Text: Philippians 3:1-3
INTRODUCTION:
Our world is in a state of confusion, chaos and anarchy and really has fallen prey to satan. He uses all this in order to gain control when we are out of control.
The war is real but it isn’t fought with bullets or bombs. It is a spiritual war and all of us who profess Christ as our Savior are in this war. His tactic on us is just like his tactic on the world. If he can throw us into confusion, chaos and anarchy, he can get us in such a position where he can gain control in our lives.
1 Peter 5:8
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
So, how do we protect ourselves from our adversary and from this crazy world we live in? What I am about to suggest may seem crazy but it’s Biblical. There is safety, a refuge, a fortress so we can stay healthy spiritually in Biblical rejoicing.
READ TEXT: Philippians 3:1-3
There are three actions that we can take to protect us from the enemy and find safety in this crazy world.
I. REJOICE IN THE LORD REPEATEDLY: (V. 1)
* We have to work at making rejoicing a natural habit in our lives. Why? Because rejoicing is a serious matter. Paul has given all kinds of instruction and now he says, “Rejoice in the Lord.”
* This rejoicing must be authentic and Biblical, not manufactured or fabricated or forced but natural. When it is authentic, you will rejoice in church and out of church.
* “not grievous” =grievous is the idea a detaining someone unnecessarily: Paul is saying I don’t want to keep saying something over and over that isn’t necessary, but this is so important I must repeat it over and over again, and he does. He uses the word rejoice or some form of it 11 times. He makes no apologies for the repetition but is committed to repeating it as many times as necessary. Every good teacher knows the power of repetition in learning.
2 Peter 1:12-14
12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
NOTE: Peter 2000 years ago understood the importance of repeating truths over and over again, so he says, “even though ye know them, I am still going to remind you.”
APPLICATION: The secret to living the Christian life is NOT always learning something new, but it is going back and consistently making part of your life the basic elements of the Christian walk. Understand salvation, security of the believer, the word, prayer, witnessing, discipleship, leadership training because they are the fundamental element and truths of the Bible. Do you know the fundamentals and are you seeking to live them out daily?
ILLUSTRATION: Sport = you learn the basics; you always go over the basics at every practice. Baseball was my 1st choice. Explain the fundamentals.
ILLUSTRATION: Moms teach your girls how to cook and clean and how to one day take care of her family. Dads teach her how to shoot a gun, change a flat, etc.
ILLUSTRATION: So many today in church are knowledge junkies. Teach me Revelation, teaching me something new. They are so busy trying to gain knowledge of the Bible but they don’t take time to live what they know. Get back to the basics.
*Look at the problem on Mars Hill.
Acts 17:21
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
* We are so busy trying to learn something new we forget to live out the basics. Paul understood repeating this truth of rejoicing was necessary.
* “for you it is safe” = Paul warns them of the enemies of their Christian life. They will try and sow confusion and chaos in order to stop your spiritual growth and influence. So get in the habit of rejoicing because rejoicing brings safety as you live out the basics of your faith.
* Nehemiah tells how rejoicing brings spiritual strength.
Nehemiah 8:10 “…the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
DANGER: The opposite of rejoicing is being negative. Just as we can form a good habit of rejoicing we can form a bad habit of being negative. You are going to heaven when you die but being negative causes you to expose yourself to the enemy. It makes it easier for the devil to upset your life and destroy your walk with Christ and your influence on those who are unsaved. When there is no rejoicing (joy), there is no power of God working in your life.
NOTE: Our rejoicing comes from our unchanging relationship with our sovereign Lord and Savior, Jesus. Rejoice that you are a child of God and God takes really great care of His children. Rejoice!!
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
* Pray about everything and be thankful and watch what God does in your heart.
ILLUSTRATION: Mothers, you are the key person in having and creating a loving, happy, and Godly home environment.
Psalm 40:1-5
1 I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
4 Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
* There is such safety, a refuge, a fortress, protection and spiritual health in Biblical rejoicing.
II. REJECT THE FALSE TEACHERS: (V. 2)
A. BEWARE OF DOGS
* Compare scripture with scripture to understand this. Paul is comparing false teachers to dirty, mongrel, scavenging dogs. They are vicious and their bite can be deadly.
* Peter refers to false teachers as dogs.
2 Peter 2:22
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
* In referring to those who are unsaved and heading for hell are the false teachers.
Revelation 22:15
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
*Jews referred to gentiles as dogs because they were not part of God’s chosen people. Even Jesus refers to gentiles as dogs.
Matthew 7:6
6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Matthew 15:26
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
NOTE: You can train a dog to do a lot of cool things. He can fetch, go get the paper, sit, shake your hand, etc. but there is one thing you can never do with a dog. You can never change his nature, same with the unsaved. You can teach them Bible, bring them to church but they don’t know Christ and their nature has not changed! These false teachers will bite and destroy and they are in every church.
B. BEWARE OF EVIL WORKERS:
NOTE: He did not say, “beware of workers of evil” they are easy to spot. You can easily see the evil they are doing. He speaks of “evil workers”. The Judaizers prided themselves as being workers of righteousness yet Paul described them and their work as evil. Any attempt to please God by our own efforts and not through His redemption is a great evil, especially if they are teaching others the same.
* Look at what the Bible says:
Matthew 7:22-23
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
2 Corinthians 11:13
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2 Timothy 3:5-6
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
* It is easy to see works of evil, but we must be very alert to see evil workers, those who teach good works without true conversion.
C. BEWARE OF THE CONCISION:
* This word is only used one time in scripture. It means to cut or to mutilate.
* These false teachers, Judaizers, were teaching that you couldn’t be saved without becoming a Jew by circumcision. So in order to be saved they had to be circumcised. Paul is saying that circumcision for salvation doesn’t work; you are just mutilating your body. Watch out for these false teachers. Only through Christ can one be forgiven.
* Don’t let these folks rob you of your joy!
III. RECOGNIZE THE REALITY OF OUR JOY: (V. 3)
FOUR REASONS FOR OUR JOY:
A. WE ARE THE TRUE CIRCUMCISION:
* Everyone who is truly born again has had a spiritual operation. God used his sharp two-edged sword and cut away our sinful flesh so it would no longer have power over us. We still live in the flesh (our bodies) but we are no longer controlled by it.
Colossians 2:11
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
* Paul tells the Romans it isn’t what we do on the outside, but what Christ does on the inside that changes our lives. Only God can do this so praise God for what He has done. Rejoice!
Romans 2:28-29
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
B. WE WORSHIP GOD IN THE SPIRIT (OUR SPIRIT):
NOTICE: The spirit here is not capitalized because it is my spirit not God’s. So worship, rejoicing, is my spirit in agreement with God’s spirit. What that means is, I can’t praise or worship or rejoice with a bad spirit. I have to get my spirit prepared to get in agreement with God’s Spirit. The old timers used to say, “Prepare our hearts to worship.”
FACT: People today think “styles” of worship are the key to worship. The truth is, if I am preparing my heart Monday-Saturday, then on Sunday I will have a great worship experience whether it is lively, loud, slow or quiet. It is all about protecting our spirits from bad attitudes, thoughts, and actions so we can unite in worship with His Spirit.
Romans 1:9
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
C. WE REJOICE IN CHRIST JESUS (THE OBJECT OF OUR REJOICING):
* We rejoice in Him. Christ is the object of our rejoicing. We aren’t focused on ourselves, our situations or circumstances, but on Him. So part of our rejoicing is choosing to focus on Him.
D. WE HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH:
* Paul understood that his confidence had to be in Christ and not in his abilities.
Romans 7:18
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
* When we realize we can’t do this Christian thing then we are open up to the fact that only God can do it through us. So we must walk with Him and totally depend on Him and not our flesh.
CONCLUSION: So if I want to be healthy spiritually I now know what to do.
Resources used: reality living, Jeff Adams, Philippians by John MacArthur, Philippians by Warren Wiersbe, Philippians by Johnny Hunt, Philippians by Guy McGraw, John R. Rice study Bible, Sermon Central Illustrations, Illustration Exchange
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