1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:16,880 Alright, turn to Philippians chapter 3. 2 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:25,360 So when I first did this message I was like, it's going to be easy to handle, it's not 3 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:26,360 that hard. 4 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:32,440 There's nothing majorly controversial in this message at all, so that's a good thing. 5 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:39,160 But it's actually going to be quite difficult because what I end up sharing, I didn't realize 6 00:00:39,160 --> 00:00:53,200 just how important legacy and how much worth we put in to our work and how important that 7 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:56,360 legacy is to many people. 8 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:06,800 And Paul deals with this issue quite forth-frontly and to be honest with you, when you read it 9 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:09,560 you go, all these verses are amazing. 10 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,120 But it leaves you questioning. 11 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,360 It really is going to challenge you. 12 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:17,200 There's quite a bit here. 13 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:22,720 Paul is dealing with the doctrine of Christian living here and it's really dealing with the 14 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:24,280 issue of the heart. 15 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,560 So you're going to start seeing that as we go through this. 16 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:35,600 So before that I want to pray and ask God to direct my words that I teach the full counsel 17 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:36,600 of His word. 18 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:37,600 Father, I want to come before you. 19 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:39,880 You are the sovereign. 20 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:42,240 This is your word. 21 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:48,720 You have given us the privilege to open it, to read it, to learn of you, to taste and 22 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:55,340 see that the Lord is good and you have given us the responsibility to be good stewards 23 00:01:55,340 --> 00:02:03,120 of your word, to teach the full counsel of your word and help us to grasp the importance 24 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:10,440 of it even when things are uncomfortable for us and that we honor and glorify you and that 25 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:16,600 we align our hearts, our wills to your will. 26 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:21,560 And Lord we praise you and thank you in Jesus' name, amen. 27 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:25,360 So first principle. 28 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:29,320 Failure to warn is a failure to lead. 29 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:31,480 Failure to warn is a failure to lead. 30 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:38,240 It's kind of interesting that Paul starts off chapter three really in his letter, in 31 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:40,600 the middle of his letter with this like statement. 32 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:45,000 And you're like, it seems a little out of place considering where it was at, but it's 33 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,240 not actually. 34 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:52,180 So Paul warns the Philippians. 35 00:02:52,180 --> 00:02:54,760 So failure to warn is a failure to lead. 36 00:02:54,760 --> 00:03:00,760 Ezekiel 33 verse six says this, but if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not 37 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:09,600 blow the trumpet so that the people are not warned and the sword comes and takes any one 38 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:19,800 of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at 39 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:20,800 the watchman's hands. 40 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:29,880 In other words, the watchman has a responsibility to warn you of what is coming. 41 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:40,680 If we do not, yes, your sin is on you, but the life or the blood of that person would 42 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:48,640 be on my conscience, my responsibility, and God will hold me accountable to that. 43 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:52,400 That's why I warned quite a bit. 44 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,900 It's not always fun to warn. 45 00:03:55,900 --> 00:03:59,900 But nonetheless, we have to do it. 46 00:03:59,900 --> 00:04:02,600 And Paul does the same thing here. 47 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:07,960 The Philippians one verse, Philippians three, verse one and two. 48 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:12,480 Finally my brothers rejoice in the Lord. 49 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:20,320 They're like, oh, starting off good to write the same things to you is no trouble to me 50 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:26,000 and is safe or can be relied on and is true for you. 51 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:27,760 That's what that word safe means. 52 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:32,240 That word safe is not safe for you in that it's a safety. 53 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:33,240 No. 54 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:37,880 In other words, these things that I'm writing to you, though they are the same things, it's 55 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:44,960 not a big deal and can be relied on and is true. 56 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:45,960 You can bank on it. 57 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:47,760 It's good for you. 58 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:56,120 Verse two, look out, keep your eye out for, that's what this word means in the Greek. 59 00:04:56,120 --> 00:05:00,720 Look out means to keep an eye out for, for what? 60 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,120 For the dogs. 61 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:06,120 Look out for the evildoers. 62 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,800 Look out for those who manipulate the flesh. 63 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,840 Here Paul gives warnings three times. 64 00:05:12,840 --> 00:05:14,040 Thank you. 65 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,880 Thank you so much. 66 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:25,400 Paul gives warnings about these particular dogs, these evildoers, these mutilators of 67 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:27,760 the flesh. 68 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,580 You have to keep an eye out for these people. 69 00:05:30,580 --> 00:05:33,040 That's the point. 70 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:42,320 They'll come in and ravage and cause you to do evil and, and then they will manipulate 71 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:46,160 you to do what they want you to do. 72 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:47,160 Look out. 73 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:52,520 So he gives a warning and then all of a sudden everything else changes in this conversation. 74 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:56,200 He warns them because of this reason basically. 75 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:57,760 And that's what we're going to see here. 76 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:02,640 Principle number two, the true Christian is a true worshiper. 77 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:06,920 The true Christian is a true worshiper. 78 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:13,200 John four, John four verse 23 through 24 says, says this, but the hour is coming and is now 79 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:19,760 here when the true worshipers will worship the father in spirit and truth for the father 80 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:22,960 is seeking such people to worship him. 81 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:30,880 God is spirit and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth. 82 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:34,000 Why do, why does Paul give this statement? 83 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:39,880 Right after he warns them of these particular people because these particular men who are 84 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:46,220 dogs and evil doers and manipulate the flesh want the people of Philippi to do something 85 00:06:46,220 --> 00:06:48,760 they should not do and they won't. 86 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,300 That's what's special about this particular church. 87 00:06:51,300 --> 00:06:55,000 They are extremely obedient to, to the word of God. 88 00:06:55,000 --> 00:07:00,720 This is what Paul says for we are the circumcision. 89 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:09,680 We are the true Christians who worship by the spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus. 90 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:11,360 Do you hear that? 91 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:18,240 We are, we're not, we're not the true Christians based on an outward circumcision. 92 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,820 We are the true Christians based on the circumcision of the heart. 93 00:07:21,820 --> 00:07:28,700 We are the true believers, the ones who are truly sealed and belong to him. 94 00:07:28,700 --> 00:07:31,400 That's what circumcision was. 95 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:38,440 It was a seal, a proof that they were God's people or they were the people of promise. 96 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:44,040 But they, they rejected the promise. 97 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:50,700 So the true worshipers are the ones who are the true circumcision because they are worshipers 98 00:07:50,700 --> 00:07:55,140 by the spirit of God and glory in Christ. 99 00:07:55,140 --> 00:08:01,360 The proof of the true Christian is the spirit of God in the believer and the glory of Christ, 100 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,760 the result. 101 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:09,540 And these people put no confidence in the flesh. 102 00:08:09,540 --> 00:08:15,000 This word, no confidence in the flesh is not an issue of me putting confidence in my sinful 103 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:16,360 nature. 104 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:18,280 That's a bad teaching. 105 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:19,920 That's not what he's saying here. 106 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:25,320 In other words, their confidence being in the flesh is they are not the people of God based 107 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:31,960 upon their outward seal of the circumcision. 108 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:38,500 Their position before God is not based upon their physical circumcision. 109 00:08:38,500 --> 00:08:41,040 That's what it means to put confidence in flesh. 110 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:45,360 Before God, I'm a believer because I'm circumcised. 111 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:47,080 Paul saying no. 112 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:54,480 You're a believer because you worship God by the spirit and glory in Christ. 113 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:59,540 That's the sign of a circumcised heart. 114 00:08:59,540 --> 00:09:06,100 But Paul says this in verse four, though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh. 115 00:09:06,100 --> 00:09:14,080 If there's anyone who can brag on the reality of my position before God as a Jew, no one 116 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:18,360 can compare. 117 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:20,160 Now think about that. 118 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:25,760 In other words, I am the Jew of all Jews. 119 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,680 That's what Paul's basically saying. 120 00:09:28,680 --> 00:09:35,560 See principle number three, your confidence should never come from what you know, what 121 00:09:35,560 --> 00:09:41,220 you have, what you've done, or where you're going. 122 00:09:41,220 --> 00:09:45,400 Your confidence must always be in Christ. 123 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:50,880 Your confidence never comes from what you know, what you've done, what you have, or 124 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:51,880 where you're going. 125 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,120 It should be Christ and Christ alone. 126 00:09:54,120 --> 00:10:02,240 Carnal things and your flesh will always fail you, but Christ will never forsake you. 127 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:06,680 Philippians chapter three, 4b through six. 128 00:10:06,680 --> 00:10:13,600 If anyone thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more. 129 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:20,560 And so what Paul does is he builds his argument about his Jewishness. 130 00:10:20,560 --> 00:10:26,800 And this is what he says, I am the man when it comes to these things. 131 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:30,920 First, circumcised on the eighth day, check. 132 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,560 Of the people of Israel, check. 133 00:10:33,560 --> 00:10:36,100 Of the tribe of Benjamin, check. 134 00:10:36,100 --> 00:10:38,960 Of Hebrews of Hebrews, check. 135 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,960 As to the law of Pharisee, check. 136 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,400 As to zeal, persecutor of the church, check. 137 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:49,400 As to righteousness under the law, blameless, check. 138 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:51,160 There is no one. 139 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:53,760 He was going to be high priest, trust me. 140 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:57,640 This guy was the man. 141 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:03,480 If he had any reason to brag on his Jewishness, he did. 142 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:10,000 But his Jewishness is not what made him circumcised of the heart. 143 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:15,640 All the things that he can brag about, that he can build confidence in, the things that 144 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:23,120 he built his fame on, are nothing. 145 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:30,480 He can rightfully brag that he's an amazing Jew. 146 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:37,080 How many times do we build so that we have a legacy? 147 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:42,200 His legacy is unmatched. 148 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,160 How much time do you put into your work? 149 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:47,560 Do you put into your projects? 150 00:11:47,560 --> 00:11:49,600 Do you put into your house? 151 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:54,080 Do you put into everything you do so that, so when it's all said and done, you have a 152 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:56,000 name. 153 00:11:56,000 --> 00:12:02,120 I have confidence in these things. 154 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:05,560 Paul deals with this quite dramatically. 155 00:12:05,560 --> 00:12:07,240 Next principle. 156 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:10,720 This is the shocking part. 157 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:19,980 Everything you have worked for and you perceived as success will be forgotten. 158 00:12:19,980 --> 00:12:23,240 Your lasting reward is Christ and Christ alone. 159 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:29,720 Now, Pastor Joe, what are you trying to say? 160 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:31,000 No one will remember you. 161 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,080 Now, I don't know about you. 162 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:38,400 I said this in, this is the hard part, I said this in first service. 163 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:40,640 I don't know anybody from like 1910. 164 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:45,880 Do you know any famous people from like 1910? 165 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:47,000 Charlie Chapman. 166 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:51,960 That's about the only one I can remember and that's only because he was funny. 167 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:54,440 That's all I remember. 168 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:57,440 But do you know anything about that man's life? 169 00:12:57,440 --> 00:12:59,440 Do you even care? 170 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:04,640 Because they all get forgotten. 171 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:10,000 All the work you'll ever put in in your life will be forgotten one day. 172 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:15,520 And Jesus says this, Matthew 6, 19 through 21. 173 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:20,280 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy or where 174 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:26,000 thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither 175 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:31,800 moth nor rust destroys, where thieves do not break in and steal, for where your treasure 176 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:34,120 is there your heart will be also. 177 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:42,560 Your legacy, what you work for, what you know, what you've done, what you have, where you're 178 00:13:42,560 --> 00:13:45,660 going mean nothing. 179 00:13:45,660 --> 00:13:52,760 But we put our confidence in all of that trash because we think I'm going to leave a legacy. 180 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:56,560 I'm going to be remembered. 181 00:13:56,560 --> 00:14:01,120 Success is not what you accumulate or what you've done. 182 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:08,400 True success is what you have you invested in the lives of God's people. 183 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:13,680 Because one day we're all going to die and be forgotten about. 184 00:14:13,680 --> 00:14:21,520 It's hard, but look what Paul says, Philippians 3, 7 and 8. 185 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:27,560 But whatever gain I had, I count as loss for the sake of Christ. 186 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:33,520 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ 187 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:34,520 Jesus my Lord. 188 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:42,280 In other words, all the things that Paul had every reason to brag about and say, I am successful. 189 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:45,080 I am the man. 190 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:50,280 All the reasons he has the right to brag that he is the Jew of Jews and is the promised 191 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:54,840 of God is rubbish, means nothing. 192 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:58,560 He counts them as as if he never had it. 193 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:00,160 It's loss. 194 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:05,080 It's like all of his wealth has been bankrupt. 195 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,320 For what reason? 196 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,900 Just for knowing Christ. 197 00:15:10,900 --> 00:15:16,400 The surpassing worth of knowing Christ. 198 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:21,600 How much, how important is that to you? 199 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:27,600 What is the worth of just knowing him and for the sake of Christ? 200 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:36,640 In other words, I'm willing to get rid of all of it just to know him. 201 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:39,360 What a value. 202 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:45,840 And we have his declaration right here. 203 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:51,360 And how much time do we spend knowing him? 204 00:15:51,360 --> 00:16:02,580 Last principle, true surrender is the willingness to lose everything to gain only one, Christ. 205 00:16:02,580 --> 00:16:06,960 Take all the stuff, trash it. 206 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:08,440 Jesus. 207 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:10,160 Is he enough? 208 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:14,800 The ultimate act of surrender is to die. 209 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:19,720 Philippians chapter two, verse five through eight says this, have this mind among yourselves, 210 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:26,460 which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality 211 00:16:26,460 --> 00:16:33,400 with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a slave, being 212 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:39,660 born in the likeness of men, being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming 213 00:16:39,660 --> 00:16:43,880 obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. 214 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:53,900 If the ultimate act of surrender is death, Jesus left a perfect example. 215 00:16:53,900 --> 00:16:56,800 He surrendered to the will of the father. 216 00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:01,160 I did not come to do my will, but the one who sent me. 217 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,640 The words I say are his words. 218 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:10,600 He ultimately did everything the father wanted him to do. 219 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:13,960 Ultimate surrender. 220 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:18,080 This is what Paul says chapter three, verse eight through 11. 221 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:26,320 For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish. 222 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:35,360 In order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own 223 00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:37,080 that comes from the law. 224 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:40,720 Now let's stop there for a minute. 225 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:47,280 For Christ's sake, all things trash. 226 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:49,440 Dump material. 227 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:52,960 All things compared to Christ, trash. 228 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:53,960 Rubbish. 229 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:54,960 Dung. 230 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:55,960 Worthless. 231 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:58,240 Means nothing. 232 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:09,560 In order that I may gain Christ, that I may gain salvation and that I be found in him. 233 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:13,720 Now this is important because we talked about this doctrine. 234 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:16,000 If I'm in Christ, I'm in the father. 235 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,520 That's called eternal security. 236 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:22,200 Yes, it's real. 237 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:30,960 Illiterate, depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, perseverance 238 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:31,960 of the saints. 239 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:36,360 In Christ, I'm his forever. 240 00:18:36,360 --> 00:18:42,040 So not only do I gain Christ, but now I'm found in him and the righteousness that I 241 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:49,200 could claim based upon my flesh is not a righteousness at all. 242 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:53,920 So he was, according to the law, blameless. 243 00:18:53,920 --> 00:19:03,480 No, he's guilty in reality because the righteousness he has is not his own righteousness. 244 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:10,960 Here's what it says, but the righteousness, parentheses, the righteousness that comes 245 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:19,880 through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith. 246 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:28,680 Say sola fide, faith alone. 247 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:36,720 The very faith I have is from Christ and the very faith that I get from God depends on 248 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:37,720 him. 249 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:47,960 Now, this very faith that comes through, that which comes through faith in Christ, my righteousness, 250 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:54,400 this righteousness that is from God depends on the very faith or the very gift of faith 251 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:56,840 that he's given me. 252 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,320 Why is this important? 253 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:04,200 Because you don't have faith apart from Jesus. 254 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:08,160 One, dead things don't have anything. 255 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:13,200 And if we're dead in our trespasses and sins, that means you're dead. 256 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:20,280 Secondly, just because I push a window up and it doesn't fall on my neck is not faith. 257 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:25,960 That's physics. 258 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:31,400 Faith is supernatural. 259 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,360 Not everybody on the earth has faith. 260 00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:39,400 Unbelievers don't have faith because only faith comes from God. 261 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:43,440 And you can't have faith unless you have God. 262 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:49,920 And this is what he says in verse 10, in order for me that I may know him and the power of 263 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:55,960 his resurrection, I have to have a faith, a righteousness from God that depends upon 264 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:58,600 the gift of faith that he's given to me. 265 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:03,880 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share in his sufferings and become 266 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,080 like him in his death. 267 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:08,920 Do you get that? 268 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:15,120 Because of the righteousness that comes from God depending upon faith, I now can know him, 269 00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:20,200 the power of his resurrection, may share his sufferings with joy. 270 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:25,860 That's why he says, finally, brothers, rejoice in the Lord with joy. 271 00:21:25,860 --> 00:21:32,200 And I will become like him in his death, not just like him in my life. 272 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:37,400 We love to be like Jesus living like him, but when it comes to surrender and sacrifice, 273 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:41,560 we don't want anything to do with that. 274 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:49,400 But God says here that we become like him in his death, that if we die, we live. 275 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:54,800 And if we live, we live to Christ. 276 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:58,320 We want true freedom, die. 277 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:00,000 That's the answer. 278 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:01,260 Why? 279 00:22:01,260 --> 00:22:07,960 That by any means possible, I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 280 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:15,840 That whatever it takes, if I'm becoming like him in his death, I will attain by any means 281 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,280 possible his resurrection. 282 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:22,800 Here's the proof, more proof, I'll give you more. 283 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:31,800 It says, if you want to be my disciple, take up your cross daily, deny yourself, and follow 284 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:33,480 me. 285 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:37,080 So taking up your cross means you got to what? 286 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:38,880 Die. 287 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:43,240 You must deny yourself. 288 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:49,240 Second scripture, and I use this a lot, Romans 12 verse 1, therefore, I urge you, brothers, 289 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:55,960 in the view of God's mercies, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing 290 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:59,200 unto God, for this is your reasonable act of worship. 291 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,320 What's it require? 292 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:03,040 Death. 293 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:12,360 When a pastor and a teacher tells you you can have your best life now, run, because 294 00:23:12,360 --> 00:23:15,360 your best life is death. 295 00:23:15,360 --> 00:23:22,000 You get your best life when you die, not now. 296 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:27,200 By any means possible, I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 297 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:28,200 What does that mean? 298 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:35,480 That ultimately, my body, when it is resurrected, will become like his body, and I will be complete. 299 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:40,460 And what did God say in Philippians chapter 1? 300 00:23:40,460 --> 00:23:43,440 His ultimate purpose is to what? 301 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:45,040 To finish what he started. 302 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:53,840 He is faithful to complete the work that he has started in you, to be like him, that I 303 00:23:53,840 --> 00:24:02,840 may know him, share him, and become like him in all things. 304 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:05,080 Why? 305 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:10,520 Because he has predestined us to be conformed into the image of his son. 306 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:14,640 The secret to the Christian life is death. 307 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:18,000 Death brings freedom. 308 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:23,320 If you're fighting to live, you're enslaving yourself. 309 00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:28,880 But if you fight to die, you will find freedom. 310 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:34,960 So Paul says here, don't be remembered for all the stuff you think you can do. 311 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:41,880 It's better to be forgotten and store up treasure than to store up treasures on earth and think 312 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:43,680 that you're going to be remembered. 313 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:46,120 What matters today matters. 314 00:24:46,120 --> 00:24:49,400 Don't worry about tomorrow. 315 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:50,400 Worry about today. 316 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:54,040 I knew it was going to get quiet because you matter today. 317 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:58,360 Father, I want to thank you so much for your faithfulness and goodness. 318 00:24:58,360 --> 00:25:05,120 Thank you, Lord, for these hard truths, but nonetheless so important because out of all 319 00:25:05,120 --> 00:25:12,760 things in our entire life that you give us and grant us on this earth, the only thing 320 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:18,040 that matters, the only person that matters, the only legacy in which we could leave that 321 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:26,880 matters is Christ and the wonderful gospel of Christ. 322 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:35,960 May everything we do lead us to that one moment where what we leave is him. 323 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,960 And Lord, we praise you and we thank you in Jesus' name. 324 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:45,480 Amen.