Philippians 3:2-4:1: The Attitude of Alertness

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For the last 5 weeks we have been working our way through the book of Philippians and today we are continuing our journey which we will be finishing next week. Then on June 4th we'll have a special guess speaker, Alex Newmaster, a friend of mine I first met him 10 or so years ago at a conference while he was a student and I worked in college ministry, but now he is a missionary with an orginization called the Navigators. Alex’s mission field is not in some far off distant country, but it is with a people whose culture is far different from our many of our own… College students… Alex works with students across all of Iowa and Nebraska. Alex job with the Navigators is to reach the smaller schools in the region that don’t have their own ministries and and don’t have local college ministry staff people, and it happens one of those schools is in our back yard! Alex and I have been walking the campus of Upper Iowa every couple off weeks praying for God to work there as well as in the rest of our community - and a couple weeks ago while doing one of our prayer walks I invited him to come preach and share a bit more about what he does - and what better time and way to do that then on potluck week - so June 4th be excited we have a potluck and a special guest!

But now, back to Philippians. SLIDE 3 Today we will be in Philippians 3:2 through 4:1, so feel free to turn their in your Bibles, or follow along on the screen. But before we get there I want to play a bit of a game - don’t worry this isn’t competitive - but it is a game I like to call ‘name that warning sign’. Essentially we will see some warning signs and I want to see if you can name the sign - feel free to shout it out, feel free to just think it - we have both internal and external processors, introverts and extroverts, here - so do whatever you prefer!

Sign 1 SLIDE 4: Deer Crossing

Sign 2 SLIDE 5: Bio-hazard

Sign 3 SLIDE 6: Explosive Material

Sign 4 SLIDE 7: Blasting Zone (road closed)....

Sign 5 SLIDE 8: Toddler Tornado - or Hyperactive Toddler on Premises

Did anyone get all 5? I didn’t think so, I made up the last one and kind of the fourth one… (pause) but these signs… well most of them.. exist for a reason - to warn us and protect us from some form of harm. It could be the harm induced by crashing into a deer, being exposed to radiation, or trampled by a toddler. Often, however, we see signs like these and completely ignore them, I’ve never counted but I’d be curious to know, how many deer crossing signs do I pass on my way from Fayette to Waterloo, Fayette to Iowa City, or Fayette to Prairie Du Chien - probably plenty, but sometimes my brain starts to filter them out having seen so many - then when I hit a deer I go ‘why weren’t there any signs?’ well there were plenty of them, I simply ignored them all. After all, it isn’t the signs fault the deer cross there is it - the sign exists because the problem exists not the other way around.

We’re going to see in today's passage a bit of a warning sign - not deer crossing, not bio hazard, but a ‘false teacher’ warning. SLIDE 9 lets read Verses 2 and 3.

2 Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evil workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and do not put confidence in the flesh.

Paul is warning the church against those who teach a false message of salvation. And this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Paul warn the church about other teachers - earlier in this book, we saw a warning against people who taught truth with bad motives - but now we see a warning against people who teach strait out lies, teachers who are teaching a false gospel. If you read the Bible as a whole you will see the Gospel laid out as: God made people, people rebelled against God. God made a way for us to be made right with Him, through sacrifice and order - we continually disobeyed. God sent Jesus came to save us from our sins and remove the existing structure, to do so, Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, then died on the cross, a final sacrifice for our sins, defeated sin and death rising back to life. Through Christ’s victory and the Spirit’s empowerment, by God’s grace we are saved through faith, not by works so that no one can boast in our salvation. (pause)

Does that mean works have no place? Well, we did see last week that as a result of this salvation we are called to work out what God has been working in us; we work as a response to our salvation; and Paul’s teaches follows that blueprint, that pattern, that is what the church in Philippi would have known Paul to believe and proclaim. Others, however, have come to Philippi and begun to teach a different message, one that requires works be done before we are saved, a false Gospel. Many of these teachers were part of a group called ‘Judaizers’, people who believed that belief in Jesus was not enough, but we also had to live like the Jewish community entirely, following all their laws and customs - which involves what Paul calls the mutilation of the flesh. Paul doesn’t go into details and specify what these teachers were teaching exactly, but many scholars agree that Paul’s next line gives it away,

for we are the circumcision

Most scholars agree this tells us what command these false teachers were telling the church had to be observed - and a painful command at that. These false teachers could even have cited Paul’s own ministry in their defence, after all he had Timothy circumcised before joining him in in ministry, but as we saw in week one of this series - that was not done for Timothy’s salvation, but it was done so that Timothy would be able to better impact the Jews who they were ministering to, it was done to enhance Timothy’s mission field not prove his faith or save his soul. It was done so Timothy could say ‘look how much I care, look what I went through so you would listen to what I have to say about Jesus.’

Paul adds more to this warning, however, rather than just say avoid false teachers; Paul reminds them, and us, who we really are in Christ and why we can ignore them.

We are the circumcision, we are the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, we are the ones who boast in Christ Jesus, we are the ones who do not put confidence in the flesh!

This is quite the reversal of culture for Paul. Many of those in Philippi would have been gentiles, that is to say they were not ancestrally Jewish, and thus they would not have followed the ritual of circumcision like the Jews would have. That ritual was one God established back with Abraham in Genesis 17 as part of God’s covenant with the Israelite people. That ritual was a sign that you were part of God’s chosen people, God’s elect. Paul is telling the church, don’t worry - that was a sign of God’s chosen, God’s people, but now we, the church, are part of God’s kingdom, but even more so we are part of God’s family; we are children of God!

Paul is aware, however, however, that some people back in Philippi would be asking, ‘but Paul, these guys make a really convincing argument, they have papers showing their pedigree, they have degrees, they have training, they have’ - insert whatever it is that makes you think you can trust someone (pause) and Paul knowing that is a possibly response cuts it off before it can be formed by dropping his own accomplishments, his own prestige, his own history, SLIDE 10 verses 4-6

4 although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; 6 regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.

Paul drops seven reasons why he is an authority to speak, 7 reasons why if anyone had the right to put confidence in the flesh it was him - why according to flesh, according to works, according to rite - he had a greater authority than those dogs, those evil workers, those false teachers. But unlike them, Paul does not hold these things up to his credit (pause). Although he once did, he no longer does. There was a time when Paul would have flaunted these things out before him - there was a time when he was a pharisee persecuting the church and he surly would have gladly boasted about these things… even though - four of them, a majority, were beyond his control! at 8 days old he had no say in his circumcision, he had no control over being born of the nation of Israel, or of being a member of the tribe of Benjamin, of being a Hebrew born of Hebrews - none of that was up to him - and the things he could control - being a Pharisee, persecuting the church, blameless under the Jewish law - he had turned his back on all of those things! And the church in Philippi would have known that so when he continues SLIDE 11 in verse 7

7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith.

everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. - EVERYTHING

Every investment Paul made up to his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus - everything that he had held close, everything he worked hard for, everything he pursued - all of it he now considers loss; because he gained something greater in Jesus Christ! Don’t think when Paul says these things are loss, however, that Paul is speaking from regret, he is not. For example - If I invested everything in the stock market only to watch the market crash leaving me broke and destitute - I’d regret that loss - But this is a loss Paul is proud of, this is a loss he boasts about, this is like the person who struggled to control their weight all their life saying I lost 50 pounds; there is no regret with that loss; there is joy in the loss - that is the loss Paul has regarding his past identity, a loss that brings joy because he lost that which was keeping him from seeing Jesus.

Paul even plays on some shock value here - first he calls these evil teachers dogs, a term that often was used by Jews to speak derogatorily of the gentiles, but here he uses it to refer to Judaizers who are trying to control the gentiles. Then we see what he considers those once prized parts of himself… dung! Some of your Bibles may have used the word ‘rubbish’ or ‘garbage’

The word being used, skubalon, actually translates to ‘toward dog throw’, which makes no sense in English when directly translated, but examining historical text from this time and region - skubalon was used to refer to waste - but most specifically referring to dung, to feces. Even in medical works dating to the second century it was used - so yeah - dung is a pretty accurate definition of what Paul considered his works when compared to knowing Jesus!

The Brian Bremner paraphrased version would have read something like

you can follow those dung peddlers - but don’t be surprised when you show up to heaven holding your poop and God’s is unimpressed… (pause)

that’s why Paul wrote Philippians and not me… Paul highlights the ridiculousness, using some shock value, of these people’s arguments - you can know the power of Jesus or you can attempt to work under your own power. You can look to the power and grace of God - or you can work under your own power. You can partner with the power of the Spirit of God, or you can work under your own power… One is filled with joy and one is playing with poop…

I don’t know about you, but when it is laid out like that I know what I’d pick! But there is a problem… (pause) we often don’t see it this way… We often see God as far off, distant, watching, judging… and we feel like we need to do something… we think it is up to me - we have bought into a lie - not the exact same lie that the Philippians were being sold, but a similar lie, the lie that we need some form of confidence in the flesh.

Paul gives us the warning - watch out for those dogs, those evil workers, false teaching - he reminds us who we are - and then gives us a vision of where we are going, Paul tells us all this is aiming towards SLIDE 12 verses 10 through 11

10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, 11 assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead. 12 Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: SLIDE 13 Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. 16 In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. 17 Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us.

I’m not going to spend too much time on this… because not only could I preach a whole sermon on this section… but because I did preach a whole sermon on this section… like 10 weeks ago for my first sermon here - so you should check it out, it should still be up on our facebook page!

To summarize that sermon and lead us into the next verses - we see Paul’s goal is to gain Christ - he realizes that to gain Jesus, he has to loose something, a trade off has to take place, and that thing Paul has to loose is the self he thought he needed, the identity he had clung so tightly to; that of a pharisee, that of a Hebrew born of Hebrews, that of a member of the Tribe of Benjamin - Paul had to come to forget all that, leave all that behind so that he could gain Christ, so that he could embrace a new identity found in Christ. All with the final vision of … somehow.... attaining the resurrection from the dead, joining Jesus in heaven.

And a big part of this forgetting and embracing comes down to shifting our perspective to see as God sees, so we can live as Christ lived. Again this section is so rich, I hate to jump over it, but if you want more, there is a 30 plus minute sermon rooted in these verses and the next few from back in March. so lets keep going into SLIDE 14 verses 18 and 19.

18 For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things,

So before Paul went on this brief aside as to why his words should matter he had issued a warning, beware the dogs, the false teachers, those who mutilate the flesh - and returning to the thought we get this reminder - as I have often told you, old news, not new news, not everyone worships and follows Jesus - there are some who are enemies of the cross; there is an opposition. And Paul points out clearly who these people are (pause) those who worship themselves… those whose God is their apatite, who pursue their own glory, who are focused on things of the earth not on Jesus. Their end is destruction - And while this is a warning for them, it is also a bit of warning for us… we need to pause and check - who am I worshipping? Me or God? Whose glory am I pursuing mine or Gods? because, Paul goes on, if we’re doing it right SLIDE 14 verses 20-21

20 Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.

If this is our focus - if this is what we’re looking at we won’t be as distracted by earthly things. If we recall our eternal home, our final destination, our true citizenship - if our goal is truly the transformation of ourselves into the likeness of Christ - than we, like Paul, will count those other things as trash, waste, rubbish, dung willingly loosing them for the sake of Christ Jesus. (pause)

So do we… do you (pause) do I have the same attitude, the same outlook as Paul? Do we look at those parts of ourselves that we count central and say - yeah, I’ll gladly loose that if that’s what it takes to follow Jesus. Or do we hold firmly to those things and say - no - I’ll never change. I’ll always be a fill in the blank. The reality is God can change us, and He would love to, but as we saw last week as God works in us we need to work out of that.

So where does that leave us today? As I read and prayed over this passage one of my favorite CS Lewis quotes came to me. Preaching in Oxford as a lay member, remember Lewis was never a preacher or pastor, just a professor of English literature, but he was invited to preach at the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Oxford and gave what I’d consider one of the best sermons in the modern era title The Weight of Glory. I thought I would share part of the intro of that sermon for you all...

The New Testament has lots to say about selfdenial, but not about self-denial as an end in itself. We are told to deny ourselves and to take up our crosses in order that we may follow Christ; and nearly every description of what we shall ultimately find if we do so contains an appeal to desire. If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

God doesn’t find our desires too strong - but too weak! We settle for these shadows of the divine, these old traditions, old rituals, we want to rely on our strength, our knowledge, our abilities rather than God’s - we are far too easily pleased - OR - on the opposite end we think we don’t deserve joy due to something we did in our past, settling either way to make mud pies in the slums because we don’t understnad what God is offering by a holiday, a vacation, by the sea! I think it would be fun sometime to do a sermon series where I take sermons by historical Christian figures - CS Lewis, Charles Spurgeon, John Wesley, Maritin Luther, and preach them, maybe with some updated linguistics, but so we can see how similar we are to the church 80-100-200-500 years ago and how much we still need God to work in our midst today!

But before I jump down that rabbit trail - where does Philippians 3 leave us today Well, lets leave with Philippians 4… verse 1 SLIDE 15

1 So then, my dearly loved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown, in this manner stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.

Stand firm - don’t waver - warning - false teaching ahead - watch out, be alert. Keep to the truth. Test everything with the Whole of scripture. Stand firm (pause) not in yourself, but stand firm (pause) in the Lord.

Pray