True Gains

You listening to the radio ministry of Clearview church in Henderson North Carolina I Clearview goal is to make Christ visible in everything we do forget in this weeks message we want to remind you that the devotional written by Dr. Shaw and Nicole 30 days through a crisis is available now on Amazon.com and on audible.com is an audiobook you pick it up as an e-book or paperback for you to shop locally at his music shop right here in Henderson pick up a copy for you and for your lovely this week. Dr. Shah continues his series called community.

The book of Philippians has giving us a checklist to walk through to make sure we had a mind transformation. As a result of the gospel of Christ.

Let's listen to this week's message for this COBIT 19 shut down our Clearview staff would meet every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to work out on it doesn't look like it. Looking at us, but we did come together and we would go to the local wine we would work out for about an hour or so and the codeword that we would put out there the night before would be. Are you ready for some games. It's time for some games and by that the meanest time to gain some muscle to go and work out in the gym and it was tough on some days it's cold it's early in the morning we you know we were up late the night before whatever reason, it was tough to get out but instead of thinking that I need to sleep a little extra and I just need to rest is a big day ahead of a man I need to gain some sleep. We would choose to gain muscles choose to go and work out and be in better health. By the way, there was one person or group who looked at the mirrors a whole lot more for their games are not to mention that name, but if you pay me a certain amount of money. I'll be glad to let you know who was always flexing and for the mirrors but anyways, but in the Christian life. We have to decide what really matters.

We also have to make the decision between these things, we can talk about those things that are gains versus true games is not that this is horrible, but compared to this. There is no comparison.

What are the true gains in the Christian life. True gains for a believer are knowing Christ and being found in him. In today's message which is titled true games with you to see how that works out how keeping our eyes on Christ and knowing who we are in Christ deals with pride and self righteousness and disunity. That's what Paul is talking about in this letter to the Philippians. If you have your Bibles go in turn to Philippians chapter 3 starting in verse seven, Paul says, but what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ yet. Indeed, I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord but I listen to this for home reading for Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish.

What is that word rubbish mean in Greek will talk about that in a few moments it may shock you unless you been sitting the Bible for some law sometime you will know exactly what that word means what he said. I count all things as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him.

What is up. What a powerful statement being found in him being found in Christ, not having my own righteousness which is from the law but faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. So much packed in here before we pray.

The question is what things do you consider as gains in your life now. Gains doesn't always mean that they are rubbish.

Do not horrible.

Sometimes we think about rubbish. We think all I don't I don't sing like I used to. I don't cuss like a used I don't watch bad movies like I use to out I don't I don't hang out with those people anymore listen dose may not be the rubbish that Paul is referring to your rubbish may be your Bible knowledge is it that Bible knowledge is not leading to Christ that it becomes rubbish and before you can begin Christ you need to know Christ. Do you know Christ and if you do not know Christ. Would you pray with me right now, right where you are, pray and receive him as your Savior asking to come into your life and then fully trust him and follow.

Would you pray this Jesus I need you in my life.

I need to know you before I can gain you and I need you to come into my life. Forgive me of my sins and take over. I believe, to the best of my ability. I believe you came you died, you are married you rose again and you are the son of God, you are the Savior and I need you to save me. I need you to save me, forgive me of my sins and take over in my life so far in this series series on Philippians. We have learned that Christians in Philippi were struggling. There were struggling with both internal and external problems internally.

There were struggling with this unity in the body. People were not getting along. How do we know that just take the time to read chapter 1 Chapter 2 even chapter 4 are there was division in the church in Philippi, but externally they were also hurting because there was persecution the culture in which they live. The Roman the Greco-Roman culture in which they live, was turning against them and so now you have this church internally struggling and externally under persecution.

This was very detrimental to their existence, like what were going through now are not facing persecution like they were facing persecution. Thank God for that of folks we are struggling. We have been scattered a maybe were not divided as in war fighting with each other over scattered were fragmented internally and externally were under this pressure. This stress this is affecting every body and I'm ready I don't know about you but I'm ready for normalcy albeit we need to be careful all being. We need to be mindful of other people who may be sick or struggling but this church was going to these problems and Paul wrote this letter for two reasons. Number one to settle their disputes but number two, to strengthen them, and his answer to their situation was they needed to have the mindset of Christ.

Same with us no matter what were facing our hearts, our minds need to be upon Jesus Christ and what does Paul say in Philippians chapter 2 verse five. This mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. In other words, if there were going to get along and survive. This persecution they needed in mind renewal to match the mind of Jesus Christ, and it happens when the Holy Spirit takes the word of God and begins to make the mind of Christ your mind and how would they behave. If they had this mind transformation. This working out of salvation. Paul actually gives them a checklist. If you have your Bibles open in front of you. The checklist is Philippians chapter 2 starting in verse 14. Listen to what he says do all things without complaining and disputing your complaining is doing it but the whole time you're fussing and griping and criticizing.

You might as will not do it. Sometimes we are so it did this I ideal. Being critical means good is so ingrained in us the way we grew up, or the wave you have done things that we cannot do anything without complaining. Paul says if you have the mindset of Jesus Christ, you will stop complaining, but something else is a diverse 15 that pump blameless and harmless, just like Jesus. Are you blameless are you harmless medicine. Children of Ault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. What does God want from us.

He wants us to represent him. My children represent me.

You are a child of God through Jesus Christ. You are to represent him in a crooked and perverse generation, let's keep going this in verse 16 buildings fast the word of life, holding fast the truth of God, are you holding fast the word of life are you trusting what God has said in his ward. His promises, his truths so that Paul says so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Which means this. Are you giving others opportunity to rejoice in Jesus Christ for you is not gonna get back and say where have we been distracted. Where has the mind of Christ left us or we have left the mind of Christ. But now pay attention for the next 15 minutes because Paul doesn't stop there. Hey guys please get along. Hey guys, you're under persecution that have the mind of Christ.

If you have the mind of Christ, you would be like this and this and this and this and that is all right. Have a nice day. He doesn't stop there.

He wants to address this and he wants to address the source of their conflict.

We have to go to the heart of the problem. Why were they divided well. Paul says let's deal with that problem, because unless we deal with the root cause.

This will continue. So let's look at how Paul deals with the real problem. The underlying problem for disunity and I really want you to pay attention not as tough. Listen to verse one. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord for me to write the same thing to you is not tedious but for you it is safe, but then listen to verse two beware of dogs, beware of evil workers. Beware of the mutilation well and it Paul was talking about rejoicing and finally and then all of a sudden he says, beware of dogs, beware of evil workers. Beware of the limited Paul was wrong. Many scholars have come to these two verses and they have debated them and still are debating them. It is there some other letter that somehow accidentally got slipped into the pages of Philippians. What is happening here. I believe that this is one of the same letter. What Paul is doing here is he is using a rhetorical technique to convey something very important. Remember, Paul was trained by the best. So Paul is using a rhetorical device to get to the root problem of the Philippians and the root problem.

Pay attention was pride night. If I were to stand here and tell you you're proud you're proud you're proud you can assail adamant about how can you say that because of this this and this book that would be judging motives. People do that all the time and and that's not fair because you really do not know the heart of a person. So for us to say oh pride if Paul were to say Philippians you are proud you are prideful, that would not. It not only not to be wise, we would actually cause more problems. They would they would dislike Paul they would disagree with them.

So Paul does something amazing. He talks about the issue, but he doesn't talk about them. He talks about a group of people known as the Judaizers. You see, the Judaizers were people some of them were Christians. So-called but there were still telling people that you need to go to the Old Testament law you still have to be circumcised and you can receive Jesus all you want to but you gotta get circumcised.

You gotta keep the holy high days. You gotta do all the rituals, yet still do those things. What Paul is doing here is something very amazing, instead of dealing with the Philippians he begins to talk about people. The Judaizers, who had a sense of pride. Pride because they were of the line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob pride because Moses had given them the law pride because they grew up in in in believing in Orthodox Jewish homes and they kept all the rules and rituals proud pride and they would refer to other people as dogs.

These Judaizers would go to the churches and treat other Christians who were not Jewish background believers as just as dogs only either receive Jesus Christ but they're not quite up to standards like us where the real deal. There nothing there never been sort all the got circumcised, but that's just mutilation. We we are the real circumcised once and unfortunately some of the people in the Philippian church began to have the same attitude. Maybe they came from a Jewish background. Maybe they didn't but they began to talk the same way these Philippians were becoming full of themselves and not just full of themselves. They were full of spiritual pride. Let me sip quick statement on that spiritual pride is the most destructive pride, spiritual pride self-righteousness that I am this I am that my family did this or our family goes here way back in and and my granddaddy did this or whatever spiritual pride is the worst kind.

Because it is nauseating to the lost world. It demoralizes young believers, and ultimately it angers God. Listen to what Paul says in verse three, powerful, stay with me don't lose media is as for we are the circumcision.

These Judaizers are making you feel like you are less than them. And now you're acting like them. But don't forget we are the circumcision, who worship God in this spirit is not about the laws you're keeping the circumcision you had as a child, it's about worshiping God in the spirit rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Paul says no we are the circumcision, we worship God in the spirit we rejoice in Christ Jesus have no confidence in our pedigree, or any outward external actions go. I also might have confidence in the flesh. Paul says that he takes off his jacket and let me show you something you think I could not talk like these guys. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh I am more so and then he gives a list circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin. I'm not one of these scattered tribes. I one of those tribes that are still standing today Judah and Benjamin. You are listening to these guys and you're acting like damn I could be bragging to but he's not done this and what he says, a Hebrew of the Hebrews concerning the law, a Pharisee, you know that Paul was a Pharisee.

But you know that the Pharisees were the ones who harassed Jesus every step of the way, did you know that Paul was taught by Gamaliel Gamaliel. If you were to talk about in today's standards. He would be a Harvard law professor on the top of the top Paul sat at the feet of Gamaliel concerning zeal, persecuting the church that I took my scrolls under my arm and I took my with in the other and I went out looking for those infidels who had who were claiming Jesus Christ is God talk about confidence in the flesh. I've done it all. You will look at my resume. This is the most powerful one to me concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. I have Every rule out a kept every ritual I have observed every sacrifice I have been perfect. You see, Paul had every reason to glory in the flesh. He had every reason to be proud to have self-confidence. The me ask you this question before we finish the last part. What is your list because I can guarantee it.

Paul's list is much longer and far more fascinating than your list. Are you proud about something you taken some classes you've done some Bible study. Instead of taking pride in all of this. Listen to what he says in verse seven. I'll be open.

Today's message I hope you're still catching the flow of this argument listen to verse 7.what things were gain card all skirt also means gain to me, these I have counted losses in mail for Christ. I have counted them as loss while for what for Christ first aid. I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, why now means this compared to point Jesus Christ that's rubbish. That's nothing but keep reading for hope. I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish. Now this is a very important what I told you in the opening will talk about this word briefly, the word is scuba long, which refers to unspeakable filth. Paul did not say those things are rubbish. Paul is saying. I count them as rubbish placed on missed this. That's not horrible, but compared to Christ. It is filth, unspeakable filth, listen to Paul was, it says now possessed three things three games three games game number one is justification what is justification he says and be found in him member that be found in Christ, not having my own righteousness which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ. The snow is which is from God by faith, which means this in Otto's car simplistic, but I think simplistic sometimes can be okay that right now. When God sees you disease Christ talk about gain while but he is not done.

The second gain is sanctification what is sanctification of that event that God is daily working in our lives to make us more like him. Listen to verse 10 what does that mean to know him well. Paul explains in the power of his resurrection, that the way that Greek is said no him is is that the main clause and then the explanation comes, does that mean to know him to know the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death which means this. The sanctification is when God teaches me and works in me his power. The same power that he used to raise Jesus from the grave is now operating in the me every single day.

Every single moment till I'm alive.

But here's a card game erratic his glorification. Justification declared righteous by faith. Sanctification is a process through which we are experiencing the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, but then glorification what is glorification but glorification is that event that God will one day welcome us into what he has prepared for us. Listen to what Paul says in verse let if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. I may attain was Paul struggling with the assurance of salvation was Paul having some trepidation regarding the security of a believer that I may attain that maybe when the trumpet is sound and the dead in Christ will rise.

I'm hoping guys that I'll come out of the graven and be glorified, like Jesus, is that what he is saying about you and I know most of our doctrine of eternal security is coming from Paul's letters.

So one thing we know that Paul understood the total security of the believer. What exactly is he doing here by saying I may attain his humility is coming through you really think he struggled with a total security know he was humble, the glorification should humble is that to know that while I'm here-deserve it out and earn it by the grace of God here. While Paul says that is gain to me compared to all my resume over here.

This is games the justification the sanctification the glorification he seeks justification saves us from the penalty of sin. Sanctification saves us from the power of sin, but glorification saves us from the presence of sin through Jesus Christ. That's the game were talking about now question as we close. How does all this help unity. How does all of this keep us united as a husband and a wife, or as a family or as a church. How does that help that of folks self-righteousness, pride is the biggest cause or the ultimate cause of division disunity.

But when you begin to have the right perspective. Like Paul I could do this, but no I find some things that are far more gain and none of those none of those I have any pardon God has given them to me. Listen, that's games to me.

How can I fuss at you. How can I look down on you. How can I be condescending towards you. How can I talk down to my wife when I know that I am just in line with her, waiting for the grace of God in my life.

How can you do that to your husband knowing that he is just a sinner saved by grace. Talking is a family how you treat your children how you treat your parents.

It should be done with grace. If anything, is a positive been able to see my family my children more with the eyes of grace because when you close you begin to see each other's imperfections. But then you say you know if God bears with me. I bear with them to how you see the church family is so easy to complain and disputed by menu when you understand what it means to have the mind of Christ and what you are gaining by the grace of God or work it out will work it out work it out. It's all right were good this morning as we go in our time of invitation to games true games true games doesn't have to be well. Instead of eating horrible doughnut that's rubbish were going to go work out. Sometimes it is just sleeping in and resting a little more instead of working out far more better, far better things that you have accumulated a great test with this wonderful you have education that's great. You have got into the word you have set under good preaching somewhere you have commentaries you know the word of God. That's not bad, but compared to knowing Christ and being found in him enjoying the justification. The sanctification of the glorification that's really is a comparison. It puts you in the right perspective. Thank you so much for listening this week's message Paul had every reason to brag. The only thing that he boasted in was his salvation and his justification as a result of Christ's work on the cross as believers. You and I should boast only in the hope of the gospel. For more information visit us online@clearviewbc.org and for the sermons, notes and other additional resources check on Dr. Shah's blood evidence.com 30 days through crisis daily devotions to navigate your faith is available now as an e-book and paperback. You can order from Amazon.com.

We can pick it up as an audiobook from audible.com you will even shop locally at his music shop right here in Henderson to pick up a copy of this devotional written by Dr. Shaw and his wife Nicole W. Navigate this crisis in any other crisis in your life