All In Following Jesus
Notes
Transcript
When you hear about being ‘all in’, what comes to your mind? What is something that you have pursued in an ‘all in’ fashion?
When you hear about being ‘all in’, what comes to your mind? What is something that you have pursued in an ‘all in’ fashion?
For me growing up, before I knew Jesus, it was bowling. I started bowling around age 11, and I bowled pretty much non-stop until I was 15 or so. What started out as a hobby with my family turned into me wanting to go more and more.
So I got my first bowling ball and a pair of shoes. I kept practicing and practicing. I got better and better. I was in a league. Then I was in two. I bowled in tournaments.
At the high point of my career, I was going bowling about 4 times a week, bowling in two leagues, tournaments often. I would go bowling with my dad and we’d often bowl 6 or more games in one night.
Eventually, I got my first bowling ball,
I believe when I’d go bowling, I carried six bowling balls, along with bowling shoes that you could change the sole and the heel depending on the type of floor of the bowling alley.
It consumed me. I was all in for bowling.
When I was in the 9th grade, bowling in a league for high school, I had the high point of my career. I believe it was the second game out of three. I was having trouble the first game, so I changed bowling balls. And it was like I couldn’t miss.
I started out with a strike. Then another. Then another. Next thing I know, I had the first nine strikes in the game. The last frame - the 10th - you actually can get three strikes in (if you strike the first, you go again, and if you strike that, you go again).
So a perfect game is 12 strikes in a row – a 300.
So I get up there…10th frame, I throw…strike…11th frame, I throw…strike…I get up for the 12th frame…since about the 6th strike into the game I haven’t looked at anyone because I’m so nervous and just don’t want to mess up my focus. 12th frame, I throw the ball…strike…BUT... I hear a buzzer go off. I look down, and my foot had crossed the foul line. When your foot crosses the line, you get a ‘0’ for that shot.
So there you have it–I bowled 12 strikes in a row, but fouled the last one–290.
I was stunned. I was so angry. And I did not follow Jesus at that time, so it was a pretty rough moment in the life of Jake. I was devastated. And to this day, I’ve never bowled a 300.
Upon reflecting upon that, it made me think about the things we live for. The things which we are all in for.
I don’t know about your ‘all in’ in particular, but I do know that everyone is ‘all in’ for something. Everyone builds their identity or their hope in something, or someone, or some kinds of things…you name it.
This is a part of our nature. God created us in such a way that–
Your identity and your hope has to have a home. It has to go somewhere.
It could be, like me, being the best at a certain sport. It could be having amazing friends whom you’d do anything for. It could be being smart. Or good looking. Or a boy or girlfriend who is your whole world. Or being cool. Or, living your life trying to earn your parent’s approval.
The question then comes,
What do you do when you fail at the thing (or things) you’re living for?
Or, What do you do when the thing you live for, after you achieve them, really aren’t that satisfying?
What are you ALL IN for? What are you building your identity upon?
The God of the universe calls us to be ALL IN for one thing. Rather, it’s one person : Jesus.
Tonight, we’re going to look at a part of the Bible that tells us about the life of this guy Paul, who was a follower of Jesus.
It paints a picture of his life before following Jesus, and what changed about his life after God saved Him; after he started following Jesus.
It is a picture of what a Christian is.
And, put simply, a Christian is someone who is all in following Jesus.
If you’re here and you don’t consider yourself to be a Christian, we are so glad you are with us. I’d ask you to consider what God Himself might be speaking to you during this time.
But also, if you consider yourself a Christian, the tendency might be to kind of ‘zone out’ this discussion, because you might think, “I’ve already got this…I am a Christian already...” – I would ask you as well to consider what God Himself might be speaking to you during this time. Because, the reality is, that all of us need to constantly be reminded and consider what things we are living for–what things we are ‘all in’ for. Perhaps you’ve grown stale in your walk with Jesus, and God might use this time to challenge you and bring you back.
You also might consider yourself a Christian, but God might reveal to you that your foundation of your faith actually isn’t resting in the truth of what it means to follow Jesus. How amazing would it be for Him to reveal that to you and have you find true, life eternal, tonight.
I’m simply asking that we would be open to receive whatever it is that God has for us.
Would you pray with me?
Amen. Let’s read our text for tonight...
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people 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 righteousness under the law, blameless. 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 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people 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 righteousness under the law, blameless. 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 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:3-11
For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people 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 righteousness under the law, blameless. 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 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
So Paul is writing to the church in Philippi–which was the first city in Europe that Paul established a church. What’s kind of nuts is that he’s writing to the church at Philippi from prison. He has been thrown in jail for proclaiming the good news of Jesus. He’s someone we’d do well to listen to, since he himself strives to be ‘all in’ for Jesus–even to the point of being thrown in jail (and other hardships…we will look at that tomorrow).
So, the question on the table for verses 3-11, our text today, is, what actually makes someone a Christian?
The text talks about this in terms of, “where does a person’s righteousness come from?”
Righteousness is a term that means a person’s right standing before God. To be declared worthy of being in God’s presence forever, to be saved from sin and hell and judgment and instead have the reality of eternal life with God.
And that is the most important question you will ever answer in your life. Your answer to that question determines your eternity.
There was this group of people around the church that was trying to tell people that the answer to that question was to essentially do good works and follow the law of God. That, in order to be saved, you had to earn it by, what was in their day, was being a good person. By being a religious person. Have you ever heard people say that?
“Just be a good person, do your best, and you’ll be okay.”
That is what Paul is combating here. Because, as we’ll see later, our best can never make up for our sin, and our goodness can never match God’s standard of perfection.
But, let’s read through the text and work our way through what Paul is saying.
A Christian is someone who is ALL IN following Jesus.
A Christian is someone who is ALL IN following Jesus.
Verse 3 – “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh...”
So, to understand this, there was a group of people that were insisting that in order to be right with Jesus, you had to be circumcised. (In the OT, God gave the Jewish people that symbol – a ‘cutting off of the flesh’ – as a sign that they were a part of His family, but it was intended to be related to a spiritual circumcision of the heart). They were saying that this physical action is what makes you right with God.
Paul, in his counter to this, is saying what all of
Paul is combating them, saying that, NO, the action of circumcision is not what makes you acceptable to God. In God’s eyes, true circumcision is not performing a deed, but having your hope and trust fully in Him, and Jesus, the One He has sent to save us from our sins.
So when He’s saying “For we are the circumcision,” Paul is essentially saying, “we are the true Christians” – and who is that: Those who...
Worship by the Spirit of God
Glory in Christ Jesus
Put NO CONFIDENCE in the Flesh
To be a Christian means that your worship is always dependent upon God, and for God. And this is not just the singing you do in church – your whole life is worshiping something. It is ‘declaring the worth’ of something or someone. And Paul says a Christian is all in for God by your worship.
To be a Christian means that you glory – this word means to boast, to declare the worth of, Jesus Christ alone.
And then, to make sure that everyone knows what doesn’t make you a Christian – He says what Christians DON’T do…You DON’T put confidence in the flesh.
That means, that you do not hope in your own abilities. You do not hope in your own achievements. You do not hope in your own skills. Yes, those things are gifts from God – but they are not what make you acceptable to God. They are not what make you worthy of His love. You don’t put confidence in earthly things or physical advantages.
Who is the one we are to hope fully in? Jesus.
To be ALL IN for Jesus means that all of your confidence, hope, and faith is in Him. This is what it means to be a Christian. There are no ‘half-Christians’. You’re either all in, or you’re all out.
But the trouble with that, of course, is that the world tells us to place our confidence in everything else but Jesus, right?
To be ALL IN for Jesus means that all of your confidence, hope, and faith is in Him.
To be ALL IN for Jesus means that all of your confidence, hope, and faith is in Him.
What kinds of things does the world tell you to hope in?
What about your friends at school? What do they tell you to be ALL IN for?
What about, even your parents? Do you ever get the feeling that they pressure you to be something or someone, and if you don’t you’ll be a failure?
But God tells us, none of these earthly things makes us loved by Him. None of these earthly things make us acceptable to Him.
The next part of the text is super awesome…And it teaches us two things.
1. ‘Having it all’ means nothing if we don’t have Jesus.
1. ‘Having it all’ means nothing if we don’t have Jesus.
2. Having Jesus means everything even if we have nothing else.
2. Having Jesus means everything even if we have nothing else.
Paul knew this to be true first hand.
Interestingly enough, Paul, according to the world’s standards, was not a failure. He in fact, before he knew Jesus, was ALL THAT.
“
Let’s read verses 4-6 – “though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people 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 righteousness under the law, blameless.”
Check it out – Paul is saying that to his opponents who boast in their confidence in themselves, that, He actually had more accomplishments than them. He was flyer than them. Everything they were claiming to do or be, He was more. He’s saying that, if those things actually did matter for salvation, for being pleasing to God, he would be winning…but they don’t.
He says “give me anyone” that thinks they can boast in their accomplishments–I have more accomplishments than them. Note that he’s not doing this to be boastful, but rather, he’s trying to show them that they could ‘have it all’ in the flesh, and it still not matter to make them right before God.
He says, “I was circumcised on the eight day” – this was the custom that helped prove he was a ‘pure-blooded Jewish man’. This was the thing his opponents were arguing mattered for right standing with God. He says, I’ve got it.
He says, “I’m of the people of Israel” – in other words, I am a true-Jew– I can trace my family heritage all the way back to Abraham. I am a true ‘member’ of God’s people by birth.
He says, “I was born of the tribe of Benjamin” – This is the tribe that Israel’s first king came from, and they had a place of honor among the people of Israel.
He says, I am a Hebrew of Hebrews, He wasn’t tainted by any other cultural customs. But He was totally Hebrew. Their language was his first language and their customs his customs.
He says, I was a Pharisee– these were the strictest ‘religious’ people of the Jews. Alongside the 613 laws of Moses that the Jewish people followed, they had an additional code of righteousness that they followed.
He says, He was zealous to persecute Christians. Before Jesus saved Him, He sought to arrest, kill and harm Christians. He tried to end the Christian faith, because Jesus rising from the dead and saving people from their sins by His grace was a threat to their power. He approved of the killing of Christians, He himself sought to do so before Jesus saved him. And that was seen as a positive thing by Paul’s opponents. He was the most zealous for that ‘religious’ task.
Lastly, he says, as to external righteousness – (‘i.e. outward obedience and morality to God’s law’), I was BLAMELESS. He was perfect in following the religious law. There was nobody who followed the law better or more obediently than Paul. He was the religious ‘man’.
Remember…your identity and hope has to have a home…and for Paul, before Jesus saved Him, His identity and hope and sense of rightness before God was found in all these things. All of his accolades. All of his accomplishments. All of his obedience.
What kinds of things do we boast in?
Why do we say we’re all that?
Is it our coolness at school? Is it that people like us? Is it that we’re smart? Or funny? Or that we have this awesome relationship? Or that we’re the captain of this sport’s team? Or that our parent’s have this or that sort of money?
And let me take this a little closer to home if you’re a Christian. What do you boast in, or say you’re all that for?
Is it because we go to church and youth group and never miss? Is it because we know more Bible then the people next to us? Is it because we serve or lead music? Is it because I stand up here and preach? Is it because I’ve worked at a church?
NONE OF THOSE THINGS are a firm foundation for hope in this life or the next. The only hope is Jesus, and being all in for Him.
Look at the transformation that happened to Paul when Jesus met Him–
Look what happened to Paul when Jesus met Him–
Let’s read verse 7-8– “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 and be found in him...”
Likewise, having Jesus means everything even if we have nothing else.
not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”
Paul says, ultimately, none of that other stuff on earth matters. You can have it all–I’ve got Jesus, and He’s all I need. Knowing Him, and being in relationship with Him, is the most joy-giving and life-giving thing I know.
What kinds of things do we boast in?
Anything that could have given me worldly popularity or power or strength, it is loss compared to knowing Jesus. I count it as ‘rubbish’ – trash. It’s not even worth me trying to keep, because a relationship with Jesus is so good. Take it.
Why do we say we’re all that?
Is it our coolness at school? Is it that people like us? Is it that we’re smart? Or funny? Or that we have this awesome relationship? Or that we’re the captain of this sport’s team? Or that our parent’s have this or that sort of money?
What if we were free in Jesus that way? Where we could say to our friends who try and pressure us to live ways outside of God’s ways… “nah, you can have that. I don’t need it. I’ve got Jesus. He’s better than life.” Even, if it comes down to it– “He’s better than your friendship.” “It’s cool if you don’t like that I obey Jesus, I answer to him, not you. I still love you, but I’m with Jesus. Forever. And I won’t let anything get in the way of that.” What if we had that kind of “all-in” faith?!
And let me take this a little closer to home if you’re a Christian. What do you boast in, or say you’re all that for?
Paul had that kind of faith. He said – throw me in jail. I love Jesus. Losing my freedom, I count it as trash as long as I have Jesus.
Is it because we go to church and youth group and never miss? Is it because we know more Bible then the people next to us? Is it because we serve or lead music? Is it because I stand up here and preach? Is it because I’ve worked at a church?
In summary,
Having it all means nothing if we don’t have Jesus.
Having Jesus means everything even if we have nothing else.
NONE OF THOSE THINGS are a firm foundation for hope in this life or the next. The only hope is Jesus, and being all in for Him.
That is how amazing Jesus is. How wonderful His love is. How great His promise of everlasting life is. How full and satisfying His forgiveness is.
But wait, we still, even if we want to be all in for Jesus, recognize there’s a problem...
So, if nothing that we can do makes us right before God, or makes us worthy of His love....what is our hope?
In other words, I want to be ‘All-In’ for Jesus, but I’m a sinner. I’ve disobeyed His ways. I’ve built a wall of separation between me and Him. How can I be free?
So, if nothing that we can do makes us right before God, or makes us worthy of His love....what is our hope?
Here’s the thing, though –
God is very clear in His word that, though we were made to be all in for Him, we have sinned. We have done the opposite of pleasing Him. We have gone our own way when He’s called us to follow Him. We broke relationship with Him, and we violated His good law. And because of that, we deserve His judgment. Eternal separation from Him. His anger poured out on us forever. There is a wall between us and God, and we cannot get to Him. Unless we are forgiven somehow.
not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”
Christianity is the only hope for your life and for the world. It is the only way our problem of sin can be dealt with. The only way that we can be forgiven is through the gospel, the good news of Christianity.
We cannot earn Jesus. We cannot earn God’s love.
Here is the beauty of the gospel:
We can be ALL IN for Jesus because He went ALL IN for us.
We can be ALL IN for Jesus because He went ALL IN for us.
This is the answer to the question on, “where does a person’s righteousness come from?” (The most important question you will ever answer. That will determine your eternity).
Verse 9– “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”
God has provided a ‘righteousness’ Himself for us. That is the righteousness from Jesus.
Jesus, was the only perfect, sinless one, who came to earth and lived a perfectly obedient life to God the Father. He never sinned – not in word, thought, or action – He perfectly obeyed God.
And because of that, because of Jesus’ righteousness – He was able to be our substitute. Because of God’s great love, He went ALL IN for us. He sent His Son to die for us. To suffer the curse of our sins. To take every bit of God’s perfect anger on us for disobeying Him – on Himself.
God poured out His anger on His beloved, innocent Son.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
That is the gospel. That Jesus died for sinners. That is the gift of God. That is ‘grace’ – the undeserved gift of God for us. Jesus’ death, if we trust and follow Him, has forever forgiven our sins and given us His righteousness.
But as with any gift–it must be received. This is what it means to be a Christian. If you don’t receive Jesus’ death for your sins, you are still separated from God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
Ephesians 2:10
But as with any gift–it must be received. This is what it means to be a Christian. If you don’t receive Jesus’ death for your sins, you are still separated from God.
And because of that, because of Jesus’ righteousness – He was able to be our substitute. Because of God’s great love, He went ALL IN for us. He sent His Son to die for us. To suffer the curse of our sins. To take every bit of God’s perfect anger on us for disobeying Him – on Himself.
God poured out His anger on His beloved, innocent Son.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
That is the gospel. That Jesus died for sinners. That is the gift of God. That is ‘grace’ – the undeserved gift of God for us. Jesus’ death, if we trust and follow Him, has forever forgiven our sins and given us His righteousness.
But as with any gift–it must be received. This is what it means to be a Christian. If you don’t receive Jesus’ death for your sins, you are still separated from God.
We are called to receive that grace. To trust His sacrifice. To confess our sin to Him, to turn from it, and to walk after Him. To follow Him and live for Him. to be ‘ALL IN’ for Him. Not to earn forgiveness, but as a result of our forgiveness. As a response to His ‘ALL IN’ love.
When you die, and God asks you the question He will ask all of us,
Why are you worthy of being in my presence?
NONE OF THOSE ANSWERS WILL CUT IT. Your popularity won’t save you. Your friendships won’t save you. Your money won’t save you. Your parent’s being Christians won’t save you. You simply calling yourself a Christian won’t save you. Your work for the church won’t save you.
THE ONLY ANSWER THAT CUTS IT IS THIS: I have no righteousness of my own, God. I am a sinner. But I trust Jesus, who you sent from heaven, the righteous One, to die in my place. To take my sins upon Himself, and rise from the dead, so I can be forgiven. He is my hope. He is Who I am all in for.
That is the only way you will be saved. Any other hope will send you to hell.
But it’s not just that the gospel (good news) is our ‘get out of hell card.’ It’s not just a ‘pass’ for eternity when we die.
Forgiveness of sins changes everything about who we are and how we live now. When you experience that kind of love that Jesus has for you, that He, the perfect sinless One, gave up His life for you, you’re going to want to live for Him.
Verse 8 – “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
You see, when Jesus saves you, He brings you back into a relationship with God, forever. That is what we were intended for. And that relationship is for eternity. And Paul says that knowing Christ is worth losing everything else on earth.
says it this way, “and this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
To be a Christian is to be in a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God the Father. To know Him. To pray to Him. To listen to Him through His word. To have the confidence and faith that nothing else in this world matters in comparison to being with Him. He sent Jesus to die for us, that whoever would turn from their own ways and follow Him–be ALL IN–would have eternal life and relationship with Him–forever.
That is what we live for. His grace–the gift we don’t deserve–is that we can be with Him, sins forgiven, righteousness through faith in Christ.
Here’s the thing, though –
God is very clear in His word that, though we were made to be all in for Him, we have sinned. We have done the opposite of pleasing Him. We have gone our own way when He’s called us to follow Him. We broke relationship with Him, and we violated His good law. And because of that, we deserve His judgment. Eternal separation from Him. His anger poured out on us forever. Unless we are forgiven somehow.
But, and hear me, Christianity is the only hope for your life, and for the world. It is the only way our problem of sin can be dealt with. The only way that we can be forgiven is through the gospel, the good news of Christianity.
Here is the beauty of the gospel:
We can be ALL IN for Jesus because He went ALL IN for us.
We can be ALL IN for Jesus because He went ALL IN for us.
We can talk about being “all in” for Jesus because He loved us enough to be “all in” for us.
Let’s pray.
We are called to receive that grace. To trust His sacrifice. To confess our sin to Him, to turn from it, and to walk after Him. To follow Him and live for Him. Not to earn forgiveness, but as a result of our forgiveness.