At a Glance
Series: Simply Jesus
Scripture: Philippians 3:4-14, Philippians 3:7-9, Philippians 3:10-11, Philippians 3:12-14
Summary: Jesus Wants to Give You a Purpose to Live For is a sermon outline centered on Philippians 3:4-14. Welcome to church on Easter Sunday!! We are a stressed out, anxious, depressed society. Why?
Source: Adapted from Brandon Cox sermon outline notes from 2016. Transcript, audio, and video files were not used for this draft.
Review labels: clean
Sermon Notes
This resource draft preserves the outline movement of the source file and is staged for Brandon review before any public update.
Extracted Outline
Jesus Wants to Give You a Purpose to Live For
Simply Jesus, Part 4
Welcome to church on Easter Sunday!!
We are a stressed out, anxious, depressed society. Why?
• We're trying to impress people.
• We're trying to be good enough.
• We're living without the power of God.
TRUTH: You will never be fulfilled in your pursuit of pleasure, possessions, or prestige because God made you for more. He has a Kingdom purpose for your life!
The STORY of Paul…
Paul had "all of that." He was rich, religious, and respected by a lot of people. He had power and prestige.
Philippians 3:4-14 NLT
4 Though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! 5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
Then, Paul met Jesus, and suddenly none of that stuff was fulfilling anymore…
Philippians 3:7-9 NLT
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
TRUTH: Trying to have enough and to be good enough leads to frustration and anxiety. Trusting that through Christ, God will make you good enough by grace leads to fulfillment and peace.
BIG QUESTION: For what (or for Whom) are you living your life?
Here's what Paul discovered about living for God's purposes instead of his own…
Philippians 3:10-11 NLT
10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
FOUR REASONS TO LIVE…
1. Live for knowing Jesus.
2. Live to experience the power of God.
3. Live to grow through suffering.
4. Live for what lies beyond this world.
And here's a bit of relief…
You get to forget about everything else and simply pursue God's eternal purposes!
Philippians 3:12-14 NLT
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.