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Now I want you to pay attention. It wasn't anything in Israel wasn't their military size.
Hope today through this passage of Scripture Two questions can be answered and I think you're applicable to anybody in this room. How do I get to heaven and number two? How do I mature in my Christian faith?
I love this passage of Scripture and most pastors should. Because Philippians chapter 3 verse 1 Paul says finally and then in chapter 4 verse 8 He says finally again now most pastors like to say we'll see that's why I go on and on and on but in good Hermeneutics, I forgot what that word means.
Look at my MIT students, they're doing so good Appreciate that so Hermeneutics is that understanding that when Paul says here finally what he's saying is in conjunction with what I've said before and in Summation, so he's summing up what he has said so far.
And so going to that we can get Some truth now one of the things that we have to remember As people of God is that we believe in the law of non-contradiction and if you are have any Semblance of intelligence at all.
In other words, you graduated from the University of Tennessee go Vols. You can understand that a Can be a letter and you can focus on that but you can also understand that that law cannot contradicts with any other logic and some of the folks out there Understand what I'm saying.
Paul talks here and I'm gonna be honest with you in chapter 3 of Philippians Paul gets a little savage. He gets fresh fire savage in this chapter. I mean he uses some really coarse language and he uses language that would be offensive to a lot of the religious lead of that time and It says that and I think he does that because Paul had a pastor's heart and He heard that a church that he had planted in Philippi.
It was the first church in Eastern Europe that was Existed. He had heard that people had come in and started telling lies to his church people. Now at this time Paul's in prison in Rome. This is 61 through 63 AD somewhere around in there and he's in prison in Rome.
And he hears that the people that he is loved so much and worked so hard are now believing Some falsely and so he writes them and he's not angry at them. He's angry at the folks that have come in. So three things today that I hope that will help you understand a cannot.
How do I get to heaven or be if I'm a Christian? How do I mature. The first one that I think you need to understand is you need to stay away from some Parasites in your life. Look here in chapter 3 verse 1 it says this finally my brothers and that brother there once again is a Mankind thing not a gender specific thing.
It says finally my brothers Rejoice in the Lord to write to you the same things to you is no trouble for me and it's safe for you. Verse 2 look out for the dogs. Look out for those evildoers. Look out for those who mutilate the flesh for we the Circumcision who worship by the Spirit of God and the glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence.
In the flesh he lists three people. Are three types of folks that you need to stay away from this morning. A young man who is in? Some dire peril of his own choosing. Called me and Because I had sent him a text message, and I was like where you have boy.
How come I don't see you in church. Why ain't you living with your mama no more? What's going on, and he calls me up, and he goes. He always does that he goes. And he sucks through his teeth. Yeah, you know I just want you to know who I'm talking about.
And he sucks through his teeth. He's like man. I don't know man. My mama she mean to me man. She kicked me up out of the house, man. I was like can you say man one more time for me, please? I go. Why'd she kick you out man?
I don't know. I say boy you a lion's sack of dog poop. You exactly know why. Because you smoking weed like it's going out of style you stinking up her house man with that weed. And she's asked you time and time again.
Man shoot, man. Here's the problem. That he's a great kid. I've known him since he was this big. He's a good kid. The problem is he started running around with dogs and Christians. Let me tell you something you lie down with dogs.
You gonna come up with fleas. You men date a young woman that you know she ain't a young lady. She a young woman that is not someone no matter how codependent you are. That is not someone you want to have a relationship with.
Okay? Same way with you young women if all he is is one of those guys who wants to Give you a kiss. That ain't the guy for you. That ain't the guy for you that dogs that absolute dogs. They're also those dogs in the church.
Let me explain what I mean. Do you know someone who is quarrelsome and divisive in spirit. I Remember there used to be a lady. Let me rephrase there used to be a dog who used to run around this church, and I remember.
Her.
Validation was this. I've been a member of this church for 30 years. I was like What's that mean? What's that mean. I remember her getting mad because a kid wore a hat in church service. And I remember sitting there looking at her like going Who are you.
And her favorite line was this. Well? I'll tell you how to cow. Eat the cabbage. Really did. Did I did. I suddenly become a punk. Do you actually think that you just because of who and what you are? You really think you can talk to people like that.
No, that ain't how it works.
Guys.
There are dogs That you pastors that pastors have got to defend their flock against. There are people out there That want to suck the strength out of you and tear you down to try to build themselves up.
Stay.
Away from those people the second thing that it says here watch those evil workers now. If we have a great recovery addiction recovery group in this church I love this group. And I remember something that someone told me a guy who said he was my sponsor.
But then sold me a little bit, but anyways I'll never forget. I'll never forget what this guy told me and I've remembered my whole life. He goes you have to stay away. From old playgrounds and old playmates, and there's never a true word spoken.
Dude, there are people that will enable you to continue to live in absolute object. Loserdom because misery loves company. They don't care how many times I tell you they love you or they care about you.
Or you know after a 12-pack you're sitting on a roof somewhere going man. I love you, man. Understands me like you and yes, that was a personal experience no homo, but it was that experience that we connected with but that Individual is simply enabling a behavior in me and loving the company because he wanted the shared misery.
Stay away from those people and then third thing here if you look verse 2 it talks about someone who mutilates. The flesh now let me explain to you. What's going on. There are people in this church in Philippi who have been saved by the grace of God.
They have heard the message of the gospel. Which says put your faith in Christ put that faith in the Lord. And they really did it and they really became believers. But then religious folks come up behind them and go well, that's good.
You did that but you haven't done everything you need to do yet. And so they would tell the men you got to be circumcised now if you want to be that full Gospel Christian you need to speak in tongue. You want to be that full gospel Christian.
You got to give money you want to be that real Christian. You got a dress like this look like this act like this. Problem is that's contrary to the gospel. You see the gospel says for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord and join first Baptist Church will be saved.
Nah.
Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord in faith. These guys were coming in now. I want you to note How serious these people were about changing your life because if you want to join Witten Baptist Church Here's what's got to happen.
You got to come down to profess your faith in Christ. Then we're gonna step out over here and we're gonna do a little snippy snip.
And dudes were saying Okay, where do I sign up? I mean, I believe in Jesus.
But if one of the prerequisites of being a member of your church is you're gonna pull out a knife. And we're gonna have some private personal time with that knife. I'm finding another church, right?
Later.
These guys stayed and that's what made Paul so angry is because they were adding to the grace of God and taking advantage of the naivete of a people who were just trying to serve the Lord. So, how do you stay away from these parasites?
How do you do that? Well look once again in verse 1 in 3 starting with verse 3 I want you to note the pronoun for we are the circumcision. You know, one of the ways you stay away from dumb people is you start hanging around good people.
Do you understand why. We meet every Thursday at 630 and we encourage people to stay off of drugs and alcohol or whatever addiction you're dealing with because in the Plurality of not being alone and having accountability.
You have a better chance to make it. God said that when two or three are gathered together in my name There I am in the midst of them now and it's opening day in a few weeks. It's opening day already.
What's the exact day?
Yeah.
No, no, no gun I ain't talking about. Middle of November. Okay rednecks. At 1203 we can go shoot a bear.
Anyways. Anyways.
Some of y 'all gonna have to make a choice. Mm-hmm. Guess where I'm gonna be there in deer season at Sunday morning right here. Right here. Watch this. I can worship God on a lake just like I can. In church.
Well, yeah, sure you can. That's great and you can worship God on a lake but not at Sunday morning. Because the Word of God tells us in Hebrews 10 24 and 25 do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together.
Why does he tell you that so that the we factor can happen and you won't be sucked away by? Stupid that you won't have people coming to you and telling you lies when God's people are gathered together.
Satan of trembles and won't come in the door because we're two or three are gathered. There is Jesus in the midst of them. You want to learn and grow and mature. It is a we thing. You will never do it by yourself.
Well pastor I don't need that you're gonna be the person that's praying for deliverance from the same sin for the next 35 years. Because you don't have the maturity or an accountability to overcome it by yourself.
How many times you done it?
All right here. We'll go real quick. We'll talk about Women and.
Y 'all's pornography habits, you know what I'm saying? They're not like us men. We can just turn that stuff off. But those women why y 'all chuckling cuz you know, I'm lying. Oh, well, I'm a Christian now.
I don't struggle with that. You a liar. Well, here's what I always love young men. They're like, well, I'm gonna get married and it'll be all better.
No.
Nope.
The lust of the flesh is something hard to overcome. The lust of the mind where the biggest sexual organ in your body is is what God is trying to renew. It ain't in your body. It's in your mind. And if you are by yourself and Isolate and how many of you keep going inward and isolating from God's people and you can't figure out why you're so depressed and you have Such great anxiety and blah blah blah blah blah keep doing what you're doing and expecting a different result and then sit there and go good.
Where are you? I gave you an entire church family to help you. What more you want, man? Guys, how do you overcome this stuff? How do you stay away from stupid stay with the herd second thing?
Look at this.
Glory in Christ verse 3 It says who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus. Don't you wish that the try you nature of God was found somewhere in the Bible?
Anyways.
It says worship by the Spirit of God we and then it says glory in Christ. Years ago. I don't know what it is about. People that you debate and then they just start saying the same thing over and over again, you know, like, huh?
Yeah, it's circular reasoning. That's that's very astute. They're very good. But I'm talking about the people who go what what what or Nine on top or they start clapping at you. I just want to jack them.
You know, here was my favorite a few years ago. It's fallen out of repose, but talk to the hand. I was like, I'm what was funny. What it looked like if I grabbed your four fingers and just split your arm like a turkey wing, you know.
Talk to my hand. You know, but there's something good in that because we as Christians one of the ways we get away From those people they're trying to pull you down and start saying talk to the Spirit of God glory in Christ.
Well, I think you need to do this and I think talk to this freedom and Spirit of Christ. You know you sit there you start using God's Word instead of your own logic man things go a lot a bit better. Watch this it says no confidence verse 3 again.
It says and put no confidence in the flesh. It's a positive negative. We had a sermon on this a couple of three weeks ago a positive negative. What's your confidence in today? What's your confidence in some of you guys your confidence is, you know, like me.
You're a spelt perfect specimen of the human male species, you know. Some of you girls, you know you Do like this make sure everything right before you come to God's house to worship because what your butt looks like is really important.
Right you put in confidence in those things. Yeah, a lot of you girls looking at going. Did he just say that? Yeah, I'm talking to you. Some of you put confidence in your intellectual superiority you're just smarter than ever you're the smartest person in the room.
You're putting confidence in the flesh. And let me tell you that attracts other losers just like you. Other losers a little insecure kids just like you. See who you need to hang with are those people like I don't really care.
I want to do what Jesus wants me to do. Those people that you used to think were freaky. Those are the one Jesus freaks. Hang out with them and watch how your life changes. Watch how that there's no more room for stupid in your life.
Look at this right here. Joy, oh my gosh. Now some of y 'all don't get upset with me on this one. Verse 1 watch this. Rejoice in the Lord.
How many of y 'all struggle with anxiety and depression like me? Y 'all got some Zoloft babies up in here.
Man.
God and you know what's gonna happen in what three weeks. Is it three weeks or four weeks that time change? Yeah, it's dark when you get up and it's dark when you come home and dark all the time. The world's coming to an end.
Oh my god. Well, I'm making funny because that's what my brain is. Like it's 430 in the afternoon. You shouldn't have to be using your headlights going somewhere, right? We're still an agrarian society.
Oh my gosh. We need that extra 30 minutes of time to grow some more corn. We got tractors now. We don't have already or mules. I know this is gonna sound frustrate some of you. But it says rejoice. I'm gonna tell you a secret that I learned many years ago and fight impression and anxiety.
It's okay, it's just Moses. It's all right. Listen focus. It's just a black guy walking. It's okay. Something like probable cause listen, I know. Listen, listen kids. Some of y 'all want Depression anxiety to go away, but you ain't doing nothing to fight it.
Oh, yeah pastor I'm praying and I'm taking my medicine and that's good. That's good. That's good getting a support group. Yeah but if you want to Fight it. You're gonna have to fight it. You see you have a responsibility and a duty as a child of God to not rely on what I feel like.
But to rely on what God's Word tells you to do. Well, I don't feel like rejoicing do it anyways. I Never have one of my kids go dad. I don't feel like clearing my room today cuz it'd be like I swole shut What you feel like now feel like it.
Are you really eight years old? You are a 50 something year old born-again believer in the child of the Living God. And you're still living by your feelings and you wonder why you ain't maturing. Well, I don't feel like here's the one I love some of you young people up in here.
I don't like reading. You don't like reading. I can you really be that lazy. Really do me a favor. Listen, just don't read the Bible and watch the matriculation of your spiritual life. It's gonna be like you're gonna be just as dumb tomorrow as you were today.
You see the Word of God tells us to study to show that selves approved. Well pastor, I listen to videos and I listen to your sermons. I am NOT the Word of God. I'm just one idiot sharing with another idiot where to find truth.
That's all I am. Well my past don't ever out of your mouth say my pastor said ergo. It must be true. Okay, don't don't put me in that position. I'm just a fat bald guy.
Okay.
And study the Word of God know the Word of God and that's what will set you free. All right, second thing stay away from from parasites. But here's the second thing now. I'm moving from how do you to become a Christian and how do you stay?
I'm moving to how do you mature more? Here's the second step.
Stop.
Self-righteousness. Stop it. Look at verse 4 what read what it says though. I know this is the Apostle Paul. Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also if anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh I.
Have more.
You know what Paul's saying. He's saying. Don't have confidence in flesh, but if you want to start comparing resumes.
Watch this hold my beer look what it says.
Paul sits there and says well he was in rehab too, but watch this. Paul says this circumcised on the eighth day Leviticus 21. Paul was like I'm keeping the law before I even knew there was a law of.
The people of Israel I.
Am the tribe of Benjamin Anglo-saxon Protestant at First Baptist Church.
Okay, what's this. Watch this a.
Hebrew of Hebrews. What he's saying is I'm not a Hellenist. Basically, he's saying Hellenists were Jews who loved the Greek culture and they kind of partied like it was 1999. Well, he was saying I wasn't doing all that man.
I was a good Bible school student. You know watch what it says as to the law. I was a Pharisee. Meaning I was a bishop dr. Reverend apostle. I love meeting preachers that have that many names always love openly mocking them.
Verse 6 as to zeal a Persecutor of the church you want to know how bad I was. I was hunting you Christians down.
As.
To righteousness under the law watch this.
Blameless.
Blameless whoo.
You want to compare church resumes? Oh, I don't do that pastor. Some of you put more stock in. Walking down an aisle then you put in the blood of Jesus Christ. Are you a Christian? Yes, I believe in God.
I've heard some I ask people all the time. So are you a Christian? They say well, yeah, I'm a Christian. How do you know. Well, I believe in God. Well, so do demons and they're screwed.
Well, no.
I believe in Jesus. Because I remember there was a song playing on the piano man and the preacher preached this really good sermon and I got this Feeling right here and I walked down the aisle and I prayed Jesus Christ in my heart as my Lord and Savior.
That was gas dude. Well, you do you see the problem. If you notice Paul the word I and His actions are all in that. You know how I'm saved by the grace of God. I Didn't find Christ. Christ found me. I had no ability to find Jesus because I was a totally depraved dead sinner Ephesians 2.
You see.
Self-righteousness will sap your strength from you. It will it will sap your strength from you because you will convince yourself That you are something because of the fear and the self-righteousness that you want to project on the world.
Let me ask you a question. If in you live 75 years and everyone around you thinks you're just mr Superchristian and you die and go to hell. What have you accomplished? It's gonna suck to be you. Well, I grew up in church.
You want a Bucky Beaver badge? Well, I taught Sunday school. I was a pastor. I sang in the choir.
What would he do.
None of that earns you Heaven. How can you say that pastor because you're incapable of earning heaven? There's no way all of your works the Word of God calls them as filthy rags. Used menstrual rags. That's that's what God feels about you wore people helping the little crackheads.
Are you motorcycle dudes, you know didn't go tell people about Jesus? It's commanded for us to do it, but it doesn't earn me one lick of grace. You say well pastor. How do I mature? Stop relying on you.
How many of you have sat there and done this. Tell me if I'm lying. Am I really saved? Well, I didn't do this. I quit doing that. I faltered. And you start trying to measure out. See the problem is you're not a Christian.
The problem is you're still relying on the works of your flesh to validate truth rather than the finished work of Jesus Christ. And the Bible says a double-minded man is unstable in all of their ways.
That's why you're constantly anxious about it because you're still looking to your own self-righteousness. Rather than the vicarious work of Christ last thing. Here's the other side. It ain't the self-righteous person.
It's the person that is always doubting that's me. I'm gonna tell you I'm gonna be honest with you. Why me God? That and I might say that's not humility. Well, someone said well, that's such humble of you.
No, it's not humble because the Word of God says I can walk boldly before the throne of Christ. But I don't think like that. Roman says that I'm a joint heir with Christ. That was one of the most awesome things I ever figured out about Scripture because I thought heaven was gonna stink so bad.
Because I got to wear a white robe, you know, and you know singing a choir for 10 ,000 years. I mean that was just gonna be so boring. You know, sorry. I did. I was so happy to find out we shared the throne room with Christ.
I'm gonna be like yo Gabriel. Come here, man. Okay. I have a little bit more of that. Thanks, bud. You know, I always think less of myself. I Am my own worst critic. That's why when people say well, I didn't like your sermon I don't care because I really don't because I'm already beating myself up about it.
And even if I do have an excess in life I always qualify it that it neither even balances out all the many failures. I've already done. Do y 'all any of y 'all in here understand what I'm saying? Okay.
I was just concerned there for a minute. I thought I'd have to go to Bellevue look at verse 12. Watch this. Paul says not that I have already obtained this or I'm already perfect. But I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me His own.
We'll get to the leather verse in a minute. Y 'all got about a couple more minutes. Let me just drive this point home. Is that cool? Okay, good because we were going to anyways watch it says right here.
I need to forget perfection. Guys my dad told me I was so stupid. I couldn't pour a bodily liquid out of a boot if the directions were written on the heel and What makes that so bad is it took me forever to figure that out?
That.
What does that mean. And then why is oh to read you turn? Some of y 'all just got it. Thank God. I. For mixed company. Here's the thing. Actually, even though I didn't consciously say I believed them They took root.
They did. I felt like everything that I got that was good was because by the grace of something or somebody else Because I couldn't accomplish anything Because I am that big of a loser. I Don't know if any of you else feel that way.
Uh.
Sometimes we don't mature in Christ because we're so busy figuring out how to big fat stupid loser. We are we can't see the grace of God that has set us free from that line of thinking. You see if God says.
Right there in that verse. I am his I belong to him. Do you know I don't have to do anything? For me to belong to Jesus III belong to him. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13 says after you heard and believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Do you ever worry about keeping your salvation? You see what's happening is you're looking at trying to be perfect rather than looking at God's grace. You want to mature in Christ? Can you cut yourself the same break that the blood of Christ did?
God already knew you were a big fat stupid loser. That's why he sent Jesus to die for you.
He gets it ain't a shocker to him. He already knew that you would say I'm never gonna do that again. And then you end up doing it again. You understand? Look at verse 13. It says this. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own but one thing I do.
Forgetting what lies behind and Straining forward to what lies ahead. I've shared this with y 'all last week and it's happening more and more. I Don't know why maybe it's because I'm getting older. But I think about things that I did and I go.
I don't know why it is. It's usually in the shower or when I'm driving. I Don't know. It's those two times and I go. Lee. I can't believe I did that. You know, what were you thinking Shipley? Oh. How about we do this?
In our pursuit to grow. And Stopping self-righteous. Let's forget the things you're behind. I know someone's gonna say how do you forget it? You got to try real hard and I know it's happened because of the four or five things I can remember.
I Forced men than those four or five things and I can't remember what I did, but I had to do something right guys.
Forget.
How do you forget? I think one of the ways is you focus on grace? Instead of focusing on where you failed focus on where Christ won and remember this God doesn't. Look at you and consult your failures in the past to determine the grace of God in your future.
You are free. How do you mature in Christ. Well number one get away from people that are bringing you down. Number two.
Focus not on your own self-righteousness focus on the grace of God. Number three quit trying to be perfect and Enjoy the grace and mercy that God already bought for you now. You say well pastor. How do I get saved?
It's real simple. The same faith that saves you is the same same faith that sustain you and it's the same faith That's gonna carry you home. The same faith that saved Abraham is the same faith that saves me.
It's always been there. Don't put your faith in a preacher or stupid church or some sort of religion. It's all crap. Put your faith in Christ alone.
