Oakbrook Evangelical Free Church

Introduction:

High Achievers…

Sean Tucker

Michael Gullian

200 hours practicing

Paul Bowen, Air to Air – Pictures on 800 magazine covers

John Felthous – Maj, USAR, 307^th Medical Group

Cana Ivy – hair design, specializing in color

Bruce Kennedy, Quest Aircraft Company – Kodiac

High achievers!

“I have achieved about everything I dreamed of doing and I have been rewarded for it. My problem is that I don’t know how to have fun and enjoy all these things hard work has brought me. I can’t remember the last time I laughed – I mean really laughed. I suppose I need to work harder at being happy.”

Possible to have earthly rewards but not inner peace on the soul level.

I. Reason for Confidence

Philippians 3:4-6 “though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for 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; as to the law, a Pharisee; “as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless.” ESV

Matthew 16:26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?” ESV

Luke 12:16-21 “And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, “and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ “And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. “And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”” ESV

II. Encountered Christ and Had A Major Shift in Thinking

Philippians 3:7-11 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing value 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 “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

In a TV commercial by one credit card company Capital One, a couple is making a purchase in a shopping center. When the clerk tells how much it will cost, the woman says she will pay the bill with her credit card. Suddenly hordes of barbarians begin surging into the store. They run down the store aisles yelling, with weapons drawn, toward the couple making the credit card purchase. The point of the ad is that making yourself liable to the finance charges on credit cards is like bringing on the barbarians. One quick scene in the ad gives us a spiritual metaphor. As the barbarians charge past one store clerk at the perfume counter, she sprays perfume on them.

Perfume is powerful especially when used on men. But trying to civilize a horde of bloodthirsty barbarians, to get rid of their foul aroma, with a few squirts of perfume, is what we are doing when we hope to transform sinners by squirting them with religion. Religion cannot change the barbarian at the heart of every person. Only a relationship with Christ brings the soul conversion that changes a sinner into a saint.

Anne Rice, whom the media has called the Queen of the Occult, has sold millions of novels about vampires and witches. Several of her books have also been made into movies, even starring Hollywood big-shots like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. But since a near-death experience in 1998, Anne has had a change of heart—she’s turned to Christ.

In 2005, she stunned her fans by declaring, “I promised from now on that I will only write for the Lord.” Her November 2005 release, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, portrays Jesus as a 7-year-old, and the veteran author worked painstakingly to avoid contradicting Scripture in her interpretation of Jesus’ life.

The book was released in November 2005, and as of December 7, 2005, it remained on the New York Times bestsellers list at #8. In the afterword of Christ the Lord, Rice summarizes what she has found in Jesus, calling him “the ultimate supernatural hero” and “the ultimate immortal of them all.”

In an interview with Christianity Today in December of 2005, Rice said, “Christianity achieved what it did because Jesus rose from the dead.”

III. New Values

Philippians 3:8-10 “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 “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” ESV

A. New Treasure – The greatness of knowing Christ

Is there a difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone?

Know about Julie Clarke

Saw Julie Clarke

But have never been introduced to Julie Clarke much less know her.

Experience during EAA: At Kermit Weeks hanger – 2 dogs

Flew commercially for 27 years. A captain for Northwest Airlines would satisfy one’s desire to be up in the air. Not so for Julie Clark! After delivering business travelers and vacationers safely to their destination you will find Julie taking her love of aviation to new height in her T-34 Mentor “Free Spirit” (N134JC) or her yellow T-28 “Top Banana” (N128JC).

Julie’s father, Ernie Clark, was an airline pilot and her inspiration for becoming a pilot. After a few trips with her father she realized what airplanes did and how they flew. Early in her childhood she made a decision that aviation would be a major part of her life. By the time she was in grade school she was reading all she could read about aviation, especially military aviation. There wasn’t an airplane Julie could not identify. Life soon became difficult for Julie. At age 14 her mother died and at age 15 she was orphaned with the tragic death of her father. In 1964, before today’s airline security measures were even thought of, a deranged passenger entered the open cockpit and shot her father and the co-pilot causing the airliner to crash, killing all on board.

Mixing brains with beauty, Julie was crowned San Carlos High School Homecoming queen in 1964. In 1966 she was crowned Miss San Carlos.

She has been a AirShow Performer for many years; 20-25 shows a year and she has a dog named Bernie.

Is not this difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone the same as the difference between having religion and having a relationship?

Knowing about Christ

~ Do you believe in Christmas?

~ Do you believe in Good Friday?

~ Do you believe in Easter?

Knowing Christ

John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” ESV

Romans 10:13 “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” ESV

Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” ESV

Matthew 7:22-23 “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ “And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” ESV

Is the relationship deal one way? How does God interact with us? Do we just talk to him and he doesn’t respond in a way we can hear him?

Psalm 81:8-14 “Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me! “There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. ““But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. “So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. “Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! “I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.” ESV

He loves us too.

We need His direction and comfort in our lives.

He knows we need comfort and reassurance.

He wants us to know Him.

Galatians 4:9 “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God…” ESV

How did God speak in the Bible?

~ He spoke directly to people – today through the Holy Spirit.

I take it that He still speaks to us through the Holy Spirit.

“My sheep hear my voice and they follow me.”

~ He spoke in dreams

I’ve personally experienced this but would strongly caution to be careful about making too much of dreams. Rare but possible.

~ He spoke through His written Word – the primary way today.

Ps 119:9, 11

Joshua 1:7-8 “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” ESV

~ God spoke through people

Samuel to David.

~ Through divinely orchestrated circumstances

1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” ESV

B. New Desire

“that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship (koinovia = soul sharing) of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, “that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” ESV

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

Hope

C. New Direction

Television and movie actor Alan Alda wrote a book titled Never Have Your Dog Stuffed. In an interview, he explained the significance of the title:

I was 8 years old. My father was trying to stop me from sobbing because we were burying the dog, so he said, “Maybe we should have him stuffed.” We kept it on the porch, and deliverymen were afraid to make deliveries.

There are a lot of ways we stuff the dog, trying to avoid change, hanging on to a moment that’s passed.

LHWYS – Steve Saint’s way of signing a book

“Everyone has a story. Everyone’s life is a story.

Most people don’t know how to read their life in a way that reveals their story. They miss the deeper meaning of their life and they have little sense of how God has written their story to reveal Himself and his own story.” Dan Allender, To Be Told

Four premises:

1. God is not merely the Creator of our life. He is also the Author of our life. God writes the story of my life to make something known about himself. If my life is just for me alone, I am self-absorbed and my life is dull. But if I live my life for Someone more important than me and I have given Him my life and my dreams, let go of everything for Him, even am willing to step out in faith and risk it all even to the point of suffering then His story is being written in my life. It will reveal Him and there will be a touch of glory to my life.

2. Neither your life nor mine is a series of random scenes that pile up like shoes in a closet. We don’t have to clear out our old stories to make room for new ones. They all tie together. You and I need to discover the meaning of what God has written and is writing in our life stories. Your life has meaning and purpose. Let go of the past. But know that God was there and at work writing His story.

3. When I study and understand my life story, I can then join God as a coauthor. I don’t have to settle for being a reader of my life. God calls me to join Him and participate in writing my future. He asks me to take the only life I will ever be given and shape it in the direction he outlines for me.

These verses here essentially say that.

Philippians 3:12-14 “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” ESV

Paul is consciously, intentionally looking for the story God is writing in his life and he wants to enthusiastically join God in writing the story He has planned for him. He is searching for the God story of his life.

Note: Paul seems totally engaged and filled with hope. His face is trued squarely toward the future. And he seems to be facing it without fear and with the peace of God.

Assignment in Ukraine small groups - Draw a “life map”

Your personal story, highs, lows, events, bright spots, dark spots.

What is your name? Where were your born? Family history

What are the themes of our story? We are so busy we don’t stop to think about these.

What is the message God has been writing in your life?

Did you know that one day God will give you a new name? I didn’t but had it pointed out to me.

When you are thinking private thoughts what is the name

you fear God might give you?

On your great days what name do you hope God will give you?

Revelation 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’” ESV

We are between two names: the one we have and the one we will get.

And we live in the in-between time. Who we are and who we will be.

The norms of the world press in on us and try to write its story in us.

Our family and friends, our work associates push and pull all wanting to have some role in shaping our story.

Sometimes good…sometimes bad.

And in the process we can end up living someone else’s life

instead of our own.

In addition, we all stumble and fall. It is so easy to take a

step off the path of God’s intended story in our lives.

I think these verses are about

1). Letting go of the baggage and shadows and sins of ourselves and others. There is always tragedy and tension in every life. Things we could have done differently or should have done differently if we knew then what we know now.

Was you heart right? Then there should be no regrets

If not, have you confessed your sin? Have you sought restitution

2). I think these verses are about looking for the themes and message God is writing in your life.

3). I think these verses are about asking God to help you set goals for your life because you want to “LHWYS”

4. Dan’s fourth premise is that it is necessary and it will be a blessing to tell our story to others. Your story has power and meaning that others need to hear. If you love the Author of your story then you must embrace and love the story His is writing in your life. And you must tell it to others.

That is exactly what Paul is doing here!

Past, present, future.

Beginning, middle, present.

BC / Christ / AC