Calvary Chapel Wenatchee
Sunday Service - Philippians 3 Pt1
  • Mighty To Save
  • Holy And Anointed One
  • Be Lifted Up
  • I Lift My Eyes Up
  • God Is Able
  • Last week:
    We saw two examples of men who are examples of humility, Timothy and Epaphroditus
    Timothy, who was like minded with Paul and genuinely concerned for the Philippians
    And Epaphroditus, who wanted to comfort the Philippians because they were worried about himself being sick
    Today, we will see where our confidence should be, and how joy will come with the right kind of confidence.
    Illustration:
    I remember years ago, when I was in Elementary school, my 5th grade class was all assigned to do a class presentation. I was excited, because I was going to do it on something I loved very much… baseball. I thought, I have this, I love baseball, I know a lot about it. I’m going to nail this presentation and my teacher will probably want me to present it in front of the whole school because of how good it will be.
    So the day comes for me to present. I have my visual prepared, and I had no notes because I knew I had everything memorized and ready to go. As I was starting my presentation, less than 30 seconds into it, my teacher stopped me. “Hey Micah, I don’t think you understood what the assignment was. Why don’t you have a seat and we will talk about it after class.”
    I couldn’t believe it, I barley started and it was done, and I was embarassed in front of the whole class. The problem I had was what many of us still have today, and continues to be a big problem in the church even since Paul’s day, that my confidence was in myself, how much I knew, How much I loved baseball, and how well I could tell others about it. And this is the attitude we will see today that Paul is warning us to not have, but also warning us of others that will try and lead us with the wrong confidence as well.
    V.1
    Philippians 3:1 NASB95
    1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
    Finally:
    After saying all these things, Paul is going to encourage us that joy does not come from living in the flesh, but rather, living in Christ
    Rejoice in the Lord:
    There is much reason to rejoice, many reasons to find Joy in the Lord
    We have already seen why Paul finds join in the Philippians, and even joy in his own circumstances
    No trouble to me:
    to write the same things over and over again. That is not a problem. Why?
    It is a safeguard, it protects you.
    Sometimes we can get irritated with repitition, but it is important, because it is a safety net for us, to remember the truths that we live in and where our joy comes from.
    It is especially important because of what Paul describes next…
    V.2
    Philippians 3:2 NASB95
    2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;
    Beware of 3 types of people:
    Paul doesn’t pull any punches here
    Dogs
    Remember Matthew 15:26, when a Caananite woman came to Jesus asking for her daughter to be rid of a demon, this is what Jesus says
    Dogs would refer to the Gentiles
    evil workers
    those who promote sinful behaviour/lifestyles
    false circumcision
    Those who follow the law
    Generally refers to Jews
    3 different people, but also, could easily be the same in one.
    These are people Paul wants to safeguard us from.
    2 Corinthians 11:13 NASB95
    13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
    V.3
    Philippians 3:3 NASB95
    3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,
    We are the true circumcision:
    Romans 2:28–29 NASB95
    28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
    3 defining factors that prove this:
    Worship in the Spirit of God
    Glory in Christ Jesus
    No confidence in the flesh
    Remember, Paul is warning about these dogs, these evil workers, the false circumcision. These are all people who put confidence in the flesh
    They are confident in what they can accomplish. How well they can persuade people. The skills and education they have aquired over the years. They are confident in their ability to hold a room, to draw big crowds… the list is endless
    The problem isn’t that they can do these things, its that they have put their trust and confidence in them… what they could do
    V.4
    Philippians 3:4 NASB95
    4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:
    Although I myself:
    Paul is going to use himself as an example, that he has every opportunity to use the flesh for his confidence.
    In fact, Paul says he has even more reason than anyone to put confidence in the flesh…
    This reminds me of Pauls argument in 2 Corinthians 11:18
    2 Corinthians 11:18 NASB95
    18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also.
    What we see here is that Paul isn’t trying to prop himself up. He is going to use the same credentials others do, to show that this confidence is worthless, because what we thought we had in the flesh, whatever benefit or advantage we have ourselves, are in themselves worthless boasts.
    What I mean is this, the old saying… “You are a special person, just like everyone else.”
    We think we are something special, and we are arrogant toward that claim, but the reality is, we have nothing of ourselves that are unique and special, so this confidence in the flesh is very misguided.
    V.5-6
    Philippians 3:5 NASB95
    5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;
    Philippians 3:6 NASB95
    6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.
    Circumcised the eighth day:
    As the Jews would have seen this, he was perfectly kosher, even from a young age, he would be considered holy
    nation of Israel:
    God’s chosen people
    Tribe of Benjamin:
    Benjamin was the last child of Rachel, the one whom Jacob loved. Both her children, Joseph and Benjamin, experienced great favor from their father.
    Hebrew of Hebrews:
    He fit in with his own people
    As to the law:
    A pharisee, or, one who knew the law. He had studied it.
    As to zeal:
    a persecutor of the church
    Meaning, he was passionate about the truth, about what he believed
    As to righteousness in the Law:
    blameless. Nobody could find fault with Paul, rather, when he was Saul, according to the Law. He did everything by the book.
    And these are all things that these that people who take confidence in the flesh can brag about.
    They can take confidence in their upbringing
    Maybe they came from a great family, a wealthy family. Maybe a family that went to church every Sunday.
    The other one is they had a terrible upbringing, so no they can claim they have seen the worst of the worst. As sad as it is, this becomes a terrible sense of pride.
    A guy who was insistant that only he could reach out to Heroin addicts because he too was addicted.
    No matter your upbringing or former life, any confidence in it is still confidence in the flesh
    Maybe their confidence is in their nationality, or the fact that they know their own culture best.
    We can easily find confidence in the flesh, thinking that I know what these people want, and I can give it to them.
    Education, training, experience.
    I went to seminary, so now I am qualified to be a pastor. Or, I was on the mission field for years, so I am qualified to be an elder.
    Or the confidence in how charismatic they are. How much time they spend in worship, or the time they spend in prayer, or the time they spend studying the Bible.
    These are not bad things, in fact, they are great things, even necessary. But the moment that becomes your confidence, you take confidence in the flesh.
    I remember arguing with an old roommate, and my argument is that I prayed about something, and so now, I am right on the matter. That was confidence in my flesh.
    I had someone once tell me that they prayed every night, so they were right about how they were acting and treating other people, which by the way, was in a very ungodly way.
    When we think about it, we can all just as easily take confidence in the flesh. In fact, we all too often do.
    V.7
    Philippians 3:7 NASB95
    7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
    What ever were gain to me:
    The accolades and trophies and credentials
    Paul counted them as a loss for the sake of Christ.
    This is in contrast to what those who take confidence in the flesh do, they count all these things as a gain for the sake of Christ.
    “Jesus really needed somebody like me”
    Paul says, “All these things mean absolutely nothing for the sake of Christ.”
    V.8
    Philippians 3:8 NASB95
    8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,
    More than that:
    I don’t just stop there
    I count all things to be loss:
    Paul first says everything he ever brought to the table, it means nothing for the sake of Christ
    Now, he goes further… Not just those things that were confidence in the flesh, but absolutely EVERYTHING… Past, present, future… accomplishments, failures… my ministry, my work for the kingdom, my letters I wrote, my suffering I experienced, the churches I planted, the miracles I saw… EVERYTHING means absolutely nothing when it is matched up with the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
    This is the biggest question, the most difficult one to answer: If it was just me and Jesus, would that be enough? No ministry, no gifting, no miracles, no churches to go to, no other believers to fellowship with, no crowds, no potlucks, no comfortable seat to sit in, no pastor that loved me, no elders that watched over me, no AC, no drummer on the worship team, no vacation from my job, no freedom in the country I live in… Would Jesus and knowing Him be enough?
    Paul answers that with a resounding “YES”. Because he has found the absolute secret to his own joy in life, and it wasn’t anything he has or owns or experienced, but just the value of knowing Jesus Christ!!!
    I have suffered the loss of all things:
    Paul lost everything… his friends, his family, his career, his title and position, he had to escape town in a basket at night… he has lost sleep, he lost relationship with people he poured into as believers, he lost the love of churches he had planted, he lost his freedom as a man… but how does he look at all of those things?
    count them as rubbish:
    Or the word literally means dung.
    In comparison to knowing Jesus, all these things are dung. Why?
    So that he may gain Christ!!
    What does this mean? It means, he wants nothing getting in the way between him and Jesus. He wants everything he clings to, everything that he finds purpose in, to be Jesus Christ… not his ministry, and certainly not his flesh.
    V.9
    Philippians 3:9 NASB95
    9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,
    and may be found in Him:
    When people look at Paul, he wants them to see that he is with Jesus.
    Remember Acts 4:13
    Acts 4:13 NASB95
    13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
    This is what Paul wanted them to see, not who he was or is, but to see he is in Jesus
    Not having a righteousness of my own:
    Not only just to see Jesus, but that Jesus was the only reason for his righteousness.
    Just by his faith in Jesus, not anything he did to earn it or deserve it.
    Too many times I see people want to know what I have done or my credentials. And if I am being honest, I want to be able to show them. But why is Jesus not enough? Because my pride wants me to take confidence in the flesh… And Christ is calling me to humility, where the flesh and self are totally stripped away.
    V.10-11
    Philippians 3:10 NASB95
    10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
    Philippians 3:11 NASB95
    11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
    That I may know Him:
    To know Jesus, to understand Him
    Many people strive to know Jesus. But the problem is, they want to know Jesus through their own righteousness. They want to know Him through their efforts and good works, they want to know Him as the good teacher. But this is knowing Christ with the confidence in the flesh. To know Jesus, to understand Him, you have to go deeper, and you need to go as deep as humility will take you.
    How does Paul want to know Christ?
    the power of His resurrection:
    Think of what Paul says in Romans 6:4
    Romans 6:4 NASB95
    4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
    Then also in Romans 8:11
    Romans 8:11 NASB95
    11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
    The power of His resurrection, to bring newness of life through the Holy Spirit… not from our works, but by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.
    Fellowship of His suffering:
    The “Koinonia”, fellowship, or, participation of His suffering.
    We should know this all too well…
    John 15:18 NASB95
    18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
    But how do we participate in His suffering? How do we become conformed to His death?
    Think of Isaiah 53:7-8
    Isaiah 53:7–8 NASB95
    7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
    What is participation in His suffering?? Humility, having that attitude we saw earlier in ch.2.
    Attain to the resurrection from the dead:
    Just as Christ was resurrected, we too will be
    But this is how Paul wants to know Jesus, the power of His resurrection and fellowship of His suffering and conformed to His death. It is a far cry from how people who take confidence in the flesh want to know Him.
    And the thing is, your joy as a believer will not come from that confidence in the flesh, but knowing Jesus in this way, in humility.

      • Philippians 3:1NASB95

      • Philippians 3:2NASB95

      • 2 Corinthians 11:13NASB95

      • Philippians 3:3NASB95

      • Romans 2:28–29NASB95

      • Philippians 3:4NASB95

      • 2 Corinthians 11:18NASB95

      • Philippians 3:5NASB95

      • Philippians 3:6NASB95

      • Philippians 3:7NASB95

      • Philippians 3:8NASB95

      • Philippians 3:9NASB95

      • Acts 4:13NASB95

      • Philippians 3:10NASB95

      • Philippians 3:11NASB95

      • Romans 6:4NASB95

      • Romans 8:11NASB95

      • John 15:18NASB95

      • Isaiah 53:7–8NASB95

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