THE RESURRECTION FACTOR
Philippians 3:10-11
Paul wrote the book of Philippians from a Roman prison. He was imprisoned twice during the course of his ministry.
- The thrust of this four chaptered Epistle is JOY. The word joy or rejoicing is used 19 times in this book.
- The theme of this epistle is JESUS! The name Jesus is used 20 times. So it is also a book about Jesus.
It is no accident that Paul in the Philippian Epistle connects Jesus and joy so closely. It is a reinforcement of a great truth…
- Jesus is the source of true joy!
- Jesus is the force of real joy!
- Jesus sets the course for all joy.
So Paul begins this fourth chapter of Philippians with the exhortation…Finally my brethren (As for the rest) REJOICE IN THE LORD.
*ILL…Little five year old boy that finally got to go to BIG church one Sunday. He set there by his daddy watching very carefully everything that was taking place. When the preacher got up to preach, he put his glasses on. The little boy said to his daddy, “What does that mean?” The dad replied, “He is getting ready to read the scripture and begin to preach. After the preacher had preached for a while, he took his coat off and laid it in the chair behind him. The little boy asked his dad, “What does that mean?” His dad said, “He is about to really preach. He is about to shuck the corn.” In a little while the preacher took of his watch and laid it on the pulpit and said, “Now, finally my brethren.” The little boy asked his dad, “Daddy, what does that mean? The dad looked at his son and said, “Absolutely nothing, son, absolutely nothing.”
(1) A PASSIONATE DESIRE
When Paul wrote the epistle of Philippians, he was 30 plus years past his Damascus Road conversion experience. He had been saved and serving the Lord Jesus for some 30 plus years. He had already sailed on missionary journeys preaching the gospel, establishing churches, winning souls to Christ, and writing letters to churches that are included in the canon of the scriptures. Yet he expresses a PASSIONATE DESIRE that he may know Christ!
- He is not talking about knowing Christ in PARDON.
- He is talking about knowing Christ PERSONALLY, PROVISIONALLY, PRESENTLY!
*ONE OF THE GREATEST HINDERANCES TO COOPERATIVE REVIVAL IN THE CHURCH AND PERSOANL REVIVAL IN THE LIFE OF THE BELEIVER IS COMPLACENCY IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH AND THE CHRISTIAN!
…Paul was simply saying that he did not want to spend the rest of his Christian life singing…PRECIOUS MEMORIES!
…He wants to spend the rest of his Christian life singing…HE LIVES, HE LIVES, CHRIST JESUS LIVES TODAY; HE WALKS WITH ME AND TALKS WITH ME; ALONG LIFE’S NARROW WAY; YOU ASK ME HOW I KNOW HE LIVES…HE LIVES WITHIN MY HEART!
Paul had A PASSIONATE DESIRE to know Christ! What does that mean, what did Paul mean? TO KNOW MEANS TO KNOW MY EXPERIENCE! Not intellectually (about Christ) but practically and experientially.
*ILL…A mother ran into the bedroom when she heard her son screaming and found his two year old sister pulling his hair. She gently released her hand and said to him comfortingly, “There, there she didn’t mean it. She doesn’t know that it hurts when she pulls your hair.” The mother was out of the room when she heard the little girl scream. Rushing back into the room she asked, “What happened?” Her son looked up and said, “She knows now!”
- All believers have met Christ but not all believers know Christ.
- All believers know about Christ but yet may not know Him in a personal, close, intimate way.
(2) A PRESENT DETERMINATION
Paul mentions 3 areas that he has a passionate desire to know Christ in.
A. In HIS Resurrection Power
The Power of His Resurrection
B. In HIS Rejected Position
The Fellowship of His Sufferings
C. In HIS Redemptive Passion
Being made conformable to His Death
…I do not have time to night to expound all of these three truths. But I do by the help of the Holy Spirit want to expound the first truth that Paul mentions…THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION! I ask you to give me your heart and allow me to speak to you tonight for the remaining time on…
THE RESURRECTION FACTOR
I. THE FACT OF THE RESURRECTION WE DECLARE
*ILL…A teacher gave her class the assignment to write an essay on the world’s greatest living man. Some wrote about the President, others wrote about members of Congress, some wrote about people in the entertainment business or sports business. One little boy wrote about Jesus Christ. When the teacher received the paper she said, “Son, this is a nice paper but you misunderstood the assignment, you were to write about the world’s greatest living person.” The little boy answered, “But teacher, HE IS ALIVE!”
A. The Fact of His Resurrection
When Paul spoke of the resurrection, he spoke of the POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION! If you had visited the garden tomb the morning of the third day you would have found two different powers at that tomb.
1. The Allied Powers
Religious Power…There was the Pharisees and the Sadducees that exerted their influence to see that the body of Jesus was kept in the tomb.
Civil Power…There was the seal placed on the tomb by the governmental leaders prohibiting and preventing anyone from taking the body of the Lord Jesus. Behind that seal was the power of the Roman government.
Military Power…Soldiers were placed there to make sure that nothing or no one disturbs the tomb.
Satanic Power…You can be sure that the demons of hell danced in the garden in glee. Jesus was dead and in combined force they were going to do all in their power to see that He stated that way.
>THERE WERE ALLIED FORCES OUTSIDE THE TOMB!
2. The ALMIGHTY POWER
But, there was the ALMIGHTY POWER IN THE TOMB. All the powers on the outside of the tomb could not contain, control, and confine the POWER ON THE INSIDE! When the first rays of the sunlight broke through the eastern sky:
UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE
WITH A MIGHTY TRIUMP ORE HIS FOES!
HE AROSE A VICTOR ORE THE DARK DOMAIN
AND HE LIVES FOREVER WITH HIS SAINTS PROCLAIM
HE AROSE, HE AROSE,
JESUS CHRIST AROSE!
II. THE FORCE OF HIS RESURRECTION ON WHICH WE DEPEND
Paul knew the power of the resurrection as a fact…
- Past…he had personal encounter the risen and resurrected Christ on the Damascus Road. Paul did not need resuscitation…he wad dead…HE NEEDED RESURRECTION!
- Promise…he believed that one day he would awakened to the sound of the trumpetat the rapture and experience a resurrection when the dead in Christ are raised from the grave
- Present…But in knowing Christ in a personal way…HE FOUND IT TO BE A FACTOR IN HIS LIFE! As we walked daily with Christ…HE FOUND IT TO BECOME A PERSONAL FACTOR IN HIS LIFE!
*Ephesians 1:18-20
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, [19] And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, [20] Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
…Paul tells us that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that can be experienced in the life of the believer.
*Ephesians 3:20
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
The same power that enabled Jesus to overcome death is the same power that enables the believer to overcome in life.
The same power of a victorious Savior is the same power available to be a victorious saint.
*ILL…Jerry Vines
The average church and the average Christian is bogged down somewhere between Calvary and Pentecost. They have been to Calvary for pardon, but have not been to Pentecost for power!
C. The Folly of the Redeemed
Being a Christian does not exempt us from the reality of life. We still face temptations…we still face problems…we still face crisis...we still struggle. As a matter of fact we still face the flesh.
In Romans 7, Paul discusses this very issue. Paul acknowledged his weakness.
The good he wants to do, he doesn’t have the power to do it.
The bad he doesn’t want to do, he doesn’t have the power to avoid.
It is utterly folly to think that we can overcome temptations, problems, crisis, and struggles in our power alone.
THE GOOD NEWS…is that there is the power of the resurrected Jesus IN your life (ALMIGHTY POWER) to help you over come forces on the outside that are allied against you such as temptations, problems, crisis, and struggles.
>PAUL SAID THAT I MAY KNOW CHRIST…I NEED TO CONTINUAL KNOW THE POWER OF THE RESURECTION TO HELP ME! I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGHTENS ME!
>WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT POWER OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE?
(1) FUNERAL
(2) FAITH
…There must be a daily funeral. Where die to self. We must acknowledge that we do not have the power and strength to face the issues of life and forces that are allied to defeat us. WE MUST TURN TO JESUS!
*Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
- There can be no resurrection until first there has been a crucifixion!
- There can be no empty tomb until first there has been a cross!
…There must be a dedicated faith. We must allow the Lord Jesus who lives in us to sustain and supply for us His power as we face the forces that have allied and aligned to defeat us. We must TRUST the Lord and everyday claim the power of the resurrected Christ.
*ILL…Dr. Stephen Olford
There is no demand that is placed upon my life that is not placed upon the Christ that lives in me when I am fully surrendered to Him!
***Some in this building tonight need to come and kneel and acknowledge to the Lord…I can’t handle it any longer. This is too big for me. I die in this altar tonight to my ability to handle this temptation, this problem, this weakness,this crisis, this struggle.
Dear Lord, I am going to trust you by faith and I am going to allow you to live through me and give me your power to face this problem…temptation…weakness…crisis…struggle. I will not live any longer crushed by fear; I will live comforted by faith!
*ILL…George Muller
Started, built and ran an orphanage for children in Bristol, England. When he started he had 50 cents in his pocket. Muller vowed two things that he would never do…
1. Never asked for help from anyone but God.
2. Never tell his needs to anyone but God.
For over 60 years, he fed, clothed and took care of over 10,000 orphans. God supplied the needs to build and maintain those orphanages for 60 plus years. Someone asked George Muller before his death what was the secret to his success…
THERE WAS A DAY THAT GEORGE MULLER DIED TO HIS OPINIOPNS, PREFERENCES, TASTES, AND WILL.
- Died to the world…its approval and censor
- Died to his friends…there approval or blame
- He sought to live to show himself approved to God and God alone!
…GOD DESIRES THAT THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST BE MORE THAN A FACT THAT YOU DECLARE…HE DESIRES THAT IT BE A FORCE IN YOUR LIFE ON WHICH YOU DEPEND. You can experience the sufficiency of the resurrected Christ at work in your life daily!