Deliberate

Scripture – Philippians 3

8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.[a] For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

There is a story about the writer G.K. Chesterton, whose conversion to Christian faith caused quite a stir in Great Britain at a  time  when smart people (and Chesterton was brilliant) weren’t supposed to believe. So he’s standing on the street corner in London when he’s approached by a newspaper reporter, “Sir, I understand that you recently became a Christian, “ the reporter says. “May I ask you one question?”

“Certainly,” says Chesterton

If the risen Christ suddenly appeared at this very moment and stood behind you,” the reporter inquires, “what would you do?”

And Chesterton looks the reporter square in the eye and replies, “He is.”

What he is saying is that Jesus is alive right now!  He is here.

There are some days that we forget this. We forget that he is here.  We don’t have to ask Him to be with us. We don’t have to ask Him to show up. We don’t have to ask for His presence. All we need to do is acknowledge that He is alive. We need to acknowledge His presence.

We celebrate His resurrection every year (it is called Easter) to remind us He is still alive. Being reminded doesn’t add anything to the power of Christ’s resurrection and it doesn’t take anything away from it. Being reminded every year doesn’t work on God, it works on me.  It reminds us to rely on the power that raised Jesus from the dead no matter what the Pretender in us says or no matter how much that Pharisee (that pretender is in all of us) in us nags us.

The Pretender in us tells us we need to try harder.

The Pretender in us tells us we need to care more.

The Pretender in us tells us need measure up to everyone else’s expectations.

The Pretender in us tells us we need to do this or that.

Don’t forget (if you are a follower of Christ), when those thoughts or feelings come, and you are tempted to give into the Pretender-  that God’s resurrection power resides in you. When the Pretender tries to convince that you are not ok – remember that God’s resurrection power resides in you. When the Pretender tries to convince you that you are not God’s beloved – remember that God’s resurrection power resides in you.

In unmasking the real you, It takes a deliberate awareness of God’s presence in our lives for His resurrection power to have any effect on our lives.

John 3:30 says, “He must become greater and I must become less.”

When He becomes greater,

• You serve because you need to serve.
• You care because you need to care.
• You love because you need to love.
• You give because you need to give.
• You pray because you need to pray.
• You forgive because you need to forgive.
• You read scripture because you need to understand who He is.

When you serve – His resurrection power becomes alive in you.

When you care – His resurrection power becomes a live in you.

When you love – His resurrection power becomes a live in you

When you give – His resurrection power becomes alive in you

When you pray – His resurrection power becomes alive in you.

When you forgive – His resurrection power becomes alive in you.

When you read scripture –  His resurrection power becomes alive in you.

We don’t do these things naturally, but when we do these things – Christ becomes alive in you. When He becomes greater –  serving, caring, loving, giving, praying, and understanding Him is the only thing that can satisfy the longing in your heart.

No longer do you have to pretend to do anything of those things. When He becomes greater in you  begin to understand that those things you NEED to be doing is the only thing that matters. All the other stuff we do, all the stuff we own is garbage (KJV says “worthless”) in comparison to knowing Christ.

In this passage today, Paul says, in order to gain Christ, we must discard everything else and count it as garbage.

• Your new car – garbage
• Your bank account – garbage
• Your pc/your apple – garbage
• Your new clothes – garbage
• Your new cell phone – garbage
• Your house – garbage
• Your spouse – garbage
• Your job – garbage.
• Your kids – garbage.
• Your grandkids – garbage.

Please understand that I am not calling your spouse, your kids, or your grandkids garbage. I am also not calling the stuff  you own garbage.

But in comparison to knowing and gaining  Christ – they must look worthless.

Jesus said in  Luke 14:26

“If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.

Paul is saying

• Gaining Christ is more important than gaining a new car.
• Gaining Christ is more important than increasing your bank account.
• Gaining Christ is more important than getting new clothes.
• Gaining Christ is more important than getting a new cell phone.
• Gaining Christ is more important than getting a new house.
• Gaining Christ is more important than putting more hours into your job.
• Gaining Christ is more important than having the perfect child, grandkids, or spouse.

Matthew 6:33 tells that if we seek Him first – all this other stuff will take care of itself.

In unmasking the real you one needs a living faith.

• It (living faith)  wants to know Christ.
• It wants to trust God
• It wants to gain Christ.
• It wants Jesus to become greater.
• It wants to suffer with Christ
• It wants to experience the mighty power that raised Christ from the dead.
• It wants to seek Him first.

God wants to unleash His power in each one of us but we must be willing to die to our childish ways. At the same time we need a child-like faith. Have faith in God, like children have faith in their parents.

In unmasking the real you it takes deliberate action on your part.

• Deliberate action to know Christ
• Deliberate prioritizing of one’s life around Christ
• Deliberate awareness of God’s presence in your life on a daily basis.

Deliberate means – intentional; carefully thought out and done intentionally. It also means slow, methodical, and careful.

In other words, it is not going to happen unless you do something about it.

And when you do something about it  – God’s resurrection power becomes alive in you.

And when YOU have risen – the Pretender no longer has power over you.