Living in the Power of the Resurrection

I. Once thought valuable

a. Vs. 1-6 Paul lists his credentials that he once treasured

i. NLT – I once valued these things

ii. Power, prestige and Obedience

b. What has Christ done

i. Died for the forgiveness of our sins – The judge took on the judgement

ii. Reconciled us to the Father

1. Able to fellowship / commune

iii. Rose from the dead so we might have new life and have it eternal with God

1. Breaks the curse of death

c. As we grow in Christ we hold him more and more valuable

i. Old Hymn – “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.”

II. Paul repeats himself in vs. 8 – Indeed, I count everything loss

a. For the surpassing worth of Knowing Jesus

i. Know – something deep

1. NLT – infinite value of Knowing Christ

b. All else is rubbish / dung in order to gain Christ –

i. We seek Christ or seek something else

ii. All other things can easily become a hindrance – even good things

iii. Paul wanted nothing in is life that would hinder him gaining Christ.

c. Paul was even willing to suffer for the sake of Christ

i. Not even his personal comfort and wellbeing would get in the way

III. Found in Christ vs. 9

a. The result of the cross and resurrection

b. United with Christ

c. Made right with God – reconciled

i. Jesus resolves the fall of Adam and Eve

IV. Law and works can’t make us right with God – Only Christ

a. We so easily default to works, but works only lead us astray

b. There is nothing in me that is good, except Jesus. He was good he was righteous

i. We take on the righteousness – use envelope example.

ii. Faith – means we have to trust God

1. Trust = give up rights, give up control

c. We now cover our self in Jesus power, prestige and obedience

i.

1. Received mercy (Paul says this twice) – I need it every day!!!

a. Paul said he was worst of sinners – but depended on God’s mercy

2. Now the mercy shown on us becomes a witness to others

V. Share in Suffering (out of order intentionally)

a. NLT = I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,

b.

i. We are Christ like but that also means like Christ we too will go through periods of suffering

1. Through suffering we have to live by faith

2. Stand on the power and truth of God’s Word

3. Our way of thinking and seeing life. – Our perspective / world view begins to change

c. The sufferings of this age don’t compare to what is come

d. We take on the righteousness of Christ so we are also strengthened by what he suffered on our behalf

VI. Power of Jesus Resurrection

a. NLT = I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.

b. Jesus dies on a cross taking on the full punishment of God for our sins

i. On the Third day – God looks at the angels and says “Go get my boy”

1.

ii. God himself who breathed life into the first man Adam now breathes life in Jesus

1. Where there seemed to be nothing, now there is life

2. Adam from dust/ clay of the earthy life

3. Death on a cross and sealed in a tomb

a. A force so great to bring life even the earth shook

c. We have been raised with Christ

d. The same power of the resurrection strengthens us through times of suffering

i. To find the peace and joy of the Lord when seems all around is a loss

e. The same power strengthens us to live by faith

f. The same power strengthen us to consider all things a loss

g.

i. Our mind is renewed – we have different priorities and passions

1. Our life Is re-ordered

h. The same power that gives us the ability to kill sin in our lives

i. Paul was not satisfied with just justification, he wanted to sanctified – made more and more into the image of Jesus- nothing else in life compares to this.

i. Life, Life, Life

i. Life in all

ii. The promise and hope (not wishful thinking) of eternal life

iii. The power of healing and strengthening in our physical bodies.

iv. Life to share this hope with a dying and lost world.

VII. Be glorified

a. A promise that the day will come when we too will be resurrected with the fullness Jesus – A new and resurrected – Body, Soul and Spirit – fully redeemed and fully glorified to live in the new heavens and the new earth.

b.

c. As already mentioned Paul was not happy to just be justified, but wanted to grow in sanctification but he also looked forward to the promise of being glorified

VIII. Conclusion

a. We get caught up in so many things that seem important

i. “I realized a lot of things that seemed so important before were no longer things to die for.” – Sam Chand

ii. Nothing compares to the work of Christ and to be “found” in him

b. The whole goal (not really a good word) is to Know Christ to be found in him

i. Something so deep it is all that matters

ii. Jesus prayer for us >>

c. Like Paul let us not settle for just being saved. But let us grow to consider all of the worlds success or even religious success as lost so we might through the power of the resurrection grow to be more and more like Christ looking forward to the day we will be changed and glorified with our own resurrection to live out our lives in eternity.