THE PURSUIT OF CHRIST

Pursuing Spirituality by...

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Pursuing Spirituality By Pursuing Christ

What are you pursuing in your life right now? For some of us here this morning we are pursuing $$$$ a pay check. Some are pursuing family. Some are pursuing education. Some are pursuing relationships, power, influence, status, health, hobbies, job, stuff, your own wishes, desires, wants etc.

What has your time, your energy, your focus, your pocket book, your mind? Not that having those things are bad necessarily but what do you get by pursuing those things. Do you get fulfillment, happiness, contentment, answers to life’s questions, eternity? There is only one pursuit that is worth more than all of those things we mentioned this morning, and that is the pursuit of Christ.

We should pursue Christ above all other things.

Philippians 3:7–8 NASB95

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

Those things that were gain to me I can’t as loss

- money, family, education, relationships, power, influence, status, health, hobbies, job, stuff, wishes, desires, wants.

There is a cost to pursuing Jesus.

Luke 14:26–27 NASB95

“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Luke 9:23 NASB95

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

That is a steep and heavy cost. You will never deny your self, you will never take up your cross, you will never consider all things loss unless you...

VALUE CHRIST ABOVE ALL THINGS!!!

There is an exchange that takes place when you pursue Christ.

There is and exchange of all that I am for all that Christ is. There is an exchange that takes place when we pursue Christ. Matthew 16 verses 25 and 26. Here is a familiar saying of Jesus, listen to it, "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it, for what will a man be profited if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Now Jesus was talking about an exchange. He was talking about losing something to gain something. What He said was that in order for you to gain you would have to lose your life. If you want to gain your soul it will cost you your life. If you desire to save your life, it will cost you your soul. In other words, if you hold on to the things that to you are precious and reject the things that to God are precious, it will cost you your eternal soul. That's the exchange. And Jesus said, "What good is it if you have gained everything the world has to offer and lost your eternal soul?" You would be much better off to make some exchange of what you have in this life for what God offers you in the life to come. Whatever exchange you need to make to gain your eternal soul, you ought to do that.

What value is there in following Christ?

Now, what did he gain Five things he gained. These are profound, all encompassing truths, five things that you gain when you come to Christ, when you jettison all the other garbage and come to Christ. These five: knowledge, righteousness, power, fellowship, glory.

Life John 10:10.

Eternal Life Mt. 19:29.

Rest Mt. 11:28-30.

Forgiveness Acts 2:38.

Love Jn. 4:7-21.

Internal Inheritance 1 Pet. 1:4.

Hope 1 Pet. 1:3.

Salvation Acts. 4:12.

Peace Eph. 2:15-17.

Redemption, forgiveness, inheritance, seal, etc Eph. 1.

Everyone of us here this morning has to decide. How much do I value Christ? The reason for that is this...You see,

The person who pursues Christ is the person who is willing to pay whatever God requires, whatever the price, whatever the cost, the person is willing to abandon everything for Christ.

We actually have a parable that describes that very thing.

Matthew 13:44 NASB95

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

The treasure is Christ!!! The treasure is Salvation in Christ!!!

Did he do it begrudgingly?

Sold everything to obtain the treasure! Is Jesus your treasure?

The rich young ruler Matt. 19:16-26 faced the same dilemma. The price was too high for Him. He kept all his possessions and forfeited His soul. What a foolish and costly decision.

Where are you this morning? Do you value Christ above everything else? Are you willing to give up everything for Him?

If not then you are choosing to forfeit your eternal soul. We all must make a choice this morning on what we will pursue. Jesus or other things. If you pursue Jesus I can make you one promise. You will not be disappointed. Nothing can compare to the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus My Lord!!!