For the Sake of Christ
Notes
Transcript
Sermon
Sermon
“For we are the circumcision...” (v. 3). Those of us who have been circumcised in heart by the Holy Spirit have been brought from death to life through faith in Jesus Christ.
I may sound like what I’m about to say I say pridefully, but what I say is true biblically: we Christians are the saved, the sealed, the saints; the covenant community of the redeemed because Jesus is the only Savior and we trust him!
The Holy Spirit of God reveals Jesus as the only Savior and as we stake our very lives on that truth we ‘worship by the Spirit of God and glory (or boast) in Christ Jesus,” (v. 3).
The only thing worth bragging about in the church is Jesus. Sometimes you hear people leaving a church service saying...
"Oh, that music was just incredible!”
“Oh, that preacher sure did a fine job!”
Please don’t brag on the sermon, brag on Jesus!
“Oh, I love those people! Their just so warm and friendly!”
But we want to be a church were people leave saying, “Hallelujah! What a Savior!”
Please don’t brag on the unity, the fellowship, the warmth of the church, brag on Jesus!
Bragging on the music, the sermon, the church in general could be a way of indirectly bragging on Jesus but surely directly bragging on Jesus glorifies him most.
As the hymn, Share His Love, says, “Share his love by telling what the Lord has done for you...”
We are to obey that command that Jesus gave to the man he freed from demon-possession in . He said to him in ...
And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
The Christian that is tempted to brag on something other than Jesus is usually tempted to brag on himself.
[Illus] After a heart attack, a non-Christian man went to church one Sunday. He wasn’t confused. This man knew he was lost. He had not been walking with the Lord Jesus, but he came to the church looking for Christ.
Instead, he was angered when a man in the church stood up and gave a testimony about his own goodness instead of the goodness of Christ.
This wasn’t in our church and I wasn’t there to know the tone of the man’s words, but the unsaved man said to me, “I don’t think I want to go back if I have to listen to Tom talk about what a good Christian he is.”
As followers of Jesus, we don’t brag about what good Christians we are. We brag about what a great Savior Jesus is!
We should hate to hear someone brag about someone or something other than Jesus. We should hate to hear it from someone else’s mouth. We should hate to hear from our own mouths. And we should hate to feel its prideful presence in our hearts.
This bragging on self and what self can accomplish is what Paul referred to in v. 3 with the phrase “confidence in the flesh.”
[CONTEXT] Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi was written to thank the church for its support during his house arrest in Rome where he waited to stand trial before Caesar for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In his letter though, he also wanted to address disunity in the church, which was caused, at least in part, by the Judaizers - false teachers who said that one had to be circumcised and obey the law of Moses in order to be saved.
Confidence before God based on one’s ability to keep or obey the law of Moses was what Paul referred to as “confidence in the flesh” in v. 3.
[CIT] Paul’s whole point in this passage is that when it comes to salvation, we should have no confidence in the flesh - no confidence in self - no confidence in our obedience to God - but all confidence in Jesus.
[CIT]
He says this in v. 9 where he says that he wants to be found in Jesus...
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—
Now, Paul did say that he had “reason for confidence in the flesh” as the Judaizers would have defined it. They would have loved Paul’s Jewish heritage and Jewish zeal. He mentioned both of these things in vv. 5-6...
[PROP]
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.
These are Paul’s impressive Jewish credentials, his reasons as Jewish man to boast in himself, to take confidence in the flesh, but he only mentions these things to say what he says in vv. 7-8a...
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
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
Imagine two columns. At the top of one column is the label Gains and at the top of the other column is the label Losses.
Before Paul encountered Jesus, Paul put all of his religious efforts in the Gains column. Paul believed that his sincere religious effort was gaining him favor with God and a place in Heaven.
But after Paul encountered Jesus, Paul put all of his religious efforts in the Losses column. And the only thing in the Gains column was Jesus!
And the only thing in the Gains column was Jesus!
By God’s grace, Paul came to understand that the only Way to favor with God, the only way to Heaven, the only of Salvation is through faith alone in Christ alone!
who loved Paul and gave himself in his death and resurrection to pay the price for Paul’s sin.
As I mentioned, the reasons for “confidence in the flesh” that Paul mentioned in vv. 5-6 would’ve been impressive to the Judaizers because they were trying to infect the Philippian church with a mixture of law keeping with some sort of faith in Christ, but injecting law keeping into the gospel actually ruins the gospel.
Whenever we inject anything into faith alone in Christ alone, we ruin the gospel. We rob it of its saving power.
[Illus] When I was a child, I liked to draw. I would spend a lot time drawing some car or fighter jet to the best of my ability and just when I thought I had it perfect, I’d do one more thing - make one more mark - and ruin it.
That’s what happens to God’s perfect gospel when we attempt to add anything to it. All we can add is a black mark that would ruin the whole thing.
The Judaizers would have said, “You need to add your law keeping - your obedience - to your faith in Christ in order to be saved,” but the truth is we have no obedience before God!
But the truth we have no obedience before God!
We are born in sin and walk in sin and will perish in our sins unless we only trust in only Jesus for salvation!
We are condemned under a dark cloud of God’s wrath headed for Hell until we only trust only Jesus for salvation.
[PROP] Indeed, the only gospel that saves from the wrath of God is the gospel of Jesus Christ, which calls us to only trust only Jesus.
It is tempting to want to add our supposed obedience, our supposed righteousness to faith in Jesus.
[PROP]
We might be tempted to think that we’ve done right things and wrong things before God and that we need to trust Jesus to take care of the wrong things we’ve done, but God is find with the right things we’ve done. In reality, we’ve only done wrong things before God!
What the prophet Isaiah says in is true of us...
In reality, we’ve only done wrong things before God!
We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
In the same vein, listen to ...
What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
There is no righteousness in us before God. All righteousness is in Jesus. That’s why we must only trust him and trust him only.
When we understand this gospel - this good news of salvation by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone - we glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh!
[INTER] What works of the flesh are you tempted to boast in?
[INTER]
Maybe its your godly heritage. Maybe you come from Christian people, church people. I can’t tell you how often I read that so-and-so is the grandson or great-grandson of Billy Graham. So what!? Your heritage won’t earn you favor with God! You better only trust in Christ and trust in him only!
Maybe its your zeal for the things of God. You go to church. You read your Bible. You pray your prayers. You go on the mission trips. So what!? Your zeal won’t earn you favor with God! You better only trust in Christ and trust in him only!
Maybe its your zeal for things of God,
Maybe its something else.
No matter what, its all “loss for the sake of Christ,” (v. 7)! We should “count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus (our) Lord,” (v. 8).
Godly heritage and godly zeal are no reason for confidence before God!
The only confidence we have before God is faith alone in Christ alone!
What we need is a pure, concentrated does of faith alone in Jesus alone. We don’t need some weakened faith in Jesus that has been diluted by something we have to offer.
However, its precisely on this point that some have objected, saying, “But I offer my faith! That’s what I have to offer!”
But the faith we place in Jesus doesn’t originate with us; it doesn’t come from within us, “it is the gift of God… so that no one may boast,” (). That’s what it says in ...
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
So, we see clearly from God’s Word that just as all of salvation is a free gift of God’s grace, so even the faith we place in Jesus is a free gift of God’s grace. But what is that gift of faith that only God can give?
says...
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
So, faith is the assurance and conviction that, although we didn’t see Jesus die on the cross and we didn’t see him rise from the grave, we believe that those things happened! Jesus really died as the atoning sacrifice for my sin and really rose to make me right with God so that I can enjoy everlasting fellowship with God!
Faith is the assurance and conviction that all Jesus did, he did for me, a sinner in need of a Savior!
In essence, the gift of faith is the gift of being able to see myself as I really am (a sinner in need of rescue from the wrath of God because of my sins) and to see Jesus as he really is (the sinless Son of God sent to take God’s wrath in my place upon the cross).
[INTER] Do you have this gift of faith?
Without it, it is impossible to please God. says...
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Without faith, you will die in your sins. Jesus said in ...
I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
If you don’t believe that Jesus is Messiah, Savior, and Lord - the only Way of salvation - the only atonement for sin - you should ask God for the gift that only he can give, the gift of faith.
Only then will you take no confidence in the flesh.
[TS]
Only then will you count everything as loss for the sake of Christ.
[TS] {prayer}
by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;
Major Ideas
Major Ideas
If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.
Conclusion
Conclusion
When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord,
By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others,
For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ.
not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
---
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
---
Eph 3
Eph
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 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. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,