Title: “Satisfaction…Guaranteed” Scripture: Phil. 3:9-12
Type: Expository Series Where: GNBC 8-10-25
Intro: It was 50 years ago last month that the Rolling Stones had their first #1 hit in the US. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, “I Can't Get No Satisfaction" hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 10, 1965. The song was released as a single on June 4, 1965, by London Records, where it reached #1 on the British charts and then topped the US charts for 4 weeks. The song has very curious origins. Richards claims to have written the music "Satisfaction" in his sleep and recorded a rough version of the riff on a Philips cassette player. He had no idea he had written it.[4] He said when he listened to the recording in the morning, there were about two minutes of acoustic guitar before you could hear him drop the pick and "then me snoring for the next forty minutes".[5] Sources vary as to where this story happened. Richards wrote in his most recent autobiography that he was in his flat in Carlton Hill, St. John's Wood. He specifies that Mick Jagger wrote the lyrics by the pool in Clearwater, FL. In general the song became an anthem for a generation in that it expressed a feeling of general dissatisfaction with various aspects of life, including consumerism, media influence, and romantic relationships. The lyrics critique the superficiality and emptiness of modern society, and romantic frustration. Well, Keith and Mick could learn a lot about how to be satisfied by reading what the Apostle Paul writes here in Phil. 3:9-12.
Prop: Studying Phil. 3:9-12 we’ll realize 4 Aspects of Satisfaction Available to Every Christian.
BG: 1. Last week we saw much of Paul’s testimony. This week we realize why it had to be so.
2. Why is the flesh inadequate to provide us with either satisfaction in life or a right standing before God, and why, ultimately is Jesus Christ sufficient and satisfying?
Prop: Follow w/me in Phil. 3:9-12 to realize 4 aspects of Satisfaction available to every Christian.
I. Every Christian Can be Satisfied to be Found in Him. v.9a
A. Eternal Satisfaction is Found in a Person.
1. Between vv. 8 & 9 Paul changes pictures of the importance of Christ in his life. In v. 8 he speaks of Christ as an all sufficient wealth that he will learn to appropriate more and more of as time goes by. Now, however, in v. 9, there is a somewhat abrupt shift that changes the focus of Paul’s illustration. He now almost paints the picture of Christ being a dwelling place that he can’t possibly bear to be away from home.
2. Illust: We have been very blessed in our lives to be able to travel a lot. Whether our travels are inside the US or foreign, there comes a point when you just want to be home. You’ve seen all the sites. You’ve experienced all the experiences. You’ve eaten all the foods. You’ve traveled through all the airports and seen all the terrible displays of behavior in fellow travelers, and you just want to be home! And when you walk through the doors of your house and you smell that familiar smell and see those familiar surroundings, you realize…you are home!
B. Paul States that the Ultimate Satisfaction for Him is to be Found in Christ.
1. There is a similar phrase found in Phil. 2:8 “And being found in appearance to be a man”. This is speaking of Jesus’ taking on flesh. When people saw Christ they saw a man. He was “found to be in human appearance”. Paul’s desire in this passage is the exact same. He wants anyone who saw him to see a man in Christ. He wanted them to see what a Christian looked like because he realized that in Christ he was “home”.
2. Christ is the Christian’s “permanent address”.
a. Illust: Whether Paul was in Rome or Corinth or Philippi or Ephesus, or any other such place, he was always “in Christ”. Christ was his permanent address. Last month we were in Czech Republic and Poland. When we flew out we put on our bags tags that gave our temporary address: “Hotel Holimo, Stara Morawa 11a, 57-550 Stara Morawa, Poland”. However, inside our bags as well as outside, 4298 Maureen Terrace, Iowa City, IA 52240, USA, was also listed. Why? One was our temporary address, but the other is our permanent address.
b. If you have come to Christ. If you have repented of your sin and by faith trusted in the perfect, finished work of Christ, you have a new permanent address…You are found in Christ! Illust: My wife’s grandfather was a very godly Conservative Baptist preacher. His life verse was Galatians 2:20 “"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." He knew exactly where he resided as a follower of Jesus’, “in the Son of God”.
C. Applic: Friend, can I ask you this: “What is your permanent address?” Are you eternally secure in the eternal person of Jesus Christ or are you attempting to live “permanently” in something that was designed to only be temporary at best?
II. Every Christian Can be Satisfied to be Blessed by Him. v.9b
A. Paul outlines the Righteousness that he has abandoned.
1. Paul Begins By Stating that there is a “Righteousness” that he has abandoned.
a. Illust: Christian man here in town, David Martin. “How are you David?” “I am blessed!” The Apostle Paul knew that he was “blessed” with a right standing before God. That’s what we mean by the term “righteousness”, our condition before God. To be counted as “righteous” meant to be counted “right” before God.
b. Paul begins by stating here that there is a righteousness which does not satisfy. We just saw that Paul knew his “permanent address” was found “in Christ”, and he had no desire to attempt to have a righteousness in himself or of his own effort. You might say that he had lived at that address way too long a time and had found that a property to be in a very sad and inferior state.
2. What was and what is the nature of this righteousness that Paul abandoned and that we must abandon if we are to find lasting satisfaction?
a. Paul realized he had to abandon the supposed righteousness of a “do it myself” righteousness that was supposedly attained through self-effort and attempts at good works. Now Paul, being a “good Jew” sought to pattern his effort and works on the legal code of the OT law. Now we know Paul put in lots of effort and he denied himself and disciplined himself. We know that he had attained to a high level as a Pharisee in Judaism. He tells us that as far as a righteousness that comes from attempts at obedience to the law, he was “blameless” (vv. 5-6). He had conformed through grit and determination to a legal code of behavior.
b. Paul states that this conformity was little more than a “certificate of good behavior”. It was literally a righteousness that comes “out of the law”. Now here’s the problem with this type of “righteousness”: it gives us no confidence before God and it gives us no security. Even if you and I could ever attain to some type of unblemished streak of goodness, we would have to keep up that level of perfection to the moment of our judgment before God, because if we just barely “
slipped up” in one part of the law, it would all be for naught.
c. A second shortcoming of this attempt at righteousness is that it is self-centered and not subject to God’s scrutiny. In this attempt we declare ourselves “good”, it’s a self-conferred title that means very little. Illust: If after watching endless hours of Hallmark Chick Flicks I confer upon myself the title: “Christopher Prince of Aldovia, Belgravia, or Cordinia”, it means precious little to anyone, except that I may need to go on a tv fast! You see, when we confer a declaration of righteousness on ourselves, we can never actually be certain or confident of its veracity, cause the Judge of the Universe (Gen. 18:25) hasn’t weighed our case.
B. Paul outlines the Righteousness that he desires.
1. There is a certificate of Righteousness that God awards in which every Christian can be confident.
a. Illust: If you’re an adult, you’ve probably noticed the certification “UL” which appears on most electrical appliances and gadgets sold in the US. Underwriters Laboratories (UL). UL is a global safety science company that was founded in 1894 in Chicago. They are the oldest and largest third-party testing laboratory in the country. Consumers value UL Certification to ensure their products are safe, and manufacturers must follow these industry standards when fabricating new products with over 1500 standards that must be met and exceeded to receive such certification.
b. Christianity is based on the truth that God has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. This righteousness that Christians have is a righteousness that “comes from God”. No true Christian is “self righteous” because our righteousness is a gift given from God. And here is the Good News: Because God awards us this “certificate of righteousness”, we can have complete and utter confidence because it is God that is declares us right with Him and not the other way around. In fact, the Bible says this righteousness is a righteousness from God. It proceeds out from Him.
2. This is a righteousness that We Receive By Faith.
a. May I respectfully state that here we see the simplicity and freeness of this incredible gift of salvation. Attempts at effort are nullified. Exertion & personal effort removed. Attempts of discipline and asceticism based on legalism finished. The anxiety of having done everything we may try to do only to learn we have not done enough is destroyed. Illust: We reach the rooftop of religious experience not by taking the stairs of human effort but by taking the elevator of faith in God’s provision.
b. Now friend, this isn’t any “faith” that you or I may choose to trust in. No! “Faith is only valuable when it is truly reposed in trustworthy object.” So, friend, your faith in Christ is of supreme worth! It is utterly & completely marvelous because it resides on the very Son of God to bring us home acceptable to God the Father!
C. Applic: Jesus Christ is the Mediator of Righteousness and He blesses anyone and everyone who places their faith in Him.
III. Every Christian Can be Satisfied to be Made Like Him. vv.10-11
A. Paul Preached and Believed in an Absolutely “Free” Salvation.
1. Although Paul Preaches a Free Salvation, he states that there is a specific responsibility the believer is to demonstrate in his/her life: Be like Christ!
a. V.10 This idea is communicated through the words: “I want to know Christ…” What does Paul mean by this? Does he simply mean he wants to know facts about Christ? No!
b. In the Western mindset we think of “knowledge” as just a set of facts to be regurgitated on a test form. However, Biblically speaking, to “know” carried with it the idea of at least two more aspects. There is a practical dimension. “Knowing” something must be more than theoretical, it must be experienced in our daily living. Job 28:28 said: “To depart from evil is understanding.” For the Christian to begin to “know” Christ, he doesn’t just read the 4 Gospels, he/she also begins to refrain from evil. Third, “to know” Christ requires intimacy with Christ. In personal relationships, “to know” someone requires deepest intimacy. In Gen. 4:1 the Bible says that Adam “knew” his wife, Eve. Marriage is a knowledge that is deep and personal and intimate.
2. What is this “knowing” to look like for the Christian?
a. Well, if we remember just a chapter ago, in 2:5-11, Paul speaks about the life and ministry of Christ. It was a life and ministry of descending that ultimately led to dying to self and laying down of His life.
b. The Christian should never be surprised when life brings trials. Is this not the way that God makes us more like Christ? Ultimately, Christlikeness must lead to Calvary, there is no Christlikeness that omits Calvary and dying to sin and self in our own lives.
B. We are Satisfied when We Know What We Were Designed to Do.
1. Paul Lays out for us the Goal of the Christian life.
a. Someone has wisely pointed out, “One of the most dangerous forms of human error is forgetting what one is trying to achieve” (Paul Nitze, in Reader’s Digest [7/92], p. 137). That is especially true in the Christian life. It’s easy to get sidetracked. We need to be clear and focused at all times on what it is we’re after. What is the goal of the Christian life? If we forget it, we’re not likely to achieve it. It can be stated in several forms, but in our text, the apostle Paul nicely sums up what we’re supposed to be aiming at: The Goal of the Christian Life is to Know Jesus and to be like Him.
b. Illust: If I was to take time and asked husbands and wives to tell how they met their mate, we would hear many different stories. Some met each other as teenagers; others were further along in life. Some were looking for a mate at the time they met their partner; others weren’t looking at all. Some met but things didn’t develop between them for many months or even years. Others met and things took off like gangbusters. For some it was love at first sight; for others, a long friendship led to romance and marriage. But for everyone, you began a personal relationship with your mate and because of it your life took a new direction that it never would have taken if you had not met. It’s the same with each of our relationships with Christ.
2. Every Christian Must Know the Power of Christ’s Resurrection.
a. Paul came to know the power of the resurrected Lord when he was struck down on the Damascus Road. Even though not all conversions are as dramatic as Paul’s was, all conversions do require the same mighty power of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, because they all require God to raise the sinner from spiritual death to spiritual life (Eph. 2:4-6).
b. Other Scriptures compare conversion to opening the eyes of the blind so that they can turn from darkness to light; and, to delivering captives from Satan’s domain to God’s kingdom (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13). These are not things that can be accomplished through human persuasion or through a self-improvement program. They require the same mighty power of God that raised Jesus from the dead.That same resurrection power is necessary to sustain the believer as he walks in victory over sin.
C. Applic: Illust: Fellowship points to closeness or intimacy. Though few of us American Christians know it, those who suffer because of their faith in Christ know a special intimacy with Him. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow before Nebuchadnezzar’s idol, he looked and saw not three men, but four, walking in the fire (Dan. 3:25). I believe the fourth was Jesus Christ who stood with them in their hour of trial. They knew the fellowship of His sufferings.
IV. Every Christian Can be Satisfied to Satisfy Him. vv.12
A. Paul Pauses to Take Stock of his Life in Christ.
1. Paul is “all in” in his relationship with Christ.
2. Paul pauses to assess his life in Christ.
a. Paul assesses his past in Christ – “Not that I have already obtained it…” Paul assesses his present in Christ – “but I press on…” Paul assesses his future in Christ- “that I may lay hold of that…”
b. We would all do well to frequently assess the three-fold frame of reference in our relationship to Christ. Certainly we can all look over our past and see certain failures. But each one of us should be encouraged by the apostle’s tenacity (But I press on!!!). You get up off the ground and you press on. (Illust- Katherine XC). Why? Because there is future grace for everyone in Him. “That I may lay hold…” Do you have goals as a Christian? Are you excited about the future? Realize Xst not done with you.
B. Paul Concludes with 3 Truths Demonstrating our Satisfaction in Satisfying Xst.
1. Conversion to Christ Brings New Perceptions. Illust: May remember that Paul used to think he was “big stuff”. When he was his own judge and jury he declared himself “righteous under the law”. And then on the Damascus Road he met Jesus Christ and he realized the weight of his own sin, and now decades later, he no longer believes “he has arrived”. He realizes he has neither attained “it” nor reached the goal. Christian, you and I will NEVER “arrive” in this life! You keep pressing on! Getting a little closer every day!
2. Conversion to Christ Brings a New & Important Story to our lives. “Jesus Christ has made me His own!” The true believer will always treasure the story of his/her conversion. We can never forget reaching out our empty hand of faith to the Sovereign King of the Universe. We had nothing to recommend ourselves to Him! And yet, praise God, He not only saw us, He stopped, looked down, took pity on us and pulled us out of the miry pit of our sin and damnation. Illust: Told you about book working on. I have written dozens of stories of childhood and youth and young adult. But the most important story from my life is the story that Jesus Christ changed my life when I was a hell deserving sinner!
3. Conversion to Christ Brings into Focus the Main Objective of Our Lives. Here we see the sole objective of those truly converted: v.12 “That I may lay hold of that for which I was laid hold of by Christ.” Illust: DTS’ Legendary Prof Dr. Howard Hendricks, once told story about an elderly Christian woman who was very sharp. No time for small talk. At party when other’s chit-chatting, she said: “Tell me, Howie, the 5 best books read this year?” Although very aged, still determined to grow. When she died in her mid-nineties, her daughter discovered on her desk that the night before she passed, she had written out her personal goals for the next five years! Like Paul in prison, right up to the end she wanted to be growing!
Christian,in order to grow make sure you’re in the race--that Christ has laid hold of your life and saved you from sin. Make sure you have the right attitude--that you haven’t arrived, but you’re in the lifelong process of moving ahead. And, give it the proper effort--focusing on the goal of being like Christ, and doing everything in light of that high calling
C. Applic: The reason Mick and Keith didn’t and apparently have never really found “Satisfaction” in life is because they have looked for it in all the wrong places. But as Christians, our faith in Christ completely satisfies.
