Sermon Tone Analysis

This message is in many ways a Part B to what we studied last week.

We looked at two men, Timothy and Epaphroditus who were men of honorable character.

Philippians was written by the apostle Paul from a Roman prison to a church in modern Greece called Philippi.

Paul have visited the city three times and hoped to visit them again if he was not put to death.

You remember how each section of this book seems to be a little mini section that revolves around the central focus of the book 2:5-11, where Jesus is humbled to the point of death and then God highly exalts him.

Ch 3 also points us to that central poem but also links directly to the message from last week, where we learned to honor by imitating.

We looked at two men, Timothy and Epaphroditus who were men of honorable character.

We said that we honor people like these two men primarily by imitating them.

This week Paul will say (3:15, 17) to imitate him, but although he is referring in some ways to his life and character, his primary focus is a call to imitate his purpose for living the way he does.

He begins chapter three in a very shocking way that we’ll see in just a moment,

He explains the biggest thing that will keep you from God. Something more terrible and dangerous than unrighteousness itself.

Something so deceptive that thousands of people who call themselves Christians may very well be on their way to eternal separation from God because of this one thing.

Before we look at it I want you to listen to something.

I abbreviated Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus for you.

I hope you have a very unsettled, unfinished feeling.

Especially the more musical of us in the room really want to hear that last note of the song.

We want it to be complete, to feel resolved.

Today we’re going to talk this completion, and how we, like a peice of classical music need to have momentum moving us forward toward the resolution.

We Christians must Press On to Know Christ

or pressing forward for the purpose of a relationship with Christ.

Our lives are like an piece of music God is writing, and one day he will satisfy and finish and complete us.

Until then, we need to be driving foward for the purpose of this resolution that Paul calls ‘the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus’ in v14.

Press on to know Christ

We won’t have time to go through the entire passage verse by verse, so as I read this, I’ll be making short comments to explain some of the more confusing phrases.

This chapter is in two sections, Paul’s warning and his resume 3:1-11 and then an exhortation to us in 3:12-4:1

READ Phil 3:1-4:1

3 Finally, my brothers,1 krejoice in the Lord.

lTo write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

3 Finally, my brothers,1 krejoice in the Lord.

lTo write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

3 Finally, my brothers,1 krejoice in the Lord.

lTo write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

2 Look out for mthe dogs, look out for nthe evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.

3 For owe are the circumcision, pwho worship qby the Spirit of God2 and rglory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 sthough 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 tcircumcised on the eighth day, uof the people of Israel, vof the tribe of Benjamin, ua Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, wa Pharisee; 6 xas to zeal, ya persecutor of the church; zas to righteousness under the law,3 blameless.

7 But awhatever gain I had, bI counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of cthe surpassing worth of dknowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I ehave 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 fa righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but gthat which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 hthat I may know him and ithe power of his resurrection, and jmay share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may kattain the resurrection from the dead.

2 Look out for mthe dogs, look out for nthe evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.

3 For owe are the circumcision, pwho worship qby the Spirit of God2 and rglory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 sthough 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 tcircumcised on the eighth day, uof the people of Israel, vof the tribe of Benjamin, ua Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, wa Pharisee; 6 xas to zeal, ya persecutor of the church; zas to righteousness under the law,3 blameless.

7 But awhatever gain I had, bI counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of cthe surpassing worth of dknowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I ehave 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 fa righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but gthat which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 hthat I may know him and ithe power of his resurrection, and jmay share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may kattain the resurrection from the dead.

2 Look out for mthe dogs, look out for nthe evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.

3 For owe are the circumcision, pwho worship qby the Spirit of God2 and rglory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 sthough 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 tcircumcised on the eighth day, uof the people of Israel, vof the tribe of Benjamin, ua Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, wa Pharisee; 6 xas to zeal, ya persecutor of the church; zas to righteousness under the law,3 blameless.

7 But awhatever gain I had, bI counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of cthe surpassing worth of dknowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I ehave 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 fa righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but gthat which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 hthat I may know him and ithe power of his resurrection, and jmay share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may kattain the resurrection from the dead.

Straining Toward the Goal

Straining Toward the Goal

Straining Toward the Goal

12 Not that I have already lobtained this or mam 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: nforgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for othe prize of the upward pcall of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let those of us who are qmature think this way, and if in anything ryou think otherwise, sGod will reveal that also to you.

16 Only tlet us hold true to what we have attained.

12 Not that I have already lobtained this or mam 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: nforgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for othe prize of the upward pcall of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let those of us who are qmature think this way, and if in anything ryou think otherwise, sGod will reveal that also to you.

16 Only tlet us hold true to what we have attained.

12 Not that I have already lobtained this or mam 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: nforgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for othe prize of the upward pcall of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let those of us who are qmature think this way, and if in anything ryou think otherwise, sGod will reveal that also to you.

16 Only tlet us hold true to what we have attained.

17 Brothers, ujoin in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk vaccording to the example you have in us.

18 For wmany, of whom I have often told you and now tell you xeven with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

19 yTheir end is destruction, ztheir god is their belly, and athey glory in their shame, with bminds set on earthly things.

20 But cour citizenship is in heaven, and dfrom it we eawait a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform four lowly body gto be like his glorious body, hby the power that enables him even ito subject all things to himself.

17 Brothers, ujoin in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk vaccording to the example you have in us.

18 For wmany, of whom I have often told you and now tell you xeven with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

19 yTheir end is destruction, ztheir god is their belly, and athey glory in their shame, with bminds set on earthly things.

20 But cour citizenship is in heaven, and dfrom it we eawait a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform four lowly body gto be like his glorious body, hby the power that enables him even ito subject all things to himself.

17 Brothers, ujoin in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk vaccording to the example you have in us.

18 For wmany, of whom I have often told you and now tell you xeven with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

19 yTheir end is destruction, ztheir god is their belly, and athey glory in their shame, with bminds set on earthly things.

20 But cour citizenship is in heaven, and dfrom it we eawait a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform four lowly body gto be like his glorious body, hby the power that enables him even ito subject all things to himself.

4 Therefore, my brothers,1 whom I love and jlong for, kmy joy and lcrown, mstand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

4 Therefore, my brothers,1 whom I love and jlong for, kmy joy and lcrown, mstand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

4 Therefore, my brothers,1 whom I love and jlong for, kmy joy and lcrown, mstand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 13, 17

1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 13, 17

1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 13, 17

k ch.

4:4; 1 Thess.

5:16

k ch.

4:4; 1 Thess.

5:16

k ch.

4:4; 1 Thess.

5:16

l [2 Pet.

1:12]

l [2 Pet.

1:12]

l [2 Pet.

1:12]

3 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.

To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

m Ps. 22:16, 20; Isa.