If by any means

This morning’s message leading up to the Lord’s Supper will be a bit different.  We’re going to quickly conclude the section in Philippians 3 we’ve been looking at, then head over to 1 Thessalonians.  So, two messages, but hopefully they’ll dovetail.

I invite you first to turn over to Philippians 3, and let’s read vv. 8-11:

⁸ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through [the faithfulness of] Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—¹⁰ that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

For Paul, the highest good is to know Jesus Christ.  Specifically, he wants to know the power of Christ’s Resurrection – that Life out of death resulting in the salvation of the world.  Paul realizes he’ll come to know Christ and His Resurrection power chiefly through sufferings.  And when the sufferings of a Christian are met by faith in the Resurrected Lord, something happens: the Christian’s sufferings become a participation in Christ’s sufferings: he shares His sufferings.  

By faith, your sufferings become Christ’s sufferings.  And, the logic continues: Christ’s sufferings are never unproductive – as you suffer with Christ you become like him in his death.  That is, as Christ’s sufferings all the way unto death were productive for the life of the world, so as those in Christ suffer, and they share in His sufferings, those sufferings are also productive for the life of the world. 

For example, you’re a parent – a parent in Christ – whose child gets in some big trouble.  That’s hard to go through, a type of suffering.  You have some leaning-on-the-flesh options: you could go on the war path for your child – whoever is accusing him is a bad person.  You could curl up in a ball of shame – I knew this was coming, I should have been a better parent…. You could lash out at your child – how could you embarrass me?  How can I ever face these people again?  

Or, you could lean into the suffering and lean into Christ.  Instead of rage or burying your head in the sand or sulking… …. You pray!  You go to the heavenly Father – Abba – you confess shortcomings, breaches of loyalty, transgressions – yours and your son’s.  You pour out your heart to God – your fears, your analysis of the past, etc.  And then – and this would be stupid if Christ didn’t rise from the dead – you ask God that your sufferings become a participation in Christ’s sufferings.  And then that these sufferings -which are now Christ’s sufferings – at least in some small way would become part of the righteousness of God…how God is putting this world to rights.  That, specifically, God would work out His salvation in you – that you would be given wisdom – humbleness, courage, clarity of mind – to do the right thing.  And that through this whole process Jesus Christ would become more real, more valuable, more sturdy to you.  That you would know Christ and the power of His resurrection and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.  

As another example: things have come to a place where there really needs to a difficult conversation between you and a Christian brother.  You could deal with that type of relationship “death” in the flesh: avoidance, bluntness, gossiping, silence with resentment growing, laziness by moving on to other things, considering him as the opposition.  Or you could lean into the weakness!  Suffer in faith.  Focusing on Christ Jesus; glorying in Christ Jesus.  

What would that look like?  Pray, confess your sins, pour out your heart to God.  Ask God that this, your ordeal, would become part of Christ’s sufferings.  Then because they’re Christ’s sufferings, ask that they’d produce life and salvation – righteousness – in some small or big way.  And then you go to your brother, backed by the logic of Christ’s sufferings and Resurrection:

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The career of Christ Jesus ran through death and Resurrection and that career is also the pattern for His people.  For us, the way forward is by glorying in Christ Jesus!  Humility to honor.  Death to life.  The way forward is suffering with Christ, and then experiencing the power of His Resurrection.  

Reminder from the start of this chapter: This rejecting all the various escape hatches of the flesh and instead glorying in Christ Jesus is the mark of the true Circumcision.  Turn to Romans 8:14, and let’s hear Paul in another letter, who says similar things but in different words:  

 ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.  

Brothers and sisters, you will face sufferings of all kinds:  You get bad news about your heart.  You do battle against porn.  You fight for joy in a world of malaise.  You struggle against habits of sloth.  You enter into an awkward conversation to raise the topic of the gospel.  You watch your friends lives move forward with a cool job or marriage or whatever and you’re seemingly stuck in place.  You face scorn from your family for keeping the way of Christ.  A long list of tedious work looms before you.  Especially you’ll suffer through your children.  You are anxious about money.    

The question is not: will I suffer?  Of course you will, you’re a human being.  But: will you suffer with Christ?   Or will you bypass Him, forget about Him, away from Him sulk in some low-energy state, claim you’re with Him but He’s in no way directing you?  

Suffer with Christ or suffer on your own?  That’s not an academic question but gets to the heart of your whole direction in life.  Listen again to Paul in Romans 8: heirs of God and fellow heirs of Christ [we are], provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.  

Not suffering, but suffering with Christ is the signpost that you’re on the road to being glorified with him.  Or, as Paul says back in our Philippians 3 passage – let’s turn back to 3:11:

That by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.  

Taken in isolation and read as from a technical manual, that sentence could sound like Paul is 1) expressing some doubt whether he’ll be on the safe side of the end time Resurrection from the dead.  And 2) that if he is going to make it to the Resurrection, it’ll be because he’s worked hard to attain the Resurrection.  

But I think Paul is not being technical here: he’s saying something like, If the way of suffering with Christ is the way into the Resurrection of the Dead, sign me up, because that’s an event I want to arrive at by any means possible.  

In other words, the Resurrection of the dead is worth the trip, no matter how grueling.  All will encounter some suffering with Christ on the way there, some will encounter great sufferings with Christ.  But, Oh! That day.  Remember what Martin Luther said: I have two days on my calendar: today and that day.  

At that day: A new body!  A place that won’t be taken away.  Work that satisfies and that isn’t subject to futility.  No war or threat of war.  Living in the light of the Presence of God.  No shadows in yourself.  The real you will finally show up.  Healing.  All the grime of sin and disorder and bad faith cleansed away.  A rule, a responsibility that can only be called “glorious.”    

Now would you turn to 1 Thessalonians 2.  And as you do so, I’ll ask Jack and Tom to come forward for the Lord’s Supper

To set up this passage: Paul and friends went to Thessalonica, a city in Greece, to announce the gospel of Christ crucified for the sin of the world and raised up into new life for the life of the world.  Well, some heard this message as a threat to their way of life, and they ran these gospel messengers out of town.  

In this passage, Paul is reflecting on that abrupt departure and says he wants – desperately – to return to his new friends and help them.  As you listen to his words, note how Paul’s expression of hoping to see his friends move from the category of warm and fuzzy to something much more essential:

¹⁷ But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, ¹⁸ because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. ¹⁹ For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? ²⁰ For you are our glory and joy.

3 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, ² and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,³ that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. ⁴ For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. ⁵ For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.

⁶ But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— ⁷ for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. ⁸ For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.⁹ For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, ¹⁰ as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

¹¹ Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, ¹² and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, ¹³ so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

• Paul constantly talks about the second coming of Christ and all the events connected to that, including the Resurrection from the dead.  Oh, brothers and sisters, have faith!  I can’t remind us of this too often: we are a waiting people.  Meaning, in an important sense our real life hasn’t even begun.  It’s at the end of the last book of the Chronicles of Narnia, where this is said: 

“Now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”

If your life is hard now, remember that the real beginning of real life is still in front of you.  If your life is good now, that goodness is only a dim shadow of the real good in front of you.  

• Investment in others for the sake of Christ is what will matter at the end of days.  At the second coming, those who have received our ministry will be our glory and joy.  Bucket lists?  
• Afflictions…sufferings…are part of the landscape of the journey to the Resurrection from the dead.  Don’t be terrified, or dismayed, or discouraged…expect!
• Instead of being the catalyst to bringing life into the world, afflictions can become how the tempter wrecks our faith… so that we never reach the Resurrection of the dead.  Suffering will come… please will you suffer with Christ?  Lean into God!  As you face slight and major sufferings, find it in yourself to just say one word: just say, “Abba.”  
• In the journey filled with afflictions to the Resurrection of the dead, the faith of our fellow Christians is a peculiar source of encouragement.  Lean into the Church!  
• There’s great protection against the tempter and potential for encouragement through faith when Christians are in the presence of Christians.  The inverse is also true.  Don’t spend weeks away from the Body of Christ, away from gatherings.  If you’re away from here, go among believers.  You’re joined to them.  The blood of Christ flows through all of you.  He asked the Father that His disciples be one and His Father gave Him that request.
• In this affliction filled life, lean into love for believers.  There is absolutely no choice to be made between love and holiness.  In fact, at the end of days, it will become clear that love for the brothers and sisters is the very stuff of holiness.  Love isn’t mainly or simply feeling fine around someone.  Love in the Christian context is mainly a commitment to advancing together in a shared understanding of the reality of God.  Together we go toward God.  If I pull ahead in understanding, it’s only to then bring us both up to a better place.  If I say hard things to you now, it’s so will still be together later on.  I’m with you.  I’m for you.  I’m not in competition with you.      
• If Paul is a reliable gauge, you can hardly be too ardent in your love and expressions of love for those in Christ.  But just as we’ll have to learn to express love toward each other, we’ll have to also beware that our expressions do not replace actions.
• Finally, in the Lord’s Supper meal all these things kinda converge: the suffering of Christ for the life of the world, the fellowship of His people in His death, the participation of his people with His life, the encouragement that comes out of the shared life in Christ and with one another.  And all of this – remembering Christ’s sufferings, participating in his death, sharing in His sufferings, intentionally alongside other believers – UNTIL HE COMES.  We are a waiting people.  As we wait, we’ll suffer.  But, lo, we’re waiting together.  Brothers and sisters – this is true of us all: Christ is our past, our present, our future.      

“The Body of Christ, broken for you.”

“The Blood of Christ, shed for you.”  

As you sit there three tasks:

1. Remember Christ’s sufferings
2. Start to pour out your heart to God.  In brief, tell Him of your present suffering or the suffering you see coming down the road.  Ask that you’ll go through it with Christ, that it will become a partnership in his sufferings, that your sufferings, which have become His sufferings, will be – in some slight or not-so-slight way – good for the life of the world, part of how things are made right.  
3. Pray for the person to the right and left of you and ask for his encouragement in Christ.