Aspiring To Significance

    “My dear brothers and sisters, I love you and want to see you. You bring me joy and make me proud of you, so stand strong in the Lord as I have told you.”     Philippians 4:1 NCV

     Remember when you were young, pretending to be someone you admired?  A baseball player, football player, Charlie’s Angels, a singer, or movie star?  The reason we did this is because we wanted to be like them.  Before and after his conversion to Jesus Christ, Paul was a man used by God who was extremely successful and powerful.  Sometimes we learn by modeling others.

Read:  Philippians 3:1-21    

I.  v.4-6  Who Was Paul ?

*  Paul was alive at the same time as Jesus, perhaps a little younger

*  Paul and Jesus were living in Jerusalem at the same time

*  however, he was an enemy of Jesus-  and the most feared man

    among Christians because of his persecution of the believers

*  God had better plans for Paul:

            Acts 9:1-6  a light from heaven surrounded Paul

            Galatians 2:20  his conversion was fully authentic- complete

*  now in Jesus Christ, he became a changed man-  new motives

II.  v.7-14  Paul’s New Ambition

*  I believe God worked through and used Paul for His purpose

*  he became a very effective church planter and missionary

*  v.8 & 10  being good enough will not get you to heaven-

*  being broken absolutely will

*  Christianity is not about religion- it’s all about a relationship

*  v.12-16  Paul’s ambition was to grow in the knowledge of Christ

*  Paul had to let go of the past

*  we also have to stop hitting the  rewind button- the tape is erased

*  look forward to the joy and blessings ahead of us everyday!

*  you share CHRIST BY IMITATING  CHRIST

*  Christ has not only taken a hold of us to encourage us to grow to

   become more like Him, He also wants us to serve like He served !

*  let’s aspire to significance in His heavenly ways