Philippians 3

Well Good morning. I’m excited to be sharing with you this morning once again as we continue in our Study of the book of Philippians. Now just to let you know, this week and next week, we’ll be in Philippians… and then we’re going to be starting a series I’m excited about on faith.

But let’s get started with a word of Prayer

Well, I remember being 16 years old. I was just a sophomore in high school, with long shaggy hair and plenty of pimples on my face. I was going to Laconia Christian School in small town New Hampshire where I was part of the school’s evangelism class. Now every evangelism class has an annual trip which the students go on. And this year, our leaders Ron and Chris took us to Heidelberg Germany.

One thing about Heidelberg and the surrounding region is it’s full of magnificent castles and beautiful countryside, and a marvelous river which travels right through the heart of this beautiful city. But Heidelberg is also home Heidelberg university which happens to be one of the worlds oldest universities which focuses largely on philosophy and the study of life.

On this trip, there was a group of about 12 of us who made up the evangelism team. And here we were, sharing the gospel with many well-educated and sophisticated men, woman, and students in the city. Now one of key things which we did to witness to people is something called the doors drama. Which, you may be familiar with… but if not, here’s what it looked like.

In the door’s drama, you start out with Jesus. Which interestingly enough, I actually played Jesus for our team. And Jesus begins by taking a young woman, and shaping her and forming here…ultimately, showing her the simple things in life like the flowers and the stars in the sky and all of creation… and ultimately… Jesus says, all of this… I give to you….

Now in time, the drama continues, and this young woman is pulled aside to different doors. Each with their own promise to make her feel good, but ultimately leaves her hurt, lost and in pain. So, from partying, and money and fame, to a relationship resulting in an abortion and ultimately to suicide… this young lady tries one door after the next, each of which she puts her confidence in… and yet, each door leads to the same result. She’s hopeless, she’s without Jesus and without hope.

Now at the end of the drama, Jesus gives his life for the young lady, He restores what has been lost. And brings things back into right standing. But ultimately church, the confidence that this young lady put into each of these door… it knocks her down time an time again.

Church, this morning, we can all relate with this drama. Each of us, in our own lives have ran to different things… one by one… and tried to put our hope in them, and all the while, we’ve fallen on our face.

This morning church, Jesus is standing at a different door. And he speaks out to us wherever we are this morning: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

You see, for a long time have been running to the same temporary comforts only to find out that they get us nowhere. Others of us have been going through life putting our confidence in ourselves or our title, and yet there’s something missing. And still others are here this morning needing motivation. Life is hard… and where we find ourselves this morning is in a hurting, tough place.

This morning Church, God is the key true joy and While everything else has failed you, he opens a door to you, he has prepared a table before you and welcomes you in.

This morning as we look to this true Joy. We’ll be continuing in the book of Philippians. And as we’re there are 3 points, some of which are good reminders, but they are:

1. Confidence in Christ leads to the proper perspective 2. Confidence in Christ leads to Motivation and 3. confidence in Christ leads to Righteousness.

Beginning with point 1: Confidence in Christ leads to a proper perspective

If you have your bibles, turn with me to the book of Philippians chapter 3. And as your turning there, I want to briefly summarize where we are this morning. If you remember from last week, we explained that the book of Philippians is not necessarily a book which covers one central theme throughout… but rather, Philippians is a series of short reflective essays which discusses living for Christ.

And You’ll recall that Paul wrote Philippians to the church in Philippi during the year ad 60 to ad 62 and there’s this simple concept of Christian living… that leads to joy.

You see, these Philippians, they were a young church that was facing roman oppression, many of them were poor and the church also had a problem with false teachers (who Paul by the way calls dogs, evildoers, and mutilators of the flesh) … and despite their surroundings… Paul calls them to holiness… which leads to Joy…

Let’s read together, Philippians 3:1 1 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put 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; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

“Whatever were gains to me I now considers loss for the sake of Christ.” You see, when you look at the Greek language.” You find that Paul is actually using business and accounting terms which form the heart of the passage. The Greek word for gain is “kerdos” which represents what is the profit column and the word “zemia”, represents loss and finally the word “hegeonai” means “to count” and so Paul is saying at one point, he spent his whole life, trying to earn his salvation, and he had all the right characteristics of to earn his salvation. But when he met Christ, all of a sudden Paul realized that all that he thought were in the profit column, were really of know value to him for the sake of knowing Christ.

You see he states 7 reasons why from the jewish perspective of the time, why he should have confidence he states that 1. He was a Hebrew man 2. He was circumcised according to the Jewish culture 3. He was from the prominent tribe of Benjamin 4. And committed to the law 5. He was a pharisee 6. a persecutor of Christians and 7. Faultless, based on the law.

And then he goes on to say that none of that mattered.

Now, we might be sitting here today and asking “well how does that relate to me?” “I mean, I’m not a jewish person,” and “I’m not from the tribe of Benjamin…” but the truth is in our modern society, so much of who we are and our confidence is based on our status and possessions.

In today’s culture, it would be the idea that you went to ivy league school, and that your last name is Roosevelt or Rockefellers. And perhaps even that you do all these really good things for your community and yet there is ultimately no confidence in that… Not that there’s anything wrong with going to a good school, or having certain last name or doing good works… but if we put our confidence in our eternal security in these things… we’re coming up short.

You see, so many put their confidence in what have, the nicest car, the biggest house, and the most friends on facebook. And yet none of those things are worth putting our confidence in…

But what happens when the car breaks down, and the home is destroyed, or the friends on facebook unfriend us. In fact, what happens when the cancer comes. And the prognosis comes back bad, only to find out we have just 6 months to live

You know I’m reminded of a story this morning (picture)

When elvis presley was in his hay day, he hired a body guard named Sonny West. Sonny west served with him all the days that elvis was around and he gave him all the energy he could muster. Sonny broke into the kings inner circle and became part of what was known as the Memphis mafia, elvis was the best man at Sonny’s wedding and the two were best friends. Sonny even appeared in a movie with Elvis presley, but then elvis died, and Sonnys life began to spiral downward. He and his wife battled cancer and faced forecloser because of mounting medical bills.

He eventually began selling all of his elvis presley memorably including the jewelry presely had gave him. He said “I don’t want to leave my family behind, I just feel very depressed.” Inside edition which reported this story months before his death in 2017 said, “sonny west once road elvis presley’s tailcoats to fame as his best friend and body guard, but decades later the glitz and the glammer has faded away.” and this story provides a tremendous contrast for me and for you, here was this man who srved (quote) “the king” with all of his heart, but the experience ended and the glitz evaporated and the glory faded. On the otherside church, I have a king that I’m serving with all my heart… and let me tell you something, the best is yet to come.

You see, sometimes we can have utmost confidence in ourselves or our things, or our friends… and time after time, we’re let down. By Jesus, he is the rock that never changes. He is our blessed assurance, and he came to give us life to the fullest.

You see friends, we’ve all put our hope In things and guess what they’ve let us down. I mean life can be hurtful, and we get sad, and beat down… and in these moments, we can be quick to put our hope in different things to get us through the moment. But church unlike these things which let us down… Jesus will never let us down. In fact, Jesus brings us up.

Friend, I don’t know where you find yourself this morning, but God wants you to put your confidence in him. God is here for us this morning.

Romans 8:31-34 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

You see church wherever you are this morning, your father has your back. Like so many of you who parents and grandparents this morning, who love their family and would stop at nothing for them… God your father, has you this morning.

And unlike the quick fix, that will just get you through the night… God wants you to caste all your cares… everyone of them, because HE cares for you this morning.

That takes us to our second point which is confidence in Christ leads to Motivation

You know, what’s kind of need as a father… is to see my children get older and it really touches my heart that they want to make their daddy proud. And so, with Taylor for instance, she’s 8 almost 9 years old… and I can just tell when she brings her paper home from school, that she’s just excited to show me that she did a good job.

Or For instance when we go to the trampoline park, she says daddy watch this as she proceeds to do a flip on the trampoline. You see my little girl wants to make me proud. She wants to say watch me, watch what I can do daddy. And each of the kids are all in their own ways want to make their father proud.

Church, In the same way… if we are truly confident that God is, who is says he is… then it should motivate us on to certain actions.

For instance, if someone said there was a million dollars in your back yard right now, would their words not them lead to your actions of running out of church and going to get that million dollars?

And so the key become then, that our confidence in Christ… should then motivate us towards everything we say and do.

In Philippians 3: 8 continues

8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ

By the way, the word “loss” in the Greek means rubbish or animal feces. So, everything compared to knowing Christ is just a pile of dung! Paul continues

9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

You see, Paul is saying that he’s making it his ambition to live for Christ and be with Christ, because Christ has already gotten ahold of Him. It’s not that Paul has to, but his love for the father is so intense that it motivates his actions.

You know, in playing sports as a kid… I’ll never forget the idea that when the baseball was hit my direction. My coach would tell me to keep my eye on the ball. So, in playing in the outfield, my job was to always keep my focus directly on the ball that was coming in my direction.

Now, I was made fun of a little bit as a kid, and my biggest fear during these baseball games was looking silly in front of the other boys on my team… and so when the ball was hit in my direction, I was so committed to doing everything I could do to make sure I caught the ball…

Church, I did this because I was motivated. My belief that I would be made fun of… ultimately lead me to be motivated to catch the ball and make sure it didn’t hit my head.

The question then become what motivates you?

You see, in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 Paul speaks about this motivation which fuels him on. He’s actually writing to the church in Corinth which is modern day Greece, and these people much like the Olympic games we have today… these people had the Isthmian games, which were one of the major Olympic like events of their time. And Paul explains 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 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.

Church, so often, we put our confidence and our trust in our things…. (Things over here, or things over there) and all of a sudden, they seem to drop us on our face. Paul this morning is saying, “hey, enough of the old…” “lets keep our eye on the ball.” Let’s get our focus back in the game and keep our eyes on Christ.

That takes us our final point which is:

Confidence in Christ leads to righteous Living

What’s true about Paul this morning, is once paul became paul… he didn’t go back to being Saul. He didn’t return to where he was before…

You see, many of us may have accepted Christ as our savior this morning, and yet we leave room for the old self to come back and visit every once in a while.

Philippians 3:15-16 continues: 15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Church family, we’ve already attained this salvation… we’ve taken off the old self, and put on the new, but if we’re not careful, we’ll run back to the old ways.

Ephesians 4 explains: 2 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Church we were called to be new and the problem is, a lot of us want to leave our old life on life-support so we can access it whenever we want.

You see, if we’re not careful… we end up leaving leave doors open for the enemy to come back in any time he wants and this morning the Lords saying enough is enough.

John 10:10 says the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; (and yet God) I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

Church, this morning you may feel like part of your joy is missing. Friend I would ask if the enemy has stolen something from you. You see, unlike the enemy that wants to leave you empty … God came some that you could have life to the fullest.

At this point. I’m going to call the worship team back up front (cd?). As we prepare to end this mornings service. I think it’s only appropriate to do so with a time of communion.

And as they’re coming forward, I just want to ask you… what areas in life this morning need cleaned up? What doors in your life have you left open?

You see, Galatians 5:1 explains: 5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Church, this morning. Christ is extending his freedom to you. He has opened a door before you and set a table before you.

This morning, he invites you in to dine with Him. To commune with him and be in his presence…

You see, as we close this morning. We have a chance just to spend time in fellowship with the Father.

You see, in a moment. I’m going to pray, and as the elements are being passed out to you, if if you’ve accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior then please be encouraged to grab the elements as they come by… and then we will take them together as one body this morning… but be encouraged, ask God even in these moments to reveal to you the areas in your heart that need some cleaning up this morning.

The bible says: 27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.

As the elements are passed out, let’s take a moment right now to allow the Lord to reveal to you the areas in your life that so desperately need him this morning… Be encouraged to close your eyes and pray… Find your posture of prayer this morning…

If the ushers could come forward at this time. Pray. (after prayer, begin music.)

(Turn music down a little when I begin to talk again)

The night before Jesus was crucified. he sat with his disciples in the upper room. And in these moments, he knew what would come the next day… but he didn’t miss the moment that was in front of him right then… Church as he poured out himself and washed their feat, and he ate with them and he spent time with them… he did so out of love… you see although he knew the agony that would come before him the next day, he didn’t miss the moment he was in.

This morning, we have the privilege of taking of the Lord’s supper together… And church, we do so now with death already being defeated. We do this morning not only looking back at the marvelous feat on the cross… but we also look forward to his coming again.

This morning, has prepared a table for you and welcomes you to come dine with Him.

In 1 Corinthians 11 it says: 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” As we remember his sacrifice, Let’s take together

25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Let’s take together.

Let’s pray as we close out this mornings worship service.