Richvale Community Church
Sunday, November 16 2025
- Good Morning,We are in our sermon series on overflow in the book of Philippians —Over the last couple of week we have lookedthe overflowing with Grace andoverflowing with Joy..Today we are going to be looking looking atoverflowing with Peace…If you were to ask your friends and family…What do you want most in life?”— you might here things like.“Less stress.”“A little more time.”“A healthier body.”But in almost every survey taken in the last decade,The number one answer is..“Peace of mind.”Everyone wants peace…Everyone is searching for it.We have weighted blankets.We have meditation apps.We go on vacations that leave us sometimes more tired than when we left.We try to control our world as much as we can…to have peace.. …but it is often illusive!If we wanting real peace we have go deeper…The question we have to wrestle with:“How am I trying to find peace?”And The reason is that many of us .. often look for peace in all the wrong placesWhere do I find peace?This is the question that Paul answers inPhilippians 3 -Paul is writing from Rome in Prison — he is on death row.. not knowing what will happen from day to day..but, He knows what it means to have peace..He had learned lessons along the way…he has learned the secret of contentment..Paul learned that Peace is more than simply stopping conflict and trying to get balance —Peace is found… in Christ....Paul says in Eph 2.14 He is our peace… because has broken down every wall of hostility.. He has dealt with every barrier between us and God!..how do we get peace …T/s it begins with the right questions.1. Peace Begins When I Ask: “Where Is My Confidence?”What is confidence? Confidence is what we lean on… what we trust in… what we believe to be true.Several years ago..Pam and I went to Chicago and visited the Willis Tower. On the 103rd floor they have those glass boxes—the Ledge—where you can step out and look straight down over the city.Just a few days before we got there, the news reported thats one of protective layer on one of the glass floors had cracked under a visitor’s feet. Not the real glass—but enough to make you think twice.So when we got there, I decided to step out onto it.I figured, “Millions of people have done this. What are the odds?” I walked right onto that clear floor and looked down at Chicago like I was floating in midair.Pam, on the other hand, stepped out for about one second. She barely put any weight on it, said “Nope!” and came right back in.… she is the smart one..So..Confidence —is what we’re willing to put our weight on.but where do we get if? Confidence doesn’t appear overnight. It’s formed over years.It comes from all kinds of places:our parents and the home we grew up inthe culture around usour education and experiencesour church backgroundthe voices we’ve listened to — for better or worseBut Paul understood something crucial about confidence..: Our peace is tied to what we put our trust in…lets look at our text. Philippians 3.
Philippians 3:1–6 ESV 1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. 2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 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— 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.Paul opens this section with the word “Finally.”At first, it feels a bit odd—he’s in the middle of chapter 3, nowhere near the end of the letter.But Paul often used that word as a way of signaling something important. Literary device..He’s not landing the plane here… he’s inviting us to lean in.It’s as if he’s saying, “Pay attention to What I’m about to share.”Paul is about to confront the false teaching of the Judaizers.But before he does, he wants the church to be in the right frame of mind. He wants their hearts anchored, their joy centered, their confidence settled.So..Before warning them, before exposing error, he points them to Jesus.Because ..Here is the thing…when your joy is rooted in Christ, the lies will lose their power.Now, the Philippian church had sent Epaphroditus to help Paul in Rome. Somewhere in the conversations, the reports, and the updates,Paul must have heard what was happening back in Philippi. The Judaizers—the same group that had caused trouble everywhere Paul went—were now influencing this church too.Paul knew this group well. During his second missionary journey through Europe, his ministry was so effective that he was practically chased out of every city he entered. And when he left a city, guess who showed up right behind him?The Judaizers.They followed Paul from place to place, challenging his message, . Everywhere Paul proclaimed freedom in Christ, they tried to drag people back into legalism.SoPaul gives the Philippian church one of the strongest warnings in the entire letter:“Watch out for the dogs… the evildoers… those who mutilate the flesh.”Paul isn’t just name-calling. He’s actually turning their own language back on them.The Judaizers often referred to Gentiles as “dogs,” so Paul flips the Narrative and says,“Anyone who adds to the gospel…anyone who tries to make salvation depend on human effort… they are the real dogs. They are the ones doing evil. They are the ones mutilating the flesh.”And then Paul draws a bold line:“We are the real circumcision.”In other words, “We are the ones who truly belong to God — not because of outward rituals, not because of the law, not because of anything done in the flesh…but because of what Christ has done in our hearts.”What we put our confidence in matters! .There was a fascinating study done at Springfield College. Researchers asked a group of children to draw a man… then redraw him… and redraw him again. Each time the children were told, “Make this one better than the last.”But here’s the twist: no matter how well they drew, the adults gave no praise, no encouragement, no warmth, no approval.The results were heartbreaking. The drawings didn’t get better—they actually got worse. Some kids grew frustrated. Some got angry. One simply quit. Most just kept going through the motions…Why? Because when you’re striving for approval you never receive, you wear down.When you’re chasing a standard you can’t meet, you lose heart. Performance without acceptance drains the soul.This is exactly the trap Paul is warning about. For him, the issue was clear:the Law or Christ—two very different places to put your confidence.So Paul reaches into his own story and pulls out his résumé. If the Judaizers wanted to boast about their religious credentials, Paul essentially says, “Let me show you what a real résumé looks like.” He wasn’t just a good law keeper—he was the model law keeper. He was everything they aspired to be.He was:Circumcised on the eighth day — not a convert, but born into covenant community.Of the tribe of Benjamin — one of the honored tribes.A Hebrew of Hebrews — faithfully raised in the traditions and language.A Pharisee — the strictest, most disciplined group.A persecutor of the church — zealous to defend what he believed was truth.Flawless in legalistic righteousness — externally blameless in keeping the Law.If anyone had grounds for confidence in their own achievements, it was Paul. By the standards of his culture, he had it all.He could have stood tall and said, “Look at my performance. Look at my record.”But Paul knew better. He understood the danger of placing your confidence in the wrong things. Because when your confidence is in your résumé, your performance, your approval rating, or your success…you end up just like those children in the study— trapped, joyless, anxious, always striving but never satisfied.Paul is helping us see that misplaced confidence destroys peace.T/s Paul gives us three questions that we can ask to discover peace..1. Peace Begins When I Ask: “Where Is My Confidence?”2. Peace Deepens When I Ask: “What Do I Truly Value?”what do we value.WE ALL VAUE DIFFERNT THINGS..MY dad is an artist and he does oils and he has painted some amazing pictures..we have a few if theme at Home .. and recently passed a couple of his paintings to my childeren..now to most people he is unknown but to us these paintings are invaluable….to us…IVE ITMTHAT I KIDS WANT THEM..What are values?Values are the things we believe matter most..In Judaism it was righteousness..Righteousness was a standard. A benchmark. A measurement of what is right and good.Righteousness is about measuring up. It’s about meeting expectations. It’s about qualifying.And here is the thing..deep down, every one of us knows we fall short. We feel it. We sense it. We know we don’t always measure up —… not even to our own standards, let alone God’s.Life reinforces this truth:Schools have prerequisites.Jobs have requirements.Even relationships come with expectations.And so it’s easy to treat God the same way.This is where the Judaizers stepped in. They answered this deep question of righteousnessThe problem is the y said the answer was in doing t works..The y said..“Follow the rules. Keep the Law.Do the rituals. Get circumcised. Check the boxes. Earn your way in.”But Paul says over and over in his letters.. That is not the gospel.Because in the New Testament, there is a new righteousness — a righteousness not based on works, but on faith.Paul tells us in Romans:“We are justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”And in Galatians he warns the church:“You started in the Spirit, but you’re drifting back to the works of the flesh.”Paul’s message is simple:You cannot work your way into peace.You cannot earn your way into joy.You cannot perform your way into God’s acceptance. or peace.Peace is found in Christ alone.. ..this is the treasure Paul discover..Paul tells us this..Philippians 3:7–9 ESV 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of 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 9 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—In the first century boasting was culturally accepted in both the Roman and Jewish worlds .Even Caesar Augustus wrote his own funeral eulogy, highlighting his military and political achievements.In Jesus’ parable, thePharisee boasts, “I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all I get” (Luke 18:12).Public boasting was normal, even expected.But Paul turns this cultural norm on its head.In 2 Corinthians 11, he even boasts in his weakness, saying, “when I am weak, then I am strong.”In our text, Paul uses accounting language. Think of a ledger:On the debit side are our supposed gains, accomplishments, and accolades.On the credit side are the things that truly matter—the privilege of knowing Christ.Paul says that all his worldly “gains” are now losses in comparison. They’ve been moved from the credit side to the debit side—they are no longer assets ….but liabilities.He even calls them “rubbish” (skubalon in Greek)—trash, refuse, something so worthless you wouldn’t touch it without gloves.Everything paul once valued, is considered garbage when compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus.When Paul move each item accross it changed in Value..When he move Religion debt side..Religion became a relationshipPerformance changed to peaceSelf-confidence to Christ-confidencePaul had this epiphany: all titles, awards, and accomplishments paled in comparison to the brilliance of Christ.It changed something profoundly inside him…The most important value Paul ever discovered was the knowledge of Jesus.He writes in Philippians 3:10–11Philippians 3:10–11 ESV 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.Paul came to understand that true value is found at the cross—where Jesus dealt with our failures and solved the problem of righteousness.True righteousness doesn’t come from our efforts or achievements. It comes through faith, through knowing Jesus, and through identifying with His death and resurrection.He is enough..Christ is sufficient for every need, every weakness, every failure. Vance Havner...Our efficiency without God’s sufficiency is only a deficiency.Vance Houston HavnerT/sPaul gives us three questions to help us discover this peace.Peace begins when I ask: “Where is my confidence?”2. Peace Deepens When I Ask: “What Do I Truly Value?”3. Peace Is Sustained When I Ask: “Who Am I Pursuing?”What am I pursuing?As humans, we are wired to pursue. we have this deep longing for purposes and meaning..the problem is we tend to look for it in the wrong placed. —we are constantly striving. We seek:More comfortMore approvalMore successMore educationMore securityMore statusBut Paul points us to a deeper question: the “who” matters more than the “what.”All the things we chase—the comforts, the accolades, the security—can never satisfy the deepest parts of our soul.There is only one pursuit that truly fills us: knowing Christ.When Christ becomes our pursuit, our striving is no longer empty, our hearts find rest, and peace begins to overflow.Philippians 3:10–14Philippians 3:12–14 ESV 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.Paul shifts metaphors.From accounting language (“profit” and “loss”)to that of athlete who “presses on,” “strain forward,” “run the race..”).First, he says:“Not that I’ve already obtained it…”— He is talking about a goal — the It....but what is Paul pursuing? What is the it..It is not really defined —He is vague and I there is a reason …because It could mean several things for example..“knowing Christ Jesus”“gaining Christ”Gaining “righteousness” which is a big theme here or..the “resurrection from the dead”But whatever it is— It is found in Christ.Paul says..“but I press on to make IT my own… BECAUSE CHRIST HAS ME HIS OWN..Paul’s race is centered around Christ.He desires.“To take hold of the One who has already taken hold of him.”THE Christian It’s not a one-time achievement. It’s not measured in a single day or year. It’s a lifelong journey of pressing forward, growing closer to Christ,Tim Keller said it like this..“Christianity is not something you take up. It’s something that takes you up. Christ is not something that starts with you. It starts upon you.” Tim KellerMost of us have heard about the movie Chariots of Fire—the story of a Scottish runner named Eric Liddell.He was one of the fastest men in the world and the favorite to win gold in the 100 meters at the 1924 Olympics.But when he learned that the race was scheduled for a Sunday, he refused to run.He believed that day belonged to the Lord, and no amount of pressure, criticism, or national expectation could shake his conviction.Instead, he entered the 400 meters—an event he wasn’t expected to win.On the day of the race, someone slipped a note into his hand with the words, “Those who honor Me, I will honor.”Liddell stepped onto the track with a quiet, unshakable peace… and he won the gold medal, setting a world record in the process..He latter famously said, “When I run, I feel His pleasure.”That’s the picture Paul is painting.Paul isn’t running to impress others.—Paul’s didn’t chase applause, status, or human approval. He ran with a purpose, for the joy and fulfillment found in Christ alone.[Pause for reflection] The question for us is:What drives our pursuit?Are we chasing the things that fade, or are we pressing toward Christ, who holds true and eternal life in His hands?Paul WANTed MORE OF CHIRST...He’s simply aware:“I haven’t arrived. I want more of Christ. More closeness. More obedience. More likeness.”This is the desire of spiritually hungry..:The closer you get to Jesus, the more you realize how much more of Him you want.Jesus said in the sermon on the mountMatthew 5:6 ESV 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.When it comes to Righteous — Paul tells us - he is no longer striving to be perfect according to the moral law —… but pursuing what God has ready done for him..he’s pursuing relationship because he has it.Philippians 3:14 ESV 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.Paul isn’t just moving aimlessly; he has a clear endpoint in view.He says he said I Press on to the Prize— “for the prize”The word prize Brabeion refers to the victory wreath in Hellenistic athletic games.Paul was runing for Gold… for the podium for the victors crown…The prize of the resurrection, and full communion with God.He calls it“the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”Which God’s initiative salvation.This not performance-driven. He’s not chasing perfection to earn favor. He’s pressing on to know Christ more deeply.Conclusion:Do you have peace today?Paul invites us to reflect on three life-changing questions:Where is my confidence?What do I truly value?Who am I pursuing?And it is true—peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of Christ.Saint Augustine once said,Augustine said “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”Here’s the challenge: are you willing to examine the foundations of your peace?Are you willing to surrender youraccomplishments,your plans,and even your comforts to Him?Real, peace isn’t found in trying harder or controlling more.It is found when Christ becomes your confidence, your pursuit, and your identity.He gives us peace that surpasses understanding…When we live fully in Him, nothing—no fear, no failure, no uncertainty—can shake the quiet assurance that surpasses all understanding. Philippians 3:1–6CSB
Philippians 3:7–9CSB
Philippians 3:10–11CSB
Philippians 3:12–14CSB
Matthew 5:6CSB
Philippians 3:14CSB
Richvale Community Church
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