Philippians 3:1-3

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The Exhortation to Rejoice and the Warning Against False Teachers

The truth and love and truth and love comes from Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15 and Paul says to us. But speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in him. Grow up in all aspects. Into him who is the head even Christ?

That's gonna come into play here in the our continuation of the study of Philippians. We finished chapter 2 and we're moving right along into to chapter 3. We're just gonna look at 3 verses this one versus 1 2 3.

So hopefully it won't it won't take us too long to look at those verses. But if I can pray for you all you have to do is is let me know in the comments if you will save me. I'll know what that's for and other brothers and sisters that are watching the video when they see that they will know to to pray for you and Yeah, okay.

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Thank you for being with me let's look at Philippians chapter 3 verses 1 through 3 this morning and If you'll notice in the title I added in there Being Be a scandal. I couldn't think of a good title this morning, but it's There's a scandalous part of Of this passage there there's something scandalous going on here that in in the words that I want to draw out from the words that that Paul is trying to convey to the the Philippian Church and I want to bring it out and show it to you and show you how Living living this Christian life in this world is is not dry at all.

It's not dry you you've heard of folks have a dry sense of humor. You've heard of folks talk about how? This This denomination or this type of worship services is boring or or Christianity is boring. You don't have any fun but in all reality.

Um and Paul in just these three verses Paul uses such strong language and strong imagery. That It is it is the farthest thing from being boring or or dry. Christianity is a scandal in this world. Christianity is a scandal in this world and We are scandalous.

So I want to look at that and try to Try to draw that out for us and and look at that imagery uh. So Philippians chapter 3 if you have your bibles if you want to you want to tune in if you want to follow along.

And and look at these words with me. Um Let's let's start in verse. Well, let's read it. Let's read it together. Verses one through three finally my brother rejoice in the lord. Um to write the same things again is no trouble to me and it is a safeguard for you.

Beware of the dogs beware of the evil workers beware of the false circumcision. For we are the true circumcision who worship in the spirit of god. And glory in christ jesus and put no confidence in the flesh so.

This has been a ongoing joke. Uh that i've heard many many times from from pastors. Uh who who are teaching paul who who are teaching themselves preaching themselves? And they they will use the word finally they're they're giving their message or they're they're they're reading in paul and and sharing paul's letters and they use the word finally and they and They kind of compare themselves to paul.

So when so when a pastor's preaching and he says finally, you know that they have maybe about uh. A good 20 30 more minutes to go and it seems like that's the case with paul when he's writing when he says finally.

Um, he does it here I think he does it in romans where he he says finally. And then he goes on for several more chapters before he he ends his letter before he ends the book and it's uh. You know, it can be.

Can be a pretty funny joke depends on the deliverer. Of course. I'm not a comedian. So it didn't come across as funny i'm sure but. It is kind of interesting that paul in the middle of a book would would say finally brethren and yet he continues on for several more chapters but but finally here is um.

He he has he has. Something left over he he has he has little more to give from what he is sharing. Uh, you remember from chapter two there was so much in chapter two. The the theme of humility and the theme of that humility.

We we find our example in christ where he emptied himself and um. He emptied himself to um to be obedient to god. And uh, he was even beating in obedient to the point of death even death on the cross.

And then he paul said he knew of their uh obedience to god and they wanted he wanted them to be Obedient as well in his in his absence and then in this. In this life of obedience this he said this is what I want you to look look like.

I want you to do these things and um. Oh, and he wanted to share his joy with him and them share their joy with him and then he gives the examples of uh, timothy and epaphroditus and we went through those those two men and and how they were um not written as examples, but just just the um the record of their life.

Is an example of what paul had been talking about and the the love that they had for one another the love that paul had for um the philippian church the paul the love paul had for epaphroditus the love epaphroditus had for paul and the philippian church and.

And the love that uh timothy and and the church had and paul had for timothy. Um, it was such a deep abiding passionate zealous love that they had for one another it was a heartwarming example of what the christian life should look like between us and um.

And I think I think we should camp out here in that passage. Versus chapter 2 verses 19 through 30 and and just just camp out there. And and dwell in in these examples of timothy and epaphroditus and say Is this what my life looks like?

Is this what my my relationship with my um, My friends my family my church. Is this what is this what our relationship looks like with each other the other? Do we have this kind of love for one another?

Father Father create this kind of relationship create this love in me that I see you pouring into the philippian church and epaphroditus and timothy and paul um. If we could just camp out there and study and pray.

Um that this would happen in our lives in our church. It would just be it would just be amazing and and wonderful and what a powerful witness to the world. And so this after this Paul begins in chapter three with with finally I have this leftover and he's and he says my brethren and of course, um.

Most of us understand what that means. He his audience is his fellow brothers and sisters in christ. So this letter is written to the the philippian church the christians at philippi his brethren rejoice or exalt or glorify in the lord so that.

Uh, and that's that's what I feel like we you know, we are doing when we are are reading. Reading this as they would have read this and as they would have Heard the words of paul um. We rejoice we rejoice in in this love that god makes and creates in people.

And we we're worshiping him and we're rejoicing in the lord for for what he did and what he can do and what he's doing in our lives um. Offering this love to us. Working this loving us creating this love.

And sacrifice and humility in us um. So we rejoice in the lord and we praise the lord then he says To write The same things to you. And what were these same things these same things were worn warnings?

Warnings against false teachings and warnings against false teachers. These two things in the new testament are our great theme that I think are um absent. Um, they're they're very absent in our church because we don't want to offend anyone and we're going to continue to um.

To to go in this direction as we as we look in verses two and three but um To say the same things. Um. To them those things that he was saying to them were um, you know, of course the the teaching but also the the the warnings of false teachings and false teachers.

And it's an incredible theme all throughout the new testament. Be aware be aware be aware and and scripture the new testament names names of false teachers. And it describes what the false teaching is.

And it tells. Tells the church it told the church then and it tells us now to to be on guard to watch out and in fact, um In in the first word of verse two is a beware, um bewares is to be on the lookout.

I mean, it's not to close your eyes to to get distracted. Um, we are we are to have our eyes open to be looking and and watching out as as if you are, um, you know, we've had. We've had dignitaries come locally to do events and i've seen pictures where you know where they have snipers set up.

You know to to watch the crowd you have um officers and and security set up among the crowd and. They are so trained that they are not paying attention to you know, what's going on on stage or um. Have any other kind of distraction by the crowd?

They are laser focused on Looking for certain things in the crowd or something, um. Something, um negative or or evil approaching. That that wants to cause harm to the people that are there or the dignitary that's there so that they are Highly trained men and women who are watching.

Watching to protect the people that are there and they are watching for specific things and that's what paul is telling. Uh the philippian church here be aware beware. Look intently continuously For certain things.

To protect the church, um, he says uh in verse one, um to write you the same thing is it's no. It's no trouble for me. He says It's it's not tedious. He says it's not tedious or irksome. I mean you you can imagine some of you may have the type of job where you do the same Thing over and over you don't you you have to stay in the same Uh cubicle same position same place and the the things come to you that you have to do and then they move on um, and it becomes tedious and it becomes um.

You know irksome and boring and you just do the same thing over and over and over and over again paul said. Doing this over and over again Is not irksome. It's not um. It doesn't annoy him. It doesn't bother him.

And there's a reason for that. Um, it is he says. And it is a safeguard for you for him to say these same things and You know, you know christian we should not. And maybe he's saying the same thing to the philippian church.

It's not irksome. It's not annoying. It's not. It's not burdensome for me to to say the same things to you so Don't let it be irksome or annoying or bothersome to to receive The same things to receive the warnings over and over again um, I picture in my mind as um as as stones.

As we build a wall of protection. And they all are uniform. They all look the same and as we Pile them all together. The wall becomes wider longer taller. But it's the same same stone. But at a different time same stone, but at a different time so we Pile on stone after stone after stone until we have this wall of protection.

And that's what paul is doing here. Be on your guard for this be on your guard for this be on your guard for that be on your guard for that. And watch out for this. Let me remind you again to be on guard for this and it's and it's for our protection so we don't forget.

So we stay alert. I mean, this is not um. Living in this world is not a time. Um. To be lax and and lay back and and sit back. Yes. Yes, there are times for that but even in our relaxing, um. We um We are still so highly trained.

So close to the lord we we've um, we've heard the warnings over and over and our walls are built. We are we're still aware of our surroundings. And we we the holy spirit can recall those things to our eyes and to our mind.

And you see this be aware and so it's it's um. This this life is it's not a a boring life. But it is it is a life that we are. We we stand on our toes we stand. Um. Uh, we stand ready we stand vigilant we stand aware.

That's that's part of the christian life. And of course there's other aspects of our christian life that the lord blesses us with the good things he blesses us with. But this is part of it as well. So he it's no trouble for him not irksome not annoying so let it not be annoying for us to hear the same thing over and over.

Be aware. Verse two. He says. And we already talked about that word and what it means. And listen listen to these three words. Because this is amazing. We talked about how paul Is warning not just here, but all throughout the new testament and and the other writers and apostles warn against false teaching and false teachers and we talked about how.

Just just to bring up the subject Is is difficult. And you have to walk on eggshells and and glass. It's it's as if you're walking on eggshells and glass when you're bringing up the subject with folks because they are so Aggressive.

And they are so um, they are they hold on so tightly to to their like love appreciation for um conviction, um. Whatever it is that they they have some type of affinity for. Um this this type of false teaching or this false teacher.

Um, and and they are not open to to truth. So you you are looking for conflict. You're looking for conflict and you know it when you when you bring up these subjects and these issues. But paul as The apostle of jesus christ as our example be encouraged.

Don't shy away. Because we can we we it's revealed here. We can see here the the strong language paul uses. And we have to go just a little bit deeper underneath the surface as as we look at these words to really understand The severity of his language when he's speaking.

When he is speaking of these these this false teaching and false teachers beware of the dogs in and of itself. In that day and even in our day. It's still considered most everywhere an insult to be considered a dog.

To be called a dog it's that's just that's an insult itself but In in studying it, uh, we know that dog is used elsewhere in the new testament. And when jesus uses the word dog and in in scripture and in the gospels um, he uses a word that speaks of a pet.

One that lives in the house, uh a nice loving Pet that you may you know care for and love. The word for dog that paul uses here Is totally completely different he's speaking of a dog. That is that is a flea bitten uh mangy street walking scavenger mutt.

That just looks manged and and horrible and it vicious and wants to just rip and tear into any kind of meat because he's so hungry and and when he's and when he's biting down and and um Going after his prey.

He's just ripping it apart. This is the visual that the understanding the words can can make and help us understand what paul is trying to say because when when the readers would have heard This word and it's the same thing with several other words that we're going to look at today when.

When the readers would have heard this word in that language. They would have known what paul was talking about. He was talking about this kind of dog. Not not the one in the house. Not the frou-frou dog in the bag that has a bow and a bail.

He's talking about this kind of dog. That that's going to rip us apart. Be on be on alert for that kind of dog this. So he is comparing The false teachers that he's talking about to that type of dog a flea bitten mangy mutt scavenger.

Vicious Unruly. You know ready to tear into anything. That's the language he's using. And the readers would have understood that. And we don't get the full effect when we just read the word dogs be aware of dogs.

Okay I'm going to be aware of dogs. But the original readers would have known what kind of dogs he was comparing these false teachers to. And it's amazing. He said be so that's the first one beware of evil workers and it's not just people who um Do evil, you know i'm trying to obey god i'm trying to um live a wholly separate life and and you know this person that I know that down the road they not.

Not not in reality just as an example this this person that I know over here they They're just living an evil life, you know. Cheating on such and such and and you know partying partying partying. They were partying.

Um, you know, they're doing all kinds of evil things. So they're living an evil life. That's that's not the people he's talking about. He's not talking about people who are just evil doers. He's talking about people who are evil workers people who are intentionally working evil against the gospel itself.

So so whatever they're whatever they're saying Is is an attack. Their approach is an attack against the gospel itself. The good news to the world. So therefore they are evil workers tearing down ripping apart the gospel of jesus christ the good news to the world.

And then the the third one the last one and this one. This one's even stronger than the um than the picture of the dogs um, it's amazing so Imagine you are the original Reader you are the philippian church.

You are his brethren there and he's writing to you and you happen to know This language that he's writing in. You would have understood and known when he uses this word. What he meant by it and what it looks like beware of the false Circumcision beware of the false circumcision now on the surface level.

On surface level we know um if if we've been a you know a christian for any amount of time or or in church or any kind of sunday school for any amount of time um. Maybe we have heard maybe we are aware that that when he speaks of the false circumcision that's that's speaking of um, the the judy either judy isers the um, The the jewish tradition Of circumcision, you know that god instituted with abraham to mark them as different from All their neighboring nations.

And it was a command that he he gave to them but when paul speaks of um false circumcision. He's using that as an example. Um to say that they are they are using the law of god To try to appease god. And they won't let go of The use of the law the reason they won't let go of the use of the law.

He's going to bring up in in one word. In one word in in at the end of verse three. So i'm going to hang on to that for just a second. But the but it's the judy isers those who want to hang on to the law law of god to appease the law of god.

But as christians The scripture speaks of Being circumcised of the heart so that you have your false circumcision and your true circumcision um. And so that's that surface level, you know beware of the dogs.

Okay, well i'm going to be aware of the dogs. He's calling false teachers dogs. Beware of these folks who are dogs. But there was something deeper there. When he says beware of false circumcision. Paul uses a word a word here for circumcision.

That That speaks of um, it's a play on words because. The word that he uses Is so related um to another word That means mutilation and in the old testament in the old testament it It commanded them to not practice The the cutting this pagan practice do not practice this pagan style of worship of cutting yourselves.

For you know for their pagan gods. And so they called that and they viewed that and saw that as mutilation. They were cutting themselves mutilation. And paul is using this certain greek word that is so Closely related to this.

And ties into this idea of mutilation he's saying that This this circumcision that you are practicing under the law of god now. Is basically is not what? God and abraham worked out. He said What you're doing now is basically just mutilation.

You're just cutting yourself. It's mutilation and it's pagan and it's gross and it's it's worthless and it's negative and horrible. You are mutilating yourself when you cut yourself and in comparison.

What you are doing physically you are doing spiritually. You are mutilating the gospel. These false teachers are mutilating the gospel. It's pretty graphic. And that's going underneath the surface to help us understand what paul was talking about to give us courage to be able to say.

There's false teaching in our world today. There's false teaching teachers in our world today and paul had courage and paul stood on truth. And he didn't shy away from it, so let's look at verse three for.

True Circumcision, Worship in the Spirit, and No Confidence in the Flesh

For we are the true circumcision and we spoke to that being circumcised of heart. And that's that's a whole different study. Um, but we're just going to leave it right there for now. Who worship and this is where the scandal comes in?

Paul uses these words in the original language that they would have known that they would have understood um what he was talking about. We we have to dig down just a little bit deeper to understand What paul really meant because we can we can fly by these words.

We can fly by them and and not get and grasp the Even the true meaning of of what he's talking about. Um. Or any meaning at all. Or or that there even is a meaning. By using this word um, you know we can read it say.

We we are the true circumcision who worship god in the right way who worship god truly. He says who worship in the spirit of god and glory in christ jesus. But what's significant about that word worship there what's significant about that in the original language.

If if one of these judyizers. One of these folks who were hanging on to to the practice of god's law to to appease god through keeping the law. And the the original audience the receivers the brethren at the the philippian church.

When they would have seen this word They would have known That this word Was used specifically To describe the worship of god his particular people the jews. And now paul is is using this word and including The gentiles.

This was as scandalous as you could get. This this word of worship was designated To to describe the worship of god by his Particular people the jews and paul here paul is including the gentiles. He is including the greeks.

He's including the world. And he's trying to reach everyone for jesus christ and it is a scandal to them that this this word has a broader meaning when it's supposed to Only has had and supposedly it's supposed to only have this meaning it is for us god's particular people.

And paul is opening it up by his use of that word it was It was Slap in the face. Maybe that's the only thing I can come up with right now. Um, I mean it was it was a flashing sign a slap in the face.

Uh, you know what this means type of thing I'm using this word here and you know what it means. And i'm including gentiles because god includes gentiles. Jesus includes gentiles. Jesus came to say he's Scripture says he's the savior of the world.

And so we we are scandalous as as christians we we live a scandal. Um, and we've got to be careful here. We've got to be careful because there's so many that have fallen into the trap of um, That you know, that's right.

I I worship god and and um, he has included me. He's included me in in worshiping him. He's brought me into the family. Um, Paul here paul here is basically in in simple terms paul here is saying um Jews you can't be Exclusive.

This is for the gentiles, too. And you can't tell The gentiles they can't worship god. You can't tell them what to do. You know, this is God has opened God god has always been open to saving the world and drawing men to himself.

And this is not just for you. And you know how you think it should be how you want it to be. And so so many have fallen to the ditch today that um, Say that's right. You can't tell me how how I approach god.

You can't tell me how I come to god how I worship god. Um, I can come to him. Um, I see him in nature. Um, I can come to church dressed like this. I can come to church and do this. Um, I don't have to read my bible um I you know, I can read my bible in such and such way.

Um, and in churches. As leaders, you know, we fall into this trap of um. We we don't want people to tell us how we are to to worship god approach god come to god and we we We want to come up with our own means and and methods to to try to um, appeal to uh, the people of the world are offended and get defensive when folks say that's.

That's not worship. Just just as um, you may think that you are You know living in freedom by doing this but you are just as chained as. The judiazers who are hanging on to a law to to appease god and not letting the law of god go.

And trusting in jesus christ. You who who say that you are living in freedom today by worshiping so freely you are just as chained. As the as the judiazers were to the law of god just as chained because.

These folks get so offended. If they're approached as paul approached the the philippian church and say You you think this is worship. But it's not. It's this. And today Folks will say folks may approach these folks other folks and say this is not worship.

And And And people are so offended. You can't tell me our church Can't approach god in this way so offended. So so we are are chained. We are chained down, but paul does it? Because he's led by the holy spirit led by the holy spirit of god to reveal what god Would have them how god would have them to approach himself so Don't fall into the trap.

And if you are in that trap, I lovingly ask you to consider Your thought process consider where you are. If you if you're a leader in the church, and and of course you have a hand in saying this is this is how we are going to Organize our church and organize our service and this is going to be our our target audience.

And this is the things that we are going to do. I come to you asking as as paul comes to the philippian church and says Here is this word. And god is saying Worship is not just for you it is for Everyone who believes in jesus christ.

And my appeal is worship church. Your approach how you approach god. How you worship god? is not up to you. It is not up to your your schemes your methods your organizations your visions your. It's not up to any of that.

I implore you To see how god Would have us approach him when god wasn't approached in scripture looking at examples. You know in acts with ananias and sephira in the old testament with nahab and abihu and you know, and you have other examples where Folks do not approach god.

The way he asked them to approach him their consequences. And it's devastating to the souls of men when we take Approaching god as a church into our own hands and say we need to do this and we you know, we can spiritualize it and we can we can Use such colorful christian language to make it sound glorious and and on target and wonderful.

But if it's not coming from scripture where god speaks to us and tell it tells us. And how he wants us to approach him. We're off the track. We're off the track and we're we're chained To how we want to approach god just as the judaizers in their day.

We're chained to how they want to approach god and god says no. This is how I want you to approach me. And he told them Worshipping me is not just for you the particular people it is for The particular people that i'm gathering to myself from all nations.

And for us today, he's saying Approaching me is not by your own wisdom by your own methods by your own ways approaching me. Is how i've described it how I want it and we We've got to let it go. And and we learn why here in this next word He says who worship in the spirit of god and glory of jesus christ and put no confidence in the flesh.

That was their whole motivation these judaizers these folks that wanted to hang on to the law to appease god. It didn't have anything to do with god. It had everything to do with their pride and having their confidence in the flesh in themselves.

On the outside the the temple was huge the materials that that were used were beautiful their their tassels their phylacteries everything visually how they walked the the. You know their giving of alms everything was done in public their public prayers were allowed.

You know, it wasn't for god. It was for their own. Confidence in the flesh to look good in front of other people. And that's what paul is speaking of here beware. Um. And put no confidence in the flesh.

That's what they were doing. That's what this organization. That's what this religion of judaizers was doing putting confidence in the flesh. And and being prideful and wanting to be seen in front of me and it had nothing to do with god.

And the same thing is true for us today. Those who are so rebellious. They that they won't listen to anyone in in organizing their church organizing their services. Um understanding theology. Understanding theology gaining knowledge and wisdom from god's word.

They want to they want to have their own vision and. And listen, it's hard to argue with them because. This is the language that they will use god. Give me this vision. God. Gave me this vision last night I was having dreams and visions god gave me this vision.

How can you argue with that? Well, let's look at your vision. Let's look at your method. Let's look at. Does it match up with god's word? And then my question is if it matched up with god's word. Why do you think that you needed a dream and vision because we had it in god's word all along.

But you've got to be careful because they will use that colorful christian beautiful though christian christianese they'll christian it up and make it sound wonderful to where you can't argue with them because um.

That's their personal experience with god. This is my god. Gave me this vision. God gave me this dream. This is the way it's going to be and he's going to bless and it's going to be wonderful. It's going to be good.

Just just you know jump on board with the plan. But ultimately deep down. That is a prideful system. That is a prideful system that has nothing to do with god, but chaining but chaining you down to be confident in the flesh you you you hear of so many, um that that preach this way of prosperity gospel and and you know you Send in this much money and and god will give you this and he wants you to be healthy and wealthy and you know He wants me to have this.

Um. This jet so send in your money so I can have this jet because it's for the ministry it's so I can minister he wants me to have this jet and all these luxurious luxurious homes and um, in in hotel high rises and.

But it's for the ministry and god gave me that vision for it. So you can argue with it and look what good he's doing with it. It's so convincing. But it's confidence in the flesh. All these material things is confidence in the flesh and and We on our level that are not superstars.

We have to be aware of it as well of trying to to organize and plan apart from the word of god Is just confidence in the flesh. And then i'm drawing the line right there. It's confidence in the flesh.

So we're which side of the line are we going to stand on? And I know it's going to be difficult. It was difficult for paul to speak this way. You are you are mangy scabbing scavengers um evil workers who were ripping apart doing evil to the gospel the false circumcision who.

You know this practice of circumcision Is is no longer the what it was it's now mutilation. And these false teachers they are mutilating the gospel and we worship god in the spirit. And glorify jesus christ and don't put confidence in the flesh.

It's in the word of god. How he wants us to worship him. How we are to be on the lookout for false teachers what kind of false teaching it's all here. It's in the word of god. We don't need this special revelation.