What Are You Living For?

What Are You Living For? -

What are you living for?

I found a website that offers a “bucket list” of 101 things you definitely need to do before you die. The first question asked on the page is, “What if you were to die tomorrow? What do you wish you could do before you die?”

The list is both selfish and shallow, to be honest.

70% of the items are just momentary, like scuba diving, or hitting a bull’s eye on a dartboard.

The 30% that are longer lasting are largely impossible to define, like “Get into mother nature” or “change the world.”

There were enough items on the list to tell me that the author of the article was a thinking, caring person, casually Buddhist in her thinking, who practiced meditation (#74) and was seeking enlightenment (#101), and thought about the needy (#65) and the environment (#53). Nevertheless, the clear majority of the items on her list are nothing more than momentary experiences.

There are some things on the list that are serious, at least as the world counts serious, like saving the dolphins and falling in love.

The problem with her list is that, as far as she is concerned, there isn’t after death. She needs to cram in as much as she can before she dies, because that’s it.

We who know Jesus Christ have a tremendous advantage.

We know that this world and this life is not all there is.

We know that life is more than a series of momentary experiences that relieve the boredom while we wait to die.

Death is not a mystery to us; we know what happens at death, and we know what happens after death, for those who are dead in their sins, and for those who are alive in Christ.

But the truth is that we were all born and raised in the very same world that produced the author of the bucket list website, and we are just as prone to put too much attention on things that don’t matter in light of eternity.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians about his own life, and what really mattered, and we’re going to take a look at his words this morning. Let’s turn to :

Paul begins the chapter by warning the Philippian church about false teachers:

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; ()

Philippians 3:1–2 NASB95

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;

He then tells them that the difference between real and counterfeit Christians is real:

for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, ()

Philippians 3:3 NASB95

for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

And then he gives them his resume, showing that he isn’t simply attacking someone else out of jealousy:

Philippians 3:4–8 NASB95

although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. 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,

Next week we’ll talk more about what it means to gain Christ, and how that desire to gain Christ shapes our lives.

although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. 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 … ()

Next week we’ll talk more about what it means to gain Christ, and how that desire to gain Christ shapes our lives.

This morning let’s focus on Paul’s resume – his advantages and achievements – and see how they are affected by life in Jesus Christ.

First, Paul talks about his identity in . For the most part, identity involves things beyond our control.

He was circumcised the eighth day.

That means that he was descended from Abraham, the grand patriarch of Israel.

He was of the nation Israel.

Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac; God chose Isaac, not Ishmael.

Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob; God chose Jacob, not Esau, and the Lord then changed Jacob’s name to Israel.

He was of the tribe of Benjamin.

Jacob had twelve sons, and those sons formed the nation Israel. Paul was born in the line of Benjamin, and he considered that very important.

Benjamin was Jacob’s youngest son; after Jacob believed Joseph had died, he kept Benjamin close by for years.

Benjamin was born to Rachel, the wife that Jacob loved most ().

Only Benjamin was born in the promised land. ().

The tribe of Benjamin is called “the beloved of the Lord” ().

When the army of Israel marched into battle, the tribe of Benjamin marched in front (; ).

The territory the Lord gave to Benjamin included the city Jerusalem. ().

Israel’s first king, Saul, was of the tribe of Benjamin. (). Saul wasn’t a very good king, of course, but he was the first.

The tribe of Benjamin remained loyal to the house of David when the kingdom was divided. ().

The book of Esther tells the story of Mordecai, a courageous man who acted to save the Jewish nation from genocide. Mordecai, and therefore Esther, his niece, were of the tribe of Benjamin. ()

The book of Esther tells the story of Mordecai and Esther, a man and his niece who acted courageously to save the Jewish nation from genocide. Both were of the tribe of Benjamin. ()

The tribes of Benjamin and Judah formed the core of the nation after the return from exile in Babylon. ().

So, Paul was connected to Abraham through circumcision.

He was connected to the nation of Israel through Isaac and Jacob.

He was connected to a very prominent tribe.

He couldn’t take credit for any of this, any more than you and I can take credit for our culture or ethnicity. It’s strange and odd that so many people take so much pride in things that are nothing more than accidents of birth.

These are aspects of his identity. He didn’t cause them, and so they weren’t any reason for pride. He couldn’t change them; they were historical facts about his life.

Paul also talked about his accomplishments, the things that were in his control, in .

As to the Law, a Pharisee.

The Pharisees had a high regard for the Law of God.

The Pharisees affirmed the spiritual realm, life after death, bodily resurrection, and were missionary-minded, eager to convert Gentiles.

The Pharisees separated themselves not only from Gentiles, but also from the Sadducees, the religious liberals of Israel.

The Pharisees put a very high value on teaching, and so formed the synagogue system.

As to zeal, a persecutor of the church.

He was a notorious enemy of the Gospel and Christians.

He approved of the murder of Stephen ().

He personally persecuted the church without mercy or remorse (, ).

He was sovereignly saved by the Lord Jesus as he was on his way to continue his persecution of Christians ().

His reputation was so bad that at first the church refused to acknowledge him; it was only after Barnabas spoke up for him that they reluctantly accepted him in Jerusalem. He didn’t stay there long, perhaps because he was never truly welcome.

He isn’t boasting here that he persecuted the church; his point is that he was so committed to his religion that he was willing to do anything to defend it.

As to righteousness under the Law, blameless.

The Pharisees and the Law

Jesus characterized the Pharisees as hypocrites who cherry-picked the laws that they would obey. ().

But Paul makes the claim here that he kept the Law evenly and consistently.

He didn’t pick and choose what parts of the Law he would keep and what parts he would ignore.

As far as keeping the Law was concerned, he was righteous.

Paul couldn’t help his identity.

He was born as a Jew, circumcised, a part of the nation, descended from Benjamin. He didn’t do those things for himself. He really couldn’t take pride in them.

So, Paul’s identity and achievements are pretty impressive; he had ample reason for the kind of confidence the false teachers possessed.

But he took another look at them in Christ.

He was an Israelite.

He was a Benjaminite.

He was a Pharisee.

Philippians 3:7 NASB95

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

He was intensely devoted to his faith.

He was sincere in his practices.

All those things, he says, were to his benefit.

But he took another look at them in Christ.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ()

You notice that Paul didn’t say, “Whatever things I gained, I counted as lost,” but “Whatever was gain [profit, benefit] I counted as loss [debt, liability].”

Paul isn’t saying, “I no longer have those things,” but “The things I naturally thought of as deposits were really withdrawals; the things I thought were advantages were actually disadvantages.”

You notice that Paul didn’t say, “Whatever things I gained, I counted as lost,” but “Whatever was gain [profit, benefit] I counted as loss [debt, liability].”

Paul isn’t saying, “I no longer have those things,” but “The things I naturally think of as deposits are really withdrawals; the things I thought were advantages are actually disadvantages.”

Before Christ, Paul’s identity and achievements were all gain, all profit, all to his credit.

Having come to Christ, he discovered that they were all loss, all liabilities, and negatives.

He counts them as disadvantages for the sake of Christ.

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,

It isn’t just the six items he listed in verses 5-6 that have shifted from the deposit column to the withdrawal column; it’s everything he could think of about himself. For instance,

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ()

So it isn’t just the six items he listed in verses 5-6 that have shifted from the deposit column to the withdrawal column; it’s everything he could think of about himself:

He was born in Tarsus; that counts against him.

He was taught by rabbi Gamaliel; that counts against him.

He was trained as a tentmaker; that counts against him.

He was named for king Saul; that counts against him.

Do you remember that Paul said,

1 Corinthians 9:22 NASB95

To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.

How could Paul become all things to all men? Perhaps it was because he held his identity apart from Christ, and his accomplishments apart from Christ, as so unimportant.

The value of knowing Christ Jesus the Lord was so important that Paul reversed his thinking. The value of that positive, peaceful, life-giving relationship so overwhelmingly surpassed the best things in his life that he calls them rubbish, which could also mean garbage, or manure, or dung, or excrement.

Why did Paul think this way? Because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, his Lord.

It described rotting food and decaying corpses.

What does it mean to know Jesus Christ? Jesus Himself said that eternal meant knowing the Father and knowing Him. It means to have a positive, peaceful, life-giving relationship with our Lord and Savior.

overwhelmingly surpasses the value of everything else, including Paul’s own identity and accomplishments, even when all of his so-called advantages are added together.

The value of that positive, peaceful, life-giving relationship overwhelmingly surpasses the value of everything else, including Paul’s own identity and accomplishments, even when all of his so-called advantages are added together.

Theologian J. I. Packer says, “it is a coarse, ugly, violent word implying worthlessness, uselessness, and repulsiveness.”

Just in case you are tempted to doubt this, notice that he counts all things – which includes his own identity and achievements – as rubbish, or garbage, or dung, or manure, or excrement. This word is used in Greek literature to describe rotting food and decaying corpses. Theologian J. I. Packer says, “it is a coarse, ugly, violent word implying worthlessness, uselessness, and repulsiveness.”

If I used a comparable English word right now, you would be shocked and offended.

If I used a comparable English word right now, you would be shocked and offended. Some of you might have some words running through your heads right now. I’ll just say that there aren’t any English words that would be too strong.

Some of you might have some words running through your heads right now.

The truth is that there aren’t any English words that would be too strong of a translation.

Paul’s words probably shocked the Philippians. But you see, they were being influenced by those false teachers, the Judaizers, and were impressed by their credentials. They were Jews, after all, and circumcised, and of the tribe of Israel, and had been faithful their whole lives!

Paul wanted them to know with absolute clarity that nothing, not even the very best human experience imaginable, can compare with knowing Jesus Christ. Those who are mature in Christ, he says in , understand this.

Jesus says,

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” ()

We began this morning by asking the question, “What are YOU living for?”

The whole, and its entire population, don’t even begin to equal the value of knowing Jesus Christ.

We began this morning by asking the question, “What are YOU living for?”

We all know that eternity is coming.

We all know that life goes on after death.

We all know that this life is over before you know it, in the blink of an eye.

We all know that our eternity is being determined and shaped by what happens in these moments here and now.

We all know that this life will be followed, inevitably, by death, and that will be followed, inevitably, by life again.

That life, that eternal existence, will either be in the presence of God, in peace and joy and utter contentment, or in eternal, unending, undiminished torment in hell.

So “what are you living for?” is a really good question.

Today isn’t just about today; it’s about eternity.

When your time approaches, will you be afraid that you missed out on something?

Or will you look forward to knowing Jesus as He knows you, of knowing His peace and His unimaginable joy in you?

Will you leave this world with regrets about missed experiences?

Or will you leave with eager anticipation of the joy and purity to come?

In the end, those experiences aren’t going to matter. No one goes to their deathbed satisfied that they sang in public, or learned a foreign language.

What does matter is

Living today full of faith and joyful obedience

Living as though eternity has already begun

Living reconciled to God by His grace, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Spirit of God giving you life and vitality.

Liv

Philippians 3:8 NASB95

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,

Philippians 3:3 NASB95

for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

You see, because all of Paul’s gain became loss, all of his loss was infinitely transcended by his gain, which was not his identity, or his accomplishments, but Jesus Christ!

There is no better life to live than life lived in Christ!

What Are You Living For?

What are you living for?

What are YOU living for?

Some Background

Identity: What’s Beyond Your Control?

Accomplishments

Gain Becomes Loss

What is Jesus worth?

What are YOU living for?