Forgetting What Lies Behind, Pressing Forward

August 16, 2026 · Philippians

Series · Philippians · Week 44 of 47

Scripture referenced 7 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Romans 5 opening encouragement read before worship song about hope and God's love through the Holy Spirit

1 Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
2 through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope:
5 and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6 For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a righteous person someone would even dare to die.
8 But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him.
10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.
11 Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
12 Therefore as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and so death passed to all men, because all sinned.
13 For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come.
15 But the free gift isn’t like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
16 The gift is not as through one who sinned: for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses to justification.
17 For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.
18 So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.
19 For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous.
20 The law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly;
21 that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Philippians 2:19-3:14

main passage for the sermon, read and expounded throughout

19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing.

20 For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you.

21 For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.

22 But you know the proof of him, that, as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News.

23 Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me.

24 But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly.

25 But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need;

26 since he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick.

27 For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.

28 I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such in honor,

30 because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.

2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;

4 though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more:

5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;

6 concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

7 However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ.

8 Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death;

11 if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

13 Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,

14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

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Philippians 1

referenced for Paul wrestling between living and dying and taking pride in Christ Jesus

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ; To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and servants:

2 Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God whenever I remember you,

4 always in every request of mine on behalf of you all, making my requests with joy,

5 for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now;

6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

7 It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace.

8 For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

9 This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;

10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ;

11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

12 Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News;

13 so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ;

14 and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.

15 Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will.

16 The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains;

17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News.

18 What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice.

19 For I know that this will turn out to my salvation, through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose.

23 But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

24 Yet, to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake.

25 Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,

26 that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again.

27 Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

28 and in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God.

29 Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf,

30 having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear is in me.

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Ephesians 2:8-9

cited on salvation by grace through faith not of yourselves

8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

9 not of works, that no one would boast.

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Ephesians 2:10

cited on being God's workmanship created for good works prepared beforehand

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

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Romans 6

referenced in connection with baptism, buried with Christ into death and raised to walk in newness of life

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2 May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer?

3 Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection;

6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.

7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him;

9 knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no more has dominion over him!

10 For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God.

11 Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

13 Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

14 For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.

15 What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be!

16 Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?

17 But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered.

18 Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness.

19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification.

20 For when you were servants of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

21 What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

22 But now, being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life.

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Romans 15:5-6

spoken as benediction about God of endurance and encouragement granting harmony and one voice to glorify God

5 Now the God of perseverance and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus,

6 that with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

The sermon worked through Philippians 2:19 through 3:14, covering Paul's personal greetings about Timothy and Epaphroditus before turning to a sharp warning against trusting in religious credentials rather than Christ. The preacher kept the text personal and practical, drawing a straight line from Paul's situation in prison to the unity struggles inside the Philippian church. The invitation at the end was simple: set down the weight of religiosity and take hold of what Christ actually saved you for.

What was said

Paul opens this section by telling the Philippians he is sending Timothy to them. The reason is direct: Timothy is the only person around Paul who genuinely cares about their welfare rather than his own interests. Everyone else, Paul says, is looking after themselves. This connects back to what he already said earlier in the letter about doing nothing through selfish ambition. Timothy's proven character, not a resume, is the credential that qualifies him.

Epaphroditus is the second figure Paul names, and his story carries a different kind of weight. He came close to dying on the errand the Philippians sent him on, and Paul admits plainly that if Epaphroditus had died, the grief would have been more than he could take. The preacher pointed out that this sits inside a letter full of commands to rejoice, and Paul does not hide the tension. He is a man in prison who does not know his own fate, and he is honest about that.

The word "finally" appears in the text, which looks like Paul is wrapping up, but he is not finished. He repeats the command to rejoice and calls it a safeguard, meaning it is something solid enough to help the reader stand. The preacher paused on that word and described it as reliable, trustworthy, built on ground that does not give way. The point is that Paul is not just repeating himself to fill space. He is writing it again because what is coming next requires the reader to be steady.

The warning that follows is aimed at Judaizers, people telling Gentile Christians they had to observe the Jewish law to be genuine believers. Paul calls them dogs, which the preacher noted is a complete reversal of the way Jews had used that word toward Gentiles. Paul's point is that the true circumcision is those who worship in the spirit of God, not those who rely on outward marks in the flesh. This is the division Paul is trying to protect the church against.

To press the point home, Paul lists his own credentials: circumcised on the eighth day, tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, blameless under the law, a persecutor of the church. The preacher addressed a caller who had wondered why Paul keeps talking about how good he was, and the answer is that Paul is making a list only to throw it out. He counts it all as rubbish, and the preacher used the Greek word scubula, which he described as something closer to a coarse word for waste. The list is there so that when Paul discards it, the discarding means something.

What Paul counts as gain instead is knowing Christ Jesus as Lord. He wants to be found in Christ, holding not a righteousness built from law-keeping but the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith, the same faith credited to Abraham. The preacher connected this to the baptism language that appears a few verses later, being conformed to Christ's death and raised to walk in newness of life, and said that picture comes up every time someone is baptized at the church.

Paul closes this section by saying he has not arrived yet, and the preacher took that seriously. After all the missionary journeys and beatings and prison time, Paul still says he is pressing on, forgetting what is behind and reaching forward. The preacher compared it to driving: the rearview mirror is small and the windshield is large for a reason. The goal is not past accomplishment or past failure. It is the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, which Paul is still moving toward with breath in his lungs.

Touch points

Things you could actually do this week.

Write down the things you have relied on to feel religiously acceptable and ask God to help you count them as nothing compared to knowing Christ.
If you have been holding something against someone, work through the steps the pastor described: hear their confession, name the hurt honestly, and say the words 'I forgive you' out loud.
Stop rehearsing a past failure or wound this week and deliberately turn your attention to what God has in front of you rather than what is behind you.
Come to the 4 PM meeting today in the fellowship hall for the Zambia and Costa Rica trip discussion, even if you have no plans to go on either trip.
Get the contact information from KC or Brian so you stay connected to the Seeking Truth in Your Twenties group after the summer events end.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

Paul says he is sending Timothy because Timothy will genuinely be concerned for the Philippians' welfare rather than seeking his own interests. When you have seen division start in a group, what difference did it make whether the people trying to help had that kind of proven character?
The preacher pointed out that Paul admits to sorrow upon sorrow at the thought of losing Epaphroditus, right in the middle of a letter full of calls to rejoice. What does that tell you about what joy in the Lord actually looks like in practice?

and 3 more questions in the guide

Open the study guide

Resumen en español

El mensaje resumido, en español.

El pastor comenzó reconociendo el tono muy personal de esta sección de Filipenses. Pablo le escribe a la iglesia de Filipos diciendo que les va a enviar a Timoteo, alguien de carácter probado que genuinamente se preocupa por ellos, no como otros que solo buscan sus propios intereses. También les manda a Epafrodito, quien casi muere cumpliendo la misión de llevarle ayuda a Pablo en la cárcel. El pastor señaló que en medio de todo el llamado a la alegría que hay en esta carta, Pablo admite con honestidad que habría sufrido un dolor enorme si Epafrodito hubiera muerto. Eso es algo muy humano y real.

Luego el pastor se enfocó en el pasaje donde Pablo advierte contra los que exigen seguir la ley religiosa como requisito para ser buenos cristianos. Pablo lista todas sus credenciales religiosas, circuncisión al octavo día, de la tribu de Benjamín, fariseo, blameless ante la ley, y después dice que todo eso lo considera basura comparado con conocer a Cristo. No se trata de lo que uno ha hecho o dejado de hacer religiosamente, sino de la justicia que viene de Dios por medio de la fe. El pastor usó la imagen del espejo retrovisor y el parabrisas para ilustrar lo que Pablo dice sobre olvidar lo que queda atrás y seguir adelante hacia la meta.

El mensaje terminó con una invitación abierta. La idea central fue que Dios quiere liberarnos del peso de tratar de ganarnos su favor con obras religiosas, y que lo que realmente vale es conocer a Cristo, el poder de su resurrección y la comunión en sus sufrimientos. Pablo mismo dice que no ha llegado a la perfección, pero sigue adelante porque hay una obra que Dios preparó para cada uno.

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Pasajes bíblicos mencionados

Romanos 5 (versículo de apertura sobre la esperanza y el amor de Dios)
Filipenses 2.19 - 3.14 (texto principal del sermón)
Filipenses 1 (el pastor hizo referencia al pasaje sobre vivir es Cristo y morir es ganancia)
Juan 4 (Jesús y la mujer samaritana, adorar en espíritu y en verdad)
Romanos 6 (el bautismo como ser sepultados y resucitados con Cristo)
Gálatas o Génesis (Abraham creyó a Dios y le fue contado como justicia, citado de memoria)
Efesios 2.8-9 (salvados por gracia mediante la fe, no por obras)
Romanos 15.5-6 (bendición final)

Read the full transcript 6,034 words

Find in this transcript

Speaker 2Good morning, everyone. Welcome to first b. Would you stand with us in song? And we're gonna lead you into worship. Here's an encouraging word from Romans five to lead us.

Hope will not just lead to disappointment for we know how dearly God loves us because he he's given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. We're gonna sing My Hope Is In You.

Speaker 3Good morning, everybody. Hope you all are doing good this morning. Can you say good morning?

Speaker 1No. If you haven't

Speaker 3been here before, welcome. I hope you've been greeted and welcomed. If you haven't, I'd love to get the opportunity to do that. I'm still a little winded from carrying chairs. We've got at 10:00 right after this service, we've got a really awesome breakfast.

So come and enjoy that with us. The first yeah. That's first announcement. Second is seeking truth in your twenties. It's the last night, which is which means summer's almost over, which is really sad.

But, yeah, it's the last night. So if you've been coming, come again. If you haven't been before, still come. It was you still get a great meal out of it and get to talk about who Jesus is. And but one other thing about that, there's still gonna be some events, like, spread out after the summer season.

So if you've been a part of that, get make sure you get the number of KC or Brian and stay plugged into that group text that they're gonna circulate. So, yeah, that's it for that. And then last, I know we talked about it last week, old bills fund run and how that works with our benevolence fund. So just recap, I mean, our benevolence fund is such a really cool way that our church and you guys have an opportunity to meet physical and spiritual needs in this valley. And so hold on now, Josh.

So last week, we were talking about there's a certain season of giving, like a certain window of time. Now we're in that time frame. So when we give through the link on our website, through old bills, there's a secret formula. It's not a secret, I just don't know it. That like multiplies our giving, or at least adds to it.

So make sure you if that's something you want to be a part of and you want to know more on the math, get with Nick. Otherwise, give, and I promise it'll be money well spent. Lastly, we have a trip coming up two trips coming up, Zambia, Costa Rica in November. I'm sure you all heard this a billion times, but we have a meeting for both trips today at 4PM in the fellowship hall. And we're going through the book, something needs to change by David Platt.

Now I was doing some last minute reading, and it's really wrecking me, the amount of physical and spiritual need in not just here, but all over the world. And so it's a really good study. I need to wrap it up. It's a really good study. So even if you don't want to go on those two trips, I still invite you to come and just be a part of that conversation.

Let's pray. Lord, thank you so much for this church body. Thank you for a cooler weather after such hot summer. And we just pray that we can just slow down and worship you and really just get to share in the fellowship among other believers this morning. What a what a blessing that is, Lord.

We love you so much in Jesus' name.

Speaker 2If you could stand up and greet one another. Great. Amen. You can have a seat. I'll ask the ushers to come forward.

We're gonna do the worship through giving part of the service. Ray, would you pray for us? God

Speaker 1almighty. God almighty. We are overwhelmed, lord, to be here together as this little representation, the body of Christ and we're thankful lord for your presence here with us right now and we just ask your blessing on this ceremony, this offering, this day, these conversations, this family, and lord, we what we wanna do is we wanna be a blessing to this community and extend it to the very ends of the earth. So, lord, we want to do your will and your way. We want for you, lord, to bind up the brokenhearted.

We want for you to proclaim peace to those who are in turmoil. We want we want to proclaim peace to those who are in turmoil. We also, lord, want to speak to those who are captive, that you set people free. So, Lord God almighty, may we be about your continuing work. Thank you, Jesus for what you've done and show us.

Lord, through your spirit what we should be doing. In Jesus name, we ask you to bless this offering, both the gift and the giver. Lord, but we we want it to go and do with it whatever you will. In Jesus name, amen. Amen.

Amen. Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I don't know if y'all have noticed what a reunion it is from up here. I'm seeing people from everywhere.

All kinds of stuff has brought y'all into town this week and we're here together and having a ball. So, I'm excited. We're in Philippians. Van continued last week and I was on the highway headed back this way. I let out Saturday afternoon after getting paddles Paschal settled in at school, and I got here Monday before sundown.

And my folks left Sunday after church and they got here Thursday. But I left with intent and they left to see the country. So they're here this morning. I wanted to give you a fair warning. If you see somebody that looks kinda like me, that's slightly older.

It's probably my dad. But my my mom and dad and my brother are all here this morning. And I'm glad to see all of y'all. See folks from all over all over the place. Philippians, this is what we're up to.

Two nineteen and it's gonna go till 03:14 this morning. There's a section that sounds like he's about to end the letter. So usually when Paul has his letter, it's the hey, howdy do, grace and peace to you. Love y'all. Thankful for you.

There's a few things we need to talk about and then personal greetings, right? Timothy says hi. This one is it looks like it's going to do that and then, it picks back up again with some more instructions. So, here we go. We're we'll see how it goes.

But I hope, it says, in the Lord, Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. So, I'm sending out Timothy and I'm expecting he's going to come back and bring a report. Now, that sounds a little bit like I got my eye on you and it kinda is. He's saying though, I'm sending you Timothy for I don't have anybody else here is who is of kindred spirit who will genuinely genuinely be concerned for your welfare. Now, knowing what we already know from the book of Philippians and knowing what we'll see in the next chapter two, there is division that is creeping in.

We've got division between a couple of parties that are starting to form and Timothy was there with Paul when the gospel was planted and started to take fruit there in Philippi and he says, I'm sending you Timothy. You know him and he knows you and he's going to remind you of this stuff that I've already said in the letter so far and I'm about to say it again. I don't have anybody else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. If I send anybody else, I'm afraid they take sides. For they all seek after their own interest and not those of Christ Jesus.

He's still not saying they're not brothers and sisters though, okay? He's just saying, they're looking out for themselves and not really looking out for Christ Jesus but Timothy will and so I'm I'm sending you Timothy. This reminds me of the chapter before where it says, let nothing be done through selfishness or vain conceit but in loneliness of mind, you should emulate Christ's humility, right? He's seeing that they're looking out for their own interest. They have some selfish interest involved but Timothy is not like that and I'm going to send them to you.

If you you know of his proven character, it's not somebody you're going to have to get to know and I tell you what, when division starts in the church, say it starts to be when you approach a conversation, you approach it like this and you're kind of leaning back with your arms folded and wondering, is this guy on my side or is it on the other side? And you know of Timothy's proven character that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. If you have any respect for me and for Timothy, that's why I'm sending them. So, that's Timothy. Therefore, I hope to send him immediately.

I'm planning on sending this letter with him right now. As soon as I see thou thee how things are going with me, I'd like to give you a little more information about the court dates and all that business. Right? But I'm sending him soon. And I trust in the Lord that I myself will also be coming shortly.

He's looking forward to seeing him again. You know that first chapter where he says, I my God upon each remembrance of you. I can't wait to see you again. He's really really longing for them. But I also thought it necessary not just to send Timothy but Epaphroditus.

Now Epaphroditus is someone from among them. Epaphroditus, he's my brother and he's my fellow worker, and he's a fellow soldier. Now, you might see that and go, soldier, why would he say soldier? It might have been that Epaphroditus was actually a soldier because Philippi was one of those places where soldiers went to retire. And it's a good guess that Epaphroditus might have also been a soldier but he's saying soldier for the cross.

He's somebody who soldiers up and gets ready and goes with it and comes along. He is your messenger and he's your minister to my need. So he brought what you sent to me and man, it was great. Thank you. Because he was longing for you all and he was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.

He was sick. Actually, he says, indeed he was and he was sick even to the point of death but God had mercy on him. So, he did not die. He was sick to the point of death but God had mercy on him and not only did God have a mercy on him by not letting him die but also on me so that I wouldn't have sorrow upon sorrow. Now, this is interesting for Philippians because the whole book has been about rejoice, rejoice, rejoice no matter the what the circumstances, joy, joy, joy, rejoice in Lord always.

Again, I say rejoice. And he says, I'm glad that Epaphroditus didn't die. I don't think I could have took that. Sorrow upon sorrow. He is in jail.

He has been through a lot. And he did not know what his future was. In fact, if you'll remember back just to the last chapter or this same chapter, he says, I don't know. I don't know which way it's going. For me to live as Christ to die is gain.

I don't know which way it's gonna go, but I'm glad Epaphroditus made it. I'm glad he's coming back to you. Therefore, I've sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again, you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about y'all. That's plural, y'all. You hear how personal this is?

So have we discussed any points of theology so far? Not really. Proven character is not really theology, but they knew who Timothy was and I'm sending him to you because he cares for you. And I'm sending Epaphroditus because he showed that you all care for me, And it's just really, really personal. And I think, have you all had experiences this week that were like that?

My goodness. I did three weddings this week, attended one and did a funeral. I saw lots of that stuff happening this week. And it really is I'm so glad to see you. I popped into the office the other day, and there's somebody that got married ten years ago.

And I was a part of that. I went into the Virginian the other day, and there's a family got married ten years ago. I was like, man, that's awesome. Just seeing stuff come back. And the longing kind of peaks its head when you see people sometimes too.

The personal nature of this is like, to me, I'm like, that's really, really good, Paul. Now, it does sound like he's complaining just a little bit that he doesn't have a whole lot of people like Timothy around him but he's in jail. You know, so receive him. That's Epaphroditus. Then, in the Lord with all joy, that's Epaphroditus.

Epaphras probably, Epiditus like the it is on the end is like the Ito in Spanish. It's a diminutive. So little Epaphroditus, maybe he was a small man, I don't know. So yeah. Receive him.

Then in the Lord with all joy and hold people like him in high regard. Who are people like him? Well, he came close to death for the work of Christ. So, it was a missionary. It was someone who was sent out on a mission even if it was a short term mission.

He had a mission to do. He took it on and it nearly killed him. So hold him in high regard. He was risking his life to compensate for your absence and your service to me. I I was in need and y'all knew about it and then he took the brunt by coming to me.

And thank you for sending them. So finally, my brothers, oh, this is the one. Tanya says never say finally or in conclusion because it gives people false hope. But he said finally right there. That's what Paul said.

I didn't say he said it. Finally, my brothers and sisters, so it looks like I'm gonna wrap up now. Rejoice in the Lord. That's what this whole book is about. How many times have we heard it?

Well, we'll hear it 16 times in the book of Philippians, and this is about the twelfth one depending on how you count what you count. But finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. Be happy and let it go deeper than that. Have this steadfast joy in God. So, count them off.

Y'all can go back and do that yourself. To write the same things again is no trouble for me. He's about to start over writing the same things again. And it's a safeguard for you. The safeguard caught my eye this time.

And I I say, oh, yeah. As I always say, redundancy is for times when you wanna say something more than once. This safeguard thing caught my eye. To write the same things again to use, no trouble for me, just think on a page. And I've already got this thought, and it's it's pursuing me, and I need to get it to you.

To write the same things again to you, no no trouble for me. It's a safeguard for you. That word is as follows, and properly it means secure because it's on solid footing. What I'm writing to you will help you not to fall down, built on that which does not totter fall slip, unfailing, safe, reliable, trustworthy. That's good stuff.

I am writing this so that you'll know it and you'll be able to stand and you'll be able to stand up against because the rest of the letter, it's not in this verse, but in the rest of the letter, we know it's about unity and the body of Christ. So that you won't get taken into the nonsense that tries to divide the body of Christ. Okay. I don't want you church splits, worst thing that can happen. That's my opinion.

Beware of the dogs. Beware of the dogs. Beware of the dogs. That's what it says. Beware of the dogs.

This is interesting because Paul previously would have used this of Gentiles. The Jews used regularly. They called the Gentiles, those Gentile dogs. And what Paul is warning against here is most likely Judaizers. It's people who are saying that you have to follow the Jewish law in order to be a good Christian.

So beware of the dogs was that's a complete role reversal. It is Paul, Pharisee, who has become a Christian saying to Gentile Christians, don't be dogs. And he's not saying don't be Gentiles. He's saying don't just be ravenous and looking to bite. Beware

Speaker 3of

Speaker 1the evil workers. There are evil workers. Now earlier in Philippians, he said, yes, some people do it for the wrong reasons. Yes, they do. And some people do it for profit and some people do it for selfish ambition.

But either way, the gospel is being preached. He just kinda sloughed it off earlier. He says, there are evil workers. There are. Are people who are doing it for the wrong reasons.

Beware of what he calls the false circumcision because we are the circumcision. Actually, true is added in the new new American standard to give it a little more sense in English, but he says, beware of the false circumcision that which is of flesh only because we are the true circumcision. The true circumcision is those who worship in the spirit of God. What did Jesus say to the woman at the well? There's coming a time and it's now here when those who would worship God must do it in spirit and in truth.

Right? So, those who worship in the spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus. Now, we know God resists proud. He gives grace to the humble but already in Philippians, we've seen one other place where he says, if you're going to take pride, you take pride in Jesus, in Christ, and what he has done. He's the only one that deserves the glory and he didn't take it on himself.

He, in the best sense of the word, condescended, he came to be with us, humbled himself even to death, even death of a cross. So if you're gonna take pride, take pride in Christ Jesus who left the glories of heaven to come and save. Take pride in Christ Jesus. It's right here in Philippians one. When Paul is wrestling back and forth, it is chapter one, not chapter two.

When he's wrestling back and forth, I don't know which was better. Me to live as Christ to die as gain. So I'm wrestling, but convinced that it's for your good. I'm gonna remain and I know that I will remain and continue for you with you all for your progress and for your joy in the faith so that your pride in Christ Jesus may be abundant because of me. If you're going to glory in anything, glory in the Christ, glory in the cross of Christ, and put no confidence in the flesh.

To know that we are feeble humans. We are empowered by the spirit of God but occasionally, things can sneak up on us and we can fall into it again. I don't put any confidence on the flesh. I put my confidence in the spirit of God who indwells and empowers and directs me. Put no confidence in the flesh.

Although I here goes Paul. Now the guy called me here at the turn. Although I he's about to give his credentials almost. But it's worldly credentials and he now recognizes that. So I had a fellow call me the other day and he said, I'm reading the Bible all the way through, and I have gotten to the New Testament.

I've gotten to the letters of Paul, and we know that God resists proud and gives grace to the humble. And then Paul, why is he always telling how good he was? Why is he bragging about how good he was? I said, well, first of all, those are a bunch of different letters to a bunch of different people. So it's not like he was telling them.

He just send in Philippians junk mail every week to talk about how good he was. He very he calls himself the chief of sinners. And so he recognizes that all of that stuff before goes in that category. It doesn't come into this category. So and let me just let him say what it is.

It says, although I myself could boast, I could as having confidence even in the flesh. Now, if we're talking about religiosity, he goes, if anyone else thinks that he's confident in the flesh, he's done everything on Earth that he's supposed to do. I have even more reason. I was what? Circumcised on eighth day.

Was, did he do that? No. His parents did though. Oh, I was I was born of great parents that took care of doing things exactly as they should be done. Circumcised on eighth day.

I was of the nation of Israel, God's chosen people, no doubt, of the tribe of Benjamin. That's one of the best tribes, probably the best tribe according to Paul. Here we go. A Hebrew of Hebrews. I was outstanding.

In another place, says, I was passing all of my peers, you know. As to the law, a Pharisee. Oh, that's a party. That's division. He goes, as to the law, I was on this side.

I was on the ones that said, we stick with what it says, period, always. Not those that say, well, you know, that might not be literal. I don't really believe that stuff about angels and resurrection. That's sadducees over here. As to the law, I was a Pharisee.

I was a partisan and we all know the Pharisees were right. As the zeal, there was no doubt about it because I was a persecutor of the church. I was hardcore. Don't let anybody tell you I wasn't. They feared me.

And as to the righteousness which is in the law, I was found blameless. Okay. As to the righteousness which is in the law, as far as anybody could tell, the law, I look great. Can you see a lot of the stuff that's in the can you see covetousness? Sometimes you can.

But when Paul admits to it in Romans, he admits to the law revealed in me. Sin. That's what the law does. It lets us know where we stand. And we stand in need of a savior.

He says, as to the righteousness which is in the law, there wasn't anybody that was doing any better than me. I was blameless. But whatever things were gained to me and everything in that list could have been considered to be a gain. Whatever things were gained to me, these things, I've counted as just a loss because of Christ. They don't mean anything.

When I see Christ, when I look and turn my eyes upon Jesus, actually, he blinded him. You remember that part? But when I finally saw the light, I count everything else as loss. And more than that, I count all these things to be lost in the view of the surpassing value of not just seeing the light but knowing Christ Jesus as Lord. And I've said before, if Christ Jesus is your Lord, you can say, yes, Lord, but you can't say no, lord.

You're either going to say, yes, lord, you're to say no. You can't say no, lord. More than that, I count all things to be lost in the view of surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, my lord. For whom I have suffered the loss of all of those things. Well, he said, I counted as a loss because it doesn't mean anything.

Why is he talking about it? Because he's talking to people who could be persuaded that it does mean something. He's talking to people that are saying, hey, you gotta be exactly like this. You're already behind because you weren't circumcised on the eighth day. You weren't a Hebrew of Hebrews.

You weren't in the tribe of whatever. You weren't in Israel. You just you just barely made it in. Now, you gotta do everything exactly right for the rest of the time. Judaizers.

Paul said, no. No. I've suffered the loss of all things and I count them and that's that them is whatever things were gained to me, all things, all things. I count all of those things as mere rubbish. Now I could go into detailed description of the word scubula.

It means dung. It's probably a little more offensive than dung. It's kind of a dirty word for dirty thing. He's saying, it doesn't mean into me. I count them as mere rubbish.

All of that religious stuff and then my heart was revealed when I saw the actual majesty of God in Christ Jesus. So that I may gain Christ, I put all that stuff down. Jim Elliot's diary. As Jim Elliot was a missionary, South America, and he wrote in 1949 that he is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which we he cannot lose. And he eventually would die as a missionary to those people, but those folks eventually came to Christ because of his ministry and witness there too.

I've given all that stuff up. I've suffered the loss of all thing. I count them all rubbish so that I may gain Christ and so that I may be found in him not having any righteousness of my own which is derived from the law. We can have only self righteousness or the actual righteousness of God. We don't have any righteousness in ourselves.

Okay. Self righteousness is not righteousness just to be clear. So that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having any righteousness of my own derived from the law but only that which is through faith in Christ. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. Amen.

Paul made that same step. Paul believed God and that will be counted to him as righteousness. In fact, it's the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. Abraham believed God. Paul believed God.

Do you believe God? So that I may know him directly. No intermediary. He is the intermediary, Christ, so that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of what? His sufferings in a letter about joy.

So that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, and being conformed into his death. Does that remind you of anywhere else in scripture? There's several other places but the one that popped to my mind is the one I think of every time we do a baptism. Therefore, we have been buried with him through baptism into his death. We are being conformed into his death.

We're recognizing that his death is what is the only acceptable payment for sin and we are conformed into his death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead and we raised people out of the water through the glory of the father so that we may to walk in newness of life. That's every time somebody comes up is and walk in newness of life. For if we have become united or conformed 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. The one who has died is freed from sin.

Set free by being conformed to his death and then Paul says, if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead, does this somehow bother you? Man, if anybody can explain the gospel, it's Paul, right? But then, in humility, he recognizes his human frailty and his human understanding has limits and he says, I don't know how it works but I know that it works. If somehow, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. It is the promise.

It is what God has put out there. And then he says this, I'll in fact, when I say, if somehow, I go, man, Paul, wish I hadn't had said that. It feels like he got on shaky ground here. It's not though. If somehow I may attain to the resurrection of death.

He knows it's by Christ but he just doesn't understand how that works. He knows he doesn't deserve it and we fight so hard against grace. We fight so hard against grace. We want to pay our way. If somehow I may attain to the resurrection from death, not that I've already grasped it.

Haven't figured it out or that I've already become perfect. I know that I have and I know I mess up but I do press on. I keep on going forward. If I may also take hold of that for which I was even take a hold of by Christ Jesus. That little turn of a phrase right there is really beautiful.

What Paul is all about is going forward and he's going forward forgetting what is behind. He'll say in just a second. He's going forward. He wants to grab hold of that which he was saved for, right? He's saved without any works of his own.

He's already said that's scubula. That's rubbish. Dung. But pressing on from here, there's stuff God wants for me to do. In fact, he'd tell the Ephesians this, yeah, by grace you're saved through faith, that's not of yourselves, gift of God, two eight nine, but we are his workmanship and we were created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so that we would be walking in them.

So, I want to take hold of that ministry that God saved me for. Do y'all wanna grab hold of the ministry that God saved you for? It's awesome. Brothers and sisters, I don't regard myself as having taken hold of it yet. He says that this is after multiple missionary journeys at this point and prison and rods and beatings and all that stuff but I'm not saying I'm perfect and I don't think I've done everything that there is to do yet.

Why? Because he still got breath in his lungs. But this one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind, I'm reaching forward to what lies ahead. I'm looking forward to what God has in the future for me and for you. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upper call of God in Christ Jesus.

I tell premarital sessions all the time. I talk about forgiveness and one of the things in there, I say, listen, you make acceptable boundaries for how to go forward. What what's what's a good life like? Shower curtain in, shower curtain out, toilet paper front, toilet paper back. Those really important things, you know.

You make the acceptable boundaries of what's going to happen, but you know we're human and occasionally, we're going to mess up. So how do you get past that? Well, you admit it. You confess it. You agree on it.

I'm so sorry that I did what I did. It's heartbreaking to me and I'm grieving it. I've asked God to forgive me and I believe that he has. Would you could you please, baby? I'm so sorry.

Would you forgive me? Well, yeah, what you did was terrible. It hurt and it caused me a grief. I felt like I didn't even know you but we made vows for better for worse, for richer for poor, sickness and health, and yeah, this classifies and I forgive you. Get to that place of forgiveness and then going forward, realize that the rearview mirror is this big and the windshield is this big for a reason.

Okay? Right around here looking in the rearview mirror all the time, you're gonna hit an elk or bison, run off a cliff. I'm pressing on going forward towards the prize. That's the goal, the upward call of Christ Jesus. Yeah.

I've got a future in heaven for sure there in those matches, but I'm gonna keep on doing what I'm doing here heading that direction with that in mind. I think that's the last slide. I don't have a specific invitation. God is so good and he cares so much about you in particular. He wants for you to be free from the weight of your sin.

He wants for you to feel that way. He wants for you to feel like everything religious that you've ever done before now. All the religiosity and all the things you try to do to look good. He wants for that to mean nothing to you and he wants for the surpassing knowledge of God. Surpassing knowledge of knowing Christ and power of his resurrection to be real to you today.

So, I'm going to ask the the band to come up and I'm going to pray for you. The altar is always open for prayer. We've got this breakfast out here. Well, happening in between but if you need to deal with something today, if you've got something that you know you're carrying a heavy heavy burden, I'd ask you to just talk straight to Jesus. You can talk to me too.

I'll turn off the microphone. I promise. God almighty. Thank you. We thank you that you're good.

We thank you that if we confess our sins, you're faithful and just to be forgiven our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. Today can be the day when we're set free and we get a chance to start over. In Jesus name, amen. We want to abide in you. Amen.

Would you stand with us and sing?

Speaker 2There's a peace that outlies darkness hope that's in the blood there's a future grace that's mine today that Jesus Christ has won. So I can face tomorrow for tomorrow's in your hands. All I won. And when the sea is raging your spirit is my help you'll fix my eyes on Jesus cross I'll say that

Speaker 1for the Benediction Day from Romans fifteen, five, and six. Here we go. May the God of endurance and of encouragement grant all of y'all to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Christ Jesus that that together you all may with one voice glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, would you help us when we want to set apart and split from one another? Would you help us with one voice to glorify you?

We know that they will know we are Christians by our love. In Jesus name, we ask that we'd be experiencing your love and sharing it with everyone else. Amen.

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Church Unity Forgiveness Joy In Suffering Knowing Christ Pressing Forward Pride In Religion

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