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Try Harder, Part Two

The dream for AA started in 1930 and by 1941 this dream became a national movement that included men and women from all socio-economic backgrounds. By 1945 this movement became a rapidly growing international movement. As early as 1986 electronic bulletin boards, precursors to the internet are being used and national conferences with attendance of 45,000 are happening. The founder of this movement was listed in Time Magazines 100 Heroes and Icons of the last century. Today there are 114,000 groups in 180 countries with a membership of over 2,000,000. They did this without any outside donations, funded completely by themselves with no member eligible to contribute over $3,000. How did they do this? Because they understood one thing, “We are powerless, dependent upon a higher power for victory and that in order to achieve victory in life we must turn our lives over to God.”

These maybe the first three principles of AA, but they didn’t start with Bill W. or Dr. Bob. They started with Jesus Christ. I’m afraid that in this regard they have mastered something that most churches completely fail to understand. We say, “Try harder.” They say, “Give up – give it to God.” They got it right, we missed it.

1. The world wants you to do more.

• The world in which Paul found himself was no difference. They said, “Work harder to be righteous.” Particularly in circumcision – the mark of belonging. Some believers falsely confused the mark of the Old Testament with the new. (3:1-11)
  • Paul says, “It is those who worship in the Spirit of God.” If you have the Spirit then you have the circumcision of the heart. (See Romans 2:29, Deuteronomy 30:6)
  • Paul could attack this idea about righteousness because he had not only tried it, but succeeded at the works game. He could talk about these accomplishments because he had them and he knew they meant nothing.
  • What was it that eclipsed his righteousness? Jesus’ Christ and his work
• Play harder to be fulfilled (3:17-19)
  • God is their “belly.” This word is used for appetite and for heart. It is the seat and source of desire both for satisfying your appetite and your sexuality. This is the source of what we might today call lust. This word is also a very physical word, describing the mid section of your body in the Greek. It is used by Paul elsewhere to describe the body that is perishing. Combine these two images and you see that what following your belly or your lusts lead to. Gluttony and destruction – both spiritually and physically.
  • “Glory is in their shame,” These two words glory and shame are complete opposites, they’re antonyms and normally one does not glory in shame. The only exception I can think of is reality TV where you have a bunch of people living and competing together – talking trash, living trash and celebrating trash.

2. Christ wants you to be his. (3:12-16)

• At first you would be tempted to think that this passage is about trying harder, but that’s if you miss “Christ has made me his own”
• In the NASB this is translated as, “Christ has laid hold” of me. It is an aggressive word – attack, seize, overpower…all are synonyms.
• Don’t you see, Christ has done the work! It takes no effort to be dead nor does it take any effort to be overpowered.

3. You must work to be.

• Paul realizes that there’s some work in giving up. Verse 13 for instance, reveals that there is some work in forgetting, we talked a little bit about this when we talked about guilt. We must forget the past and move one. Will power doesn’t win, surrender does.
• Jesus says that we must lay ourselves down, daily. Luke 9:23 states, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
  • AA says it like this, “We don’t give up drinking for the rest of our life, just not today. If I want a drink I’ll put it off until tomorrow.”
  • Lamentations 3:22-24, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
  • The hard part is in giving up!

“Victory Through Surrender”

Try Harder

We all can be like Wally sometimes, especially in America where a little hard work and deep thought can solve anything.  But, it doesn’t always work – working harder.  Sometimes our best bet is to throw in the towel and try again, try something else, or just let it go.  Sometimes the only way to win, is to loose.  Sound confusing?  It sounded just as confusing 2,000 years ago when Jesus said, “If you want to find your life you should loose it.”  Sunday we’ll finish our sermon series “Out Of Order” and look at this last answer that’s broken, “Try Harder.”  I encourage you to read Philippians 3 and pray through that passage.  Ask God to reveal any area in your life that you just can’t seem to win (if you even need help) – just don’t dwell on it too long.  Bring that failure Sunday and let’s explore why sometimes the only way to win is too loose.

1. We are commanded to help each other live righteously. (1-6)

• It is a dangerous enterprise, this is why Paul admonishes us saying, “Take care that you yourselves are not tempted.” The devil will use your compassion against you, which is why you must constantly monitor yourself and your heart. Ask, “How can I best help?” “How can I avoid being brought down with this person?”
• We must carry each other without neglecting our own spirit. Verse 3-4, “Cause for pride(NRSV)” “boasting in regard to himself alone, and in regard to another(NASB).” NIV is the clearest, “he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else.” Pride here is a positive thing, Paul wants you to look at your life and be pleased with how God is working in you.

TS – Question: How can we do this if we are putting on facades, masks and faking our spirituality? Answer: We can’t.

2. We must know each others’ needs in order to do this. (7-9)

• James 5:16, “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.”
  • Healing takes place in community and in cooperation. No one goes to the doctor and won’t reveal their symptoms. Likewise, no one can come to church and expect to be ministered to without some level of transparency. I dare say you control how much blessing you receive by how open you are!
  • Confession is the tool that turns the ground of our hearts, breaking the roots of evil and allowing God’s word to find a place to grow.
• We sow and reap by our actions and in this passage’s context particularly through our actions of care for each other. One of the best ways to sow righteousness is to plant righteousness in others that has grown up in you. Plant righteousness in your neighbors, children, and spouse then watch God’s righteousness grow.

TS – But this can all be thwarted by pride and propriety, “Decency of Spirit” is simply a mask.

3. You rob yourself and your neighbor of a Spiritual blessing when your pride prevents their help! (10)

• We must work for each other. That starts here in our own families, in our own church and in the church worldwide.
• When your pride get’s in the way it’s not just to your detriment, it’s to ours. When you remain closed you rob us of the blessing of caring for you!
• We must minister from our own brokenness to do this. It’s been said that, “You can impress people from a distance, but you can only influence people who are close.”

Conclusion -

How are you? How’s your spiritual garden? Is it dry and full of weeds, then allow confession to cultivate it and make a place fit for God.

One of the best ways to open up and receive blessing is to join the church. It identifies you to our family here as someone committed to this church and it identifies you as part of our family – a part that needs caring for.

Some of you have by now figured out that the “theme song” to the new sermon series, (played in our fantastic intro clip made by Franklin Wiggins) is Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.”  Coldplay is not a “Christian Band” and has been pretty tight lipped about the meaning of this song.  Some of the lyrics however are fascinating and very insightful into church history.  While some would disagree with me, this song I believe is about the rise and fall of Christendom particularly under the power of the medieval papacy.  What makes it so appropriate is the historical nature of a very “broken answer.”  During the time of medieval Christendom the church became distracted from it’s purpose of spreading salvation to ruling the world.  The answer to more godliness they thought was to legislate behavior – instead of transforming hearts and minds.  This “legal answer” was grossly abused and used to justify all sorts of horrible atrocities (the crusades for example).  This answer was so broken that it brought about arguably the largest church split in all history.  I’ve included a link so you can watch the video in its entirety here and contemplate the lyrics for yourself.

::Click here to link to the full “Viva La Vida” video by Coldplay::