Sermon Tone Analysis

*MY GOAL IN LIVING*

*                                             PHILIPPIANS 3:7‑11*

Paul's Philippian letter contains what many consider to be the three greatest challenges for Christian life ever issued by this greatest of Christian thinkers and leaders.

In *1:21*, he makes the justly famous assertion of his life's purpose, his raison d'tre, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

We are challenged by this lofty expression of purpose ‑ forced to review our own purpose in life.

In *4:13*, he reveals the source of his seemingly boundless strength and abilities in pursuit of his life's purpose, saying, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

We must confess that we believe the statement at every level but the practical.

But it is this singular view expressed in *3:10* which at once humbles us and confronts us, demanding that we review our lives as professed children of the Lord.

"I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death," for it combines the soaring purpose and power of both the aforementioned statements, uniting them into one grand scheme of life.

It is as though the apostle said, "This is my goal in living!"

It is those words, accepted as a challenge to our own lives, which we consider in our message today, for it probes deeply the heart of each of us, asking us to define our own goal in living.

*BACKGROUND* ‑ In a few, succinct words, this wizened little hunchback man ‑ though from a nation despised by the elite of the world, he was a giant spiritually ‑ pictures the resources from which he might have drawn strength and consolation.

Those words, "I have more . . .

," are not idle boasting; they speak the truth.

An eighth day man.

An Israelite.

A Benjamite, the tribe from which the first king of the nation had come.

A hebrew of Hebrews.

He had "out‑Hebrewed" all the rest of the people.

A Pharisee.

Despise them if you will but keep something in mind: the Pharisees were a movement of the people; they were a people of the book, adhering to the Word tenaciously; they were conservatives in the midst of a religion increasingly dominated by rank modernists; they were respected as spiritual leaders.

Zealous.

No one could accuse this man of lacking in zeal; he was willing to persecute for the sake of his religion.

In fact, he was willing to assume the lead in such persecution in an attempt to purify his religion.

Faultless, no mere word.

The demands of the pharisaical system were greater then we can imagine: to stop as you walked with a prescribed, mandatory regularity, that you might pray; to cover your eyes as you walked so that you might not look on a woman and lust; to diligently and carefully insure that all you received was counted so that a tithe might be assured (twenty‑three percent when it was all added up); to keep six hundred thirteen positive commands of the Old Testament; and to maintain all the interpretations of the fathers.

To insist that one was faultless in this complex religious observance is simply incompreHensible.

No wonder the apostle maintains he had ample reason to place confidence in his flesh.

He did not rely on these things so highly prized in his world, however.

In fact, as he reviewed the aspects of his life which might have provided comfort, he was possessed of a strange view: that which once was to his profit was now seen as rubbish.

Position by virtue of his family?

Rubbish!

Nationality?

Rubbish!

Race?

Rubbish!

Lineage?

Rubbish!

Religious training and background?

Rubbish!

Zeal?

Rubbish!

Faultlessness?

Rubbish!

Nothing counted when compared to knowing the One he served.

All that we imagine to be of worth to human advancement is seen as mere garbage.

Permit me to become somewhat personal at this early stage of the message.

Have you ever said of someone, "If only he were a Christian, he could do great things for God."?  Perhaps you viewed their ability to speak, their athletic prowess, their musical skills, or physical attractiveness.

Considering these varied aspects of their life you were led to speculate on their potential effectiveness.

I confess that some few individuals occupy positions of respect from which they exercise a degree of influence; but I insist they are exceptions.

For far more of the Church at the threshold of the Twenty‑First Century, dependence upon those aspects man admires and holds in great esteem have proved a snare.

Were the apostle before us, he would say of all these things we think of great worth, "Rubbish!

Garbage!"

Let me probe a little deeper still.

Do you find it easy to rest on personal abilities?

Do you ever aspire to some particular responsibility within the Body because of some skill or enablement you possess?

Do you refrain from some labour within the Kingdom of God you feel you should enter into, thinking that you are unfitted by reason of lack of training?

It is common to think that we can "help God" through our skills, talents or abilities.

It is equally common to imagine that we will not be suited to some task we know we are called to because we lack skill, talent or ability.

Permit me to caution you at this point; the proper view of human ability is, "Rubbish!"

When we become dependent upon human effort as of primary importance, such human abilities will cause us to become unfruitful, unproductive and unprofitable.

I do not imply that God will never use our abilities, I do mean that we must have a proper view of them if we would employ them to His glory.

The purpose of God's gifts in our lives is to provide what is lacking in the Body.

God is not reduced to searching out man's skills in order to advance the cause of the church.

He is sovereign and supreme and well able to provide what is required in His Church [*1 CORINTHIANS 12:7,11*].

The apostle found it necessary to deal ruthlessly with his background.

He found it necessary to consider his past as worthless in order that Christ might be supreme [cf.

*1 CORINTHIANS 9:24‑27*].

*I WANT TO KNOW CHRIST PERSONALLY*.

In that *tenth verse*, Paul openly espouses his life goal when he writes: "I want to know Christ."

In the Greek, this is but a continuation of the thought begun in *verse seven*.

The constant thought is the superiority of knowing Christ to anything which he might achieve or obtain in this present world.

It is a constant refrain punctuating the apostle's message now: "I want to know Christ."

That which might have been to my benefit is viewed as loss for the sake of Christ.

Everything is considered a loss compared to the knowledge of Christ.

I consider everything else as rubbish if only I may gain Christ and His righteousness.

I want to know Christ.

\\ You will recall that Paul had met Christ in that cataclysmic encounter on the Damascus Road [*ACTS 9:1‑5*].

Twenty years later, the experience of meeting the Risen Christ was still fresh in his mind, vivid and constantly before him in sharp relief [*ACTS 22:6‑10*].

However, his encounter with Christ was no mere experience occurring once and then recalled only on  selected occasions.

No!

In a testimony service, Paul would speak in the presence tense.

For Paul, Christ was a current reality, present always, though he might not necessarily see Him.

He was frequently reminded of the presence of the Lord [cf.

*ACTS 23:11*; *27:23‑25*].

This raises a disturbing question for us who follow in his steps: Do we clearly recall our conversion experience?

Does the memory of our first brush with the arresting love of God linger fresh in our memories?

How real was the presence of Christ when we were first saved!

Is He still real, vivid and fresh?

The apostle knew the words of the Risen Christ, Who having issued the Great Commission encouraged His disciples for all time when He said, "Surely I am with you always" [*MATTHEW 28:18‑20*].

He accepted that Christ was ever with him.

Though the words of *HEBREWS 13:5b,6* may not have been penned by Paul, they yet express the confidence of his heart, we are certain.

Do you recall those words?

God has said,

                               "Never will I leave you;

                                   never will I forsake you."

So we say with confidence,

                                The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?"

So very often I grow despondent, believing that myself to be deserted and alone, thinking that I must surely be fighting God's battles without another soul in the world to stand with me.