Sermon Tone Analysis

*Philippians 9**.*

You may recall, that the last part of this letter *[P]* we were looking at was dealing with personal details and arrangements – Paul was telling the church how he was going to send Timothy and Epaphroditus to them, and then come himself.

Now he suddenly changes tack, from these personal details, to instructing them and encouraging them.

The instructions that follow here are based more on /their/ situation than on his, which is one reason his tone changes.

He starts off saying: “/Finally my brothers/ ….” – he then goes on for another two chapters!

Some preachers have taken this as justification for preaching long sermons – they say “finally” giving the congregation hope that it will soon be over, then they go on and preach for another hour!

But the word translated “/finally/” is translated elsewhere as /the rest/ or /others /– it just signals that he is moving on to other matters; it does not mean this is the last thing he has to say.

So let’s read *[P]* [*Philippians 3:1-9*/ Finally,(/or “to move on”) /my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.

To write the same things again is no trouble to me/ (he’d already told them to rejoice, and will do so again)/, and it is a safeguard for you.

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 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, 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: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

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, 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./]

So this is a new section but it’s the same thing he has already said!

Like a cracked record: “REJOICE!”

*[P]* Back in [*Philippians 1:18*/ What then?

Only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will rejoice, /] and in [*Philippians 2:17-18*/ But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me./].

And in (Phil 2:28) Paul was sending Epaphroditus to them so that they may rejoice.

I think Paul wants them to get the message!

He keeps on about rejoicing.

Why is rejoicing so important to Paul?

Does he just want us to smile and be happy for Jesus?

Just look at the contexts where Paul has talked about rejoicing – they are not happy situations; these statements are found in the midst of hardship.

Rejoicing is not dependent upon circumstances; it is an activity we /choose/ to do; it is not an emotion *[P]*.

If we choose to rejoice, it means we are choosing /not/ to do something else.

Paul here gives us a key insight into life that we cannot afford to miss.

[*Habakkuk 3:17-18*/ Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, /(things are not going well!) /yet I will exult in יהוה, *I will rejoice* in the God of my salvation./]

It is a decision of the will.

It is not simplistic Pollyanna-like attitude – let’s be happy in mindless disregard.

It is not just rejoicing – it is rejoicing in the LORD *[P]*.

God, is sovereign, He is in control of all things.

In infinite wisdom, He ordains things to work a certain way; often in situations that we would not choose: difficulties, problems, hardship, suffering.

How are we going to respond?

Do we truly believe God is working things out according His will which is good, acceptable and perfect?

That He is GOOD, that His loving-kindness endures forever?

Is my situation from God? Or has He lost control?

Do I complain about what comes my way?

My house changes from green to red zone – how do I respond?

If we are truly rejoicing and thankful for God’s provision, we cannot complain or be resentful.

My circumstance is by His design.

What comes out of our mouths (for better or worse) is an indicator of what is going on in our hearts [*Matthew 15:18*/ “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart./*

Luke 6:45*/ “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart./]

What do our words say about our attitude, our heart, and focus?

If we focus our efforts on rejoicing in God and in His provision, we are at the same time guarding against things that rob us of our joy.

This is why Paul talks about rejoicing as a /safeguard/ *[P]*; he understood how God has wired us.

It’s like the old saying that “the best defence is a good offense.”

Choosing to go on the offensive by rejoicing in the midst of hardship is the /single greatest defence/ from the things that make us turn away from God. Rejoicing is one of the* *most critical things we can do to guard our hearts against discouragement.

It’s not just a good idea, it is a safeguard specifically designed by God for this purpose.

How does it work?

If I am choosing to rejoice in the Lord whatever my circumstances or situation, I can’t be grumbling and complaining about them at the same time!

If you’re grumbling, you’re not rejoicing.

A natural consequence of truly rejoicing in the Lord about something is the inability to complain about it.

By making the choice to rejoice in the Lord in the midst of unpleasant circumstances, we will guard ourselves against fear, doubt, double-mindedness, and the discouragement that comes from opposition.

All of these things are barometers for our heart attitude.

If we see these things creeping in then we know that our focus is shifting away from God and onto other things.

Paul talks rejoicing in the Lord as a safeguard because he is going to warn them about people in their lives who are seeking to rob them of their joy in [Phil 3:2].

Three times Paul tells them to /“beware/!” – referring to the same group of people in three different terms – he calls them: dogs, evil workers, and mutilators.

They were those seeking to bring the Gentiles under the Jewish law, and in particular force them to be circumcised.

The next verse implies that these people are not the /true/ /circumcision/; he claims “we are.”

You see circumcision is cutting off a bit of flesh, but you can cut off a particular bit of skin without removing the flesh at all.

In fact by insisting on physical circumcision they were relying on the flesh, rather than walking in the Spirit.

And flesh and Spirit are in opposition.

[*Galatians 5:17*/ For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please./

*Romans 8:5-8*/ For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God/.]

You know what the flesh is, don’t you? *[P]* You take off the “H” and spell it backwards *[P]* – SELF!

By relying on something done physically to the flesh, they were in the flesh and thus not in the Spirit.

They were relying on what they did, boasting in what they had done.

They were proud of themselves.

The focus was on self – on what I have done.

If you are in the flesh you cannot please God.

What He seeks is those that worship Him in Spirit and in truth, not the false worship of the flesh [*John 4:23-24*/ “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.

“God is spirit, and those who worship Him *must* worship *in spirit and truth*.”/].

If it depends on you, it is fleshly, it is based on pride and self – it is false worship.

The true circumcision worships in the /Spirit of God/; they boast in Christ Jesus, in what He has done; and put no confidence in the flesh, in themselves and what they have done.

The flesh boasts in what I have done.

May I ask you: “Are you proud of what you have accomplished?”

*[P]* What you have attained, obtained, your position, your ability, your skill – that is the flesh!

It boasts!

You can live and trust in the flesh – glory in what you have, are and have done; or you can live in the Spirit, relying on what God has done, glory in what He has done.

It is either flesh or Spirit – one or the other.

What do you value?

*[P]* What do you esteem?

What really matters to you?

What is of real value to you?

Your house, the things you have, your position, your job, the respect you command, your accomplishments?

If it came to giving things up, what would you let go and what would you cling to?

Paul reveals his heart, he shows what really matters to him – what is of supreme value.

Now boasting on the basis of the flesh is bad, opposed to God, yet in the very next verse Paul does that very thing!

Not because he placed any value on the things he goes on to boast about; but in order to demonstrate how worthless they are – to unfold what is of real value.

The word that introduces (Phil 3:4) signals that what follows somehow contradicts what he’s just said, not unlike adding a “but if I was /gonna/ do this.…”

*[P]* He takes up the idea of boasting hypothetically, challenging anyone who thinks they can beat him in a comparison of flesh-based titles or awards.

Paul sets the stage for one of his most significant declarations by essentially saying we should never do such a thing.

Even though Christians are not to put confidence in the flesh, Paul does it anyhow to make the point that in the end, there really is nothing worth boasting about other than being “found in Christ with a righteousness that comes through faith in God.”

He says not to do something, and then he does it to excess to make a sobering point about the incomparable worth of knowing Christ.

And so he begins a list of credentials that would have made any Jew of his day envious.

*[P]* It’s like he is daring anyone to try and one-up him: “You think you’ve got a claim to make?

We’ll just see about that!”