The Surpassing Value of Knowing Christ Jesus

"I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." 
- Philippians 3:8

Saul was Paul's name before he became a Christian.  Saul was an achiever.  Saul tried hard.  Saul did well for himself.  He had attained rank and status; a man of influence.  He was on top of the religious community.  He was one of those people that others looked at and said, "He is a success.  He has made something of himself." 

Saul was a man of zeal and passion, almost fanatical, and his passion got specifically channeled in a couple of ways:  
            First, this new blasphemous sect that had sprung up who called themselves followers of Jesus the Christ had to be dealt with, and apparently Saul was the man.  The Books of Acts, chapter 9 tells that his mission was to round up the followers of The Way, as Christians were sometimes called, and bring them back to Jerusalem bound in chains, both men and women.  It doesn't say, but presumably children must have been displaced too. 

             Second, Saul was considered righteous under the law.  Saul was a Pharisee, and apparently not merely a Pharisee but the genuine article.  He describes himself as "blameless."  What that means is that as far as the external demands of the religious law went, Saul's scorecard was nearly perfect.

 Saul was a man of passion and zeal, an achiever, and he had carved out quite a little niche for himself.

 But yet he gave it all up!  He walked away from his hard earned niche, and he was just as passionate about walking away from his niche as he had been passionate for it not long before.  Listen to him: "Whatever gains I had," he declared, "I count as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ."  He goes on, "I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…"

 Loss!   Rubbish!   Why the dramatic change?  What happened to Saul that precipitated such an improbable and remarkable transformation?   How does it happen that an enemy of the church and Jesus Christ becomes the church's greatest defender? How is it that a man who had and gained so much regards it all as "rubbish?"  What can possibly account for such a value shift?

 I hope you know the story of Saul's conversion of the road to Damascus.  To understand Paul you must have a sense of his conversion experience. 

 In those days Saul was on his way to Damascus traveling from Jerusalem and commissioned by the high priest to round up as many of these followers of Jesus as he could and bring them back for trial and punishment.  As he was traveling, suddenly a light flashed from the sky.  He fell to the ground and a voice said, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"   Stunned and overwhelmed he asked, "Who are you?"  The voice answered, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." 

 Totally blinded by the light in the sky, he was led to the city by traveling companions. For three days he was in the dark until finally a Christian named Ananias laid his hands on him and his sight returned.  He believed in Jesus and was baptized.  To everyone's amazement he began preaching the gospel everywhere.  He is so transformed, and his witness is so powerful that his former allies plot to kill him. Eventually he became known as Paul.

 Later, Paul teamed up with another follower named Barnabus, and they literally traversed the Mediterranean world spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ - and it was tough.  They endured many trials, tribulations and hardships.   It was not a pretty picture. 

 Paul describes his experiences in 2 Corinthians 11, "Five times I have received… forty lashes minus one; three times beaten with rods.  Once I received a stoning.  Three times I was shipwrecked.  For a night and day I was adrift at sea; frequently in danger from rivers,  bandits, my own people, the Gentiles; danger in the city, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked." - 2 Corinthians 11:24-27

 Again my question, "Why would Paul willingly give up a life of power, prestige and privilege to live a life of such hardship and pain?"  Was it merely that he had an astounding vision on the road to Damascus?  For sure that most certainly helped get him going, but I don't believe there is any vision in the world that could have sustained him for the rest of his life; sustained him through all the suffering he had to endure for the sake of his faith in Jesus Christ.  There had to be, and there was.

 Paul tells in our epistle for today, "I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ."    As much as Saul had gained in his first life; as much as Saul had achieved; as much as Saul had acquired power and influence in his community, he gained so much more in "knowing Christ Jesus."

 Up until that fateful day on the road to Damascus everything Saul had ever accomplished he had done by his own power, strength, intelligence and exercise of his will.  Even his religion was all about him; consisting pretty much of what he had done; what he had accomplished; what he had gained - and until he got to know Jesus Christ it evidently had been enough.   But when he "came to know" the Lord Jesus Christ, the former things were but "rubbish" in comparison.

 My dear friends, it's like falling in love.  You may know how it can go.  Life may just be perking along; things are going pretty well; life is sweet - and then you fall in love!  Or maybe things are not going so well and your life is filled with hardship and trouble - and then you fall in love.  If you've had the experience you know what I am talking about.  When you are swept off your feet in love, nothing else much matters. In fact, all the things that were so important before no longer seem so important any more.  Priorities change; life changes; you change.  "You may even count everything else as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing" and loving the one with whom you are in love.

 We could say that Paul found himself in love; or perhaps caught up in love.    

-          Whereas in his former life his religion consisted of a set of endless merit badges he had to earn to gain God's favor, on that road to Damascus he discovered he was loved profoundly and unconditionally by the very one he was persecuting - the Lord Jesus Christ. 
CAUGHT UP IN LOVE  

-          Whereas in his former life everything depended on him for life and salvation, he discovered on the road to Damascus, God in Jesus Christ had already done everything for him. 
CAUGHT UP IN LOVE

-           Whereas in his former life he was never really at peace with God, he discovered that God in Jesus Christ had already made peace with him. 
CAUGHT UP IN LOVE

-          Whereas in his former life he inflicted pain upon others, in his new life he was willing to take pain and hardship into himself for the sake of his Lord Jesus Christ, who took the pain of the cross for him.
CAUGHT UP IN LOVE 

-          Whereas in his former life God was a stern taskmaster who pushed a hard bargain, in his new life he discovered the joy of a God who cherish him and desired to bless him.
CAUGHT UP IN LOVE 

-          Whereas in his former life, the only life he knew was what he could gain for himself, he described his new life in Galatians 2:20 by saying, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but who Christ who lives in me." 
CAUGHT UP IN LOVE

Paul never lost his passion and zeal - that remained.  But his focus changed.  He ceased being a bad news persecutor of the church and he became a good news proclaimer of the gospel of: 

-          the good news of God's  awesome love in Jesus Christ.

-          the good news that sins are forgiven.

-          the good news of a God who knew him; and a Lord whom he got to know, not just with his head, but also with his heart. 

-          The good news that the life God offers in Jesus Christ so far surpasses any life that he could invoke by his own achievements the only way he could describe it was to say, "I regard everything as loss (rubbish) because of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord."

You and I will probably never be blinded by a great light, struck blind, or perhaps hear an audible voice from God.  After all we are Lutherans!  And even if we did we'd probably find a way to minimize it or explain it away.

 But you do have a life. Perhaps you've tried hard.  Perhaps you've attained or achieved; or perhaps you perceived you've failed; maybe life is difficult right now for any number of reasons.  Whatever!

The point is that no matter where you are, or how you feel, or what's going on there is a life available to you that contains nothing less than the very power and love of God.  It is the life of knowing Jesus Christ.  ALLOW YOURSELF TO GET CAUGHT UP IN GOD'S LOVE.   It's a life like none other.  It's a life we do not live for ourselves, but a life that he lives through us for the sake of others.  And like falling in love it can sweep you off you feet, so much so, that all you can say is, "I regard everything as loss (rubbish) because of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord."