Havasu Christian Church
April 6, 2025
Study in Philippians
Philippians 3:1-14
“When a preacher says “finally,” does he really mean it?”
INTRO: Paul begins this passage today with the words, “Finally my brethren.” Usually when you hear something like that, you assume that the speaker is almost done. In this context, you would think this meant that the Apostle Paul had come to the end of what he had to tell the Philippian Church. (and us!)
BUT, we preachers sometimes have this problem… There is so much more to say! (Some other people fall prey to the same tendency.)
Instead of beating Paul up for being reminded of some other important truths, let’s see what he had to say!
Philippians 3:1-14 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 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,
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, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
(I) Rejoice! But Beware!
a. We are called to be people of joy!
i. Not momentary happiness.
ii. Joy comes from knowing that we are living in God’s will and whatever happens, He is in the middle of it!
1. We can be joyful, even when things are turning out differently than we planned.
2. We can be joyful, even when tragedy strikes us!
b. We are called to beware!
i. Beware of what/who?
1. The dogs.
a. Dogs were not pets back then. They were scavengers…
i. No one fed them, no one loved them.
ii. They were wild, dangerous animals.
iii. Years of the strong surviving… they were formidable, but cowardly.
ii. What is Paul talking about?
1. People who are like that!
2. Perhaps those same people he writes about;
Romans 6:1–7 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.
a. These folks have their own agenda.
i. In this case, “my family taught me that I can do what I want with my body, but my soul will remain pure, and I choose to believe it.”
2 Scripture says otherwise…
ii. I had someone once tell me “There are no calories in Church dinners!” I wish I could believe it!
2 Wishing does not make it so.
3 Believing does not make it so.
a. The Schizophrenic believes emphatically that the voices they hear in their head are real…
b. The “dogs” won’t typically come at you directly, but if they can get you from behind, they will!
c. The “dog people” will love you as long as they are getting what they want.
d. They often work in packs.
e. They destroy; they don’t build.
3. The evil workers.
a. Perhaps these are the Judaizers.
i. These people are trying to tell others how they need to live as “good Jews” if they want to be Christians.
ii. They put the emphasis on their works.
b. Paul refutes this.
i. He contrasts the “false circumcision.”
2 Paul uses a different word here.
a. Kat a to men = mutilation
ii. with the “True circumcision.”
2 Peri tome`= circumcision
a. They hold their circumcision as the “end all be all” of being followers of Jesus.
i. They think that because they have “done all the right things,” of the law, or had them done for them, that they are “all that.”
b. Those who are the “True circumcision” do not place our confidence in what we can do.
(II) Don’t put your confidence in the flesh.
a. Paul shows them how silly their argument is. He compares his life to theirs.
i. circumcised the eighth day.
ii. Of the nation of Israel.
iii. Of the tribe of Benjamin,
iv. a Hebrew of Hebrews;
v. as to the Law, a Pharisee;
vi. as to zeal, a persecutor of the church;
vii. as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.
viii. All in all, a pretty good pedigree.
b. Paul didn’t care about his pedigree.
i. “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”
c. Paul wasn’t too interested in anything earthly anymore.
i. ALL things are loss compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord!
1. for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,
2. Rubbish = useless or undesirable material that is subject to disposal, refuse, garbage ‘excrement, manure, garbage, kitchen scraps
ii. “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through….”
1. Christ is what is important… The rest, not so much!
(III) Don’t give up!
a. My righteousness isn’t mine. It comes through faith in Christ!
i. Trusting Jesus’ righteousness that He makes available to me!
b. This righteousness comes from God!
i. This righteousness comes from having Faith in Jesus!
1. I can’t earn or deserve it!
ii. This righteousness allows me to know Jesus!
iii. This righteousness allows me to know the power of Jesus’ resurrection.
1. When I know the Power of Jesus’ resurrection, it changes who I am and what I want to do!
a. Pleasing God takes 1st place.
iv. This righteousness allows me to “fellowship in His sufferings.”
1. That doesn’t sound like much fun.
a. But when our attitude is right, we are willing to suffer for Jesus’ sake.
v. This righteousness allows me to be “conformed to His death!”
1. He died for us, we should be willing to die if that’s what it takes to follow after Jesus!
vi. This righteousness gives me access to the resurrection from the dead!
1. My own righteousness? NOPE
2. Jesus’ righteousness? YES!
No human being could run and jump across the channel. Some could jump farther than others, but with the same result. Good thing there’s a bridge that anyone can cross! JESUS IS OUR BRIDGE!!
c. Paul hadn’t “already obtained it or have already become perfect.”
i. Paul had to “press on” like we all do.
1. So that he could finally, at his death, “lay hold of it.”
2. Paul wasn’t there yet, but he was moving forward.
a. How did he do this?
i. “forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
ii. Paul wasn’t going to quit until he died… And he didn’t!
iii. Paul left the past in the past!
2 I’m sure he was haunted at times by what he had done to Christians before he became a follower of Jesus.
a. But he didn’t let that stop him from serving his Lord!
i. In fact, I think being forgiven for so much motivated him!
iv. Paul made Serving Jesus his priority above all else.
2 His own comfort.
3 His own safety.
4 His own wants and needs.
5 His own health and welfare.
6 His own finances.
7 His own prestige.
a. All of that took a backseat to serving His Lord Jesus Christ!
How should all this effect my life?
· Rejoice but beware!
o Following Jesus is AWESOME! It is a life of joy!
§ But remember that there are people out there that Paul described as “wolves in sheeps’ clothing.”
· There are those who show a “good front” of being a Christian, but are teaching things contrary to scripture.
o Beware! Filter what you hear through the Word of God!
· There are those who seek to control instead of serve.
· Don’t put confidence in the things you do.
o You can’t jump over the channel anymore than I can.
§ Even if you can jump 2 times farther than anyone else, you still get wet.
· You and I are NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
o But JESUS IS THE BRIDGE!
· Don’t give up!
o The Christian life is a Marathon, not a sprint!
§ You keep grinding away at it.
· There will be sometimes when you run faster…
· There will be times when there’s a nice breeze…
· There will be times the sun tries to boil your brain.
· There will be uphill and downhills.
· It might even rain!
· But DO NOT GIVE UP!
Hebrews 12:1–3 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
