Citizens: Economy of Christ

Philippians 3:1–11 ESV

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 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: 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; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 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 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— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Prayer

ill. when your cleaning, and you have to create a drawer for stuff that doesn’t belong anywhere else.

sometimes those become closets!! Full of stuff. We don’t even know whats in there. Sometimes we call them miscellaneous drawers if we more honest, we call them.......?

or for some of us it takes over a room!! we label them craft rooms or hobby rooms......

Then it might take a corner of the house---the car cannot go in the garage it is your area for collecting everything that has no place.

Now here is the thing…a lot of that stuff (not all of it) once seemed really important. At one point, someone bought it because they thought it would improve their life to some degree. And because they were birthed from desire, their was a perceived need, letting go of it seems like an impossibility.

And so most of us are clear of being guests on “Hoarders”, but many of us can relate to holding on to stuff and having a difficult time letting it go; it is precious to us. And even if it isn’t there is some sort of nostalgia some sort of connection, even if we cannot explain it.

PAUSE

That is what is going on in this text of Philippians today.

Only it is not about physical junk, it is about spiritual stuff.

There are those who refuse to let go of their stuff that had a purpose, but are no longer helpful to the life they are invited to live.

And Paul is saying to them and to you and I do you want Jesus or a Junk Drawer.

There are those among the early church who are trying to convince the church that all the stuff that used to define them still needs to do so.

And Paul will have none of it. But we do not see a callous smashing of their ideas, but actually someone who gets it, because he has been there

The question is the same for us today, as we have been welcomed into the family of God through Jesus Christ, will we see him as better or settle for junk.

PAUSE

That appears to be the final task of his letter. And we are going to start exploring it today.

That is the situation here in Philippi, and Paul wants to make sure this congregation, these people he dearly loves are not pulled astray and trapped by this stuff.

This is the topic of Paul words here.

He says FINALLY (v.1)

What many scholars love here is Paul’s use of the word, finally.

Because there is nothing final about it. He still goes on for 2 chapters.

Which brings t mind the story of a little boy asking his father

What does the pastor mean when he says “FINALLY”

That is the situation here in Philippi, and Paul wants to make sure this congregation, these people he dearly loves are not pulled astray and trapped by this stuff.

The dad said...“—absolutely nothing, son”

Protecting your faith comes when.....

I. JESUS IS OUR JOY (v.1)

Be glad in the Lord

Find your sustenance in the LORD.

Why because as one Puritan writer said:

“The joy of the LORD will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hook”

The way to make sure we are not dragged along by something other than the gospel. By Jesus AND something, is to find our joy in Christ.

The way to keep ourselves from being tempted to drift and allow temporary things to consume us is to find our Joy in Christ.

The reason he has to say that is because he is about to take to task the very opposite kind of thinking.

So he wants to firmly plant them in the God.

And what he is about to say is not new. It was something that they needed to be reminded of apparently. An ongoing issue not only in Philippi, but in the ancient church around the Mediterranean.

He calls it a “safeguard”

And that was this...many of those in the early church had come from Judaism.

They were loyal Jews who saw the OT law as vital to what it meant to be Israel..God’s chosen people.

Now with the cross, and all that Jesus accomplished, all that was promised to the people of Israel in the Hebrew Scriptures was burst open and offered to everyone else.

Jesus, the perfect Jew and therefore perfect representation of the Jewish nation, purchased our citizenship into the family of God.

Now all the titles of Israel are applied to those who come to God through Jesus:

children of God

holy nation

nation of priests

Now imagine----as a Jew, who has followed the laws of Moses--- with a history of keeping yourself ceremonially clean; keeping sabbath, not eating pork---now they are woshiping next to people who still have bacon in their teeth from breakfast.

It would be hard.

All that has made them who they are is threatened.

II. JESUS IS OUR FOCUS (V.2)

everything else is a distraction

Matthew 14:22–33 ESV

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Matthew 14:22-

The waves didn’t get any higher? Was the wind any stronger?

? The wind was not blowing any stronger

In Paul tells his reader to keep an eye out for those who would draw their eyes off Jesus!

Who would place weights on them and cause them to sink.

Philippians 3:2 ESV

Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.

In the original Greek the power of these words hits hard. for 2 reasons.

One Paul uses alliteration!

kunas- dogs

kakous- evildoers

katatome- mutilators of the flesh

So as the words hit the ears of the hearers it would be recognized as a hard repetition, not by accident, but also

Paul is taking the very words used by the Judiazers concerning Christians who do not obey the mosaic law, and is applying it to them.

It is a slightly more sophisticated version of....you are!!!

As one writer wrote, Paul “impaled Judaizers on their own vocabulary”

When I think of a dog, I naturally think of our dog at home. Little Wingo. Dumb as dirt but cute and lovable.

When first century Jews thought of dogs they thought of scavengers who chewed on road-kill and garbage. It was the perfect metaphor for those who did not keep the dietary laws of the Jews.

Paul turns it and says those who would try to take the freedom of Christ and attach some element of law to God’s gift are devouring dogs, tearing at the fiber of the Gospel.

He calls them evildoers!

Wait we are obeyers of the law, in fact we’ve invented a bunch of new laws!

Paul says your dependence on the law for your righteousness is evil.

His final hit here is extremely scathing.

When he calls them “mutilators of the flesh” he refers to their own circumcision as well as their push to make everyone who comes to Jesus circumcised as well.

In fact they were so caught up in the importance of circumcision as a sign that they belonged to God that the had a name for themselves.....it was real catchy…The Circumcision Group

They were like the least tough bike gang ever.

Or maybe sounds like realty company; The Circumcision Group

not sure name like that would “cut it”.

not sure name like that would cut it.

What Paul is saying is this....when you make circumcision a means to experience the belonging and grace that Jesus has freely offered, circumcision means nothing and it is simply mutilation of the flesh.

Do not add to what Jesus has accomplished.

dogs, evildoers, mutilators of the flesh!!

all because they add to Jesus.

It is the kind of Gospel that says, you are not in unless..

To be clear, an authentic giving over of self to Jesus as the ruler over your life means that there should be a result- new way of seeing the world, a new way of making decisions in light of eternity, the fruits of the Spirit that Paul writes about in ; we should see growth in our capacity to love, our joy, peace, patience, etc, but those are a result and a work that come after acceptance!!

And Paul goes as far as to say that the the who are truly circumcised, set aside for the purpose of God, identified as his children of God, .......are those who place there trust fully in him, and not on what we can do ourselves.

Philippians 3:3 ESV

For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—

We need to be aware of false circumcision in whatever form it may come to us- newly packaged legalism, in glittering “give and get” promises of the prosperity gospel, or in the self-help formulas that flood the media.

-Ken Hughes-

Jesus is our focus and our pursuit. And everything spiritual blessing we have we have because of what Jesus has done.

So protecting our faith come from Jesus being our joy, our focus, and ....

III. JESUS IS OUR GREATEST PRIVILEGE (vv.4-7)

And if Jesus is our greatest privilege, nothing else is.

Paul looks at all those who might think they can look down their noses at others. Those who think they’ve cornered the market on all thing spiritual, and gives the greatest religious “mic drop” speech of all time.

You think you are pretty good- listen if this is the way you want to measure righteousness aI can play that game.

vv.4-6

And he points out privileges that he has inherited and those that he has worked at.

guys I was circumcised too according to the customs

I am from the people of Israel, both my parent were of Jewish decent

not only that I’m from the best tribe- the faithful tribe throughout the old testament

Acts 7:58 ESV

Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

I am culturally a Hebrew I speak it and I read it.

I’ve got the credentials, before I even started

But on top of that..I’m a pharisee - part of the elite separated ones

If you are wondering if I have zeal---I used to kill Christians

in Acts we see Paul at work to eradicate the church- persecuting the early church until he is overseeing the stoning of Steven in .

He is on his way to Damascus to kill in the name of YHWH,when Jesus appears to him and knocks him off his horse.

Completely misguided, but full of zeal!!

Then finally Paul says in verse 6. "as to righteousness under the law, blameless”

Meaning he has done his best to follow the commandments, and where he failed he made the proper sacrifice.

He has followed the rules of being a Jew!!

Paul has just done the social equivalent of outdoing every other story at the party by telling people he walked on the moon.

He cannot be outdone.

Now here is the thing, he is setting up for the punchline.

He has placed everything he can brag about on the floor to be examined and admired.

He has everyones attention.

What would your boast be?

I have go to stories and characteristics that I naturally want people to see so they recognized that I’m spiritual.

I can quote the verses, use the Christian phrases, so people know I’m in.

What do you use?

Paul has them all looking.

And then he lights it on fire.

“Do you like? Are you impressed? Are you not entertained?”

Watch this.....

Then he takes lighter fluid to it and tosses a match on it; and burns it.

It is worthless!

He calls it rubbish in v. 8. The word he uses for rubbish in the Greek is Skubalon. It is a word that if properly translated would get me in trouble for using.

It means garbage, dung..

All the privileges that he inherited and gained, he sees as worthless.

Every reward received, every compliment, every letter after his name, every position attained. burn it. Give me Jesus.

What a protection against wavering faith!!

to be able to see that clearly.

to see (Paul’s final point here) that..

IV. JESUS IS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (vv.8-9)

Paul starts talking of a radical reversal that everyone of us who calls ourself a Christ follower needs to learn if we want to truly experience the joy and treasure of knowing Him.

It is as if Paul is editing his finances. And he opens up his excel sheet or his numbers sheet (I want to include everyone) and he has two columns. Gains and losses.

He looks at the gains column and sees everything he has just listed. Everything that in the eyes of many made him righteous and worthy, and religious Everything that people looked at and admire.

(what is in your gains column??)

And because he knows that religion about a God is not as good as relationship with the son of God; because he knows that the appearance of pleasing Jesus is not as good as knowing Jesus, he cut the list out of his gains column and (gladly) pastes it in loss column.

And in the gains column..he finds the biggest font he can! Makes it bright RED, boldfaces it, italicises it, underlines it.....and writes CHRIST!!!!

With a huge smile on his face with no remorse of what has been lost.

Why? Because Jesus brings him everything he was trying to attain in all those other things.

Prestige- what is higher than being called a child of the living God

Privilege -

Ephesians 3:11–12 ESV

This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

a name for himself- holy preisthood, saint, chosen ones, blameless.....and righteous

A desire to stand before God without shame.

all his life he thought it came through a pursuit of righteosuness, it doesn’t....it comes from pursing the Righteous One.

Ephesians 3:12 ESV

in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

By faith in Jesus the Christ-

V. JESUS IS OUR LIFE (vv.10-11)

Paul says in vv10-11

I am done with my power. I am done with my ability to impress and live a religious life..(even if I am the best at it) doesn’t matter, it does not bring about the righteous life I desire.

Take the world…but give me Jesus

I want to know the power of resurrection in my life.

Everything I was doing only brought me death.

And in him, I will suffer, that’s great, it brings me closer to know him.

There is intimacy with Jesus a closer bonding that takes place when we suffer that can never be attained if we only know blessing. Paul says bring it.

I don’t care. I know that at the other end, after spiritual resurrection that I have already attained, comes a physical one. So by whatever path he takes me there, I will attain the resurrection of the dead. Because of him.

Conclusion:

Scholar Kent Hughes describes Jesus resurrection this way:

Two thousand years ago on the first day of the week, Christ’s cold body lay on chilled stone in the arms of death. His heart was stilled in the icy grip of the grave, whatever blood remained had congealed in his veins, his eyes were fixed and dilated, and his body was bound tightly in spices and graveclothes.

Then, before dawn, his vacant eyes blinked open and coursed with light, focused and glittering life. And with the ease of omnipotence, his body left the wrappings like an empty cocoon.

When Paul speaks of the power of the resurrection, he is saying that the same power that rose Christ from the dead, breathed life back in into his dead body, animated it once again, brings us life.

The bible describes us as dead in our trespasses, as the walking dead, looking for the breathe of life that can only be found in Jesus.

Ephesians 1:19–20 ESV

and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

And like Paul we try everything else to start our heart again.

To spiritually resuscitate ourselves we try accomplish, we try to place ourselves in positions of power over others, we try harder to do more, to be busy, hoping it equals life and righteousness, it doesn’t.

“Most who read these pages, I suspect, will not be tempted to boast about their Jewish ancestry and ancient rights of race and religious heritage. But we may be tempted to brag about still less important things: our wealth, our status, our education, our emotional stability, our families, our political or business successes, our denominational alignments, or even about which version of the Bible we use. Be careful of people like that. They tend to regard everyone who is outside their little group as somehow inferior. Somewhere along the way they inadvertently or even intentionally and maliciously, imagine that faith in Christ Jesus and delighting in him is a little less important than personal accomplishments.

Instead, look around for those whose constant confidence is Jesus Christ, whose constant boast is Jesus Christ, and whose constant delight is Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the center of their worship, the center of their gratitude, the center of their love, the center of their hope … emulate those whose constant confidence and boast is in Christ Jesus and in nothing else.”

Then he takes lighter fluid to it and tosses a match on it; and burns it.

The Message Chapter 3

I don’t mind repeating what I have written in earlier letters, and I hope you don’t mind hearing it again. Better safe than sorry—so here goes.

SLOWLY

“—absolutely nothing, son”

So, on the ground what does this mean for us. Day to day what does this mean for us in 2017. Well, it means we can stop stockpiling. We can stop using our Christianity as a weapon to wield. It also means we can stop using our mistakes as a knock against our faith in Christ;

It is not only that we have our sins wiped out, we also are seen as

Defining ourselves by our mistakes- there is not room for that in Christ.

they are only affirming our need.

The gospel is an invitation to take Jesus over the junk drawer.

At the end of the day it's not a matter of laying in bed and going through your day and saying I messed up here and I messed up here. I shouldn't have said that. Or saying I got this right I sure said the right thing there that person was impressed.

At the end of the day, it's... Are you leaning into Jesus and saying you are what I need, you are greater than my mistakes and better than any of my accomplishments.

Rejoice in the Lord, burn your

You are my joy, my focus, my greatest privilege, my righteousness, my life. Breath life into me once again, everything else is rubbish.

Take the world but give me Jesus.