11 January 2009

Sunday January 11th 2009. Philippians 3 : 1-14. I Press on Towards the Goal.
V 1-6. Watch Out – A Warning.
Paul gives a warning against putting confidence in the flesh.
The way of human achievement. (Wm Barclay.) Paul gives examples from his own previous life.
The issue that the Philippian church was facing was Jewish believers in Jesus saying that to be truly holy, non-Jewish believers should be circumcised. They thought this would lead to greater righteousness and blessing. Their motivation probably was good. Paul turned on them with very strong language.

V 4-6. Paul’s Examples – his former reasons for confidence in the flesh.
1. He was circumcised on the 8th day. He carried the sign of God’s covenant.
2. An Israelite. Racial purity.
3. Of the tribe of Benjamin. Elite – for many reasons.
4. A Hebrew of Hebrews. He spoke Hebrew and so was more “pure.”
5. A Pharisee. He was “a separated one” There were only 6000. A scholar of the law.
6. Zealous. He was highly committed to the cause of persecuting the church.
7. As for legalistic righteousness, faultless. His outward behaviour conformed to the law.
By birth, religious background, education, outward behaviour, status in society and commitment he had a most impressive CV.

V 7-11. Paul’s New Position as a Christian.
The things he used to place such pride in he now considers as rubbish / dung / filth.
Paul now focuses on what he has gained through believing in Jesus – all that has come as a gift from God. His aim is now to know Christ.
1. That I may gain Christ. “The gaining of Christ requires the loss of former things because to be rich in Christ means to be rich in him alone, not in him plus other gains. Grace plus anything cancels out grace.” Terry Virgo.
2. And be found in him. Joined to him. Identified with him.
3. Not having a righteousness of my own – but that which is through faith in Christ. A gift.
4. To know Christ. A personal knowledge / relationship. More than knowing about him.
5. To know the power of his resurrection. Ephesians 1 : 19, 3 : 16. Sounds great!
6. To know the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings. Not so great! (See 2 Cor. 11 – Paul)
“Those who try to do good to souls must not expect to fare better than their master. The Lord Jesus was slandered and rejected by those he came to benefit. There was no error in his teaching. There was no defect in his manner of imparting instruction, yet many hated him and he was called Beelzebub. Few believed him and cared for what he said. Surely we here have no right to be surprised if we, whose best efforts are mingled with much imperfection are treated in the same way as Christ.” J C Ryle. Matthew, p 102.
7. Becoming like him in his death. Paul was in prison facing death.
8. Finally, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. This was in the future – at the return of Christ and Paul was certain of it.

V 12-14. I Press on to Take Hold of That for Which Christ Jesus Took Hold of Me.
Paul did not think that he had arrived. V 12.
Here he presents himself as an athlete – pursuing, overtaking, winning the prize.
He knew that Jesus had broken into his life, taken a hold of him and turned his life around.
Now his goal was to lay hold of “that” – of Jesus himself and of the purpose for which he was called.
We have been taken a hold of by Christ, for Christ, firstly that he might rescue us, save us and bless us. Secondly he has a purpose for us to fulfill, a race for us to run.
It can take some time for us to become aware of how and why Jesus has taken a hold of us
Do you know that he has taken hold of you? Have you been gripped with his purpose for you?

Home Group Discussion and Prayer.
1. What are the sort of things that we in our society today our confidence in? Is there any way that you have regarded yourself as elite? What from your past do you now consider to be rubbish?
2. We all have different strengths and giftings. In which ways do you think our strengths may be transferable from the world to serving the Kingdom of God?
Can out strengths ever be hindrances to serving in the church? How?
3. What does it mean that Christ has taken hold of you? How would you explain this to a new Christian?
4. What are you personally pressing on towards and pursuing this year? Pray for one another about this.

My Story.
I became a Christian in 1977 in London. My first great revelation was of the Fatherhood of God. I experienced his love
1978-1985. I was at Holy Trinity Brompton in London. Excellent expositional (verse by verse, book by book) bible teaching laid into me a foundation of hunger and love of the word of God.
The next great influence on me was John Wimber and the visits of teams from the Vineyard in California to HTB.
Signs and Wonders. John Wimber taught that the healing power of God is for today – and we experienced it. We saw friends being healed and set free. It was the New Testament in action now.
Worship. The other wonderful thing was the intimacy that the Vineyard teams brought in worship. The songs were mainly quiet, expressing love to Jesus and as we entered into worship the presence of God was tangible. He drew near and people’s hearts were touched and opened. I loved it and I still love that sort of worship best of all – to linger in his presence, expressing adoration and love.
Isaiah 61. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is for today. It is God’s heart to restore broken lives and gather people to himself. I was gripped. We caught the edge of a great move of God – life, intimacy, glorious worship, healing, freedom. I was gripped. We have only experienced a little.
Coming into Newfrontiers – 1988. After 3 years in a Baptist church we were led to a Newfrontiers church in Faversham, Kent. Here was the Word and the Spirit both desired, both honoured. We felt that we came “home.”
Full Time Ministry – from 1994.
I quickly learned that hard work and “the latest thing” were not going to build the church. Only the presence and power of God would do.
In 1994 I began to read about the great things that God has done in the past – great outpourings of the Holy Spirit in what is called Revival. I started with Brian Edwards – Revival, A People Saturated With God. Again, I was gripped. What God has done in the past he can do again. I have been since then increasingly gripped with a passion to see God move in revival power.
Habakkuk 3:2, 2:14 I long to see the church built on the word of God and the Spirit of God.
The Vision for Kings Church Perth.
Jesus has taken hold of us so that he can open up wells of the Spirit and to prepare for revival. This church is called to become a well of the Spirit. One of the first scriptures that God kept giving us was Isaiah 43:18-20 and this has been confirmed over the years in different ways, particularly by Julian Adams’ prophecy for me in 2007.
God wants to open up a well of the Holy Spirit here that brings forgiveness, salvation, healing, hope, restoration, freedom and refreshing to us, the people of Perth and wider.
God’s heart is for us to become a dwelling where he can live by his Spirit. Ephesians 2 : 22.
He wants to bless us and make us a blessing to others. All around us are people without hope and without God who are going to hell. God wants to use us in his rescue plan.

Three Key Areas.
1. Worship. Worship is key to this. As we draw near to God in worship, he draws near to us. James 4:8.
His presence comes among us and he begins to speak to us and touch our hearts.
Worship is for him, not us. The Holy Spirit loves to bring glory to Jesus. We need him.
2. Healing. God loves to make people whole – to exchange rags for riches, sorrow for joy. (Is 61)
Becoming whole is a journey. We never fully et there in this life but spiritual, physical and emotional healing are some of the blessings that God has for us on the journey. To minister this healing to one another we need anointing – the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord upon us.
3. The Cost.
1- Vulnerability. We have to be completely dependant on God. That feels uncomfortable.
2- Exposure. The Holy Spirit exposes things in our hearts. He brings revelation and conviction. John 16 :8 and 13. This also makes us vulnerable. We cling to our fig leaves. The Holy Spirit exposes sin and self issues to set us free. He brings up dross. He exposes hurt and pain because he wants to heal us. He is very gracious in his exposure – usually private, revealed to ourselves.
3- Laying down control. Being led by the Holy Spirit as in Acts 13. Man loves to control.
Laying down our own opinions and plans to seek God’s. Laying aside our human strengths and giftings to seek anointing. (Human gifting may of may not be anointed.)
4 - Opposition. The enemy will do everything he can to stop this well being opened up. He does not want to see freedom in worship, power praying, broken lives being mended, Jesus being glorified and the Kingdom of God advance.

To see this well of the Holy Spirit open up is my goal. This is what God has gripped me with.
The “one thing I do” is to press on towards this goal. Robert Duncan. 8th Jan 2009.

Robert Duncan, 24/01/2009