Who Are You!

October 8, 2024

“I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ that I may know Him …” —Philippians 3:8, 10 

“That I may know him…”

When we start really getting to know someone, we discover two things: 1) Who they really are, and 2) who you really are. Those discoveries can be pleasant, but are often painful. It takes time, but we learn about compatibilities and differences. The problem is, compatibility doesn’t guarantee a good relationship, and “incompatibility” doesn’t necessarily mean a bad relationship.

It takes time to learn if the other person is selfish or selfless, arrogant or humble, kind or controlling. But it’s only when we’re in a relationship that we learn the same things about ourselves. How can I know if I’m kind or mean if I’m never in a relationship where these characteristics can surface? 

In the same way, we learn who we really are by being in relationship with Jesus. He is like a mirror to our souls, revealing things about us that we might not want to know, but also revealing his unconditional love that makes such self-knowledge useful in our transformation into his image. 

Pay attention to your relationships. They will both reveal you and refine you.

 

Knowing Jesus

October 7, 2024

Yesterday I wrote about how critical it is to know Jesus. But what does it mean “to know him?” God doesn’t want us to get this wrong, so he made sure John told us. 

“Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him:” —1 John 2:4-5 

There is only one way to get to know someone: spend time with them. Lots of time. Time is what makes the difference between knowing ABOUT someone and KNOWING them. If you have only spent a little time with someone, it’s easy to be deceived by charm, personality, physical appearance. But when you spend enough time with someone, what they want you to see eventually gives way to the reality within, which can be good or bad. 

When Linda and I started dating, I knew about her. When we married, I was only beginning to know her. Fifty four years later, we KNOW each other, and it is better every day.

Spending time with Jesus is the only way to really know him. And the time you spend will inevitably change you. If you aren’t changed, you can’t really say you know him. That’s what John is saying here. He should know. He spent so much time with Jesus that he became “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”

 

Most Important!

October 6, 2024

Last August I dreamed I was preaching to a full house at Park church. I knew it was Park, but it the sanctuary was bigger in my dream. The chairs in the auditorium were gone, and everyone was standing. My message was simple: “You need to know Jesus! More than anything else, you need to know Jesus!” Suddenly, most of the people had disappeared and there were only a few standing at the back of the sanctuary, getting ready to leave.

I quit preaching and made my way outside where everyone was watching as pastor Brandon was baptizing people. Then I woke up. I’ve only had a couple times in my life when I knew God was speaking to me in a dream, and this is one of those times. Joel 2:28 tells us that when God pours out his Holy Spirit, old men will dream dreams and young men will see visions. I’m an old man, so this fits.

The Scripture we’ve been considering is from Philippians. Remember what Paul said? 

“I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord,” and “that I may know Him…”

Later as I was reading my Bible, I came to Ezekiel 33 where God tells Ezekiel that he has set him as a watchman on the wall. If the enemy comes and he warns the people who then refuse to listen, they will die, but he will be innocent. 

“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.”

—Ezekiel 33:6 

I’ve read this chapter many times, but this time it literally scared me. There is nothing more important than that you know Jesus. NOTHING! Paul knew this. I know this. And there is nothing more important to me than that you know him. I can’t make your decisions for you, but if I fail to tell you, God will hold me responsible. My dream, coupled with our text and what I read from Ezekiel this morning is God telling me to tell you. Nothing is more important than knowing Jesus. NOTHING! More than just words, can you say beyond a shadow of doubt that you know him?

 

Even the Good

October 5, 2024

Yesterday I said I would tell you a story about suffering and giving up even good things for Jesus. Here is the text:

“I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.” —Philippians 3:8

Mary Cantrall was my junior high Sunday School teacher. One Sunday, she sat down and told us to be careful what we pray for. She said that one day as she was praying, she told the Lord that if there was anything at all standing between her and Jesus, would he please take it away because in her love for Jesus, she didn’t want anything to come between them.

Shortly after praying that prayer, her husband died suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack. Mrs. Cantrall looked each of us in the eye and said, “I loved my husband very much; so much that I believe I loved him more than I loved Jesus. Don’t pray for something unless you’re very sure you’re ready to have God answer that prayer.” You might argue that her understanding of life and of the Lord was mistaken; that God doesn’t work like that, but how do you know for sure? 

Right or wrong, Mrs. Cantrall understood what Paul was saying in these verses. When we love a good thing more than we love Jesus, it becomes a bad thing. It can be hard to turn away from a habitual sin; it’s even harder to turn away from something good. But if it means more to us than Jesus, we must be willing to endure the soul-suffering of letting it go.

 

Get Rid of the Good

October 4, 2024

Sometimes when we are in the presence of someone whose walk with Christ seems worlds beyond our own, we can almost imagine it’s easier for him/her. Trust me; it’s not. Read again Paul’s own testimony:

“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,” —Philippians 3:7-10 

Did you notice that word “suffered?” It was real for him. He took seriously Jesus’ words that if anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23). 

Letting go of what is dear to us is never easy. Getting rid of the bad stuff in our lives is hard enough, but Jesus isn’t content to let us allow the good things in our lives take precedence over him. We think this pleasure or that indulgence is OK as long as it isn’t a sin spelled out in the Bible, but good things can become our gods. I’ll tell you a story about that tomorrow.

 

Letting Go

October 3, 2024

 Sometimes when we are in the presence of someone whose walk with Christ seems worlds beyond our own, we can almost imagine it’s easier for him/her. Trust me; it’s not. Read again Paul’s own testimony:

“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,” —Philippians 3:7-10 

Did you notice that word “suffered?” It was real for him. He took seriously Jesus’ words that if anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23). 

Letting go of what is dear to us is never easy. Getting rid of the bad stuff in our lives is hard enough, but Jesus isn’t content to let us allow the good things in our lives take precedence over him. We think this pleasure or that indulgence is OK as long as it isn’t a sin spelled out in the Bible, but good things can become our gods. I’ll tell you a story about that tomorrow.

The Reckoning

 “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ…that I may gain Christ.” —Philippians 3:7-8

“Gain and loss” are accounting terms (as is of course, “counting”). If you are in business, you add up receipts and compare against expenses. The end result is either a gain or a loss. Paul took stock of his life before and after Christ. Before, he thought the columns were in his favor. He was gaining. The Christians he was persecuting he considered losers. Until he realized things weren’t adding up. 

He discovered that his life account was actually in the red, while those “loser” Christians’ accounts were a healthy black. So he did the math, and according to Romans, he realized that the life he was living actually was deadly to him. Here’s how he put it:

“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 6:10-11 

That word “reckon” is also an accounting term. It’s used when the gain/loss columns are added up. Reckoning is the process of making sure all the numbers match. He did the reckoning, and knew things had to change. So…how are things adding up for you?