CHRIST is everything! Philippians 3 Ever

CHRIST is everything!
Philippians 3

Everything is a loss compared to knowing CHRIST, v8.
Because Christ is everything!

Gain has become an important part of the Church’s ministry ethos and strategy. If only this was in the Western Church alone. But I see this on every continent.
A church struggling to attract numbers does everything it can to bring people through its doors. Getting people into the building becomes a great achievement. The danger is that the church gives up the gospel for games in order to gain people. Some of the best Christian entertainment businesses are the churches, catering from babies to the elderly.

“If you come to this church you’ll get …”

We pamper to the needs of the masses – we supply what they need. We christen, wed, bury them and along the way sell them church.

After they attend for a while, they are dumbfounded to hear the church talk about sacrificial giving and serious commitment.

We hope they may say, “I came here for the music and what the church could offer my children, but because I’ve met God, I will now give up my rights and wants, I will deny myself”

Sadly, so many say “That’s not what I came here for – I’m going somewhere else, the church across the road better suits my needs.” Or “I’ve done church now, bye”

Churches are not car showrooms enticing people to buy their products. People still need to come the way of the old rugged cross.

In 1738, evangelist George Whitefield preached a sermon titled ‘The Almost Christian’. He contrasted ‘almost Christians’ with ‘altogether Christians’. “Tell them of the necessity of mortification, fasting and self-denial and it is as difficult for them to hear as if you were to bid them cut off a right hand or pluck out a right eye.”

In every century the church has faced this struggle with the element that want to gain from Christ and not lose all things for Him.

Christ is everything and to have Him is to lose everything.