THE DISCOVERY OF A NEW SET OF VALUES Philippians 3:1-11
Proposition: The discovery of a new set of values takes place when one trust Christ as one’s Savior and commits one’s life totally to Christ.
Objective: My purpose is to challenge all to trust Christ completely in discovering a new set of values and living for Him.
INTRODUCTION:
Illus: J. Paul Getty was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, into a family already in the petroleum business, he was one of the first people in the world with a fortune of over $1 billion U.S. dollars. He was an avid collector of art and antiquities. In his book, How to be Rich, he said: "To be truly rich, regardless of his fortune or lack of it, a man must live by his own values." "Each individual has to establish his own standards of values, and ...these are largely subjective. They are based on what the individual considers most important to him and what he is willing to give for a certain thing or in order to achieve a certain aim." “If those values are not personally meaningful, then no amount of money gained can hide the emptiness of a life without them….It has always been my contention that an individual who can be relied upon to be himself and to be honest unto himself can be relied upon in every other way. He places value — not a price — on himself and his principles. And that, in the final analysis, is the measure of anyone’s sense of values — and of the true worth of any man." Values are those things or people that what really matters to you & has true worth to you in your life. It speaks of worth, what people highly think of, esteemed & importance. Some put value on things, money, and people while some put value on Christ & serving Him in His kingdom. What do you value most? What are you willing to pay for it?
Paul remembers the experiences of his life & what he values most. Paul was raised in a home that put much value on their Jewishness & was proud of it. Some of the things that were important were: the rituals like circumcision, race that mag-nified Jewish heritage, outstanding in their religion, following strict rules of the Phar-isees & he had a reputation that were above reproach. However, he learns what really matters in life. He has experienced the living Christ & it has turned his life upside down. I am sure that his family & friends felt he had gone off the deep end, but he found the true happiness that Jesus spoke about when He said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you… Rejoice & be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Paul says something like this in our text: “I valued what my parents gave me and what I attained thorough my own efforts. I then discovered true values in Jesus Christ. All this brought me real joy.”
I. THE APPROACH: Caution (vvs. 1-3) “Rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh”— One day, Saul of Tarsus, the rabbi, met Jesus Christ, the Son of God and on that day Paul’s values were radically changed. Paul says, "Now that you know that I love you and am committed to you, and now that you understand the necessity of being united, finally I can tell you about what is of utmost importance. I want to talk to you about the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ."
1. A word of apology (v. 1) “For me to write…is not tedious, but for you it is safe”— It seems the church at Philippi was disturbed by the Judaizers, those teachers who put much effort in being true to the law of Moses in keeping the 613 rules, and mix the observances of it with the doctrine of Christ and His institutions. He begins the chapter with warnings against these seducers. He exhorts them to rejoice in the Lord. The Christian can always find real joy in the Lord, no matter what his circumstances may be.
2. A word of admonition (v. 2) “Beware of”— They are to beware of dogs, of evil workers and of the mutilation. All three expressions probably refer to false teachers who sought to put Christians under the laws of Judaism and taught that righteousness could be obtained by law-keeping and ritual.
1). The character of the deceiver “Beware of dogs”-- In the Bible, dogs are unclean animals. They were scavenger dogs, not house pets that prowled without a home or owner. In eastern countries, dogs were homeless creatures, running wild in the streets and scrounging food as best they could. Here Paul turns the tables and applies the term to those Jewish false teachers who were seeking to corrupt the church.
2). The conduct of the deceiver “Beware of evil workers”-Evil workers were men who taught that the sinner was saved by faith plus good works, especially the works of the Law. They were deceiving, deluding and destroying the flock. As mischief makers, they disturbed both the faith and peace of believers like wolves in sheep’s clothing. The results of their work could only be evil.
3). The claims of the deceiver “Beware of the mutilation”--Mutilation or concision is a reference to their doctrine. Then Paul also calls them the mutilation. This is a sarcastic term to describe their attitude toward circumcision. The Judaizers taught that circumcision was essential to salvation (Acts 15:1, Gal. 6:12-18); but Paul states that circumcision of itself is only a mutilation! The act of circumcision was very painful and normally administered when a boy was eight days old. Adult male converts to Judaism had to submit to the rite to be brought under the Abrahamic covenant. Then Paul also calls them the mutilation. This is a sarcastic term to describe their attitude toward circumcision. Paul was saying that they were mere mutilators of the flesh, who did not distinguish between the ceremony and its underlying meaning.
3. A word of affirmation (v. 3) “We are the circumcision”—As physical circumcision was an authentic mark of the men of Israel, so does the circumcision of the heart which includes God’s gift of grace, in response to our faith, is the distinctive characteristic of the Christian. Gal. 5:24 is the key "having crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." True circumcision is spiritual not physical; inward not outward; reality not a rite. A Christian should glory in Jesus Christ, not human accomplishments. A popular philosophy is, "The Lord helps those who help themselves." Some depend on what they can do to please God, yet Paul says that what we do cannot please God. What circumcision did symbolically for the Jews, the cross does for us.
II. THE ACHIEVEMENT: Credentials (vvs. 4-7) “confidence in the flesh”— He gives his ethnic pedigree as a thoroughbred child of Abraham, a Hebrew of Hebrews. This brought him great gain, a great sense of significance & assurance. Paul had come from an elite tribe, of an elite religion, of an elite nation, he had gone through all of the religious rites, he possessed sufficient zeal & the sum of all this was that he was regarded as blameless.
1. Situation (v. 4) “I also might have confidence in the flesh”-- Some might say: "But, Paul, you are a Christian; therefore, you do not know what you are talking about; you do not know what it means to be a Jew." He had once been where they still were, sat where they still sat, thought as they still thought, done what they still did. But then he met Christ. He discovered that everything in which he had trusted was not only worthless; it was also wicked because it made him an enemy of the Lord Jesus.
2. Status (v. 5ab) “A Hebrew of the Hebrews”— He was a Jew by
religion-- He was a Jew by race (v. 5b)--He has pride in a relationship "of the people of Israel." This is his national claim. He was born into a nation chosen and set apart by God. His parents were both true Jews, unlike some of the Judaizers. He could trace his lineage all the way back to Abraham. He was a true member of the covenant family (2 Cor. 11:22). He has pride in his respectably "of the tribe of Benjamin." This is his tribal claim. Benjamin associated with Judah when the kingdom divided between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. It was highly respectable to trace one’s lineage to the tribe of Benjamin. It was like saying, "My ancestor came over on the Mayflower." Then he has pride in his race "a Hebrew of the Hebrews." This is his parental claim. Paul goes back further than Jacob to Abraham. There was never a mingling of Gentile blood in his family. He knew thoroughly the language and customs of the people of God. These were the privileges that came by birth or what parents had given in which he had no choice.
1). Pride of ancestry “circumcised the eighth day”-- First Paul lists his inherited credentials, the advantages which were his by birth. To begin with, Paul was circumcised on the eighth day. Well, Paul was not just circumcised. His parents circumcised him on the eighth day, just like Isaac was circumcised on the eighth day and just like Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day. All of these Judaizers who weren’t circumcised on the eighth day suddenly disappear from our line up. This gives pride in a ritual. Circumcision was named first because it was a big issue with the Judaizers.
2). Pride of orthodoxy “concerning the law, a Pharisee”-- Next Paul says that he is of the tribe of Benjamin. Few tribes in Israel had as many distinctions as the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was Jacob’s favorite son by his favorite wife Rachel. The city of Jerusalem where the temple was located was within the territory of Benjamin. When the ten northern tribes formed their own nation, only Judah together with a portion of the tribe of Benjamin remained loyal to the throne of David. How many of the Judaizers could make such a strong case as Paul of the tribe of Benjamin?
3). Pride of activity “concerning zeal, persecuting the church”-- As to zeal, Paul had at one time persecuted the church. The Judaizers viewed the church’s teaching as a threat to the law of Moses, & they combated this through false teaching. None of them went as far as Paul who had combated the church through persecution, even bringing his campaign to foreign cities & putting in prison both men & women. He has pride in his religion "as to the law a Pharisee." He had been "exceedingly mad" against the Christians (Acts 26:11) making havoc of it (pictures a boar tearing up tender saplings to get at the roots). His mission was to root out the church in Damascus, but met the Lord from heaven & was saved.
3. Superiority (vvs. 5b-6) “concerning the law…blameless”—
pride of morality—Finally, Paul says that as to the righteousness that is in the law, Paul was blameless. In terms of outward conduct and human judgment, Paul’s conduct as a Pharisee had been beyond reproach. Paul had been like the rich young ruler who told Christ regarding the ten commandments, "All these things I have kept from my youth." He had a faultless record and scored one hundred per cent in Judaism. He was not sinless, but blameless. He had tried to do his best even though that best was never good enough. Such was Paul’s past glory.
4. Surrender (v. 7) “What things were gain to me…I have
counted loss for Christ”—Here we learn of Paul’s calculations. Paul says that there came a point in time where he made a transition from regarding himself as blameless to regarding himself as the chief of sinners. What he once regarded as assets, he came to regard as liabilities. What he once regarded as credits, he came to regard as debits. What he once regarded as stepping stones, he came to regard as stumbling blocks. Now the apostle makes the great renunciation. Here he gives us his own “Profit and Loss Statement.” On one side he lists the above-mentioned items, the things that had been gain to him. On the other side he writes the single word Christ. Guy King says, “All financial gain, all material gain, all physical gain, all intellectual gain, all moral gain, all religious gain—all these are no gains at all compared with the Great Gain.”
III. THE ASSURANCE: Confidence (vvs. 8-11) “that I may gain Christ”— Paul’s new confidence is the righteous standing before God, based on his union with Christ. His old confidence had been his own righteous-ness from the law. That refers to his own efforts to establish a righteous standing before God based on his own efforts to obey the law of God perfectly. His new confi-dence is in a righteousness that is not from the law as a work but from God as a gift.
1. A new privilege (v. 8) “that I may gain Christ”—The gain of a new perception--Though Paul identifies with Christ, though Paul understands that he is no longer what he used to be, he also understands that he is not yet what he ought to be. Ancestry, nationality, culture, prestige, education, religion, personal attainments—all these the apostle abandoned as grounds for boasting. Indeed, he counted them as dung or rubbish in order that he might gain Christ. If he were to have Christ as his gain, he had to say “goodbye” to his mother’s religion, his father’s heritage, and his own personal attainments. And so he did! He completely severed his ties with Judaism as a hope of salvation. In doing so, he was disinherited by his relatives, disowned by his former friends, and persecuted by his fellow countrymen. He literally suffered the loss of all things when he became a Christian. The great desire of his heart is: “That Christ may be my gain.” Not gold, or silver, or religious reputation, but Christ. The word translated "rubbish" refers to excrement, food gone bad, scraps left over after a meal, and refuse. It describes a half-eaten corpse and lumps of manure. Thus Paul meant that his former advantages were not only worthless but strongly offensive and potentially dangerous.
2. A new position (v. 9) “And be found in Him”-- Here again it sounds as if Paul was still trying to be found in Christ. Was he willing to abandon his own efforts to earn salvation, and simply trust in Christ? He had made his choice. He had abandoned all else in order to be found in Christ. The moment he believed on the Lord Jesus, he stood in a new position before God. Likewise he had renounced the filthy rags of his own self-righteousness, which he had sought to win by keeping the law, and had chosen the righteousness of God which is bestowed on everyone who receives the Savior. “He (God) made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2Cor. 5:21).
3. A new power (v. 10) “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection”-- Know is not "know about," but know intimately. Paul was not interested in maximizing his personal potential. To know Him means to gain practical day-by-day acquaintance with Him in such an intimate way that the apostle himself would become more Christlike. The word “power” makes all the difference between religion in the head and in the heart, between possession and profession. It is one thing to have knowledge, and another to have it vitally and brought into action. Christ’s resurrection has a vast power. Paul understood that to gain Christ was to gain the power to overcome sin, temptation, and yes, even the grave.
4. A new passion “the fellowship of His sufferings”-- Paul wanted to suffer for the Gospel in the same manner that Christ suffered. This is how much Paul wanted to know Christ. Paul’s passion for Christ led him to want to share every experience of Christ--even suffering. He must share Christ’s sufferings. He realized that there would be nothing of an atoning value in his own sufferings as there was in Christ’s, but he knew, too, that it would be inconsistent for him to live in luxury and ease in a world where his Lord was rejected, scourged, and crucified. Jowett comments: “He was not contented to share the triumph of Olivet; he wanted to feel something of the pang and chill and loneliness of Gethsemane.”
5. A new prospect (v. 11) “the resurrection of the dead”-- Paul expects to be raised up from the dead. This is a wonderful assurance that each child of God will experience. Have you ever stopped to think what the coming of Christ really means? Most of us think, “Boy, it will get us out of this old world.” Paul says, “It will get me into His presence.”
Illus: A dad took his son and some of his son’s friends to the carnival. He bought a roll of tickets to the rides. He was standing at the turnstile where he handed a ticket to his son, to his son’s friend behind him, to the next boy, etc. Then a boy whom the dad didn’t recognize came along and held out his hand. The dad yanked back the ticket and said, “Who are you?” The boy said, “I know your son.” So the dad gave him a ticket, too. God treats everyone who truly knows His Son the same as He treats His Son.
CONCLUSION:
1. The discovery of a new set of values results because of Christ dying on the cross makes life worth living.
2. The discovery of a new set of values is based on the grace of God rather than on keeping the Law.
3. The discovery of a new set of values comes due to our faith in Christ rather than our good works. Choose Christ over other things.
4. The discovery of a new set of values given by God which shows the power of God in making us more like Jesus.
Illus: There was an express train a few years ago that stated out from Chicago to the west coast. On board was the President of the railroad. The train rushed along in darkness but then had a bad accident. The President hurried to the front of the train. The engineer was pinned beneath the engine. When they looked at the prostrate form of the engineer, someone noticed that his lips were moving and leaned down and heard the dying man say, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep it until that day. The President said, Jim, I would be willing to give my life with all that I have for such a faith as that. “Mr. President that is just what it cost.” We sing, “My hope is built on nothing less, that Jesus blood and righteousness.”
Prepared by: Gerald R. Steffy
6206 N. Hamilton Road, Peoria, IL 61614
Email: grsteffy@yahoo.com to receive
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