GAINING CHRIST

Indeed, 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 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8-11 ESV)

            Paul addresses one of the greatest blessings in following Jesus: Knowing the power of Christ’s resurrection. What does it take to fully attain this level of revelation?

            The average believer makes knowing Jesus a far too casual effort. Many mistake a mere introduction to Him as a full realization of Him. Have they become satisfied with just a little knowledge on account of the cost involved?

The meaning

            Gaining Christ means developing a relationship in which Jesus becomes the pre-eminent power in and over you, as well as everything associated with you. Paul had a noble religious background, was highly educated by one of the best scholars of Judaism, demonstrated unparalleled zeal for God, and showed flawless outward righteousness based on perfect standards. Yet Paul wanted to gain Christ in order to be found not having a righteousness of his own.

            People struggle constantly with a human tendency to take delight in their own form of virtue. They often try to experience the fullness of God by offering the worthless coupons of self-righteousness.

            The moment a person establishes a self-created standard of superior living, even such honorable yet sometimes pharisaic behavior as church attendance, benevolence, and the avoidance of evil, a wedge is driven between them and Jesus until correct drives, motivations and ambitions takeover.

            Gaining Christ means becoming completely enmeshed with Him. There can be no intimate encounter with Jesus while having the least bit of independence from Him. This is the perpetual battleground, and the reason for a snail-pace growth in spiritual formation.

            Some mistakenly revert back to religious pathways, beginning right and ending wrong. They begin in the Spirit yet attempt to finish in the flesh. Gaining Christ is not a once-for-all act and is also in constant motion, requiring walking in the Sprit daily.

Experiencing the fullness of God

            “I want to know Christ” can never happen until Jesus masterfully rules your life, involving complete identification with Him. By connecting to the sufferings experienced by Christ and becoming like Him in the crucifixion, then the manifested power seen when Jesus came back from the dead is personally witnessed. Yet when unwilling to undergo the prerequisites, you fail to experience resurrection power.

            Naturally, people make every effort to avoid and escape agony. Yet resurrection, the mightiest manifestation of omnipotence, cannot be demonstrated or fully embraced apart from the fertile soil found in the valley of death. No wonder many end up short of the fullness of God.

            Followers of Jesus are not masochist, yet the sorrow exemplified by Christ is necessary for resurrection. There must be a dying to self, which occurs on the roadway of grief, to flow in resurrection power.

Resurrection Today

            After serving as a staff pastor for a couple of fantastic preachers, my wife and I came to realize the time had come to experience our first solo flight. Shortly afterwards inquiries started to come asking of our availability.

            We visited a church located in a different State. The town had nice amenities, the church facility was newly built, the congregation was theologically solid and the finances were stable. We received a strong vote from the membership and an invitation to become their next pastor. Yet I sensed in my heart we were not to take the assignment. Both the congregation and State superintendent were disappointed, yet understanding and kind. We felt sad but knew we did the right thing.

            We visited another church within the State where we resided. The town was nice, the church was in good repair, the congregation was pleasant and the finances were okay. The congregation was meeting later in the week to consider our candidacy. While driving across the State to our home, my wife and I knew we were not supposed to be their next pastor. I called them and asked them to remove our name from consideration. We could not accept, if selected.

            We received a phone call from a church in Minnesota. We were not familiar with the culture or the climate of the State. We went to visit the church. The town seemed to have many nice features and the church building was located on a major thoroughfare. The facility, however, was on the verge of collapse.
            The structure was built in the latter part of the Great Depression using materials more readily affordable and available, some being second-grade or used lumber, bricks, and siding. Repairs were imperative. Paint was peeling off the siding, the roof was sagging, the shingles were cracked and water was constantly soaking the floors in the lower part of the basement. The lawn also had the most beautiful crop of dandelions my wife and I had ever seen. 

            A few people in the small congregation had some questionable beliefs but, overall, the members were amiable. Their theology appeared to lack solidity, showing slight shades of heresy. The finances were minimal. The congregation invited us to come and I sensed the Lord say, “Do it!” I became their next pastor.

            As is my natural inclination, I began to delve into the history of the church. The church had a roller-coaster past, averaging between 40 to 70 people for 40 years. The auditorium had a seating capacity of 95. I also discovered the average stay of a minister was two years, one only stayed nine months yet another made it to seven years. I eventually found out that pastors throughout the State considered the church a “preacher killer,” some leaving the ministry shortly after serving there.

            During one of our numerous conversations in the first year at this assignment I told my wife, “You know, if someone would ride this bucking bronco long enough I think it could be tamed.”

            The church was running 70 when we arrived but within six weeks was down to 40. Some did not like the message of Christ as presented from the pulpit and made a big splash while leaving. Ridiculous accusations were made and there was no lack of crazy rumors spreading throughout town about us, out of which a bazaar sense of humor evolved. The Proverb was proven true: “Laughter doth good like a medicine.”

            Although I was continually adjusting and hopefully improving my methods, attempting to make them less bothersome to people, I knew my theology was solid and could not alter the message. We said our goodbyes as kindly as possible to those leaving and were thankful for members who continued to support this inexperienced lead pastor.

            The whole journey was act of faith, including personal income. The deacons had devised a plan for providing a paycheck for the pastor. After determining what was weekly needed for upkeep and utilities, the rest of the offering was divided with 30% going to the pastor and 70% to the general fund. Some weeks gave little or no income. I was literally forced to learn how to take up an offering, encouraging people to be faithful givers, and never missed an opportunity.

            As a military veteran I still had some unused GI Bill funds available. For two years I attended a state university as a part-time student, pursuing an additional degree in business and finance. My first degree laid a good theological base but a weak administrative foundation. The additional funds from the GI Bill helped us survive financially and opened many doors of opportunity.

            The culture was radically different than anything we had ever experienced. My wife and I had a lot to learn. The customs were foreign. The store names were foreign. The product brands and various merchandise were foreign. The interests and topics of conversation were foreign. The mannerisms and traditions were foreign. We felt like foreign missionaries living in the different country. Other out-of-State pastors living in the region shared similar feelings. Regular fellowship and bonding with them was very helpful.

            The climate and weather was shocking. We knew cold but had never experienced frigid. The temperature went below freezing in November and below zero in January. Temperatures returned above zero in February and above freezing in April.
            Snow never melted in the winter but became coated with dirt, blowing about by frequently strong winds. Beautiful white snow took on an ugly gray appearance. We called it snirt. When the winds stopped the temperatures would dangerously plummet. Lungs could freeze without the nose and mouth covered.

            Most of the United States measures snow in inches, but Minnesota measures in feet. An eight-foot drift was in our driveway on five separate occasions in our last February at this location. Eventually there were no more places to put the snow while shoveling. A church member whose farm was close to town came with his tractor, having a gigantic snow blower attached. He blew the snow over the roof from the front to the back of the house, reducing the risk of further drifts blocking our entranceway.

            The summer months were often humid and suffocating. Sweat literally dripped off my nose onto my plate while sitting at the kitchen table for supper, and the mosquitoes were so big that wood ticks could hang off their legs. I often wondered if people enjoyed the environment or considered it a worthy opponent to overcome.

            By our third year finances stabilized and a solid growth pattern, though minimal, started to develop. Needed facility repairs and corrections were well underway, smiling faces were seen in the auditorium and a livable paycheck was provided for us. By the end of the fourth year the deacons approached me and said, “Pastor, you have been working hard, so we took action to increase your percentage of the offering to 40%.”

            Suddenly, the windows of heaven burst opened. I really do not know what happened, what made the difference. Was it a response for responsible members taking on a new mindset, a mindset of generosity? Was it a response to their desire so see their pastor and his family adequately cared for, embracing Paul’s comment about not muzzling “the ox while he is threshing…” (1 Corinthians 9:9-15)? Was it a response to their venture of faith to trust God in greater measure for the church finances? It was as if the Lord said, “I think this little band of believers warrants a special blessing.”
            Explosive growth occurred, impacting every age group. Pews became spaced 30 inches from each other with the first roll just eight feet away from the platform. Folding chairs were added to the back of the auditorium. People came 15 minutes early to the services to get a seat. Those coming late were handed a folding chair and sat in the aisles. (Obviously, the Fire Marshall did not attend the church.) Two children programs were added in different parts of the basement, as well as regular nursery care. The church grew to 175.

            The offerings skyrocketed. My wife and I became uncomfortable with the size of our personal income and secretively arranged for the Treasurer to divert some of our revenue to the building fund. The Deacons excitingly commented at our monthly meetings about the growing balance, while the Treasurer looked at me with a slight smile. They and several others started to give to the building fund, as well.

            For the next 52 straight weeks, at least one person decided to become a Christ follower in a Sunday morning service, and during the same 52 weeks at least one person yielded to the supernatural enduement of power from the Holy Spirit during a Sunday evening service. In my years of ministry, this had never occurred before or since. Excitement constantly reverberated throughout the entire congregation.

            At the end of our fifth year the Lord directed us to a different assignment. The church members we left proved to be some of the cream of the crop in the region. We love them dearly to this day.
            After we left, the congregation bought property closer to the University campus and eventually built a new facility. Praise the Lord!

            My Minnesota experience became my unaccredited doctoral program – solidifying my theology, strengthening my preaching, developing my inward grit, honing my administration skills, and affirming my divine calling. And one of the happiest moments of our lives came while living there; the birth of our fourth and final child, completing and crowning (the meaning of his name) our home.

            So why the story? One of the most profound lessons came while on my knees during one of my daily morning times at the church altar. Near the end of my fifth year I was reflecting on the goodness of God and the many gracious people now attending the church. I sensed the Lord speaking to my heart in a clear voice, “Not only did Jesus have to die for the Church but someone must be a crucible for the local church, and that someone is usually the pastor. If a church leader is unwilling to walk in the all-encompassing footsteps of Jesus, their church will never witness resurrection power.”

            Since then, I have been a guest speaker in several churches and often ask someone, in casual conversation, to tell me their story. Sooner or later attention is given to a person who served as a crucible, usually the pastor but sometimes a deacon or prominent church member. To date, I have yet to hear the story of a vibrant and alive church that did not have a crucible.

When you pray

            Many followers of Jesus began the first full week of this new year spending extra time in prayer, some privately and others with one another. The essence of all of Paul’s prayers is “I want to know Him!” All other petitions are simply facets of this earnest plea. To know Jesus is to partake in the very life of God. And to know the power of His resurrection involves tasting His sufferings. The results? Abundance!

        Presently, across America, churches need to change, having lost and needing to regain an unadulterated sense of her mission. Pastors, it is going to cost! Are you willing to fulfill your calling so the Church can fulfill her assignment? With an undying love for Jesus and a passion to present to Him a spotless Bride, gain Christ and witness resurrection power!