Philippians 3:7-14

Philippians 3:7-14

By Samuel Sorenson

4/27/2025

Introduction

Getting Attention

It is an important practice to take an inventory of how God has blessed you.  What kind of gifts God has given you? How has He blessed you so you can in turn be a blessing to others, and build our Lord’s kingdom?

Has He given you the gift of hospitality?  To show warmth and kindness towards those who are in need of those things?  Has He given you a strong body to help those who cannot lift their groceries or that heavy bag of dog food?  Has He given you the gift of problem solving, so that you can discover the answer to life’s major questions, or find a cure for diseases that many people are suffering from?

I can remember when I was going to Seminary that I wanted to take my health seriously and work a physical job, after I had previously worked a desk job for almost 9 years.  My good friend and mentor Dr. Yamamoto would tell me, Sam the Lord has blessed you with a strong body, you should utilize that gift.  That was some of the best advice anyone had given me.  Now to say going from working a desk job to working a physical job was a smooth transition would be an understatement.  The people who worked physical jobs had a different mentality, they spoke to me differently, I had to get a thicker skin.  But I embraced the challenges and in doing that I was able to bless others and stretch myself in capacities that I was not previously able to.  I thank God every day for the grace He has givin me and the courage to take on hard tasks and be willing to fail at them.

I didn’t realize this at the time but part of saying yes to embracing what the Lord had for me was putting my faith into action.  It was backing my words with action, it was taking accountability for what the Lord had in store for me, and it was developing in me a Christ like character.  I was allowing the work of the Holy Spirit to be done in me and the Holy Spirit was creating in me a character of excellence.

      Most of us here today have a hunger for excellence, most of us want to feel like we are surrounded by people who motivate us and spur us on to love and good deeds.  So, let me ask you all this question, when searching out excellence what do you look for?  More importantly what does our Heavenly Father look for?   

You came here today that is excellent.

      What is considered excellent by man is not what is considered excellent by God.  When Jesus walked the earth, He performed the greatest miracles and works known to man.  The greatest of these miracles was conquering death and being resurrected the third day.  He broke the curse of sin and death.  He reconciled man to God by becoming wrath so that those who believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).   That is what God considers excellent. 

Excellence is putting your faith into action. Hebrews 11 God put all of those leaders in this chapter based on one thing their faith!! They put their faith into action.

       Remember, “excellence is putting your faith into action.”

      In the days of Jesus, who the Jewish people looked to for excellence were the religious leaders, the Pharisees, those who could speak and memorize the Torah.  Those who were considered to be without blemish, or without sin.  Those who kept the law of Moses.

     You see the Jews view of excellence was seen from the outward appearance and the outwardis what the culture still looks at today, it is based off of position, performance, popularity, and prestige.

      Then Jesus comes onto the scene and drops a huge truth bomb on the Jewish people.  He reveals just how backwards man’s view of excellence is.   He shows over and over again how phony these Pharisees are, those who looked down on the poor, those who are all about being seen and praised by man.  Those who care more about their own self-righteousness than attaining the righteousness of God.   They were phonies!! Jesus called them out for saying one thing and doing another.  

      Many of you in here today have experienced a boss or an employee say one thing and do another.  The religious leaders were God’s representatives and when God saw that His representatives were leading His people astray, He was not happy with them.  In fact, the people who Jesus is hardest on in scripture are the Pharisees and religious leaders of that day. 

      The Pharisees viewed Jesus as offensive.  They viewed Him as someone who didn’t respect the law.  They saw Him as someone who didn’t respect man’s authority. 

      How did Jesus respond to them?  What did He say to them? Well let’s look at that?

      Jesus called them whitewashed tombs, Matthew 23:27-28, “27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but insideyou are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

      Pause

      You see friends Christianity takes what the world sees as excellent and flips it upside down from outside to inside.  Christianity cares about reaching those who are broken inwardly, Christianity is about developing baby Christians to become mature believers who are on fire for Christ and doing His work.  Christianity requires a person to become selfless.  You are not to become worshipped, but if you are a Christian, you are to serve.  Jesus stated those who desire to be first must become last.  Those who seek to rule must be servants to all.  Now I know these are hard truths to digest.  I know stopping and acknowledging people you don’t know may be uncomfortable.   I know speaking to someone you may not normally give a second glance at is hard.  But let me challenge you all today to look at what Jesus considered excellent and what His followers did.  Jesus ate and fellowshipped with tax collectors and prostitutes. 

      Those people who religious leaders saw as scum of the earth. But Jesus saw them, He heard them, and He acknowledged them. 

      How many of you in here today have a strong need to be heard and to be seen?

      Pause

      Well let me encourage you today, if you are in Christ, meaning you have a personal relationship with Him, then God hears you and He sees you!!

      That is a comforting thought knowing that no one can meet every need a person has, especially the hole that only God can fill. 

      So, many times we try to fill that hole with distractions from the world, we worship sports athletes, or celebrities, or someone who has a status that we wish to achieve.  But let me challenge you today, Christian, ask yourself am I seeking excellence in the way the world wants you to seek excellence or are you seeking excellence the way God wants you to seek excellence?

      Pause

      Today, I want to look at what Paul writes about becoming a person of excellence, by giving up those things that he once viewed as excellent by man, so that he could attain the upward call of the prize in Christ Jesus.

Pause

Body

      Purpose Statement: My Purpose in speaking to you today is for you to understand how vital it is to put your faith into action when operating in a fallen, sinful, world.

Text: Philippians 3:7-14 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 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain[a] to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Context:

      To give a little history to what is happening, Paul is in prison awaiting judgement from Ceasar Nero. During Paul’s ministry everywhere he travelled he was commanded by God to proclaim the Good News of Christ Jesus, he was given an audience, both to the common man as well as to kings and rulers.  Jesus had told his disciples that they would be brought before Ceasars and kings.  He told them not to worry beforehand what they should say for the Holy Spirit will speak through them. Power Point Matthew 10:19-20

16“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

       Pause

     When Paul had the opportunity to speak to king Agrippa? He shared his testimony with boldness, confidence, and faith.

      Every time Paul testified before these rulers, Ceasars, or kings he would share with great courage his testimony of how Christ saved him and appointed him as an apostle to go out to all the nations and share the good news of Jesus Christ.  

Paul realized that if he could courageously share the gospel with these rulers, and if they were saved by the gospel than they could make a huge impact for the kingdom of heaven.

Now it’s important to understand that every person you witness to has a circle of friends, it doesn’t matter if you have the opportunity to share the gospel with a homeless person or with the president of the United States.   You never know what the Lord will do when you step out in obedience and Put Your Faith Into Action.

Pause

 Now the emperor of Rome at the time of Paul’s imprisonment is Ceasar Nero, now if you study history, you will find that before Nero was introduced to Christianity that he was actually a fairly decent man.

I’m sure that Paul laid a heavy testimony on Nero.

      Scholars have argued that Paul’s testimony was so powerful, and Nero’s rejection was so profound that Nero may have become demon possessed after he rejected Christ?  Like every person who rejects Christ they are susceptible to the wiles of the devil and can be used for his purposes. What does scripture say about being influenced by Satan?  Let’s look at 2 Timothy 2:26b, “having been taken captive by him to do his will.”  Paul calls those who are not in Christ captives of Satan. 

Power Point: C. S. Lewis the author of Mere Christianity says this, “There are no mere mortals, every person you encounter is either an eternal splendor or an immortal horror.” 

So, folks there is no neutrality you will either be used by God for His glory and His purposes, or you will be used by Satan for his demonic purposes.

Now Christianity was spreading like wildfire in Rome and people who were pagans and had a dead religion were turning to Christ and Nero saw Christianity as a threat, so he began to abuse Christians and torture them.

Paul was going to be facing Nero a second time and Paul had come to terms that his ministry was coming to an end.

Even though Nero was wicked, Paul still shared his testimony with them.  That took tremendous courage.  

Let me ask you all this question, how many of you in here today, would have the courage to share their testimony with an evil dictator like Nero?

Pause

Sermon Points PNP: Today I want to demonstrate two key principles to putting your faith into action. (Repeat)

A) First principle; excellent faith is you being willing to give up to go up.

B) Second principle in order to take steps of faith you must learn and understand the will of God.

Point number one.

First principle in order to go up you must be willing to give up.

What did Paul give up?  Look back a few verses with me in, Power Point Phil 3:4-11 (ESV) , 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. [1]

What is Paul saying here?

Before Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul was seen by the world as a man of excellence.  He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee of Pharisees, as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

      One of the best Biblical illustrations of a man who gave up to go up is Moses.  He was a prince in a palace living a luxurious life.  He had a life of relative ease.  Until the Lord opened His eyes and he saw God’s people being oppressed, he murdered a man and fled, and after being a lowly shepherd in the desert for many years, and then at the ripe age of 80 God spoke to him through a burning bush and called him to do something he did not want to do.

            Here was what the exchange between God and Moses looked like, Exodus 3:7-12, “7 And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their [a]sorrows. 8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

12 So God said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Moses knew that he could not deny his calling and so he chose to give up his life of luxury for a life dedicated to freeing the Jewish people.  And look what God did through an 80-year-old man!!

As stated in Philippians 3:12, 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Paul understood that he needed to press on even in the face of death because he knew that like Moses God was with him, he laid hold of God’s promises found in Christ Jesus and Jesus also laid hold of Paul.  Paul and Moses are the ultimate illustrations of what it looks like to become a person excellence.

Now let’s turn to the second key principle of putting your faith into action.

Second principle of what excellent faith looks like you must learn and understand the will of God.

Paul gives his testimony throughout his letters to the churches and in the book of Galatians he points out what his purpose was after his encounter with the Resurrected Jesus.

Galatians 1:15-16b, “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles. Power point

Paul was going 180 degrees in the wrong direction believing he was doing God’s will and then God calls him for the purpose of reaching the Gentiles. 

If you skip down to verse 23-24 Paul states this, 23 But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God in me.

How amazing that would be to witness such an event. 

Look with me again at the last two verses, “13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Now you may ask what is the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus? In studying this question this was the best response that I could find among scholars.

The “prize” is clearly the culmination of the whole work of salvation—with all its implications—to which God has called us. That is the great hope that sustained Paul, even in the midst of discouragement and frustration.[2]  

The Prize is doing God’s will, the prize is you find God’s purpose and meaning in your life.

You will not be looking in the rearview mirror. 

Some people can’t recover from their past sins and one thing that keeps people in the pew and not serving in the church is that they cannot forgive themselves for what they did in the past.

So, Paul didn’t look back but chose to reach forward to those things which are ahead.  He chose to walk in the purpose and calling that God had for him by Putting His Faith into Action.

Let’s look at two areas that Paul deals with in seeking the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus

1) Doing God’s will equates to finding purpose and meaning.

      Paul was all about completing the mission that Christ gave him when he was called into ministry.  With this focus he pursues his goal intently. His goal is to win the prize for which God had called him in Christ Jesus. He wants to hear God call his name and summon him to the victory stand, where he will meet Jesus face-to-face and know him in perfect intimacy. Earthly prizes do not last. Eternal prizes do. The goal can never be realized on earth. It is a goal that pulls us heavenward.

      1 Corinthians 9:25: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

      In the late 1950s, Jim Elliot, former husband of author Elisabeth Elliot, gave up his life to reach a hostile tribe in the jungles of Ecuador. His words have been immortalized: “He is not a fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” While Paul was not spiritually where he thought he would ultimately be, he intended not to be distracted by anything as he pursued his goal.

      Ministry is the people business, I know many of you may not know this about me, but I was not always a people person.  I was afraid of people, their words, the need to be accepted and loved.  But when I said yes to Jesus, I realized that I needed to see people the way He saw them.  I began to pray Lord please help me to love others the way that you love them.  And then He answered that prayer and now I see the value in people.  I am always working at it.  It is not something I have perfected, but ministry is much like the waves of the ocean.  You have times of smooth sailing and times when the waves are violently crashing against the ship. 

      It’s a constant learning process, but I have found that I am always working to get better and being conformed to the person of Jesus Christ.

2) Dealing with the failures of the past allows you to be free to perform God’s will.

      Paul had done many terrible things in his life prior to becoming a Christian.  He greatly suffered for his past sin but did not let that keep him from accomplishing what God had called him to do.

      Look with me at 1 Timothy 1:13, “13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an [a]insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.”

      Paul is the greatest illustration of someone who did terrible things in his past and yet when he realized his calling, he did not let his past cripple him.

      I’ve heard it said in past sermons, remember the best and forget the rest.

Conclusion:

      Many of us are afraid to get outside of the norm and walk by faith.  Why is that?  Is it true of you that you like the familiar and hate the unknown?  The idea that by speaking, or asking, or taking a risk may have a cost to it that you don’t want to pay?

      I would argue most Americans would rather watch a movie or a series on Netflix where someone is pretending to take a risk and actors are playing out a difficult scenario.  Where we can partake in the thrills of life without experiencing the real cost of doing something. 

      This is a hard truth but one that needs to be said, many of us would rather settle for mediocre lives, or a work a job that pays decent, than take a risk and step out in faith and trust what God will do with us?

      What are some challenges that are keeping you from putting your faith into action?  Is it an illness that you are trusting and waiting on God to help you overcome?  Is it a financial decision?  Moving to a new state that you are not familiar with? Or is it a new relationship?  Is it not finding your calling or place to serve in the church?  

      Right now we are living in world that is filled with distrust, people do not trust their doctors, they do not trust their pastors, their employers, their employees, and even their own family.   Ever since Covid there has been mass confusion placed on people in all areas of their lives.  It’s crazy to think about, but how do we rebuild that trust?

      Let me challenge you today to put your faith into action and take that step of faith!!!  To live a life that is striving for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  In order to see a movement of faith in this world we must be willing to step out and take risks.  If the Holy Spirit prompts us to share our faith with someone, we need to be willing to say yes and share our faith with that person.  Invest in becoming the real deal.  A man or woman of God who means what they say and say what they mean.  People will be drawn to that authenticity and in turn be drawn to Jesus!

      Jesus stated in his final address to the Apostles, Matthew 28: 18-20, “18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

     The King of kings and the Lord of lords is with you, do not be afraid to take a step of faith and see how He uses you? 

[1]The Holy Bible: English Standard Version(Php 3:3–11). (2016). Crossway Bibles.

[2]Silva, M. (2005). Philippians (2nd ed., p. 177). Baker Academic.