Challenging Goals for Your Future: Challenging Spiritual Goals, 1 of 4

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 TEXT:  Philippians 3:7-11

TOPIC:  Challenging Goals for Your Future: Challenging Spiritual Goals

Pastor Bobby Earls, First Baptist Church, Center Point, Alabama

Sunday Morning, January 1, 2006 

Top Ten things a preacher likes to hear.  

1) Hey, it's my turn to sit in the front pew!

2) I was so enthralled, I never noticed the sermon went overtime by 20 minutes.

3) Personally, I find witnessing more enjoyable than golfing.

4) Preacher, I've decided to give our church the $500 a month I use to send to the TV and radio evangelists.

5) I volunteer to be the permanent Sunday School teacher for the Sixth Grade boys class.

6) Forget about the cost - let's step out on faith and just do it.

7) I love it when we sing hymns and choruses we've never sung before!

8) Since we're all here, let's start the worship service early.

9) Preacher, we'd like to send you to that Bible seminar in the Bahamas.

10) Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment like the annual business meeting.

This morning, I am beginning a new series of messages entitled, “Challenging Goals for Your Future.”  I am preaching today on the subject, “Challenging Spiritual Goals.”   

The beginning of a New Year is a good time to evaluate where we are in life.  We can do this as individuals, families, and even as churches.   One of the ways we do this is by setting goals.  Goals that have either been set for us or by us that challenge us to achieve.  I like goals.  I don’t always reach all my goals I set for myself, but I enjoy trying.  I’ve often found that it’s in the trying that we often reach higher, accomplish more, or simply improve somewhat from where we were before we set our goals.   

Now the first question we need to ask today is, “What is a goal?"  There are two definitions that turn ordinary goals into spiritual goals. 

First, 1. A goal is a statement of faith.

2. A goal is something I believe God can do through me. 

Today, I want to focus on Challenging Spiritual Goals for Your Future. 

T.S.,  In our passage of Scripture today, we learn that the Apostle Paul had three spiritual goals, goals that are worthy of serving as our spiritual goals as well. 

Philippians 3:7-11. 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.8Yet 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 9and 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; 10that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

I.       ESTABLISHING A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST,  Philippians 3:8-9

 8Yet 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 9and 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;

/When we think of setting goals for ourselves, the things that most often think of first include such things as our health, happiness, success, and prosperity.  The point is, most of our goals are focused on this life in this present world. 

The Apostle Paul said that when he evaluated all of life by the experience of knowing Christ personally, then everything else was counted as loss. He said that these things, as great as they may appear to be, are nothing more than rubbish, which is human waste or the crumbs from the table.  Paul said I will put away any successes just to gain a personal relationship with Christ. Jesus told us to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” 

The phrase Paul used here in verse 9  is "And be found in Him" - being clothed, being converted. 

II.   EXPERIENCING A PERSONAL RESURRECTION LIKE CHRIST, Philippians 3:11

if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 

The word "attain" indicates Paul's destination which was death and hopeful certainty of the resurrection of his body.  The word for "resurrection" here is used only in this passage in the entire Bible. It implies a partial resurrection out away from other corpses. It may, as some believe, be a reference to the Rapture. (I Thessalonians 4:16-17) /"And may be found in Him" - being clothed, being converted. 

"Not having a righteousness of my own" /- We cannot achieve being like Christ on our own. All our goodness, the righteousnesswe have is nothing more than "filthy rags" according to Isaiah. "But that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from Godon the basis of faith" - the righteousness of God is not achieved or earned, but given as a free gift. The righteousness of God is to be in right standing with God! Having achieved that righteousness, we next anticipate the resurrection unto the likeness of Christ. Is one of your goals in life to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? It is the most important goal any of us can have in life. 

III.   ENJOY PERSONAL FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST, Philippians 3:10

that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 

Explain:"Know" - to experience Jesus Christ personally, not with head knowledge,but experiencing Him.  Not to know intuitively, but experiencially.   "Fellowship" - koinonia – meaning participating with or benefiting from participation with Christ- sharing all things in common together. 

What kind of personal fellowship was desired? 

1. Personal Fellowship - His deepest desire was to experience Jesus' resurrection power.  This kind of power comes from knowing Christ.  The Greek word is γινώσκω ginosko which is to know intimately.  Used some 229 times in the NT.

 2. Painful Fellowship- - We benefit from any suffering in life. Suffering helpsus to take on the same kind of death that Jesus did. Not in form, but in experience. 

Illustration:Whatever you may be going through today, whatever pain or trouble, God is permitting it in order to let you experience Jesus' power. The only way we are ever going to know resurrection power of Jesus in our lives isto go through suffering. Suffering permits the experience of power in our lives.A worthy spiritual goal for each of us is to have personal fellowship with Christ. Welearn it through pain, disappointment, sickness, trouble, and sorrow. 

Application:There are two resurrections that each of us need to be aware of and have as ourspiritual goals:

1. Spiritual resurrection. Age 16

2. Physical resurrection. Rapture 

CONCLUSION:

What are your goals in your life?Most people have the following goals:Good healthHappy familySuccessful jobEnough money to enjoy lifeAnd to have a few good friends. These are good goals, but they are not enough! God's word says that these goals are no more valuable than human waste if you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

How can you attain this personal relationship with Christ? You cannot work for it. You cannot live good enough in order to receive it. You must rely on Jesus Christ solely and fully in order to experience a personal relationship with Him. I cannot get to heaven on my own. I cannot work my way to heaven. I cannot be prayed into heaven.  I get to heaven when I give Jesus Christ my life.  This is the most important goal in all of life.  

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