Choosing the Life of Joy: Joy in Sacrifice
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We typically seek for joy in the pursuit of happiness. It is a high value in our nation going back to our founding documents. However, the Apostle Paul teaches us that joy is found in sacrifice. When we identify with Jesus and His death on the cross, and live that sacrifice out in every corner of our lives, we find a greater and more resilient joy. This sermon, on Philippians 3:1-11 explores Paul's radical transvaluation of his life. Everything he once prized, he came to see as worse than garbage. Jesus became for Paul the "Pearl of Great Price." Also, we will explore how religion is the devil's cheap substitute for God's higher purpose for our lives, a deep and abiding relationship with our Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus.
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Choosing the Life of Joy: Joy in Sacrifice
- 3. “Most of those who fail to experience the joy of the Lord have refused to take up a cross!” Walter J. Chantry
- 5. First Point Joy in Sacrificing Your Credentials
- 6. Philippians 3 1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
- 7. Philippians 3 2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. κατατομή (katatomā) cut through
- 8. Philippians 3 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— περιτομή (peritomā) cut around
- 9. Philippians 3 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:
- 10. Philippians 3 5a (1) circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, (2) of the tribe of Benjamin, (3) a Hebrew of Hebrews; Paul identifies his three greatest birth credentials; his “pedigree”
- 11. Philippians 3 5b (1) as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 (2) as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; (3) as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Paul now identifies his three greatest accomplishments in Judaism.
- 12. Philippians 3 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
- 13. “Religion is a concern of the godless” Karl Barth
- 14. Second Point Joy in Sacrificing Everything
- 15. Philippians 3 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 (dung), in order that I may gain Christ
- 16. Philippians 3 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—
- 17. Philippians 3 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
- 18. 2 Corinthians 4 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
- 19. “Remember that Paul wrote this having experienced more suffering than we will ever experience, and he wrote it from the custody of Roman soldiers. This wasn’t merely theological theory and ideas, but a lived-out connection with God.” David Guzik
Editor's Notes
- Philippians 3:1-11 Joy in Sacrifice
- First Point
- Philippians 3 1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. “The entire phrase may be the Christian equivalent of the Old Testament exclamation, Hallelujah.” ( Ralph P. Martin)
- 2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. Hawthorne suggests that this repeated warning means more than “beware of”. Literally, it means “see”. Paul is exhorting the Philippians to take note of these outside agitators and to learn from their bad behavior. Learn from their hatred. Learn from their inconsistencies. Learn from their pride and their focus on religious externals.
- 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
- 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:
- 5a circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; Benjamin was distinguished by the fact that it gave Israel her first king, Saul (1 Samuel 9:1-2). It was the tribe that aligned itself with faithful Judah when Israel divided into two nations at the time of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:21). It was also the tribe that had the city of Jerusalem within its boundaries (Judges 1:21).
- 5b as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. There were not very many Pharisees, never more than six thousand, but they were the spiritual athletes of Judaism. Their very name means The Separated Ones. They had separated themselves off from all common life and from all common tasks in order to make it the one aim of their lives to keep every smallest detail of the Law.” (Barclay)
- 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. “The word ‘gain’ is plural in the Greek, namely, ‘gains.’... ‘Loss’ is singular. The various gains are all counted as one loss.” (Wuest) Notice that Paul is describing a transvaluation of values. He doesn’t see himself as having exchanged something good for something better. He squarely puts his former life in the loss column. Those things that he valued were actually distractions. They puffed him up and prevented him from truly connecting with God in a humble way. He had too much to be proud of. Comment on the danger of our cultural penchant towards “pride”.
- Second Point
- Philippians 3 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 There is an important change of tense here. Paul moves from the past tense… I counted as loss, to the present tense… I continue to count everything as loss. He also expands the scope of what he rejects as having been loss, moving from certain particular things… the things on his list, to “everything”. Relate this verse to Jesus Parable of the Pearl of Great Price. For Paul, the Pearl of Great Price is “knowing Christ” Such knowledge involves more than an acquisition of facts. It also involves “loyalty, repentance, love and service” (Beare, 114) Hawthorne, G. F. (2004). (Vol. 43, p. 191). Dallas: Word, Incorporated. Hawthorne, G. F. (2004). Philippians (Vol. 43, p. 191). Dallas: Word, Incorporated. Skubalon – dung, refuse, excrement, indescribable filth. This word was used, for example, to describe rotting food. This word ups the ante on the previous word “loss.” It is the strongest possible term for that which is deemed horrid.
- Philippians 3 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—
- 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. πίστις, “faith,” in its strictest sense, therefore, is not intellectual assent to a series of propositions about Christ but the act of personal trust in and self-surrender to Christ Hawthorne, G. F. (2004). (Vol. 43, p. 195). Dallas: Word, Incorporated. Hawthorne, G. F. (2004). Philippians (Vol. 43, p. 195). Dallas: Word, Incorporated. πίστις, “faith,” in its strictest sense, therefore, is not intellectual assent to a series of propositions about Christ but the act of personal trust in and self-surrender to Christ Hawthorne, G. F. (2004). Philippians (Vol. 43, p. 195). Dallas: Word, Incorporated. Becoming like him in his death.
- There are three special relationships here mentioned: Brother speaks of a relationship to be enjoyed. Worker speaks of a job to be done. Soldier speaks of a battle to be fought.