Rejoice in Knowing and Becoming Like Jesus

God has designed our world and given us an incredible capacity to create and enjoy wonderful things.

• Creation is beautiful. The seasons and change of seasons are beautiful.

• Whether we are talking green grass, fields producing food, mountain views, walks along the beach, or viewing a sunrise … there are many enjoyable things.

• If the world were not governed by certain laws and order then we could never have reached the moon, sent satellites to space, or seen the vast expanse of our galaxy.

• While we normally don’t care much, we appreciate how God designed us when we need medical care.

• Purdue fans are cautiously optimistic that the team ranked #1 earlier in the year will put it all together for the big dance. But cautious because other years have not turned out well. Winning it all, however, would create a frenzy in our community. There would be significant rejoicing.

• One of the heart wrenching images from Russia’s invasion is the number of men kissing their wives and children goodbye not knowing if they will ever see one another again. A woman on the news said, “I love my husband. I am not ready to say goodbye.” That sentence makes no sense if marriage is not enjoyable. Children and I am told especially grandchildren are enjoyable.

But all these things, as good and enjoyable as they are, are not to be our greatest joy or satisfaction. This space belongs to knowing Jesus and becoming like him.

I realize this is a standard Christian message. One we have heard many times.

• But let’s be honest.

• It is a message we need to hear because we would rather see our basketball team win than be like Jesus.

• We would rather enjoy unity in our family than know Jesus more.

• We would rather spend a week viewing our favorite scenes than we would grow to be like our savior.

• In fact, I suspect that knowing Jesus and becoming like him might be several rungs down the priority list.

That is why this message is so important and so needed (Today, I plan on preaching to myself and letting all of you listen to the conversation).

Please turn to Philippians 3:1-11. That is on page ____ of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you. Our annual theme is Growing in Gospel Gratitude. We want, on Dec 31, 2022, to be, as a church, a much more thankful group of people because of the gospel.

• We have been working our way through Philippians – a book dedicated to the joy that comes from genuine gospel partnership – to help us accomplish that goal.

Notice v. 1 (“Finally” does not really mean finally … it can be translated So, Then, or In Addition). It does not describe the last thing, but rather the next thing. Rejoice in the Lord.

• He returns to the theme he left in 2:16-18 and will now expand on what he means by “in the Lord.”

Read vv. 1-11. God desires that we know and become like Jesus. Thus, “Rejoicing in the Lord” in this context is Rejoice in knowing and becoming like Jesus. I am going to suggest three steps we can take to rejoice in knowing and becoming like Jesus.

I. Refuse to think that your gifts, abilities, actions, and accomplishments earn righteousness (vv. 2-7)

I saw an Instagram post that said, “Feed me tacos and tell me I’m pretty.” I laughed inside because I thought who wouldn’t want that or at least a version of it.

• There is something powerful, even addicting, about people telling us that we are awesome.

When I was young, I hated everything that had to do with language classes. Now that I am older and understand more about how my heart works, I know why.

• No one complimented me on my writing.

• I did not win any spelling bees and my essays were more likely to be used as examples of incompetence than anything else.

• Why would I want to study a subject or take a class where I will be constantly criticized?

Conversely, people evaluate us during the BCTC. Inevitably a few people will say something like “Green is my favorite.” I like those people. I invite them to dinner the next year 😊.

Sign me up for the class where I get tacos and I am told I am handsome! We all get that.

Thankfully, the Lord also provides a few people during the conference who say something different … “Please get Green off the teaching schedule and never let him return.”

• Or even better, is the reminder from Scripture.

In our spiritual journey we often want to think about how good we are. The Bible warns us not to go there. Notice

Philippians 3:3b “do not put confidence in the flesh”

That is the heart of what we are dealing with. Let’s refuse to buy into the lie that our gifts, abilities, actions, or accomplishments earn righteousness. Let’s do so …

Even when others try to convince you to put confidence in yourself (vv. 2-3)

Dogs, evil workers, and mutilators all describe the same group a people. There were called the Judiazers. They believed that to have a right relationship with Jesus you first needed to become a Jew. This meant that one must be circumcised and observe the law of Moses. Only then could a person add Jesus and enjoy a relationship with him.

• In Paul’s ministry, they often followed him. What Paul really meant was …

In essence, you had to get right with God first.

• Your confidence, according to v. 3, would be found in the rituals and rules. It was not that the law of Moses was bad or that circumcision was bad.

• They each had their proper place within salvation history. But when one group elevates something to a place it does not belong … that is a problem.

Last year I attended my uncle’s funeral. There were two services. One service focused on Christ and the gospel. The other service focused on “confidences in the flesh.”

• The priest reminded us that my uncle’s infant baptism was salvific. He reminded us that our prayers could help my uncle safely journey to heaven. He offered communion with the words, “the body of Christ.” We responded to various actions with a specific response – most of which I did not know.

I struggled to get through the service. But there was something strangely powerful about it. I am thinking, what just happened here was insane. I was not leaving comforted or encouraged.

• But many people left feeling like they were right with God. They did the right things and the priest told them that, at least for today, they were good with God.

• It was a classic illustration of putting one’s confidence in the flesh.

• I wanted the mic. I wanted to stand up and say, “don’t buy it.”

• You are not righteous because you were baptized as an infant.

• You are not righteous because you participate in the mass.

• The double talk happened and few were catching it (I was so angry I thought I might spontaneous combust right there in the service).

• If Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life then why am I praying that my dead uncle makes the journey safely to heaven? At the same time, if you do this and that, then you are right with God. It was an hour of double talk.

Our message is different than that because the Bible’s message is different. Our message is that all of us are one enormous hot mess. We are far more sinful than we even realize.

• We are quick to idolatry … especially the kind that praises us.

• We are prone to wander; Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.

• What I bring to the Lord is a hot mess.

The Lord gracious reminds us that rather than think about us, we think about Christ. We do not focus on outward circumcision, but rather the circumcision of our hearts done by the Spirit.

Romans 2:29b circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God

We remember that we belong to the Lord because he circumcised our hearts, by his Spirit. We do not believe it when people try to convince us of our own righteousness. Nor are we convinced …

Even when you enjoyed a privileged background (vv. 4-5)

Paul provide a little biography here and argues that if anyone would have the right to boast according to the flesh then it would be him. Notice the components of his argument.

1. Circumcised the eighth day

Circumcision was a visible sign in the OT that a person was in covenant with God. God’s people were commanded to circumcise on the 8^th day. For Paul … check.

1. Of the nation of Israel

There is a distinction between those who were BORN Israelites and those who became them sometime later. Paul was not just grafted into the nation. He was born an Israelite with Israelite parents. His flesh is in the direct line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

1. Of the tribe of Benjamin

The tribe of Benjamin is prevalent in the Bible. They are mentioned by name more than most other tribes and there are several prominent members. Here is a quick sampling.

• Benjamin is the son of Jacob’s favorite wife Rachel

• When Israel took the promised land, the tribe of Benjamin received Jerusalem. This means they had the localized dwelling place of God within their borders. To be near the presence of God was a special privilege and blessing.

• The first King is from the tribe of Benjamin.

• After Solomon the single kingdom becomes split and in 1 Kings 12, only two tribes remain faithful to the Davidic kingdom – Judah (tribe of David) and Benjamin.

• Esther and Mordecai, the ones god uses to save the nation from genocide, are from the tribe of Benjamin.

1. A Hebrew of Hebrews

By this time, the Israelite people had been scattered all over the ancient world. They no longer existed solely with the borders of Palestine. It was rather common for the Jews located outside of Israel to mix with the culture. They would give up the Hebrew and Aramaic languages for the Latin and Greek that was so prevalent everywhere else.

However, Paul and his family remained faithful to the traditions and the languages even though he was born in a Roman Colony. His family even arranged for Paul to study in Jerusalem under the famous teacher Gamaliel.

• He grew up in a faithful Israelite family.

Paul’s home was privileged. But that privilege did not produce righteousness. His list moves from family heritage to personal actions. We are not buying the lies from others, from our family history or …

Even when you have been sincere in your belief system (vv. 6-7)

Paul was not only born in the right family, he adds that he followed in his parent’s footsteps. He accepted, believed, and took specific action.

1. As to the Law, a Pharisee

First, he was a Pharisee. To be a Pharisee was to be a member of an elite, influential, and highly respected group of men who lived to know, interpret, guard, and obey the Law. These men devoted time, and energy into learning the Bible as well as the traditions. This was the pinnacle of OT scholarship. Paul would have been a teacher to the dogs, evil doers, and mutilators.

1. As to Zeal, a persecutor of the church

In this context Paul shows that he took extreme steps too. The Judiazers were not the only ones committed to their position. Paul was so zealous, like some great men of the Old Testament, that he became a persecutor of the church.

Galatians 1:13-14 “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; and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.”

The Judiazers were trying to convert Christians to Judaism. Paul says, “I did you one better. I attempted to destroy the church.”

1. As to righteousness in the Law, blameless

Paul is not claiming to be sinless. The law had offerings to make atonement for sin.

• The law was designed to help people understand the significance and seriousness of their sin. They had to offer something to God that was important and costly to them (the requirements of the offerings were based on economic status) It wasn’t like a rich guy could offer a dove (a poor man’s offering).

• So what Paul is saying is that regarding the requirements and customs of the law he followed each one to the letter.

Paul’s list is impressive. If you want to talk about blood lines and passion for God, I got you all beat.

• I was circumcised at the right time, I am a direct descendant of Abraham, a descendant of Benjamin (one of the greatest tribes in Israel), I maintained the family traditions and the languages.

• I learned the law to such an extent that I became a Pharisee. I persecuted the church because I thought were blaspheming God and worshipping a person rather than God.

• I even kept all the requirements of the law, offering sacrifices for my sins and living according to all the customs. IF anyone has a right to boast in the flesh it is ME.

I do not know anyone who would argue that they do not need Christ because they were a descendant of Benjamin, they were circumcised the 8^th day, or they persecuted the church.

• We argue differently (and brag differently), but our ending point is the same – I will earn my own righteousness by who I am and what I do.

• God will accept me because I am a good person, or I believe what I believe about God sincerely. There are many paths to heaven … we all worship the same God.

All these arguments are various forms of putting confidence in ourselves. Growing in Gospel Gratitude and Rejoicing in knowing and becoming like Jesus requires that we refuse to think of ourselves or our actions as righteousness itself.

If you know Christ, then we need to grow in thinking more about him and less about ourselves.

If you are here this morning thinking that you can earn your way to heaven or God let’s everyone to heaven, then this message is to help you see that you need a savior. Your righteousness is nothing but filthy rags. You need a savior to rescue you from your sin.

• There must be a time when you decide that you will never be good enough for God.

• There must be a time when you place your faith and trust in Christ alone.

• There must be a time when you will consider all your gains (both in family and in your behavior) to be one large loss for Christ.

• Why not make that decision today?

Let’s join Paul in an overall attitude of Philippians 3:7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Paul started with the negative. Beware of putting confidence in the flesh – in your heritage or your accomplishments. Paul moved all of that from the debit column (the deposit side) to the credit column (the withdrawal side). Now he turns to the positive part of this passage …

II. Boast and place your confidence in Jesus (vv. 8-9)

Philippians 3:8-9 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”

Once we take our eyes primarily off ourselves, that frees us to put our eyes on Christ. When we do, we …

Value Knowing Christ and His righteousness above our accomplishments

In v. 7 Paul described moving all his blessings from the deposit side to the withdrawal side of his account. Now, he uses even stronger language to describe his attitude.

He says that there is a new deposit side of the equation … knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Once he realized his need for Christ in Acts 9, at least four things happened:

• He moved all his privilege and actions to the withdrawal side of the ledger.

• His prior life with the various privileges he earned (remember he had a letter from the high priest authorizing arresting people) was gone. Knowing Christ cost him his former way of life.

• He considered his whole life prior to Christ as one huge pile of dung. How is that for an evaluation?

• He gained Christ and it was all worth it.

If nothing else God reminds us that knowing him is worth the loss. In fact, it is net gain. Paul does not look back and think about all he gave up. He thinks about all he has gained.

I gained Christ. I gained Christ. I gained Christ. He also graciously decided to add to my account his righteousness so that when God sees me, he sees the righteousness of Christ. Rather than my faults and failures, he sees the righteousness of his perfect son.

I love how D.A. Carson put this, “On one side stands everything the world has to offer, including the privileged world of learned and disciplined Judaism. On the other side stands Jesus Christ and “the righteousness from God and is by faith.” Paul insists that there is no contest.” (D. A. Carson, Basics for Believers, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996, 84).

One of the natural consequences of placing my confidence in Christ is that we then …

Live confidently and expectantly in Christ

Because I gained Christ and have his righteousness on my account my eternal destiny is settled. That means I have the privilege of living faithfully for Christ.

We should not complain about what we lost or sacrificed to gain Christ. We should live confidently and expectantly in him.

• Because I gained Christ nothing else is required.

In Philippians 1:6 we learned that he who started a good work will be faithful to complete it. Philippians 2:12-13 told us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling because it is God who is working in you.

We have every reason to live confident in Christ. Confident that he will complete his work and accomplish his will.

• We learned that Timothy did that. He learned to care about the interests of Christ because he gained him.

• Epaphroditus was willing to serve, even at personal risk, because he gained Christ. He was not worried about his illness; he was concerned that the church knew about his illness.

• These two men, along with Paul, exemplified what it looks like to live confidently in Christ.

This applies to each one of us.

• What encourages our spouses to want to live for Christ? It is watching us live confident in Christ. Who wants to follow someone who acts all bummed out and depressed? If Jesus makes you miserable, I will find someone else.

• What encourages your children to want to live for Christ. It is watching us live confident in Christ. Some parents display one face at church and another at home and then wonder why their children want nothing to do with Jesus. Sadly, the parents taught them that Jesus makes no difference in who you are. Who wants to follow that?

• Who wants to follow someone who a grump a work? Jesus makes you grumpy … I think I will pass.

It is far more compelling a testimony when a person says, “I gained Christ. I gained Christ. If you have not gained Christ yet, you are missing out.” It is far more compelling when parents, co-workers, and family members express their confidence in Jesus to accomplish his plans and purposes.

The more times we have watched the Lord work mightily the more examples we have proving that gaining Christ results in so many other gains as well. Our portion of Philippians closes with …

III. Press on in your knowledge and commitment to Jesus (vv. 10-11)

The Christian Standard Bible published by the Southern Baptists puts vv. 10-11 this way. “My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering, being conformed to his death assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.”

My goal … My goal … My goal.

God wants us to Rejoice in the Lord. Functionally, in this passage Rejoicing in the Lord equals Rejoice in knowing and becoming like Jesus. I think the better we know Jesus, the more we will rejoice. That means we need to know

Who He is and what He has done

This is a sermon series all to its own, but I want to quickly share two passages about God.

Exodus 34:6-7a Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin

Isaiah 55:7-8 Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

I have a great savior. I have a great Jesus. I have a God who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth who forgives transgression, iniquity, and sin.

• I have a God whose ways are different from our ways because he wants to abundantly forgive where I would want to be done.

At times I am amazed at how annoying I am. I think I might be tempted to be done with me. But God is not like me.

• He doesn’t quit on me, but rather wants to abundantly pardon.

God is not like me because he is slow to anger where mine is quick. He is compassionate where I am harsh.

• He abounds in covenant love and I abound in contract love.

The more we get to know him the better and the more that we will rejoice. In fact, I want to issue you a little challenge. I challenge you to make a list of ways you have experience God’s compassion, his grace, his slow to anger, and forgiving qualities.

Indeed, the Lord is not like us and the more we get to know him, the better he is. We need to know … experience the …

Power of his Resurrection

To know the power of his resurrection is another amazing statement. I don’t have time this morning to trace “power of his resurrection” through Scripture. However, it is a theme in Paul’s letters.

• He reminds us that the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead operates in the lives of his children.

Paul wants to experience that power working in and around him. The longer he walks with Christ, the more times he sees resurrection power.

• When have you seen the Lord do something great in your life?

• When have you seen the Lord use resurrection power in the life of someone else?

Paul says, I want to see more and more and more resurrection power operating in my life. Is it possible that the Lord has been working and you have not noticed?

At times I get asked, “do you ever get discouraged in ministry?” My answer is only when I forget about God’s resurrection power. Until then I always live with hope that God can change anyone (me included) at any time.

We need to endure the …

Fellowship of his sufferings

Suffering comes from at least 4 sources.

• Living in a sin cursed world. People die of cancer, heart disease, and various diseases every day. It is part of life in a world waiting for redemption.

• Living around sin cursed people. Many Ukrainians are suffering not because of what they have done, but because they live in a contested land.

• Our own foolish choices. Sometimes we suffer the natural consequences of making a foolish or sinful decision.

• Because we love Jesus.

There is no joy in suffering from our own foolishness. But Jesus was acquainted with the others. When we suffer, we learn a bit more about Jesus’ experience. We join him in enduring what is undeserved.

1. Knowing your future is secure

Verse 11 could be a little disconcerting if we did not understand Paul’s intent. Paul is not wondering whether he or not he will experience resurrection. He is wondering how.

His future is secure. That is not debatable.

• He wonders whether he will be alive when Jesus returns or whether Jesus will take him home through death. This security allows us not to trust in the false believe that we need to earn salvation.

• This frees us to focus on knowing him better and becoming like him as we rejoice in experiencing his resurrection power that currently works in us and as we join his experience in suffering.

Rejoicing comes as we place no confidence in our ability to earn righteousness and instead express confidence in this awesome Jesus who we want to know better and become more like.