[podcast]http://www.revkwon.com/podcast/your_verse-lose_to_win.mp3[/podcast] As Christians, we know the Bible is a book of Gods limitless love, His promises, and His desires for our lives. Its in these words that we learn how to live and what to live for. Join us for this series as we discover how just one verse – your verse – can change your life. This month, were going to pause for a few weeks and think about what our verse ismore importantly, what our life verses are. Im going to spend four weeks sharing verses that influenced my life and changed the way I think about my life. The first verse, rather, verses that Im going to share with you comes from the Apostle Pauls letter to the church in Philippia. Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh- though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have 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 righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage that I may gain Christ and be found in him, no 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 on the basis of faith. I want to know Christyes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all of this or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Philippians 3:1-12 NIV) These 12 verses arent all my verses. My verse is actually just one verse amidst this passage. The reason were looking at all twelve verses is because the other verses give the one verse, my verse, a context and a meaning. My verse is also our memory verse for today and it is verse 8. Verse 8 goes like this, What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. Me: In 2008 God put it in my heart to stop fully pursuing a secular career and shift into a second career. That second career would be in church ministry. This would be a huge change in my life. After all, I had just finished my masters degree, I had just been promoted and I was a superstar with a lot of executives and important politicians, and I purchased a house. By all means, I was living the American dream. Im not bragging, but my TV, in 2008 was the entire wall! There was no reason for me to stop. But God has a way of calling people. And He called me in 2008. In 2009 I enrolled in seminary and I would watch my career stop to a halt, like a boat without a sail. Opportunities that once existed stopped existing. People who used to seek me, didnt even hold the door open for me. Through three long years of seminary, I would have to learn what it means to consider everything a loss. I didnt lose my health, or my house or even my job, what I did lose was what I had always cravedan upwardly mobile career. In a span of a single semester, every chance to move up was lost. Every opportunity to jump out and do grow career-wisegone. I was stifled. We: I know some of you understand my story. Some of you havent lost anything yet. But you will. I can promise you that. Some of you have lost friends. Some of you have lost popularity. Some of you have lost potential business. Some of you have lost jobs. Some of you regret so much the things you lost and because of your loss, you believe a little less. You do a little less. You are a little less brave. My dad and mom lost their families for over 25 years because of Jesus. As a result, my brother and I didnt really have extended family growing up. For my folks, the loss of their families was well worth it. They knew Jesus, and thats all that really mattered. I want to answer this question today: How do find our true purpose and stay focused on it? Bible: The Apostle Paul wrote this letter while living in house arrest in Rome. He was awaiting trial and was supposed to please to the Roman Caesar. But to even get to that point in his life, he had to endure three death defying shipwrecks; whippings; stonings; hunger; expulsion; imprisonment; and abandonment. The first way we find our true life purpose is by serving God by His Spirit. Lets look at that verse: For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh- though I myself have reasons for such confidence. The circumcision that was the sign God gave Abraham to signify to the world that the descendants of Abraham had a God, and His name was Yahweh. This was super important to the Israelites because this is how they were set apart and marked as different than all other people in the world. It was by this sign that they can claim their identity. Paul says the sign here and now of who Gods people are people who serve God by His Spirit. The sign is living in service to God. Our true life purpose is living a life of service to God. Service to God comes in many shapes and forms. Im not telling you all to be pastors. Im not telling you to be missionaries. Im telling you that when you serve God, it looks like youre doing whatever it is that youre doing for a reason thats not your own. You can be eating or drinking or sleeping or playing, but youre doing it for Gods Glorythats serving God by His Spirit. Everything that we do has to be for the glory of God. We should be cooking for the glory of God. We should be showering for the glory of God. We should be color coordinated for the glory of God. Because you never know when you do any one of these things, living your life for the glory of God, you are serving Him in a way that doesnt serve yourself. When you do these things, whatever else happens in life, since youre living for the glory of God, it doesnt matter. The Apostle Paul rejoices because he serves God by Gods Spirit. He is saying that he does whatever it is that he does, which at some point meant, surviving shipwreck in the middle of winter, allows him to have confidence in his life purpose. His life purpose was in God and is in God. The second way we find our true life purpose is this: knowing Christ as Lord. Lets go to the verse: But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. Do you know Jesus Christ as Lord? I mean truly. Can you honestly say today, right now, that you have a personal relationship with Jesus? Like He knows your name and He would vouch for you? We can do this exercise with our eyes closed. Everybody close your eyes. If you believe that you really, personally, truly know Jesus as your savior, raise your hand right now. Nobody knows except you and God so dont lie. Now, how many of you dont believe you really know Jesus? Raise your hands. Im going to tell you that right now is the best time to know Jesus. You will not understand your true life purpose without knowing Jesus Christ as Lord. It is super important to know Him. When we know Jesus as our Lord and savior, it solidifies what we are doing and gives us a reason to serve God by the Spirit of God. Without Jesus, all of this is garbage. Its not worth it. Look at this next passage: I consider them garbage 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 on the basis of faith. Paul lost everything he worked for. But none of it meant anything to Him because he knew Jesus. He knows Jesus. Thats why my parents were able to give up their familiesbecause their faith in Jesus gave them a basis of faith to know that even without family here on earth, there was a Father in Heaven that loves them. Nobody elses acceptance mattered. The last reason: know why Jesus loved you enough to save you. Paul doesnt explain it here, but Ill explain it to you. Jesus loved you because He created you. He imagined you to life. He gave you life. He provided you with a reason to live the life you live. He wants you to live the life He created you forto serve Him with the Spirit of God running through your veins. He wants you to hold on to that because He is going to change the world and He is going to use you to do it. I believe it. Do you believe it?
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