Philippians chapter 3. We barely
got through verse 9 last time, but that's okay. We're no hurry.
And these things are marvelous. Read verses 8 through 16 with
me again. Doubtless, Paul says, I count
all things but loss for the excellency and the knowledge of Christ Jesus,
my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do
count them but done, that I may win Christ and be found in him,
not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which
is of God by faith, that I may know him, and the power of his
resurrection, and the fellowship of his suffering be made conformable
unto his death, if by any mean I might attain unto the resurrection
of the dead." Let's stop right there for the sake of time. There
are seven desires of every true believer, every believer. Every
true believer. These are the seven desires of
every true child of God. Now, first of all, and all of
God's people have these three evidences. Verse three says we
rejoice, we worship God in the spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus. They have no confidence in the
flesh. And on that, in verse 7, Paul
said, there were things that were gained to me that I count
lost for Christ. Paul, as you know, was religious
and very zealous, but he didn't know God. And he met the true
Christ, the true Lord Jesus Christ. He wasn't looking for Him. Paul
found out the truth. That salvation is of the Lord.
His choice, His will, His power, His glory, His honor, His work,
His blood. He found that. And He said, My
religious past was gained to me. There's material, there's
financial gain to be religious. If you put a fish on your sign
out in front of your business. Wesley has an auction service.
If you put a fish on a sign, you get more business. He just
would. That's why people do it. Paul, there's material, there's
financial gain in religion. There's approval, there's favor
of society for being moral. But you come to know and believe
the Lord Jesus Christ, the truth, the God of truth. You come to
know and believe Him and begin to tell people about the true
God, you'll lose business. You'll lose favor. You'll lose
the approval of others. Paul had the favor, the approval,
moving up the religious ladder, as it were. But when he met the
true Christ and began to preach the truth, he was hated. And he lost everything. And he
said, it's loss anyway, it's loss. It's all loss. It was all a waste of time. He
said, my religious path was a waste of time. All that he thought
he knew, all that he'd done for God, a waste of time. It's all for his own glory. And
if God, if Christ had not chosen him and come and revealed himself
to him, Paul would have been one of those that the Lord said
would stand before God in the judgment and say, we've done
many wonderful works in your name. And Paul would have heard
the Lord say, pardon me, you're a worker of iniquity. All right,
verse 8, Paul said, Doubtless I count all things but loss for
the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Every
believer comes to this conclusion. There's
nothing compares to the Lord Jesus Christ. No knowledge. Nothing. And before we saw no beauty in
Him that we desired. Now, seeing Him as altogether
lovely. There's really no beauty or glory
or honor or anything in this world that you really want. And
if you want to see that, Paul says, I have seven desires. See,
Paul says, verse 8, no doubt in my mind, I count all the doubtless. Doubtless. Now, I know, we know
something of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. As far
exceeds, when you see something of the excellence, the knowledge
of Christ, far exceeds any and all so-called knowledge. In fact,
you'll conclude with Paul, hath not God made foolish the wisdom
of this word? There's nothing anybody does
or says that impresses God's people, no. The Lord Jesus Christ, the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. He said, I've suffered
the loss of all things. Verse 8, I have suffered the
loss of all things, but I didn't lose anything, but done. But done. So he says, here's
the first desire. Seventh old desire. First desire
was that I might win Christ. What shall it profit a man if
he gain or win the whole world and lose his soul? But our Lord
said, if you lose your life for my sake in the gospel, you find
it. But he that saves his life in
this world, now that is, this is all that person had, they
lose their life. that I may win Christ. You know,
most people would rather win the lottery than win Christ. Ask yourself that. I'll ask you
a question. If you could win, right now,
ten million dollars, and not know Christ, would you take it? We need to
ask ourselves that, don't we? Scripture talks about the deceitfulness
of riches. There's nothing in Christ deceitful.
It's all true. It's all right. It's all good. It's all eternal. The things
that are seen are what? Temporary. Soap bubble. People
are like little children with trinkets and toys, aren't they?
Things that pass away. Perishing things of clay, born
but for one brief day, pass from my heart away. O Lord Jesus Christ,
you be mine." I said, what did you say? I want to win, I cried.
Our sister Margaret's running for election again. Running up
for election. I told her last week, I tried
to comfort her. I said, Margaret, there's only
one election that really matters. I said, I believe you. I think you've won. You've won
Christ. You've won a God's elect. Oh, that, can you say that? Oh,
that I might win Christ. And be found, secondly, I want
to be found in Him. Verse 9. I want to be found in
Him. Paul's great desire. Be found
in Him. You know what that means. Don't
you? Covered. Hidden. Hide me, oh my Savior,
hide me. When the storm goes over. You remember the story of Adam
and Eve when they were naked and unashamed? They were naked
and they were unashamed. They didn't need a covering,
did they? But when they exercised their free will, that's when
it started. That's what Satan tempted them
to say, you will know good and evil. Why did they need to know
evil? So what do they choose? What
do they choose? What will man choose? Every time. And so will we. Every time. Evil over God. Look at this sparse
little crowd. I'm preaching Christ. The unsearchable riches, the
excellence of Christ. Where are the people? Not interested. But you're here. Maybe you've won Him, what He
won. Be found in Him. I want to be
found in Him. And that day, Paul said in verse
9, not having my own righteousness,
He's covering. You remember Adam and Eve tried
to cover their nakedness with some fig leaves? Oh, how wise
is God's Word, the depth of it, the riches and knowledge of God.
They tried to cover themselves in fig leaves. What does man
say about, you know, you're going to make a change, a turnover?
Well, it's a leaf. All flesh is grass. It withereth
and fadeth like the leaf. The other side is just the same
as one side. It's no good. What plant did
our Lord curse while he was on his third? One plant our Lord
cursed. What was it? A fig tree. That
was by design, wasn't it? No fruit. No fruit. No fruit. Your works, your rights, it'll
damage you. Alright, so God came and spoke
and preached to Adam and Eve. The first sinner. And then he
took a lamb and slew that lamb, shed its precious blood, and
took skins from that lamb. Didn't offer it to him. Did he
say, would you like to have this? Do you feel naked? I want you
to have this. No. What did he do? Kill it.
Put it on. Put it on. That's righteousness
in beauty. That's Christ's. I want to be
found in Him. How are you going to be found
in Him? Can you put yourself in Him?
1 Corinthians 1.30. One more time. Of God are you in Christ. Who of God is made unto us. Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption. You don't want to stand before
God some day pleading anything you have done, anything you are,
or anything you believe, really. Not your faith. All you want
to plead is, God be merciful to me, sinner. Let the blood
of Jesus Christ be propitiation upon myself. On the mercy. That's what Paul said. Remember,
he started us out by saying, I was blameless, righteous. Oh,
but Paul said, I didn't have a clue. He could quote the law,
but he didn't know it. Alright, he said, I want to have
that righteousness which is through the faith, there it is, of Christ. Righteousness of God, that God
provides, By faith. Verse 10. Here's the third thing.
Paul said, I want to know Him. I want to know Him. Listen to
this over in Luke chapter 10. Our Lord said this, all things
are delivered to me of my Father. No man knoweth who the Son is,
but the Father. and who the father is but the
son and he to whom the son will reveal it. No man, nobody knows
God, nobody knows Christ. Christ said that unless he reveals
himself. It's salvation of the Lord. Why
do we say that? Because it's son. Because he
gets the glory. Because if you know him You're
going to be thanking Him to high heaven for revealing Himself
to you, for choosing you. Yes, you are. You'll never get
over it. That He chose me to reveal Himself. Paul didn't. He said, I was injurious,
I was a blasphemer. But God chose me. He revealed His Son
in me. That's what He said, in me. Oh, I want to know Him. But how
much do we know? Brethren, I know what salvation
is. I know where salvation is. I
know in whom salvation is. I know whom I have believed in.
Don't you? But how much do we know Him?
How much do we know Him? If we knew our Lord, just really
a fraction of, just a little bit more than we
know now. We wouldn't have any doubts. We wouldn't have any
fears. We wouldn't have any worries. We wouldn't have, really, if
we really knew it. One time, you know, the Lord
said He was leaving, and all the disciples, oh Lord, show
me the way, and show us the Father, and, you know, help. And our
Lord turned and said, have I been so long time with you, and yet
thou hast not known me. And the same is true of us sinners.
I don't know how many of you, 40 years maybe, some of you more
than that. How much do we know Him? And
if we profess to know Him, why do we have doubts? Why do we
have fears? You say, because I'm such a sinner. That's why He came. That's what
He came for. It's a faithful Savior. Oh, my. Look at the next thing. I want
to know the fellowship of His suffering. Here's the desire
of a believer. The fellowship of His suffering.
I want to enter into a real understanding of what Christ did for me on
Calvary's tree. I want to know something about
that. I know so little, don't you? The fellowship of his suffering. I've been thinking for weeks
now about the blood, the blood, the blood, the blood. Why did
the Lord choose blood? Huh? Doesn't it seem barbaric,
the blood? Why does it have to be blood?
Think about it. It's all the way through this. I'm going to bring a message
on that soon. These ways are pacifying me now. I want to know something about... I'm sorry, I passed over the power
of his resurrection. I'm sorry. Look at that. The power of his resurrection.
Look at Romans 6. Romans chapter 6. In 1 Corinthians 15. Paul said this about the resurrection
of our Lord Jesus Christ. He said, if Christ be not risen,
our preaching is vain. Your faith is vain. You're believing
on a dead person. What? If Christ did not rise
from the grave, he said, if in this life only we have hope in
Christ, we're of all men most miserable. A lot of people out
in the world, you know, Go and do and think, this is your day
off. Why come in here if Christ be
not risen? This is the most worthless thing
ever. But now, Christ is risen. And he goes on to say, and he's
the first fruits of them that slept, by man came death, so
by man came the resurrection, and Adam all died, but in Christ,
If you're in Christ, you'll be made alive. Every man in his
own order. The Lord comes for every man in his own order. The Lord came for your husband,
your husband, various ones came for them. My father came in their
order, and there'll be a time he's coming for us, and death,
whatever. And then there's a time when he's coming for all of us.
And the dead in Christ shall rise. People say, I don't believe
that. Well, I do. And that's why we're here. Why
do you believe that? Because Christ rose. That's right. Look at Romans 6. The power of his resurrection
is that he was raised for our justification, as Scripture says.
And we are raised and quickened and born again, 1 Peter 1 verse
3 says, by the resurrection of our Lord. And this is what that
means also, Romans 6 verse 6. Knowing that our old man is crucified
with Him. And I don't fully understand
this, but I believe it. The body of sin might be destroyed,
henceforth we should not serve sin. He that is dead is freed
from sin. If we be dead with Christ, we
believe we shall also live with him. Knowing that Christ, being
raised from the dead, dieth no more, death hath no more dominion
over him, in that he died, he died unto sin once, but in that
he liveth, he liveth unto God. So reckon yourself dead indeed
unto sin, alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. What's
that mean? Well, that's what Paul said. I want to know. The
power of his resurrection, what does all that mean? The next
thing, the fellowship of his sufferings. I want to enter into
a real understanding of what Christ did for me. 1 Peter 2,
look over there, 1 Peter 2. I really want to know what Christ
did on Calvary's tree for me. I think I know, but I know in
part, I preach in part. But 1 Peter 2 also means there's
a fellowship of suffering that all of God's people go through
for simply believing Christ. We looked at that in Philippians
1, how it's given unto you not only to believe, but to what? Suffer. But his name's there. And there's a consolation, and
there's a comfort, and there's a presence of our Lord for all
who go through that. And I'm ashamed to say, I don't
know a whole lot about that. I know a little bit. You remember
when Peter and, was it, James, you know, John, they had been
beaten for preaching the gospel. Remember that? They had been
beaten. Terribly beaten. And it says, they went on their
way rejoicing. laughing, skipping, hopping,
jumping, as it were. It says they rejoiced that they
had been counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. I think Peter,
I'm quite certain of it, because he denied the Lord the way he
did, and the Lord gave him another opportunity, and he spoke out, and they beat
him, and he said, I'd take another licking for my Lord, what he
did for me. 1 Peter 2 verse 21, For even
hereunto were you called, because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example we should follow. He did no sin, neither
was guile found in his mouth when he was reviled, reviled
not again, but when he suffered. He threatened not, but committed
himself to Him that judges righteousness. Remember our Lord standing before
Pilate, and He spoke not a word. Why? Because He's me, brother, and
He's not going to give me away. He died and took my sins with
Him. Who his own, verse 24, his own
self, here it is, his suffering, bear our sins in his body on
the tree. Why? That we be in dead descent
should live unto righteousness. By whose stripes you were healed. Chapter 3, verse 14, quickly. It says, If you suffer for righteousness
sake, that is, believe in Christ, for contending for Him, for the
truth, happy. Oh, you need to be happy. You need to be happy. So Paul
says, that's my desire, to know something of the fellowship of
His suffering. And in our text, the sixth thing it says is that
I may, verse 10, Chapter 3, verse 10, be made conformable unto
his death. Go back again to Romans 6. I meant to have you stay there.
We just quoted it, but now look at it in reference to this verse. He says, I want to be conformable
unto his death. What does that mean? Here it
is. Romans 6, verse 6. Knowing this, our old man is
crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,
and henceforth we should not serve sin." And here's what Paul
said in Galatians 4. We have another sister in here
that loves these verses. Galatians 6, it says, God forbid
that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. I want to know more about that.
Don't you? It's like Noah, when he went
in that ark, it says he condemned the world, became an heir of
righteousness, and he condemned the world. He told the world,
I'm going in this ark, and I don't want to come out. Crucified with Christ, and by
whom the world is crucified unto me. I want to know something
about that, that the world has no lure for me. In that ark,
was Noah worried about who was next president? Was Noah worried
about whatever, the stock market? It's all the ministry. He knew
that. And Noah said, the one thing
I want for me and my family is to be found in that ark. Crucified
to the world, and the world to me, and everybody passing by
scoffed and mocked and laughed at Noah. What a fool he is. Yeah,
a fool for the ark's sake. He was a fool. When it's all
over, who is the fool? Outside the art, the fool. Inside the art is wise. And the
last thing Paul said was, I want to be attained under the resurrection
of the dead, in our text, verse 11, by any means. I might attain
unto the resurrection of the dead." Now, brethren, you know
what the means are that we attain the resurrection of the dead,
aren't you? You know what the means are if
we have life. Christ said, I am come that they
might have life. The means of our salvation is
Christ and Christ alone. It's God's choice, Christ's blood,
and the Holy Spirit's regenerating work of Him. That's to me. But Paul, what Paul is saying
here is I'm not there yet. Whatever the Lord tells me to
do, like Peter, give diligence to make your calling and election
sure. Come out from among them. If by any means, whatever the
Lord, whatever. I don't want to miss Christ. That's what he said. I don't
want to miss Christ. Here's my heart. Desire. I want to be with God's people
when this thing is all over. I want to be found in Christ.
I want to win Christ. I want to be with Christ. I want
to be with God's people. I want to be with the just. I want to be just. I want to
be righteous. I want to be like Christ. I will
be satisfied, like David said. I will be satisfied when I awake
with His name. And that's what I want. How about
you? And he goes on to say, verse
12, I follow after. I want to finish this another
time. It's too important to pass through
it again. He says, Brethren, this is a
pressing issue. Are those your desires? Seventh-fold
desire? I want to win Christ, be found
in Him, I want to know Him, the power of His resurrection, the
fellowship of His suffering, be conformed to His death and
attain unto the resurrection of man. Is it? I hope so. Okay. Q. I have a question. um so