Compared to Christ all is Rubbish
Philippians: To Live is Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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INTRO:
What are some things you are most proud of? Awards, Abilities, Inventions, Accomplishments, Relationships, Achievements...
Many times we identify ourselves by what we have, what we have done, or what we are good at.
What determined that you were good at that? Or that you would have that?
The Apostle Paul dealt with similar false beliefs, people identifying or boasting in their own greatness
Our Accomplishments Turned to Christ
Our Accomplishments Turned to Christ
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
Philippians 3:
Paul’s statement:
Glory in Christ
No confidence in the flesh
He speaks of our hope in salvation through the grace of Christ - not by how good we adhere to rules
in other words our hope placed in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, not our own accomplishments
What does Paul say? If anyone thinks they have religion nailed down ill make you look foolish!
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.
Philippians 3:4-
No one is going to better Paul in his religious moral code
think of the best follower of God, now times that by 100, this was Paul
Had such dedication to the Jewish faith that he approved and led in the hunting and murder of Christians
A Pharisee, the strictest adherers to the law
You were not gonna do better than Paul, he was the model student of Judaism
Look at the shift in vs. 7
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
What he thought and what was really true were two very different things
Many times we can have preconceived thoughts about God
What we thought was correct was actually false
We need Christ to lead us in truth
There’s a reason why He says “I am the way, the truth, and the life”
Everything Pales in Comparison to Christ
Everything Pales in Comparison to 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
Philippians 3:
Once Paul had an encounter with Christ, his life was forever changed
what he once deemed important became miniscule to him
Counts everything as loss
saying my time in anything else is wasted time
holding onto the things of this world is futile
Why does Paul consider everything as loss?
Because knowing Christ has so much more worth
giving his soul what it longs for
it’s why we are never satisfied with anything, we always want more or the new
The worth of knowing Christ is surpassing to anything else
the worth of knowing Christ is surpassing to anything else
Knowing Jesus is all Paul wants
not complex rules
but a life sold out and abandoned to knowing Jesus
Where’s our heart for this? What if it was just enough to know Jesus? What if that satisfied us as opposed to anything else? How different and free would our lives be?
No need to try to impress people
No worries of others opinions of you
Being rooted in your identity in Christ
Why Do I Need Christ More than Anything Else?
Why Do I Need Christ More than Anything Else?
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
Compared to Christ everything is rubbish or garbage
not even worth holding onto
something we view as worthless and discard
8 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.
Ecclesiastes
The things of this world eventually become meaningless to us
1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;
Ecclesiastes 12:
Evil days:
when we are old
when we have regrets
Remember the Creator in your youth
A life of faith is one of enjoyment
Pursue God when you are young
Eventually you will not want to do anything
my time at hospice
the end of life is tiring
This is why Paul tells us everything else is worthless compared to gaining Christ!
Do you want the fullest life? Do you want to live your best life?
It is all found in Christ! He is better than anything this world has to offer.
STOP
Paul tells us he has suffered the loss of all things for the sake of knowing Christ, what does the loss of all things look like in your life? What have you considered rubbish in order to grow closer to Christ?
Who has heard the expression “Garbage in, Garbage out” What does this phrase mean? Do the things we take in from music, movies, tv, social media, and even our friends affect our walk with Christ? How? What do you think, based on , Paul’s response to this would be? What changes can you make to place Christ at the forefront of your life?
Identify 3 things in your life you know rob you of desire for Christ.