Out With The Old and In With The New Phil 3:7-16
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Intro: Welcome FE, my name is Josh Aguilar, I am one the Elders here at FE, we are glad you are here joining us this New Years Eve, never a bad idea to bring in the new year worshipping the Lord among his people. New Years Eve is a good time to pause and reflect on life, plans, goals and look to the future in 2024.
Intro: Welcome FE, my name is Josh Aguilar, I am one the Elders here at FE, we are glad you are here joining us this New Years Eve, never a bad idea to bring in the new year worshipping the Lord among his people. New Years Eve is a good time to pause and reflect on life, plans, goals and look to the future in 2024.
As disciples of Jesus our goal, our aim is to be like Jesus, more and more with every new day. In our passage today I want us to take some time to reflect on our lives as disciples of Jesus, reflect on what or who we put our trust in, what we place value on, what are we striving for, what do we need to forget, what do we need to pursue, what do we need to give up, out with the old and in with the new.
When we look at Phil 3:10, Paul writes some amazing words,
Philippians 3:10 (ESV)
that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Paul says his goal is
to Know Jesus and the power of his resurrection - knowing Jesus is more than just knowledge about Jesus, although knowledge about the facts are necessary. I enjoy fishing, but I didn’t know much about fishing until I moved to Arkansas in 2010, we met a man named Bo, who taught me all I wanted to know about fishing. The knowledge was transformational because I applied the knowledge to my life. Alec Motyer says “nothing is truly known until it becomes part of your daily conduct.” When Paul says I want to know Jesus, he is saying I want to take the life and teachings of Jesus and pattern my life after His. When we look at knowledge in this way, knowledge becomes transformational.
The Bible takes this word to know even deeper, when Paul says I want to know Jesus, he is saying I want to be transformed by Jesus but he is also saying I have a deep, intimate, personal union with Jesus. Jesus is who Paul lives for who he desires to please above all because of the deep personal union he has with him. It is a union all believers have with Jesus. What does this involve?
share his sufferings - Jesus suffered, I am not just talking about the cross, he suffered homelessness, he suffered abandonment by family and friends, he went hungry, people gossiped about him, spoke evil about him. He was tempted by the devil. Jesus suffered. Being like Christ leads us to Calvary, suffering, trials and temptations are all events in our lives to make us more like Christ. We must have a proper perspective to the sufferings, trials and temptations in our lives because the Lord uses them to make us more like Jesus.
becoming like him in death - When we read this statement in light of Philippians 2, Paul said “have this mind among yourselves, which is your in Christ Jesus” and then he goes on to talk about how Jesus in humility came to earth, in the form of man, suffered, to point of death on a cross. Becoming like him in death, Jesus came to serve, we are to serve one another. Those who want to be first should be last, those who want to be great must be the least. Humility and service are how we become like Jesus, that is why Paul says “in humility count others more than yourselves. Let each of you not only look to his own interests but also to the interest of others.” When we serve in humility like Christ. we may experience a life of persecution. This is what Paul was experincing as he was writing this letter to the church in Phillipi from Prison.
I want you to notice something, which is important, Paul starts backwards, with Jesus’ resurrection and then moves to his death. I believe Paul does this on purpose for two reasons,
The first reason is the resurrection is the doorway to knowing Christ. Without the resurrection our faith is futile, worthless, in vain. But because Christ rose, His resurrection seals the victory of our salvation. Christ resurrection takes away deaths sting, Christ resurrection takes away the victory from hell. For the disciple of Jesus, the power of the risen Christ is the doorway to the discipleship path with Jesus, to knowing Jesus.
The second Reason is the resurrection of Christ is not just the doorway but it is also points to the fact that we are not left alone to share his sufferings, we are not left alone to become like him in his death, the resurrection points to a Saviour who is with us, because he is alive and the power that raised Jesus from the dead is made available to us, to strengthen us, lead us, keep us.
In 2024 I want to know Jesus and the power of his resurrection more than in 2023. In 2024 I want to experience the power of the risen Christ as I share his sufferings. In 2024 I want to serve in humility depending on Christ to use me for his glory. I want Jesus to be greater in my life in 2024.
With the rest of our time I want to go over the questions in your bulletin and my hope is you will save these questions and reflect on them through out 2024. The first…
What do you place your trust in more than Christ?
When you read the context of Philippians 3, there were false teachers coming into the church and trying to convince them they needed circumcision and Jesus, Paul called them those who mutilate the flesh. Paul goes on to say we must put no confidence in the flesh, and then he takes an interesting turn and says I have reason to have confidence in the flesh:
circumcised on the 8th day - Legacy & Family Heritage
of the people of Israel , the tribe of Benjamin - Community
a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the law, a Pharisee - Reputation
as to zeal, a persecutor of the church - Passion
as to righteousness under the law, blameless - Morality
Paul was saying look at my resume, if there is anyone who can place trust in something other than Jesus it is me. What do you place your trust in more than Christ? What are you looking toward to save you and give you a better life?
is it family
is it relationships
money
work
pursuing life liberty and happiness
Education
These things that I just mentioned are good things, but sometimes we take good things and elevate them to ultimate things and think if I just had this in my life, my life would be great and we we live our lives to attain these things because we are putting trust in these things to change our lives. Paul says everything I used to trust in, everything i looked to for salvation, I give it up for the sake of Christ, for knowing Christ.
Philippians 3:7 (ESV)
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
Which leads us to our next question…
What do you need to count as loss for the sake of Christ?
Philippians 3:8–10 (ESV)
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 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— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Paul said I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of Christ. What do you need to count as loss to grow in Christ, to know Christ more? What is holding you back from growing in Christ? Is it something we have mentioned already or is it something else?
Paul said I count everything as loss, compared to Christ they are rubbish, that greek word gives the idea of worthless trash or sewage. What do you need to count as loss for the sake of Christ? Another way to phrase this question is what are you valuing above your relationship with Christ right now?
How much value do you place on knowing Christ?
Paul has already said that knowing Christ is supreme above all other things. Pauls says
Philippians 3:8 (ESV)
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
Jesus is of supreme worth to Paul, Jesus was above all else because Jesus is above all, and knowing Jesus is of supreme value Paul gave up everything. The question that we need to ask is how much value do you place on knowing Christ? Are you willing to give up everything to pursue Christ? What are you holding on to, right now that you are not willing to give up for Jesus?
When you see Jesus for who he really is, when you see Jesus and his supreme worth, you begin to have the perspective of Paul and consider the things you once held so dear to your heart as worthless compared to knowing Christ.
Am I striving for the goal?
Philippians 3:10–14 (ESV)
that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
I want you to notice two things in this section, the first is the language Paul uses; he says “I press on” twice, “one thing I do”and “straining forward” this is language you would use for running in a race. This type of language would be familiar to the Philippians because of the Olympic and Isthmian games. He is referring to the runners passion and focus, to push himself with all he has to finish the race. Are you running with passion and focus? Are pushing your self with all you have to finish the race? Are you striving for the goal? With the language Paul uses he is letting you know it is going to take work and endurance. Notice Paul gives you the motivation, he tells you why he runs with focus, passion, why he strives, he doesn’t do it to earn favor from God, he already has God’s favor, Paul says I do it because Christ has made me his own, Paul does it because of what Jesus has done for him.
We also need to notice that Paul makes sure to let the Philippian church know, guys i am not perfect, I have not attained perfection, but perfection is my goal, becoming like Jesus is my goal. Why is Paul working so are hard to be like Jesus? because that is the call of God for disciples of Jesus. This is the ultimate goal and one day when we see him we will be like him.
What do I have to forget to pursue what is ahead?
Philippians 3:13 (ESV)
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
What do you have to forget to pursue the call of God on your life. I can imagine there were many things Paul had to forget to pursue the call of God on his life. Paul, before he was a believer, persecuted the church and killed disciples of Jesus. There were things Paul had to forget in order to press on and pursue the call of God on his life. What do you have to forget? What from your past continues to haunt you? What from your past tells you your not good enough? What form your past tells you you are worthless? What do you need to forget to pursue what is ahead?
I was watch a TV show which involves a guy who began to coach futbol, and one of the players was on defense, made a wrong move and the player he was guarding scored a goal while they were practicing and you can see this player was beating himself up over the fact that he missed the goal. The coach calls him over and asks a question, “do you know what the happiest animal on earth is? and the guy looks at coach like the coach is crazy, and he says “i don’t know” the coach tells him a goldfish the coach says “do you know why?” the player still looking confused says “No” the coach says “because he has a 10 second memory” and then he tells him, Be a goldfish, Sam.” We all have a past, we all have sins we struggle with, mistakes we have made, we all have something we are ashamed of and we have an enemy who loves to remind us of our past sins and failures. When we come to Christ they are forgiven, cast into the sea of forgetfulness. Jesus brings peace, forgiveness and healing, he removes the guilt of our sins. We need to learn how to be a goldfish, learn from our mistakes, grow from what we have learned but don’t dwell on them. What do I have to forget to pursue what is ahead?
Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
As we grow up into maturity with Christ, Paul says think this way, sometimes it is too difficult, some times you want to give up, sometimes you feel like you just cant go on… Paul says hold true to what you have attained, don’t give up look to the power of his resurrection to strengthen you and empower you continue the race to attain the prize. Let us bring in the new year with a passion and focus to know Jesus and the power of his resurrection and run the race no matter the obstacles we face.