Rejoice in the Lord

Ken, welcome. Welcome. Thank you, Nick.

We're delighted to have you and you, Rachel.

Now, Ken, tell us a little bit about yourself.

We know that you're a member of the Middleton Church.

Yeah, Rachel and I have been going to the Middleton Church for nearly three years now.

And we must say that we've just found tremendous community and welcome

among the Baptist churches of Cork.

Shortly after we started going, the Munster Bible College course began.

And it was perfect timing for me because I was looking for something like that

to kind of get some sort of good understanding of the Word of God.

And I have to say we've grown from strength to strength as a couple

since joining Middleton Church under Andy, who has been very good to us.

Thank you. How did you come to know the Lord? Just very briefly.

Very briefly, short version.

There is some Christianity in my background.

My father is a faithful Christian and he was very faithful to us.

Growing up, he was very faithful to kind of share the gospel with us as we grew up

and, you know, just to read the Bible to us every night.

But, you know, regardless, and because of some mixed up ideas I had in my own head,

I just went off and started doing my own thing in my teens.

And very quickly, I just kind of found myself in the party scene socializing.

And one day, when I was at home, there was a knock on the door and there was two men doing cold calls

from the Cork Baptist Church.

And they shared a very simple gospel message with me, a message I was very, very familiar with.

But they said to me, you know, perhaps you should read a Bible if you have one, which I did.

And, well, there was some bit of a struggle for understanding.

Initially, I have to say, my life turned around dramatically at that point.

I think I finally really repented wholeheartedly of who I was and who I was trying to be.

And the Lord has been so faithful to us ever since.

And shortly after that, six months later, I met Rachel.

Six months later, we were engaged.

A year after that, we were married.

And here we are, really.

You know, it's been that fast, you know.

Okay, now we get the chance to ask Rachel how you came to know the Lord.

Oh, that's a tricky one.

That's a tricky one.

And we gather how you found Ken, or Ken found you.

Well, it's kind of a long story, but I'm not too sure that I was saved when I thought I was.

But I think the Lord was always drawing me to him.

But it was kind of after I met Ken and a few other things happened, the Lord really showed us, you know, the real truth of his word.

We had kind of some very funny ideas about things.

I don't think I understood sin properly.

So I couldn't repent properly.

If you don't understand it, you know, you don't know what you're being saved from.

So I think it was a journey along the way.

Just even since I met Ken, since we ended up in Middleton, I think the Lord has really, it's probably a process.

So I don't know if there's a bang on time.

But he's been very faithful to us.

Thank you very much.

There's a lot of truth in the line of the hymn, O love that will not let me go.

That's so true in my life as well.

So thank you very much.

Ken, will you stay here?

Ken's going to bring us God's word.

And we look forward to that.

I have something to put my water on.

Oh.

Don't mind if I take charge of the pulpit.

Okay.

It's been a lovely welcome we've received here.

As part of my prep for the sermon this morning,

I took the time to listen to all the other messages on this series on the church website,

which is a fantastic resource.

And I must say I was very blessed by it.

And it's great to hear such faithful preaching in Cork.

So anyway, I suppose we'll begin by reading our text.

So if you turn to Philippians 3, and we're going verses 1 to 11.

That's page 1180 in the Church Bible.

Philippians 3, 1 to 11, page 1180 in the Church Bible.

And we'll read it together.

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.

It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again.

And it is a safeguard for you.

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil,

those mutilators of the flesh.

For it is we who are the circumcision,

we who worship by the Spirit of God,

who glory in Christ Jesus,

and who put no confidence in the flesh.

Though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh,

I have more.

Circumcised on the eighth day,

of the people of Israel,

of the tribe of Benjamin,

a Hebrew of Hebrews,

in regard to the law,

a Pharisee,

as for zeal,

persecuting the Church,

as for legalistic righteousness,

faultless.

But whatever was to my profit,

I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

What is more,

I consider everything a loss

compared to the surpassing greatness

of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,

for whose sake I have lost all things.

I consider them rubbish,

that I may gain Christ,

and be found in Him,

not having a righteousness of my own

that comes from the law,

but that which is through faith in Christ,

the righteousness that comes from God,

and is by faith.

I want to know Christ,

and the power of His resurrection,

and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings,

becoming like Him in His death,

and so,

somehow,

to attain the resurrection from the dead.

Heavenly Father,

thank You for Your precious Word.

Thank You for Your great kindness to us,

that You would choose to reveal Yourself to us

through Your Word this morning.

I pray that by Your Spirit,

You would open the minds,

the hearts,

and the ears of all of us here

to receive the Word.

And I pray that it would do the work

that You would have it do in us,

even now,

here,

and today.

For Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Before we begin to examine our portion of God's Word for today,

I thought it would be helpful to do a recap

of what you've covered in this series up until now.

Where we are in chapter 3,

we're just passing the halfway point in Paul's letter,

which is as good a time as any to take stock,

and also because the first verse in our text

assumes that we have read or heard

what was written up until now.

Let's consider the letter as a whole for a moment.

Paul's letter to the Philippians

is commonly known as the epistle of joy,

and rightly so.

However,

our modern understanding

and usage of the word joy

has changed somewhat from its original concept,

and a brief recap of the messages from recent weeks

will help remind us of that.

I'm going to take a little bit of time

to set this up,

because I want you to understand this concept of joy.

A good understanding

of the biblical idea of joy

is very important for grasping

what is at the core of Paul's message.

As we have been hearing through this sermon series,

Paul was enduring extremely difficult circumstances

as he wrote,

or as he more likely dictated this letter.

The Philippians themselves

were not unfamiliar with suffering,

as we will see later.

You see,

joy is something that is not without context.

Joy is not something that is without a wider setting

that gives it meaning.

As you may have gathered from the other sermons,

or know yourself from direct experience,

joy is something that becomes very real

in times of difficulty.

In fact,

joy is something that is hard won

in hard times.

But joy is not an end in itself.

So let's quickly go to the beginning of the letter.

The epistle opens in chapter 1 with gratitude.

Paul greets them

with an expression of heartfelt thankfulness to God

for the people of the Philippian church.

Paul is almost always grateful

in his letters for people,

not circumstances or things.

He is grateful for their loyalty to him

and for their partnership with him

in the work of the gospel.

His gratitude is enhanced

by his sure and certain confidence

in the God who had saved them.

And yet he would bring

that divine work he had started in them

to completion

on the day that Christ returns.

Paul goes on to express to them

that in his concern for the church,

he had the same type of sacrificial love for them

as Christ did.

He wanted this love to abound between them

as they lived and suffered for Christ together,

even as he was absent from them

because of his imprisonment.

He told the Philippians

how even his imprisonment

should be a source of joy for them.

As Paul found himself chained

to Roman guards in his cell,

he realized that he had a captive audience.

Because of this,

the gospel message

had now been smuggled

into the very heart

of the imperial household.

Paul didn't even mind

that there were those

who were now dismissive of him

in his absence.

In fact,

he drew comfort from it

and rejoiced.

Because of these people's rivalry

with Paul,

even as they explained

the message they were seeking

to undermine,

Christ was being proclaimed.

And Paul rejoiced.

Paul rejoiced

and drew comfort

even as he awaited

an uncertain fate in prison

because he knew

that either by his life

or by his death,

the kingdom would advance.

The Philippians' experience

of persecution

was a sign to them

of their salvation

because,

as he explains to them,

suffering has been appointed

to the life of every believer.

Even the presence of persecution

could be a source

of assurance for them.

In chapter 2,

he orders them

to continue

to strive together

in mutual,

humble service

for the sake of the gospel

by giving the example

of Christ himself.

Christ set aside

every privilege,

every right,

and every entitlement

he had

in service to us,

just as Paul wished

the Philippian church members

would do for each other.

They should serve each other

without complaint,

remembering

that they were living

their lives

in the sight

of a holy God

and so shine

as lights

in a crooked

and twisted world.

In so doing,

they emulated

Christ,

their Savior.

More comfort,

more joy.

Paul also knew

that he might

very well

not leave prison alive,

but rejoiced

and drew comfort

from this too

because

if he was martyred,

he would then

be with Christ.

He reminds the church

that even his death

in service

should be a source

of joy to them

as it was to him.

Chapter 2 concludes

with Paul's commendation

of Timothy

and Epaphroditus

as worthy role models

for the church.

These two servants

had proved themselves

to be selfless

in their work

for the gospel

and were precious

to Paul.

Paul was willing

to send them back

to the Philippian church

because they were

uniquely qualified

to provide

the selfless leadership

that they needed.

They were exemplars

of joy

and concern

for the welfare

of the church.

I want you to note this.

Paul loved

this church.

he really loved them.

His affection for them

is warm

and it's real

and it shines up

from the page.

He anticipates

their concern

for them

in prison

and he seeks

to reassure him.

He is deeply grateful

for their gift

that they had sent

to him.

He knew them well.

They were Christ-centered

together.

They had struggled

and suffered

for the gospel

together.

They had suffered

affliction

together.

They had suffered

persecution

together.

They had experienced

profound and deep

fellowship together

because nothing

opens and softens

the heart

like suffering.

Paul was so fond

of them

that he boasts

about the Philippian church

and their near neighbors

in his letter

to the churches

in Corinth.

This is 2 Corinthians 8,

1-5

and I'll just read it

for you.

You don't need to go there.

And now,

brothers and sisters,

we want you to know

about the grace

that God has given

the Macedonian churches.

In the midst

of a very severe trial,

their overflowing joy

and their extreme poverty

welled up

in rich generosity.

For I testify

that they gave

as much

as they were able

and even beyond

their ability.

Entirely on their own,

they urgently pleaded

with us

for the privilege

of sharing

in this service

to the Lord's people.

And they exceeded

our expectations.

They gave,

first of all,

to the Lord

and then,

by the will of God,

also to us.

This warmth

and love

that abounded

between Paul

and the members

of the church

in Philippi

had been forged

and shaped

in the heat

of seething

and violent opposition.

They all knew

that their suffering

was part of the deal.

They accepted it

as normal.

Even more than that,

they saw it

as a sign

of their salvation

from God.

As they stood together,

holding firm

to God's word

and serving

each other loyally,

they comforted

each other

in their grief.

They bound up

each other's wounds

and encouraged

each other,

remembering

that even

their very ability

to serve

was a gift

from God.

They rejoiced

in the God

who one day

would finish

the work

he had started

in them.

This

is the proper

context

for joy.

Joy

is not really

a feeling

or a mood

or an emotion.

It is not euphoria

or even happiness,

although it can lead you there.

It is an attitude.

Better still,

it is a deliberate approach

to every circumstance

that is founded

on a sure

and certain

confidence

in God's promises.

This is what Paul

means

when he says

rejoice.

Joy

does not

well up within us

when our circumstances

change for the better,

but happiness

might.

No,

joy

or confidence

in God

gives the grounds

for contentment

even in dire

circumstances.

It does not

necessarily

overflow

into happiness,

but it can.

If it leads

to a feeling

at all,

then it leads

far more often

to a peace

or a feeling

of security,

even when

all your circumstances

suggest otherwise.

This is a better

sense

of the biblical

concept of joy.

And no,

this is where we turn

to our assigned text

because this is where

it begins.

It begins

with joy.

So let's go to

chapter 3

and verse 1

and read it together.

Finally,

my brothers,

rejoice

in the Lord.

It is no trouble

for me to write

the same things

to you again

and it is a safeguard

for you.

Rejoice in the Lord.

Why?

Because the Lord

is the source

and grounding

of our joy,

our confidence.

There is no

other place

to find joy

joy.

And Paul makes

no apologies

for repeating

himself,

for writing

these same things

about joy

over and over

again throughout

his letter.

Why?

Because,

as Paul says,

joy in the Lord

or confidence

in the Lord

is a safeguard

for us.

It protects us.

Now that seems

like an odd

statement,

doesn't it?

why would Paul

say that joy

is safe?

Does that mean

a lack of joy

is dangerous?

Well,

joy is safe.

Here's another way

of putting it,

by asking another

question.

What is it

exactly

that protects us

when we're vulnerable?

and I'm referring

specifically now

to moments

of temptation.

The temptations

that beset

all of us,

particularly

in moments

of acute

suffering

or opposition,

will try

and separate

us from

our source

of joy

and confidence

by offering

a false

alternative.

When the

beta of

temptation

is presented,

what is it

that reminds

us of our

right priorities?

Isn't it

God's word?

The word

that tells us

about God's

love for us.

His love

that is so

deep,

mysterious

and profound

that it shows

us in him

even before

the foundation

of the world.

That love

which caused

him to set

aside

the glories

of heaven.

That love

which compelled

him to become

a man,

living a short,

sorrowful

and painful

life in

perfect obedience

on our behalf

so that we

could be credited

with his

perfect work.

That love

which compelled

him to die

an agonizing,

wretched death

in our place.

Taking the

punishment we

deserved,

knowing he would

rise again to

glory and reign

over us

as one of us.

That love

which takes

delight in

interceding for us

even now

before the

Father

as our

great and

merciful

high priest

and our

loving elder

brother.

Joy

or confidence

in God

makes temptation

to sin

seem bland

by comparison.

It makes

any temptation

offered

repulsive.

Joy

is a

deliberate act.

Joy in the

Lord

prayerfully

reminds itself

of God's

promises

and lets

the bait

of temptation

rot on the

hook.

Now that

Paul

has assured

his beloved

Philippian church

of the benefit

of joy,

of confidence

and trust

in God

as a safeguard,

he now

points out

the danger

that awaits

them because

obviously

there is

something he

needs to warn

them about.

Joy is not

a Pollyanna

mentality

where we're

all in a

journey together

being wafted

along in a

gentle breeze

under the

loving gaze

of a

mutant

benign God.

There is

real danger

for this

Philippian church

but they

can't beware

of the

danger

unless they're

first being

made aware

of it.

To verse

2.

Watch out

for those

dogs,

those

evildoers,

those

mutilators

of the

flesh.

Now that

Paul is

absent from

his beloved

congregation

and confined

to a

prison cell,

he is

concerned for

his brothers

and sisters

in Philippi.

He anticipates

that even as

he communicates

to them,

there are

wolves closing

in on his

beloved flock.

These were

the Judaizers.

Judaizers

were false

Christians who

would press

gang naive

believers into

thinking that

they had to

conform to

defunct old

covenant laws.

Paul knew

that he would

not be around

to give a

point-by-point

rebuttal to

their teaching.

So,

clever teacher

that he is,

he applies

some memorable

labels to

these false

preachers to

draw attention

to the lies

that are in

their message.

He first

calls them

dogs.

Unlike our

modern world,

where kittens

and puppies

receive worship

on the internet,

dogs in

Paul's era

were an

unwelcome

sight.

They were

feral and

riddled with

diseases,

and they

would eat

anything,

no matter

how repulsive.

Dogs

was an

insulting

nickname for

Gentiles,

used by

self-righteous

Jews who

were proud

of their

dietary laws

and hygienic

eating practices.

These laws,

along with

others,

were now

being added

to the

gospel of

God's grace

by these

Judaizers.

They were

preaching a

gospel of

law-bound

righteousness,

a profoundly

evil act

which subverts

the gospel

of God's

grace.

And hence,

Paul's ironic

name of

evildoers for

these deceitful

preachers.

These men

were preaching

their own

self-righteousness.

They sought

to draw the

Philippians

trust away

from the

past faithfulness

and future

promises of

God and

focus on

their own

accomplishments

and religious

compliance.

This is a

recipe for

both self-condemnation

and for

sinful pride.

However,

his most

cutting insult

is reserved

for their

preaching of

circumcision.

Mutilators,

he calls

them,

revealing how

their practice

of circumcision

is nothing

more than

an empty

religious ritual,

no better

than the

self-cutting

Baal

worshippers

who battled

with Elijah

on Mount

Carmel.

To verse

three.

For it is

we who are

the circumcision,

we who

worship by

the Spirit

of God,

who glory

in Christ

Jesus,

and who

put no

confidence

in the

flesh.

for all

their legal

bluster

and

bloviating,

these false

preachers

who are

adding all

these extra

requirements

to the

gospel of

Christ

were in

fact merely

heaping

condemnation

on themselves.

Not merely

because they

were preaching

another gospel

as awful

as that

was,

but also

for thinking

that they

could be

righteous

apart from

God.

Remember,

Abraham was

justified by

faith before

he was

circumcised.

The great

irony is,

as Paul is

showing,

that these

Judaizers were

in fact the

new Gentiles.

Christians

were now the

true circumcision

who worshipped

by the Spirit

and put no

confidence in

our own

ability to

keep a set

of laws or

to please

God by our

own works or

the fulfillment

of rituals.

The Old

Covenant had

run its

course and

had served

its purpose

and had

demonstrated our

inability to

keep these

requirements.

The gospel of

grace teaches

us that Christ

has done all

these things on

our behalf,

and more than

that, he is

the very

fulfillment of

those things.

Now, as we

turn to verse

four, we see

that if anyone

had grown

to base

their joy or

their confidence

in their own

works, it

was Paul.

Verse four

to six.

Though I

myself have

reasons for

such confidence,

if someone

else thinks

they have

reasons to

put confidence

in the flesh,

I have more.

Circumcised on

the eighth day

of the people

of Israel,

of the tribe

of Benjamin,

a Hebrew

of Hebrews,

in regard

to the law,

a Pharisee,

as for zeal,

persecuting the

church, as for

righteousness based

on the law,

faultless.

Paul didn't

just dismiss

these Judaizers

out of hand.

On their own

terms, he

excelled them

all.

Again, he is

anticipating that

these false

teachers would

sweep into the

sanctuary with

their heads

high, regaling

these wide-eyed

and innocent

believers with

their impressive

knowledge of

old covenant

laws and

requirements.

They would

have them

bound up with

their laws and

their loopholes

in minutes flat,

and Paul knows

it.

And he sets

out to pop

their bubbles

with a list of

achievements that

none of these

wolves could touch.

This is not

ego.

This is

argument,

because it is

crucial that he

pulls the rug

out from under

these deceivers.

Paul had

every one of

the qualities

required by the

Judaizers, and

more.

He was circumcised

on the eighth

day according to

the letter of

the law, not

later as an

adult convert.

He was of the

people of Israel,

or a true Jew

racially and able

to verify his

lineage, speaking

of which, the

tribe of Benjamin,

who along with

Judah were of

Jewish royalty and

very prominent.

And the very

fact that he

knew his tribe

at all showed

that he also

knew there had

been no mixed

marriages in his

ancestry, because

all the tribal

records had been

destroyed during

the Babylonian

invasion.

He was a

Hebrew of

Hebrews.

He had

inherited and

had been

maintaining the

tradition, the

language, and the

culture of his

people wholeheartedly.

He was a

Pharisee, a

member of a

sect that had

the aim of

drawing the

Jewish people

back to a

proper observance

of the law of

God.

Now, initially,

this movement was

sincere, but by

Jesus' time, had

become mostly

legalistic and

crushing.

However, even

still, Paul was

not merely a

Pharisee.

He was not

merely just making

up the numbers.

Prior to his

conversion, he had

been a zealot to

the point of

persecuting the

church.

He saw it as

his duty to

crush this

cult, these

followers of

the Nazarene

blasphemer,

Jesus.

Lastly, he

was blameless

before the

law.

Now, Paul is

not claiming to

be sinless, but

he is saying that

his obedience to

the law was

wholehearted and

it was sincere.

Insofar as

anybody could

obey the law,

he did.

And not only

that, he did

it better than

anyone.

This is where

Paul left these

teachers in the

dust.

He had outworked

and outstriven

them all.

But he is not

finished.

This is where he

turns their false

gospel upside

down and pulls

it inside out.

Verses 7 to

9.

But whatever

was to my

prophet, I

now consider

loss for the

sake of

Christ.

What is

more, I

consider everything

a loss compared

to the surpassing

greatness of

knowing Christ

Jesus, my

Lord, for

whose sake I

have lost all

things.

I consider them

rubbish that I

may gain Christ

and be found in

him, not having a

righteousness of

my own that

comes from the

law, but that

which is through

faith in Christ.

The righteousness

that comes from

God and is by

faith.

All these gains

he had.

All these

achievements.

All those years

of striving.

Years of dogged

obedience.

years of

theological

accomplishments.

Years of

memorizing

scripture.

Years of his

cultural reverence

and deference.

All of it

was worth

nothing.

Paul says

that he

considers it

all garbage.

And he's not

merely saying that

these things are

disposable.

But much

worse than that,

they are

repulsive.

repulsive as

excrement.

The word

Paul uses,

skubalon in

the Greek,

is a startling

image.

It does mean

excrement and

there is no

getting around

that.

Paul is saying,

and I'm not

going any

further than he

is here,

that if you

Philippians strive

to please God

in your own

strength,

according to

these Judaizers

teaching,

if you try and

please God with

your own

accomplishments,

if you grasp

onto your

own morality,

your own

achievements,

and your own

status to try

and haul

yourself up

that sheer

cliff,

you will find

to your

horror that

you'll have

grasped hold

of something

rather unpleasant.

That disgust,

that revulsion,

that is what

Paul is

alluding to.

And that

disgust,

that dismay,

and even

horror,

is the

proper response

to religious

attempts to

please God.

Not because

God is in

heaven,

lying on a

futon somewhere,

kind of like

mulling over

what a great

legalist he

isn't,

but because

God actually

is perfectly

holy.

He is

perfectly good,

and perfectly

righteous,

and pure.

He detests

sin.

He is

totally

unlike us.

Let's take

a look at

Isaiah,

who was

another

religious

athlete,

by the way.

When he

was confronted

with the

divine vision

in chapter

six of his

book,

what was

his response?

Let's turn

there,

actually,

to Isaiah

chapter six,

and we'll

go through

it together,

Isaiah six.

And that

is page

690 in

the church

Bible,

Isaiah

six.

Sorry,

my lectern is

coming down

here.

All right.

Isaiah

chapter six,

690 in

the Bible.

In the

year that

King Uzziah

died,

I saw

the Lord

seated on

a throne,

high and

exalted,

and a

train of

his robe

filled the

temple.

Above him

were seraphs,

each with

six wings,

which with

two wings

they covered

their faces,

with two

they covered

their feet,

and with two

they were

flying,

and they

were calling

to one

another,

holy,

holy,

holy,

is the

Lord

Almighty.

The

whole

earth

is full

of his

glory,

and at

the sound

of their

voices,

the doorposts

and thresholds

shook,

and the

temple was

filled with

smoke.

Woe to

me,

I cried,

I am

ruined,

for I am

a man of

unclean lips,

and live

among a

people of

unclean lips,

and my

eyes have

seen the

King,

the Lord

Almighty.

Then one

of the

seraphs flew

to me,

with a

live call

in his

hand,

which he

had taken

with tongues

from the

altar.

With it,

he touched

my mouth,

and said,

See,

this has

touched

your lips,

your guilt

is taken

away,

and your

sin

atoned

for.

Isaiah,

who was a

devout Jew,

and a true

believer,

believer,

when confronted

with the

sight of

God,

was

horrified,

terrified.

What did

he say?

Woe to

me.

He thought

he was

lost for

all eternity.

Suddenly,

and instantly,

he was

excruciatingly

aware of

his sin,

in a way

he had

never been

before.

His sin

was now

naked and

exposed.

It was

writhing and

shrieking in

the unbearable

light of

God's throne

room.

But then,

a curious

thing happens.

One of the

seraphim

picked up

a live

coal with

a pair

of tongues,

pressed it

to Isaiah's

tainted

lips,

and said,

see,

this has

touched

your lips,

your guilt

is taken

away,

and your

sin

atoned

for.

Like

Paul,

Isaiah

had his

gospel

moment.

He

realized

that he

did not

have a

righteousness

of his

own that

comes from

the law,

but that

which comes

from God

on the

basis of

faith.

Faith

in Christ's

atoning

sacrifice

as sufficient

to cover

his sin

and objective

guilt

before God.

That's how

he could

count

everything

else,

everything

else,

as loss.

let's go

back to

our text

in

Philippians

3,

and we'll

go to

verses

10 and

11.

I want

to know

Christ

and the

power of

his

resurrection

and the

fellowship

of sharing

in his

sufferings,

becoming

like him

in his

death,

and so

somehow

to

attain

to the

resurrection

of the

dead.

Still,

as we

come to

the end

of the

passage

for today,

what does

that mean

for us?

How do we

apply this?

It's all

very well

saying that

we should

consider our

status and

achievements

rubbish,

but how does

that lead

to knowing

the power

of his

resurrection?

It means

this,

Philippi

was an

obedient

church,

and Philippi

was a

suffering

church.

Paul was

an obedient

servant,

and Paul

was a

suffering

servant.

And

obedience to

Christ,

following

Christ,

means that

we too

will suffer

for him.

Paul had

only just

said earlier

in chapter

1,

verse 29,

for it

has been

granted

to you

on behalf

of Christ

not only

to believe

in him,

but also

to suffer

for him.

Paul wants

his beloved

brothers and

sisters in

Philippi to

prepare for

the inevitable

continuation of

their suffering

by turning

worldly

values

upside down.

what does

he say to

them and

to us

in our

text today?

Rejoice.

Draw your

comfort from

the promises

of God.

This will

keep you

from the

temptations

of a

worldly

mindset.

Speaking of

which,

set aside

worldly

religious

attempts

to please

God

with works

or rituals

or supposed

spiritual

feats.

It is

futile

and will

only foster

a competitive

spirit.

Suffering

and loss

is the

price of

obedience

in God's

upside down

economy.

We draw

our strength

and our

confidence

from the

certain

promises

of our

all-powerful

God.

This is

the heart

of Christian

joy.

And this

is the

heart

of Paul's

letter.

Where Christ

led the way

by setting

aside his

divine

privileges,

Paul reveals

to us

the same

process

as it

works out

in the

regenerated

mind

of the

believer

who,

upon

finding

treasure

hidden

in a

field,

sells

all that

he has

and buys

that field.

I'll

close

with this

fundamental

truth of

the New

Testament.

Here it

is.

The more

faithful you

are to

Christ,

the more

you will

suffer for

him.

And the

deeper the

fellowship you

will have

with him.

That's

knowing

Christ,

not merely

knowing about

him.

What deeper

fellowship could

we have with

Christ than

to lay our

lives down

for the same

cause that

he did?

to reach

a lost

world,

to minister

to his

beloved and

suffering

church.

Back in

verse 8,

when Paul

says that

he counts

everything as

lost,

that he

might gain

Christ,

he is

using

accounting

terminology.

We could

say that

those of

these losses

are nothing

by comparison

to the

kingdom of

heaven.

We

shouldn't

over

spiritualize

this.

They are

still tangible.

These

losses will

cost you

something.

They will

hurt here

and now.

The good

news is

we don't

do this

alone.

That is

the purpose

of the

church.

And we

won't have

to do it

forever.

We will

strive for

the gospel

together.

We will

suffer

affliction

together.

We will

suffer

persecution

together.

If we

do those

things

together,

then we

will

experience

profound

and deep

fellowship

with Christ

and with

each other.

Because

nothing opens

and softens

the heart

like mutual

suffering.

Lastly,

Paul ties

knowing Christ

to participation

in his

sufferings.

participation