August 24, 2008

 "Counting All As Loss"

Philippians 3: 1- 11; text: v.v. 7- 8 

Dr. Lee S. Huizenga was a world-renown medical expert on leprosy in the early part of the last century.  He was also one of our denomination's first missionaries to China.  At that time about half of all known cases of leprosy were in China.  And so, out Christ-like love for the people, he worked tirelessly on ways of treating the disease.  His expertise was so well known that he was asked to represent our country at an international leprosy conference in Egypt and for a short time he was asked to inspect leper colonies throughout Asia.  But, he always understood that the Lord called him to proclaim by word and deed his good news to the people of China. When the Japanese invaded China in World War 2, our church attempted to evacuate all our missionaries.  Now, one would have thought that a valuable man like Dr. Huizenga would have quickly left to continue his work elsewhere.  But he refused to leave and continued his evangelistic and medical work even after Japanese troops entered Shanghai, where he was stationed.  He was arrested and put in a concentration camp.  But he continued his work there and was soon put in charge of medical care within the camp.  Then in 1945, shortly before World War 2 ended, he became ill himself and died in the concentration camp.

Dr. Huizenga was not alone to devoting his life in sacrifice for his Lord.  We can point to other prominent figures in last century,  People like Mother Theresa, or Corrie Ten Boom, or Dietrich Bonhoeffer.   We can tell the stories of those Christians today in places like Darfur or North Korea, who continue to cling to and proclaim their faith even as they and their families are terrorized, imprisoned, and killed.

These are all inspiring stories about how Christian people have sacrificed for Jesus and of how God has used their sacrifices in powerful ways.  And I think we have to admit (at least I do) that their lives make us feel guilty about not sacrificing more for our Lord. 

Yet, as inspiring as these stories are we might wonder what they really say to us.  There's no way we can match the kind of sacrifice that some of them gave.   After all, we don't live under the same circumstances as the people we were just talking about and we don't have the same calling that they had.  

But, as true as these justifications might seem, we can't get off the hook that easily.  In Matthew 16: 24, Jesus said,

(Mat 16:24 NIV)  "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

If  anyone-- anyone-- none are excluded-- if anyone would came after me-- he must deny himself-- take up his cross and follow me.  But still we ask what does this mean for me?  How do I answer this call of Jesus?  How can I sacrifice for the Lord?  This morning we will delve a little more specifically into that question.

Our scripture was written by the Apostle Paul as he was suffering imprisonment in Rome.  He was writing the church in Philippi.  Some wrong-headed Jewish Christians there were stirring up trouble.  They were telling Gentile Christians that in order to continue in the faith, the men needed to go through the painful process of circumcision.  They told them that unless they were willing to sacrifice a little pain, they could not be disciples of Jesus.

In response, Paul, first condemned what these Jewish Christians were saying, calling them "dogs" and "mutilators of the flesh."  Then he gives an example of all the things that he counted as loss-- of all he had sacrificed. 

Look at v. 4- 6,

(Phil 3:4 NIV)  though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more-- circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

Paul's sacrifice wasn't just that he was presently suffering for his Lord.  It is also found in what he gave up in order to follow Jesus. Prior to becoming a Christian, Paul lived as prominent Pharisee-- a well respected Jewish religious leader.  But after Jesus called him to faith, he had to give up all of what he once was for Jesus.   That is really the nature of sacrifice.  It is to give up something.

Now, someone can sacrifice without sacrificing for Jesus.  My dad used to tell the story of a man who bragged to him that he and his family had peanut butter sandwiches on Sunday noon.  He pointed to the commandment that said that we must rest on the Sabbath and believed that he was being more obedient to God than those who had the traditional Sunday dinner.  My dad had to point out to him that his sacrifice only served to bolster his own pride, which indeed was very displeasing to God.  Paul was saying something similar here.   The men who gave up comfort for the pain of circumcision were not sacrificing for Christ.  

In order to truly sacrifice for Christ, we must do so for the right reasons.  Beginning in v. 8 Paul gives three reasons why he sacrificed what he did.  The answer to our question what is means to sacrifice is not so much found in what Paul sacrificed as it is in why he sacrificed what he did.  We, as 21st century Christians may not called to sacrifice what Paul did, but we are called to sacrifice for the same reasons.  These reasons speak powerfully as to what it really means to sacrifice.  In fact, if we sacrifice for reasons other than these then we may not be sacrificing for Jesus.

 The first reason we sacrifice for Jesus is that we might know him more.

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.

Paul gave up his life as a Pharisee because that life kept him from knowing Jesus.    In fact, that life and those convictions had led him to persecute Jesus' church.  In a sense, Paul gave up his religion so that he could follow Jesus. 

So, one reason to sacrifice is to get rid of whatever keeps us from knowing Jesus.  Now, as Christians who know Jesus, but want to know him more, we must inventory our own lives.  We must ask ourselves the question, "what is standing in the way of my knowing Jesus more?"  What is keeping me from having a more intimate knowledge of him?   Is it our busy-ness?  Then our sacrificing should begin there.  Maybe we should give up some of the things we are busy with, so that we can spend more time getting to know Jesus.    Let's face it; none of us work from dawn to midnight just to keep food on the table.  Instead we busy ourselves with recreational activities, doing things that our ancestors had neither the time nor money to do.  Or maybe we don't enough time because we are we aren't using our time efficiently.  Maybe we are being called this morning to give up our laid back lifestyle.

A second reason Paul gave up what he did is related to the first.  It's found at the end of v. 8 and beginning of v. 9

I consider them rubbish, 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 is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 

As a Pharisee Paul tried to stay in right relationship with God by strictly following the law-- and by even going beyond and observing strict rules that governed every aspect of his life.   He found comfort in the fact that according the law he lived a "blameless life."  But, this he had to give that up, if he was to know the righteousness that comes by faith.  He had to learn to see his own sin and pollution, -- his own need of salvation, if he was ever to come to trust in Christ alone.

That's another good reason for sacrifice.  And it reminds us of other practical ways by which we can sacrifice for our Lord.  What in our life is causing us to be blinded to our own sin?  Once again, time could be the culprit.  Do we take the time everyday to reflect on what we've done and of all the ways we have failed to live up to God's law of love?  What keeps us from spending that time?

Or maybe, we don't like to think about our failures, because it makes us feel uncomfortable.  I find a lot more comfort in life thinking about the good I've done and reflecting on what a good person I am.  I find a lot more comfort thinking and talking about other people's sins and shortcomings and piously shaking my head over them.  We may not be praying the Pharisee's prayer, but in our conversation with others, how many of us talk as freely about our own shortcomings as we do the shortcomings of others.  And as we expound on other's shortcomings aren't we really comforting ourselves with the belief that we aren't like that.  This morning God is calling us to sacrifice by giving up what is immediately comfortable and by reflecting honestly on our lives.  He's telling us to sacrifice talking about other peoples sins and bad choices, because this often keep us from being honest about ourselves.  Now that's a big sacrifice, because we might find that we have little to talk about.  But, when we make such a sacrifice, maybe then we'll reflect a little more honestly about our own sins and our own need for Jesus.

The third reason why Paul sacrificed and why we must sacrifice is found in v. 10- 11,

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Now, certainly Paul knows and believes in the resurrection of the dead at the end of time.  And these verses do imply that.  We cannot expect to share in the resurrection of the dead and in glory, if we are not willing to suffer for our Lord.  True faith demands suffering and sacrifice.  Paul knew this and that was a reason why he suffered in prison.

But, these words also refer to resurrection in another sense. To understand this one we must turn to Romans 6: 6- 10,

For, we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

Did you understand what these verses are saying?   They are referring to the new life of obedience and love that we are called to live.  These verses tell us that if we truly believe in Jesus, our old sinful self died with Jesus on the cross and a new obedient self has been raised with him through the power of his resurrection.

But, maybe this still is a bit hard to understand. One of the best explanations of dying and rising with Christ is found in our own Heidelberg Catechism.  I invite you to turn to (The Heidelberg Catechism found the back of the blue hymnal on p. 45--) Lord's Day 33, question and answers 89- 90.

89  Q.  What is the dying-away of the old self?

    A.  It is to be genuinely sorry for sin,

        to hate it more and more,

        and to run away from it.

90  Q.  What is the coming-to-life of the new self?

    A.  It is wholehearted joy in God through Christ.

        and a delight to do every kind of good

          as God wants us to.

We've already talked about some of the things that might be keeping us from being genuinely sorry for our sins.  But, what are some of the things that are keeping us from running away from our sins?  Think about the people with whom we surround ourselves and the activities in which we engage.  Could it be the friends we have?  Could it be the television programs and movies we watch?  Could it be the music we listen to?  If we want to run away from our sins God is calling us to sacrifice whatever is keeping us from doing that.  Maybe it's something pretty innocent.  Maybe we have trouble controlling our temper during a ballgame.  Each week we faithfully attend games and each week we blow our cool.  The sacrifice here is obvious, isn't it?  Until we can control ourselves, we might have to sacrifice seeing ballgames.  Whatever causes us not flee from sin is something we must sacrifice.

On the positive side, we must delight in doing every kind of good God calls us to do.   We must delight in obedience.  Certain this includes obedience to his law.  Anything that keeps us from obeying that law must be sacrificed.  And sometimes God might lead us through tribulations and trials, times when we are forced to sacrifice our freedom, our health, and even our lives, so that we or other Christians might become more what he saved us to be. 

Here we are also called to sacrifice whatever we must in order to fulfill God's call in our lives.  If he's calling us to be a missionary, we may have to have to sacrifice home and family.  Or, like Dr. Huizenga, we may have to sacrifice our lives.  But, note it's not the sacrifice that is all important here.  It's the reason for the sacrifice.  And that reason is our obedience to God's call.

As we discussed what it means to sacrifice, maybe you were a little disappointed.  We didn't spend much time talking about our doing great things for the Lord.  We spent most of the time discussing sacrifice in terms of our relationship to Jesus.  Beloved in the Lord, it is true that we cannot be Jesus' disciples and not sacrifice for him.  But, for a sacrifice to be a sacrifice it cannot and must not center on us or on the great things we do.  It must center on Jesus and our relationship with him.  We cannot sacrifice for Jesus until we are willing to put Jesus at the center of our lives and our motivations.    

  Overlooking the city of Budapest is a statue, with a cross held high in its hand. The statue is that of a martyred Catholic bishop. The very hill on which it stands is named for him: Gellert Hill. When Stephen, the first king of Hungary, decided to adopt Christianity he sent for missionaries, and Gellert came. Upon Stephen's death there was a battle between the Christians and those who still followed traditional beliefs. Those opposing the Christian message put Gellert into a barrel and rolled it down the hill, killing him.   I was told that when you look at the skyline of Budapest, the statue of Gellert is not immediately visible, but  the cross is.  It is a cross pointing first of all not to Gellert who was killed for the faith, but to Jesus who called him to be martyred.  Without Jesus and his cross, Gellert's death would have only been another tragic killing.  Because of what Jesus did, Gellert died a martyr

And so the important question is not so much "What are you sacrificing for Jesus?"  Instead, it is "How important is Jesus in Your Life?"  For, if he is the center of your life, then you will sacrifice.  Is he the center of your life?  AMEN