often attributed to Francis of Assisi sums it up this way, “Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” Our lives, and all that we are and do, not just our words, should represent and reflect Christ and His gospel message. Do our words and our lives match up? Are people stumbled because we say one thing, but we do another? Do our actions scream out way more glaringly our values and what we believe in, more than what we claim to profess? How can the message and the messenger be more aligned, more congruent, more consistent?
Simultaneously, we need to acknowledge and recognize that it is God who “works in” us, to direct our hearts, head and hands for His kingdom purposes. If not, then we labour and toil in vain as we would only rely on and depend on our own strength, wisdom and abilities. Yet it is also a challenge as it would involved surrendering our own will to God’s will. Jesus said, “Yet not my will, but Yours be done.” What does God want for us to give up, let go or lay at the cross, so that God can work in and through us to accomplish all He has willed and purposed for our lives?
As we step out of church each Sunday, may we experience more of His joy and grace through the gift of salvation and allow the gospel to grow and resound in our hearts, and through us to the ends of the earth, to the praise of His glory.
Greg Laurie wrote a short article on CP on Phil 4.8 (cf. Rom 12.1) on T-H-I-N-K-ing before we speak.
THINK acronym:
http://walkingtogether.blogspot.com/2007/10/essay-in-honour-of.html
Tony Lim, 17 Oct 2007
Evangelical spirituality or Evangelicalism has always emphasised the importance of the cross. Indeed John Stott argued that “the cross is at the centre of the evangelical faith. Indeed….it lies at the centre of the historic, biblical faith..” Stott pointed out that JI Packer called the atoning death of Christ for sinful rebellious humanity as Evangelicalism’s distinguishing mark.
http://contemporarycalvinist.blogspot.com/2009/03/failed-gospel-tract.html
by Lee Shelton IV, 02 Mar 2009
Mark 8:34-36
If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Phil 1:20, 21
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
John Piper re-posted this pic on 19 Apr, with the title “Corrective Tract for the Prosperity Gospel“.
Guess his point was, where is the place of suffering and persecution in the theology of churches that promotes the “health and wealth” or prosperity gospel?
What says you?
Jesus is Lord – Dr. Daniel Chua (Professor, Head of Humanities @ HKU, Department of Music)
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2.5-11
Download lyrics and guitar tab/chords here.
Skillful Shepherds 