Carl referenced it as the chapter where Paul described what Jesus did, humbling himself as a servant and dying a criminal's death
1 If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion,
2 make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;
3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;
4 each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.
5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputes,
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,
16 holding up the word of life; that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ, that I didn’t run in vain nor labor in vain.
17 Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all.
18 In the same way, you also rejoice, and rejoice with me.
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.
the main passage Carl read and taught through, covering rejoicing in the Lord, Paul's credentials, and righteousness through faith in Christ
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.
Carl read it to explain what the law could not do and how God sent His Son to fulfill it so we could follow the Spirit
3 For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh;
4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
Carl opened Philippians 3:1-11 with a simple, direct point: the most important thing for any church to hold onto is knowing Jesus and trusting in His righteousness, not their own. He came back to that center repeatedly, not because the crowd was unfamiliar with it, but because he said that kind of truth needs to be heard more than once, in more than one way, before it really settles in.
What was said
Paul wrote Philippians from prison, not knowing whether he would be executed or released. Carl noted that detail not as background information but as the point itself. Paul did not know how much time he had left, and yet the letter overflows with joy. The reason, Carl said, is that Paul knew whom he belonged to, where he was going when he left this Earth, and how he got there. Those three things were enough.
The warning in verse two, directed at those who insisted circumcision was necessary for salvation, set up the contrast Paul builds through the whole passage. Paul was not dismissing the old covenant carelessly. He was someone who had lived inside it more faithfully than almost anyone. His credentials were real, and he listed them.
Then comes the turn in verse seven. Everything Paul had worked for, every credential he could claim, he now counted as garbage compared to knowing Christ. Carl was careful to say Paul was not bragging when he listed his credentials. He was doing the opposite. He was showing that if law-keeping could have made anyone right with God, it would have been Paul, and even Paul said it amounted to nothing.
Carl read from Romans to fill in why the law could not do what Paul once hoped it would. The law showed people they could not live up to it. So God sent His own Son, in a body like ours, and in that body declared an end to sin's control, satisfying the law's requirements so we would not have to. Carl said that is what Paul means in verse nine when he writes that God's way of making us right with Himself depends on faith.
Carl addressed the obvious question directly. Does this mean a person just rests and does nothing? No. He pointed back to chapter two, where Paul calls the church to work hard to show the results of their salvation. But that working, Carl said, is a response to what Jesus has already done, not an attempt to earn what He has already given.
The personal note Carl kept returning to was the question of assurance. He said these are not conversations people tend to have with one another every day, but they are some of the most important ones. Do we know whom we belong to, where we are headed, and how we get there? For Paul the answers were settled, and that settled confidence is what made rejoicing possible in any circumstance, which is exactly where Paul begins the chapter.
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 never gets tired of sharing the gospel because it safeguards the faith of the church. What are some ways that works-based thinking has crept into your own life, even after you already knew better?
Carl pointed out that Paul listed an impressive set of religious credentials, then called all of it garbage compared to knowing Christ. Is there anything in your own life, good or bad, that you have been tempted to lean on instead of leaning on what Jesus has done?
Check. Check. Check. Hi, everybody. Welcome to another Monday night paired with Awana.
Isn't that exciting? While I'm while I'm thinking of it, can we just pray for for what's happening down the hall? Lord, we do pray for our Awana. There are all those little ones down the hall and also every leader that they're doing the teaching, the instructing. And I do pray.
We do pray, God, that the word would make its way in their in their hearts, that they would believe, that they would trust in you and come to know you as Lord. In Jesus' name, amen. Also, could we give Lexi a hand for dinner tonight? You had a big crew. Yes.
Thank you to all who helped out. It was awesome. Man, I'd love to do that more. So thank you very much, Lexi. And this is Lexi, you're heading back to Hawaii soonish.
All
good. We get to have
you for a while now. That's great. And thank you so much for your hard work. I appreciate it. Grateful for you.
Any other announcements? We're in Philippians, and it's conversation style. And so you don't have to share anything at the end. But we'll read the scripture. I share a few thoughts, and then I open it up for a conversation, a little word of encouragement or something from that scripture that spoke to you.
But before we get there, if you're eating, keep eating. But if you're done eating, would you stand and we'll sing. Only king forever.
You're the only king forever. Almighty God can lift you higher. You are the only only king forever. Rivermore, you are the Topia's. You are the only king forever.
Almighty God, we lift you higher. You are the only king forever. Are victorious.
Unmatched in all his wisdom,
unmatched in all your wisdom. In love and justice, will end. Every knee will bow. We bring our expectations. Our hope is anchored in your name.
In the name of Jesus. We trust. We trust the name of Jesus. And you are the only king forever. Almighty God, we lift you higher.
You are the only king forever, forevermore. You are victorious. You are the only king forever. A mighty God, we lift you higher. You are the only king forever.
Rivermore, you are victorious. And let's sing, we lift. We lift our better ride. We lift our name of Jesus. Makes do it she'd say.
Your kingdom has no end. We lift our banner rise. We lift our name of only king forever. Rivermore, you are victorious. You are the only king forever.
Almighty God, we lift you higher. You are the only king forever. Forevermore, you are Victoria.
God, is so humbling to think that you did not consider your equality with God as something to cling to. And Jesus, instead, you made yourself a servant, and you humbled yourself to obedience even unto death. And what what an amazing thing you did as king, as as lord, as savior, but to do that for us. God, may we humble ourselves and just put yourself, put ourselves at your feet this evening and and hear from you. In Jesus' name.
Amen. Amen. This is so good from Matthew seven, but this part really caught me. The Jesus says, anybody who listens to my teaching and follows it, it's is wise, like a person who builds their house on solid rock. But though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise, the wind beats against the house, it doesn't collapse.
Why? Because it's built on that solid foundation, on bedrock.
I'll firm a foundation you say and some of the Lord is laid for your faith his excellent love. What more can a say than to he say to you who for refuge in Jesus' and flail. Fear not. And fear not, he is with us so be not dismayed. He is our God, our sustainer and strength.
He'll be our defender and cause us to stand upheld by his merciful And I'll firm shaken. Jesus' firm foundation. But this soul that is trusting in Jesus as Lord who press on endure in darkest of storm. And though even hell should endeavor
I think this next song that we're we're singing, it so sums up Philippians tonight. And so as we're singing, let's be really taking in these lyrics as we sing rock of ages. As we sing nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling. Let's be paying attention to these lyrics because they really connect so well to the scripture that we're in tonight.
That lost in man. Could my zeal nor rest been known? Could my tears forever flow? All foreseeing her not atone. I'm the cross I cling.
Make it come to the foreground. Help us look to the
Amen. You can have a a seat here for a moment. Alright. We are up to Philippians three, and we'd just be going chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Philippians is such a good book.
The heading of my Bible is the priceless value of knowing Christ, and I feel like that is just a perfect, wonderful summary of this first 11 verses in chapter three. And what I see here is just Paul's overflowing, absolutely overflowing with joy in this letter, love and joy in this letter, and confidence in Jesus. And he's simply telling the church, listen, church, the most important thing here, the most important thing is knowing Jesus. It's trusting in his righteousness, trusting in his work, and trusting in his way of making us right with God because like churches do, we get off track sometimes. And for that particular audience and that time, they were beginning to believe that it was their righteousness and and their own work and their own way of of making them right with God.
And I feel like verse nine here really sums up. That's kind of the the heart of this of tonight where Paul says, I I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law of Moses, Old Testament. Rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way, catch this, for God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. And I know a lot of us are are in this room, and we're just going, yeah.
Of course. You know? That's basic Christianity one zero one, Carl. Okay. We get it.
But I just let's return to it. Let let's be reminded of this. Again, this is huge, and it's very, very, very important, specifically so that works based religion doesn't creep creep in on us, and and that does happen. We we we kind of get into that that frame of of mind sometimes thinking, well, I'm I'm probably good enough. I'm probably good enough, you know, that when when I die someday, I'll I'll, yeah, or I'm better than that person, and and that can creep in.
Right? This idea that, like, yeah, I well, I'm I think I'm pretty sure I could earn my way to God and and biblically, Jesus said, no. No. No. No.
No. That's not how it works. God has come down to us, and Jesus has done all the work. He met all the requirements of that Old Testament law to make us right with God. What is our job?
Our job is to believe it. Our job is to believe it. So I'm gonna go ahead and read it. This this all makes sense. I I always like to, on a on a Monday night, just give a just a little like, somebody once said this.
Tell them. Tell them that you told them and tell them again. And so if Carl ever sell sounds repetitive, it's it's because I I I want this to to sink in. I wanna hear it three different times, maybe three different ways, but saying the same thing. It's that important.
So Philippians chapter three verses one through 11. And, Nick, would you track with me here as I as I read it? And can we give Nick a hand for being on the soundboard tonight?
Thank you.
Thank you. So it says this, whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. Isn't that good? I hear his heart right there, and that that's my heart first too.
I never get tired of sharing this good old gospel news, but we do this to safeguard our faith so other stuff doesn't creep in that shouldn't be there. Okay. Verse two. Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. That sounds like a pretty serious statement there.
Verse three, for we who worship by the spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised, we rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if, and this is an if statement, if others have reason for their confidence in their own efforts, I have even more, Paul says. And here's the list. I was circumcised when I was eight day eight days old, a pure blooded citizen of Israel, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, a real Hebrew if there ever is one.
I was a member of the pharisees who demanded the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Wow.
Yes. Everything else is worthless when compared to the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus, my lord. For his sake, I've discarded everything else. When you think about it, Paul really did. Counting it all as garbage so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.
Here's the key verse, verse nine. I no longer count on my own righteous through obeying the law. Rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ for God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I wanna know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death so that one way or another, I'll experience the resurrection from the dead.
So I'm gonna stop there for right now. I'd like to pray first. I'd I'll share a few thoughts of my own, and then I'd like to hear yours as well. But let's let's pray first. God, I thank you for this scripture and this reminder this evening.
I think this is exactly what you would have us here. That righteousness being right with you, that depends on faith, belief, and the work of Jesus and not our own. God, if there is in our hearts any self righteousness or pride that would cause us to rely on our our own works, our own efforts to make us right with you other than faith? God, would you reveal it, and would you remove it? God, would you rep replace it with a heart that's tender?
That when we're in your word, we'd be paying attention to what it says and Holy Spirit, I pray that you do the good work of convicting and convincing. It would make room in our hearts and would grow to fruition. In Jesus' name, amen. So I like this. I'm I'm just gonna kinda go through here again.
Let me see if this this works here, Nick. There it is. So I like that that Paul brings it back to whatever happens, brothers and sisters, in verse one. Meaning, brothers and sisters, whatever happens whatever happens, life or death, hungry or well fed, rich or poor, rejoice in the Lord. Can we look at that word rejoice here for a second?
Here it is. It means to delight in his grace. Delight in it. So his grace or his favor that's always leaning towards, delight in it. Experience it.
Recognize it. Be glad for it. And you know what? Like, here's what I see from chapter two. I might need a little help here.
From from chapter two, I I feel like he's saying he's it's a callback to this rejoice in Jesus. And he just described Jesus in chapter two, and here's what Jesus did. Jesus is God in human form, and he didn't cling to his equality with God. He didn't he didn't grasp for it. But instead, he gave up his divine privileges, and he took the humble position of a slave or a servant.
And then he died a criminal's death on the cross on our behalf. That was for us. I think what Paul's saying is rejoice in him. Rejoice in that. Are you with me?
And look at this warning in verse two.
Oh, oh, oh, okay.
I think I'm fighting you. There it is. It's working now, Nick. I'm gonna try. So look at this warning.
Watch out. He's saying, watch out for those who say, you gotta be circumcised to be saved. He's going, hey. That that's old covenant. That's that's the law of Moses.
That's before Jesus. Now we're living in the new covenant. And now, look at this, now we worship by the spirit of God. This is so good. Not our own human efforts.
Let me share this. I I I went back to Romans this week, and I feel like this describes it beautifully. Better than Carl can say it. So I'm gonna just let the word speak for the word. And it says this, the law of Moses, okay, or the old covenant, was unable to save us.
That was unable to make us right with God because of the weakness of our sin nature. So in other words, it only showed us that we couldn't live up to it. So God did what the law couldn't do. He sent his own son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body, God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his son as a sacrifice for our sins.
Why did he do this? He did this so the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us. So we wouldn't have to do it. He would do it himself through Jesus. Wow.
Who no longer follow our sin nature, but instead follow the spirit. And so that's what he means when he says, now we worship in the spirit, and we rely on what Jesus has done. Romans right here says just has says it absolutely beautiful. If you want to, you should take a picture of it. I'll go back to it if you do.
So verses four through six. Now he says, if others have confidence in their own efforts to be good enough, to be right with God, If he goes, if we're gonna play that game, I'll I'll share some of my own credentials. Okay? And and there they are. Circumcised when he was eight days old, pure blooded citizen of Israel, member of the tribe of Benjamin, member of the pharisees who demanded the strict obedience, strict disobedience to the law.
And at first glance, we, you know, we hear these and we go, are you are you bragging? Are you bragging on yourself? But look at verse seven. Here's the point in saying all those things in verse seven. He goes, I once, at one time, I thought that was valuable.
I thought that all of that was valuable, but now I consider it worthless, garbage, trash, rubbish. Can you imagine living your entire life since you were a little itty itty bitty, your whole life in obedience to the law and go, man, I nailed it. And then he goes, rubbish, trash. When I met Jesus, all of that changed. Look at this.
Verse eight. Yes. Everything else worthless when compared to the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus, my lord. And it's for his sake I've discarded everything else, counting it as again, here it is, garbage, trash, good for nothing so that I could gain Jesus. So in my own words, k, this is this would if I were to rephrase it, I'd say this.
When Paul met Jesus and understood that Jesus perfectly fulfilled that law that no human being could fulfill perfectly because we couldn't. He then realized there's no amount of law keeping. There's no amount of spiritual discipline. There's no amount of religious effort on our part that can make us right with God. It all comes down to faith in the work of Jesus.
Are you with me? Now does that mean we should rest on our laurels and do nothing? No. It does not. Last week, we heard Paul go, work hard to show the results, the results of your salvation.
Obeying God with deep reverence and fear. But all of that working hard to show the results, that's all a response for what Jesus has first done for us. That's all a response for the work that Jesus did for us. We couldn't keep the law. Jesus fulfilled it completely.
We put our faith and trust in him. And then from that, we're compelled to serve. We're compelled to love, but we're not loving and serving and doing to earn our way to God. No. God has come down to us.
Our job is to believe him and to know him and experience him and to rejoice in him no matter what, no matter what life brings. And we can because we can recognize his favor, his goodness in our life. But I think the main point that Paul is making here in verse nine, I'm I'm just bringing it full circle, is God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith in Jesus. And what I see here, and I wanna just share where what I what did Carl, what did you see in this? How how is this personal to to me?
What I see here is Paul's heart and that he did not know how much time he had left on Earth. He really didn't. I mean, he he's waiting in in prison there to find out, are they is this it for me? Are they going to execute me? Are they gonna let me live for a while?
Like, what what's gonna happen? He did not know how much time he had left. But and please hear this. He knew whom he belonged to, where he was going when he left this Earth, and how to get there. And my friends, I think that is so important for us.
So important for us. For Paul, he belonged to Jesus. He was going to live eternally. When he left this Earth, he was going to keep on living. Jesus said, I'm the resurrection and the life.
Anyone who believes in me will live even though they die. He knew exactly where he was going, and he knew how to get there. He believed in the work of Jesus rather than his own. And I've this right here, this is so important. And you know what?
These aren't conversations usually we're having every day with one another. But it's huge to know whom we belong to, where we're going after we leave this Earth, and how it is that we get there. And my hope, my hope, my prayer, and may it be so, as we read the word and as we hear from the Holy Spirit that we can say with confidence, I belong to Jesus. I'm headed for heaven after I leave this Earth, and it's because I've put my faith and trust in Jesus rather than my own work, rather than anything that I could do to try to make myself right with God. No.
I'm believing in what Jesus did for me. So what g what God really sees when he sees us is us trusting in Jesus. He sees the righteousness of Jesus, not our own. Are you with me? That's as simply and as, I guess, as plainly as I I could I could put it, but I just felt this very, very deep conviction as I was going through the study of this church.
Do we know whom we belong to, where we are going when we leave this Earth, and how we get there? One more time, verse nine. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law, or if we're to bring it to today, through being a really good person and trying to do my very, very best. Rather, I become righteous or right with God through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
So that's Philippians three. And thank you for allowing me to share that with y'all this evening. Thank you very, very much for allowing me to share it. I just thought, you know what? Everyone of us in this room probably heard this.
I don't know how many times in our lives. But, Lord, may this make its way in our hearts in a way, God, that we are so full of joy because we've recognized your favor, that we would rejoice in you no matter what no matter what happens, that we would still recognize and experience your favor leaning toward us, that we see what Jesus has done for us, that we we don't have to do. Our work is to believe. But then after that, to give our lives to you in service and to love you and to love others. But let it all, God.
Let it all come from that place of knowing whom we belong to. In Jesus' name, amen. So this is the conversation part of the of the sermon. And, again, you don't have to speak. The scripture has spoken very well for itself.
But if there's a word encouragement or a verse in there that just grabbed a hold of and you and you wanna repeat it, wonderful. Or even a word of testimony from from here that you think, I I think that the church would benefit to to hear that. Can I give you a second just to to think about it? Nick has a microphone. And, I know it's it's a scary thing to share, but but it can be so helpful.
It can be so helpful. Florian, would you start?
My conversation in English, as you know, it's always simple. So but I'm happy to share what I have in my heart. I love the book of Philippians. And I say this with not to boast, not to I used to know the whole book by heart. When I was young, I memorized verse by verse, and I was so happy to have that.
I don't remember now. It's unfortunate. I'm getting old, and it's over. I love the book of Philippians. I love the fact that shows how Paul was working hard for the ministry.
I also love the fact that he recognized and tells people that, you know, I used to be someone. Like like you just said, the scriptures speaks to about himself, but this is from my own words. The fact that he tried everything to do since he was young to please God and to do the right thing, but none of that matters since he got to the point to know Christ personally. And this is this is what I'm trying to say. When you know Christ in your heart personally, it's such a beautiful relationship between you and almighty God.
And he shows you day by day how to live, how to act. Because, yes, although things of this world, they don't matter any much anymore. Yes. We need the things of this world to survive, to have a good life. We need some money in our pockets to buy groceries, and we need to work and all that stuff.
But all all the stuff of this world comes in the second place when we understand the value, the value of knowing Christ. And may the Lord, and may the Holy Spirit, reach to our hearts, to our mind that we grow into that type of faith, type of walking with Christ when we enjoy everything what the world offers, like work, money, cars, houses, and all that stuff, but consider them as just stuff that we can use them to to live, to enjoy them as we are here. But the heart needs to belong to Christ. Amen.
Amen. The infinite value of knowing Jesus. I feel like that is such a great summary of everything that we that we read that it was like all those other thing. They're just things. They're it's just stuff.
Knowing Jesus. That's where he comes keeps coming back to. Amen. But he's saying that with such joy. Have you got a comment?
Mhmm. In this world, it's so easy to be distracted. Yeah. And and how freeing this is. Right?
Like, just to reread it and to know that everything that we need to be setting our sights on is God's way, his righteousness, and it just clears all the clutter. Does that make sense?
Yeah. Yeah. It does. A lot of sense.
Yeah. Easily distracted. Right here. Yeah. Yeah.
When we're coming over today, we stopped at the emporium, and Victor had all kinds of knickknacks in there. And there was a hand towel that says, I love Jesus, but I drink a little. And and as you're talking about the freedom we have in Christ, I think it's the disqualifiers that we're afraid of, and and we're cognizant of the the disqualifiers that we forget that it has nothing to do with our salvation in Christ. And so if we could just, you know, get away from our fears of our ineptness and focus upon the completeness of Christ, I think that really helps us a lot. But it's it's easy to cope with our fears.
Boy, it is. I just had a conversation with somebody today, and we were talking about that same thing right there that how how easily we can feel disqualified or discouraged or live in the past. And I thought, what if we could see ourselves the way that God sees us? What if we really understood how much he truly loves and cares for us? And now how he doesn't see our past that we we said, God, that was my past.
I know you've forgiven it, but we tend to live there and God's saying, I thought we were moving ahead now. I love you so much. Come on. Walk with me here. You know?
And to hear that relationship in the pages of Philippians, he's pouring his heart out to the church going, church, I love you. I need you to know how much God loves you. Don't get caught up in that whole doing thing again. The doing comes. Yeah.
You'll do good works for Christ, but please don't try to do those good works to earn your way to God. He's come down to us. It's just such a beautiful message, and it is one we need to be reminded of. It really is. It really is.
Yep. Thank you, John, for sharing that. I
think we're all kind of saying the same thing in different ways. And, yeah, I think exactly what's already been said was highlighted to me too. Like, especially verse eight where he just talks about, you know, all the things that he lists and that he can boast about but doesn't. And, yeah, I what came to mind was that the verse that talks about you can't serve two masters, and I feel like this message too is like a sifting for us. It's like, okay, we can't we can't, like, pursue all these other things and think they're gonna fulfill and because that'll distract us.
It'll take all our time, our energy, and we'll we'll really miss it. And he lists all these things in the past. I had an encounter with the Lord that lasted for four years. So it's a long encounter where the Lord was silent in my life and he had never been silent before since I was first came to know him at like seven. And this was in 2008.
So I was a lot older and it was kind of scary because I didn't know what was happening, but I feel like one of the major things that he impressed upon me in those, years of silence was really to show me that nothing will ever fulfill, like, my relationship with the Lord. Like and he didn't necessarily like, this is talking about all Paul's things in the past, but he showed me, like, future things, like even, you know, like a family someday and and even, like, career and just all the things that you would think are gonna make our life so happy, like, that none of them will fulfill. And so yeah. So it's just like that gift of contentment, that gift of, like, risking everything because we already have everything. And just, yeah, just knowing that and, yeah, like you said, I think we have to be reminded all the time.
Right? But, yeah, I remember though, I was kinda like, okay, beam me up then, Lord. Like, I'm ready just to go even though I should, like, wanna share the gospel and stay here and Paul says that too. Right? For your sake, I stay.
But, yeah, since then, I've had such a longing to see the Lord return or for me to return to him. But, yeah, it's such a good reminder.
Amen. The infinite value of knowing Jesus. And the thing is, I don't think we can I we can just I've been there? Been there. Alright.
I know. No. We're getting to know him more and more every day. Every day. Good stuff.
Good stuff. Any other? Thanks for sharing what you did this evening. I appreciate that. Yep.
Should we end in one more song? How about it? Evidence. Will you stand and sing with me? It it's a it's a fitting song.
Your faithfulness is one beside me. The winter storms made way for spring. Every season from where I'm standing, I see the evidence of the goodness all over my life, all over my life. I see your promises and fulfillment all over my life, all over my life. Help me remember when I'm weak.
Fear may come, but fear will leave. You lead my heart to victory. You are my strength, and you always will be. I see the evidence of your goodness all over my life, all over my life. I see your promises in fulfillment all over my life, all over my life.
The cross, the empty grave.
See the cross, the empty grave. Yeah. But in season this, all my sin rolled away because of you, oh, See the cross, the empty grave, the evidence is endless. All my sin rolled away because of you, oh Jesus. I see the in so many goodness all over my life, all over my life.
I see your promises in fulfillment all over my life, all over my life.
And why should I fear?
So why should I fear Will the elven insist here? Why should I fear? Will the heaven insist here.
God, thank you for the evidence truly of your goodness as we look back to see your hand on our lives every day. God, with that, would we look back? Could we look back to see that? Not our faults and failures and all the ways that we have fallen short. Yes.
We have. But through faith in you and repentance, You you give us new life in you. So God, would you help us keep our eyes forward to recognize your goodness, to rejoice? We need you. In Jesus' name, amen.
I wanna leave you with this. Here's Paul again saying, I no longer count on my own righteousness, my own works through obeying the law. Rather, I become righteous through faith, through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. Amen.
