Scripture: Philippians 3: 1:11

January 4, 2004

Rev. John W. Fowler

The season of “epiphany” is known as ordinary time. It is the time between the Advent, where for four weeks we prepare our hearts to celebrate the Incarnation — Christ being born in Bethlehem — and between Lent, the six weeks that we prepare to celebrate the Risen Christ, the empty tomb. Epiphany is especially a time when we are quiet, and prayerful, and thoughtful as we seek to know God’s will for our lives in the new year. The Apostle Paul, writing from house arrest, a letter to the Philippians in the third chapter, says it this way:

Patricia Heaton has made it as an actress now but she struggled for years. She is now on “Everybody Loves Raymond”, I think for some eight years. But it took a long tie before she actually made a living as an actress. She grew up in a good Catholic family, strong faith family. Her mother died when she was only twelve years old, but she took that upbringing, and took it to New York. She drifted away from the Church, as many young adults do. But after she moved to West Hollywood in her late twenties or early thirties, she came back to the faith, came back to the Church. She said she had an epiphany on a mission trip. Her Church went down to Mexico to help build an orphanage. For the week or more she spent among very poor people there, she certainly wasn’t the star of the show; she was learning about being a servant. She was learning about what really matters in life — caring for people. She discovered a peace that she hadn’t known in a long time. She said, “I was totally set free from this need to ‘make it’ as an actress. I learned there is something far more important.”

It’s a New Year. What epiphanies does God have in store for you? What spiritual discoveries would He like for you to receive?

The Apostle Paul had a great spiritual epiphany that he writes about in the third chapter of his letter to the Philippians. Amazingly, again he is in prison, but it is a letter filled with joy. “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say ‘Rejoice’” — is all throughout this book. Why is that? Because Paul has learned that no matter what else goes on in life, knowing Christ is what gives joy. Knowing Christ is what counts the most. And he points out, as far as having a great life, he had it, as far as most people realized. He says it this way:

Paul had risen to great heights in Judaism. He had what everything thought was a godly life. But he was on the road to Damascus when he was going to arrest those who were persecuting the Church and he heard a voice; he saw a great light….

"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" He met Jesus Christ. He had a life changing epiphany, a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ.

In his book, Laugh Again, about Philippians, Chuck Swindoll talks about a man in his sixties, a man who, as he says, grew up in a family that was very serious. The motto was to work very hard and everyone bought into it and they felt that if you worked hard enough you would achieve whatever you wanted to achieve, and for the most part he did, and the rest of his family did. But as he was in his sixties he said, “You know, though, I’ve missed something. I don’t know how to relax. I don’t know how to enjoy that which I have acquired with all my hard work.” In his sixties, and somehow he has missed joy.

Rick Warren, in the great book, The Purpose Driven Live, says that we make goals; we dream dreams; we are determined. That’s how you lose weight, isn’t it? You have to set goals. You have to do some kind of lifestyle change: exercise more, eat less. It’s tough, and it will work. But, oftentimes we miss God’s plan by starting with ourselves. Rick Warren says we need to start with God. We need to start with, “He is our creator. He is the one who has given us life.” Or as Paul, when he wrote to the Ephesians said, .

You were created with a purpose in mind, and when we take the time to discover that purpose we don’t spend a life just working hard, seeking to achieve, as good as that is. We spend time knowing that the greatest thing in life is knowing God, knowing His will, following Him.

John Wesley had an epiphany on May 24, 1738. This Anglican priest, former missionary to Georgia, had worked hard all of his life. He was very religious. But when he went to this prayer meeting, very reluctantly, he felt his heart strangely warmed. What happened to him? Instead of having a distant, very formal relationship with God, he had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. He still worked hard, plenty hard after that, but there was a change in his life. He knew Christ. He knew Christ loved him and he loved Him in return.

How do we know Him? How do we know Him in the New Year? The apostle Paul shares four ways in this text.

First of all he says that I want to know Christ. The Covenant Service John Wesley thought was a great idea is because we need to have a time to renew our vows. If you want to know Christ this year, it first begins with wanting to, letting Him know you want to know Him, and He will guide you in devotional life; He will guide you in being faithful. The first step is, we really do want to know Him.

Secondly, I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. We know the power of His resurrection, not only that we don’t fear death — we have an eternal perspective — but we view as positive, for me to live as Christ; to die is gain, for it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. (Tape interruption)

WESLEY’S COVENANT SERVICE