Philippians 3 "Rejoice in the Lord"
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Chapter 3 is full of iconic verses
thats the main point
if I did a subpoint it would be
have no confidence in the flesh
Rejoice in the Lord
Have no confidence in the flesh.
That is the way Chapter 3 is going to start
Pray
I love the way this famous chapter starts:
it starts with:
Philippians 3:1 (NKJV)
1 Finally, my brethren,...
this finally is found 3/4ths into the book
there is still plently more to be said
showing us that this “finally” is a
“so heres the point”
“all to say”
lets read the rest:
1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.
Finally....
Rejoice in the Lord
We have been reading that all through this book already 6 times out of 10
and the word joy 3 out of 4 times
One of my favorite verses being
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
What a theme
Paul says its not tedious for him to write it
If he is writing it this much i even wonder how much is he saying it?
and also Paul was known for singing in prison
how often was he singing about it
or even just in song rejoicing
Showing us the rejoicing Paul is speaking of
is not based on circumstances
not on conditions
not on the flesh
This rejoicing is in the Lord
its based on Him
and that is safe (v.1)
because were not basing our relationship with God
on anything else but on Jesus.
thats why we rejoice, because its all Jesus
Its dangerous when my relationship with God is based on me
Its dangerous when my relationship with God is based on circumstances
How easy is it to have a relationship with God based on our circumstances
If things are going good my relationship with God is good
If things are going bad my relationship with God is bad
This relationship is not based on Jesus
and will dangerously mislead us.
How easy is it to have a relationship with God based on us.
Its probably why the major religions of the day are based on self efforts
Maybe its that we want the credit, the self glory, the self righteousness
Our pride doesn't stop once were saved
We often try to make it about me
I will always remember when God humbled me
when I was praying and was praying all week long and it was
all about me and based on me
and as I was going on on and on about me
The Lord reminded and convicted me saying
What would happen if your prayers were less about
all your flaws, and more on all I have done right, and all I will do right.
I knew the answer was, well I would be less confident in the flesh
and more confident in You.
Thats why rejoice in the Lord is safe
It celebrating Him, His work, His grace, His love
It protecting me from making it more about me
Its safe to rejoice in the Lord
because then were reminded of grace
were reminded of how He made us right
How He does the work
How He is in control
That He enables
That He empowers
Anything else is dangerous for us
thats why Paul says in verse 2:
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!
3x’s beware
dogs,
evil workers
mutiliation
Beware, Beware, Beware
this is a strong warning.
of those who want to
ruin our relationship with God
that will steal our joy
The dogs, evil workers, mutiliations
is likely speaking of one group of people
called the Judaizers
a group of people who said you needed to become a Jew first before salvation in Christ
In order to that the males must be circumcised.
This was a very problematic group
they were convincing
and causing many Gentiles who were made right with God through Jesus by faith
to take on the law, to take on Jewish practices
In dealing with the same type of situation in Galatia
I love what Paul said:
1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
then Paul later clearly passionately says about those who are telling others to be circumcised:
12 I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!
He says that we received the Spirit by faith
not by works
so then why would we think we are made perfect by the flesh not by the Spirit?
so these Judaizers would come in and say you must be circucisized
and as it says in James 2:10
10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
so if you take up one part of the law
you must take up the rest
so the Judiazers were very dangerous
they wanted Gentiles to take up one part of the law with circumsicion to become Jews
but then that would mean they have to take up the rest of the law.
Jesus fulfilled the law, Jesus forgives us from the sins we made.
Were set free
so rejoice!
Its about Him
that is Pauls point here
but we also need to be careful
because there are people around us that will want
us to take on the law
or make it about us.
...
so as Paul says in verse 3
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,
3xs here Paul will use the word confidence
to point us away from having a confidence in the flesh.
he says he no confidence in the flesh
not some, or a little, or a tiny bit
but what a statement Paul makes at the top of verse 3:
“for we are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
*Circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit not in the letter”
maybe share:
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
13 For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.
Going back to our passage in Philippians 3:3 “we are the circumcision”
who do these 3 things:
1. worship God in the Spirit
2. rejoice in Christ Jesus,
3. have no confidence in the flesh
all showing us its not about us
what we should be confident in is that it is a work of God:
as Philippians 1:6
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Confidence that it is the work of the Lord!
allows us to rejoice in Christ
and have no confidence in the flesh
Now to solidify this point
Paul gives a strong argument in verses 4-6
4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Paul address 4 key ways people try to use the flesh:
1. Stock of Israel
2. Pharisee
3. Zeal
4. Righteousness
Family
Religion
Passion
Righteousness
The family were born into doesnt save us
while we dont think that
many in our nation think
growing up in Christian household is going to make them right
but God doesnt have grandchildren.
Many think that religion is going to save them.
Paul is like I had you all beat
I am from God’s chosen family
regarding religion I acheived a high and honroable status
I was the most passionate
and I was more righteouss
so as a sneak peak to next message
Paul says in the next verses Phil 3:7-8
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
So If Paul who has us completely beat when it comes to works of the flesh
calls it rubbish.
what do we call our works of the flesh?
so we should have
No confidence in the flesh
rejoice in the Lord:
He has turned my morning into danicing again.