Did you ever get annoyed when a teacher or a parent would repeat something over and over again? As a child I was annoyed by it, but I didn’t realize at the time that repetition was a technique used to help us remember important things.
Several years ago, I was complaining to my parents about my roommates not doing the dishes. Well, the did some dishes, but would leave others unwashed or not put away. In my frustration I said, “dishes are not done until they are ALL done!” My mom’s response was, “so you WERE listening!”
That was the phrase she used often in our home growing up. Ironically, she had to say it to me because my behavior when I lived at home was like my roommates at the time. I benefited from the repetition my mom used to teach me how to keep a kitchen clean.
Knowing this, when we see or hear repetition, it should cause us to pause and consider that the teaching being repeated is important and will have an impact on us later. In school, they will most likely appear on a test and the teacher repeats them to help prepare you.
If that is true, how important is it for us to pay attention when the Word of God repeats itself? God is trying to get something through to us.
Paul opens this chapter by repeating “rejoice in the Lord.” He’s reminding us of our goal is to enjoy our God by being in union with Christ.
How do we maintain joy in the Lord?
Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing – 2-3
Paul begins this section stating there are some who are trying to distract the believers in Philippi from the main thing: Jesus Christ. He is describing the Judiazers who were teaching legalistic heresies. Paul is so harsh on the Judiazers because they were teaching a false way to God, one that appeals to our sinful nature of trying to earn our own way to God.
In Philippi it was Jewish legalism. What are false teachers teaching today that distracts believers from true joy in Christ?
I know you thought of some if not several different false teachers today. Some are easy to identify. However, I want you to think through false teaching that is easy to distract you from Christ. What is that?
In verse 3, Paul reminds us that we are not about the flesh, but we worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ. This means that our perspective has to be a continually surrendering of the fleshly norm and surrendering to the Holy Spirit for the glory of Jesus.
Does your views on life bring glory to Jesus or diminish the glory of Jesus?
Pause…
This is so important. Do you call yourself a Christian, but you hold views that diminish the glory of Jesus? Most likely the answer is yes, because these views creep in. That is what Paul is warning us about. Begin evaluating everything in your life and ask if it makes Jesus look good or reduces Him somehow.
Are your views about school, job, family, politics, health, safety, finances, etc. trusting in the finished work of Christ or is the “Jesus and…” view creeping in.
It’s Not About Building a Resume – 4-7
A few years ago an opportunity came up and I was asked to submit my resume. I had not looked at my resume since 2003. I couldn’t find a digital copy of it or even a printed copy. So I had to start over. I realized that it was a lot of work to build a resume.
Not only do you want to list qualities and achievements, but you have to word smith it so it sounds appealing. A resume is a tool trying to make you look better than others for the position or job, which is common practice in the workforce, but it won’t get you far spiritually.
Paul understood that it wasn’t about building a resume. He demonstrates here that he could hang with the best resumes, but that is foolishness. It is self-promotion and does not bring glory to Jesus.
Instead of an impressive resume being his goal, the knowledge of Jesus Christ became his goal. The knowledge of Jesus is of “surpassing worth” to the things of this world. So much so, that Paul counted all his pursuits from his previous life as rubbish.
It is an amazing thing to encounter a Christian who has this understanding. I knew a young man who was an amazing athlete and had made sports his god. Then he became a Christian and gave up the accomplishes of his life before Christ in order to make Christ supreme in his life. It was a beautiful thing.
Paul’s New Perspective – 8-11
Paul was reprioritizing life. Anything that he used to pull meaning and purpose from he counted as loss in order to find his life in Christ alone. Why was he willing to do this?
Understanding that the Gospel is the Good News of Jesus Christ and is the only way to true life means a complete 180 change is necessary for a believer. It means that life is about Jesus. When you go through the dark night of the soul and realize that God loves you and has provided a way, in Christ, to have your sins forgiven and are given the righteousness of Christ, how could you pursue anything else?
Paul tells us that we don’t have to prove ourselves, we have to believe that Jesus is enough. Jesus resurrection gives us the hope and certainty of our own resurrection to be with Him forever.
So Paul considered all his accomplishments and accolades and considered them rubbish compared to knowing Jesus.
Straining Forward – 12-21
There are times that I feel like I’ve done enough and deserve to coast for a while. I think about all the good things I have done as a Christian and then I look around at others and think, “I’m doing more than these, can’t I just take a break?”
I’ve done the Christian School thing, the Bible Institute, the Christian College, and the seminary thing. I’ve gone on missions trips and led missions trips. I’ve read the Bible all the way through multiple times and memorized lots of verses. I’ve… NO!!!!
In the last section, Paul took his resume before Christ and counted it a rubbish. In this section, I think he is talking about even the good things he has done as a believer in Jesus he forgets and presses forward.
All the things I mentioned above are good things, but they are in the past. If I dwell on those, they build my affection for myself, even if at the time I did them I did for Christ. Walking with Jesus means learning from the past but pressing on to new things in Christ. The good things I have done in the past are the things God prepared for me and did through me. They weren’t about me and what God does next in me is not about me.
We will not “arrive” until we are with Jesus in eternity. Today, and every day, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus and follow His example.
Your choice is this, walk in joy with Christ or walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Enemies of the cross focus on earthly things, their appetites and take pride in shameful things. Children of God walk with Jesus awaiting His appearance with great joy, not glorying in themselves, but glorying in Jesus Christ.
Today, take some time and ask yourself what do you find your worth and value in? Are you allowing your accomplishments or earthly position to be your value? What do you need to count as loss for the sake of knowing Jesus? Do you know the joy that is found in knowing Christ?
In Christ, you are so loved. Jesus knows everything about you, all your sins, failures and shame, yet He still loves you! He went to the cross for you. His resurrection conquered death, sin, guilt and shame. Knowing and experiencing His love will compel you to rejoice in Jesus!
No comments:
Post a Comment