Where do you go when the chips are down? When the chips are down, in who or what do you place your confidence? People put their confidence in all kinds of things – perhaps it is money, perhaps it is family, perhaps it is in their investments. What happens when those things that we put our trust in – those things that we put our confidence in fail? How do we handle that? Do you know someone who put his or her trust in temporary things? Perhaps you are that person. When it comes right down to it, what really matters?
Two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote a missionary letter to a church in the city of Philippi. Paul’s letter to the Philippians is one of my favorites. Many would call Philippians a book of joy and they would be partially right. Yes, joy and rejoicing is mentioned many times in this short letter, but that’s not the overarching theme of the letter. Let’s go to the third chapter of Philippians and see what Paul has for us.
1 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.
What happens to you when things get a little crazy? What happens when the whole world seems to be spinning out of control? Paul tells us that no matter what happens, we should rejoice in the Lord. What does it mean to rejoice? It means to be glad or to take delight in. The word rejoice has the root word joy in it – joy is defined as, the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation. So if we were to put this in our own words, we could say that to rejoice in the Lord means to be glad in the Lord or have great delight in the Lord. Why? Because the Lord is good – he is something exceptionally good or satisfying. Paul goes on to tell the church that he never tires of telling them to rejoice in the Lord. There is an old scripture song that we use to sing, “Rejoice in the Lord, always again I say rejoice.” The song reminds us that we are to rejoice or to be glad or to delight in the Lord at all times – no matter what happens. Is it easy to rejoice in the Lord when it seems that our world is crumbling around us? Is it easy to rejoice in the Lord, when a loved one is on their deathbed? No. Paul is going to give us some reasons why we need to rejoice in the Lord constantly in just a few moments. For now let’s say that no matter what happens – I will praise the Lord.
As we continue in this scripture, the next sentence doesn’t seem to fit in.
2 Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved.
Paul is saying, “Watch out for the legalists.” Later in this same letter Paul warns also against those who say, we can do anything as Christians, but here Paul is saying watch out for those who say you must be or look a certain way to be saved. A perfect example in our context, in our community would be those who say to be saved, you must be baptized, and until you are baptized (by immersion) you are not saved. I’m sure we can think of other obstacles that people put in the way of salvation – Paul says look out for those – they are the dogs – and as we look at scripture – dogs are never mentioned in a good light. Watch out for those who say to be saved, you must do so and so and be such and such. Why?
3 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.
Exactly – In Romans, chapter 7, Paul lays it out that without Christ in our lives – we are powerless to follow the life that God has called us to live. Paul is going to lay out the argument for us right now – Why must we avoid putting our confidence in human effort?
We put no confidence in human effort, 4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
Paul is saying that if it all depended on our pedigree – and Paul had a pedigree if anyone did – Paul had all the right things going for him – a Hebrew of Hebrews – a Pharisee of the Pharisees. Paul had the credentials – Paul had everything he needed (or so it seems) to be one of God’s people and yet Paul with all of his bloodline and education and obedience to the law in place, cannot put his confidence in himself. What kind of religious things do you put your confidence in? I myself could say that I am a fourth generation (at least) Christian. I could say that I grew up in a wonderful Christian family – went to a wonderful Wesleyan church – that I attended one of our best colleges – that I have sat under the teaching of some of our churches best professors – but you see how foolish that is. Paul is making the same point – we can’t put our confidence in ourselves because why?
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
Everything we have done – Everything we are – our pedigree – our education – the things we think we have done for God – it is worthless – why? Because of what Christ has done for us. Paul said that all of that stuff that he could have confidence in was worthless when he considered Christ – and the riches that come from knowing Jesus as Lord. Today, I agree with Paul – everything I have done for Christ pales in comparison to knowing Jesus – really knowing Him. So what is our response when we realize that all this stuff we thing matters, really is nothing?
For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
That is what we have to do – we must discard all this stuff, because in the end, it really doesn’t mean a thing. My background – doesn’t matter. My education – doesn’t matter. The great things I think I have done for God – doesn’t matter – It is all garbage. Why? Because I want to gain Christ and as Paul continues
9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.
That’s what happens when we depend on all of that stuff – that’s what happens when we depend on ourselves. It is not us – We can’t do a thing to save ourselves – we cannot make ourselves righteous in the sight of God – we can’t do enough good things – Paul tells us that the law only makes us realize how sinful we really are. The only thing that makes us right in God’s sight is faith in Christ.
For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
There is absolutely nothing that we can do to make ourselves righteous in God’s sight. So where does that bring us this morning? What does all of this have to do with communion? What does this have to do with rejoicing in the Lord? Paul gives us the answer.
10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
In what or who do you place your confidence? Do you place your confidence in temporary things – in things that are really garbage in the dimension of eternity? Do you place your confidence in things that won’t get you through the hard times? Make no mistake about it – life is tough. We have a quote in our house when someone says something is unfair. “75% of life is unfair, enjoy the 25% that is fair.” The only way we can have real joy – the only way that we can really enjoy life, is to place our confidence (even in the suffering – even in the hard times) in Christ — I want to 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 will experience the resurrection from the dead!
