Does Your Life Count?

turn your Bibles to Philippians chapter 4 Philippians chapter 4 we're going to continue our series on deposit these things but before we do I want to recognize that we have a number of former families here today and also some of our college students back as well and I just want to be able to welcome them home to Ohana and so if you're a former member or if you're a college student just returning uh from college if you stand up right now so everybody can see you uh we'd appreciate that and it's good to have these folks back with us as well and I know there's also one downstairs also and so be sure to greet them they're long lost family you may not have known them when they were here but they

are part of your family one of those long lost uncles and aunts that you have um we're going to continue our series on deposit these things Philippians chapter 4 and verses 7-9 it says in the peace of God which passes all understanding she'll keep your hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus finally Brethren what sort of things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are good report if they're be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of Peace shall be with you I want to challenge

you by the way as we go through this series to memorize Philippians chapter 4 and verses 7-9 uh you'll get that much more out of the series and it'll be a blessing to you as you you hide God's word in your heart but as we talked about last week the the word at the end of verse number eight it says to think on these things in the Greek language is an accounting term and it can literally be literally can translated to deposit these things you know if you have a checking account which most of us do or a savings account in the bank uh you can't take money out unless you put money in now the account is free to set up you can go down to about any bank here in Hawaii and you can set up account for

free and and that's a picture of salvation Salvation is free the gift of God and you can set up your account with heaven to deposit your soul for eternal life with God through Jesus Christ and so that account is free salvation is free but yet the Bible tells us in Ephesians 28:9 for by grace are you saved through faith and not of yourselves it's the gift of God not of works let they men most that's salvation but verse 10 says for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus onto good works in case you haven't figured this out yet and I've met a few people that haven't figured this out in order to take money out of your account you got to put money into your account it's not just a magical

thing where money shows up there you've got to put money into it and even though we're Saved By Faith through Grace and it's not of works but once we're saved then we need to make deposits into our spiritual life if we want to draw on the peace and the power of God and so we need to be making deposits and what we're going to going to do in this series is we're going to look at each of these things that we need to deposit things that are true and things that are honest and write down that list but before we do I I want to make sure of something because I do know we have some Marines here today as well and I want to make sure that you can count without having to take your shoes off all right

uh that you can count so I want you to turn back to Philippians chapter 3 Philippians chapter 3 and beginning with verse number s Philippians chapter 3 and verse number 7 but what things were're gain to me those I counted loss for Christ Y doubtless and I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but D that I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousness which is of god by faith that I may know him and the power of His Resurrection The Fellowship of his sufferings being made

conformable unto his death if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the Dead not as though it already attained either we're already perfect but I follow after that I may apprehend that for which I'm also apprehended of Christ Jesus Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of High Calling of God in Christ Jesus and that word that word count in verse number 13 Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind reaching forth on those things which are before

that word count is the same word in the Greek language as the word think in Philippians CH 4: 19 I I I I brethen I count not myself to AB I I don't assume on my past deposits I realize I've got to keep depositing to my spiritual account and so I want to ask you today first of all number one I want to ask you does your life count does your life count go to put a marker in Philippians chapter 3 and go to acts chap 5 acts chap 5 and look at verses 40 and 40 through 42 acts chap 5 and verses 40 through 42 and to him that agreed and when they had called the apostles and beaten them the apostles have been witnessing for Lord and they took him prisoner and they beat them and they commanded that

they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go and they departed from the from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name and daily at the temple in every house they cease not to teach and preach Jesus Christ as a Christian does your life count in 2 Thessalonians chap 1 and veres 11 and 12 it says wherefore also we pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of Faith with power that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him according to the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ see he's praying I want your

life to count for God and I wonder does your life count for the Lord I I've used this illustration before but some of you weren't here then I I've got here two jars and these are identical jars and they're both filled with coins uh they're filled justce full identical car yard uh identical jars but there a difference in money in the jars in the one jar there's $618 in the other jar there's $124 82 same jars same quantity of coins the same number filled at the top and yet a big difference in how you count them and the value in those jars and the difference is in one jar there's a lot more quarters and dimes and nickels in the other jars there's a lot more pennies and nickels and dimes than

there are quarters and so you see the difference is is not the jars the difference is is the value of the coins in the jar and the same thing is true of a church you see the value of Any Given church service is the sum total of each of us that are here in this service and I wonder today how much do you count in the Spirit-filled value of this church service you see some of you are basically Penny Christians you you are taking up a penny kind of takes up a space uh others are maybe nickel Christians or dime Christians or quarter Christians you see the value that you bring back when we used to have two Services I would preach the same message at the 8:30 service and the 10:30 service but yet

it would be very different services and and the difference was not the preacher the difference was not the message the difference was the people that were there in that service because you bring the value of how you're filled with the spirit of God you bring the value of how God is working in your life in Matthew chapter 18 in verse 20 it says where where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them and you need to understand that the value of any good particular church service is not just based upon the preacher it's not just based upon the message it's not just based upon the worship teams the songs that we sing but is based upon the holy spirit in that

service and the Holy Spirit dwells with each one of us as individuals and I wonder each week when you come to church what is the value that you add to that service how much you count for that service you see life doesn't count if you don't reach the mark in Philippians chapter 3 and verse number 14 it says I press towards the mark for the prize the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus you see when you're playing baseball you can get the first base you can get second base you can get the third base but it doesn't count unless you get home if you're playing football you can make 10 yards you could make 50 yards you can make 79 yards you can make 99 yards and it doesn't count if you don't cross

the goal line if you're in soccer you can control the ball the whole game you can run back and forth across the field but it doesn't count if you don't make the goal and you and I as Christians need to realize if we want our count lives to count we've got to be finishing reaching the mark we've got to press towards that Mark we can't be satisfied just with making it the first base we've got to make it all the way home we've got to be able to do that in 2 Timothy chapter 4 veres 7 and 8 it says I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and

not to me only but also unto them that love is appearing you see Paul said I want to I wanted my life to count right up to the end I wanted to finish that course I wanted to account for something for God and each of us needs to make our life count for the Lord so in order for your life to count let me ask you a question who rules in your life in Colossians chapter 3 and verse number 15 it says and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which also you are called in one body and be thankful see the word rule there and the word prize uh the to press towards the mark for the prize both of those words come from the Greek word where we get our word umpire umpire you see Let the Peace of God

umpire in your life and and we need to realize that if we want our lives to count uh we've got to make sure that the Umpire is the one that calls us in our lives you see if you were play if we were playing a a baseball game for example and we're playing that baseball game and the and the score is tied and it's now down to the the the last inning and and it's two and three and and you got to batter up and so Alex you come up here and be my batter if you would all right and then you've got somebody on base there and so Zeke you're going to be on base so you go over uh you go over here and no you go over this way for third base if you go right there all right Alex you stand right here if you

would and you're going to be the batter and then I also need a catcher here so uh brother quilty would you come up be the catcher if you would all right now we've got the batter and the guy in third base and the catcher here and Alex is uh he's uh almost ready to strike out you know how Alex is he's not that good athlete and everything he's almost ready to strike out but Alex somehow gets a hit and so he's going to hit it out there and and he's going to hit it out to the pitcher and the Pitcher is going to catch the ball and so Alex is going to run to first base go ahead and run to first base Alex over there all right good and now Zeke is on third base and it's this opportunity to go home

and to get home and so we're going to see who gets there now we got of course two opposing teams brother quilty's team brother zek's team so I'm going to have this side of the church and downstairs if you're on this direction okay you're also on that team you're going to yell for the home team brother quilty all right that means you're going to be wanting them to be what you want to be out let's hear it out louder out come on louder everybody together 1 2 3 out all right and this team over here is for Zeke's team and so you're for the visiting team and you want him to be safe come on louder you want to be safe okay so we got all these things now we also got players like Alex over here and he

wants he's for the guy he's hit the Bas and so he wants him to be all right Alex all right so he wants to be safe all right so we're going to see how that goes here so when he comes into home base and I want you to call I want this side to call and I want this side to call all right here we go ready isek you ready here we go one two three go tag them out all right now is he out come on out out out louder out all right is he safe all right all at the same time come on louder now you got all the people in the stands yelling plus you got the players yelling and you're yelling what safe and you're yelling what safe and you're yelling what the plates over there yeah you're yelling out and the

coaches are yelling safe and out and everybody's yelling safeer out and the guy back home on the couch he's yelling safer out as well right but do any of you matter who's the only one that matters the Umpire and if the Umpire says he's safe he's safe the Umpire says he's out he's out only the Umpire counts thank you gentlemen you can be seated only the Umpire counts and we need to realize that that's true in life as well it doesn't matter what the world says it doesn't matter what your friends say it doesn't matter what your family says it doesn't matter what every usse around you it doesn't matter what you say let the peace of God let the Holy Spirit umpire in your life he's the one that

counts you safe or out only God can rule you as saved go over to Romans chapter 4 Romans chapter 4 and look at verses 3-8 Romans chapter 4 and beginning with verse number three Bible says for what sayith the scriptures Abraham believed God and it was counted that same word deposited unto him for righteousness now to him that worketh is reward not reckon deposit of Grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness even as God David has also described the blesses the man unto whom God imputeth or deposites righteousness without works saying blessed are they whose sins iniquities are forgiven whose sins are

covered blessed is the man whom the Lord will not impute or deposit sin you see only God can impute Only God Can Count you saved only God can give you eternal life your Works don't count look at 44 again what say the scripture Abraham believed God and was counted on him for righteousness it it was not his works that saved him it was believing in God back in Philippians chapter 3 and and verse number nine Paul said this and be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the law but that which is the Faith of Christ the righteousness which of God of by faith God says I'm not here because of what I did I'm here because I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ as my savior and I

know that I'm going to heaven because I trusted in him him not by works but by grace through faith that I've been saved you see you've got to deposit the check of Christ's righteousness to your account in 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse number 12 it says for which cause also suffer these things nevertheless I'm not ashamed for I know whom I believed and am persuaded that he's able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day you see you got to deposit your soul in the Bank of Heaven you got to deposit the righteousness of Jesus Christ to your account in order to be saved only God can declare you saved and he says you're saved by believing in his son Jesus Christ in Romans chap 10

and veres 9 and 10 it says that if Thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and Shall Believe in thine heart that God has raised from the dead Thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation in Romans chap 10 and verse number 13 for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved and and you need to believe in Jesus Christ as your savior and you need to call upon his name and ask him to save you because he's the only one that can declare you're going to heaven I can't do it a church can't do it your parents can't do it but only Jesus Christ can count you as saved only he can rule you as saved

and going to Heaven by believing in his son Jesus Christ now as a Christian what are you ruled by what are you ruled by are you ruled by the circumstances in your life in Acts chapter 26 and verse number two it says I think and again the same word I I think myself happy king of grippa because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I'm accused of the Jews the word think means to lead or command you see Paul was a prisoner at that point he was on trial for his life and he stood before the king and he said listen King I think myself happy that's not the power of positive thinking his circumstances were bad circumstances but his circumstances did not

control him it was go that God controlled his life and no matter where he was he had God's power in his life and God's control in his life and so he could think himself happy he could lead or command he's not going to let his circumstances lead how he feels he's going to choose how he's going to decide to react to those circumstances see too many of us we let the circumstances that we're in control how we feel today and we let the circumstances in our life control how we act today but we need to lead or command and to do what's right don't let the circumstances control or lead you look at Philippians chapter 4 and look at verses 11 through1 13 Paul says not that I speak in respect of one for

I have learned in whatsoever State I am there would to be content I know both how to be a base and I know how to abound everywhere in all things I instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need I can do all things through Christ with strengthen me he said no matter what my circumstances are that's not what I what controls me that's not what rules in my life I make the choice to let God rule in my life and let God control my life and that's what you and I need to do as Christians some of you you let your problems control you and rule in your lives in James chap 1 and verse 2 it says my brethren count all joy when you follow diverse temptation and when you face

problems in your life you can either those problems Rule and take over your life or you can decide to let God rule in your life and you can decide to do what's right despite those problems you see sometimes we let sin rule in our lives go to Romans chapter 6 Romans chapter 6 see the truth is you and I we are going to sin because we still have that sin nature until we get to heaven and get our new body and we're going to sin but we don't have to let sin take you down for the count in Romans chapter 6 and verse number 12-4 it says let not sin therefore rule Reign or rule in your mortal body that you should obey it and the lust thereof neither yield you your members as instruments of righte

unrighteousness Unto sin but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God for sin shall not have dominion or rule over you for not under law but under grace see some of you your sin is what's ruling in your life and and you are just when that sin raises its ugly head you just give in and let it take over and and you don't let that sin uh you don't overcome that sin through the power of God and His Holy Spirit and we need to realize that we can't let sin rule in our lives 1 Corinthians 6:12 all things are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient all things are lawful me but I will not be brought under the

power of any so who is it that rules in your life does the Holy Spirit rule in your life does the Holy Spirit umpire in your life in order to do that you got to live by the rules in Colossians chapter 3 and: 16 it says let the word of Christ dwell in your richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another's Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with Grace in your hearts to the Lord and it talks about that teaching and monting and controlling us the word of God you see games need to have rules if you're going to play basketball you need to have boundaries of where you can play in the the boundaries of the Court you need to have rules of what you can do if you're going to play

any sport you got to have rules and the same thing is true in the Christian Life Life needs rules that we live by you got to stay in bounds go to Job chapter 31 in the Old Testament right before the book of Psalms is the Book of Job chapter 31 Job chapter 3 3 1 and veres 4-7 Job 31 and: 4-7 doth not he see my ways and count all my steps if I walked with vanity or if I if my foot hath hasted to deceit let me be weighed and even balanced that God may know mine Integrity you see he said listen I want to make sure that even my steps are inbound back when Caleb was in high school uh I believe he was a senior in high school at that time they played a championship basketball game and and the teams

were very closely matched it was going back and forth and back and forth and the other team was actually ahead and and they had the ball and uh and one of the people shooting the ball made a basket but then he stepped on the line and and the Empire called it called the ball no good because he was out of bounds and and you know uh there was a big discussion going on a big argument one team said no he was in bounds the other team no he was out of bounds and and even the the coaches got involved in but it didn't matter it was what the Umpire said that mattered and they won that game simply because somebody stepped out of bounds and folks if you want to win in life as a Christian you got to stay

in bounds you've got to live by the rules and you got to stay in bounds in Proverbs 25:28 it says he that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that's broken down and Without Walls uh you need to have walls you need to have boundaries you need to have established in your life that this is the boundaries that I stay within and each of us needs to follow those boundaries go over to 1 Corinthians chapter 9 1 Corinthians chapter 9 you ever watch a basketball game and down towards the third quarter you got guys starting to foul out and that can really change the game can't it and sometimes we foul out in life as well in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and: 24- 27 it says know ye not that they

which run in race run all but one receives the prize so run that you may obtain and every man that striveth for the master is tempered in all things now they do to obtain a corruptible Crown but we an Incorruptible I therefore so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the air but I keep under my body and bring a subjection lest that by any means when I have preach to others I myself should be Cast Away he says I don't want to foul out in life I I don't want to be the one that breaks the rule I don't want to be the one that's called by the empire High I I want to follow those rules and stay in bounds so that my life can count for Christ so does your life count and what does

your life count for go back to Philippians chapter 3 and look at verse number 13 Philippians chapter 3 and verse number 13 I can do all things through Christ which strength me you see our life needs to count for God can your does your life count now let me ask you question C can you count C can you count everybody here can you can you guys all count uh Tyler is one of our former teenagers in the church now he's here as a marine and Tyler uh you can count right even as a marine you can count right all right so what I want you to do is I want you to start counting out loud don't stop until I tell you to okay so just start with number one and just keeping your way up so start counting out loud

go ahead so keep counting out loud all right now what we need to do is we need to count the cost turn over to Luke chapter 14 with me if you would please Luke chapter 14 keep counting Tyler don't stop all right Luke chapter 14 and verses 27-30 Luke chapter 14 and beginning with verse number 27 let's see okay Luke 14: 27 what's and whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple for which of you intending to build a tower sit not down first and cth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it but happily after he ha finished after he had laid the foundation is not able to finish it all that behold it began to mock him saying this man began to build and was not

able to finish look at verse 33 so likewise whosoever be of you that forsaketh not all that he can't hath he cannot be my disciple that word counted who does whosoever does not count the cost it's the idea of count pedals it's adding up the cost and deciding whether you're willing to pay it's like when you go to the store uh the other day I went to the store and I wanted to buy a a nice tea and and I I I didn't want to use my credit card so I I was pulling money out of my pocket and counted it and I I had a little thing tray in my car and I was pulling money out of there and counting all the pennies until I knew that I had enough to buy that iced tea and and you got to be willing to count

the cost are you willing to count the cost for what you're willing to do look at Philippians chapter 3 again Philippians chapter 3 look at verses 7 and 8 you still counting Tyler keep going here all right Philippians chap 3: 7 8 but what things were gained to me those I count a loss for Christ ye doubtless and I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ you see we need to add up the cost and say you know what I'm willing to pay the price to live for God you know there's a p there's a price to pay to come to church on Sunday morning it'd be easy to sleep

in wouldn't it there's a price to pay to get up early and do your devotion there's a price to pay to go out Soul winning there's a price to pay to give your tithe there's a price to pay to live for God to do what's right and we got to be willing to count the costs and pay that price and and and doing that look at Philippians 3:13 it says Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth under those things which are before he says I have not apprehended Tyler what number are you to now 160 160 is that as high as you can count you can keep going further how high can you count don't know do you it's kind of un

limited isn't it you see you can keep on Counting folks none of you in this room have apprehended no matter how you counted for Christ yesterday there's still more to count today you never stop counting you can count to a thousand you can count to 10,000 you can count to 100,000 you can count to a million you can count to a billion and a zillion after that that you can keep on Counting and your life needs to keep on Counting for Jesus Christ you've not apprehended and no matter what you did yesterday what are you going to do today for God is your life going to count for God and then we need to look also look at Psalms chapter 139 you ever heard somebody say this a penny for your thoughts I

don't know about you but there's sometimes I wouldn't sell my thoughts for a couple hundred $ let alone a penny but I wonder can you count your thoughts in Psalms 139 in verses 17 and 18 it says how precious also are thy thoughts unto me oh God how great is the sum of them if I should count them they are more in number than the sand when I awake I am still with thee look at verses 23 and 24 search me oh God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and Lead Me in the way Everlasting how many times can you count how many times you thought about God this week can you count count how many times you thought about Jesus Christ this week do you know can

you count how many times you thought about his word this week you know if I had a penny for every time I thought about God how rich would I be if I had a penny for every time I thought about God how rich would I be Psalms 10 and verse Number Four The Wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all their thoughts if God is not in all your thoughts if you don't think about God on a regular basis then you're included with the wicked how many times have you thought about God can you count it you see God knows how many times you thought about him in Malachi 3:1 16 it says then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and

heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name God literally writes it down in a book every time you think about him so how many times has your name been written down how many of your thoughts are recorded of your thoughts of God you see God thinks about you in Psalms chter 40 and verse number five it says many oh Lord my God are thy wonderful Works which thou Hast done and thy thoughts which are are are to us word that cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee if I could declare them and speak of them they are more than can be numbered God thinks of me more than I could number how often do you think of God Ezekiel 34: 26

and I will make them in the places round about my hill of blessing and I will cause the shower to come down in the season there should be Showers of Blessings we need to count the blessings of God we need to count the goodness of God we need to be able to count how many times we think about God because God thinks about us then finally how accountable are you how accountable are you are you accountable to God in Romans chap 14 verse number 12 it says so then every one of us shall give account of himself to God are you accountable to God you see you and I need to be accountable to the Lord but also we need to be accountable to each other in Hebrews chap 10: 23- 2 it says let us hold fast the

profession of our faith without wavering for he's faithful that promised and let us consider one another voke un love and good works not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching you see it's important for you and I to be accountable to each other it's important that's why we need to come to church people say well I can worship God on my own but you can't provoke yourself to love and good works you you can't Encourage Yourself you can't pray for you can pray for yourself but you need others to pray for you as well and we need to be accountable every day we need to be accountable to God

and every day we need to be accountable to others around us as well if we're going to have our lives count for God and so I ask you again does your life count does your life count does your life count for God if you were one of these coins in the J in the in the jar here what what would you be would you be a penny Christian just kind of holding a place in church would you be a a nickel Christian or a dime Christian or would you be a quar or even a dollar Christian what value do you bring to church when you come to church does your life count for God see the only way your life is going to count for God is is if you let God rule in your life and you need to be ruled by the Holy Spirit to stay

in bounds and to follow the rules so what does your life count for some of you today need to count the cost are you willing as a Christian to pay the cost and are you willing to count that cost and and and uh live for him and to count your thoughts do you think about God then today how accountable are you as a Christian but you see your life does not count if you don't deposit in heaven only God can rule you saved a church can't do that baptism catechism doesn't do that your parents can't rule you saved you have to to trust in Jesus Christ as your personal savior you have to deposit your soul with God for eternity for safekeeping