“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.” Philippians 3:8

When my oldest daughter was about three years old, I would pick her up from preschool and bring her back to the office every week day. We had a little play area at work for kids to hang out until parents were done working. So she would just play in that space until it was time to go home.

One day, as she played and I sat in my office putting finishing touches on my weekend message, I kept hearing this noise coming from the play area. It sounded like someone was tapping on a table with a hard object. So took a little peek to see what she was doing.

Well, she was playing with one of those educational toys that help children learn different shapes. I noticed that she was forcefully trying to put a triangle shape piece in a spot that only a circle piece could fit into. But it wasn’t going. So she kept trying to jam it in but it wouldn’t. So I walk over to her and told her what she had in her hand was a triangle, and it would only fit into the exact space cut out for it.

In the same way, when God created us, He created us with a God shape vacuum that only He alone could fill. God alone can satisfy our deepest longing and desires. Too often we try to force other things into that space, but they either do not fit or they just can’t satisfy completely.

Today is the day to wake up from the stupefying effects of the things of this world. Those things that promise a lot, but fail over and over to satisfy completely. It is the day to count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.

Suffering the loss of all things; and counting it all as garbage is how we gain
Christ. But what does it mean to actually gain Christ?

Gaining Christ:

We gain Eternal Life

John 17:3
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

We gain the Unending, uncompromising Love of God

Romans 8:39
“Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We gain the Whole Measure of the Fullness of Christ

Ephesians 4:13
“Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

We gain the Honor to be called Servants

Philippians 1:1
“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons.”

We gain the Same Power that Raised Christ from the dead live within us

Philippians 3:10
“I want to know Christ–yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”

We gain a Fiery, Relentless, Passionate Pursuit

Philippians 3:12
“Not that I have already obtained all 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.”

We gain Grace and Peace

2 Peter 1:2
“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”

We gain everything we need for life and godliness

2 Peter 1:3
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

We gain the ability to increase, be effective, and productive in everything we do

2 Peter 1:8
“For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We gain Life that is sufficient in quantity and superior in quality

John 10:10

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

We gain the incomparable Glories of Heaven

Romans 8:18

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Conclude:

It starts with a realization that He satisfies completely

Psalm 73:25
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.”

Also, understanding that nothing compares to who He is and what He offers

Jeremiah 9:23
“This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches.”

Also nothing compares to the surpassing worth of knowing Him as Lord and Savior

Philippians 3:8

“”I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

It Ends with an everyday “This ONE THING” attitude

Philippians 3:13

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”

 

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