Citizens: A Study On Philippians (Part 12)
August 30, 2020Give Online: Tithes & Offerings
Good Morning Jesus Church
Grateful to be with our church community today (here & online)
- Please keep making every effort not to be isolated
- We need community so much
- Whether it’s a dinner party or a phone call
- Reach out and connect
- Because God made us to be in community with each other
- 1st thing God saw as an issue with man “Not good to be alone”
Today we are entering Chapter 3 on Philippians
- Last week Paul wrote about the importance of having
- People that mentor
- People that we mentor
- We all need examples on how 2 live out the Gospel (why)
- One – Following someone’s example is how people learn best
- Two – So that we can learn from others failures & victories
Phil. 3:1-11
[PRAY]
Story – Ever had a friend no one would mess with
Where they could just look at someone and they would back off
- When I was selling cell phones I helped a guy… 6’4” refrigerator
- Full trench coat… silver slicked back hair… scar on his face
- The guy just looked like he could kill someone
- I helped him fix his phone so he could talk to his daughter
- She was in labor… he couldn’t be there
- Was a hitman for a large motorcycle gang
- Made someone high ups mad – they let him leave with his life
- But left his family… and couldn’t see his daughter have her 1st baby
- So I invite him to church… he accepts Jesus…
- After gave me his card & said if anyone ever gave me a problem
- I’m not gonna lie… I walked around a little more confident
Tag: Paul feels the same … but the guy he finds confidence from: Jesus
Paul starts again repeating himself: Rejoice!
Then in verses 2 he references these “DOGS/EVILDOERS”
- Which were Jewish bullies that came to the church after Paul left
- Said… “We will tell u what you need to do to be close to God”
- Sure Jesus is great… but that’s just the first step
- Keep the Sabbath… get circumcised… don’t eat bacon
- Do that and more… And God will approve of you
- Paul says: No way… that isn’t right – Don’t listen to them (Phil. 3:2)
- Serve God by His Spirit… boast in Jesus… no confidence in flesh
- That word “Flesh” is the word SARX in the Greek (Paul uses it a lot)
- In Romans he uses the word as a state of consciousness
- That b4 Jesus we lived in the flesh – after Jesus we live in Spirit
Rom. 8:5
- The case Paul makes when he uses the word SARX
- Even though we are now alive/conscious to Christ…
- We will forget and live based off our old consciousness
- Trying to live in our FLESH instead of by the SPIRIT
- Sorta like the MOVIE INCEPTION… with the dream state/reality
- And the danger is mistaking the dream state for reality
- Paul says the dream state is “Sarx” – real state is “Spirit”
- And the “DOGS” Paul talks of put their confidence in their flesh
- And are trying to make that the norm of Xian life
- Paul says no… “We put confidence in Jesus”
Tag: And then he goes on and puts himself up against all these “DOGS”
Phil. 3:4
Paul says if u wanna go head 2 head – Play the “I’m holier game”… I win
- Goes on to drop this unbeatable resume
- Was raised by Jewish Torah abiding parents
- I speak and read Hebrew (which was rare)
- Of tribe of Benjamin (1 of only 2 tribes that could trace lineage)
- He says… I’m so much passion for God… I killed people
- I was a powerful Pharisee… I knew the OT better than anyone
- And based on the law… I’m completely faultless
- And Paul knows that no one can touch that list…
But then after Paul says everything he COULD lay on the table he says…
Phil 3:7
- And that’s an accounting metaphor Paul uses (Any accountants)
- Imagine you have a balance sheet – One side gains… other loses
- Paul says all the things I just mentioned: I used 2 consider gains
- They use to be my assets… not my liabilities
- But then I found Jesus… and Jesus showed me what real value is
- And I realized how far off my math is
- And I moved all of my “gains” to “losses”
- B/C I realized what I thought were my assets were liabilities
Phil 3:8
- Uses the word “Consider” 2x: v.7 past tense / v.8 present tense
- And he is saying when I met Jesus… I knew it was all worthless
- Even now in the present… I still know that nothing has changed
- Remember how much Paul gave up to follow Jesus
- He was from a prominent/wealthy Jewish family
- He was part of the Sanhedrin… most powerful people in Israel
- Most scholars believe he was married – wife left him
Notice his lists … outside of persecution… it’s not bad
Everything (even good) compared to knowing Jesus is loss…
Phil. 3:8 (Paul goes even further than loss to emphasize his point)
- That word garbage in the Greek is “Scubalon”
- And it doesn’t just mean throwing away you Starbucks cup
- No… it was a nasty, vulgar word (closest to expletive from Paul)
- And I can’t say the English translation…
- b/c I might get the “Scubalon” beat out of me if I do
- Paul is saying I had to give up so much to follow Jesus
- I had this promising career… money… people knew my name
- So compared to knowing Jesus… it’s Scubalon
- And I will put everything in loses… as long as Jesus is my gain
TAG: Now what does Paul mean by he “Gains” the Messiah
Paul lays out 4 things He (we) gain by following Jesus
Phil 3:9
1: You are found in Him (word is both present/future)
Paul says my benefit to following Jesus: Found right here/now in Jesus
- But also in future (judgment) I will be found in Jesus as well
- And that phrase “In Jesus” used over 100x in Paul’s letters
- Theologically it’s the idea of union with God
- Idea of when u are saved/baptized
- You are saved INTO the death & rez of Jesus
- INTO – meaning you become ONE with (union)
- Why the imagery of baptism waters is so beautiful
- That you are surrounded… engulfed by all that Jesus is and did
Col 3:3
This is where we get the phrase: God looks at you and see’s Jesus
- And the reciprocal is true as well
- When God looks at Jesus… He sees you
- Example (water and lego man)
- Lego man is in the water glass
- You can’t see the glass w/o seeing the lego man
- You can’t see the lego man w/o seeing the glass…
- Why: Because lego guy is in the glass
- That’s the idea – you are in Jesus… a son/daughter in God
- God see you and yes… all your baggage and garbage
- But He see’s you as a son or daughter… and you are in Him
- Lego man is in the water glass
- And because you are in Christ… and remember Christ = Messiah
- And Messiah was embodiment of what Israel was suppose 2 be
- But the identity/job of God’s people came to life in one person
- Meaning… when u are baptized into the Messiah
- Also baptized into Israel (not ethnic… but people of God)
- And in that moment you are the family of God
And what he is found in isn’t his own righteousness… but faith in God
- This word Righteousness isn’t a word we really understand well
- Its not really used outside of the church (except 80’s surfers)
- If it is… more negative than positive way (self-righteous)
- And problem is when I say the word “Righteous” in English
- What comes to most people’s minds is morals (moral word)
- Why self-righteous means “I’m better than you”
- In Greek – It wasn’t a moral word… it was a legal word
- Used in a court of law… stand before a judge (no jury)
- That judge would “justify” you and declare you righteous
- Saying you are right – could have nothing to do w/ morality
- Paul saying I will stand in front of the Judge of the universe
- On that day I don’t want a righteousness that comes from flesh
- I need a righteousness that is way more powerful than that
- And that comes through “faith in the Messiah”
And we also need to look at the word which is “Pistis” in the Greek
- B/C when the scriptures were first being translated to English
- There was a huge debate over how Pistis should be translated
- Trying to figure out what best reflects the heart of this word
- It was either “Faith” or “Faithfulness”
- They ended up going with Faith… but the issue with that
- Most people today think faith is synonym for belief… its not
- Having “faith” in Jesus isn’t same as I “believe” in Jesus
- Now absolutely FAITH includes belief – Scholar: Belief plus loyalty
- Idea is YES I believe Jesus is the Messiah and God (but its more)
- But it’s more than that… it’s loyalty as well
- You believe but you ALSO trust in Jesus
- You walk faithfully to Jesus
- You hold on to Jesus… don’t let go… trust… stick with him
- Every time I read about faith… I make sure I also think faithfulness
- I am saved by grace through faithfulness
- That is 110% valid way to read that text
- I want a righteousness that comes through faithfulness
- But notice not thru faithfulness period… faithfulness in Messiah
- Paul just wants to hold on to Jesus
- He just wants to stand b4 God on judgment day
- Say um… I’m with him
- Who cares what else is on the resume… I’m with him
- Paul just wants to hold on to Jesus
- Are you righteous this morning in the way we should understand it
- That when God thinks about you… regardless of ur baggage
- He can say: That’s my son… that’s my daughter
- Are you??? If not – follow Jesus… repent… AND HOLD TO JESUS
TAG: And he goes on…
Phil 3:10
2: We gain a new knowledge of Him
Knowledge – Greek is Gonosko…
- This word depicted a husband/wife who had been married decades
- So much so that they knew each other better than themselves
- Paul is saying: I want to know Jesus better than I know myself
- And Paul says that you gain this ability when you follow Jesus
- Back in verse 8… Paul used the same word: Gonosko
Phil 3:8
- And again – Lord was Kirios which was the name for Yahweh
- Paul saying: I get 2 know God in a way that is personal/intimate
- This is only place in Paul letters he says Jesus is “mine”
When you follow Jesus.. you KNOW God
- Not in an intellectual/head knowledge kind of way
- But in a Gonosko way
- Not just about God… but you KNOW God
- We all know about people that we don’t actually know
- I know all about the best QB in football – Russel Wilson
- I even know people who know him
- And I know about him… but I don’t know him (not my friend)
- Same is true for so many in our world when it comes to God
- Many people know there is a God
- Maybe they even understand things about him thru creation
- But only Jesus is a ticket to actually KNOW God
- If there is one benefit to say about following Jesus
- It’s that you get to KNOW the creator of the universe
- GOD… shows me things in the Bible – I get to use 4 others
Tag: Next Paul says…
Phil. 3:10
3: You become like Jesus in his death
Now I know 4 me… I’m good w/ knowing Jesus… power of resurrection
- Am I excited about participating in his sufferings? (nope I’m out)
- Lets skip that line and stick with knowledge and resurrection
- Problem: Paul knows resurrection lies on other side of the cross
- Glory lies on the other side of suffering
- Hope lies on the other side of despair
- Paul understands that its in times of suffering
- That u know Jesus in a deeper way
- And that you become more like Jesus
- Suffering (some of u know) “can be” when u open ur life to H.S.
- It can be an incubator from growth
- B/C I know for me… when life is good – Its harder to grow
- I’m not stretched… I’m not refined… I’m not persevering
- But when things are hard… uncertain… painful
- That’s when I have to dig my feet in ground of God’s word
- Get on my face and pray for strength to make it through
- It’s in those times that we find the greatest growth
- It can be an incubator from growth
It’s becoming like him in his death
- Can translate it: Being continually conformed to his death
- Which is imagery of being conformed or reformed or shaped
- Think of a form to make concrete
- Take plywood and put it in the form you want to concrete to be
- Pour the concrete into the form that you want it to look like
- In time it hardens… when ready you take off the forms
- And you have a model of what the forms were
- We’re doing demo in room behind the stage… its all concrete
- Joel/Kyle/Myself are looking at the ceiling that’s concrete
- And we actually thought it might be wood
- B/C the plywood forms left perfect wood grain in concrete
- The concrete was shaped and imprinted by the form
- In time it hardens… when ready you take off the forms
- Paul is saying: Jesus life/resurrection is the form we are to live by
- The form we are to pour our lives into
- And what happens thru the years (particularly in suffering)
- We are hardened into an image of Jesus
- Then you take off the forms and wow… you look like Jesus
- I can see the grain of Jesus
- I can see the characteristics of Jesus
- You have an imprint of Jesus as the reflection of ur life
- The form we are to pour our lives into
Tag: and the reason Paul can say all of this with confidence and hope
Phil 3:11
4: You gain a brand new future in Jesus
This is what you and I get to look forward to
- That one day after death… after being present with the Lord
- There will be a resurrection of the dead
- And we will rule and reign with Jesus in a perfect world
- Will be no more pain… suffering… hate… masks… distance learning
- You will have the innocence of a child – wisdom of an elder
- This is what we get to look forward to
- But do we… do we have at least one eye on the horizon of future
- Think of that when you wake up in the morning
- Think of that when ur struggling with those who wronged u
- Think of that in the uncertainty of information u are waiting for
Because whatever cross is heavy on ur shoulders right now
- Remember that after the cross comes resurrection (literally)
- What happened to Jesus: death > burial > resurrection
- Happens to every follower of Jesus
- Physically (yes one day) but also Spiritually… Emotionally
- That’s how Paul can say all that other stuff he worked so hard for
- It’s skubalon compared to knowing Jesus…
- What do u need to start seeing as skubalon
- What are you valuing greater than Jesus…
- It doesn’t mean you have to get rid of it (maybe it does)
- But it does mean that it shouldn’t matter compared to Jesus
- It shouldn’t dictate your emotions
- It shouldn’t dictate your decisions
- It shouldn’t dictate your outlook on life
- Because Jesus is so much greater
And so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.