Where to Stand

Philippians 4:1-9

January 19, 2014

 

One of the things we are all aware of in our day and culture

Is that Christianity is under attack.

 

We have not yet experienced these attacks in a physical sense here in America, but certainly we know that the ideologies of true Biblical Christianity are being attacked.

 

It is a regrettable reality in our world that many have lost sight

Of exactly what Christianity is supposed to look like.

 

To call yourself a “Christian” in today’s culture is such an open ended term that many people still won’t know what you are talking about.

 

In our day we see “Christians” who:

• Feel no need to attend church

• See no need for practical holiness

• Deny the relevance and authority for Scripture

• Embrace the possibility of salvation in other religions

• Follow teaching meant only to bring prosperity to self

• Reject doctrine and follow experience

• Etc. etc. etc.

 

No doubt in your desire to follow Christ

You have at one time or another in life become frustrated with others

Who call themselves “Christian” and yet do not resemble

What Scripture calls a Christian in any regard.

 

And so naturally the Scripture calls us to stand for true Christianity

 

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

 

1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”

 

Galatians 5:1 “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

 

Ephesians 6:11-13 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

 

Philippians 1:27 “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;”

 

Colossians 2:5 “For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 3:8 “for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.”

 

2 Thessalonians 2:15 “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.”

 

1 Peter 5:12 “Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!”

 

Jude 3-4 “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

 

We are called to stand for the truth, and to stand for Biblical Christianity.

 

But before we are able to stand for Biblical Christianity,

We first have to make sure we have a good handle on what it is.

 

WHAT ARE THE IRREDUCIBLE MINIMUMS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE?

What are the Christian “bare necessities”?

 

• Certainly we can’t just listen to our own passions…

• Certainly we can’t just define Christianity by what we think it is…

• We must look to Scripture to find this answer

 

Well, Paul does a wonderful job in helping us answer those questions.

What we have in these 9 verses is a list

Of the irreducible minimums of the Christian life.

 

Paul makes that clear in verse 1

“Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.”

 

• Obviously you see Paul’s AFFECTION for the Philippians, twice calling them

“beloved”

 

• Obviously you see Paul’s ATTRACTION to the Philippians, calling them his

“joy”

 

• And you see Paul’s APPRECIATION to the Philippians, calling them his

“crown” indicating that they are his reward for a hard run race.

 

Without a doubt Paul is concerned about this church.

 

So it is important to Paul that he make sure that the Philippians

Fully understand what is expected of them.

 

So he says, “in this way stand firm in the Lord”

 

He is not just talking about how to stand (we see that in Ephesians 6),

But he is talking about WHERE TO STAND.

 

In other words, you may compromise in some areas, but not these areas.

The realities I’m about to reveal to you are non-negotiable,

They are the irreducible minimums of the Christian life.

 

This is where you must drive your stake in the ground

This is a hill on which to die.

 

There are 6 of them.

The Christian:

#1 LIVES IN HARMONY

Philippians 4:2-3

 

Another way to put this is “unity”.

We are to stand for unity in the body.

 

Ephesians 4:1-3 “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

 

Unity or harmony is not an optional reality in Christianity.

It is not a bonus – It is a necessity.

 

Our culture has done more to embrace personal freedom

Than any other culture before us.

 

We are a people obsessed with our own personal rights.

And if you want a fight, just try to take those rights away.

(speech, guns, etc.)

 

And while I love my personal freedoms, I do understand that

These can certainly get in the way of my harmony with others.

 

Galatians 5:13-15 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”

 

Insisting on personal rights and preferences

Is a quick way to kill harmony with those around you.

 

But living in harmony with other believers is not an option.

 

• We saw that in chapter 2 where Paul continually told us to

“consider others as more important than ourselves”

 

• And we see it here as Paul says, “live in harmony”.

SO LIVING IN HARMONY IS NOT AN OPTION

(obviously doctrine and theology matters, we are only talking about issues of style)

 

And that is seen here in Paul’s public confrontation of two women.

“I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.”

 

We don’t know who either one of these ladies was.

• However, since in verse 3 Paul seems to include them in his list of “fellow workers” it is not far-fetched to wonder if these ladies weren’t there from the beginning.

 

• At the very least these were two important or leading women in the Philippian church.

 

And these ladies had issue with one another.

• Now, it is fair to assume that the issue wasn’t doctrinal, or else Paul most certainly would have addressed the doctrine and even sided with one or the other.

• No, this is a rift, a feud, a petty fight

• These two women just didn’t get along.

 

Maybe their personalities clashed…

Maybe they disagreed on music styles…

Maybe their kids competed in school…

 

Who knows, but whatever it was, this women did not get along.

And their contention threatened the ministry of the church.

 

And so Paul publicly (and I’m sure embarrassingly)

Called these women out by name.

 

They needed to get over it and “live in harmony”

 

And you will notice in verse 3 that this was NOT just a personal issue.

“Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.”

 

People often wonder who “true companion” is.

The best explanation is that the Greek word for “true companion”

Should be left untranslated.

 

The Greek word is SUZOGUS and it means “true companion”

 

Most likely Paul was speaking to a man named Suzogus who was probably an elder or deacon of the church. And Paul wanted this man to “help these women” accomplish the goal.

 

The point is that it is not ok for people in the church

To be in the midst of a feud or discord.

After all didn’t Jesus say?

John 17:22-23 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”

Or

 

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

 

Being at odds with a brother or sister in Christ is not acceptable.

Harmony is an irreducible minimum.

 

We are to stand firm against disharmony

And we are to help those who have fallen into to it to fix it.

 

And incidentally that does not mean choosing to avoid each other

Hebrews 10:24-25 “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

 

That means the Christian who chooses to skip church and

“worship on his own” is sinning and forsaking the fellowship.

 

A Christian lives in harmony with other Christians.

 

#2 REJOICES REGARDLESS

Philippians 4:4

 

Obviously rejoicing has been one of (if not “the”) major theme of Philippians.

 

A believer is required to “rejoice always” and in case you missed it the first time, “again I will say, rejoice!”

 

• This is an irreducible minimum of Christianity.

• This is an area where we stand firm.

• This is an area where we draw our line in the sand.

And we say, it is not ok for a Christian to live their life without rejoicing.

 

A bitter, angry, ungrateful Christian is in fact a contradiction.

• Have we not been chosen?

• Have we not been forgiven?

• Have we not been redeemed?

• Do we not have an inheritance?

• Are we not secure?

• Is God not promised to work His good pleasure in our lives?

 

Those realities demand rejoicing from a believer.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:16 “Rejoice always;”

And that rejoicing is not just during the good times.

James 1:2-4 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

 

A believer even rejoices in hardships

Because of the deep understanding that God is

Using those hardships to accomplish His purpose in our lives.

 

So whether good or bad, a Christian rejoices.

 

Like Paul who could rejoice while in prison

Because it opened opportunity for others to hear the gospel.

 

Now please understand we are not talking about an emotion here.

We are not talking about a feeling.

(aka “I don’t feel happy” or “that doesn’t make me feel joyful”)

 

We are talking about a mental reality, not an emotional feeling.

 

John MacArthur defined joy like this: “…joy is not a feeling; it is the deep-down confidence that God is in control of everything for the believer’s good and His own glory, and thus all is well no matter what the circumstances.”

(Philippians commentary pg.273)

 

That we understand.

It’s not that my circumstances make me happy,

It is that I can rejoice in the fact that God is control of them.

 

It is similar to the mindset of job,

Who although he lost everything could still fall down and worship God.

 

Who told his wife, “shall we not accept good from the hand of the Lord and not adversity?”

 

Who said:

Job 19:25-26 “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. “Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God;”

 

And this attitude is a non-negotiable.

We are not allowed to let our Christianity be without rejoicing.

 

A True Christian Lives in Harmony & Rejoices Regardless

 

#3 DISPLAYS GRACE

Philippians 4:5a

 

What does Paul mean when he says, “Let your gentle spirit be known to all men”?

 

This phrase “gentle spirit” is actually a tough one to translate

As there really isn’t an English word that does it justice.

EPI-EIKES in the Greek

 

Various Bible translations translate it many different ways.

 

The NASB (which I read) translates it “gentle spirit” or “gentle”

 

Others translate it “sweet reasonableness” or “generosity” or “goodwill” or “friendliness” or “magnanimity” or “charity toward the faults of others” or “mercy toward the failures of others” etc.

 

To aid understanding…

 

In two places it is used as a contrast of other attributes.

1 Timothy 3:3 “not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.”

 

1 Peter 2:18 “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.”

 

• Paul used it as the opposite of being “pugnacious” (lit. a fighter)

• Peter used it as the opposite of being “unreasonable”

 

Other places it is used in a list of synonyms

Titus 3:1-2 “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.”

 

There it is used in a list with being “peaceable” and “showing every consideration”

 

For me the best definition for the word

Would be summed up in a statement Jesus made.

 

Matthew 7:12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

 

It simply means to not be an unreasonable fighter,

But to be a considerate, peace loving person

Who is infinitely concerned about others.

 

I just chose to use the word “grace”

That a true Christian should always DISPLAY GRACE

 

Christians are NOT allowed to be rude or mean or violent tempered

Or unreasonable or hard to get along with.

 

Christians must be selfless, forgiving, charitable,

Understanding, kind, friendly.

 

To put it simply, gracious.

After all, it was the very nature of our Lord to be this way.

 

Yes, at times His message was harsh, but He was not.

Matthew 12:18-21 “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM IHAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. “HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. “A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. “AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.”

Jesus lived in such a way,

That even the most base and outcast around Him felt hope.

He lived with grace.

 

A Christian Lives in Harmony, Rejoices Regardless, Displays Grace

#4 TRUSTS GOD

Philippians 4:5b-7

 

First Paul reminds us that “The Lord is near”

 

That is not a time reference, but rather a position reference.

The Lord is close by

The Lord is with you

 

That is a vitally important thing to remember.

It allows us to “Be anxious for nothing”

 

Literally, don’t worry.

 

Matthew 6:25-34 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

 

Worry is the opposite of faith.

Instead of worrying, why don’t you try trusting God?

 

Trust His provision

Trust His protection

Trust His character, nature, and promises

 

The world is where panic is found.(Gentiles seek these things)

Not the Christian.

• Our daily goal is not to store food – God provides food

• Our daily goal is not to secure clothing – God provides clothing

• Our daily goal is righteousness and His kingdom

 

“Be anxious for nothing”

 

Christians are not allowed to get caught up in fear and worry.

Why?

Because “The Lord is near.”

 

So instead of living in fear and worry and anxiety, what do we do?

“but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

 

Instead of worrying we give our problems to God.

We trust Him with the outcome.

We request to Him.

 

We do so in a spirit of gratitude, not in one of discontentment,

But we lay our burdens at His feet.

 

Is this not what Jesus promised?

“Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest”?

 

Did Peter not say?

To “cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you”?

 

If a believer can’t trust God

What makes him different from those in the world?

 

And when we do trust, God gives peace.

(7) “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

God gives the peace to sleep with Jesus in the middle of the storm.

A peace “which surpasses all comprehension”

 

In other words it doesn’t make sense to the outside observer.

 

Not only that, but that peace “will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

The word for “guard” there is a military term.

The noun form of that word is actually the word for a garrison or fort.

 

2 Corinthians 11:32 “In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,”

 

 

And the Bible says that when you resist anxiety and instead trust God,

He will then guard your “hearts and minds”

 

“hearts” is KARDIA which refers to man’s vital center.

It is all his mental and moral activity.

 

“minds” is NOEMA which refers to thoughts.

 

And the idea is that when you determine to trust God,

He puts a guard over your thoughts to keep you from worrying.

 

He protects you from the anxiety.

(I’ve seen this so much in my life,

Where God just gives a peace in the midst of uncertainty)

 

But the point is that this trust is an irreducible minimum for the Christian.

CHRISTIANS TRUST GOD

 

Live in Harmony – Rejoice Regardless – Display Grace – Trust God

 

#5 CONTEMPLATES TRUTH

Philippians 4:8

 

Paul uses the word “Finally” to bring this thought to a fitting climax.

He is finishing up his thoughts on in what ways we are to stand firm.

 

And here it has to do with our mindset.

You will notice at the end of verse 8 he says, “dwell on these things”

 

That is such an important statement.

 

You cannot separate the importance of thinking and discernment

And mental exercise when it comes to Christianity.

 

In this life we get in trouble when we allow ourselves

To be ruled by our emotions or our experiences.

 

A Christian is called to ponder, analyze, search, study.

 

• We “test everything and hold fast to what is good and abstain from evil”

• We are “transformed by the renewing of our mind”

• We “study to show ourselves approved”

• We “set our minds on things above”

 

THE PROCESS OF THINKING IS IMPORTANT TO CHRISTIANS

 

Paul says

“whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

And I won’t go over the whole list,

For we might find many things that fit various words.

 

However, we only find One who fits them all.

That would be the Living Word who is Christ.

 

We “dwell” on Christ.

And the only place we can do this is in His word.

 

One of the problems with Christianity today,

And one of the reasons for all the misguided Christians

Is a major failure to do this.

 

People have stopped doing the work of dwelling on the word of God.

 

2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

 

Proverbs 2:1-5 “My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God.”

 

But make no mistake about it, it is work.

Bible study is not easy.

 

The writer of Proverbs likened it to mining for hidden treasures.

You don’t pull a diamond out of the rock

Without swinging the pick a few times.

 

But Christians must do the work of Bible study.

Why?

2 Corinthians 3:18 “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.”

 

You can’t be like Christ if you don’t know who He is.

You can’t obey the commands if you don’t know what they are.

 

The height of your worship,

Will never out travel the depth of your theology.

 

THE CHRISTIAN CONTEMPLATES TRUTH

They do not let it go – the dwell on it.

 

Lives in Harmony, Rejoices Regardless, Displays Grace, Trust God, Contemplates Truth

#6 PRACTICES OBEDIENCE

Philippians 4:9

 

And this is obvious.

For we are not those who merely hear the word

But refuse to do what it says.

 

James said the man who hears but doesn’t do is deluded about His Christianity.

 

James 1:22 “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

 

Paul says, “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, PRACTICE THESE THINGS”

 

Christians are those who obey the truth they have learned.

That is an uncompromising attribute of Christianity.

 

For when we walk in obedience “the God of peace will be with you.”

 

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

• Well, ever walk in disobedience?

• Ever feel conviction instead of peace?

 

Ok, then you know exactly what it means.

When you walk inside the will of God, His peace abides on you.

 

And listen, I know we covered a lot and probably moved a little faster over some of these than you wanted to.

 

But I want you to see it in a complete thought.

“in this way stand firm in the Lord”

 

These are the non-negotiables.

These are what makes us Christian.

 

If you lose any one of these,

You are compromising Christianity in a way God did not intend.

 

So we may give on certain areas, but we never give here.

 

• Christians Live in Harmony

• Christians Rejoice Regardless

• Christians Display Grace

• Christians Trust God

• Christians Contemplate Truth

• Christians Practice Obedience

 

If you let any one of them slide, you are not living like a Biblical Christian.

That is what it means to be Christian in this life.

 

Philippians 4:1 “Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.”

 

The Christian Pattern

Philippians 3:17-21

January 12, 2014

 

As you know we are studying through a very important passage of Scripture here in the book of Philippians.

 

After encouraging the Philippians in regard to their attitude in the midst of suffering Paul has moved into a section in which

He is warning them about a dangerous influence.

 

Philippians 3:1-2 “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. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;”

 

Paul was aware that there was a group (or possibly even three separate groups) that posed a real dangerous threat to the Philippian church.

It was not primarily a physical threat, but still a dangerous one.

 

We always remember that Satan primarily is a liar.

His main weapon is deception.

 

He lies and deceives and misinforms.

That is why we fight him with the truth.

 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”

 

I heard a story recently about a church service in which during the worship time one man went to the front and started doing karate moves down at the altar. When the pastor asked him what he was doing the man answered, “spiritual warfare; I’m fighting Satan”

 

Well I hate to burst your bubble, but that is not how you fight Satan.

It is a spiritual battle, not a physical one.

 

We don’t bind him, we don’t rebuke him, we don’t banish him

WE EXPOSE HIM

 

Through the preaching of the truth

And the right understanding of doctrine we expose Satan’s lies

And thus render him powerless to deceive.

 

And that has been Paul’s main objective

Throughout this third chapter of Philippians.

 

He is exposing a false system of worship

And reminding the Philippians of what being a Christian really is.

I suppose if you wanted to really break down the chapter into three main points,

It would be like this:

 

1) THE CHRISTIAN PASSION

Which is “to know Him”

 

Paul had worldly status and yet considered all he had gained

To be rubbish for the sake of gaining Christ.

 

The passion of the Christian is not to build some religious resume

Or to obtain worldly status or possessions.

 

The passion of the Christian is to know Christ.

• It is to obtain His righteousness on the basis of faith.

• It is to know the power of His resurrection

• It is to enjoy the fellowship of His suffering

• It is to be conformed to His death

• It is to obtain to the resurrection from the dead.

 

If you cut a Christian down the middle, that is what you find.

They eat, sleep, and breathe Jesus.

He is their passion.

 

2) THE CHRISTIAN PURSUIT

 

Which is to “lay hold of that for which [we were] laid hold of by Christ Jesus”.

 

• Jesus died and rose again that we might be holy.

• God Himself is working to conform us into the image of Christ.

• We are the bride of Christ for whom Christ died that He might sanctify us, washing us with the water of the word that He might present to Himself a pure and spotless bride without any stain or wrinkle.

 

We are those (Ephesians 1 says) who were chosen

That we would be holy and blameless before Him.

 

The desire of God is that we be holy as He is holy.

 

Of course we realize that we are not there yet.

We may desire holiness, but even the most pious among us

Must admit that perfect holiness has not yet been achieved.

 

At any given moment we can read the Sermon on the Mount

And be reminded how far short we fall of God’s perfect holiness.

 

And since we have yet to obtain the perfection God desires, we pursue it.

 

Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, we press on toward the goal, for the prize, of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

So we’ve seen the Christian Passion and the Christian Pursuit

 

Tonight we would finish this chapter by talking about

THE CHRISTIAN PATTERN

 

Paul closes this chapter by revealing to us that since there are

Two sides pushing for our allegiance (false teachers and Paul)

That we must choose which pattern we are going to follow.

 

And that reality is seen in verse 17

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

 

Now as is typical of Paul, he is showing you your options,

But at the same time makes no bones about which you should choose.

 

Paul wants you to choose to follow his example.

• Paul counted his previous life as loss.

• Paul wanted to know Christ.

• Paul pursued holiness with all he had.

 

And he asked the Philippians to “join in following my example”

 

And not just his, but they should also “observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”

 

“observe” translates SKOPEO (scope)

It means “to look at or to contemplate”

 

Paul wants the Philippians to open their eyes and pay close attention

To those who live with the same passion and pursuit as Paul.

 

Men like Timothy and Epaphroditus.

 

It is the same as what the writer of Hebrews said:

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.”

 

Paul said the same thing (in a negative sense) to the Romans.

Romans 16:17 “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.”

 

The point is that we all must open our eyes and see that

There are two very distinct patterns we can choose to follow in life.

 

There are those who pursue Christ

And there are those who pursue the flesh.

 

We must watch both closely and carefully and choose the best path.

And that is a reality we are called to see throughout Scripture.

 

• Matthew 7 tells us that there are two roads, one narrow and one wide.

• Matthew 12 tells there are two types of people, one for Jesus and one against Him

• Matthew 13 tells us that there are two crops, one wheat and one tares.

• Matthew 13 tells us there are two types of fish, one good and one bad.

• Romans 8 tells us that there are two ways to walk, one by the Spirit, and one by the flesh

• Ephesians 5 tells us there are two times to walk, one is in the light and one in the darkness

• 1 John 3 tells us there are two types of children, those born of God and those born of the devil

 

That decision is seen throughout.

You will either follow the pattern of the world,

Or you will follow the pattern of Christ.

 

Paul said folly “my example and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”

 

And as we look at the remainder of this text,

You will see again that there are two distinct options.

 

• There are those who are “enemies of the cross of Christ”

• There are those who embrace the cross.

 

In the final four verses of this chapter Paul explains both

And gives characteristics of their life.

 

These passages then become invaluable as it relates to not only choosing a pattern to follow, but also in the process of self-evaluation.

 

#1 ENEMIES OF THE CROSS

Philippians 3:18-19

 

I want you to follow my example, “For many walk, of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ.”

 

You have to follow my example, because deception is literally everywhere.

 

If you are looking for a model of an enemy of the cross of Christ,

Well, open your eyes, they are everywhere.

There are “many” of them.

 

That is why you must force yourself to “observe” those who walking according to Paul’s pattern.

 

It’s easy to see those who don’t, you have to look for those who do.

There are many who are “enemies of the cross of Christ”

 

And that brings up a really good point.

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ONE WHO IS AN ENEMY OF THE CROSS?

 

• Do they walk around chanting “No more cross!”?

• Are they and advocacy group like the one wanting to put a statue of Satan in Oklahoma?

• At one time people said the “peace sign” was an anti-cross symbol saying it was an upside down broken cross.

 

So is that what we are looking for?

Is that how we recognize an enemy of the cross?

 

Paul wants you to know what it means to live an “anti-cross” life.

 

So what are the characteristics of one who is an enemy of the cross?

 

1) (and most important) THEY ARE HEADED TO HELL

“whose end is destruction”

 

If this doesn’t influence your decision as to which path you choose,

I don’t suppose anything will.

Those are enemies of the cross are headed for destruction.

 

The reason of course is because the cross is the only means of salvation.

 

Hebrews 10:26-31 “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

 

The cross is God’s means of justifying sinners.

The cross is God’s way of propitiating His wrath.

 

The cross is the only way sinful man can be forgiven before Holy God.

Colossians 2:13-14 “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

 

Without the cross there is no forgiveness.

Man must pay his debt before God, and that debt is “destruction”

 

And that is something Paul wants you to know from the beginning.

• You can choose the fun path

• You can choose the inviting pattern

• You can choose the comfortable journey

BUT YOU HAD BETTER PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE IT IS HEADED

 

Matthew 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.”

 

• The path may be wide

• The path may be popular

• The path may be fun

• But if it leads only to destruction you had better pay attention

 

Those who are enemies of the cross are headed to hell.

 

Now, that doesn’t really describe who they are,

It just tells where they are headed.

 

The remaining characteristics help us recognize someone

Who is an enemy of the cross.

 

2) THEY ARE CONTROLLED BY THE FLESH

“whose god is their appetite”

 

• Ones “god” is the one they serve

• Ones “god” is the one they follow

 

And for those who are enemies of the cross their “god is their appetite”

 

The word for “appetite” is an anatomical word (names a body part),

And it literally names the “stomach”

 

It is a word that expresses a person

Who just desires what the flesh wants.

 

• They are controlled by spiritual impulses

• They don’t have a desire to follow God

• They just want to do whatever feels good

 

Their reasoning and desires are right on the same level as that of a dog.

 

And of course that is problematic:

Romans 8:5-8 “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

 

Walking by the flesh characterizes those who are enemies of the cross.

The cross demands death to self

The cross calls for the crucifixion of the flesh

Galatians 5:24 “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

 

And so it only stands to reason that those who follow the flesh

Are opposed to the purpose of the cross in their lives.

 

They are headed to hell, they are controlled by the flesh

3) THEY BRAG ABOUT SHAMEFUL THINGS

“whose glory is in their shame”

 

The word for “glory” literally means “to boast”.

 

And they boast about things that should embarrass them.

 

• Shame is the natural response one should feel when they are found guilty.

• Shame is the response we are intended to feel when we are exposed for sinful behavior.

• Shame is meant to motivate a person not to repeat sinful actions.

 

You will even recall that shame is even a tool

The Lord prescribed for dealing with a sinning brother.

 

• First you approach him in private

• Second you take someone with you

• Third you tell the church

 

But if after all of those he still refuses to repent, then you shame him.

He is put out of the fellowship and treated as a Gentile or a tax collector.

 

The shame he feels is supposed to bring about repentance.

 

Shame is produced by the conscience to make you poor in spirit

And lead you to the cross for forgiveness.

 

But for those who are enemies of the cross,

It has just the opposite effect.

 

Instead of repenting as a result of shame,

They brag about the things that are shameful.

 

They commit sin and engage in sinful behavior and when they are exposed instead of feeling remorse, they brag about it.

 

Sometimes they don’t even have to be exposed, they expose themselves.

• It is the proverbial “locker room” conversation where a guy boasts about the number of women he has conquered.

 

• Or the break room where the man brags about how drunk he got the night before.

 

Shameful behavior that is bragged about.

Jeremiah 6:15 “Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down,” says the LORD.”

 

1 Corinthians 5:1-2 “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.”

 

Paul would go on to say in verse 6 of that same passage

“Your boasting is not good”

 

Jude 13 “wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.”

 

The cross is supposed to humble you and bring about repentance,

Those who have no such shame are enemies of the cross.

 

4) THEY CRAVE THE WORLD

“who set their minds on earthly things.”

 

“set their minds” is actually a phrase you have seen twice now in this letter,

Only it wasn’t translated this same way.

 

“PHRONEO” in the Greek.

 

The two other times you have seen it,

It was translated “have this attitude”

 

Philippians 2:5 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,”

 

Philippians 3:15 “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;”

 

Whereas Paul previously told us to set our minds on being like Christ,

Or on losing the world to pursue the things of Christ

These people are just the opposite.

 

Their mindset is not on gaining Christ, it is on gaining the world.

• Their attitude is to look out for number 1.

• Their attitude is to consider themselves as more important than others.

• Their attitude is to store the things of this life, not lose them.

 

1 John 2:15-16 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”

 

James 4:4 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Christ’s life, death, and resurrection were all about Him overcoming the world, not gaining it.

 

In fact Jesus said “what will it profit a man if gains the whole world and yet loses his soul?”

 

You may even remember the rebuke that Jesus gave to Peter:

Matthew 16:23 “But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

 

What did Jesus call Peter when he set his mind on man’s interests?

-Satan

 

When we talk about those who crave the world,

We are not talking about friends of the cross.

 

Galatians 6:14 “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

 

So to love the world is nothing short of being an enemy of the cross.

Loving the world undermines the very purpose of why Christ died.

 

And there you see the characteristics an enemey of the cross.

• They are controlled by the flesh

• They brag about shameful things

• They crave the world

• And they are headed to hell

 

Is that the pattern you wish to follow?

 

Well, there is another pattern,

And incidentally one that Paul specifically told us to follow.

 

Enemies of the Cross

#2 EMBRACERS OF THE CROSS

Philippians 3:20-21

 

And while Paul doesn’t mention it explicitly,

This is the life of those who have embraced the cross.

 

1) (and most important) THEY ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN

“For our citizenship is in heaven,”

 

This is a wonderful phrase for us,

But even more interesting to the Philippians.

 

The one thing that gave Philippi clout was that despite here size and location, she was a certified Roman colony.

 

Those who lived there were Roman citizens, and this was no small thing.

Remember the commander who seized Paul in Jerusalem?

Acts 22:28 “The commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen.”

 

It was a beneficial thing to be a Roman citizen.

This was one of those things of the past

That the Philippians would have hung their hat on.

 

And yet, Paul says – NO, “our citizenship is in heaven”

 

If you think it’s good to have Rome on your side, you ought to contemplate the ramifications of having heaven on your side.

 

• We are heavenly citizens.

• We already own property there, and Jesus is preparing our place.

• We already have treasure stored there

• Our groom is there

• That is where we are headed

 

It also indicates that our allegiance is first and foremost to heaven

I’m not saying we don’t love America, but our allegiance is first to heaven.

This is our home, we are merely strangers and aliens here on earth.

 

And so the contrast is seen where those who are enemies of the cross are headed for destruction, those who embrace it are headed for heaven.

 

They are citizens of heaven

2) THEY LONG FOR CHRIST’S RETURN

“from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”

 

Whereas the enemies of the cross most certainly do not long for Christ’s return simply so they can continue to enjoy the world…

 

Those who embrace the cross, (since the world has nothing to offer them), Eagerly anticipate and long for His return.

 

Paul actually described believers like this:

2 Timothy 4:8 “in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

 

True believers long for Christ’s return.

As we said Wednesday night, Christ’s return is a time when He finally gets the glory that He deserves and our heart cries out for that.

 

We long for Christ’s return, because we will be through with sin.

1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”

 

 

We long for Him to return because we love Him and long to see Him.

1 John 4:17-18 “By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”

 

The world hates the return of Christ, but those who love Christ long for it.

 

See, through the cross we have been made righteous

And we no longer fear His return.

Now, we anticipate it.

 

A third characteristic of those who embrace the cross

3) THEY EXPECT FREEDOM FROM THE FLESH

“who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

 

We all have identified with Paul’s lament in Romans 7

Romans 7:24 “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”

 

And while we are thankful for the Holy Spirit

Who allows us to overcome the flesh,

What we really long for is to be completely free of it.

 

When Christ returns, this is what will happen.

We will be like Him.

 

Now we don’t have the particulars, but we have a vague picture.

• When Christ arose He was recognizable, but not necessarily in a physical way.

• When Christ arose He could walk through walls

• When Christ arose there was a glory about Him

 

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”

 

Whereas the enemies of the cross feed the flesh and pursue the flesh,

Those who have embraced the cross want the flesh forever gone.

 

We long for Christ’s return and expect that because He has all power,

He will transform this humble body into conformity with His glory.

 

So do you see the difference in the two paths?

• One loves the world, seeks the world, craves the world, enjoys the world and will end in destruction.

• One rejects the world, hates the flesh, and longs for the day when Christ returns to free them from it.

 

NOW THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT

You can’t walk both paths

 

Many today try.

They try to walk the wide road and still get to life.

They try to love the world and wait for heaven.

 

It’s the old adage, “I want to go to heaven, but not any time soon”

“I want Jesus to return, but I want to do such and such first”

 

Look we pattern ourselves after one or the other, but not both.

 

The Philippians were being confronted by these false teachers

Who loved the flesh and put all their confidence in the flesh.

 

Their whole life was about gratifying the flesh and as a result

They were not particularly interested in Jesus or His cross.

 

Paul wrote to warn them that theirs was a dangerous pattern.

Those people are in reality enemies of the cross,

Because they seek everything the cross came to abolish

And they reject everything the cross came to accomplish.

 

Instead, pattern your life after me – Paul says.

My passion isn’t the accolades of the world, my passion is Christ

My pursuit isn’t for religious success, it is for Christ’s righteousness

 

So when you are looking for someone to pattern your life after,

Don’t listen to those dogs, those evil workers,

Those false circumcision folks.

 

Instead, pattern your life after me and those who walk like me.

• We are the ones who love Christ

• We are the ones who pursue righteousness

• We are the once who embrace the cross

 

And most importantly we are the ones who are headed for heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

It helps us understand the path we should be walking

And the pattern we should be following.

 

This world is full of the wrong kind of pattern

There are many enemies of the cross

Don’t follow them

 

The Christian Pursuit

Philippians 3:12-16

January 5, 2014

 

Well I know it’s been close to a month since we’ve been in our Sunday night study of Philippians – (the holiday season can wreak havoc on a book study)

 

But tonight we want to get back in the flow and study of this letter

Paul wrote to the church in Philippi.

 

• You will remember that the Philippian church was in Europe.

• Paul planted this church on his 2nd missionary journey.

(remember Lydia and the place of prayer outside the city)

 

• They were a good and faithful church.

• They were poor, yet faithfully contributed to Paul’s needs

• They were also a persecuted church.

• And Paul wrote them this letter from prison encouraging them in regard to their attitude in the midst of suffering.

 

The first two chapters spoke a great deal to their attitude in suffering.

• Find a reason to rejoice

• Find a reason to endure

• Find someone to encourage

 

Then we heard Paul’s request that they be selfless

• Consider one another as more important than yourselves

• Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit

• Look out for the personal interests of others

• Be like Jesus

• Do all things without grumbling

• Follow the example of men like Epaphroditus

 

And that is how the letter began.

 

Then most recently we entered chapter 3

In which Paul identifies a concern for the Philippian church.

 

They were encountering false teachers.

 

Paul was very direct in verse 2 when he wrote, “Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.”

 

There was a group of people who were threatening

To lead the Philippians away from their pursuit of Christ.

 

These men put all their emphasis on their works of the flesh.

They boasted in their religious accomplishments.

And they trusted in their own religious resume.

And Paul knew that following their example would ruin the Philippians.

 

So he wrote to warn the Philippians

And expose the fallacy of this new influence.

 

(3) “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,”

 

You remember that Paul taught us how to distinguish

Between a true believer and a false one.

 

• The Sincerity of their commitment (“true circumcision”)

• The Substance of their worship (“worship in the Spirit of God”)

• The Subject of their glory (“glory in Christ Jesus”)

• The Source of their confidence (“put no confidence in the flesh”)

 

And then he gave his example in this regard.

Paul was one who used to be one of the dogs.

Paul used to be one who put much confidence in the flesh.

 

And if anybody ever had reason to do so, it was certainly Paul.

(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.”

 

Paul understood the draw to earthly accomplishment.

Paul understood how attractive it was to achieve a great resume.

However Paul learned none of those things were as valuable as Jesus.

 

So from there we studied Paul’s auto-biography.

 

(7-11) “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss 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, and may be found in Him, not having 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, 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 may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

 

Paul laid out for the Philippians how,

Even though he had achieved great religious success,

He willingly lost all those things.

 

And he gave three reasons why:

• The Value of Knowing Him (8)

• The Virtue of Trusting Him (9)

• The Victory of Following Him (10-11)

 

And so Paul taught the Philippians not to follow those false believers, those dogs, who put all their confidence in the flesh.

 

The flesh profits nothing.

If the Philippians want to pursue something, let it be Christ.

 

And that is where we left off a few weeks ago.

 

Tonight we pick up right where we left off

And move forward in this great chapter.

 

Last time we saw:

• Paul’s Religious Past

• Paul’s Relentless Passion

 

Let’s add two more to that list tonight.

#1 PAUL’S RIGHTEOUS PURSUIT

Philippians 3:12-14

 

Paul just revealed to the Philippians that

He would willingly lose everything in order to gain Christ.

 

In fact all of his earthly achievements were “rubbish” to him

If he could gain Christ.

 

• In Christ he got righteousness

• In Christ he got fellowship

• In Christ he got resurrection

 

Paul wanted to gain Christ and to be completely like Him.

That was the goal.

 

But here we find Paul admitting that he is not there yet.

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect,”

 

Paul greatly desired to be like Jesus,

But he in no way wanted the Philippians to think

That he had somehow already attained it.

 

We know better.

We’ve all read Romans 7

 

Romans 7:18-19 “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. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.”

 

Paul had the desire for perfection, but he had yet to achieve it.

 

Even here in verse 13 he said, “Brethren, I do not regard myself has having laid hold of it yet;”

So Paul was not claiming perfection.

Paul was not telling the Philippians to copy his character.

What Paul was telling the Philippians to do is to copy his desire.

 

Paul wasn’t righteous, but he was striving for it.

(12) “but I press on”

(13) “reaching forward to what lies ahead”

(14) “I press on”

 

It wasn’t Paul’s perfection they should copy,

It was Paul’s righteous pursuit of righteousness they should copy.

 

And as we look at these three verses a little more closely,

Let me give you three reasons for Paul’s righteous pursuit.

 

1) HE WAS DRIVEN BY DISCERNMENT (12)

 

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”

 

In that verse Paul’s honest discernment really comes to the forefront.

 

There were two things there that Paul was sure of.

• One is that Christ Jesus laid hold of him for a specific purpose.

• The other is that Paul had not yet achieved that purpose.

 

On one hand he knew Christ’s desire for his life.

On the other hand he knew he wasn’t there yet.

 

Those two realities proved to be a driving force in Paul’s life.

 

Paul said that he wanted to “lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”

 

That phrase alone is astounding.

• Paul didn’t go seeking Jesus

• Paul didn’t capture Jesus with a plan in mind

• Paul didn’t “lay hold” of Jesus.

 

• Jesus did that to Paul.

• It was Jesus who confronted Paul

• It was Jesus who “laid hold” of him.

 

Paul didn’t go to Jesus with a plan in mind,

Jesus went to Paul with a plan in mind.

 

What was that plan?

Some would say so Paul could be a messenger to Gentiles (and that is true), but even simpler than that.

 

Jesus laid hold of Paul for the same reason he lays hold of each of us.

That He might make Paul righteous.

 

We know what Christ seeks to do with every single follower.

John 13:8 “Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

 

It is righteousness Christ desires.

And this is in perfect harmony with the eternal desire of God.

 

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

 

Ephesians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”

 

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.”

 

Christ may in fact have a specific ministry calling on a life,

But his universal calling for all believers is that

They be righteous like He is righteous.

 

Christ saved us so that we could escape sin and be righteous like Him.

This is why Christ laid hold of Paul.

This is why Christ laid hold of you.

That is the goal; that is the aim.

 

And it is part of being discerning that you recognize that.

• The goal of Christ is not to make you happy

• The goal of Christ is not to make you healthy

• The goal of Christ is to make you holy

 

Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”

 

Christ wants you holy; that is why He “laid hold” of you.

 

DO YOU RECOGNIZE THAT?

 

So did Paul.

BUT HE ALSO RECOGNIZED THAT HE WASN’T THERE YET.

 

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect”

 

Paul knew what the goal was, but he also knew he hadn’t yet reached it.

He was under no delusion about his personal righteousness.

 

So if Christ wanted him holy and he wasn’t there yet, what was left, but to pursue holiness?

 

“but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”

 

So Paul was driven by discernment.

The understanding that Christ wanted him holy,

And he wasn’t there yet.

 

Let me give you another reason for Paul’s righteous pursuit.

2) HE WAS DRIVEN BY DISCONTENMENT (13)

 

“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,”

 

We talk a lot about contentment for the Christian.

We are to be content in our circumstances and content with our resources.

But we are never to be content in our pursuit of holiness.

 

Paul certainly wasn’t.

How could he be?

He had not “laid hold of it yet;”

 

You can’t be content with something that you don’t yet have.

 

And that is a problem with many believers today.

They are not yet righteous, they are not yet holy,

But somehow they have managed to be ok with that.

 

What that is, is being content with unrighteousness.

That is just being satisfied with being less than Jesus intended.

 

And that was not Paul.

He was not content until he was all that Jesus intended.

 

And notice his statement:

“forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,”

 

In no way was Paul willing to sit down

And rest on all that he had accomplished.

There was no room for spiritual retirement in Paul’s pursuit.

• “I’ve done my time”

• “I’ve done enough”

• “Look at all I’ve accomplished”

Where not phrases Paul ever entertained.

 

He never looked back over his life and figured that was enough.

He purposely forgot his past accomplishments and pushed forward.

 

Two churches come to mind here.

 

Remember Sardis?

Revelation 3:1-2 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.”

 

They were the church that was resting on its past accomplishments.

They were not finished, but they were content.

 

Or remember Philadelphia?

Revelation 3:11 “I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”

Unlike Sardis, Philadelphia had been faithful.

They had remained steadfast and kept pushing forward.

In fact Jesus told them that they had already passed their test.

 

However, their race was not quite over.

They had no more hurdles, but they still had to finish.

Jesus command, was “Don’t quit now”

 

And both of those churches make for a good encouragement to us.

It really doesn’t matter where you’re at on the track,

You still aren’t finished with the race.

 

• You may be very early on, and have a lot of work to do and hurdles to jump.

• You may be nearing the end, and have completed most of your task.

 

But either way, you are not yet finished.

Don’t stop now.

Don’t be content with where you are, you haven’t laid hold of it yet.

 

You can quit and sit down when your race is finished.

 

Acts 20:24 “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.”

 

So you see why Paul had such a righteous pursuit.

He was driven by discernment – He was driven by discontentment

3) HE WAS DRIVEN BY DESIRE (14)

 

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

No Paul had not achieved it yet

And no that wasn’t ok with him

 

BUT WHY WAS PAUL SO EAGER TO FINISH THIS RACE?

“I press on toward the goal FOR THE PRIZE of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

 

Paul ran

Paul endured

For the same reason that runners in a race do today – they want the prize.

 

Now I know today there is a lot of recreational running that goes on,

Where people just run because they convince themselves they enjoy it.

 

But listen:

The Christian race is not a recreational run.

There is a goal to reach, there is a prize to claim.

 

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.”

 

Paul was running “for the prize”

 

And you may remember that statement he made at the end of his life:

 

2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

 

• That is why Paul wouldn’t quit running

• That is why Paul wouldn’t quit pursuing

PAUL WANTED THE PRIZE

 

James Merit said:

“It doesn’t matter what this world thinks about your ministry. It doesn’t matter what the politically correct, the intellectually elite or the financially powerful think about your ministry, or what the deacon with the spiritual gift of criticism thinks about your ministry. It doesn’t matter if anyone else is standing and clapping when you hit the finish line as long as Jesus is! I want the crown, but the greatest privilege of my existence will be to cast that crown at the feet of Jesus on bended knee and proclaim Him as my Lord.”

That is what Paul was talking about.

I could quit now, but then I’d get no prize.

 

And that was the reason for Paul’s righteous pursuit.

• He hadn’t achieved what Jesus wanted for Him

• He wasn’t ok with less than what Jesus wanted

• He wanted the prize

 

And because of that he pushed forward

He reached forward

 

• He wanted to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.

• He wanted the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.

 

And he was pursuing it with everything he had.

 

So we’ve seen Paul’s religious past, Paul’s relentless passion, Paul’s righteous pursuit

 

#2 PAUL’S RESOLUTE PLEA

Philippians 3:15-16

 

Paul has shown the Philippians what makes him tick,

Now it is time for the exhortation.

 

“Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude;”

 

It’s hard to fully know what Paul meant by “as many as are perfect”

 

It could either be:

• That he was talking to true believers who have been made righteous

positionally.

• That he was speaking sarcastically point out that everyone needed this.

 

Either way works, and either way still pushes to the same end.

 

And Paul said to those people, “have this attitude”

 

Now if you are keeping score, this is the second time Paul has specifically addressed the Philippians in regard to their attitude.

 

Philippians 2:5 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,”

And the 2nd is here.

 

The first time taught us to treat our life as unimportant (as Jesus did), this time Paul teaches us to pursue the life that is.

 

 

 

When you put them together it is that

Every believer needs the attitude to let go of their own personal interests and pursue Christ-likeness.

 

Paul wants the Philippian church (and all believers who have yet to achieve perfection) to have sell out to achieve it, as he did.

 

He wants us to imitate his passion and pursuit of holiness.

 

And then he says:

“and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;”

 

In other words, if you don’t want to listen to me,

Then listen to God, He’s saying the same thing.

 

It is God who chose you and is conforming you into the image of His Son.

It is God who said “Be holy as I am holy”

 

So if you don’t want to listen to me, then listen to him.

 

But either way I want you to pursue

The righteousness Christ intends for you.

 

(16) “however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”

 

That “same standard” is Christ.

He has always been the standard

He will always be the standard

 

And Paul says, all I want for you is to keep pursuing to be like Christ.

 

And this was the main issue of the chapter.

 

See those dogs, those evil workers, those false circumcision

Had approached the Philippians and were trying to shift their focus.

 

For those men the goal wasn’t to be like Christ.

Their goal was to be like each other and to boast in their works.

They took the focus off of being like Jesus and put it on being religious.

 

And Paul wrote this chapter to make sure that

The Philippians did not fall into that trap

And lose sight of what has always been the main Christian pursuit.

 

Be holy, Be perfect, Be righteous.

 

This was Paul’s concern for the Philippians (and everyone else)

2 Corinthians 11:1-2 “I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. 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.”

 

It was always holiness.

 

And it is the same for your life and mine.

• We are not called to be religious

• We are not called to be patriotic

• We are not called to be Baptist or American or whatever

 

We are called to be holy and our pattern is Jesus.

Christ has called us to follow Him

God is working to mold us into His image

 

And Paul says this should be the pursuit of your life.

• Don’t lose sight of Christ

• Don’t minimize the importance of Christ-likeness

 

• Don’t start trusting in the works of the flesh

• Don’t live for worldly commendations

 

• Forget what you’ve done

• Push for what Christ desire

• Drive for it, reach for it, run for it, and don’t stop until it is achieved.

 

The Christian Passion is to know Christ

The Christian Pursuit is to be like Him

 

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.