Paul’s Autobiography

Philippians 3:4-11

December 8, 2013

 

Last Sunday night we entered this new section in the book of Philippians.

After spending two chapters encouraging the Philippians to be people who rejoice, Paul now gets specific as to who they are to rejoice in.

 

Philippians 3:1 “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.”

 

Paul wanted the Philippians not only to rejoice,

But to specifically rejoice in Jesus.

 

Paul wanted them to take the time to contemplate how important Jesus is in their life and to reflect on what we have in Him.

 

The reason for this was that rejoicing is a “safeguard”

 

Why did they need a safeguard?

 

Because there were many false teachers running around.

Philippians 3:2-3 “Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,”

 

There was a whole group of false teachers threatening the church.

• Their religion was skin deep.

• They boasted in their religious works.

• They put confidence in all they had done.

 

And they were very dangerous because their egotistical and showy religion actually tempted others to join in with them.

 

And that is what Paul was concerned about.

 

So he wrote this chapter to remind the Philippians to rejoice in Jesus,

To remember who He was and all He had done and in doing so

To protect themselves from the heresy of the Judaizers.

 

Last week we saw this opening warning

And learned how to spot one of those dogs.

 

If you want to see the difference between one of those dogs of the false circumcision and a true child of God, then you look at four criteria.

1) The Sincerity of their Commitment

“we are the true circumcision”

 

Our circumcision is of the heart, not the flesh,

And it in no way is meant to replace Jesus.

 

Our religious ordinances are merely a symbol of what he has done for us.

 

Look if a person’s religion is only skin deep, or if it effects the heart.

And look to see if their religion is their means of salvation or not.

 

2) The Substance of their Worship

“who worship in the Spirit of God”

 

Again this simply means that true believers really do worship.

(Since all true worship is done in the Spirit)

 

It isn’t tradition, it isn’t liturgy, it is heart worship.

Israel were those who honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him.

 

That is not a true child of God.

They love the Lord with all their heart.

 

3) The Subject of their Glory

“and glory in Christ Jesus”

 

• What do they brag about the most?

• What do they boast about the most?

 

In their speech, when they talk, is all about what they have accomplished,

Or is it all about what Jesus has accomplished?

 

Where do they boast?

 

4) The Source of their Confidence

“who put no confidence in the flesh”

 

And finally, what is it that they are trusting in for success in the future?

 

• Do they smile at the future because they are so good at what they do?

• Do they have confidence toward eternity because of their own works?

 

A true child of God knows that there is nothing good in their flesh at all.

 

Romans 7:18 “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.”

 

A true child of God is poor in spirit.

They have learned that they are spiritually bankrupt.

 

They have embraced the statement of Isaiah:

Isaiah 64:6-9 “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on Your name, Who arouses himself to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us And have delivered us into the power of our iniquities. But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD, Nor remember iniquity forever; Behold, look now, all of us are Your people.”

A true child of God would never present their resume to God

As a means of acceptance.

They have no confidence in their flesh whatsoever.

 

• A true believer is crucifying the flesh.

• A true believer makes no provision for the flesh.

• A true believer walks by the Spirit so they won’t follow the flesh.

 

But they never put confidence in it.

 

And that is the argument Paul is going to continue for us this evening.

 

In fact he goes on to say:

(4) “although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:”

 

Paul says, true believers don’t trust their flesh for salvation,

But if they did, trust me, I could outdo all of them.

 

It is part of his warning.

 

Paul is not boasting in his flesh, he is not even proud of his past.

Many times in the Scriptures he laments who he used to be.

 

However, in order to silence those who did boast in their flesh,

Paul revealed some of his resume.

 

His point is this.

 

• These guys boast in their flesh, and that is foolish.

• For even if the flesh was worth boasting in, theirs isn’t even that

good.

• If we wanted to boast about human accomplishment, I could blow

them out of the water.

 

And incidentally, this isn’t the only time Paul does this sort of thing.

2 Corinthians 11:16-29 “Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also. For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face. To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone else is bold — I speak in foolishness — I am just as bold myself. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? — I speak as if insane — I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?”

 

Paul didn’t want to debate the merits of the flesh,

But if forced to do so, he could certainly win.

That is what he is doing here.

 

He is reinforcing his point that even if they can,

True believers put no confidence in the flesh.

 

Two main points (we’ll break them down more)

#1 PAUL’S RELIGIOUS PAST

Philippians 3:4-6

 

Here he sets out to show that if it came down to religious work,

None of these Judaizers could hold a candle to him.

 

And look at his resume.

(5-6) “circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.”

 

And just take a moment and look at

What a tremendously decorated past Paul had.

(It isn’t worth much for getting a person into heaven,

but as far as the world was concerned, it was impressive)

 

“circumcised the eighth day”

Obviously this was required for all Jewish boys.

 

But even in saying this, Paul elevated himself over any proselytes

Who had converted to Judaism later in life.

 

“So you became a Jew at age 35, well, I was faithful from the time I was eight days old!”

 

It was to point out that he had no embarrassing past.

He had no skeletons in his closet.

From the beginning he was faithful

 

“of the nation of Israel”

 

This would be a slight to any Gentiles who converted to Judaism.

Maybe you became a Jew, but I was born one.

 

Paul wasn’t just a convert, he had Abraham’s genetics.

“of the tribe of Benjamin”

 

Most Jews, since the exile, couldn’t tell you which tribe they were from,

But apparently Paul’s lineage had been preserved.

 

But then to be from the prestigious tribe of Benjamin.

• Benjamin was preserved with Judah as part of the Southern Kingdom.

• Israel’s first King (Saul) was from Benjamin

• Mordecai was from Benjamin

• When the Promised Land was divided, Jerusalem was in Benjamin’s allotment

 

Benjamin was a prestigious tribe.

 

“a Hebrew of Hebrews”

 

Even amongst Jews, there was a growing division.

We had Hellenistic Jews and we had native Hebrews.

 

The Hellenistic Jews were those who had adopted Greek culture and language.

 

But not the Hebrews.

• They were loyalists.

• They hadn’t been diluted, they hadn’t rejected their roots.

 

Paul was a Hebrew and one of the best of them.

Even among the Hebrews, Paul stood out as really devout.

 

Incidentally the first person to be called a Hebrew was Abraham.

When Lot was kidnapped and messengers came to tell Abraham.

 

Genesis 14:13 “Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram.”

 

The word “Hebrew” meant “one who crosses over”

 

It referred to a man who jumped the river.

A man who has entered our land.

 

It was a slang and even derogatory term.

It would be like calling a Hispanic person a “wet back”

 

Well that is what they called Abraham.

It referred to one who was different.

 

By Paul’s day it was a title that was embraced.

“I stood apart even from those who stood apart”

 

“as to the Law, a Pharisee;”

 

Pharisees were known for their strict adherence to the Law.

They even adhered to the rabbinic traditions.

 

They strained out a gnat from their water.

They tithed mint and dill and cumin.

 

No one was more strict to the Law than a Pharisee.

 

“as to zeal, a persecutor of the church”

 

No Judaizer could claim this.

They tried to proselyte the church,

But none of them actually tried to destroy it.

 

You want to talk about zeal,

Paul set out to completely annihilate the church.

That is ambition.

 

Which of these false converts could claim as much commitment as him?

 

“as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.”

 

Furthermore, you could take the Law and hold it up to Paul,

And at least in an outward legalistic sense, Paul was blameless.

 

And the point he is making is obvious.

 

We don’t measure the flesh, but if we did,

I could blow them out of the water.

 

I have more reason to put confidence in the flesh than anyone I know.

 

And yet, you will see that the flesh means nothing to Paul.

 

What follows is the missing part to Paul’s testimony in the book of Acts.

When Paul shares his testimony in Acts

He gives all the outer events and changes that occurred.

 

Here we see how Paul’s heart changed.

 

He didn’t quit being an outward Jew and start being an outward Christian.

Paul’s heart completely changed toward Christ.

 

And this is the difference Paul is trying to reveal.

True children of God don’t just give lip service to Jesus,

They love Him with all they are.

 

Paul’s Religious Past

#2 PAUL’S RELENTLESS PASSION

Philippians 3:7-11

And what a statement we find in verse 7

“But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”

 

• All of that stuff I worked so hard for…

• All of that stuff I was so proud of…

• All of that stuff that distinguished me as somebody…

 

All of that stuff “I have counted as loss”

 

It is stuff that I willingly let go of.

It is stuff that was a necessary casualty.

 

• I didn’t try to add Jesus to my Judaism.

• I didn’t try to be a Christian Pharisee.

• I didn’t try to be a Benjamite Hebrew Missionary.

 

I willingly let go of all of that.

No more Benjamite

No more Hebrew

No more Jew

Now it was all Jesus.

 

How many people today try to follow Jesus and yet never let go of their former manner of life?

• We have cowboy churches

• We have biker churches

• We have beach churches

 

And it’s not that all of those people can’t be saved,

It’s just that we are not trying to hold on to our old identity.

 

I don’t even particularly like the term “Messianic Jew”

When Peter and Paul and those Jews got saved, they didn’t call themselves “Messianic Jews” they called themselves “Christians”

 

1 Peter 4:15-16 “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.”

 

And that is what Paul is saying here.

I’m not clinging to my heritage, I lost all of that “for the sake of Christ”.

 

Some would ask, WHY?

Well, that is precisely what Paul answers.

 

He gives three reasons why he would no longer cling to his fleshly accomplishments, but would now cling to only to Jesus.

 

1) THE VALUE OF KNOWING HIM (8)

 

“More than that, I count all things to be lost in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,”

 

Sure I lost my Jewish heritage…

Sure I lost my Pharisaical position…

 

But that’s not all:

“More than that, I count all things to be lost in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”

 

Paul didn’t just lose his religious pedigree,

He willingly lost everything to know Jesus.

His status…

His job…

His reputation…

His wealthy…

 

Any of the things Paul might have had,

He willingly let them all go for Jesus.

 

And isn’t that the call?

Matthew 4:18-20 “Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.”

 

Matthew 4:21-22 “Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.”

 

Matthew 8:21-22 “Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”

 

Matthew 9:9 “As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.”

 

Matthew 19:21 “Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

 

Luke 14:33 “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”

 

Luke 19:8 “Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.”

 

I think you get the point.

Jesus never offered to join your existing life.

 

His offer was to allow you to be “born again”.

If you would forsake your life, He would give you a new one,

But He would not renovate the existing one.

 

And Paul says, I took that offer.

 

I actually traded my old legalistic life of labor for an intimate personal relationship with the God of the universe.

 

Paul said, “for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.”

 

And I know I’ve told you before, but the word for “rubbish” there

Is actually the word for “manure” and it is the street term.

 

Lest you think Paul was just being religious,

He made no bones about it that his old life

Was worth nothing compared to knowing Christ.

 

And this is a truth we see in Scripture.

Matthew 13:44-46 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

 

And you’ll remember there, that the issue in those parables

Is not the cost of the kingdom, but the VALUE of it.

 

We have a treasure hunter and pearl dealer.

Both knew what things were worth.

 

And they didn’t bat an eye to trade all they had to acquire the kingdom.

They never even though about what it cost,

Because what they gained was so much more valuable.

 

That is what Paul said.

Compared to Christ everything else is manure.

 

I had all those earthly accolades,

But I more than willingly gave them up because I gained Christ.

It’s the value of knowing Him.

 

Christians don’t boast in their flesh, because they know

That compared to Christ, their flesh isn’t worth anything.

WE HAVE CHRIST!!!

 

The Value of Knowing Him

2) THE VIRTUE OF TRUSTING HIM (9)

 

“and may be found in Him, not have a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,”

 

By now we should all know the value of righteousness.

Very simply put, God is righteous and if you are not,

You do not get to go to heaven to be with Him.

 

Romans 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”

 

Unrighteousness only lands you square in the middle of the wrath of God.

 

That means that man needs righteousness.

 

And throughout the history of the world man has two ways in which he has tried to obtain it.

 

One is by your own effort, the other is by someone else’s effort.

 

Now Paul spent much of his life trying to obtain righteousness

By his own effort.

 

He called it “righteousness derived from the Law”

 

In fact back in verse 6 he said that in regard to that righteousness

He was “found blameless”

 

As far as human works and human righteousness are concerned,

Paul was the cream of the crop.

He went as far as a man could go in that regard.

 

However, that righteousness is faulty,

And falls far short of the righteousness God desires.

 

Romans 3:19-20 “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”

 

That path doesn’t work.

 

But the second path is when man trusts in someone else for righteousness.

 

Christ takes His perfect righteousness and imputes it

To all those who place their faith in Him.

 

This is “the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

 

Paul said:

Romans 1:16-17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

 

God’s righteousness only comes through faith in Christ.

And that is again why Paul was so eager

To leave everything behind and get Christ.

 

Not only do I get the value of knowing Christ,

But I also get His righteous virtue.

 

2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

 

Why wouldn’t I gladly lose all things to gain Him?

In Him I get righteousness.

 

Value of Knowing Him, The Virtue of Trusting Him

3) THE VICTORY OF FOLLOWING HIM (10-11)

 

“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

 

Paul knew that following Jesus was a wonderful thing.

 

By following Jesus he would get POWER

“the power of His resurrection”

 

This is not yet Paul saying, “I know I’ll rise”, that comes later.

This is Paul putting the power of Christ’s resurrection to work in his life.

 

Romans 6:5-7 “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.”:

 

Paul was talking about the power of the resurrected life.

In Christ I get victory over sin.

I no longer have to do it.

 

• “who will set me free from the body of this death?”

• “thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ”

 

When Paul gained Jesus, He gained power over sin.

 

By following Jesus he also got FELLOWSHIP

 

“the fellowship of His sufferings”

 

Suffering is part of this life whether you are a Christian or not.

We’ve been learning about the sin curse.

And with or without Jesus you are going to suffer.

 

The difference is that with Jesus, you never suffer alone.

 

In your suffering there is actually fellowship.

• He walks with you.

• He sticks by you.

• He teaches you.

• He comforts you.

 

That is victory over despair and fear.

 

That I know regardless of what I face,

My fellowship with Christ will not be forsaken.

 

Romans 8:35-39 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,

“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

In suffering we don’t get abandoned.

We get fellowship.

He is our fourth man in the fire.

 

And by following Jesus Paul also got CONFORMITY

 

“being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

 

We read it earlier:

Romans 6:5 “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,”

 

In Christ, I died to self, and through Christ I will conquer the grave.

That is victory over death.

 

Paul knew that when He gained Christ He gained victory over SIN,

Victory over DESPAIR, and victory over DEATH.

 

When you follow Christ you really do get it all.

Matthew 16:24-25 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

 

You may in fact lose this life,

But it pales in comparison to the one you gain.

And that is Paul’s point.

 

There is a whole group who boast in their own accomplishments

And who trust in those works for their future deliverance.

 

Paul says, “I used to do that too, and I was good at it”

 

But I found something more valuable than all of those works.

I found something that made those works look like manure.

I found something that caused me to quickly throw those works away.

 

I found Christ.

• I found the value of knowing Him

• I found the virtue of trusting Him

• I found the victory of following Him

 

And because of that, there is no reason

To ever want to go back to the flesh again.

 

 

And this is Paul’s message to the Philippians.

 

Don’t get sucked in by those people

Who put all their focus on their religious works.

Those people are phonies.

 

 

Instead, you learn to rejoice in the Lord.

• He is the value

• He is the virtue

• He is the victory

 

He is the One you want, because when you get Christ, you got it all.

 

There is nothing else you need.

Spend your life pursuing Him and rejoicing in Him.

 

 

And that is the encouragement to you tonight as well.

 

Think about what you got when you got Christ.

And don’t be seduced into thinking there is more out there than Him.

 

Let your whole life go and latch on to Jesus, you will not be disappointed.

 

Spotting a Dog

Philippians 3:1-3

December 1, 2013

 

Well it has been a couple of weeks since we last studied Philippians.

 

Paul started the letter encouraging the Philippians in regard to their hardships.

 

• Find a reason to rejoice

• Find a reason to endure

• Find someone to encourage

 

Paul of course gave himself as the example of that type of mindset.

 

In chapter 2 Paul worked on their attitude toward others.

He told them

 

• To consider others as more important than yourself

• To look out for the personal interests of others

• To have an attitude like Jesus

• To work hard at this type of goal

• To do it without grumbling

• And to follow the example of Epaphroditus

 

Well now we move into a third section here in the book of Philippians.

 

And this is a chapter of warning.

This is a chapter pushing for discernment.

 

That warning is put on display clearest in verse 2.

“Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;”

 

It is obvious that Paul wants the Philippians to watch out.

 

Let me give you a little more of the chapter here by way of introduction.

 

Paul actually spends a great deal of time in this chapter

With his own personal testimony.

 

And that testimony is that Paul wants Christ.

• He wants to know Christ

• He wants to be like Christ

• It is Christ, Christ, Christ

 

And he sums that up in verse 14,

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

 

Paul was not content resting on his past accomplishments

Or his tremendous resume.

And this is precisely what he wanted from the Philippians.

(15) “Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;”

 

Paul even says in verse 17

(17) “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”

 

So it is obvious what Paul wants for the Philippians.

• He wants them to live a life that is focused on Christ and one that pursues Christ’s will for their lives.

 

• He wants them to focus beyond their past accomplishments and strive for what Christ could do in them and through them.

 

But the reason for this chapter is because that Paul is afraid

That the Philippians might be seduced by another influence.

 

(18-19) “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.”

 

See there is another influence out there.

 

• On one hand there is Paul who counts the accomplishments of this life as

“dung” as he pursues Christ.

 

• On the other hand there are those who disregard Christ and pursue earthly

things.

 

Now, these are certainly non-believers, for Paul actually says that their “end is destruction”, but they don’t claim to be.

 

These are people who claim to be God’s people, but who aren’t.

• In reality they are enemies of the cross.

• In reality they are headed for destruction

• In reality they serve their own lusts

• In reality they glory in what is shameful

• In reality they are only focused on earthly things

 

And Paul wants to make sure that

The Philippians spot them for what they are.

 

These are without a doubt those “dogs” Paul referred to back in verse 2.

 

And the danger is that these people would

Influence the Philippians away from the true faith.

 

 

Specifically these people are those Judaisers

We have seen Paul confront so many times.

 

Those men who tried to turn salvation into a works based system.

 

Acts 15:1 “Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

 

It was that same group that had almost succeeded

In getting the Galatians to adopt circumcision.

 

They are a dangerous group because

They turn men to works and ultimately away from Christ.

 

And while there is no indication that

The Philippians are considering their heretical theology,

That doesn’t mean that Paul isn’t going to warn them anyway.

 

Tonight we’ll look at the first three verses of this chapter.

 

Paul is here helping the Philippians discern the foundational difference between true Christianity and this false group.

 

3 points

#1 DETERMINE TO REJOICE

Philippians 3:1

 

Paul begins by saying, “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.”

 

Now that is not a new thought in this letter.

This is the 6th time Paul has used the word.

 

And it is the second time he has used it in a direct command.

Philippians 2:18 “You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.”

 

Obviously rejoicing is important.

 

But unlike the previous times that Paul has used the word,

Here the focus is not on rejoicing in and of itself,

But rather the focus of that rejoicing.

 

Paul says, “rejoice in the Lord”

 

• Earlier Paul could rejoice that men were hearing the gospel

• He could rejoice that even if he died he would be with Christ

• Paul could rejoice regardless of his circumstances.

 

But here Paul is calling the Philippians to focus a little more.

 

Rejoice and “rejoice in the Lord”

 

And this is quite easy to do.

Think about all that you have in Jesus.

 

I’ve always loved Ephesians 1&2 (we won’t go there)

 

But over and over in those two chapters Paul uses the phrase

“in Him” or “in Christ Jesus”

 

The objective is to help you see all that you have in Christ.

Election, Redemption, Forgiveness, Inheritance, Security, Life, Peace, etc.

 

In fact in the middle of Paul’s dissertation there he actually voices his prayer for the Ephesians as he reveals all of this to them.

 

Ephesians 1:18-19 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.”

 

Paul just wanted the Ephesians to know all that they had when they had Christ.

 

And that is a reality we should all focus on.

That is why we took the Lord’s Supper this morning,

To always remember exactly what we have in Jesus.

 

And the implication is that there is no excuse for a believer

Not to rejoice so long as they have Jesus.

 

• Oh they may have a dilemma in life…

• They may be genuinely suffering…

• They may be grieving a great loss…

• The may be facing opposition like the Philippians were.

 

But that is still no reason not to rejoice.

You have Jesus and you should rejoice in Him.

 

Now, I know that is a bit redundant, and incidentally Paul knew it too.

“To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.”

 

• He knew the Philippians had heard it all before.

• He knew this more review than anything.

• But he also knew it was important that they not forget.

 

In fact remembering this was a “safeguard”

 

Over the past two Sunday mornings

We have been studying the fall of man in the garden.

 

And we mentioned that sin is what we do

When we are not satisfied with God.

 

Satan tempts us to see that God has not done an adequate enough job in caring for us, and so we need something else to fill the void.

 

That is why Eve took the fruit.

She thought God had slighted her on wisdom and thought the fruit will fill the void.

 

Well, a believer who forgets how good he has it in Jesus

Is in the same danger of temptation.

 

So it is good to remember Jesus.

• It is good to focus on all that you have in Him.

• It is good to think about the sufficiency of Jesus.

• It is good to rejoice in those things.

 

It actually protects you from the temptation of the enemy.

 

And so Paul sets out right off the bat to make sure and remind the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord.”

 

Determine to Rejoice

#2 DETECT THE THREAT

Philippians 3:2

 

Now that you have taken a minute to think about

How GOOD and SUFFICIENT Jesus is, let me give you the warning.

 

“Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;”

 

Paul wants the Philippians to realize that there is a threat out there.

 

He calls them “dogs”

Incidentally a dog in Bible times was not like

The domesticated family pet you know about.

 

For a more accurate mental picture, think HYENA

(mangy, scavenging, dangerous, filthy, ugly animals)

 

It is actually the way Jews referred to Gentiles.

And yet here it is how Paul refers to these dangerous people.

 

This is not the only place the analogy is used:

2 Peter 2:22 “It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

 

Matthew 7:6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

And the implication to calling someone a dog is that they are dangerous.

You didn’t mess with these dogs, or you might get hurt.

 

Solomon said gave a good analogy:

Proverbs 26:17 “Like one who takes a dog by the ears Is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him.”

 

Dogs were just dangerous.

• You didn’t let your kids play with them.

• You didn’t let them in your house.

• You didn’t go near them.

• You certainly didn’t try to call one up to pet it.

 

Paul says that these people are “dogs”

 

He also says, “beware of the evil workers”

 

So now, not only are they dangerous, but they are also “evil”

 

• Their works are not good.

• Their works are not righteous.

• Their fruit is not pleasing to God.

 

Think about the warning Jesus gave in the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 7:15-20 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

 

Now it was bad enough that they were false prophets,

But the danger was they were headed for destruction.

They were going to be thrown into the fire.

 

And so would the converts they produced (i.e. their fruit)

 

That is what Jesus meant when He said to the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”

 

You get the idea.

These men were dangerous and evil.

What they accomplished in people’s lives was not good.

 

Paul also (and more telling) referred to them as “the false circumcision”

 

These are those who put all that stock in circumcision.

They claimed allegiance to God through adherence to the Law.

 

Jesus spoke of them to the church at Philadelphia:

Revelation 3:9 “Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie — I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.”

 

They were a group of people who caused much harm to the church.

 

They were “the false circumcision”

 

Well, what made them “false”?

 

One reason is because their circumcision was HYPOCRITICAL.

They were all external.

They had been physically circumcised, but it had not changed their hearts.

 

Romans 2:17-29 “But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written. For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.”

 

They were hypocrites.

Outwardly they were perfect little Jews, but inwardly they were false.

(Just like the false prophets in sheep’s clothing)

 

Matthew 23:23-24 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. “You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”

 

So that is one way they were “false”.

 

The other way they were false is that they were HERETICAL

They were heretical in the sense that they taught

That these works could in fact save a person.

 

That was the issue of the Judaisers

 

Acts 15:1 “Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

They were people who taught that salvation

Was achieved through human effort.

 

And that is of course heresy.

Not only that, but it greatly belittles the work of Jesus.

 

• If salvation is dependent upon the work you do, then what good was the work that He did?

 

And that is what made them false.

 

So rejoice in Jesus and watch out for anyone who doesn’t!

 

Determine to Rejoice, Detect the Threat

#3 DISCERN THE TRUTH

Philippians 3:3

 

Verse 3 is not a command,

But it is the perfect answer to the fallacy of the dogs.

 

Paul helps the Philippians spot them by revealing what a true believer is.

 

In this one verse Paul gives 4 criteria by which you

Tell the difference between a dog and a true child of God.

 

1) THE SINCERITY OF OUR COMMITMENT

“for we are the true circumcision”

 

Now we saw earlier that these “dogs” were the “false circumcision”

 

And they were false because they were hypocritical and heretical.

Their circumcision was only skin deep and they thought it could save.

 

Well, we are “the true circumcision”

Indicating that our circumcision is not external,

And it is does not take the place of Jesus.

 

Jeremiah 4:3-4 “For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns. “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds.”

 

God wanted Israel to “remove the foreskins of [their] heart”

That is “true circumcision”

 

• To cut out the idolatry…

• To cut out the self-love…

• To cut out the worldliness…

And to love God with all your heart.

That is who true believers are.

• Their religion isn’t skin deep…

• Their religion isn’t external…

 

They want to love God with all they are,

And to be committed to Him above all others.

 

And also, their religion doesn’t take the place of Jesus.

 

Remember Abraham?

He was circumcised

 

Romans 4:11 “and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,”

 

For Abraham, the work of circumcision was not a means of salvation.

He was saved long before he was circumcised.

 

For Abraham circumcision as merely a “sign” and “a seal”

 

• It was a “sign” in that the outward work symbolized the inward reality.

• It was “a seal” in that his obedience, solidified the genuineness of his faith.

 

That is what works are to a believer.

We never believe that anything we have done

Has ever or could ever contribute to the work of Christ.

 

Our works are merely an indicator of our faith in Christ.

That is “true circumcision”

 

They are hypocritical – we are sincere

They are heretical – we are true

 

The Sincerity of our Commitment

2) THE SUBSTANCE OF OUR WORSHIP

“who worship in the Spirit of God”

 

Now listen we are not talking about people who worship “in the Spirit” verses those who don’t.

 

All true worship is done “in the Spirit”

If you don’t worship “in the Spirit” then you are not worshiping.

 

John 4:23-24 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

 

The difference that Paul is pointing out here is that the true believers really worship God, whereas the false ones do not.

• Oh, they may go through the motions…

• They may attend the worship service…

• They may sing the hymns…

BUT THEY DO NOT WORSHIP

 

Consider this contrast:

Isaiah 29:13 “Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,”

 

You may remember Jesus quoting that very verse about the Pharisees.

 

The idea here is that true believers worship God from the heart,

Whereas false ones only go through the motions.

 

True worship is the sacrifice of one’s self to God.

It is the giving of one’s life in service to God.

 

Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

 

If you just sing songs and go through the motions,

But refuse to lay your life on Christ’s altar, that isn’t worship.

 

And Paul says this is one of the ways we distinguish

Between the true children of God and those dangerous dogs.

We look at the substance of their worship.

 

The Sincerity of our commitment The Substance of our worship

3) THE SUBJECT OF OUR GLORY

“and glory in Christ Jesus”

 

The word “glory” here literally means “to boast or glory in something”

 

And this may be the most vivid difference of all.

 

The dog boasts in their works and accomplishments.

The true child of God boasts only in what Christ has done.

 

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

 

 

After speaking about the propitiation of Christ on our behalf to satisfy the wrath of God against us, Paul wrote:

 

Romans 3:27 “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.”

 

True believers are “poor in spirit” remember?

They didn’t bring anything to the table.

They had nothing to offer.

 

They can’t brag about their religious pedigree…

They can’t brag about their religious works…

 

They didn’t do anything to bring about salvation on their behalf.

• They weren’t smarter…

• They weren’t better…

• They didn’t try harder…

• They didn’t do more…

 

Jesus did it all, and if you ask them about their salvation,

That is all they will tell you.

 

And when they start bragging, it is all about Jesus.

• It’s about His mercy

• It’s about His righteousness

• It’s about His submission

• It’s about His death

• It’s about His resurrection

 

The subject of their Glory is Jesus

 

4) THE SOURCE OF OUR CONFIDENCE

“and put no confidence in the flesh”

 

Not only do the dogs boast about what they have done,

But that are supremely confident that what they have done

Will be more than enough to warrant their access into heaven.

 

Remember this guy?

Luke 18:11-14 “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

 

Jesus was crystal clear on the difference

Between a saved person and lost one.

 

One was confident in his works, the other knew they were useless.

True believers don’t boast about their works,

Because they have no confidence in them.

 

• True believers are trying to starve the flesh.

• True believers have crucified the flesh.

• True believers want the flesh to go away.

They certainly don’t boast in it.

 

And I’m guessing all of this is getting a little more clear now isn’t?

 

We’ve heard from the dogs over the years.

• Those people who constantly brag about what they’ve done and accomplished.

• Those people who love the spotlight.

• They don’t say two words about Jesus, but you sure know all about what

they’ve done.

 

Paul says to watch out for these people, they aren’t Christians!

 

By the end of the chapter Paul will reveal that

They are actually enemies of the cross of Christ.

 

Paul wanted the Philippians to watch out for those people

And stay away from them.

 

• They were dangerous like a dog

• They were evil

• They were false

 

 

Instead, you just keep focusing on and rejoicing in the Lord.

• You just keep examining who Jesus is and what He has done.

• You just keep thanking Him over and over for His great work.

 

And if you will commit to do that, your rejoicing will actually “safeguard” you from getting the bighead like those fake believers.

 

 

 

That is a good message to us.

 

Rejoicing in the Lord isn’t just something you should do,

It is something you need to do.

 

It is a protector from deception.

Because the dogs are out there.

 

Earthly Examples

Philippians 2:17-30

November 17, 2013

 

We all know that as Christians

We are called to follow our one divine example.

We all desire to be like Christ.

 

In fact, this is our Christian destiny.

Romans 8:29 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”

 

It is God’s desire that you and I look like Christ.

God is using hardships, difficulties, blessings, victories, defeats,

And every other thing to bring this about in your life.

 

In fact the preceding verse to the one we just read says that “God causes all things to work together for good…”

 

That “good” being Christ-likeness.

We are to be like Christ.

 

We are to read the Scriptures so that we can see Him and be like Him.

This is what Paul meant when he wrote:

 

2 Corinthians 3:15-18 “But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

 

We read the word and as we read with unveiled face,

We see Christ and are changed into His image “from glory to glory”

 

Not only that, but we make a conscious effort

To imitate what we see in Him.

 

John 13:15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.”

 

1 Peter 2:21 “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,”

 

Christ is our example, and we are to follow what we see in Him.

 

We’ve even seen that reality in Philippians chapter 2

As we saw the attitude of Christ and Paul told us,

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus”

 

Christ is the ultimate example and goal.

 

However, that is a lofty goal.

That is where we are headed, and that is what we strive for,

But you and I know it is difficult.

 

What we also learn through reading the Scripture is that

Christ is not the only example we are to follow.

 

God has also given us the example of Godly men and women,

Whom we are to imitate.

 

James 5:10 “As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.”

 

Hebrews 13:7 “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”

 

That concept of imitating other’s faith

Is the whole point to the faith chapter in Hebrews 11.

 

The writer lays out the faith of those examples and then calls them

“a great cloud of witnesses”

 

They are examples of faith for you to follow.

 

And many times we see in the Scriptures that we are to imitate

Or follow the example of men like Paul.

 

2 Thessalonians 3:7-9 “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example.”

 

1 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.”

 

1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”

 

Even in this letter to the Philippians:

Philippians 3:17 “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”

 

That is a true reality.

 

And certainly it cuts both ways,

For just as we follow the example of godly men and women,

WE ARE ALSO TO SET AN EXAMPLE.

 

Remember what Paul told Timothy?

1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”

 

Or Titus?

Titus 2:7-8 “in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.”

 

And so hopefully you get the point.

 

Yes we desire to be like Christ, but we also find great encouragement through the faith of one another.

 

We are to imitate the faith of godly men and women,

And then also set an example for others to follow.

 

But a good question at this point is:

WHAT SORT OF MEN OR WOMEN SHOULD WE IMITATE?

 

Do we just pick someone who claims to be a Christian and go to imitating them?

Obviously not.

 

Do we just pick our preacher and start imitating him?

(While it is true he is called to be someone worthy of such,

You still shouldn’t do it blindly)

 

Who do we pick?

 

Well that is what we learn here in our text tonight.

 

And it is fitting in the chapter we just studied.

• Paul commanded us to consider one another as more important than

ourselves.

• He commanded us to look out for one another’s personal interests.

• He commanded us to be humble like Christ.

• He commanded us to work hard at this endeavor.

• And He commanded us to do it all without grumbling.

 

But Paul doesn’t even leave it at that.

Here he gives us some practical examples of people who live that way, whose faith is worth imitating.

 

Paul shows us three examples of such people here.

 

• Here are three examples of people who show you what it means to consider others as more important than yourselves.

 

• Here are three examples of people who show you how to look out for the interests of others.

 

• Here are three examples of people who show you how to do all things without grumbling or disputing and how to shine as lights in the world and how to hold forth the word of God.

 

So let’s look at them, follow them, and be examples like them to others.

#1 YOUR CONSTANT EXAMPLE

Philippians 2:17-18

 

And of course this example is Paul himself.

 

He says, “But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.”

 

Having spent a section talking about humility and service,

Paul really seems to sort of link back here to what he mentioned in chapter 1,

Which was his suffering, and joy in the midst of it.

 

He mentioned in chapter 1 extensively about the suffering he faces,

And how in spite of it, he finds a reason to rejoice.

He seems to revert back to that theme here.

 

And he mentions again his hardship.

“even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith,”

 

This analogy was a common one.

• During the sacrificial offering, the priest would commonly pour a drink

offering over the top of the burnt offering.

 

• As the liquid hit the fire, the steam would go up, and it would picture a

soothing aroma going up to God.

 

The drink offering then was the final addition to the offering.

It was sort of how you “topped it all off”

 

And Paul says that is what he is.

 

It is not the only time he used this analogy.

2 Timothy 4:6 “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.”

 

Obviously there, Paul uses that analogy to speak of his coming death.

His death will soon adorn the sacrifice of Christ.

 

Here he mentions that same reality.

 

The difference is that in 2 Timothy he realizes that it is happening,

Here in Philippians he acknowledges that it could be happen.

 

“even if I am…”

 

This may be the end, though he is not sure.

 

Philippians 1:22 “But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.”

You will remember there that Paul knew death was possible,

But he wasn’t sure if it was coming or not.

 

Here he again acknowledges that this could be the end.

 

As far as he knew, he could just now be in the final stages of life, about to be poured out completely “upon the sacrifice and service of your faith,”

 

That is to say, “Just as you have presented your lives as a sacrifice to God, I present my life as an adorning drink offering with it.”

 

This could be the end.

 

But even so, notice what Paul says, “I rejoice and share my joy with you all.”

 

• The prospect of death hasn’t caused Paul to quit rejoicing…

• The prospect of death hasn’t caused Paul to quit obeying…

 

Even the current reality of suffering

Hasn’t caused Paul to quit encouraging others.

And that is the point here.

 

Notice the example portion?

(18) “You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way, and share your joy with me.”

 

That is Paul telling the Philippians to follow his example.

• So you are living a life of suffering…

• So death is a real possibility…

• So your service to others causes self-denial at every turn…

 

That is no excuse “rejoice” anyway.

That’s what I do.

 

“rejoice in the same way, and share your joy with me.”

 

So you want to know what type of person to imitate?

 

IMITATE THE PERSON WHO IS WILLING TO BE POURED OUT FOR CHRIST, AND WHO REJOICES WHILE IT IS HAPPENING.

 

Look for the person who can rejoice while they suffer.

 

And that was Paul.

He was the Philippian’s constant example.

 

Your Constant Example

#2 YOUR COMING EXAMPLE

Philippians 2:19-24

So Paul is always an example to follow.

Here is an example that Paul hoped to send to the Philippians.

 

(19) “But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.”

 

No doubt, part of the reason for wanting to send Timothy was so that Timothy could return to Paul and give a report as to how the Philippians were doing.

 

But in reality it was more than that.

Timothy would also be a great example for the Philippians to follow.

 

In fact, Paul spells out three characteristics about Timothy

That make him a worthy example to imitate.

 

1) HE’LL SERVE YOU (20)

 

“For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.”

 

There were any number of people that Paul could send to Philippi.

But there was none that he could send like Timothy.

 

What set him apart?

Timothy would be “genuinely concerned for your welfare.”

 

Timothy was selfless.

• Timothy considered others as more important than himself.

• Timothy didn’t look out for his own personal interests, but for the interests of

others.

 

Paul was a good example because he rejoiced in suffering.

Timothy was a good example because he served sincerely.

 

When Jesus came he warned about the type of false shepherds

That people should look out for.

 

Matthew 9:36 “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.”

 

The words there “distressed” and “dispirited” refer to sheep who have been scalped and as a result are nervous and discontented.

 

That was a result of their bad shepherds,

Who instead of caring for the sheep, slaughtered the sheep.

 

John 10:12-13 “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.”

 

Timothy was not that type of person.

 

Timothy was worth imitating because he would sincerely serve others.

 

He will serve you

2) HE WILL SEEK CHRIST’S INTERESTS (21)

 

“For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.”

 

The implication is clear here.

Christ’s “interests” are without a doubt His flock.

 

• They are His possession

• They are His sheep

• He is deeply concerned about them

 

When He left He specifically commanded the apostles to “tend His sheep”

 

Peter echoed this sentiment:

1 Peter 5:1-4 “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

 

Christ never intended for His shepherds to serve for their own benefit.

He intended them to serve for the benefit of the flock.

 

The flock is what Christ cared about, they are His concern.

And the true shepherd concerned himself with Christ’s interests.

 

And not only was that the type of person Timothy was,

But that is the type of person we should imitate.

 

The person who is more concerned about Christ’s benefit than his own.

The person who is more concerned about how Christ looks than how he looks.

The person who is more concerned that people see Christ, than that people see him.

 

Was that not John the Baptist?

John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

 

Was that not Paul?

Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

 

That is supposed to be all of us:

Romans 14:7-8 “For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”

 

 

So if you are looking for someone to imitate,

Then find someone who seeks what is in the best of interest of Christ,

Not himself.

 

He’ll serve you He’ll seek Christ’s interests

3) HE WILL SPREAD THE GOSPEL (22)

 

“But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.”

 

This reality not only indicates a person committed to obey Christ,

But also a person who genuinely loves others.

 

• What kind of love refuses to warn a dying man of destruction?

• What kind of love cares more that someone likes them, then they do that that person know the truth?

 

Timothy had real love.

Timothy had the kind of love that told sinners the truth.

 

And Timothy proved it time and time again as he preached “the gospel”

 

When Paul went marching into synagogue after synagogue,

Knowing that he would be hated for it,

There was Timothy right there with him.

 

Timothy had proven himself faithful.

He loved the truth, and he loved the lost.

 

If you are looking for an example to follow.

• Find someone who rejoices while suffering – that was Paul

• And find someone who serves others sincerely – that was Timothy

• He Served You

• He Sought Christ’s Interests

• He Spread the Gospel

 

And he did it “like a child serving his father.”

 

The implication there is on complete obedience and complete humility.

Timothy did what was expected of him.

 

And Paul reiterates all of that to the Philippians

Because he is about to send Timothy to them

And he wants them to understand that Timothy is worth imitating.

 

(23-24) “Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; and I trust in the Lord that I myself will also be coming shortly.”

 

Timothy is your coming example.

Your Constant Example – Paul Your Coming Example – Timothy

#3 YOUR CURRENT EXAMPLE

Philippians 2:25-30

 

So they could always look to Paul,

And they would soon be able to look to Timothy.

 

But Paul wanted them to know that they already at least one person in their midst that was worthy of imitating.

 

It may have been a person they overlooked,

But Paul highlights this man as a faith worthy of following.

That man was Epaphroditus.

 

• Epaphroditus was the man who carried the financial aid of the Philippians to Paul and thus inspired Paul to write the letter.

 

• Epaphroditus was also the man who would have delivered this letter back to the Philippians.

 

And Paul is very clear that Epaphroditus

Is the type of man who should be imitated.

 

Paul says in verse 25 that he is “my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need;”

 

There are five great titles for this man

“brother”

“worker”

“soldier”

“messenger”

“minister”

You put all of those together

And you realize that Epaphroditus was a great man.

 

• He obviously knew Christ – “brother”

• He worked hard for the faith – “worker”

• He fought hard against deception – “soldier”

• He carried the truth into danger – “messenger”

• He cared for people when he was there – “minister”

 

That already is enough to see that this man should be imitated.

 

But as if that wasn’t enough.

Paul reveals why he sent Epaphroditus back:

 

(26-28) “because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you.”

 

Epaphroditus had risked his life for the sake of ministering to Paul.

We aren’t given the specifics of his sickness, but he nearly died.

 

And yet even at that moment his concern wasn’t that he nearly died, but rather how the Philippians would respond to his death, since they were the ones who had sent him.

 

He was a selfless and deeply committed man.

 

And so Paul gives this advice to the Philippians:

(29-30) “Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.”

 

• They were to “receive him” and to do so “with all joy”

• They were to “hold…him in high regard” and “men like him”

 

In short, this is the kind of man you imitate.

 

Why?

“because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.”

 

This man put his money where his mouth was.

He served and he served regardless of his own benefit.

 

• Did he consider others as more important than himself?

• Did he look out for others personal interests above his own?

• Did he willingly forsake his position for the sake of someone else?

• Did he work hard at being Christ-like?

• Is there any record of his grumbling while he did it?

 

That is the type of person you imitate.

THE PERSON WHO FOLLOWS SACRIFICIALLY

 

So certainly the Philippians wanted to be like Christ,

But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some human examples

We imitate as well.

 

• Paul – who rejoices while suffering

• Timothy – who serves sincerely

• Epaphroditus – who follows sacrificially

 

THAT IS REFRESHING TO SEE

 

In our day

• Much emphasis is put on those who are the educated

• Much emphasis is put on those who are successful

• Much emphasis is put on those who are talented

• Much emphasis is put on those who are famous

 

And none of those things makes someone a suitable role-model.

 

When you are looking for someone to imitate,

Look for the person who selflessly serves Christ and others.

Look for the person who does it with joy

Look for the person who does it with sincerity

 

That is the type of person to imitate.

 

The flip side then is also true,

That you and I should be that type of example to others.

 

• This is especially true for people who are pastors

• This is especially true for people who are deacons

• This is especially true for people who are teachers

• This is especially true for those who work with young people

 

People need an example to follow.

 

They need to see selfless, faithful, joyful people

Who serve Christ and not themselves.

 

So follow that example, and be that example for others.

 

The Dangers of Grumbling

Philippians 2:14-16

November 10, 2013

 

Alright I know just by reading the title to this sermon,

It instantly puts the majority of us under conviction.

 

If we have learned anything in America it is “Freedom of Speech”

We can say anything we want about anything anytime we want.

 

And while such freedoms are wonderful

In regard to our freedom to preach the gospel,

Such freedoms have also paved the way for our flesh.

 

Galatians 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh…”

 

And yet that is what often happens with our freedom of speech.

It is a very small thing for us anymore to grumble about our leadership or grumble about our circumstances or grumble about our coworkers, or grumble about our boss.

 

Grumbling is an American way of life

And I suppose we are all guilty of it.

 

And yet, the very first verse we look at tonight condemns it all.

 

(14) “Do all things without grumbling or disputing”

 

That is what we call an all encompassing command.

It’s really hard to read that verse

And then come up with a situation in which it is ok to grumble.

 

That verse covers areas like:

• The weather

• The economy

• The President

• The Doctor’s office

• The Dixie Dog

 

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing”

 

Of course we don’t just pull that verse out of context.

We know that it is found in the same chapter

Were we are commanded explicitly to lay our lives down for our brethren.

 

• We are to consider our brother as more important

• We are to look out for our brother’s interest, not our own

• We are to do just as Christ did for us

 

And here we learn that we are to do it without grumbling.

 

Let me remind you:

God doesn’t just care that you obey,

But that you obey with the right attitude.

 

And to illustrate the point we only have to look back at the glorious population we call “The Children of Israel”

 

Psalms 95:6-11 “Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness, “When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me, though they had seen My work. “For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways. “Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest.”

 

I think after reading that passage we can safely say that God was not amused with the children of Israel “in the day of Massah” or “at Meribah”

 

A little insight?

Exodus 15:22-25 “Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” Then he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.”

 

Exodus 17:2-7 “Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us, or not?”

Of course this wasn’t an isolate incident:

 

Exodus 16:1-3 “Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the LORD’S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

 

And we don’t have to do an entire study on Israel’s grumblings,

But we are well aware that they did.

 

1 Corinthians 10:10 “Nor [let us] grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.”

(linked in that passage with immorality, idolatry, and trying the Lord)

Obviously grumbling is a serious grievance before God.

 

WHY?

1) Because all grumbling is against God.

• Is God not sovereign?

• Does He not command the weather?

• Does He not appoint rulers?

• Does He not govern your circumstances?

 

So in a very real way every time we grumble it really is a grumble against God for not making things play out the way we would like.

 

2) Because God desires us to have grateful and eager hearts

 

In all that we do, God desires us to do it eagerly.

 

Consider when we give:

2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

 

Deuteronomy 15:10 “You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.”

 

Consider what Jesus said about fasting:

Matthew 6:16-18 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”

 

Or consider the priests in Malachi’s day:

Malachi 1:12-13 “But you are profaning it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ “You also say, ‘My, how tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it,” says the LORD of hosts, “and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?” says the LORD.”

 

And you understand the point.

God desires not that we do the right thing,

But that we do the right thing with the right attitude.

 

To do the right action with the wrong motive is an offense to God.

 

I’m reminded of the little boy who was scolded by his father:

“I may be sitting down on the outside, but I’m standing up on the inside”

 

Regrettably that is how we often obey.

We may be obeying on the outside, but we are disobeying on the inside.

(as evidenced by our complaint)

 

And if the Sermon on the Mount taught us anything it is that

God looks at the heart before He ever looks at the action.

 

God is concerned about the heart.

And so grumbling is an offense.

 

WHAT IS THE GREATEST COMMAND?

Love God with all your heart.

 

To obey another command,

And yet break the greatest does not please God.

 

And that is why Paul here says:

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing”

 

Those two words are different but certainly form a complete thought.

 

The Greek word for “grumbling” is one of those onomatopoetic words.

It is very guttural GONGUSMOS

 

And it simply means “to have a negative response to something.”

 

Remember the men who were hired by the landowner to work the vineyard?

Some went early, some in the middle of the day, and some late,

But he paid them all the same.

 

Matthew 20:11 “When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,”

 

Luke 5:30 “The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?”

 

And you get the picture.

It is when you just don’t like something that is going on

And you begin to grunt and groan under your breath.

 

And Scripture commands us not to do that.

 

“disputing” is the word DIALOGISMOS (dialogue)

It refers to “inner reasoning”

 

Where as “grumbling” is emotional

“disputing” is intellectual

 

It is to form a reasoned and formal complaint.

One is an initial response, the second is a formal outspoken complaint.

 

Romans 14:1 “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.”

 

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing”

Do all things without an emotional grunt or a verbal complaint.

And that very specifically applies

To you humbling yourself before your brother.

 

Example:

You and your brother disagree, but you know that the Scripture says to consider him as more important than you and for you to look out for his personal interests.

 

So you decide to let him have his way,

but you grumble and complain the whole time you let him do it.

 

That is kind of missing the point don’t you think?

 

So don’t just do what a Christian is supposed to do,

Do it with the type of attitude that a Christian is supposed to have.

 

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing”

 

WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?

 

That is precisely what Paul answers in verses 15 and 16.

 

Three benefits to the grumble free life.

 

#1 IT SIGNIFIES YOUR PEDIGREE

Philippians 2:15a

 

“so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,”

 

Obeying God’s commands without grumbling

Proves something about you.

 

It proves that you are:

“blameless and innocent”

“children of God”

“above reproach”

 

“blameless” and “above reproach”

Are actually very similar words in the Greek,

They both mean “without defect or blemish”

 

In the Septuagint, which is the Greek Old Testament (the one Paul read),

The word was used of sacrificial animals which had to be without defect.

 

And as we desire to “present our bodies to God a living and holy sacrifice” this is a very important aspect.

 

You may in fact be “blameless”

You may in fact be “above reproach”

As far as your actions are concerned,

But if your attitude stinks while you do, no one will notice that.

 

Remember Paul?

Even before salvation he could claim to be “blameless”

 

Philippians 3:6 “as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.”

 

Paul could claim to be in absolute accordance with the Law even before salvation, but his furious attitude failed to reflect that.

 

The word “innocent” simply means “unmixed”

 

Romans 16:19 “For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.”

 

2 Corinthians 11:2 “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.”

 

And that is the call here.

 

We know you want to be “blameless and innocent”

We know you want to be “above reproach”

 

Beyond that we know you want to be considered “children of God”

 

DON’T YOU WANT THE WORLD TO RECOGNIZE YOUR HOLINESS?

Our very desire is to be different from the world.

 

Paul says the world is “crooked and perverse”

 

“crooked” is SKOLIOS (scoliosis)

• The world is just backward.

• The world is out of place.

• The world has no understanding of the ways or things of God.

 

They always go the wrong direction, they always get it backward.

It is crooked, it is corrupt, it is depraved, it is wrong.

 

My dad often amazes me with his practical discernment in situations.

To the lady who didn’t believe in selling horses to the killer plant…

“Well do you have a problem with abortion?”

 

And isn’t that crooked and perverse?

Killing babies is ok, but killing horses is inhumane.

 

We obviously desire to stand out against the culture.

 

HOW DO YOU PROVE THAT?

 

Paul is clear, there is one thing that proves you a child of God above all other, and that is your lack of grumbling or disputing.

 

Your attitude is serves as the frame around your obedience.

A good action with a sorry attitude is still not attractive.

 

If you want to prove to others and yourself that you are a holy innocent child of God, then cut grumbling out of your lifestyle.

 

A grumble free life signifies your pedigree

#2 SOLIDIFIES YOUR PREACHING

Philippians 2:15b-16a

 

“among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life,”

 

On one hand our grumble free life proves that we are children of God.

On the hand it bears testimony

To the mission we are trying to accomplish.

 

• We know we live in this crooked and perverse world.

• We know this world is going the wrong direction.

• And we know they are doing this because they walk in darkness.

 

We however, “appear as lights in the world”

 

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

 

We are declaring to men the answer

We are declaring to men the way

 

We take sinners trapped in darkness

And offer to them the path that will lead them to redemption.

 

That is what Paul meant when he said

We are “holding fast the word of life”

 

That really isn’t the best translation.

The word there is really “holding FORTH the word of life”

 

The indication there is not that we faithfully obey,

But that we faithfully proclaim the truth.

 

So we are the church.

 

1 Timothy 3:14-15 “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”

 

And that is a responsibility we accept.

• We know that our job is to proclaim truth in a world of deception.

• We know we are to be light in the midst of darkness.

 

And that is why we continually preach the truth.

 

But, if we faithfully preach the word, but grumble and dispute

The world only sees our negative attitude and fails to hear our message.

 

Remember Israel?

They thought they were a light too…

 

Romans 2:17-24 “But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written.”

 

They accepted their role as a light in darkness too…

But because their lifestyles were a direct contradiction of the truth they proclaimed, their preaching actually had a negative affect.

 

Instead of glorifying God, they actually blasphemed Him.

 

And that is the danger we run.

We ought not have a tongue that one minute proclaims truth

And the very next grumbles about our circumstances.

 

James 3:8-10 “But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.”

 

When we preach truth but live grumbling it kills our message.

 

1 Corinthians 13:1 “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”

 

However, when we do all things without grumbling or disputing

It actually validates our claim to be lights in the midst of darkness

As we hold forth the truth.

 

A grumble free life signifies your pedigree and solidifies your preaching

#3 SATISFIES YOUR PASTOR

Philippians 2:16b

 

“so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.”

 

Paul wants them to live without grumbling or complaining

Because if they do this, he will know that they are truly changed

And that his ministry is a genuine one.

 

Paul speaks of not running in vain.

 

We know this was important to him.

1 Corinthians 9:26 “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;”

 

Paul was very careful not to be a person whose life left no mark.

He wanted to make a difference.

 

And he was concerned any time

It looked like his ministry did not have the desired effect.

 

Galatians 4:8-11 “However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.”

 

However, when those he led demonstrated a true change, he rejoiced.

 

1 Thessalonians 3:6-8 “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.”

 

The apostle John was the same:

2 John 4 “I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father.”

 

Nothing mattered so much to those men as the obedience of their flock.

 

• Paul wanted to glory…

• Paul wanted to be able to rejoice in his ministry…

• Paul wanted to know he was making a difference…

 

And incidentally, nothing does this for a pastor

Like the obedience of his flock.

 

Paul knew if he could look at the Philippians

And find humble people

Who considered others as more important than themselves

And who not only died to self, but rejoiced as they did it…

Then Paul knew his ministry was effective.

 

Now that being said, I’ll give you a heads up for next October.

 

Carrie and I greatly appreciate the generosity of our church.

The love offering was a wonderful thing.

Having a pastor appreciating Sunday is indeed appreciated.

 

But I must sympathize with Paul here…

• Even better than a love offering…

• Even better than an appreciation Sunday…

• Is your obedient life.

 

That makes a pastor rejoice.

 

The flip side is that often times pastors continually field complaints.

 

We live in a day where people put a high premium on leadership.

• Corporations want leaders

• Athletic teams want leaders

• Communities want leaders

 

And because of that the book stores are filled with books on leadership.

 

But I’ve often told people if you want a real lesson on leadership

Then read Exodus and Numbers.

 

Moses was the greatest leader any nation ever knew

And no one was ever grumbled against more than him.

 

And sadly this is a reality for far too many pastors.

(I’m obviously only preaching this for those in other churches who get our CD’s)

 

Nothing kills the motivation of a pastor like a grumbling flock.

 

Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”

 

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.”

 

And Paul is pretty clear here that if you want to honor such a person or make their job easier, then “do all things without grumbling or disputing”

Bragging on a pastor loses its luster

When you brag one day and complain the next.

 

And yet that is reality for our entire Christian life.

 

• We desire to be known as children of God, but grumbling ruins it.

• We desire to be lights in a dark world, but grumbling hides our light.

• We desire to encourage and honor our leaders, but grumbling has the opposite effect.

 

And so you can see the dangers of it.

We are called to obey and to obey in the right way.

 

 

 

 

 

So “do all things without grumbling or disputing”

 

• It will validate your claim to be a child of God

• It will dictate the effectiveness of your ministry

• It will encourage your pastor that his work is not in vain

 

Pursuing Sanctification

Philippians 2:12-13

November 3, 2013

 

Because we have recently studied the Holy Spirit

No one in here should be completely confused

In regard to the concept of sanctification.

We talked about how the Holy Spirit is the agent of our sanctification.

 

He sets us apart from the world and He sets us apart unto God.

 

Similar to a marriage.

“I take you…forsaking all others”

 

It is the Holy Spirit that takes that promise

And begins to work out its actual fulfillment in our lives.

 

And hopefully you remember that sanctification is not optional.

 

Hebrews 12:14 “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.”

 

Christ died to make you righteous, both positionally and practically.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:3 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification…”

 

A believer may in fact inquire about God’s will in his or her life

In regard to specific scenarios and decisions,

But the overarching will of God for your life has never been confusing.

 

God’s will for your life is that you be sanctified.

 

• Every prophet who ever spoke, spoke to this end.

• Every priest who ever served, served to this end.

• When God became flesh and dwelt among us, His life and death were to this end.

• And when God sent His Spirit to dwell in us, this is what He produces

 

Sanctification is important.

You and I are to be set apart from the world and we are to live holy lives.

 

The question I have for you tonight is: HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?

 

How are you going to achieve the sanctification in your life

That you will never see God without?

 

Over the course of history

There have been two distinct methods of thought on this.

 

There were the PIETISTS.

A pious man is an extremely religious man.

And the pietists determined that sanctification

Was purely a matter of human responsibility.

 

They believed we are called to die to self, to work hard, to sacrifice much,

To pursue holiness, and make sure that we completely remove from our lives

Any and all sin.

 

The problem of course with that train of thought is that it won’t work.

 

We just spent 5 months studying the Holy Spirit

And we have learned that He has to accomplish this in us,

Because we can’t do it on our own.

 

John 15:4-5 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

 

Romans 8:29-30 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

 

Galatians 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

 

And when are enlightened by such truth we realize that sanctification

Is not something that we can achieve on our own.

 

The flesh is too fallen, and try as we may, we will never achieve it.

 

And incidentally those who maintain such a view

Generally end up legalistic, judgmental, arrogant, and alone.

We know God must work in us.

 

Well, that leads to the other side of the argument.

That side is called QUIETISM

 

You may not be familiar with the term, but you are familiar with the mindset.

Their famous statement was “Let go and let God”

 

The idea is that God has to do it all, so let Him do it all.

You can’t accomplish it, so don’t try.

 

God, apart from you, is working so just sit back and let Him.

 

Now that can initially sound good,

But it too effectively lets man off the hook for his role in the process.

 

For example, if you are placing it all in God’s hands,

Then who gets the blame when you fail?

 

Man does have a very important role to play in all of this.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

 

And so what we begin to realize is that like so many other doctrines in Scripture, there is a unique mystery here.

 

It’s like asking you who wrote the book of Philippians?

(Paul or the Holy Spirit)

 

And here we ask, who lives your Christian life?

(You or God in you)

 

And there is a delicate balance, a mystery of sorts.

On one hand it is our responsibility and on the other hand it is God’s.

 

And this tension is seen throughout the Scriptures.

 

2 Peter 1:2-3 “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”

That is clearly God at work.

 

And then Peter says:

2 Peter 1:5-6 “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,”

That is clearly us at work.

 

Or consider what Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 15:9-10 “For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.”

 

And there the balance is seen again.

 

We are at work, and so is God.

Both do it, both are responsible.

 

And that is the truth that Paul is going to walk us through tonight

As we look at these two wonderful verses in the book of Philippians.

 

I want us to see sanctification from both sides

And get a handle on how it works.

 

Now in doing that it is important that you don’t lose sight of CONTEXT.

Don’t forget what this chapter has been about.

 

• Verses 1-4 gave the mandate to humble yourself and consider others as more important than yourself.

 

• Verses 5-11 gave Christ’s example of doing that very thing.

 

So we are still talking about the call and command to humble yourself.

The question is: HOW CAN I REALISTICALLY EXPECT TO DO THAT?

 

Humbling self goes against every natural fleshly desire that you have.

Self-preservation is normal, self-humiliation is not.

 

So how do I actually reach a point where I can be like Christ and humble myself for the good of my brother?

 

Let me show you what it will require

#1 THE EFFORT OF MAN

Philippians 2:12

 

As Paul first handles the “HOW TO” portion of humility,

He starts with you and the effort you must put forth.

 

You and I must understand that if we are to live the Christian life

The way God intended us to live it,

Then we must put forth the effort to live it the right way.

 

Laziness is not going to achieve the holiness of God.

 

I’ve always liked the illustration used in the book of Hebrews.

 

Hebrews 2:1-3a “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”

 

And we have talked about this before.

You are familiar with the two Greek words the writer uses in that first verse.

 

“pay much closer attention” translates PROSECHO (to moor a ship)

“drift away” translates PARARHEO (a ship allowed to drift)

 

And the writer says what do you think the odds are of your ship hitting the harbor and mooring itself to the dock apart from any effort on your part?

 

And of course the answer is none.

 

People who try to completely let go of their spiritual responsibility to live the sanctified life will never achieve that sanctification.

 

EFFORT IS REQUIRED

Let’s look at some of the practical things you must do.

1) FOLLOW CHRIST

“So then, my beloved”

 

Now I know that is not a command specifically to follow,

But it is a clause that directly correlates to the previous section.

 

Paul just spent 7 verses outlining for us the example of Christ.

He told us about His HUMILITY, He told us about His OBEDIENCE, He told us about His deserved EXALTATION.

 

And then says, “So then…”

The idea being then that you and I are to follow this example.

 

And this is actually one of the most obvious realities that you and I are responsible for our sanctification.

 

If we are not responsible to act and live in a certain way,

Then why did God bother giving us an example?

 

In fact, if we can’t do it at all, why even give us commands in Scripture?

 

The reality is that God gave you commands

Because you are expected to obey,

And God gave you an example because you are expected to follow

 

It is implied that you will pattern your life

After the example that Christ set for you.

 

And this has been explicitly stated.

 

John 13:13-15 “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.”

 

1 Peter 2:21 “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,”

 

And that is the point here.

 

If you weren’t called to take matters into your own hands in regard to humbling yourself and putting your brother first

Then Paul would have never bothered to give you Christ’s example.

 

But since Paul commanded it and then gave the example,

It is implied that you are responsible to follow.

You are called to put forth the effort to be like Christ.

 

Know Him, Read His Word, Follow His Example

 

2) FAITHFULLY OBEY

“just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence,”

 

Obviously Paul is there speaking of obedience.

But it is the way he describes obedience that I want you to see.

 

“always obeyed”

“in my presence”

“in my absence”

 

It carries the idea of faithful obedience at all times.

And again, this is heavily implied just by the fact that there are commands.

 

Why give a command if there is no intention of you obeying it?

 

And the fact that Paul mentions obedience even in his “absence”

Indicates that they are even more responsible now that

No one is there to hold them accountable.

 

I remember when I was in high school how teachers would treat you.

They hounded you to listen

They hounded you to study

They hounded you to do your work

They made you go to class

In their presence it was pretty easy to obey because they stayed on you.

 

However, when I went to college, those professors didn’t care.

They didn’t care if I attended

They didn’t care if I listened

They didn’t care if I completed my assignments

 

All of a sudden the burden was completely on me.

 

And that is what Paul was saying.

• You have to obey, and the burden falls on you.

• I’m not there to make sure you do it anymore.

 

You are going to have to take responsibility and make yourself be faithful.

 

And if you want to be sanctified,

Then a decision to be faithfully obedient must be made.

 

Follow Christ, Faithfully Obey

3) FORCEFULLY LABOR

“work out your salvation”

 

And this statement is really the heart of verse 12.

This is what Paul is saying.

 

If you want to be sanctified as God intends

Then you are going to have to “work” it out.

 

“work out” is a Greek word that means “to produce through effort or toil”

 

Also used:

James 1:3 “knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

 

2 Corinthians 4:17 “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,”

 

In both of those verses the same word is translated “produces or producing”

 

The idea is that of effort and labor and striving to bring about an end.

 

And that is why we talk about the effort of man.

• Do you want to be sanctified?

• Do you want to achieve righteousness?

• Do you want to be like Christ?

 

Well it won’t happen with you sitting on your rear doing nothing.

It won’t happen if you refuse to put forth the effort.

 

Paul told Timothy:

1 Timothy 4:7-8 “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

 

It’s like sports.

• If you won’t work hard

• If you don’t discipline yourself

• If you don’t put forth effort

• Then you honestly cannot expect to do very well.

 

Now we’ve all seen those people who just try to rest on their God-given ability.

They don’t strive because they are “talented”.

 

And yet if sports has proven anything it is that at the end of the day

It is those who work the hardest who capture the prize.

 

If you want to be like Christ then you are going to have to put forth the effort, it will not naturally happen.

 

Sanctification doesn’t come like old age.

You have to force it to come.

 

Follow Christ, Faithfully Obey, Forcefully Labor

4) FEARFULLY CONTINUE

“with fear and trembling”

 

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

It means you need a good motivator to push you

Through those difficult moments of training.

 

Hard work is never fun.

Disciplining yourself is never fun.

You must have motivation.

 

You either need motivation of reward:

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.”

 

Or you need motivation of punishment.

1 Peter 1:17-19 “If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”

 

We must understand that sanctification is not optional,

And it is not automatic.

 

To achieve it, you are going to have

To make a conscious effort to follow Christ,

And to do it without someone holding your hand.

 

And if you need motivation, then take the reward

Or subsequent punishment of God as your motive.

 

Sanctification matters.

And that is man’s responsibility.

 

The Effort of Man

#2 THE ENERGY OF GOD

Philippians 2:13

 

Here is the other side of the equation.

• Man puts forth the effort, but God supplies the energy.

• Man works hard, God makes it work

• Man pushes the petal, but God is the fuel

 

Apart from effort you will never be sanctified,

However, effort without the power of God will never succeed.

 

And it is God’s side we see here.

 

And just to remind of that let me also give you four realities about God’s work here that helps you understand why sanctification is a real possibility.

 

You can achieve it because of the God who is working in you.

1) HIS PERSON

“for it is God”

 

Now there is a statement worth contemplating.

How do I know if I can do it?

How do I know if I can make it?

 

Well the answer is because you have help.

Yes, but how do I know if my help is good enough?

 

Because your help is none other than “God”

(Remember the One we saw this morning who spoke the world into existence)

 

• It’s not your pastor at work…

• It’s not your parents at work…

• It’s not your friends at work…

It is “God”

 

And the last time I checked, nothing was impossible with God.

(Even your sanctification)

 

Romans 8:29-30 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

 

I’ve always liked the story with Sarah in the Old Testament.

The angelic messengers came to relay that Sarah would conceive.

You’ll remember that she was listening in the tent and she laughed.

 

Genesis 18:13-14 “And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’ “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

 

And I’ve told you before that from that point on Sarah never wavered again.

 

She understood who was at work in her.

Thus far, despite her effort, she could not conceive

Thus far, despite Abraham’s effort, she could not conceive

 

But she now had new help, and He most definitely would succeed.

 

In your quest to achieve sanctification never disregard who your help is.

 

Psalms 121:2 “My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.”

 

John 14:16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;”

 

That is the first thing Paul wants you to know.

His Person

2) HIS PRESENCE

“For it is God who is at work in you”

 

Now incidentally the word “work” here

Is different from the one Paul used in verse 12.

 

The word in verse 12 was that word that meant to produce through toil or effort.

 

This is a different word.

“work” here translates ENERGEO (where we get our word for energy)

 

And that energy is “in you”

 

Remember the disciples in the garden?

Sleeping at their post, unable to stand with Jesus?

 

Matthew 26:41 “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

 

The disciples may have had the want to, but they didn’t have the energy.

They didn’t have the ability within them.

 

And that is true of our sanctification.

• The effort has to be there, but effort alone is not enough.

• There has to be a power supplied.

 

That is God.

He “is at work in you”

 

1 Corinthians 15:9-10 “For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.”

 

Colossians 1:28-29 “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”

 

• You desire to be sanctified…

• You desire to be like Christ…

You put forth the effort, God puts forth the power

 

You can do it because of the person and the presence of God in your life.

 

His Person, His Presence

3) HIS PLAN

“both to will and to work”

 

What is God doing in you?

He is willing and He is working

“to will” indicates that God is in some amazing way actually shaping your desires and will.

 

Ezra 1:5 “Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.”

 

Psalms 119:36 “Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain.”

 

I’ve often looked at my own calling:

1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”

 

That was a “will” or a desire that God placed there.

 

In other words God helps supply the motivation.

• Where do you think that desire to be holy came from?

• Where do you think that desire to be like Christ came from?

 

God was doing that in you.

 

He was also working.

And we could probably spend several sermons on all the ways God does this.

 

• But we know He uses trials to purify and sanctify us…

• We know He uses His word to purify and sanctify us…

• We know He uses the gifts He has put in other believers to purify and sanctify us…

 

God is working in you.

He convicts, He guides, He directs, He enlightens

 

There is no doubt that God has a one track mind in your life

And it is to make you like Jesus.

 

He is willing and working to make you sanctified.

 

His Person, His Presence, His Plan

4) HIS PURPOSE

“for His good pleasure”

 

Romans 8:28-30 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

 

God is in the business of bringing forth in you what He wants from you.

 

And that means that you are not alone in this struggle.

• If you want to be sanctified…

• If you are striving to be sanctified…

• If you are putting forth the effort to be like Christ and obey even on your own…

 

Then rest assured you are not on your own, God is in you,

And He is willing and working to help you achieve

That desire that He put in you.

 

That is the balance of sanctification.

It will never be achieved without effort on your part,

And it will never be achieved merely by your own effort.

 

But God is it work as well and because of that it will be achieved.

 

I’ll leave you with one more example of this delicate balance.

Exodus 14:10-12 “As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD. Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? “Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘ Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

 

A dilemma yes?

 

Exodus 14:13-14 “But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. “The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.”

 

Now that sounds like quietism doesn’t it?

Just let go and let God.

 

Exodus 14:15-16 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. “As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land.”

 

Only God could part the sea,

But only the Israelites could walk through it.

 

And that is true in your life and mine.

 

Sanctification is a necessary process,

Brought about only through your effort and God’s energy,

So pursue it and trust God to help.

 

Philippians 2:12-13 “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”