Spiritual Focus
Notes
Transcript
Announcements:
Wednesday August 14th Prayer Walk. Meeting at Hayesville Primary at 6:30PM (Elementary, Middle and High) walk around once and then pray together
Wednesday, August 21st from 6PM-8PM “Level Up” at Clay County Rec (volunteer sign up online this afternoon and prayer support; anyone can give towards it still and mark it as “community outreach”)
Worship:
I Thank God
2. The Rock Won’t Move
3. Lion
4. In The Secret (altar)
Introduction:
When New Jersey teacher Marie Murphy got a call telling her that her house was on fire, she promptly dropped everything and rushed to the scene. She wasn't scared for anyone's life, because she knew that her husband and her mother, who had been staying with them, were both safely outside the blaze. Instead, Murphy was determined to save her most prized possessions -- and not even an inferno was going to stand in her way.
What was so important that Murphy would literally risk burning to death to salvage? Baseball tickets. More specifically, her season tickets to the Phillies.
Heroically ignoring every single one of her other possessions (including a certificate of fire insurance, which WE might have at least taken a slight detour for), Murphy reached her baseball tickets and made it out in time to see everything else that she owned swallowed by remorseless blaze of fire.
Although Murphy and her husband were forced to live in a motel for some time after the blaze, they were at least able to settle everything with their insurance company. And Murphy was even surprised at her school by the Phillies Fanatic who tossed a bunch of Phillies merchandise at her, including a framed World Series Ticket.
It was probably around this time that Murphy fully realized how ridiculous her rescue mission had been, because she was told that the Phillies would have gladly reprinted her tickets had they burned in the fire.
There are times in life when it is hard to know what should be our priority/focus in life and other times when, like what we just heard, it should be fairly easy to know what our priority/focus should be in life.
This morning, we are going to talk about what will help us with our spiritual focus. We have talked about the importance of having the right mindset in order to experience the joy of the Lord in our life in spite of circumstances. Up to this point we have talked about the importance of having:
A single/unified mind: chapter 1 talked about focusing on giving thanks for others in our life, making sure the Gospel is advancing and living life worthy of the Gospel.
A Christ-like mind: chapter 2 talked about avoiding pride and selfishness which results in disunity in the body of Christ.
Transition: People must be able to distinguish between what is really important in life from what is not so important. When we don’t know what is important, we can experience spiritual focus issues. Let’s turn to Philippians 3 and we will be working through verses 1-11 this morning to see what Paul has for us as we make sure we have the right spiritual mindset. Let’s start in verses 1-6:
1 In addition, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a safeguard for you.
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—
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.
I. It’s Not About Me (vv. 1–6)
“In addition” means furthermore.
After chapter 1: thanking God for others, focusing on advancing the gospel and living worthy of the Gospel
After chapter 2 of telling us to avoid pride and selfishness which results in disunity
“To write to you about this again…” Now he is telling them to rejoice and it wasn’t the first time he told them that as he says he will tell them again (repetition especially when it comes to the Word of God is important and necessary!)
“Rejoice” is the 6th time used in this letter. Remember, to have the joy of the Lord we must have the right mindset!
Rejoice here means to verbalize with praise and singing - remember Paul is writing this from prison!
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord; I will delight in his deliverance.
18 yet I will celebrate in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!
In verse 2, “Dogs” here is a harsh reference to the troublemaking Jewish legalists. It is the same term of contempt the Jews would use against Gentiles.
J.B. Lightfoot: “The herds of dogs which prowl about Eastern cities, without a home and without an owner, feeding on the refuse and filth of the streets, quarreling among themselves, and attacking the passer-by, explain the applications of the image.”
Paul warns against those who think that salvation comes through the flesh. The Jewish legalists were telling Gentile believers that they needed to become Jewish first before becoming Christian. That’s why the main point being preached was circumcision!
He lists those things in which he could have placed his confidence. This is him saying he could have not only easily aligned with the Jewish legalists but he could have easily surpassed them in their righteousness. First four by birth and 3 by personal choice/conviction.
A. Circumcised the eighth day
3 The flesh of his foreskin must be circumcised on the eighth day.
B. Of the nation of Israel - a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and therefore an heir to God’s covenant with them.
C. Of the tribe of Benjamin—elite of Israel; a distinguished tribe. Benjamin was distinguished by the fact that it gave Israel her first king, Saul (1 Samuel 9:1–2). It was the tribe that aligned itself with faithful Judah when Israel divided into two nations at the time of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:21). It was also the tribe that had the city of Jerusalem within its boundaries (Judges 1:21).
D. Hebrew of the Hebrews—knew the Hebrew tongue. This contrasted him with the Jews who embraced Greek culture as it spread through the Mediterranean. In that time, many Jews became ashamed of their Jewishness and tried to live and act as much like Greeks as they could, sometimes even to the point of having their circumcision cosmetically restored or hidden so they could enjoy the Roman public baths without being noticed as Jews. In contrast, Paul was raised by his parents as a Hebrew of the Hebrews.
E. A Pharisee—one of the “separated” ones. This tells us that among an elite people (the Jews), Paul was of an elite sect (the Pharisees), who were noted for their scrupulous devotion to the law of God.
“There were not very many Pharisees, never more than six thousand, but they were the spiritual athletes of Judaism. Their very name means The Separated Ones. They had separated themselves off from all common life and from all common tasks in order to make it the one aim of their lives to keep every smallest detail of the Law.” (William Barclay)
The concern that Pharisees had for keeping the law is reflected in passages like Matthew 23:23
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These things should have been done without neglecting the others.
F. A persecutor of the church—zeal was the greatest quality to the Jew (Psalm 69:9). Paul was not merely an intellectual opponent of perceived heresies against Judaism; he was also an active fighter against them—even in his blindness to God. Paul’s observation that the Jews of his day have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge (of the righteousness of God) (Romans 10:2) was true of his own life before God confronted him on the road to Damascus.
G. Blameless—he lived the law. This shows that Paul achieved the standard of righteousness which was accepted among the men of his day—though this standard fell short of God’s holy standard. Because of how the law was interpreted and taught, there were those of that day who were deceived into thinking that they really were blameless, like the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18–23).
Transition: In summary, if anyone could lay claim to pleasing God by law-keeping and the works of the flesh, it was Paul. He was far more qualified than his legalizing opponents were to make such a claim. But he doesn’t! Let’s look at verses 7-9:
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.
II. It’s All About Him (vv. 7–9)
A. They were counted loss not so much because they were harmful to Paul, but because these things were ways in which Paul sought to please God in the energies of the flesh. Before Paul became a Christian, he thought all these things made him a success in the effort to please God by works.
B. We can say that Paul’s attitude was the same that Jesus described in the parable of the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45–46).
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
46 When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.
Paul did not only count his religious pedigree as a loss; he counted all things loss—but he counted them as a loss in view of the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.
V8: dung/rubbish: The ancient Greek word for rubbish/dung had one of two uses. It could describe excrement from the body or table scraps that were fit only to be thrown to the dogs. We may suppose that Paul would be comfortable with either meaning in this context
Paul could renounce his own righteousness and live by the righteousness which is from God by faith in what Jesus Christ did. There was a difference between circumcision of the flesh and circumcision of the heart!
In Romans 2:29 Paul makes the argument (that “a Jew is one inwardly” and that “circumcision is a matter of the heart.”)
29 On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That person’s praise is not from people but from God.
He could have been thinking of this verse when he wrote that:
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord;
remove the foreskin of your hearts,
men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem.
Otherwise, my wrath will break out like fire
and burn with no one to extinguish it
because of your evil deeds.
The context of Jeremiah 4:4 is important here. This is part of the act of repentance. This particular section is likened to a re-covenanting ceremony. But it is important that they not only go through outward rituals, but that their dedication and devotion to the LORD is one of the heart
When Paul met Jesus, he was willing to change his priorities/focus. Paul had found the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:46). His focused changed from his righteousness/works to the righteousness of Jesus Christ and the work He already did on the cross!
Derek Prince said it this way:
Jesus said, “I am the door” (John 10:9). Two verses later, He said, “I am the good shepherd” (verse 11). Have you ever stopped to consider how Jesus can be both the door and the shepherd? It’s so simple, and yet so profound. Jesus crucified is the door. Jesus resurrected is the shepherd. But if you want the resurrected Christ as your shepherd, you have to come by the crucified Christ, who is the door. Only those who come by the crucified Christ have the resurrected Christ as their shepherd.
Derek Prince, Declaring God’s Word: A 365 Day Devotional (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2008).
Transition: People who try to get to God through their own righteousness are like children who try to use Monopoly money at the grocery store. Goodness may be nice to look at, but it cannot buy salvation. Salvation comes only through Christ. We cannot claim to have Jesus as our Shepherd if we are not willing to walk through the door of accepting what did for us on the cross (righteousness). Let’s look at verses 10-11:
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.
III. Knowing Christ is Priority (vv. 10, 11)
Paul wanted to know Christ personally. This word “know” means the most intimate way of knowing someone.
To know Christ in that way is to know:
A. The power of His resurrection. The resurrection gives hope to all of life.
B. The fellowship of His sufferings. To share in the sufferings of Christ is not a penalty, but a privilege (1 Peter 4:12, 13; 2 Timothy 3:12).
12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. 13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.
In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
David Guzik: This was the simple plea of Paul’s heart. It was a plea unknown to the legalist, who must necessarily focus on his own performance and status to find some kind of peace with God. But Paul wanted Jesus, not self.
i. To know Jesus is not the same as knowing His historical life; it is not the same as knowing correct doctrines regarding Jesus; it is not the same as knowing His moral example, and it is not the same as knowing His great work on our behalf.
• We can say that we know someone because we recognize him: because we can distinguish what is different about him compared to other people.
• We can say that we know someone because we are acquainted with what he does; we know the baker because we get our bread from him.
• We can say that we know someone because we actually converse with him; we are on speaking terms with that person.
• We can say that we know someone because we spend time in his house and with his family.
• We can say that we know someone because we have committed our life to him and live with him every day, sharing every circumstance as in a marriage.
Yet beyond all this, there is a way of knowing Jesus Christ that includes all of these yet goes beyond them.
“They tell me he is a refiner, that he cleanses from spots; he has washed me in his precious blood, and to that extent I know him. They tell me that he clothes the naked; he hath covered me with a garment of righteousness, and to that extent I know him. They tell me that he is a breaker, and that he breaks fetters, he has set my soul at liberty, and therefore I know him. They tell me that he is a king and that he reigns over sin; he hath subdued my enemies beneath his feet, and I know him in that character. They tell me he is a shepherd: I know him for I am his sheep. They say he is a door: I have entered in through him, and I know him as a door. They say he is food: my spirit feeds on him as on the bread of heaven, and, therefore, I know him as such.” (Spurgeon)
Conclusion:
Play Video “Treasure”
What are some examples of self righteousness for us?
Judging Others Harshly: Someone might harshly judge others for their “perceived” moral failings, such as criticizing others for not attending church regularly while ignoring their own shortcomings.
Refusing to Acknowledge Personal Faults: A self-righteous person may refuse to admit their own mistakes or sins, believing they are always in the right even when they are wrong.
Publicly Displaying Good Deeds: Doing good deeds primarily for the sake of being seen by others and to gain praise (recognized in front of everyone), rather than out of genuine compassion or love.
Looking Down on Others: Treating others with contempt or disdain because they don’t live up to certain moral or religious standards (such as not wearing certain clothes, not having a certain hairstyle, etc.)
Taking Pride in Religious Observance: Boasting about one’s religious practices, such as fasting, prayer, or charity, as if these actions make them better than others.
Criticizing Different Beliefs or Practices: Harshly criticizing others who hold different religious or moral beliefs, insisting that one’s own beliefs are the only correct ones.
Imposing Personal Convictions on Others: Trying to enforce one’s personal convictions or standards on others, believing that their way is the only right way to live or worship.
Is your confidence in what you can do or what Christ has already done?
We can’t have it both ways.
Do you want to know Jesus?
That will mean total surrender.
It will mean putting your priorities in order.
It will mean trusting Christ instead of your own goodness.
You must “take hold of it” (Greek here means to take something and hold it down forcefully/seize upon and take possession of) as Paul says in:
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.
When we take hold of Christ, we are taking hold of what He has called us to do and created us to do!
-We are called to be made new
-To conform to the image of Christ
-To be a witness for Christ
And do it in a way that we are not shy in encouraging others to follow us as we follow Christ:
17 Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us.
In order to keep our spiritual focus, we need to know what is our priority (to know Jesus Christ) and keep our focus on that goal.
It’s not about me
It’s all about Him
Knowing Jesus is our priority!
Will you trust Him today?