Deeper Life

Please stand as we read scripture. Philippians 3:7-15

Philippians 3:7–15 CSB

But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith. My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead. Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you.

slide pray with me pray Have a seat my friends.

Have you ever read the bible and felt dissonance? The friction? Like instead of the joy and peace and love and happy feels we all like to get when we read the Bible - instead of those, we read and walk away scandalized?

For example, Have you ever read the Bible, particularly in then new testament, and it felt so far removed from your lived experience that it caused cognitive dissonance? Like a really famous one - Philippians 4:4-7

Philippians 4:4–7 CSB

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a moment of crisis, or anxiously spiraling, and had this passage thrown at you, like a kindness cudgel -

“Hey don’t worry about it - just pray about it - and peace that goes beyond understanding will guard your heart and mind.”

That’s a great hobby lobby mug verse - but sometimes feels so far from our lived experience. This gap between what we read and what we live can cause quite a disconnect, pain, and angst.

Or how about John 15:11

John 15:11 CSB

“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”

I mean complete Joy sounds good - joy to the brim and spilling over sounds like a good way to live - but why is it that it doesn’t feel that way to us so often? The gap here between our faith and our lives can cause us to trip and fall in pain.

This dissonance became real for me in high school. Christ had saved me, and had really put a fire in my heart, and for the first time I started reading the Bible for myself, I think it would have been freshmen or sophomore year of high school. I was always involved in theater, and we had lots of play practices in the evenings, and I remember I would get there early, but stay in my car and I’d read my Bible. I read the book of Acts - and it got me so fired up!

Hearing how the Holy Spirit fell on the church, and lit a flame of passion for the lost - and how the apostles spread the gospel throughout the whole word - and they would pray and fast and listen and live all in the light of the Spirit - It was amazing - and it was devastating.

I mean, on the pages of the Bible - I was reading of the Holy Spirit empowered Church taking the Gospel of King Jesus to the ends of the earth, people repenting of sin, being born again, a new creation!

It seemed like the Biblical church was like genuinely completely changed by Christ, assured by Christ, driven by Christ - not perfect, of course not - but definitely alive and dynamic!

And the Church I grew up in, was largely stagnant! Fighting over traditional service or contemporary service. It felt like a club where decent people hung out at - but not a supernatural gathering of the children of God.

I remember one summer, our youth group went to Camp Judson in the Black Hills for camp - which, as an aside, may be one of the most beautiful and heaven meet earth kind of places on earth in my opinion - but our group went to camp to pursue Christ, to worship, to learn and to grow - and it was so powerful, transformative.

And yes - that’s a mountain top experience, but I Remember coming home so excited about JEsus, and like passionate - and getting back to Church for worship on Sunday and all of the passion was sucked out of us students. Like we were all excited to get back and worship JEsus - and most of the adults were there…. period - they were there. No excitement, no anticipation of God’s move. But they were there. Check the Box. Go to Church. Go home, then life can start again.

When our beliefs about God don’t line up with our experiences of God we are often filled with anxiety.

And this dissonance, this contrast between what we read and believe and what we actually experience in our lives, can actually have devastating follow on effects when it comes to our faith.

It’s not that we don’t have the word of God - it’s not that we don’t know the Bible. It’s not even that we can’t tell others about it. And it’s not that our doctrine is bad. It’s that those same words, that pearl of unfathomable wealth that is the word of God and the Gospel, is often on our lips but not deep in our hearts.

This kind of life - when the word of God of the life of Jesus is on our lips but not heart deep is really concerning, and leads to many accusations of hypocrisy from others. But for the individuals themselves - who grow up in Church, went to awana, know the Bible - but it seems like this life abundant, this Christ life, the deeper life is closed off to them.

This can lead to great angst, and seasons of sin, or even Christians who give up, and through up their hands: “Well! It is what it is. I guess I’m stuck this way.”

A.W. Tozer, a brilliant writer and an Alliance pastor, who was very passionate about the concept of the deeper life, talked about this situation with the image of a man and two birds.

If the Bird represents the word of God, or good doctrine of the Truth of Jesus Christ, The first image is a man with a parrot on his shoulder. slide

The Parrot does indeed know and repeat the good doctrine. Dutifully even, but it remain on the edge, in the mental conception rather than deeper.

And to be fair - the Word is dwelling with the man - We could even call him redeemed, saved. But his lived experience is not one of integrated joy and love with the Triune God.

The Deeper life is when the word of God, like a dove slide moves into our hearts. Yes - the symbolism of the Holy Spirit is beautiful. But then from the heart words of life spring - but also peace which surpasses all understanding dwells.

This experience isn’t unknown to us. I’m sure most of us know of a Church, or grew up in a church, that “knows” their bible. They have lots of activity around the Bible, they memorize the Bible , and yet it seems like their lives are not changed deeply by the Bible! Sure, they’ll hold their Bible study, all while tearing down people with gossipy prayer requests. Their fellowships are marked by generational fractures, rather than by radical forgiveness and reconciliation. It’s not that they aren’t “Saved” but it does seem like sanctification - or being made holy and more and more like Christ has stalled out in the shallows.

And perhaps again, in our own lived experience - believers can live a disconnected life - where we proclaim God’s faithfulness, but it just doesn’t seem to take. And the promises of God we read about through the scripture seem held at arm’s length - more like carrots on a stick leading us, rather than actual sustenance to fill our need.

But our ache is for something deeper. Thus our study over this Lenten season. Deeper Life. A deeper knowing. A knowing that’s not just cognitive, but that is understanding and being understood.

We ought to define the “Deeper-life.” Which is the Christian & Missionary Alliance term, has been since our inception. But other denominations have different terminology for it.

The "deeper life" is a passionate, surrendered, sanctified walk with Jesus. It emphasizes holiness, intimacy with God, empowered service, and sharing in the Heart of God for mission.

This is a call to sanctification, ultimately, which is being made Holy - Justification is being declared holy because of the work of Jesus, Sanctification is where that delared holiness is made evident and real in our lives.

And the Alliance position is that sanctification isn’t primarily about the external actions, or “looking” and “doing” holy things - but an internal and deep one-ness with Christ. And that works itself out then naturally in external realities.

Thus the deeper life. I think of Colossians 2:6-7

Colossians 2:6–7 CSB

So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.

Being rooted into Jesus - deeper and deeper into Christ!

This was a phrase I used a lot over our study on the Sermon of the Mount - but what if Jesus was serious? What if the new testament is correct? What if we actually can live holy pleasing lives filled with complete Joy, empowered by the HOly Spirit, abounding in love and compassion, and knowing deeply the love of the father.

Do you have this kinda of deeper life? do you want it? or perhaps a more cutting question: do you believe it even possible?

A critique that comes from the flesh, from sin and satan: that type of life is reserved for the quote unquote super Christian. For the Apostles, for the prophets, for the pastors. But for the rest of us normal people - we don’t have access to it, or we don’t need to.

Or perhaps we just find ourselves so weak in and of ourselves and our faculties that we can’t imagine deep and abiding powerful love dwelling with us.

Picture in your mind the mightiest believer you’ve known, either in person or even from history or the Bible. The Saint-iest Saint, bring them to mind, and all the things they did and were about.

Tozer writes this, and he’s correct:

“The weakest believer holds in his hand all that the mightiest saints have ever possessed. He has at his disposal every grace that made them what they were.”

The same Spirit that empowered Tozer, that saved John Wesley, or John Edwards, or Augustine, or Peter or Paul or John, or Mary and Martha, and Elijah, and Moses. Dwells in us through the work of Jesus Christ.

But do we take hold of it?

What keeps us from this greater sanctification journey? What keeps us from the deeper life of God? What stands in the way of us changing more and more into Christ-likeness?

Here’s is what I’ve come to believe, because of the Victory of Jesus Christ - there is in this life availability for us an oppurtunity to taste and enjoy the kingdom of God deeply. Where we can have joy when it doesn’t make sense, where we can have power over sin, where we can be victorious over our old-self, where we can enjoy the presence of God and know his affection for us. I believe God is serious! He is able!

God is RICH in mercy, and RICH in his great love for us. The way we feel can’t be because God is stingy, or that Christ’s blood isn’t powerful enough. That would be against his character - it would be blasphemy to say that Christ is unable to save us

Another quote from A.W. Tozer here helps us:

“Every man is as close to God as he wants to be.”

Think about what the Scriptures says about Christ’s victory: Romans 8:1, that those who are in Christ no longer stand condemned -

Romans 8:1 CSB

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,

but FULLY justified before the father. And therefore we receive the Spirit - and Romans 8:14-17 says this:

Romans 8:14–17 CSB

For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Did you know that through the work of Jesus YOU are a son of God? YOU can cry out to God as your Father. And not only that - you are an HEIR of God?

Okay - that’s what Scripture says IS true of us. We can rule and reign with God. We can have victory over sin. We can LIVE in the love of God that’s Romans 8:38-39

Romans 8:38–39 CSB

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Do you know this kind of love and life?

Do you believe it possible?

The Scriptures declare it is.

Here is the crazy truth of the Gospel of Jesus.

We are saved from sin. Christ takes our sin, our punishment, and the wrath, and ultimately the sickness and death all on himself on Calvary and in the grave. When we, by grace come to faith in Christ - he REMOVES all the ick and bad from us.

but the gospel is more than just removing stains - it’s also the imputation of righteousness - meaning - 1 Corinthians 1:30

1 Corinthians 1:30 CSB

It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption

Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption - The holiness and rights of Christ are given to us.

CO HEIRS WITH CHRIST!

Friends - there is no condemnation for you if you are in Christ. God is your father, Jesus is your brother, the Spirit is your guide and friend.

YOU are a child and FRIEND of God. THAT’s what the Gospel has won for us.

The issue with our closeness to God isn’t from God’s side. The veil has been torn at the cross. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.

So what keeps so many of us from enjoying this deeper life? If it’s not from God, then The issue comes from us.

The fact of the matter - is we only call the deeper life deep because so much of Christian life has become so shallow. From a Biblical perspective - what we call “The Deeper Life” would be the normal-ideal of the believer!

I think of Ephesians 3:20-21, a great doxology

Ephesians 3:20–21 CSB

Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Right we now that, I pray it over us often, but look how it continues

Ephesians 4:1 CSB

Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received,

Look at that! God can do everything and more and that power is in us - therefore - walk worthy of the calling.

We have a part to play in this. Will we walk worthy of the calling.

God has all power to save and work in us, and Christ has won it all for us, and the Spirit even dwells within us - the big issue, is ( (slide) We have lost the desire to know Jesus and be known by Jesus. You can know and be known by God. You can be loved and Love God.

Satan is a cunning liar - and he distracts us with all these fake pleasures - keeping us busy and satisfied in things that can never give us true life and joy. We can Know Jesus - but we’d rather play with the devil and pretend like WE are something special.

This is the crux of the whole matter - the scripture we started with.

Philippians 3:7–11 CSB

But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith. My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

Do we, like paul - consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of Knowing Christ JEsus my lord?

And this isn’t just a mental knowledge. That’s where our minds default to - but it’s a much deeper and truly more intimate knowledge that Paul is getting at here.

I can “know” someone by learning facts about them. But there is a deeper knowing - where you don’t just know their details and their biography - you know their life. You don’t just know their birthday, but you know what it’s like to live and laugh with them. You know them.

Knowing, in a Biblical worldview, is about deep love and understanding. IT’s about oneness and withness. In fact, in the Bible, knowing and sexual intimacy are often used interchangeably!

Paul considers everything to be DUNG so that he can be fully enveloped in Jesus Christ. Knowing Jesus and being known by him.

His goal - verse 10 - is to know him, and the power of his resurrection - even joining in his sufferings.

Paul didn’t just want to learn about Christ’s life - he wanted to know Christ in life, and to live Christ’s life - and it’s this kind of knowing that lead Paul to a life marked by the Love of God.

IT’s this kind of relationship with Christ that lead ALL of the heroes of the faith to do incredible things - because they, like JEsus - walked with God!

What if the dissonance we feel when we read scripture at times is because the Holy Spirit is calling us deeper. It SHOULD upset us if we read of the Joys promised to believers and we don’t experience it. That should deeply bother us - it should bother us to run into Christ and to pursue Christ.

Philippians 3:12–14 CSB

Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

Jesus Christ is the Godl. He is the Prize. And we can be taken hold of by Jesus Christ. Therefore - let’s press on to enjoy ALL the benefits of the Gospel of JEsus Christ.

And if the People of God, experience the life of God empowered by the Spirit of God - we are going to see his kingdom break out like none other. Both in our internal lives - and in the life around us.

Because the more we know CHirst, and we share his heart - we won’t be able to keep ourselves from serving others - because The son of man came to seek and save the lost - full of power and grace and security.

So What?

Friends - the blood of Jesus is powerful and effective. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is so powerful and glorious.

Here’s my contention - the Gospel and the power of Jesus are so much greater than we think. So many people have bought into a lie from satan that the Gospel is powerful enough to save your soul from hell, but not enough to save your life from sin.

That the Gospel can defeat Satan, but can’t defeat your sorrow.

That the Gospel can give you heaven, but can’t give you joy, and assurance and satisfaction in God.

Friend - there is a deep deep well of Love and his Name is Jesus!

We need to take this sanctifcation journey - we need to become more and more like Jesus - but this doesn’t come from adding things on - but from us drawing deeper down INTO Christ, the true vine.

Christ came to give you life, abundant and overflowing. To give you freedom, freedom indeed. And who the son sets free - is free indeed.

So would we live worthy of that calling?

Today is just an intro to this next season as we lead into Easter. We are going to study the deeper life - and the journey deeper. And it’s so important. Not just for each of us, but for our whole Church:

A Church’s life is shaped by how each member’s life reveals Christ’s life.

If we want to see the spiritual temperature increased in south eastern south dakota - we must take hold of the Christ life.

Knowing that it has been won for us - Jesus Died for our sin.

move into communion

The Table has been set - Christ has paid it all. Will we come and eat? Will we respond to his invitation to life, abundant and full and true?