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What Counts with God
Sunday, May 28, 2023
Pastor Jerry Tom
Weekly Bulletin | Worship Lyrics
Philippians 3:4-9
Phil. 3:4-9 - 4 though 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 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have 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 a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith
Worthless Riches (v. 4-6)
Lose to Gain (v. 7-8)
Both Poor and Rich (v. 9)
Worthless Riches (v. 4-6) - 4 though 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 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law,[c] blameless.
circumcised on the eighth day (3:5a)
Jer. 4:4 “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.”
of the nation of Israel (3:5b)
Deut. 7:6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”
Rom. 9:27-28 “27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel[c] be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved”
of the tribe of Benjamin (3:5c)
A Hebrew of Hebrews (3:5d), as to the Law, a Pharisee (3:5e), as to zeal, a persecutor of the church (3:6a)
As to righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless (3:6b)
“Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.”
What are you putting your confidence in for God to give you eternal life?
2. Lose to Gain (v. 7-8) - “7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”
Acts 22:6-8 “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazereth, whom you are persecuting.
four statements - “I count everything as loss”, “I suffered the loss of all things”, and “count them as rubbish” and lastly “that I may gain Christ”.
because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. (3:8)
“there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men[c] by which we must be saved - Acts 4:12
Jn. 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
Jer. 31:33b-34 “And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Jn. 10:14-15 - “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
“Does Jesus need to be your Lord or sovereign over you in order for you to be saved?”
Luke 6:46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
Jn. 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
True believers want to love and obey God, whereas the unbeliever has no struggle to love God, because they have no desire to love God, which is why there is also no desire to obey God. Even though a true believer is not perfect, there are consistent marks of obedience to God in a believer’s life.
How you answer these questions really answers the question if you count all things as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ my Lord.
3. Both Poor and Rich - v. 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith
Rom. 1:17 “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Luther called it as both sinner (poor) and righteous (rich)
“not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law” (v.9)
John MacArthur’s definition of having faith in Christ - “Faith is the confident, continuous confession of total dependence on and trust in Jesus Christ for the necessary requirement to enter God’s kingdom. And that requirement is the righteousness of Christ, which God imputes to every believer.” The very last statement of this definition is very important “the righteousness of Christ, which God imputes to every believer.”