Those who Know Jesus Phil 3:1-6
Notes
Transcript
That’s My King. Do you know Him?
That’s My King. Do you know Him?
Dr. S.M. Lockridge served as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego, CA, as far as I know is most widely known for his sermon “That’s My King. Do you Know Him?,” which he preached in 1976. The sermon is powerful, yet simple. He asks one question, “Do you know Him?” He sounds the refrain of this question throughout the entire sermon as he describes Jesus as the sovereign King and Savior of the world. The repetition of the question is to probe your heart to ask, “Do I really know Jesus? Do I know Him as King? Does my faith reflect I know him? Does my life reflect I know him? Does my commitment to His church and the advancement of His kingdom reflect I know Him? Does my use of the short time I have on earth, my God given gifting, my bank account reflect I know Him? Do I live as if Jesus is my King?
Paul addresses knowing Jesus in chapter 3 of his letter to the Philippians. He makes a distinction between those who in Christ and those who are religious, between those who have the Spirit and those who don’t, between those who put their confidence in Christ and those who put their confidence in the flesh. If we were to sum up Paul’s words in chapter three as a question, it could be, “Do you know Him? Do you know Jesus?” Paul’s answer to the church is a two part answer. The first is,
Those who know Jesus safeguard their faith with joy, serve by the Spirit, put their confidence in Christ, and reject any hope in the flesh.
Those who know Jesus safeguard their faith with joy, serve by the Spirit, put their confidence in Christ, and reject any hope in the flesh.
We will spend this week and next unpacking this answer, and the following week we will examine the second part of the answer, which is, those who know Jesus know his justification, sanctification, and glorification. This morning, however, we will see how those who know Jesus safeguard their faith with joy, serve by the Spirit, and put their confidence in Christ alone.
Those who know Jesus safeguard their faith with joy (Philippians 3:1-2)
Those who know Jesus safeguard their faith with joy (Philippians 3:1-2)
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.
Paul begins chapter three with an imperative to rejoice in the Lord. Some of you may find it odd for Paul to command the Philippians to rejoice. That is likely because we’ve grown believing that joy is spontaneous. It something that happens when your circumstances line up well for your soul, like when as a child your parents surprised you with a trip to Disney World. The moment they told you the family was going there on vacation, your heart spontaneously experienced joy, or likely happiness.
We get the word happiness from the latin word fortuna, where we derive the word fortune. When your fortune is good, your happiness excels, it rises, it even climaxes. When your fortune is bad, then your happiness flees from you. Your happiness is experiential, momentary, and based on your circumstances or your feelings in the moment. Joy, on the other hand, is deep and abiding, and can last even through suffering. Joy is a choice you make, which is why Paul commands you to rejoice. John MacArthur explains the difference between joy and happiness:
“The joy of which Paul writes is not the same as happiness (a word related to the term ‘happenstance’), the feeling of exhilaration associated with favorable events. In fact, joy persists in the face of weakness, pain, suffering, even death.”
(The MacArthur New Testament Commentary on Philippians, page 216)
How can joy persists in the face of weakness, pain, suffering, and even death? Because the joy Paul speaks of is in the Lord. That is where Paul grounds your joy. Jesus is the source of your joy. So, your joy is in a person, the second person of the Trinity, the Messiah who conquored death and sin, the worst of all circumstances. Steven Lawson clarifies:
“Authentic joy comes from having a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Real joy comes from knowing the Lord. This source of joy rises above our circumstances and cannot be drained by the surrounding situation. It is available in good times and difficult times, in prosperity and poverty. No matter what transpires in someone’s life, they can know joy.”
Lawson, Steven J. 2017. Philippians for You. Edited by Carl Laferton. God’s Word for You. The Good Book Company.
The choice you make to rejoice is a choice to turn to the Lord for your joy. You can know joy because you can know the Son of God, Jesus, the infinite joy Giver, and His joy is transformative.
In his book, “Finally Free,” Dr. Heath Lambardt discusses transformative grace. He says, “ Forgiving grace is only one part of the power Jesus gives. God’s powerful grace also gives us strength to live in new ways. Forgiving grace is wonderful and essential, but sinners need more than forgiveness. It’s not enough that our record of debt is paid; we also need grace to live like Jesus; we need grace that changes us so we can be like him in his holiness and love. In Romans 6:4, Paul declares, “We were therefore buried with [Christ] through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life....Transforming grace works when you believe that Jesus gives it to you. The moment you believe in Jesus’ grace to change you, you are changing. The more you continue to believe it, the more you will continue to change.” (Lambert, Heath. 2013. Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.)
For example, the Bible says, “Do not be grieved for the joy of the Lord is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10). The people of God had been without his word for some time. The great city of Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians and the wall was breached. It seemed like God was far away from his people. His people were struggling as a conquered people. God raised up Nehemiah to rebuild the wall and he was getting it from all sides. Enemies were rising up daily to sabotage the work. In Chapter 6, there was a conspiracy against Nehemiah to do him harm, but nevertheless, God made sure the wall was finished. The people were happy that the wall was finished, but they had not experienced joy yet. Although the people were ready to released from from physical capacity, God had plans to release them from their spiritual bondage.
In chapter 8, the word of God was read aloud to the people by Ezra the prophet. He read it all morning and the people were able to understand the word. When they understood the word, they worshiped the living God, and then they wept bitterly. The wept because they realized how much they fall short of keeping the Law of God. Do you know what the prophets said to the people in their grief over sin?
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
God’s people repented. God’s people found forgiveness. God’ people found God’s favor. They have His word and now know how to live in a manner that pleases him. The joy of God is the strength they will use to overcome their grief over sin (forgiveness), and live in a manner that honors God (transformation). But for it to work itself out, the people have to believe it. They have to walk in it, trusting that God’s delight in them is sufficient to help them.
Do you know Him? Do you trust Him? If Jesus is your king, then all of your sins are forgiven and your salvation is secure in his atoning death and eternal resurrection. The Father delights in you like he delights in His Son. Do you believe that? Do you believe that He works everything for your good, even when you fail to honor him and love him the way you should (Romans 8:28-29). Do you that God gives you the power to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Jesus Christ? Do you believe His Spirit enables you to not let the sun go down on your anger? Do you believe that the suffering in this life is light and momentary compared the the eternal glory God has for us in heaven?
In Decision, Joni Erick Son Tada writes:
Honesty is always the best policy, but especially when you’re surrounded by a crowd of women in a restroom during a break at a Christian women’s conference. One woman, putting on lipstick, said, “Oh, Joni, you always look so together, so happy in your wheelchair. I wish that I had your joy!” Several women around her nodded. “How do you do it?” she asked as she capped her lipstick.
“I don’t do it,” I said. “In fact, may I tell you honestly how I woke up this morning?”
“This is an average day,” I breathed deeply. “After my husband, Ken, leaves for work at 6:00 A.M., I’m alone until I hear the front door open at 7:00 A.M. That’s when a friend arrives to get me up.
“While I listen to her make coffee, I pray, ‘Oh, Lord, my friend will soon give me a bath, get me dressed, sit me up in my chair, brush my hair and teeth, and send me out the door. I don’t have the strength to face this routine one more time. I have no resources. I don’t have a smile to take into the day. But you do. May I have yours? God, I need you desperately.’ ”
“So, what happens when your friend comes through the bedroom door?” one of them asked.
“I turn my head toward her and give her a smile sent straight from heaven. It’s not mine. It’s God’s. And so,” I said, gesturing to my paralyzed legs, “whatever joy you see today was hard won this morning.”
Joy is not always an easy choice, but it is the right choice for Christ-followers. For some of you, your joy was hard fought this morning, and for others, you still fighting for it. Keep fighting. Keep turning to the Lord trusting in his transformative grace-believing his promises. Although the darkness may last for the night, you know His joy will come in the morning. Believing that transforms your heart from bitterness to kindness, from hatred to love, from despair to hope. Do you know Him?
Paul says in the first verse that it is safe for the Philippians to write once agin to them. Joy is your safeguard from unbelief and worshiping God wrongly.
In verse 2, Paul warns,
2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
There were Judaizers who taught the circumcision was necessary along with faith in Christ. There were false teachers who were trying persuade the Philippians that joy was found not in Christ lone, but in Christ plus the Mosaic law. The Philippians needed to mutilate their flesh, that is be circumcised. These teachers were evil in that they were unbelieving and wanted to put more demands on the people to burden them with the Law, giving emphasis that joy, true joy, comes when you work hard for God’s favor, just as their forefathers did. Paul says observe these fools. Watch them and notice their practices and observances does not line up with the gospel.
In Roman antiquity, there would be these phrase “CAVE CANEM” on marble floors of entryways in villas, and in every city of the Roman empire, like Philippi. In means beware of dogs. It usually had a picture of a dog on a leash. The owner of the house or villa likely had a guard dog protecting the home. Dogs was also a derogative term used by Jews to refer to Gentiles. In this case, Paul turns the term around calling the Judaizers dogs, and he warns the Philippians to beware of these dogs. Keep them out of your homes, away from the church meetings, and give such men no honor or opportunity to rob the church of joy in Christ.
The same men still exist toady. There are false teachers in every generation who either belittle Jesus or preach a Jesus plus gospel. Steven Lawson rightly warns that such teachers teach that water baptism, whether of infants or of adults, is necessary for salvation. They teach that church membership is necessary for salvation. They teach that last rites, or the acquiring of indulgences, is necessary for salvation. Anyone who adds to salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone is a “dog.” And we are not to allow them to set foot in the church or in our homes. Those who know Jesus safeguard their faith with joy, heeding the warning to steer clear of false teachers who preach a Jesus plus salvation.
Those who know Jesus serve by the Spirit (Philippians 3:3a)
Those who know Jesus serve by the Spirit (Philippians 3:3a)
3 For we are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and do not put confidence in the flesh—
Paul explains that Christians are the true worshipers of God. We are the real circumcision. God is not concerned with the circumcision of the flesh. Circumcision of the flesh was a sign of the Old Covenant. It was an outward sign of something that was supposed to happen in the hart. The problem is the Law could not circumcise the heart, and Israel could not circumcise their own hearts. There was no redemption, no ongoing obedience, not real sanctification. God’s people had hearts of stone, and the only thing that could change their hearts of stone is God himself taking their heart out and giving them a heat of flesh, or ion other words, circumcising their hearts.
God is the one who circumcise the heart. Consider for a moment the promsie God gives to Ezekiel in Ezekiel 36:26
26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
God promised to put his Spirit inside of His people, giving us a regenerated heart, a heart that desires to obey the Lord. When Paul says that Christians are the circumcision, he is saying we are those people whom God has put his Spirit, and by His Spirit we worship him, or serve him. The Spirit, as one commentator says, is the agent who enables us to worship God rightly. The gift of the Spirit to all of God’s people was the definitive sign that the Messianic age had begun in the person and work of Christ. Those who know Jesus are in the new covenant established by the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, and His Spirt has been poured out into every believer to enable us to have genuine faith on the one hand, and serve to complete the good works God established before hand that we should walk in them (Eph 2:10).
The word “worship” (latreuo) means to “serve” or “minister.” It refers to the performing of a religious service or homage. The idea is that this person ministers to God by actively, freely praising him.(Lawson, Steven J. 2017. Philippians for You.) The verb Paul uses stresses that the Spirit of God is the divine initiator at work, as Gerald Hawthorne notes, in the depths of human nature, profoundly transforming a person’s life so as to promote a life of love and service, and generate a life for others; for “such a life is the only worship (“latreuō’) acceptable to God” (Collange, 125). “Christians worship through the Holy Spirit” (Hawthorne, Gerald F. 2004. Philippians. Vol. 43. Word Biblical Commentary).
Keep in mind the width of worship that Paul has in mind. It’s not limited to Sunday mornings. Those who know Jesus, have his Spirit inside of them compelling them to worship God and bearing fruit in the church, community, and home. They by give their life as a ransom to serve so can know the joy of Jesus; it is a life that is oriented by the Spirit towards pleasing God for His glory and for our eternal joy. (Harmon, Matthew S. 2015. Philippians: A Mentor Commentary)
I had a wonderful conversation with a woman in our church this week. As we were discussing ministry at FBCL and in Litchfield, we talked about what it would be like to have a school. And she said, “You know, I would love to get to a place where I could work two or three days a week at my job, and then come here to serve in the school. I don’t know how we could afford it, but God would work that out.” I said to her that is amazing you think that way. That is the way Spirit empowered people talk. What can I do, how can I leverage my life to serve in the ministry. And she said, “Yes! that is how I feel all the time about church. What can i do? How can I serve more? Where does God want to use me?” This woman knows Jesus. I know she knows Jesus because her heart is compelled to serve by the Spirit. She finds joy in serving by the Spirit. I know that because, first I serve with her, but second, no one will give up two days of making money to serve in a ministry unless they get joy in doing it. She is an example me and my family, and to you as someone who knows Jesus, and she will not regret one day of her life if she continues to live this way. John of the Cross gets pointed with the church when he admonishes us. He asks us to look deeply at our life, what we do with our time, especially for joy. He asks
“As in the hour of death you will certainly be sorry that you have not employed all your time in the service of God, why is it that you do not now so employ your time, as you will wish you had done when you shall come to die?” John of the Cross
In other words, serving the Lord in every area of your life will be a comfort to you on your death bed. Why? Because your conscience will be clear and you will look forward to hearing Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Not everyone hears well done! If serving the Lord will bring no regrets to your life at your death bed, why are not serving now? Why are you filling your life with the lust of the flesh, or material goals, thinking nothing of ministry, when you know at your death bed you will regret not seeking first the kingdom of God?
Those who know Jesus live their entire life in worship to Jesus by the Spirit of Jesus. Their life is the fruit of Jesus living inside of them revealing they are the true circumcision.
Those who know Jesus put all confidence in Christ (Philippians 3:3b)
Those who know Jesus put all confidence in Christ (Philippians 3:3b)
3 For we are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and do not put confidence in the flesh—
Those who serve by the Spirit boast in Jesus Christ. The give glory to Jesus knowing that every act of kindness, service, grace, mercy, goodness, comes from Him. They have the humility Paul speaks of in chapter 2, having set their mind on Jesus, the Spirit is transforming them into the image of Jesus. So the fruit of their life looks like Jesus, and they are compelled to give Jesus all praise and glory for it. Joni Eric Sontada said her smile was from heaven, meaning it was not of her own strength, but the strength of Jesus inside of her that keeps her motivated to joyfully advance the kingdom of God by making much of Jesus in the church, community, and home, even as a quadriplegic. She finds great joy in making much of Jesus because Jesus is her confidence. I like Steve lawson’s view here. He says of boasting in Jesus:
“True believers are those who are continually boasting in and about Jesus Christ and giving praise to him. We boast in what we find our confidence in. Any success that we have in our daily lives is attributed to the Lord. The one who is always glorying God in the Lord Jesus Christ and serving in the Spirit of God, seeking and finding security and satisfaction in him, is the one who has abundant joy.” (Lawson, Steven J. 2017. Philippians for You.)
Putting confidence in Christ in the midst of struggle with sin; personal or cooperate. Work inside (personal) out (cooperate). When sin rears its face are you putting confidence in Christ or your flesh? To put it in the flesh is to believe that sin will deliver the joy it promises.
Those who know Jesus reject all hope in the flesh (Philippians 3:4-6)
Those who know Jesus reject all hope in the flesh (Philippians 3:4-6)
What does Paul mean when he says “hope in the flesh?” Its a reference is to circumcision and what circumcision means to the Judaizers. The Jews put their hope for salvation in physical and external ceremonies such as such as ancestry and privilege. The flesh anything on which unredeemed human nature depends for salvation, anything apart from Christ. Matthew Harmon notes, the flesh is “the weakness and frailty of humanity living under the bondage of sin and death in this present evil age. Using himself as an example Paul lists seven false hopes one should reject if they know Jesus.
Rejecting hope in the flesh means you,
Rejecting hope in the flesh means you,
Reject hoping in Religious Ritual (Phil 3:5)
Reject hoping in Religious Ritual (Phil 3:5)
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;
Paul was was not converted into Judaism. Converts could not say they were circumcised on the 8th day. Paul could put his hope in his religious ritual as a grounds for salvation because 8th day circumcision was an expected covenant rite (Gen 17:12; Lev 12;3). God surely would not reject a true Jew who kept ritual. Many today do the same thing in the church by putting their hope in infant baptism or church membership. On the Baptist side of things, we have some in the church whose parents were faithful believers, and sense they were “born into the church” and have maintained their membership, they are confident they will enter the pearly gates of heaven. Ritual will do nothing for you. Sadly, there are too many ritual church goers suffering God’s condemnation hell because they put their salvation in the hands of ritual.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
There is no confidence in your ritual, or your works. It is God’s lavishing grace he set on you as a gift, the gift of His Son Jesus Christ.
Reject hoping in Religious Ethnicity (Phil 3:5)
Reject hoping in Religious Ethnicity (Phil 3:5)
Paul was a true Jew by his ethnicity. He was a true dependent of the people of Israel, such people like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When God changed Jacobs name to Israel, God’s designated people where now called Israel, and Paul could make that ethnic claim. Paul was by birth part of God’s covenant people. The history of Israel should compel you to realize there is absolutely no hope in your ethnicity. Although it is true that Israel is God’s chosen nation, the gospels veal that his own people have rejected him. Jesus came to his own people , the Jews, and they wanted nothing to do with him. That has been Israel’s troubled history. God refers to them as a stiff necked people who are hard of heart and slow to believe. If you are Jewish and you think for second you will be spared God’s condemnation because of your ethnicity, your hope is hopeless. Furthermore, if you are white or black or Korean or Hispanic or Arabic and you think God has chosen your race for some special reason to be superior and full of his favor, you are dead in your sin and need the redemption of Jesus.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
There is no confidence in your ethnicity. Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb-Jesus Christ.
Reject hoping in Religious Position (Phil 3:5)
Reject hoping in Religious Position (Phil 3:5)
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;
Why is the tribe of Benjamin important to Paul? Because of Benjamin’s position. Even though Benjamin was the smallest of the tribes, it was favored in Israel. Benjamin was the favored youngest son of Jacob. Israel’s first king, Saul, was a Benjamite. When the promised land was divided up, Jerusalem was a city in Benjamin’s land. The temple was built in Jerusalem. When Israel suffered civil war, Benjamin stayed faithful to David and his descendants. Paul could hope in his religious exaltation, his position as a Benjamite.
There are many in the church who think because they are pastors, deacons, missionaries, or a powerful family in the church that their position give them confidence in their salvation. Jesus confronted the Pharisees and Scribes arrogance for believing their position in the temple was confidence enough to stand before God. That same prideful arrogance finds its way in the church, and just as they stood condemned before Jesus for hoping in their religious position, so will you if you do the same. Everyone of us is broken. The only hope we have for reconciliation and restoration with God and each other is the redemption Jesus gives through his death, resurrection, and ascension.
Reject hoping in Religious Heritage (Phil 3:5)
Reject hoping in Religious Heritage (Phil 3:5)
To be a Hebrew of Hebrews is that like his parents and ancestors before him, he was a pure Hebrew in every sense. He spoke the language, he observed all the holidays, and he followed a strict interpretation of the law. He was the son of a Pharisee and educated at the feet of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). In his mind he belonged to an elite race, trained to follow the purity of the law, unlike the hellenized jews, and he defended the Temple with passion. Paul’s confidence could be in his religious heritage. He was Jewish born and Jewish bred, and when he died he would be Jewish dead.
There are many in the church who are depending in the religious heritage to save them in the day of judgement. You see it in Catholic families, Baptist families, Lutheran families, methodist families, all believing because their tradition and heritage is like a special covenant within the new covenant. Since they were baptized into the church as infants or dedicated by their parents, and since their entire family is baptist, they are good with the Lord, or grafted into the body of Jesus. This is a false hope. Your heritage will not save you.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Your faith must be in Christ alone, not the church or your family connection to the church. Those who know Jesus reject hoping in their religious heritage.
Reject hoping in Religious Law (Phil 3:6)
Reject hoping in Religious Law (Phil 3:6)
Reject hoping in Religious Zeal (Phil 3:6)
Reject hoping in Religious Zeal (Phil 3:6)
Reject hoping in Religious Works (Phil 3:6)
Reject hoping in Religious Works (Phil 3:6)