1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,600 to 11 I'll be reading from the New International Version. 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:11,000 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. 3 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:13,280 It is no trouble for me to write the same things 4 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:15,960 to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. 5 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,520 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, 6 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:21,960 those mutilators of the flesh, 7 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,160 for it is we who are the circumcision, 8 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,560 we who serve God by his Spirit, 9 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:28,600 who boast in Christ Jesus, 10 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,280 and who put no confidence in the flesh, 11 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:34,120 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. 12 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,080 If someone else thinks they have reasons 13 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,460 to put confidence in the flesh, I have more. 14 00:00:40,460 --> 00:00:44,160 Circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, 15 00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:47,720 the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, 16 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,400 in regard to the law, a Pharisee, 17 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,280 as for zeal, persecuting the church, 18 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,200 as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. 19 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:58,920 But whatever were gains to me, 20 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,000 I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 21 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,280 What is more, I consider everything a loss 22 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:06,160 because of the surpassing worth 23 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,400 of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, 24 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,140 for whose sake I have lost all things. 25 00:01:11,140 --> 00:01:14,600 I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ, 26 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,880 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own 27 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:19,480 that comes from the law, 28 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,600 but that which is through faith in Christ, 29 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:24,520 the righteousness that comes from God 30 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:26,840 on the basis of faith. 31 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,120 I want to know Christ, yes, 32 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,840 to know the power of his resurrection, 33 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,360 and participation in his sufferings, 34 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:36,560 becoming like him in his death, 35 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,220 and so somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 36 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:45,980 Thanks, Joel. 37 00:01:45,980 --> 00:01:47,240 Good morning, church. 38 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,200 Before we come to these most holy scriptures 39 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,700 and hear from God, let us pray together. 40 00:01:54,700 --> 00:01:59,700 Father, it is indeed our prayer this morning 41 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:04,620 that we know you. 42 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:11,360 We ask this morning that as we peer into the words 43 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:15,120 of eternal life, that Christ would be held high 44 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:19,280 in our midst, and that we would really know him. 45 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:22,100 We ask for this in Jesus' name, amen. 46 00:02:24,220 --> 00:02:26,640 Church, as you may have noticed this morning, 47 00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:30,520 we have a few really exciting things 48 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,320 that are happening in our midst. 49 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:38,160 First, we have welcomed new members into our church, 50 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,120 which is always such a wonderful 51 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,760 and encouraging thing to do, 52 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:48,240 as we are watching Christ build his church 53 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:50,800 right in front of our very eyes, 54 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:52,720 just like he said he would. 55 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,040 Second, and a little later on, 56 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:59,520 we will be partaking in the most public expression 57 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,160 of Christ with his church, 58 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:05,640 by coming to his table through the means 59 00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:09,000 in which he has given us to do so, 60 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:13,620 namely by participating in the Lord's Supper. 61 00:03:13,620 --> 00:03:16,980 But now, third, we're going to hear from God 62 00:03:16,980 --> 00:03:20,440 through his word to us, which is really exciting, 63 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:24,240 because not only are we seeing and partaking 64 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,600 in Christ's work this morning, 65 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,240 but we are also going to hear about his work, 66 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:33,960 that he has done, that he is doing, 67 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:38,000 and that he will continue to do for us, his people, 68 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,600 through one of the most encouraging passages 69 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:44,400 that we just so happen to be looking at this morning. 70 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,960 And for these purposes, we'll be mainly concentrating 71 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,580 our efforts on verses eight through to 11. 72 00:03:51,580 --> 00:03:55,680 However, before we really hone in on verses eight 73 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,520 through to 11, I just want to briefly make 74 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:01,740 a few comments here on the rest of the passage 75 00:04:01,740 --> 00:04:05,200 to help us understand what's going on. 76 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,320 First of all, Paul says in verse one 77 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:10,720 that he is happy to be repeating 78 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,760 and speaking to his friends again 79 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:16,600 about a theme that has been playing out 80 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,280 all throughout the letter to the Philippians, 81 00:04:19,280 --> 00:04:22,720 and that is the theme of rejoicing. 82 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:25,420 I mean, if we just think about our time in this series 83 00:04:25,420 --> 00:04:28,400 so far and how the theme of joy has come up 84 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:32,080 time and time again, well, it makes perfect sense 85 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,040 for Paul to be saying to his friends 86 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,620 that I'm happy to be talking to you about this again, 87 00:04:38,620 --> 00:04:42,680 because notice it, he says it is a safeguard. 88 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,400 For example, in chapter one, verse four, 89 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,840 Paul explained to his friends that he had prayed with joy 90 00:04:48,840 --> 00:04:52,600 because of their partnership in the gospel. 91 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,280 Now remember where Paul was writing this from 92 00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:59,380 when he said that, he was writing from prison. 93 00:04:59,380 --> 00:05:02,200 And so in a very real way, Paul was saying 94 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:06,800 that though he is in chains, though he was stuck in Rome, 95 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:10,600 and though he couldn't get to his friends in Philippi, 96 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,520 well, he still had great joy for them 97 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:18,040 because he knew that they had Christ. 98 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:22,360 Or better yet, he knew that Christ had them. 99 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:26,080 So you might say that looking to Christ in that situation 100 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,220 was a safeguard for Paul. 101 00:05:28,220 --> 00:05:30,120 Again, in chapter one, verse 18, 102 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:34,220 he repeats this very theme of rejoicing under persecution 103 00:05:34,220 --> 00:05:38,180 because even though he was experiencing preachers 104 00:05:38,180 --> 00:05:40,480 out there who were against him, 105 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:45,260 Paul took great joy in the fact that Christ 106 00:05:45,260 --> 00:05:47,600 was still being preached about. 107 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:51,000 Again, the gospel, seeing that in the situation, 108 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,520 that was a safeguard for him. 109 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,800 In chapter two, verses 17 through to 18, 110 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:00,140 Paul said that even though the work of the gospel 111 00:06:00,140 --> 00:06:05,140 was difficult, even though it was self-sacrificial, 112 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:07,680 because it was for the cause of Christ 113 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:09,740 and his church on this earth, 114 00:06:09,740 --> 00:06:12,680 though it was hard, though it was sacrificial, 115 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:16,060 he knew God's kingdom was being advanced, 116 00:06:16,060 --> 00:06:18,640 that the gospel was being proclaimed. 117 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:22,240 Once again, Paul looked to the gospel. 118 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:27,060 He rejoiced in the Lord because it was a safeguard for him. 119 00:06:27,060 --> 00:06:31,120 Time and time again, Paul says, rejoice. 120 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:33,400 Rejoice, not just for the sake of it, 121 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:38,020 but rejoice because our joy doesn't come 122 00:06:38,020 --> 00:06:40,240 from our circumstances, 123 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:43,800 but in the good news of Jesus Christ. 124 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,880 That's why he says, rejoice in what? 125 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,400 Rejoice in the Lord. 126 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,200 And that's what Paul is saying here. 127 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,120 He's saying it's as we look to Christ 128 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:59,540 and rejoice in him, no matter our circumstance, 129 00:06:59,540 --> 00:07:02,080 well, that's a safeguard for us 130 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:05,960 from being discouraged or falling away. 131 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:07,680 To put it simply, brothers and sisters, 132 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:12,680 we rejoice not because of the what ifs in life, 133 00:07:12,940 --> 00:07:16,360 but the what is in Christ. 134 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,000 So that's the first thing we need to understand here. 135 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:21,160 Paul is again telling the church 136 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,060 that we are to rejoice in the Lord, 137 00:07:24,060 --> 00:07:26,960 to take joy in the gospel, 138 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:31,400 because our joy doesn't come from our circumstances, 139 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,120 but from the good news of Jesus Christ. 140 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:38,800 And it's as we look to him that we will be kept safe. 141 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:40,400 However, there is one thing 142 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,000 that kills our rejoicing in the gospel, 143 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,840 and that's taking our focus, 144 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,480 our confidence from Jesus alone 145 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:52,720 and adding in our own fleshly works. 146 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:56,880 Jesus plus something else kind of thing. 147 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:59,440 That's the second thing we need to understand here, 148 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:02,920 which was actually a problem for the Philippian church. 149 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:04,800 It was something that they faced. 150 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,720 False teachers had come out to them, 151 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:09,080 and they had said, 152 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:13,280 you need to do more to be accepted by God 153 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:15,440 than faith alone in Christ. 154 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:17,360 It's what we see in verse two. 155 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:19,680 Paul warns them, watch out for those dogs, 156 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:23,000 those evildoers, the mutilators of the flesh. 157 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:24,680 Who were these evildoers? 158 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:29,160 Well, they're called Judaizers, 159 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:31,600 and they were a sort of denomination 160 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:33,280 within the early church 161 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:36,480 that went around teaching the churches 162 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,160 that you had to be circumcised 163 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:42,040 and come under the law of Israel 164 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:46,160 before you could be accepted by Israel's Messiah. 165 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:48,400 Nonsense, says Paul. 166 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:50,360 To trust in your own works 167 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:53,040 rather than Christ alone for salvation 168 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:56,280 as he's been offered to us in the gospel, 169 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:58,600 that is to totally go wrong, 170 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,520 as he alludes to here in verse three. 171 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,560 In other words, all the law and its ceremonies 172 00:09:04,560 --> 00:09:06,600 were pointing one way, 173 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:08,880 and that was to the perfect one 174 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:11,640 sent on our behalf, Jesus Christ. 175 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,920 So to look back at the old way of doing things 176 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:18,560 with all the types and shadows and ceremonies, 177 00:09:18,560 --> 00:09:21,760 to put the confidence in the flesh, 178 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:25,760 well, that's to totally miss the good news, 179 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:29,000 the point of the good news of Jesus Christ, 180 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:33,360 which in turn will steal your joy in the Lord. 181 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,720 Then third, Paul kind of gives his resume 182 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:39,080 to say if anyone could be confident in the flesh, 183 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:41,160 if anyone could take joy in their works, 184 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:44,840 well, it's me in verses four through to six. 185 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:46,280 But notice verse seven. 186 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:48,280 He says, but whatever were gains to me, 187 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:52,600 I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 188 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,520 In other words, though Paul had every right 189 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:58,360 to be confident in the flesh, 190 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,240 to have joy in his works, 191 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:04,320 well, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt 192 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:07,640 that none of it was going to justify him 193 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:09,720 before the living God. 194 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:11,240 So that's a bit of a context 195 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:14,800 as to what we really wanna hone in on today. 196 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:18,720 Paul commands the church to rejoice in the Lord 197 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:20,360 because it's our safeguard. 198 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:24,120 He warns the church that taking our eyes off Jesus 199 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:26,960 and putting our confidence in the flesh 200 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:28,680 will kill our joy. 201 00:10:28,680 --> 00:10:31,720 Then he edifies the church by telling us 202 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:35,560 that he had every right to see himself 203 00:10:35,560 --> 00:10:38,200 as fully right in the eyes of God, 204 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:40,560 but that he has left it all behind 205 00:10:40,560 --> 00:10:44,000 because he has found the truth of the gospel 206 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,880 worth giving everything up for, 207 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:49,640 which he then starts to detail for us 208 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:51,680 in verses eight through to 11. 209 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:54,880 I briefly pointed this out before. 210 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:59,840 Paul has said, it's as we take our eyes off our circumstances 211 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:01,760 and put them on Jesus, 212 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:05,760 that we'll have great joy in the good news of Jesus. 213 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:09,160 And all of that is good and true. 214 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:10,720 But what does that mean? 215 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:13,800 What does it actually mean to know the Lord 216 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:17,840 in such a way that we will rejoice in him? 217 00:11:18,680 --> 00:11:21,800 Well, that's what Paul directs our attention to this morning. 218 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:26,800 He wants to show us why we as God's blood purchased people 219 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:31,360 have so much to rejoice about 220 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,240 in the good news of Jesus Christ 221 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:39,040 by modeling the Christian life for us. 222 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:40,960 If you have your Bibles with you this morning, 223 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:45,960 Paul says we rejoice because we know Jesus Christ 224 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:46,920 as our Lord. 225 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:50,480 He says, what's more, I consider everything a loss 226 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:52,760 because of the surpassing worth 227 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:57,000 of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. 228 00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:58,800 That's worth pointing out here. 229 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:01,120 What Paul is saying is actually 230 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:04,760 an incredibly unique phrase. 231 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:08,480 What I mean by that is you'll be pretty hard pressed 232 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:13,280 to find Paul using the phrase knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, 233 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:16,440 in such a way that he is using it here. 234 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:20,160 And I point that out because what he's really saying 235 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:24,280 is I think my entire past is rubbish 236 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:29,280 because I now have a personal relationship with Jesus. 237 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:32,720 That's essentially what Paul's saying here. 238 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:37,040 He's saying that there is now a personableness 239 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:39,800 to his relationship with Jesus 240 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,720 because, and notice the language here, 241 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:47,720 Paul says he knows Jesus as my Lord, as my Lord. 242 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:49,240 As my Lord. 243 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:52,920 In other words, Paul had discovered the difference 244 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:56,360 between the abstract and the personal. 245 00:12:56,360 --> 00:13:01,360 He knows that Jesus is his and that he belongs to Jesus. 246 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:04,560 How did that happen? 247 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:10,080 Well, we only need to look to the 10th chapter 248 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,360 of the Gospel According to John. 249 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:17,440 And we see an incredibly personal scene 250 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:22,000 between Jesus and his disciples. 251 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,640 And Jesus is explaining to them 252 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:26,800 the difference between himself 253 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:29,280 and the robbers and the highlings. 254 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:33,160 And there we see Jesus speak in such a personal way 255 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:38,160 where he says, my sheep hear my voice. 256 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:43,080 They know my voice and they follow me. 257 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:43,920 Hear that? 258 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,880 Jesus says when they hear my voice, 259 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:48,840 they follow me. 260 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:52,480 And just so there's no confusion as to what that looks like, 261 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,560 we're told by Luke in the Book of Acts 262 00:13:55,560 --> 00:14:00,080 that when Paul, who once went by the name of Rabbi Saul, 263 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,360 that when he was on the way to kill Christians, 264 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:07,360 that the Lord Jesus himself appeared to him. 265 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:10,200 And Saul being knocked off his donkey, 266 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:14,480 he hears the Lord Jesus speaking to him. 267 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:19,480 Does anyone remember Rabbi Saul's first words to Jesus? 268 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:22,480 Who are you, Lord? 269 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:24,600 Who are you, Lord? 270 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:28,320 That's right, the first words out of Saul's mouth 271 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:31,920 was an expression that Jesus is Lord. 272 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:34,560 And the first thing that we see him do 273 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,080 is he seeks to obey him. 274 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,240 That's why we read about people who were baptized 275 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:43,680 in the Book of Acts and in 1 Corinthians, 276 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:48,680 how the adults at least would confess Jesus is Lord. 277 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:53,280 And that's something that the church has always practiced. 278 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:56,440 It's something that we practice here today 279 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:00,840 because Christians know Jesus is Lord. 280 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:03,920 And we know that we want the Lord 281 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,920 to direct us in a personal way. 282 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,440 We want him involved in our lives. 283 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:10,760 So church, we might ask, 284 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:14,960 how do we express the Lordship of Christ in our lives? 285 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,960 Well, we express the Lordship of Christ 286 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,440 as we not only listen to his voice, 287 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:27,560 and this is important, but we do what he says. 288 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:29,720 That's how we really know 289 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:32,840 that we have come to know Jesus as Lord, 290 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:36,400 because we hear what he says and we obey. 291 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,440 Where do we hear the voice of Jesus? 292 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:45,440 Well, it's not in our own imaginations and fantasies. 293 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,080 We hear the voice of the Lord in the Bible. 294 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:54,520 That's right, Jesus speaks to us by his word, 295 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:58,760 which has been breathed out by the living God. 296 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:00,600 And we're told in the Book of Hebrews 297 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:04,240 that the word is alive and active. 298 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:08,480 And as his followers, as those who really trust in the Lord, 299 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:13,000 we hear his voice speaking to us in the Scriptures. 300 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,920 And therefore, we don't dare cut or paste, 301 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:19,440 ignore, twist what the Lord has to say. 302 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:24,440 No, when he speaks to us in his word, we listen and obey. 303 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:27,400 We trust and obey, 304 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:30,440 for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus. 305 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:36,280 We listen to when there are tender promises made to us, 306 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:40,680 and we obey when he commands us to do something, 307 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:45,680 because we know it is the voice of the Lord speaking to us, 308 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:48,440 to his people, his sheep. 309 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:52,120 And that's what Paul is expressing here as a Christian, 310 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:54,600 as a model for all of us. 311 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:59,600 Christians know Jesus as our Lord personally, 312 00:16:59,880 --> 00:17:01,320 because we listen and obey. 313 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:04,360 So that's first, Christians rejoice, 314 00:17:04,360 --> 00:17:08,160 because we've come to know Jesus as our Lord. 315 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:12,240 Second, we read in the rest of verse eight, 316 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:16,280 we rejoice because we have gained Christ. 317 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:18,960 Paul says, for whose sake I've lost all things, 318 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:23,960 I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ. 319 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,240 Every Christian that I've met, 320 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:30,480 every true born again person that I've ever come across 321 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,920 expresses a couple of things in common. 322 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:37,480 First, that everything they had before they were a Christian, 323 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:39,680 no matter what it was, 324 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:44,680 is nothing compared to what they now have in Christ. 325 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:48,520 And they wouldn't trade it for the world. 326 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:51,000 The second thing they express is that, 327 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,720 though they may have had nice and good things in the past, 328 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,360 even if they still have them, 329 00:17:57,360 --> 00:17:59,160 well, the common factor is, 330 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:04,160 they don't look to those things to define them anymore. 331 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:07,120 No, since they've found Christ, or better yet, 332 00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:11,040 since they know they have been found by Christ, 333 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:13,840 they have found that they have become more 334 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:16,800 and more satisfied in Jesus, 335 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:20,880 and that nothing could be more desired in this life 336 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:25,880 than coming to know him more and more and more. 337 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:30,160 What they're really saying is what Paul is expressing here. 338 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:35,160 Christians count all things as loss and Christ as gain, 339 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,480 because they know that having Christ 340 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:43,760 is better than anything that this world has to offer. 341 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:47,400 I mean, that's what Paul has already expressed 342 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:50,120 when talking to his friends at Philippi 343 00:18:50,120 --> 00:18:52,400 in verses four through to six. 344 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:56,600 He was essentially saying, I had it all in this world 345 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:01,040 when it came to religious prestige and honor in society, 346 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:06,000 but I count it all as rubbish now that I've found Christ. 347 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,400 And that might seem pretty abstract to many of us, 348 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,760 because we don't live in a society 349 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:17,480 where religious leaders are held in high esteem. 350 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:19,760 In fact, just the opposite. 351 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:24,440 But one story that we find in the gospel according to Mark 352 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:27,720 does hit a little closer to home. 353 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:31,080 And that's the story of the rich young ruler 354 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:35,000 who, like many of us in Australian society, 355 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,080 looked to his property portfolio 356 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:42,960 and pennies in his pocket for self-worth. 357 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,800 And we read that he wanted to follow Jesus, 358 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:49,720 and Jesus flings the door open for him to do so, 359 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:53,200 but the rich young ruler found that he couldn't enter 360 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:57,160 because he clung to the anchor of his money 361 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:00,040 in such a way that he couldn't let go 362 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,680 even if it was gonna drown him. 363 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:06,760 All that to say, he was a man that didn't see Jesus 364 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:10,320 as all there was to gain in this life. 365 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:14,400 So he clung to the rubbish of this world, 366 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:18,240 which would come to nothing anyway. 367 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:20,040 Now what Paul is saying to us here 368 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,960 is he's come to realize all those things 369 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:27,400 that he thought to find him and was worth living for. 370 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:31,640 Well, it's crumbled in comparison to knowing Christ, 371 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:35,520 so much so that he actually now looks at all of that stuff 372 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:40,520 as utter rubbish compared to the gain that he has in Christ. 373 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:45,360 He's saying all that stuff that helped puff my chest out 374 00:20:45,360 --> 00:20:48,480 and talked the loudest in the room. 375 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,480 Well, I've come to see it for what it is. 376 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:52,880 It's rubbish. 377 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:55,920 It reeked, and I want nothing to do with it. 378 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:59,720 So like anyone who has rubbish in the house, 379 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:02,200 you found it easy to just throw it in the bin 380 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:06,000 without a second thought because it didn't define him. 381 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:11,520 It didn't fill the empty gaping hole 382 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:13,320 that was created in his heart. 383 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:15,400 Is that you today? 384 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:16,240 Is that you? 385 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:20,040 Are you one of those people that has everything in the world, 386 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:21,400 all that it has to offer, 387 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:26,080 but still feel completely empty at the end of the day? 388 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:27,920 That was my story. 389 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:30,760 That was my journey to the cross. 390 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:33,000 I had everything that the world had to offer, 391 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:37,600 money, great relationships, wonderful opportunities, 392 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:40,760 but I felt completely empty, 393 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:45,760 which in hindsight was the Lord by his spirit 394 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:50,760 convicting me that I had nothing apart from Christ. 395 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:52,160 Nothing. 396 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:57,160 All Christians know that gaining Jesus is better 397 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:00,080 than anything this world has to offer. 398 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,880 Have you come to realize that yet? 399 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:05,320 Because if you haven't, 400 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,720 you're not here by mistake this morning. 401 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:12,720 The door has been flung open to you. 402 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:17,720 Will you let go of the anchor that will drown you anyway? 403 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:19,880 So first, Christians rejoice 404 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:23,920 because we know Jesus as our Lord personally. 405 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:28,920 Second, we rejoice because we have gained Christ. 406 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:33,920 Third, we rejoice because we are found in Christ. 407 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:36,240 Paul says in verse nine, 408 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:39,120 I wanna be found in Christ, not having a righteousness 409 00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:41,240 of my own that comes from the law, 410 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,400 but that which is through faith in Christ. 411 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:49,400 The righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 412 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:54,920 It's incredibly interesting what Paul is doing here, Church, 413 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:59,280 because he's gone from looking to his own works 414 00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:01,000 to looking to Christ, 415 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:04,560 and that's what he's drawing out for us here this morning. 416 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:09,560 There is a righteousness that one must have 417 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:13,720 in order to be accepted by God. 418 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:15,840 But this is the amazing thing. 419 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:20,840 This righteousness doesn't come from us and our works, 420 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:25,040 but is given to us by God, 421 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:29,640 and it is grasped by faith alone. 422 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:34,640 And Church, that's always been the story of the Bible. 423 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:39,120 There is a righteousness from God 424 00:23:39,120 --> 00:23:42,720 that is gifted to his people by faith. 425 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:47,480 You might remember just after our first parents, 426 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:50,560 Adam and Eve, had rebelled against God 427 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:54,480 in the Garden of Eden, that God came to them, 428 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:55,880 but what did they do? 429 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:59,000 They hid themselves and they covered themselves 430 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:02,560 by making a garment of leaves. 431 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:04,720 And we read that they hid themselves 432 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:07,040 because they knew they were naked 433 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:08,840 because they had done wrong, 434 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:12,280 that they had broken the one law 435 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:15,920 that God had given them to do. 436 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,200 However, as you read on, there's this little detail 437 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:22,760 in that narrative that if you blink, you'll miss it. 438 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:26,240 We read that essentially God didn't accept 439 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:29,400 what they had clothed themselves in, 440 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:32,840 what they had worked for themselves. 441 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:35,120 So he made a garment of skins 442 00:24:35,120 --> 00:24:37,760 for their shame to be covered. 443 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:40,280 Now again, it's such a small detail, 444 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:44,000 yet it contains such a monumental truth, 445 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:46,400 and that's that our own working 446 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:48,680 for right standing before God 447 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:51,800 will never be accepted by him. 448 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:55,040 And so we might try to cover ourselves 449 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:59,680 in all our good works and worldly accolades. 450 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:01,760 However, at the end of the day, 451 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:05,120 our creator sees right through it. 452 00:25:05,120 --> 00:25:09,080 And so the apostle Paul in a roundabout way 453 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:13,760 is saying that there is a way to not be found, 454 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:15,680 especially on that last day 455 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:19,840 with a little fig leaf covering yourselves saying, 456 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:23,120 I tried my hardest to be a good person. 457 00:25:23,120 --> 00:25:25,440 I tried to keep the 10 commandments. 458 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:26,840 I helped the poor. 459 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:28,320 I got baptized. 460 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:29,760 Won't you accept me? 461 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:34,480 Now every Christian knows that our own works 462 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:38,720 are like offering a king dirty rags to impress him. 463 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:42,000 And that's just unacceptable. 464 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,640 As we know that nothing we do 465 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:47,640 comes anywhere near the standard of God. 466 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:49,960 And so what Paul is saying is that 467 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:54,160 we don't need to be worried about being found naked 468 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:59,160 because we're in fact clothed in something that is perfect. 469 00:25:59,360 --> 00:26:04,360 We are clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. 470 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:06,560 How's it come about? 471 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:10,280 How do we put on the garment of the righteousness 472 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:12,320 of the perfect one? 473 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:14,400 Well, it's not by our own doing, 474 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:18,200 but by simply reaching out in the faith 475 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:19,840 that we have been given. 476 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:24,240 We put our faith in Christ alone. 477 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:26,880 So first, Christians rejoice 478 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,920 because we know Jesus as our Lord. 479 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:35,360 Second, we rejoice because we have gained Christ. 480 00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:39,640 Third, we rejoice because we are found in him. 481 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:43,080 Fourth, we rejoice because we have 482 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:46,840 the very spirit of God working in us. 483 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:49,120 We see this in verses 10 through to 11. 484 00:26:49,120 --> 00:26:52,360 Paul says, I wanna know Christ, yes, 485 00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:55,520 to know the power of his resurrection 486 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:58,760 and participation in his sufferings, 487 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:00,480 becoming like him in his death 488 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:05,200 and so somehow attaining to the resurrection of the dead. 489 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,680 In other words, Paul is saying that he wants to know 490 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:13,680 the power of Jesus, the work of the living God in him now. 491 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:18,360 He wants to see God changing him from the inside out 492 00:27:18,360 --> 00:27:22,120 so that he will become more like Jesus 493 00:27:22,120 --> 00:27:24,200 on this side of eternity. 494 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:27,040 To put it plainly, Paul is talking about wanting 495 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:30,880 to experience the sanctifying work 496 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:34,680 of the Holy Spirit in his very life. 497 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:37,000 And for every Christian, we rejoice 498 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,840 because we have the deep desire 499 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:42,600 for the Spirit's work in us 500 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:46,040 because before when we were dead in trespasses 501 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:50,560 and sin with a death sentence hanging over our heads, 502 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:55,080 well, we had no desire to know Christ intimately 503 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:59,760 and to feel the work of the Spirit in our lives. 504 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:03,000 But now because we are a new creation, 505 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:06,360 born again and being shaped and formed 506 00:28:06,360 --> 00:28:09,480 into the image of Jesus by the work of God, 507 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:14,480 we rejoice, we rejoice that the work of God 508 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:16,880 is really meeting our deepest desires 509 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:19,840 to be more and more like Jesus. 510 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:25,280 Brother, sister, the fact that we don't just want 511 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:29,800 to be forgiven, but to see the power of sin 512 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:33,520 broken in our lives, well, we rejoice 513 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:38,520 because that work will be met by the Spirit in our lives. 514 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:42,520 And ultimately on that day of resurrection, 515 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:44,400 we rejoice in that. 516 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:48,880 And so as we prepare our hearts for the table this morning 517 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:52,560 to meet with Jesus through the Spirit, 518 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:57,560 let us rejoice in the good news of Jesus Christ. 519 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:00,280 We can do that because of what Paul has shown us 520 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:01,480 here this morning. 521 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:05,880 As Christians, as God's blood purchased people, 522 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:10,880 we have so much to celebrate and rejoice in the gospel 523 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,640 because we know Christ as our Lord, 524 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:15,880 because we have gained Christ, 525 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:18,320 because we are found in Christ 526 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:22,280 and because we have the work of the Spirit 527 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:24,720 in each and every one of us. 528 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:27,640 All these things we rejoice in church 529 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:30,240 and they are a safeguard to us 530 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:33,320 in every and every circumstance, 531 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:35,960 any and every circumstance. 532 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:38,000 I just want to ask a couple of questions 533 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,960 of you this morning before we come to the Lord's table. 534 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:45,840 Do you know Jesus? 535 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:48,640 Lovely. 536 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:51,840 Do you know him as your Lord? 537 00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:56,840 Are you hearing his word and trusting what he says 538 00:29:56,840 --> 00:30:01,400 and expressing that by obeying what he says? 539 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:06,400 Because if not, today is the day to let go of the anchor 540 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:09,320 and grasp onto Christ. 541 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:13,840 The door through the gospel is really being flung open. 542 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,120 The narrow way is before you. 543 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:22,000 All you have to do is enter it by the gate being Jesus. 544 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,280 I might also ask, are you still trusting 545 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:28,040 in the things of this world over and against everything 546 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:31,760 that has been offered to you in the gospel? 547 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:36,200 Like Paul, are you looking to your religious prestige, 548 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:39,160 maybe to your baptism or your good works 549 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:42,000 for your acceptability before God? 550 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:46,840 Have you come to see that Jesus is your everything? 551 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:48,440 Well, might I say to you this morning, 552 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:52,320 today is the day to see those things for what they are, 553 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:57,000 to turn to Christ and to trust in him. 554 00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:00,080 And I just wanna say to everyone of you this morning, 555 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:04,160 to my brothers and sisters who have put your trust in Christ 556 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:06,680 and know something of the realities 557 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:10,160 that have been spoken about this morning, 558 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:13,720 we will not walk in these things perfectly. 559 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:16,600 We won't walk in these things perfectly 560 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:18,000 on this side of eternity. 561 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:20,680 But this is our encouragement. 562 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:26,280 The table that has been set before us this morning 563 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:31,280 is a place of strengthening and assurance 564 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:35,520 of the wonderful things that have been freely given to us 565 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:38,760 by God in the Lord Jesus Christ. 566 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:44,200 So dear one, if you see your sin for what it is, 567 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:47,800 if you see Christ for who he is, 568 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:49,160 and yet you look at your life 569 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:52,400 and you see where you fall so far short, 570 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:55,960 then this is actually the place to be this morning. 571 00:31:55,960 --> 00:32:00,240 The place to come and meet with the risen Lord 572 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:04,920 through the Holy Spirit by his invitation, 573 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:09,600 to be strengthened and satisfied in him. 574 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:13,800 I'm gonna ask the team to come and lead us in a song, 575 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:17,440 in reflection to the words that we've heard this morning. 576 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:20,920 But as they do that, let me just quickly pray 577 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,400 before we come to the table. 578 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:24,680 Would you pray with me? 579 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:28,480 Father, we are so thankful 580 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:32,000 that you are the one who does the work in us. 581 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:37,440 That by your spirit, you are transforming us more and more 582 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:39,480 to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. 583 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:44,480 Lord, you know everybody's situation in here. 584 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:47,360 You know where we are, the weeks we've had. 585 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:50,400 You know past, present, and future. 586 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:53,480 I would ask Lord that we would be strengthened 587 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:55,240 as we meet with you this morning. 588 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:59,600 That we would be encouraged and transformed 589 00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:03,880 for the sake of Christ and for your glory alone. 590 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:06,520 We ask this in Jesus' name, amen. 591 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:20,880 Thank you, team.