Philippians 3:1-11 Get off your soap box

Songs There is power in the blood Because He lives He lives last I’d rather have Jesus

In London England you may have heard of the famous Hyde park it was a place where a lot of people would gather and it was a place where people who wanted to get something off their chest would take a soap box. A big wooden box that was used to pack soap and they would stand on that box in a place that became known as soap box corner so they could be taller than everyone and shout there message to the world. Sometimes it was preachers other times it was someone with political motivations or someone who was an expert on a subject someone who just wanted to get something off there chest or they wanted to be a right fighter.

That is a term that I like the right fighter, they have to argue just for the sake of arguing. Because they want to be right regardless of the cost.

Have you have heard a right fighter standing on their soap box. We have had a few right fighters come into church that have had a stump to grind a similar metaphor. We every once in a while get a letter from a group that claims that we are evil Christians because we meet on Sundays instead of Saturdays. I have had people attack me about the Bible translation our church uses. People want to get their message across challenging our belief on the rapture, even things like your people don’t wear ties and dresses to church on Sunday. As Christians soap boxes should make our eyes roll. They definately made the apostle Paul get excited. You see a big part of Jesus ministry on this earth was to challenge the direction religion was headed at the time he walked the earth. He challenged the Pharisees who added more rules to the Scripture. He had some harsh things to say against them and He also challenged the Saducees who most people don’t give credit to, but I am going to give them some credit apparently they were known for being the group that followed the scriptures alone, but they denied some things found in the book like the resurrection and angels. They were fighting because they jumped up on their soap box

Paul keeps saying it, REJOICE IN THE LORD!

Philippians 3:1 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.

The word finally in this passage is just a word to keep the epistle moving, we might say further more.

REJOICE IN THE LORD! You are a shining star to the world. Remember last week your name is written in the lamb’s book of life heaven is your home you are the light of the world and Jesus is the source of your light so REJOICE!!!!!!

Paul says I know keep repeating myself. It may seem tedious to you, you already said that, BUT you need to hear it again. It is important that you keep hearing these things. I am a teacher! I have learned a lot from 20 years of teaching. You repeat repeat repeat but teens still get things wrong on the test. How many times do I have to say to students and put it in their homework Newtons three laws of motion sometimes I think I repeat them in my sleep, objects in motion tend to stay in motion tend to stay in motion objects at rest tend to stay at rest. Force equals mass times acceleration and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. By 12th grade some kids are still like I have never heard that before. As a Pastor the same thing is true. You can hear it every Sunday for 20 years but it takes the power of the Holy Spirit to sink it right into your heart.

REJOICE IN THE LORD! He says it again it is the theme of my book. Every week I talk to people. It is interesting the answers I get. How are you? I genuinely care! I can’t solve all of everyone’s problems but Christ can and people give some answers. Do you really want to know? Why yes I do! I am not just asking to be polite. Some people people have the joy of Jesus and you can’t touch it. You want to know what I have found out, it doesn’t matter what kind of car you drive, what kind of house you live in, or the weather. Some people have determined to let their position in Christ to be their JOY!

Beware of dogs!

Philippians 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!

Dogs aren’t always bad in the Bible. The Bible talks about guard dogs and hunting dogs. But these dogs are MANGY ones that roamed as a pack and caused problems in the city. They were the not so domesticated trouble making dogs.

These dogs are enemies of the gospel.

Psalm 22:16–17 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.

These dogs were the dogs who nipped at the feet of Jesus as he hung on the cross. Remember when he hung on the cross. The religious leaders the soldiers the crowd even criminals mocked Jesus. These are the kind of dogs that Paul is referring to.

These dogs are scavengers, they remain outside the heavenly city.

Revelation 22:15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

We are going to learn that these dogs, are people who take the amazing message of the gospel and add to it. Salvation is by Christ alone and when someone tries to make any issue more important the Jesus dying on the cross that is a problem. Paul is making that point in this passage and he is focusing in on the issue of circumcision. Which in this verse he calls circumcisions which isn’t bad sarcastically mutilation, because it has become more important than salvation is by Christ alone. Paul uses harsh words for soap box right fighting people.

We are the circumcision.

Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,

That’s a weird thing to say am I right? We are the circumcision. You can hear the chants. I think of that song WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS NO TIME FOR LOSERS because we are the circumcision. You want to ask Paul, do you know what you just said? That doesn’t make any sense. He is really trying to get to the heart of the issue there is no CHRIST +. At the time some believers were adding to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul in verse two says Dogs use circumcision as mutilation. Under Christ all you need is Jesus we are the true circumcision. You don’t need to anything other than Jesus to be a Christian. You don’t need to where a tie to church on Sunday, you don’t need to come to every chat - n -chew. You don’t need to drive a certain type of car or like a certain type of music. You need Jesus!

Circumcision identified you with Abraham’s covenant.

Genesis 17:10 This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised;

Circumcision means cutting around

Circumcision wasn’t and isn’t wrong, but in Christ it is no longer necessary. If you are doing it to get to heaven you might as well be mutilating your body like a pagan. True believers give their heart to Christ what is more important than physical Circumcision is that you identify with Christ. It isn’t about you it is about Him. It is about the trinity, WORSHIP THE FATHER, IN THE SPIRIT, THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.

Do you have the Holy Spirit active in your heart?

Acts 7:51 You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.

The uncircumcised of heart, don’t have the Holy Spirit active in their heart. They are hypocrites Pharisaical people who don’t have God in their life. You need Christ and Christ alone, once you believe in Jesus the Holy Spirit enters your heart and you can be the true circumcision. Joy is Jesus in your heart.

Circumcision of the heart.

Deuteronomy 10:16 Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.

Those whose hearts belong to Jesus, we are the circumcision, that’s why we are going to heaven.

You have no bragging rights.

Philippians 3:4–6 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Paul says that you can’t argue how good you are. There is no look at me. There is no soap box or right fighting. Don’t do that, beware of being Pharisaical then you are one of those dogs. I think I would like a Pharisee. They love religion they are morally good, but they are dangerous! They add to the message, Jesus Christ alone. They are the kind of person that says you have to love Jesus plus be just like me, talk like me, walk like me, act like me, dress like me in order to get to heaven. They add to what it means to be a Christian, that’s why they are dangerous. Remember Paul was a Pharisee among Pharisees, he is the guy pointing at himself. Recently we had a concert here at church, I meet pastors at concerts, I met a couple at the last one. I had a conversation with both. One told me about how many people he had in his church. All the growth they experienced. He looked like this. I talked to another pastor he spent a while telling me about his congregation of 8! PRAISE GOD that preacher had a smile on his face the entire time he talked about his little congregation.

You may think that this is a small issue in the church, but Paul talks about his in most books and Jesus was big on don’t be a Pharisee.

Pharisees are clean on the outside.

Matthew 23:27–28 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. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Jesus was tough on these hypocrites. The hypocrite is an actor wearing a mask giving a false appearance. that is what the LORD JESUS warned about. This person tells you that there is more to being a Christian than Christ alone.

Just give me Jesus!

Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

Nothing will get you to heaven other than Jesus. I talked about a lot of things today that aren’t bad of themselves, going to church dressing nice wearing a tie, doing work for the LORD being a good moral person. None of it is bad, they don’t get you to heaven, and if you are just trying to balance the scales, you never will, take it all and say who cares just give me Jesus.

Your soap box is full of rubbish.

Philippians 3:8 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

What I want you to do is to take all of your righteousness today. I am a good person, I have been a deacon, I attend church, I make more meals for the church, I do more than anybody else. I deserve to go to heaven more than that person, and through it in this soap box. Whatever your soap box is the church should do more of this or that or that Christian should do more or this or that) And forget about all of it, it is only about Jesus! You want to know what I have noticed the people who do the most for the LORD are the ones who talk about it the least. Because for them it’s all about Jesus! You can have all this world just give me Jesus!

Christianity is all about Christ’s righteousness, not ours.

Philippians 3:9 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;

At the cross we trade our sin for His righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

It’s about your sin and his righteousness. When you walk through those doors it’s not about I am better than that person for whatever reason. It’s not! Don’t ever look across the isle and say I am better than that guy look how he is dressed. I am better than that guy have you ever heard him pray. I’ve never missed a communion service. I read the Bible and the daily bread twice a day. No it’s about walking up to the cross. Taking your righteousness. putting it in the soap box and burning it, it’s about taking your sin and nailing it to the cross of Jesus and walking away washed in the blood of jesus remember the pharisees were a white washed tomb stone, I heard someone say this about a home maker over recently it you put enough paint over the mold it isn’t there right. WRONG! That is what Paul is saying here! He is repeating himself to drive the point home.

Our righteousness is filthy rags.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

We stand before God, clothed in Christ’s righteousness.

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

It sounds like Paul in prison was reading the words of Isaiah as he writes this. Your soap box is filthy to the LORD. Salvation is by God alone, That is the most joyous thing. If it is all up to me I will fail. But it’s not up to me. I don’t meet your standard, fine! Doesn’t bother me. I don’t meet God’s standard. You want to know what I meet Christ’s standard. Today I am accepted by the king of Kings because I stand clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

All my hope is in the risen LORD. His name is JESUS!

Philippians 3:10–11 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

There is power in the resurrection. The next time someone is going to right me a letter telling me I have an awful Church because we meet on Sunday and not Saturday. I am going to take that letter, tear it up and sing BECAUSE HE LIVES I CAN FACE TOMORROW! The next time someone tells me I am an awful preacher because I preach the gospel too much and not about you know other things, I am going would you be free from your burden and sin there’s power in the blood power in the blood! The next time someone has any sort of soap box against you how you dress your face is too red you don’t help out enough you should do more or different to get to heaven, sing with Paul REJOICE REJOICE OH CHRISTIAN He Lives HE LIVES SALVATION TO IMPART YOU ASK ME HOW I KNOW HE LIVES HE LIVES WITHIN MY HEART!! We are the circumcision! (never thought I would end a sermon with those words)