Joyful In Knowing Christ
Today we’re continuing our teaching series on a book of the bible called Philippians, and it’s a series about finding Joy In Everything. It’s about finding joy in daily life, and what we’re talking about specifically today is finding joy in knowing Christ. We’re talking about finding joy not in the resumes we’re building in life, but finding joy in knowing Christ. See everybody in here is building a resume...Both skeptics and believers are working hard building a resume, trying to pursue and achieve things we think will bring us deeper joy in life...What are those things for you?...What are you working so hard for in life?...What are you trying to pursue and achieve in life, that you think will bring you deeper joy in life?...Everybody in here is building a resume, working hard for things we think will bring us deeper joy in life. Today’s text is about knowing and pursuing Jesus as a far more stable joy, than anything else we’re building our lives on. Let’s turn to Philippians 3 and get into it. You can find Philippians in the last quarter of the bible, and we’ll be in Philippians 3:1-11. Title of the message is Joyful In Knowing Christ, and the big idea is the deeper you know Christ, the deeper your joy will be in life...The deeper you know Christ, the deeper your joy will be in life.
Here’s your context. The Apostle Paul writes this letter while sitting in a Roman prison facing the death penalty not for a crime, but for his faith in Jesus. So he’s innocent, sitting in prison, facing the death penalty, and one of the primary things he writes about is joy. The reason he’s able to write about joy in this situation, is because he’s found a joy in life that can’t be taken away by any suffering situation in life. In Ch. 1 he says that joy is found in Jesus. He says to live is Christ, but he also says to die is gain, because it means he’ll finally get to be in heaven with Christ. So he has joy whether he’s facing life or death because his entire life is deeply rooted in Christ, and today he’ll teach us the deeper we know Christ, the deeper our joy will be in life. So let’s check it out.
Philippians 3:1-11 states, “In addition, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evil workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh.” If you’ve been studying Philippians with us you’ll notice the sudden shift in Paul’s tone. In Ch.’s 1-2 he uses tender words like grace, peace, joy, and affection, but here in he’s using tough words calling people dogs, evil workers, and mutilators of the flesh. The reason for this sudden shift in tone, is because he’s being protective over the Philippians against a group of false teachers called the Judaizers. The Judaizers were a group of people who added to the message of Jesus, by telling people they had to follow the ways of Judaism, they had to do good deeds as a prerequisite for salvation and a relationship with Jesus. They’re like some Christians today who give the impression you need to clean up your life before you can come to Jesus, instead of teaching you need to come to Jesus and then he’ll help clean up your life. This is why some of you have been hesitant or have friends who are hesitant to step foot in a church. It’s because some Christians have given the impression you need to clean up your life before you can come to Jesus. Paul’s tone shifts because the Judaizers are doing the same thing. They’re adding things Jesus never required for salvation and a relationship with him. He’s getting protective because it’s confusing people and leading people away from Jesus. It’s leading people away from the deeper joy Jesus wants for them.
Vs. 3, “For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and don’t put confidence in the flesh...” Notice Paul says don’t put confidence in the flesh, meaning don’t put confidence in your good deeds. Don’t put confidence in your resume. In this text we’ll learn three things about our resumes. The 1st thing is your resume can’t save you...Your resume, your good deeds in life can’t save your life. Paul says don’t be so arrogant, so confident as to think you’re good enough to earn God’s love, grace, forgiveness, salvation. A lot of people think the primary message of Christianity is about being a good person and doing good things. They think it’s about following a list of rules, a list of do’s and don’ts like the Judaizers. Christianity certainly has some rules Jesus wants us to follow, but Paul’s saying Jesus offers us a relationship before the rules. The Christian message doesn’t start with something you have to do, it starts with a relationship you enter into. It starts with entering into a relationship with Jesus through faith in Jesus.Jesus offers us eternal love, grace, forgiveness, salvation, and an eternal relationship with him through faith in him and the good work he did for us on the cross. We need to put our faith in his resume instead of our own resume. Paul’s saying anyone who puts their confidence in their resume will fail miserably, because nobody can perfectly follow God’s rules. But Jesus being our incarnate God was able to live the perfect life we haven’t lived, and then died the death we deserved to die for our sins. So instead of putting our confidence in ourselves and our good works in the world, we need to put our confidence in Jesus and his good work on the cross.
Now this is completely different than the way our society functions, because the entire point of a resume is to impress. It’s to impress, brag, list a bunch of great things about yourself hoping to get accepted into something. For example, you send your resume to a college because you’re hoping to get into that college. You send your resume to a company because you’re hoping to get into that company. You put all kinds of great things about yourself on that resume, such as your GPA, degrees, skills, and achievements. You share these things because you’re hoping to get accepted into that college or company. But we do this in other areas of our lives too. In school we try displaying the best version of ourselves hoping to get accepted into certain peer groups. When dating we try displaying the best version of ourselves hoping to get accepted into a dating relationship with the person we’re attracted to. Our entire human society functions based on this resume system where we try displaying the best version of ourselves, and if we don’t get into that college, career, peer group, or dating relationship we feel rejected and joyless. But Paul’s saying with Jesus we can always feel accepted and joyful, because our relationship with Jesus isn’t based on our resume, it’s based on his resume. We don’t have to prove ourselves to Jesus or try to display the best version of ourselves to Jesus, because he’s already seen the worst version of ourselves. He’s already seen the stuff you’d never put on your resume, and he still went to the cross for you. He still went to the cross to save you, because he knew your resume couldn’t save you.
Again vs. 3, “Don’t put confidence in the flesh—4 although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; 6 regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.” Paul’s listing his own resume here to show he has greater credentials than the Judaizers. He says I have more, meaning he’s accomplished more in Judaism than any of the Judaizers. The things he lists aren’t that impressive to us, but in that culture it was considered extremely impressive. I mean he was considered an Ivy League Hebrew of Hebrews, who could trace his family lineage back to Abraham through the tribe of Benjamin. He was also a Pharisee, which was one of the most intelligent scholars and religious leaders in Judaism. Paul isn’t sharing these things to brag; he's sharing these things to prove that even though his resume is greater than the Judaizers, it still isn’t anything compared to Jesus.
This is the 2nd thing we’re learning about our resumes. The 2nd thing is your resume isn’t impressive...Your resume isn’t impressive enough to save yourself, and it isn’t impressive enough to give you eternal stability. Like I said before there are lot of people like the Judaizers, who think they can impress God with their good works and good deeds. It’s foolish if you think about it! I mean what could you possibly do that would cause the Creator of the 6 sextillion planets in the universe to say, “Wow! Look at what you did! What you did is so much greater than the 6 sextillion planets I created, or anything else I’ve ever done. I’m in so much awe over what you’ve done, that heaven is yours!” What could you possibly do to impress God like that?...There’s nothing you could do to impress God like that. So your resume isn’t impressive enough to save you, and it isn’t impressive enough to provide you with eternal stability. Paul was considered a great Jewish leader, but after meeting Jesus he realized his impressive religious resume was nothing compared to Jesus. He realized his religious resume couldn’t save him or give him eternal stability, and the same thing is true for us. Eventually something will happen in your life that’ll leave you feeling rejected and joyless in life, so you need to rely on a greater resume than your own to save you and give you eternal stability. You need to rely on the greater, more stable, more impressive resume of Jesus.
Vs. 7, “But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” What Paul cares about more than anything else in life, is knowing Christ Jesus. He’s saying his resume means nothing compared to knowing Christ Jesus. The reason he still has joy even though he’s lost everything, even though he’s sitting in a Roman prison facing the death penalty, is because he knows Christ. His life is evidence that the deeper we know Christ, the deeper our joy will be in life...The deeper you know Christ, the deeper your joy will be in life.
Vs. 8, “Because of Jesus, I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith.” When Paul uses the word righteousness here, he’s talking about a person’s resume before God. He’s talking about a person standing in front of God saying, “Look at my righteousness and how great I am. Look at all the good works and good deeds I’ve done in my life.” Paul says it’s all dung. He’s admitting even his own resume, accomplishments, good deeds are all dung, compared to Jesus. He realizes Jesus is far greater than his resume or anything else this world offers, which is the 3rd thing we’re learning about our resumes. The 3rd thing is your resume is crap compared to Jesus... Your resume and my resume is crap, it’s dung compared to Jesus. In the original Greek manuscripts the Greek word for dung is scubala. It’s a disgusting word that some English translations of the bible try using other words to soften it, but other translations keep the vulgarity. For example:
· The ESV says it’s rubbish.
· The NIV says it’s garbage.
· The CEB says it’s sewer trash.
· The CSB and King James Version says it’s dung.
· The Message says it’s dog dung. (Apparently they needed to specify what kind of dung.)
· The Wycliffe Bible says it’s a turd!...
How funny is that! The word turd is in the bible! It comes from the Greek word scubala, and the reason Paul uses this vulgar word, is because he wants us to realize Jesus is far greater than anything this world offers. He’s saying, “Everything I’ve put on my resume! Everything I’ve accomplished and worked so hard for in life! Everything I’ve pursued and tried to find joy in! It’s all a steamy pile of turds compared to Jesus!” What intrigues me is he’s saying this while sitting in a Roman prison facing the death penalty. He’s saying this during a time in his life when he’s lost everything! He’s lost his freedom, he’s lost his possessions, he’s lost everything, but he still has joy because the one thing he hasn’t lost is Jesus. He still has joy because he views all the things he’s lost as a steamy pile of turds compared to Jesus! Paul wants us to know Jesus like that, because when you know Jesus like that, you’ll have a deeper joy that can’t ever be taken away by any suffering situation in life. He’s saying everything on your resume, everything you’re working so hard for, everything you’re pursuing and trying to find joy in can be shaken and taken from you. But there’s a deeper joy that can’t ever be shaken and taken from you, and it’s the joy of knowing Jesus. If you want a joy that can be shaken and taken, then keep pursuing and looking to find your greatest joy in the world. But if you want a deeper joy that can’t ever be shaken and taken, then keep pursuing and looking to find your greatest joy in Jesus. The deeper you know Christ, the deeper your life will be in life. Everything else is a steamy pile of turds, that’s easily shaken and taken.
Vs. 10, “My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death, 11 assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.” Paul isn’t doubting he’ll eventually enjoy a resurrected life with Jesus. He’s assuming he might get executed by the Romans, which will finally allow him to enjoy a resurrected life with Jesus. It’ll finally allow him to know Jesus even more fully than he knows him now, since he’ll finally be in heaven face to face with Jesus. In vs. 10 Paul says this is his greatest goal in life! It’s to know him! It’s to know Jesus, above anyone or anything else. But what about you?...What’s your greatest goal in life?...What have you been pursuing the most in life?...
Everybody in here is building a resume. Both skeptics and believers are working hard to build a resume, to pursue and achieve things we think will bring us deeper joy in life. We can and should set goals in life for things like college, a career, marriage, family, increased wealth, and other things. But don’t make those things your greatest goal and greatest joy in life, because they aren’t stable enough to keep your joy in life. The reason you lose joy when you don’t get into the college or career you want, is because you’ve made those things your greatest joy...The reason you lose joy when your marriage and family isn’t going the way you want, is because you’ve made those things your greatest joy...The reason you lose your joy when life isn’t going the way you want or when your day turns into a steamy pile of subala, is because you’ve made something else you’re greatest joy instead of Jesus. But the reason Paul never lost his joy despite losing everything he had, is because he still had his greatest joy which is Christ. You’ll always have joy in life, when Jesus is your greatest goal and greatest joy in life. When knowing Jesus is your greatest goal and greatest joy, it frees you from trying to build your resume to pursue less stable joys, and it frees you from having to prove yourself to be accepted by God and others. You don’t have to prove yourself with good works, good looks, good impressions, when you know Jesus already saw the worst version of you, but still loved you and went to the cross for you. You’ll always have joy in life, when Jesus is your greatest goal and greatest joy in life. You can set all the goals you want in life, but if knowing and pursuing Jesus isn’t your greatest goal, then it’s all just a steamy pile of crap.
The big idea of the message is the deeper you know Christ, the deeper your joy will be in life...The deeper you know Christ, the deeper your joy will be in life...In this chapter Paul teaches our resumes can’t save us, they aren’t impressive, and they’re crap compared to Jesus. He teaches we need to lay down our resumes when it comes to trying to earn our way to heaven, and we need to lay down our resumes when it comes to trying to build our life on things that aren’t stable. He says if you want to get into heaven and build your life on something that’s stable, then you need to know Christ and build your life on Christ. You need to make it your greatest goal to know Jesus deeper than you currently know him. The deeper you know Christ, the deeper your joy will be in life.
Communion
Communion is a great reminder for us to find our greatest joy in Jesus. It’s a reminder that he died on the cross for our sins, so we could have a joyful eternal friendship with him. If you don’t believe he died on the cross for your sins, then please refrain from taking communion so you don’t go through the motions of this. Instead use this time to reflect on the message, and consider pursuing Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your life, over the less stable things in life. For those of you who already put your faith in Jesus we have three stations set up, and in a few minutes I’ll invite you to come forward to the station closest to you. If you have a gluten allergy the table in the back has gluten free bread. When you come forward we’ll give you a piece of bread as a symbol of the body of Christ broken for your sins, and you’ll dip it in the cup of juice as a symbol of the blood of Christ shed for your sins. After that you can eat, drink, and head back to your seat to pray before we close in worship. So at this time let’s have those of you who are serving Communion start heading to your stations, as we prepare to remember the good news of Jesus...
On the night Jesus was betrayed he took some bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it saying “This is my body which is to be broken for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you eat it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done for you.” When supper ended he took the cup, blessed it, and gave thanks for it saying “This is a symbol of my blood which is to be shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you drink it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done.” Respond to this good news by receiving and remembering. Receive his grace for your life, and remember to always find your greatest joy in him. Come as you feel led.