What's the Plan?

Intro

I like to plan, dream, lists, goals

Some are silly and don’t matter— *writing to check it off*

Some are serious but dumb— *Wallaby*

Most plans change over time

I was going to be a professional musician

I was going to farm

I was going to be a nurse

I was going to stay in Keokuk for a long time

Currently, I have plans that will most likely change

But A GOAL is bigger than individual little things. A plan for how you will live your whole life. Do you have one? (We usually do, even if we haven’t written it out)

Education- intelligence- power

experience- wisdom- be happy

work hard- earn opportunities- take advangtage

be nice- make the world better

60 seconds of silence to write down a goal/plan for your life

Paul’s History

So far, Paul is talking through accomplishing lots in life

He was a religious superstar

Right family, right time, right place, right education, right jobs, right connection— His goals were going to be met.

V7- Now that is not important.

In fact, its kind of all useless now.

I don’t need it, I don’t want it, its just a bunch of junk.

V8 & 9- We might be able to say “ok, I get it, I am not supposed to just care about money or people thinking I am important”

Paul makes it more powerful

Yes, those things don’t mean anything— but this thing means everything!

Worthless poop VS Enjoying God and perfection forever

If you go with God he will take you to heaven and you won’t be punished for all the wrong things you did

Jesus already took that punishment.

If you choose the poop, you go to hell with your poop and get punished forever with your poop

Trust that you can use your poop to build a ladder to heaven or have faith in God and he will wipe all the poop from your record.

Paul’s Future

V10- So, all of that to explain Paul’s goal:

1. Know Jesus

2. Know the Power of His resurrection

3. Know the fellowship of His sufferings

4. all these things will conform Paul to Jesus’ death

Know Him

This means spend time with Him, learn, love, obey, become close to

What would it mean for you to become closer to Jesus?

Paul is looking at every life choice asking “will this help me in my end goal of knowing Jesus more”

**Would you sacrifice your time and money to go know Jesus on a missions trip?**

Know HIS POWER (resurrection)

defeat of death and sin. No more reason to sin or be afraid.

How different would your life look if you stopped being afraid of what other people thought of you?

What would it look like for you to not be afraid of dying or risking everything?

Amazed, Astonished, Afraid— followers

Paul is looking at every life choice asking “Am I making a decsion based on fear or based on my faith in His Power?”

**Would you still go on that missions trip even if it meant missing out on big opportunities here? Even if there was a lot of risk there?**

Know the fellowship of His sufferings- KNOW HIS PAIN

Jesus suffered immensely. physical, emotional, social, spiritual pain.

Are you willing to share in that pain so you can be with him? know him more?

How much are you willing to give up?

Paul doesn’t search for the most enjoyable thing, he doesn’t look for the least enjoyable thing. He asks “Is this something that Jesus suffered for? If He was willing to suffer for it then I am.”

**Would you go on that missions trip to share the Gospel if you knew that if they found out they would kill you?**

This will conform Paul to Jesus’ death CONFORM

Paul knew that if he lived 1, 2, and 3 he would die like Jesus: humble, obedient, servant and he would be met with God’s smile.

Knowing that God wants you to go on a missions trip to help these people, knowing that you will miss out on big chances here, knowing that everyone things your are stupid, knowing that people there will find you and will kill you. Knowing that you will suffer and die a horrible death, just like Jesus’— will you go?

Paul doesn’t ask what would Jesus do, he looks at what Jesus already did.

Paul looks at his every day choices, his big choices, his relationships and asks: is this what Jesus died for?

Jesus is alive through me, my old self is dead: is this the reason why?

Paul’s (Goal): LIVE like JESUS to DIE like JESUS and see God

Paul’s (Goal): LIVE like JESUS through the DEATH of JESUS , everyday

He died to give us life- is this something that is worthy of His sacrifice?

Live it out: Re-write your goal/plan after thinking about it.

Holman Concise Bible Commentary Self-Righteousness (3:1–11)

The object of joy, of concentration, indeed of all of life is Christ. Paul’s purpose in life was to know Christ experientially, becoming like Him in His death and attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Shocked, sorrowful— those who leave

you can take it home if you would like to think some more about it.