Counting Correctly | Philippians 3:1-11

Opening Remarks: Last time we were in Philippians, we finished up Phil. 2 and saw how Paul and the Philippian church were blessed greatly by selfless servants.

Timothy was a man who thought like Paul, so Paul sent him to Philippi to minister to them while Paul was in prison.

Epaphroditus was another selfless servant. He was deathly sick, but he was more concerned about his home church in Philippi worrying about his illness than he was worried about himself being sick.

So Paul writes and tells the church to receive Epaphroditus with joy and gladness. Paul was worried the Epaphroditus would feel like a failure because he got sick and had to go home.

But Paul says, “Receive him with gladness, because a servant that selflessly does the work of Christ is worthy of honor.”

The idea last time is that we need to be selfless servants of the Lord. The world may look at us and think we’ve failed, but in God’s eyes, selfless humility, putting others above ourselves, is like having the mind of Christ, and it’s worthy of Heaven’s greatest honor.

Jesus Christ will be eternally celebrated because He put sinners above His own life.

You can’t go wrong with selfless service.

The two verses we compared were Philippians 1:21 and Philippians 2:1.

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

Philippians 2:21 “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.”

I pray that we are a Phil. 1:21 church and not a Phil. 2:21 church.

So that brings us to Philippians 3. And we’ve seen how Paul so many times refers to Joy in this letter. And once again he issues a challenge to the Philippians on how to keep their joy.

Read Philippians 3:1-11

Title: Counting Christians

Pray

Introduction: Most of us learned to count before we can remember. I don’t remember learning to count as a toddler, but I know my parents taught me early on, just like they taught me the ABC’s.

So I don’t remember learning to count, but I do remember when I first learn to count to 100 for the first time. I thought I was pretty special to be able to do that.

Then I remember the first time I counted to 1,000. My friend and I were playing in my backyard and we thought it sounded fun so we decided to do it.

At about number 150 we looked at each other like, “What have we done?” but at that point we were committed, so we finished. I remember it taking about 20 minutes, which seemed like hours to an 8 year old.

But it got me thinking how long it would take to count to certain numbers. So I timed myself in my office this week. Making good use of the time.

If I count at a decent rate I can do two numbers per second, which means 120 numbers per minute. But the higher you go, the longer the numbers get, so let’s just say you average 1.5 numbers per second.

1.5 numbers per second = 90 numbers per minute

Count to 1000 = 11 minutes

Count to 10,000 = 1 hour, 51 minutes

Count to 100,000 = 18.5 hours

1,000,000 = 185 hours or nearly 8 days of continuous counting

That sounds miserable. Unless you’re the Count from Sesame Street, who loves to count cookies. Or if you’re counting money, that wouldn’t be so bad. But counting just doesn’t sound very fun.

In fact, I think we’d get tired of counting and throw in the towel after a couple of hours. It’s tedious. It’s boring. It would be hard.

But in essence, Paul’s message in Philippians 3 is about the importance of counting.

Now Paul isn’t talking about numbers. He’s talking about righteousness.

But the key word in this section of Scripture is “count.”

Vs. 7 - I counted loss

Vs. 8 - I count all things but loss

Vs. 8 - Do count them but dung

Vs. 13 - I count not myself to have apprehended

So Paul is doing a lot of counting, which means to evaluate or assess.

It’s an accounting term as in comparing income and expenses.

And why does it matter? Well, he starts vs. 1 by saying, “Rejoice in the Lord.” So logically we assume that what Paul is about write is the key to having the Joy of the Lord.

So what does he deal with? Money? Fame? Intelligence?

No, he writes about the correct kind of righteousness.

I. Paul had originally been caught up in works-based righteousness.

That’s the wrong kind of righteousness. Look how he describes it.

Vs. 2 - Look out for dogs! Look out for workers of evil! Look out for those who focus the law!

What in the world does Paul mean? Who’s he warning the Philippians to look out for?

In a nutshell, he’s warning them to look out for those who taught that our righteousness is dependent on keeping the law. The Jewish law.

This was an issue because the Jews were God’s original people.

And the Gospel first came to the Jews (Rom. 1:16). But it had been opened up to Gentiles, which included the Philippians (Greece).

But the Jewish influence had a tough time letting go of the law. They still believed that you couldn’t have a relationship with God apart from the OT Law.

So they kept stressing that keeping the Law was a part of a person’s salvation. And it was impacting Gentile churches like the one in Philippi.

So Paul gets serious with his language. He calls them “dogs” because they’re like scavengers, roaming in packs, following Paul and trying to stir up trouble among Christian churches.

He calls them “evil workers” because they were trying to harm churches.

He calls them “concision,” which is a reference to circumcision, because they thought that was the only way to be right with God.

So Paul says, “Beware of those people that think righteousness is based on works.”

Righteousness means to be in accordance with God’s law. To be right with God.

Another word for it is to be “innocent.” Guiltless of breaking God’s law.

But we’re all guilty of breaking God’s law. And doing extra works doesn’t make us innocent. That’s the problem with the works-based righteousness.

The Jews were teaching that outward works could make you right with God.

But Paul disputes that.

Vs. 3 - Paul says that righteousness comes through Christ alone.

Our biggest problem is sin, which is spiritual. Therefore our only solution is spiritual. A physical solution can’t fix a spiritual problem.

Vs. 3b - Paul says, “Rejoice in Christ Jesus,” because His work on the cross made salvation possible.

“There is only one good work that takes the sinner to heaven: the finished work of Christ on the cross” (Wiersbe)

That’s why Paul says in Vs. 3c “and have no confidence in the flesh.”

If genuine righteousness, becoming right with God, comes by faith in Christ, there is no reason for us to be confident in our works.

Paul used to struggle with this very thing.

Vs. 4 - Paul says, “If anyone could have been righteous by works, it was me.”

Vs. 5 - Paul was the ultimate Jew. He had Jewish heritage. He was ultra-conservative. He kept the law as well as anyone ever has.

Vs. 6 - One of Paul’s badges of honor was targeting the Christian church. The Jewish establishment hated Jesus and tried to snuff out the first church in Jerusalem. Paul led the way.

Vs 6b - I was blameless, I kept the whole law.

So here’s Paul saying, “I used to think my works counted. (He was counting). I counted my religion. I counted it all up and, in my mind, it added up to righteousness.”

And if others had been counting, they would have said, “Paul is righteous.”

But God was counting, and Paul was not righteous.

So Paul says, “I had to adjust the way I was counting.”

Vs. 7-8 - Paul says, “I had to take some losses. My personal achievements, my heritage, my zeal that everyone admired. I had to come to terms with the fact that adding all of those things up seemed great, but when compared them to what Jesus had to offer, they were dung. Refuse. Excrement.”

All those things that Paul did were all about Paul. They brought glory to Paul. They brought him gain. They turned the attention to him. They were selfishly motivated.

Paul was counting. He was working on the account ledger. He was weighing income versus expenses. He was comparing gains and losses.

And he realized that his righteousness didn’t count enough. So he says, “I have all these gains, but even if I count them all, they can’t do for me what Jesus can.”

It reminds me of Jim Elliot, who said, “He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Did Paul have to lose some things? Sure. His recognition. His friends. His reputation. His religion. His safety. Eventually, even his life.

But Paul chose to lose those things because what he gained was greater than what he lost.

Sometimes all we see is the losses.

Bible Reading - Getting up to read my Bible means I’m going to lose a half hour of sleep if we do.

True, but the gain is a genuine walk with the God of Heaven. The gain is greater than the loss.

Church - Committing to church is going to take up hours of my week on Sundays and Wednesdays.

True, but the knowledge and fellowship and accountability that we gain helps us to live out our Christian lives. The gain is greater than the loss.

Pride - If I don’t speak my mind I’m going to lose face.

Maybe, but the unity gained through humility with each other is greater than when our pride is hurt.

There are losses following Christ, He even said. We have to forsake some things. But the gains in following Christ are greater than the losses.

CIT: When we count God’s way, the joy we find in Christ is greater than what we lose.

Paul had to give up a lot. Remember his reputation, his friends, his religion, his safety, his life.

But what does he say in Vs. 8-9?

Excellency means better than. Superior to.

II. Paul realized that Faith-Based righteousness is superior to Work-Based righteousness.

What Paul gained was greater than what he lost.

He lost his self-righteousness, but he gained God’s righteousness, which is the only way to Heaven.

He calls that a win in vs. 8. Paul won by losing.

And the superiority was clear once he made the choice.

Think about the gains Paul enjoyed:

Vs. 8 - The Knowledge of Christ

Vs. 9 - The Righteousness of Christ

Vs. 10 - The Fellowship Of Christ

“That I may know Him”

Fellowship means a personal relationship. The law left him with a set of rules. Faith gave him a relationship.

Vs. 10b - The Power Of Christ

“The power of his resurrection”

That means that Paul had the same power that raised Jesus from the dead to face whatever came his way.

Vs. 10c - The Strength of Christ in Suffering

Paul says, “I have his help in painful experiences.”

I have in fellowship in sufferings. Jesus suffered and He knows what we’re going through.

Trading works for faith doesn’t mean life is easy. There will be pain. The enemy attacks us. We’re not immune from trials. But counting and trading means we now have God’s power and provision and presence in everything we face.

Vs. 10d - “Being made conformable unto his death” simply means that Paul daily dies to himself, just like Jesus Christ did. Paul was willing to let go of self for the greater win.

Vs. 11 - Paul was simply saying that the ultimate win in all of this is what happens at the end. No matter what we lose and how hard it feels, Faith-Based righteousness in Jesus means we ultimately win. We will shed this body and be resurrected, either at the rapture or upon death.

In the end, faith wins.

So take the losses. Even when they’re hard.

1. If we’re unwilling to let go of our righteousness, we can’t be saved. That’s where it starts.

Who’s righteousness are you counting on to be saved? Yours or Christ’s?

I know this is a Wednesday night crowd, but let’s not assume anything.

Your religious heritage will never be enough. Your works can’t do enough.

It’s going to take a loss of pride to come to Christ in salvation.

The loss will feel hard, but the gain is so much greater.

If you don’t want to lose now, you lose later in eternity.

2. But Believers need this too.

If works aren’t enough to become right with God, why do we expect works to be enough to keep us right with God.

Why be saved by faith, then live for God out of your own works and your own strength?

You are either operating out of your power or God’s power.

Paul said, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection.” Does that describe you?

Do you know Jesus? Is it consistent? Do you have His power?

It feels like a loss to let Him have control, but it’s always a win.

3. Do the losses seem too big to let go of?

Losing sleep is keeping you from your Bible.

Losing face is keeping you from being a witness.

Losing free time is keeping you from serving or being faithful to church.

Losing something you enjoy is holding you back from following Christ.

I know the losses seem big, but once we experience the gain of Knowing Christ and all that comes along with that, you’ll look back and say, “Why did I struggle to lose that? This is so much better!”

Knowing the Savior by losing self is always a win. It’s never a loss.

And ultimately, remember what Paul said in vs. 1.

Paul gives us the greatest reason to count what we have in our selves as loss — Joy. Joy we’ll never find anywhere else. Joy unlike anything else.

Joy we can’t earn. Joy we can’t work hard enough for. Joy that comes when we count our righteousness as inferior to what we gain in Christ.

Not only in salvation, but every day.

Take the loss so you can enjoy the win in Jesus Christ.

When we count God’s way, the joy we find in Christ is greater than what we lose.

What do you need to lose to have that kind of joy?