On The Goal Of Life - Philippians 3:7-17
October 28th, 2005Certain events that occur during the course of our life are, what we would call, “life changing events.” We were going along in one direction, toward a certain goal and something happened and everything was changed. Whatever it was that happened so changed things for us that we could no longer go along the way that we were going. The company you planned to retire from closed it’s doors. An accident happened; the tests showed cancer; a stroke, a heart attack, an unexpected pregnancy, the death of a spouse and suddenly the direction of your life is changed.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a life-changing event. “Well sure it was,” you say. “Jesus was dead but on the 3rd day He rose again. His life was changed.” But what we mean is that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a life changing event for you. Because you are in Christ. Your life is all caught up in His. He’s changed the direction of your life. You were headed for death followed by everlasting death. But now, all that is changed. Now, you’re headed for death followed by everlasting life. We used to consider our self to be the most important person in the world and everything was about me. My security, my advancement, my wants, my pleasure. But now all that has been changed because we have the mind of Christ who made Himself nothing and humbled Himself.
So goes Philippians chapters 1 and 2. Now comes chapter 3 and Paul shows us that the death and resurrection of Jesus has had a life-changing effect upon the ultimate goal of our life.
What is the goal of life? And here again, let’s not talk in generalities. Let’s get specific. What’s the goal of your life? What direction is your life headed in? Whatever is our goal - our ultimate goal, that’s the direction our life will take. Is it your goal in life to be a millionaire? Or to have a nice home or to see the world? Is it your goal to retire comfortably? Whatever is our goal – our ultimate goal, that’s the direction our life will take.
If I were to ask you to write down, in one word or phrase, your ultimate goal in life, what would you write?
For me to ask you to ‘write down’ the goal of your life is not so strange as it sounds. Paul writes down the goal of his life and sends it to the Philippians as if to say, ‘this would be a good goal for you to consider for your life too.’ “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (vs.14). Paul’s goal in life is to be called upward by Jesus. Paul wants to be so wrapped up in Jesus that just as Jesus died and rose again – so will he. That is his ultimate goal. And that goal determines the direction of his life.
This wasn’t always Paul’s goal in life. Paul’s goal had always been the upward call of God – but not in Christ Jesus. Paul thought he could attain the goal of the prize of the upward call of God apart from Christ Jesus. He thought he’d be able to impress God enough with what a good person he was that God would be delighted to call him upward. “Circumcised on the 8th day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to righteousness according to the law – blameless.”
But Jesus said that there is only ever been One who has pleased God. “This is my Son – with whom I am well pleased.” You’re either hidden in Christ and headed upward with Him or on your own and headed for the rubbish.
How ludicrous, thought Paul and everyone else who had invested so much of their lives in trying to please God on their own. Prostitutes and tax collectors who had nothing to say for themselves except “Kyrie, eleison,” pleased God. But God despises the self-righteous.
But one day in a place called Damascus, Paul had one of those life changing experiences. This same Jesus whom he was persecuting, came to Paul. And in an instant, this Hebrew of Hebrews saw the futility and folly of his life and the true goal of all life. Everything he had been living for, the basis for all of his confidence and self-esteem – he suddenly saw for what it was. “Nothing.” No, worse than nothing. It was a positive impediment.
Paul saw Jesus – in his unveiled glory. You know how it is when you’ve been in the darkness and suddenly the lights are turned on. The “Light of the World” flashes into Paul’s darkness.
Jesus, the Son of God and light of the world, came into Paul’s dark life. Here is Paul, whose goal and direction in life was to climb the ladder to God and all along it’s God coming down the ladder to Paul. And there was more love and grace and peace in that call than in anything Paul had ever known. It was beyond imagination. And his life was changed and he would never be the same person again. Couldn’t be. Everything was different now. The light came into the darkness and the darkness was shattered. His life had suddenly changed and the direction of his life was changed. For Paul to go back to the old way of life was ludicrous.
Now, Paul’s only thought, his only goal, the direction and purpose of his life was to enter into that love, grace and peace to which Jesus had called him. That upward call of God in Christ. Everything else was rubbish. What had been his passion in life he now detested. What had been the basis of his confidence and before God was now the very thing he was utterly ashamed of. What had been the foundation of his relationship with God, he now understood to be a trap that had caught him in its teeth.
Now Jesus had shown him the very love of God by coming into his darkness and finding him – even while he was so totally lost. Jesus made Paul his own. Jesus was not ashamed to Paul His ‘brother.’ Jesus had sprung the trap that Paul was caught in and Paul never felt so free – never knew anyone could be this free.
“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 in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (vs.7-11).
What is the goal of your life? May I remind you that this same Jesus who came to Paul and called Paul to himself made Paul His own, has come to you and called you to himself and made you His own. Paul’s story is your story. That’s why he says, “Brothers, join in imitating me.”
In and under the waters of your baptism, the light of the world came into your darkness. The love of God the Father Almighty has been poured out onto you in the water, and He is not ashamed to call you – “my child.” And Jesus is not ashamed to call you my brother, my sister, my friend, my bride. He has wrapped Himself around you and you are all wrapped up in Christ. So when the Father points to Jesus and says, “This is my Son, with whom I am well pleased,” He’s pointing at you.
So what is the goal of your life? What is of such surpassing worth that you would sacrifice anything that stands in the way of attaining?
Be careful how you answer this. This is no pep rally for Jesus. Yes, the correct answer is “Jesus.” But even Jesus says, “count the cost.” It just may be that God will test you. To see what you’re willing to let go of for the sake of the gospel. No, not for Him to see – but for you to see. That you may see what you are still holding onto that you need to let go of. That you may see what you’re holding onto that you can’t let go of and that maybe you would cry out, “Kyrie, eleison.”
I’ve told you before how they catch monkeys in the jungle. They bore a hole in a hollow tree the size of a monkey’s fist. And then they put a banana in the tree. When the monkey reaches in to take hold of the banana, he quickly finds that he cannot get his hand out of the hole unless he lets go of the banana. Hunters will capture the monkey alive because he simply wouldn’t let go and be free.
“For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame with minds set on earthly things.” (vs.18-19)
Repent! All of us need to repent. All of us are like monkeys in the jungle. Holding onto things of this world. Things like pride, fear, old habits – refusing to let go. Minds set on earthly things. Things that come between us and the goal of knowing the all-sufficient love, grace and peace of God in Christ. What are you holding onto that you need to let go of for the sake of the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus? Confess it. Repent. Kyrie, eleison.
So, what comes after repentance? “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call in God in Christ Jesus.” (vs.13b-14). Christ has died in your place as full payment for all of your sins. Christ has risen from the dead as the visible assurance that the Father has accepted His sacrifice. All your sins are forgiven. The slate is clean; your past is past; your record is clear. Christ has set you free. Forget what lies behind. Humbly, gratefully receive the all availing sacrifice of Christ – crucified and risen for us
All of this is packed into those four little words we repeat every Sunday as they have been repeated for centuries, – “Lift up your hearts.” And all those whose sights are set on the goal reply, “we lift them to the Lord.” The light has shined upon our darkness and the scales have fallen from our eyes. The direction of our life is changed. We live with the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord. We “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Related Entries:
» On Faith In Action - Philippians 4:4-13» On Facing Our Death - Philippians 1:21-23
» On Personal Relationships - Philippians 2:1-11
» Sermon Index - Lutheran - LCMS
» “Survival Of The Weakest”
» Sermon - 5th Sunday of Easter - “The Ethiopian Inquirer” - Acts 8:26-40 - 5/14/06
