Philippians 3:10-21

I'm glad that you were here this morning and I'm glad to be here with you.

Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in Philippians chapter 3.

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

Our text for today is Philippians chapter 3 verses 10 through 21.

Philippians 3:10–21

Before I begin reading this morning's text, I have a brief note for our guests.

Many churches this morning will spend extensive time making an apologetic case for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

They will do so because they will be inundated with guests this morning.

And the resurrection of Jesus is the linchpin to a camelline case for the Christian faith.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 19 and 20.

1 Corinthians 15:19

If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Without the resurrection, we have no Christianity.

However, this inundation of guests is not typically the case for us.

Our gatherings most regularly consist of devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

So we think it best to press on in our exposition of the book of Philippians as we have arrived at a text that speaks to the sanctifying implications of the resurrection.

That said, if you have found yourself here this morning, we do not believe that this is an accident and hope.

If you haven't already turned from your sin and thrown yourself on the mercy of God found in the personal work of Jesus Christ, that you will do so today.

If Jesus was not raised from the dead, then he was a liar and a lunatic.

If he was, then he is God.

And we should listen to all that he said and all that was written concerning him in the scripture.

To help you believe that Jesus is God, if you don't find yourself in that position this morning,

there's a little book available out in the book, Nick, called Your Verdict on the Empty Tomb.

It looks like this.

I think there's about a dozen of them out there and they're available for free.

And I would just strongly encourage you to take one and read it.

It won't take you very long to read and see if God doesn't work believing faith in you as a result.

So today, Philippians chapter 3, beginning in verse 10 is our text formally for this morning.

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

But I would like to begin by reading, starting at verse 7.

Let me remind you before I do, beloved, that this is God's word to us, written for his glory and our good.

So we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.

Beginning in verse 7.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of 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.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect,

but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own,

but one thing I do,

forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Let those of us who are mature think this way,

and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.

Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Brothers, join in imitating me

and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

For many of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears

walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Their end is destruction.

Their God is their belly,

and they glory in their shame with minds set on earthly things.

But our citizenship is in heaven,

and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body

by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

If we are to have any hope in this world at all,

it must be a gospel hope.

This world is a terribly wretched and broken place.

If you don't feel this to be true, you just haven't lived very long.

Begin to pay attention to the world around you.

Something is deeply wrong with it.

I think that I feel this especially as a pastor.

Much of what I do is dealing with the brokenness,

the sin ravages of the world in which we live.

And I find that if I'm going to have any motivation for living at all,

it must be rooted in the transforming, resurrected power of Jesus Christ.

My gospel hope has to outbound all of the misery that I experience around me.

So I look for joy in this.

This text is packed full of it,

and we won't have time this morning to look at every one of these phrases.

I really wish we did.

I'd love to keep you here until 2 o'clock this afternoon.

But there would be a mutiny, I'm quite sure.

So we're going to keep the main point of this text in mind,

and I may have to skip over some phrases as we do that together.

But this large, this overarching hope that is out in front of us

is what we are looking to today.

We must have it.

I will say also, as an aside, as a pastor,

I look for tiny joys, right?

This is the large joy.

I need the large joy, the hope of the gospel.

But I look for tiny joys as well.

And alliteration brings me a tiny bit of joy.

And so the outline in advance of our study is as follows.

It's five points, and they alliterate.

Number one, new motivation.

Number two, new memory.

Number three, new mindset.

Number four, new mentors.

And number five, new mediator.

First, let's look at a new motivation.

We can see this in verses 10 and 11.

And we'll spend the majority of our time here

with the other points supporting and building on this one.

We see Paul say in verse 10,

that I may know him and the power of his resurrection

and may share his sufferings,

becoming like him in his death.

Now, he has just begun to address

with these Philippian believers

a heresy that was going around in their day.

And it was common.

He wrote about it to other churches as well.

And we know these people, these teachers,

as the Judaizers.

They were saying, yes, faith in Christ is good,

but you must add to that faith the law.

You must be circumcised specifically

in order to be found righteous before God.

They were suggesting that salvation comes by works.

And Paul does not mince words about this.

He is clear to say, no, no.

Righteousness comes by faith.

And so he uses himself as an example.

He says, if anybody should have any confidence

in the flesh at all, I should.

He uses himself.

I, the Jew of Jews, should have confidence in the flesh.

Who are these men to tell you to have confidence in the flesh?

But then he says that he counts all of that gain,

all the things that would have been

in that Judaic system of benefit to him as loss.

He puts it in a loss column.

And what he puts in the gain column is Christ.

Paul is willing to lose all things.

He now counts them as loss.

Why?

Verse 7 tells us, for the sake of Christ.

And verse 8 tells us, because of the surpassing worth

of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord.

And, in verse 8, in order that I may gain Christ.

Paul wrote in Philippians chapter 1 and verse 21,

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

for to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Because?

More.

Christ.

Here in verse 10, he says,

that I may know him and the power of his resurrection,

and may share his sufferings,

becoming like him in his death,

identified with him in his death.

All of Paul's spiritual fervor has a new motivation.

Christ himself.

And it has a new aim.

He says in verse 11,

that by any means possible,

I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Let's look first at the first part of this verse,

that by any means possible,

I may attain,

or you can think,

arrive at,

the resurrection from the dead.

James Montgomery Boyce,

this is on your bulletin this morning,

said of this text,

Paul wanted to know Jesus in the truest

biblical sense,

personally and experientially.

And he wanted this to affect his day-to-day living.

And so here we find the doctrine of progressive sanctification.

Those who are in Christ will persevere in holiness and be preserved to the end.

If you are saved,

you will grow in Christlikeness until the end,

until your life is over or until the Lord returns.

We are saved by grace alone,

through faith alone,

in Christ alone.

And we are kept by grace alone,

through faith alone,

in Christ alone.

But this saving and this keeping

will be evidenced in our living.

How, after all,

are we to know that we are saved?

How can you know that you are saved?

Should we tie our confidence

to a particular pastor

or ministry

or event?

What does the Bible have to say

about this?

Does it tell us to know that we are in Christ

because we

prayed a prayer

or raised a hand

or walked an aisle?

No.

A thousand times no.

The scripture does not say this.

Although many in our day

do.

Listen to the teaching

of the apostles.

John in 1 John chapter 5.

1 John 5 · chapter mention

Everyone who believes

that Jesus is the Christ

has been born of God.

And everyone who loves the Father

loves whoever has been born

of Him.

So if you're in Christ,

you're going to love the church.

By this we know

that we love the children of God

when we love God

and obey

His commandments.

For this is the love of God

that we keep

His commandments.

And His commandments

are not

burdensome.

God, by the power of His Spirit,

makes us new creations.

Sets us on a different trajectory.

Not a trajectory of rebellion

against His good commands,

but one of grateful obedience

to them.

Peter,

the Apostle Peter,

after a list of divine qualities

found in 2 Peter chapter 1,

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

says in verse 10,

Therefore,

brothers,

be all the more diligent

to confirm

your calling and election.

For if you practice

these qualities,

you will never

fall.

So he's saying,

look at your life.

Examine it.

Be sure that it's exemplifying

these things.

Be diligent

in this practice

to confirm

your calling and election.

And Paul in Philippians chapter 2,

Philippians 2:12

verse 12 and 13,

says,

Therefore, my beloved,

as you have always obeyed,

so now,

not only as in my presence,

but much more in my absence,

work out your own salvation

with fear

and trembling.

For it is God

who works in you

both to will

and to work

for His good pleasure.

So if God is in you,

these efforts to obey

will be rewarded

with obedience.

We'll be able to see that,

yes, in fact,

I am growing in grace.

And finally,

if you just say,

well, those are the apostles,

I hope you don't do that

with the scripture,

but just in case you do,

some people only want

to listen to red letters,

so here they are.

Jesus in Matthew chapter 7,

Matthew 7:17

verse 17 and 18,

says,

So every healthy tree

bears good fruit,

but the diseased tree

bears bad fruit.

A healthy tree

cannot bear bad fruit,

nor can a diseased tree

bear good fruit.

And in John chapter 14

John 14 · chapter mention

and verse 15,

he says,

If you love me,

you will keep

my commandments.

Now, we must be so careful

at this point.

No one is suggesting

that we are saved

by our works.

None of us are perfect.

I have a confidence

that I am redeemed.

I can see that God

works mightily in my life,

but I am far

from perfect.

But the trajectory

of my life,

the graph,

if I were able to graph

holiness day to day,

would trend

toward holiness.

It's got its ups

and it's got its downs,

but it would trend

toward holiness.

We cannot be saved

by our works.

We will never be good enough

to meet God's standard

because God's standard

is perfection.

Every one of us,

every person

who has ever lived

has fallen short

of perfection.

We are saved

by grace alone,

through faith alone,

in Christ alone.

And any holiness

we possess

is because of God.

It's divine

because we are kept

by grace alone,

through faith alone,

in Christ alone.

Let's not lose sight

as Paul's going to talk

about attaining

and striving

that he stated

in Philippians 3,

Philippians 3:9

verse 9,

which I read

as part of the intro

to today's text,

that he would be found

in Christ,

not having a righteousness

of his own

that comes from the law,

but that which comes

through faith

in Christ,

the righteousness

from God

that depends

on faith.

Reese referenced earlier,

Martin,

last week,

Martin Luther

called this

an alien righteousness,

a righteousness

from outside

given to us

by God.

We are saved

by grace alone,

through faith alone,

in Christ alone,

and we are kept

by grace alone,

through faith alone,

in Christ alone,

but this saving

and this keeping

will be evidenced

in our living.

This is what Paul

is talking about.

Showing himself

to be in Christ

to the very end.

And, beloved,

the way of Christ

is the way of suffering.

We will give up

every advantage

that this world

has to offer

for the sake

of Christ

in order to know

him

and be known

by him.

Why would someone

do

such a thing?

It's divine.

It's supernatural.

God gives us

a new

motivation.

He

recreates us

as we

were meant

to be.

To be in fellowship

with him

in this life

and

forevermore.

this is so

important

to understand

for your Christian

living.

So that,

by any means

possible,

I may attain

the resurrection

of the dead.

One day,

those who are in Christ

will have

resurrection

bodies.

We are saved,

soul and body.

And the work

of redemption

is not fully complete

until we are

transformed

transformed to be

like Christ.

Embodied.

The embodied

Christ

will be like

him with

resurrection

bodies.

In Romans

Romans 8:23

chapter 8,

verse 23

and 24,

Paul stated

that we

wait eagerly

for the redemption

of our bodies.

And he adds,

for in this

hope

we were saved.

saved.

This is also

called

glorification.

We run

across those

texts from

time to

time.

Paul wrote

further in

Romans chapter

Romans 8 · chapter mention

8,

this is

verse 30,

and those

whom he

predestined

he also

called.

Those whom

he called

he also

justified,

and those

whom he

justified

he also

glorified.

Because

you're saved,

if you're

in Christ,

there's a

future

guarantee

that you

will have

a resurrected

body.

You will

be glorified,

set free

from the

bondage of

sin

forever.

Wayne

Grudeman's

seminal

work,

Systematic

Theology,

defines

glorification

this way.

Glorification

is the

final step

in the

application

of redemption.

It will

happen when

Christ returns

and raises

from the

dead the

bodies of

all believers

for all

time who

have died,

and reunites

them with

their souls,

and changes

the bodies

of all

believers

who remain

alive,

thereby giving

all believers

at the same

time perfect

resurrection

bodies like

his own.

So you see,

glorification is

Paul's new

motivation.

It's the

thing that he

is looking

forward to,

this wonderful

forever state

of freedom

from the

death of

sin in the

presence of

our Savior.

We will

experience Christ

more fully

than we

could possibly

experience

him here

and now

because we

will be

freed from

sin forever.

The

resurrection of

Jesus Christ

guaranteed for

all who are

in Christ a

resurrection and

future hope.

What a

wonderful truth.

I will close

this point with

one further

scripture reading

which makes

the point a

bit further.

Romans chapter

Romans 6:1–6

6 verses 1

through 6.

Paul says,

What shall we

say then?

Are we to

continue in

sin that

grace may

abound?

By no

means.

How can

we who

died to

sin still

live in

it?

Do you

not know

that all

of us who

have been

baptized into

Christ Jesus

were baptized

into his

death?

We were

buried

therefore with

him by

baptism into

death in

order that

just as

Christ was

raised from

the dead by

the glory of

the Father we

too might

walk in

newness of

life.

For if we

have been

united with

him in a

death like

his we

shall certainly

be united

with him in

a resurrection

like his.

We know

that our old

self was

crucified with

him in

order that

the body

of sin

might be

brought to

nothing so

that we

would no

longer be

enslaved to

sin.

If you

are in

Christ the

resurrection of

Christ is a

foundation for

a new

motivation.

Secondly,

new memory.

We see this in

verses 12

through 14.

Paul says

not that I've

already obtained

this or I'm

already perfect.

Right?

He's being very

clear.

We haven't

reached sinlessness.

He's saying as

an apostle I've

not reached

sinlessness but I

press on to

make it my

own because

Christ Jesus

has made me

his own.

Right?

grateful

obedience.

A response

to the grace

of God to

him in

Christ.

Verse 13.

Brothers, I do

not consider

that I've

made it my

own but

one thing

I do

forgetting

what lies

behind and

straining

forward to

what lies

ahead.

I press

on toward

the goal

for the

prize of

the upward

call of

God in

Christ Jesus.

Paul's

sanctification

depends on

a reorientation

of his

memory.

You see that

he's going to

apply a

great deal

of effort.

He's

forgetting and

he's straining

and he's

pressing towards

this goal.

The upward

call of God

in Christ

Jesus.

The

resurrection

of his

body.

He states

that in his

effort to

attain the

resurrection

from the

dead,

he is

forgetting

what lies

behind.

What's he

referring to

there?

I think he

means all

the things

that he

thought were

his game

that he

has now

countered at

his loss

right back

in verses

five through

six of the

chapter.

I think he's

referring to

all of those

things but I

also think

that he is

referring more

broadly to

a sin

because he

is forgetting.

He hasn't

just forgotten

but it says

forgetting and

this is one of

those wonderful

places where

the English

nails it

right on

the head.

The original

Greek word

for this

is in the

present tense

which means

it's active

and it's

incomplete.

So he's

continually

forgetting.

He's forgetting

and he's

forgetting

and he's

forgetting

and he's

forgetting

as he's

straining

and pressing.

The power

of the gospel

has set us

free from

bondage to

present and

future sin

and it has

set us free

from the guilt

of past

sin.

Remember that

Paul was a

persecutor of

the church.

He mentions

this in

verse 6.

He stood

over the

execution of

Stephen the

very first

Christian

martyr.

A highly

psychologized

version of

Christianity

would give

Paul a

free pass

to be

forlorn

and

listness.

Would just

say like

oh we get

it.

You were

that guy

that put

Stephen to

death.

You got a

lot of

baggage you're

carrying around

with us.

We're not

going to

expect much

of you.

But he

says he's

forgetting what

lies behind

and straining

forward to

what lies

ahead.

Now as

Paul's stating

that he's

forgotten

everything as

as he's had

a brain

wipe on

his encounter

with Christ

he got his

brain zipped

out.

Absolutely

not.

He's still

a human

man who

had memories.

We're going

to have

memories but

I suggest

that the

prominent

thought of

the past

was what

Christ had

done to

deliver him

from his

sin.

That as

he considered

his past

when he

calls himself

the worst

of sinners

why?

So that

God could

show his

great mercy

in Christ.

As he

thought about

his past

what he

remembers is

what Christ

did for

him.

How unworthy

he is but

what Christ

has done.

Which is why

I'm suggesting

that Paul

had a

new

memory.

He knew

that the

past had

no bearing

on his

future

because Jesus

had paid

the penalty

for sin

and confirmed

his redemption

by being

raised

from the

dead.

Beloved,

I wonder

how many

of you

live in

the past

would suggest

in some

way that

Jesus'

death was

not enough

for your

sin.

That he

needs to

come back

down from

heaven and

get back

up on the

cross to

complete that

work.

That you

fail functionally

to believe

that when

Jesus says

it is

finished,

it really

is

finished.

Your past

sin has

been expunged

as has

your present

and your

future.

Jesus died

for you.

He died

for every

sin that

you have

ever or

will ever

commit.

Praise be

to God.

When we

think about

the past,

our minds

ought to be

set on what

Jesus has

done.

And,

thirdly,

we should

have a new

mindset.

This is

related, I

understand.

One maybe

is the

negative, the

other the

positive.

Verses 15

and 16,

he says,

let those

of us who

are mature

think this

way.

Which way

is he

talking about?

Right?

This forgetting

what lies

behind and

straining

forward to

what lies

ahead.

And he

says that

this is a

mark of

Christian

maturity.

The

mature

think this

way.

A

functionally

active belief

in the

gospel of

Jesus Christ

will evidence

itself in

the day

to day

of one

who is

growing in

their

understanding

of all

that the

gospel means

for them.

It affects

every iota

of our

life.

I just got a

text message and

flipped it away and

lost my place in my

notes.

So give me a

second.

UPS just

text me.

So thanks

UPS.

my package

arrived.

You guys will

all be glad to

hear that.

Man, I

really lost.

Oh, here we

are.

Okay, here we

go.

Good.

Hey, back

on track.

Let me say

that again because

I lost my

mindset.

A functionally

active belief in

the gospel of

Jesus Christ will

evident itself in

the day-to-day of

one who is

growing in their

understanding of

all that the

gospel means for

them.

It'll inform

everything, right?

This ought to be

our mindset.

Our knee-jerk

reaction to our

sin as we press

on toward the

goal for the

prize of the

upward call of

God in Christ

Jesus should be

repentance and

faith, right?

Forgetting and

straining.

Often with

counselees, I use

an example of

running a race,

right?

Paul uses this

kind of language.

And we're running

a race and sin in

our life causes us

to stumble and we

fall, right?

We skin up our

knees, look at the

children sometimes,

their noses, right?

They don't catch

themselves that way.

We're just all

shredded by the

texture of the

track.

And instead of

getting up and

continuing to run

because the race

has been assured,

right?

We will finish

the race.

We sit on the

track and we

cry.

Oh, woe is

me.

I fell down.

Get up and run.

That's what I say.

Yes, you fell.

Yes, you fell.

Recognize that you

fell.

Repent and

believe.

Forget and

strain forward.

You may be

familiar with this

quote from

Pastor John

Piper, but I

think it's so

good at this

point.

He says, I

hear so many

Christians murmuring

about their

imperfections and

their failures and

their addictions and

their shortcomings,

and I see so

little war.

Murmur,

murmur,

murmur.

Why am I this

way?

Make war.

If you wonder

how to make

war go to

the manual,

don't just

bellyache about

your failures.

Make war.

That's what Paul

is talking about

here.

Pressing on,

putting behind,

and straining

forward.

It should be the

knee-jerk reaction.

And a lot of

people will ask

me, but aren't

we supposed to

feel something

when we sin?

I'd say, yes,

absolutely you

should.

Well, how much

and for how

long?

I would say

only as much

as it takes to

get you back to

the cross of

Christ.

Let that sorrow

drive you to the

cross of Christ.

Forget.

Remember what

he has done and

press on.

How do we make

war?

By having this

mindset.

Paul wrote in

Romans chapter 12

Romans 12:2

verse 2.

Do not be

conformed to

this world,

but be

transformed by

the renewal

of your mind.

This ought to

be the way we

think.

The mature

will think

in this way.

And Paul is

so sure of

the importance

of this

mindset that

he encourages

the immature

that God

will mature

them.

He's going

to build

you so that

you'll think

in this way.

To stay

this course.

And he

says,

only let

us hold

true to

what we

have

attained.

He's saying,

but you have

attained some

maturity.

So continue to

walk in

that.

If we're going

to do this

well,

fourthly,

we need new

mentors.

Verses 17

through 19.

Paul says,

brothers,

join in

imitating

me and

keep your

eyes on

those who

walk

according to

the example

you have

in us.

God created

us for

fellowship.

We are

easily

influenced

and need

good

influences

in our

lives.

Just think

for a moment

about how

easily

influenced

you are.

A simple

matter,

I have a

brother-in-law

who's

British.

And I

have no

part of

me,

I mean,

maybe

somewhere in

my,

like,

generations

ago past

was British,

but if I

spend a bit

of time

around him,

I start

to use

words I

don't use

normally.

If you

ever have

me call

you mate,

it's probably

because I've

been hanging

out with

my brother-in-law

and you can

just go,

yeah,

okay,

right?

We pick

up things

from people.

So if we're

going to follow

after Christ

this way,

if we're

going to

attain this

resurrection

from the

dead,

we're going

to need

good

influence

in our

lives.

Paul is

not specific

about the

good example,

but we can

infer that the

example you

have in us

is found in

the pressing

on toward

the goal

for the prize

of the

upper call

of God

in Christ

Jesus.

Surround

yourself by

people doing

that,

right?

Straining

forward,

right?

Pressing for

holiness,

right?

Looking to

please the

Lord.

God

we can

also

infer

that's

the

opposite

of

the

bad

example

that

he

lists

out

in

some

detail

here.

People

whose

end is

destruction.

Their God

is their

belly,

meaning they

serve all

of their

appetites,

and he

doesn't just

mean food

appetites,

but all of

the lusts

of the

world,

and they

glory,

they're proud

in things

that ought

to be

to their

shame.

their

minds

are set

on

earthly

things,

right?

They're

concerned

about

the

temporal,

they're

concerned

about

the

now,

instead

of being

concerned

about

the

eternal.

You

need to

get

yourself

around

people

who are

thinking

heavenward,

always

thinking,

how is

this

life

best

spent

for

that

life,

that

forever

life?

And I

can tell

you now

that if

you live

this way

and you

think

in this

way,

you're

going to

be laying

down

your

life,

you're

going to

be

suffering

the

loss

of

all

things,

you

are

going

to

be

uncomfortable

in

this

world

for

the

sake

of

the

next.

And Paul

exhorts us

to be

cautious

about

these

kind

of

people,

right?

Mind set

on

earthly

things,

right?

We're

to avoid

them,

but I

want

to

note

that

he

does

it

with

heartbreak.

He's

not just

dismissive

to

them,

but he

does it

with

heartbreak.

He says

with

tears

they

walk

as

enemies

of the

cross

of

Christ.

Fifth

and

lastly,

we

need

and in

Christ

we

have

a

new

mediator.

The

last

two

verses

of our

text.

But our

citizenship,

we're not

those who

are going

to be

destroyed.

Our

end

is not

destruction.

Our

citizenship

is in

heaven,

and from

it we

await

a

Savior,

the

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

We

will

transform

our

lowly

body

to be

like

his

glorious

body

by the

power

that

enables

him

even

to

subject

all

things

to

himself.

We

have a

resurrected

Savior,

the Lord

Jesus

Christ.

He

is

ascended

to the

right

hand

of

God

the

Father

where

he

rules

over

all

things.

Right?

Paul

mentions

that here

in

verse

21,

by the

power

that

enables

him

even

to

subject

all

things

to

himself.

!

Or as

our

catechism

question

this

morning

said,

interceding

for us.

God

the

Father

is

pleased

with

us

if

we

are

in

Christ.

Further,

he

has

given

us

his

good

word

and

he

has

sent

us

his

spirit.

We

have

the

word

of

Christ

to

lead

us

in

the

truth

and

empower

us

in

holiness.

What

a

confidence

we

should

have

because

Jesus

is

alive.

One

wonderful

day

he

will

return

for

the

citizens

of

his

kingdom

and

will

transform

our

lowly

bodies

to be

like

his

glorious

body.

So let

me ask

you in

closing

this

Easter

Sunday

do

you

have

new

motivation

new

memory

new

mindset

new

mentors

and a

new

mediator?

Do

you have

future

hope

in the

resurrection

of your

body?

Do

you have

hope

in this

life

and

the

life

to

come?

You

can

because

Jesus

is

alive.

Let's

pray

together.