Sermon
#14711 Miscellaneous
Notes
Title: MY AMBITIONS
Text: Philippians 3:8-11
Readings: Philippians 3:1-21
Subject: Four Great Ambitions of
Faith
Date: Sunday Morning – August 26, 2001
Tape # W-58b
Introduction:
What are your ambitions? What do you want out of
life? What would your really like to accomplish in this world? What are those
things you most desire? Answer those questions honestly and you will know
exactly what you are. You will know the kind of person you really are.
Today, I
want to talk to you about my ambitions. These are the things that motivate me,
rule me, and govern my life. These are the matters of utmost concern to me. I
want to pick up today right where I left off last Sunday morning. You will find
my text in Philippians 3. We will be going over some things today which, I
hope, are very familiar to you. But I make no apology for that. To preach and
teach “the same things to you, to me
indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.”
1. This chapter begins with An
Exhortation (v. 1).
Paul says, “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the
Lord.” He used this word, rejoice,
ten times in these four chapters. We ought always, in the depths of our
hearts and souls, to rejoice in the Lord. No matter what our providential
experiences and circumstances are, we always have reason to rejoice in the
Lord. Here is an exhortation to joy.
What a blessed command! “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I
say rejoice!” Rejoice in…
·
the greatness of his person as our all-sufficient Substitute.
·
the power of his blood, which cleanses us from all sin.
·
the perfection of his righteousness, which is imputed to us for
justification.
·
the abundance of his grace, which is always sufficient for us.
·
the immutability of his love, which never fails.
·
the rule of his providence, which works all things together for our
good.
·
the fact of his intercession, which is continual and effectual on our
behalf.
·
the fact that your names are written in heaven.
This is
the exhortation with which Paul opens this chapter - “Rejoice in the Lord!” May God give me grace ever to do so for the
glory of Christ and the good of his people.
2. In verse 2, the apostle
gives us a serious warning.
“Beware of dogs.” -- He warns us to beware of
false prophets. He calls them dogs because that is what the Word of God calls
male prostitutes. False prophets are men who have for their own sakes
prostituted the gospel of Christ and the glory of God.
Deuteronomy
23:18 “Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or
the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even
both these are abomination unto the
LORD thy God.”
Isaiah
56:10-11
“His watchmen are blind: they are all
ignorant, they are all dumb dogs,
they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one
for his gain, from his quarter.”
“Beware
of evil workers.” -- This is a warning against those who teach,
preach, and promote any system of man centered, works based, free will religion
(Matt. 7:22-23).
Matthew
7:22-23 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils?
and in thy name done many wonderful works?
(23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me,
ye that work iniquity."
Man
centered, works based, free will religion is the single greatest cause of evil
in this world. The good works of
religion without Christ are the most abominably evil works done in this world.
·
They rob God of his glory.
·
They trample under foot the blood of Christ.
·
They do despite to the Spirit of grace.
·
They gradually abase man to his lowest, most contemptible state (Rom.
1:25-31).
“Evil
workers,” as Paul uses the term in this context, are Arminians,
freewillers, and legalists, people who teach that God’s salvation depends upon
and is determined by man.
“Beware
of the concision.” -- Those who are of the concision are men and
women who cut, mutilate, and torture their bodies in hope of winning God’s
favor.
·
Doing Penance
·
Observing Lent
·
Monasticism, Flagellation
·
Religious Taboos, Asceticism
In essence, Paul is saying, Beware of Christless religion. Beware of
any religious custom, doctrine, or service that is centered in yourself and
encourages you to focus attention on yourself.
3. Now look at verse 3. Here we
are given a description of true religion.
Philippians
3:3 "For we are the circumcision, which
worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence
in the flesh."
True
religion is not man centered, but Christ centered. True religion is not
ceremonial, but spiritual. True religion is not a matter of creed, but of
conviction. True religion is not outward, but inward. “For we are the circumcision.”
-- We are God’s true, covenant people, the Israel of God, Abraham’s
true children, which…
“Worship
God in the Spirit.” -- We worship God as he is revealed in the
Scriptures, by the power of his Holy Spirit, in our spirits, and in a spiritual
manner. True worship is spiritual worship, not carnal, ceremonial ritualism.
John
4:23-24 "But the hour cometh, and now is, when
the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the
Father seeketh such to worship him. (24) God
is a Spirit: and they that worship
him must worship him in spirit and in
truth."
“And
rejoice in Christ Jesus.” -- We trust the Lord Jesus Christ alone,
placing all our confidence in him as our Savior. We are complete in him.
1
Corinthians 1:30-31 "But of him are ye in
Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption: (31) That,
according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
Colossians
2:9-10 "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of
the Godhead bodily. (10) And ye are
complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:"
“And
have no confidence in the flesh.” -- We place absolutely no
confidence in our flesh, the experiences, emotions, or (imaginary) excellencies
of our flesh. The privileges of the flesh, the feelings of the flesh, and the
works of the flesh are no basis of confidence before God.
4. In verses 4-8, Paul is set
before us as an example of self-denial.
Philippians
3:4-8 "Though I might also have confidence in
the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the
flesh, I more: (5) Circumcised the
eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the
tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; (6) Concerning zeal, persecuting the
church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (7) But what things were gain to me,
those I counted loss for Christ. (8) Yea
doubtless, and I count all things but loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung."
Self-denial
is an essential aspect of saving faith. Though it increasingly comprehends all
aspects of life as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,
self-denial begins with a denial of
all personal worth and merit as a grounds of hope before God.
Here is a
legalist of highest order laying aside the filthy rags of his
self-righteousness for the blessed, pure, perfect righteousness of Christ. Paul
counted all his fleshly, carnal, natural privileges, religious distinctiveness,
and educational advantages as nothing but dung before God. He placed no
confidence in his flesh. He found that one Pearl of Great Price, and sold
everything he had to get it (Matt. 13:45-46).
NOTE: This was done on the
Damascus Road when the Lord saved him (v. 7). And this was a decision he made
everyday, with increasing, growing commitment and consecration to Christ. He
counted all things but dung for Christ.
Why? What
was the cause of this man’s self-denial, consecration, and commitment? What
made this man willing to forsake everything and follow Christ?
Proposition:
Paul was inspired, motivated, and driven to the point of utter obsession by
four great ambitions of faith.
He gives
us those four great ambitions in verses 8-11. Look at the last line of verse 8.
I. “THAT I MAY WIN CHRIST!”
What an ambition! The life of faith is the lifelong
pursuit of Christ. Faith looks upon Christ as the most precious, most
desirable, most lovely, most valuable Person and Object in the world. The more
he is known, the more he is wanted. Therefore true faith willingly forsakes all
to follow him.
Christ is
the Treasure hidden in the field, for which we would gladly spend all. He is
the Pearl of Great Price, for which we must sell all. Jesus Christ is the “one thing needful” who must be chosen.
Christ is the one thing we must have.
·
I am thankful for the many comforts of life with which I am blessed;
but I must have Christ.
·
I am thankful for my friends; but I must have Christ.
·
I am thankful for health; but I must have Christ.
·
I am thankful for my family; but I must have Christ.
“I count all things loss that I may win
Christ.”
II. “AND BE FOUND IN HIM!” - (v. 9)
Philippians
3:9 "And be found in him, not having mine
own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:"
This is
the believer’s standing. We are in Christ. This is Christianity. This is
salvation - to be in Christ, nothing less, nothing lower, nothing different. It
is not partly in Christ and partly in the law, or partly in the ordinances, or
partly in the church. To be saved is to be in Christ.
·
Religion is knowing doctrines and facts. Salvation is knowing God (John
17:3; 1 John 5:20).
·
Religion is knowing what I believe. Christianity is knowing whom I believe (2 Tim. 2:12).
·
Religion is being reformed. Salvation is being regenerated (John 3:3).
·
Religion makes men new converts. Christianity makes us new creatures (2
Cor. 5:17).
·
Religion is being in the church. Salvation is being in Christ (John
15:1; Eph. 5:30).
A. Believers are people who are in Christ,
·
By God’s Eternal Decree.
·
By The Holy Spirit’s Operations Of Grace.
·
By Personal Faith.
Illustration: Grafted into Christ
B. To be in Christ is to have perfect righteousness
before God.
Our righteousness is not something we establish by
performing good works, but something Christ established for us as our
Representative before God. We do not make ourselves righteous by our obedience
to God’s law. Christ made us righteous by his obedience to the law for us.
Romans 5:19 "For as by one man's disobedience many
were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made
righteous."
Our
righteousness before God is the righteousness of God in Christ imputed to us by
God himself.
C. As I stand before the holy Lord God, I want to be
found in Christ.
·
As I live in this world.
·
When I offer any service, prayer, or sacrifice to him.
·
When I leave this world.
·
When I stand before his great bar of judgment!
Now, look
at verse 10.
III. “THAT I MAY KNOW HIM!”
Philippians
3:10 "That I may know him, and the power of
his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable
unto his death;"
I know
that Christ is mine and I am his. Yet, I count all things but loss and dung,
that I might win Christ, that I might be found in Christ, that I might know
Christ. I know him; but, oh, how I want to know him! I want constantly renewed,
ever increasing knowledge of and communion with the Son of God. This is the
ambition of my heart - I want to know him, my God and my Savior, my Redeemer
and my Lord!
A. I want to know him who is the great Benefactor of my
soul.
·
The Mysteries And Glories Of His Person
·
The Riches Of His Grace
·
The Greatness Of His Salvation
·
The Benefits Of His Mercies
·
The Depth Of His Love
May God
give us grace never to take our eyes off of Christ! My soul, let Christ be the
all-consuming Object of your being! “That I may know him!”
B. I want to “know
him in the power of his
resurrection.”
1. The power of his
resurrection declares that I am justified (Rom. 4:25).
2. The power of his
resurrection gave me spiritual life (Eph. 1:19).
3. The power of his
resurrection guarantees my resurrection (1 Cor. 15:47-49).
4. But I want to live everyday,
experimentally, walking in the knowledge of the power of his resurrection.
Walking with Christ in the newness of life, I want
the power of his resurrection to dominate, control, and direct my life in all
things. I want to be continually made new by him.
C. I want “to
know him in the fellowship of his sufferings.”
·
To Know My Personal Interest In His Sufferings
·
To Know What He Accomplished In His Sufferings
As his
sufferings are his glory, I want his sufferings to be my glory (Gal. 6:14).
Galatians
6:14 "But God forbid that I should glory,
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto
me, and I unto the world."
D. I want to know Christ and the fellowship of his
sufferings to such an extent that I am ever “being
made conformable unto his death.”
This is what that means - I want to be conformed to
Christ in his death.
·
Entirely Consecrated To The Glory Of God.
·
Perfectly Submissive To The Will Of God.
·
Motivated By Nothing But Love For My God And His People.
IV. “IF BY ANY MEANS I MIGHT ATTAIN UNTO THE
RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.”
Philippians
3:11-14 "If by any means I might attain unto the
resurrection of the dead. (12) Not as
though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after,
if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (13) Brethren, I count not myself to
have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are
behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (14) I press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
Certainly,
this includes a great desire for the resurrection of my body at the last day.
But primarily, the yearning spoken of here is a yearning for that moral,
spiritual resurrection of grace that lifts us out of the death and darkness of
sin. The world, the flesh, and all human life is death. In Christ there is
life, real life, eternal life, a life of righteousness, peace and joy in communion
with God! This is what I want. I have not yet attained it; but I am reaching
for it.
I want
what God purposed for me in eternity and Christ purchased for me at Calvary
(Eph. 1:3-6). I want to be like Christ!
Application: These
are the ambitions of my heart, the goals I seek, the things for which I live. I
pray that God will make them more and more real to me. And I pray that he will
make them your hearts’ ambitions as well.
1. “That I may win him.”
2. “And be found in him.”
3. “That I may know him.”
4. “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”
Children of God, set your
hearts upon these things, and by the grace of God you shall have them (vv.
20-21).
Philippians
3:20-21 "For our conversation is in heaven; from
whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (21) Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like
unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to
subdue all things unto himself."
AMEN.