Matters of Counting
Book of Joy: Book of Philippians • Sermon • Submitted
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· 7 viewsWhat do you count on? Learn to count on the thing that matters
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Wrapped up
Wrapped up
Is it easy to get wrapped up in the things of this life, of this world? If you answered no, think again, how can we not get involved, invested in the things here and now? Today we are going to look at:
A warning
An exhortation
Warning an exhortation (vv.1-3)
An example
Works Righteousness (vv.4-6)
Faith Righteousness (vv.7-11)
A faith built on righteousness
(Insert slide: Tangled up from computer)
It is easy, you have to admit it to get wrapped up, tangled up in the things of this world. Tangible things like family, work, maybe even your reputation, your achievements. Paul did and he uses his history to show that today, then you see the shift that occurred in him because of Jesus.
We can get wrapped up in the tangibles as well as the intangibles and we can surrender our joy.
The tangible things are not sinful in nature, they are good, they were created by God and for our use and care (Gen1:31) We do need certain things in order to live (Mt6:31-34) and yes, to enjoy (1Tim6:17). Jesus warns about “stuff” for our life does not consist of the things we posses (Lk12:15)
31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Everything created was good. not only good but very good.
31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
He provides for us, He instructs us not to be anxious, not to worry, He knows what we need and will provide for us.
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be proud and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in God, who provides us all things richly for enjoyment,
In 1Tim6:17 we are told not to put our hope in the uncertainty of riches. and in in the abundance of things.
Counting matters. Paul uses counting in (v.7-8) and from the The Greek counting is examining, evaluating, assessing. And that is what we will do as we work our way though this section this morning.
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be proud and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in God, who provides us all things richly for enjoyment,
Socrates said:
“The unexamined life is not worth living”
Do you weigh, consider, asses seriously the things, the values that weigh out your decisions and directions? Not many do, and I’m guilty of this too.
In looking at our passage today you will notice that even Paul’s life before he came to know Christ would seem a good life.
He lead a life of righteousness
He was obedient to the Law
He defended the religion of his fathers
Even considered himself blameless
But none of those things gained him entrance into heaven and acceptance from God.
One person wrote once
“Like most religious people today, Paul had enough morality to keep him out of trouble, but not enough righteousness to get him into heaven.”
Paul when he counted, assessed, evaluated his life in the light of Christ the things he lived for were refuse. So let me get to what He discovered in his journey.
I. Warning: an exhortation
I. Warning: an exhortation
So what is an exhortation? To address or communicate emphatically something to do or in our case not to to; to warn. Our passage gives a clear warning.
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. 2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;
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,
If we want to rejoice, have joy, as that is what this book is about, then we need to know who and what we are following and Paul gives an exhortation in love to them. Eventhough he had addressed this previously.
Beware of he dogs (see Php1:17; examples Mat15:26-27; Rev22:15; 2Cor11:3-4)
Dogs at the time, to the Jew, who even called the Gentiles dogs were despised, insolent, miserable creatures, ravenous, homeless, helpless, and unclean
Who is Paul calling dogs that we are to beware of? - the false teachers who are misrepresenting the gospel (1:17)
These dogs were following Paul around from place to place barking the untruth and trying to stir up trouble with their false doctrine.
3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.
2cor
Beware of the evil workers (2Cor11:12-13; Gal3:1)
These evil works, workers in the flesh who take away the grace of God through faith.
These workers who claim must have adherence to the law by the flesh as well as accepting Christ by faith
12 But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
14 Behold, this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you. For I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 But I will spend and be expended most gladly for your lives. If I love you much more, am I to be loved less?
The exhortation was similar to the one to the church at Corinth that Paul had to defend his apostleship because of the works of the evil workers.
1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?
Evil workers who were being effective or you would not find this being addressed to the church at Galatia
Beware of the false circumcision (Act15:1)
The dogs, the evil workers were insisting circumcision as something necessary for salvation
1 Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Then he reminds them, exhorts them on who they are in Christ (COl2:8-11; Jn4:19-24; Eph2:8-10)
Jesus taught we need to worship in spirit and in truth (Jn4:19-24) And Paul teaches we are saved by grace through faith (Eph2:8-10)
And that we are the true circumcision
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; 11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
We need to boast of Christ not of works in which cannot save, for the true Christian has no confidence in the flesh.
8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we may walk in them.
I’m sure you have heard the saying “The Lord helps those who help themselves” and many even think that is in the Bible, but it is not, we cannot help ourselves to salvation, there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. The true christian know this and has no confidence in their flesh or their works but in Christ Jesus and the Father who circumcises us with a circumcision not made with hands.
II. Works Righteousness (the example)
II. Works Righteousness (the example)
History can teach us much and Paul uses his life, his history to teach about counting on the wrong things so we can learn to count on the right things.
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: 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;
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.
Paul is not speaking from some ivory tower separated from the world and the battle. He speaks from experience. He discovered the futility of trying to work his way to heaven to earn his salvation by a system of works apart from faith. Here Paul offers himself up as the auditor, counter, examiner, assessor of his own life prior to Christ and found himself bankrupt!
Paul examined his relationship to the nation
His confidence (Act23:1, 24:16; Gal1:13-14)
He was confident of who he was confident of who he was and had a clear conscience in all that he did.
1 Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.”
And then look at
16 “In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.
But even before Paul was a disciple of Jesus Christ he was zealous for God and excelling
13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; 14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.
His ancestry
His ancestory
Jew of Jews
He was from tribe of Benjamin, and saying that he was a Jew as descendant of Abraham, not a proselyte. Nor was he descended from Ismael or Esau. This would mean he was a pure Jew with good ancestry.
His relationship to the Law (vv.5-6)
He considered himself blameless, he was a Pharisee of a Pharisee, he had obtained the highest religious recognition he could. The Pharisee would consider if anyone was going to heaven it would be them. That was what Paul thought.
Measuring by the righteousness of the Law Paul was confident, Paul was secure and Paul was blameless and he maintained the traditions of the Law and man.
His relationship with the enemies of Israel (v.6; Act7:54-60, 8:1-3, 22:1-5 and 1Tim1:12-16)
It was not enough to know the truth (the Law) Paul knew he had to stand up for the truth and he did it with zeal, he persecuted those who taught different.
In Act7:54-60 you can see Paul was there when Stephen was stoned and they laid their cloaks at the feet of man name Saul
1 Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.
3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.
Here you can see Saul/Paul was in hearty agreement of the murder, the death of Stephen. There was a great persecution that started there, he wanted to destroy (ravage) the church, and put people of the Way in prison.
He recalled these times of his zeal before coming to Christ to the Romans, and to the church at Ephesus in writing to Timothy; this can be seen in ACt22:1-5 and 1Tim1:12-16)
So how can someone who had such history, great ancestry, excelled in Knowledge, strengthen to defend the truth be so wrong?
Paul was using the wrong measuring stick, as do men today when they don’t use Jesus as the measuring stick!
From believed works righteousness in which is what he believed to that experience on the Damascus road which gave him the right measuring stick and he abandoned what he thought for the truth found only in faith righteousness of Jesus Christ.
III. Faith Righteousness
III. Faith Righteousness
I surrender all. If you are a Christian than you understand what that means. To Paul when he had the right measuring stick came the right time for full surrender when he counted what matters.
7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 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,
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, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
(insert slide here I SURRENDER; Saved on computer)
When Paul met Jesus on the Damascus road; he was introduced to the real Jesus, and Jesus impacted his life. Jesus came to Him but not in Him yet. Paul had to come to surrender just as we did. 3 days after being blinded by the Truth he was ready, prepared and educated to be able to fully surrender and he did and he was forgiven his sins and his eyes were opened!
16 And now why are you delaying? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name!’
Paul realized his previous life, previous works, previous counting was off because he did not have the right measuring stick of righteousness and that is Jesus Christ.
Paul counted his loses (v.7)
Counted whatever was gained as a loss, so let me expand on what he lost,
So let me expand on what he lost, Paul was a Pharisee, so he lost his wife, we just don’t know how.
Paul was a Pharisee, so he lost his wife, we just don’t know how.
Paul had a great reputation; but gave that up to follow Jesus. (expand more; friends wouldn’t change him; enemies couldn’t change him, but Jesus did change him)
He counted all things a loss; refuse so as to gain Jesus.
Paul was a Jew, he was a Roman citizen. Becoming a Christian did not make him denounce his Jewish blood or Roman heritage. He did not lower his standards, just changed them to a higher standard using the right measuring (counting) stick. So that he could be conformed and transformed.
29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
He had the same desire for others, and for us here today because of the inspired words we read!
Paul counted his gains (vv.8-11)
Knowing Christ
The power of His resurrection (Mt17:23; and the fellowship of His suffering (Lk9:22)
Paul knew of Christ before the road, on the road he came to know Christ, Christ knew him before time began but introduced Himself to Paul.
Gaining Christ
Three days after being introduced to Christ he gained Christ when he fully surrendered to Christ.
Righteousness of God through Christ
Paul accepted the righteousness of God that replaced his filthy rags and was clothed with salvation, with garments of salvation through the Christ.
Paul’s hope based on works changed to hope in the person Jesus Christ and that brought the hope of the resurrection of the dead.
Hope of the resurrection from the dead
One day all will be resurrected as noted in 1Cor15; 1The4; but resurrected to where comes from the proper counting (you have to use the right measuring stick).
Baptism is the first resurrection, the second is yet to come.
3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 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.
So what do we do while we wait for the resurrection of the dead?
12 Therefore my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Be willing to count some losses for eternity.
loss of old ideas
Loss of old ideals, standards
Loss of preconceived ideas contrary to the truth
loss of worldly things that hinder you from walking with Christ!
(Lead to invitation)
(Insert surrender slide here again)
(insert exit slide)