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Romans 9 6 says that not everyone who is descended from Israel belongs to Israel. Indeed there is only one covenant people of God and it is all who are in Christ Jesus. So if you are a follower of Jesus you're part of Israel when we understand the text.
This is when we understand the text and my name is Pastor Gabe Hughes. Good to be along with you here as we study through the book of Philippians together we're halfway through our study. Just finished chapter 2 last week.
We're gonna be starting in chapter 3 this week and just looking at the first three verses here. So if you have your Bible if you're sitting on the counter at the dining room table or kitchen counter or whatever you're studying these things with me open your Bible up to Philippians 3.
We'll be looking at verses 1 2 3. If you're not able to have a Bible in front of you maybe you're driving in the car maybe you're working on a car. You just don't have your hands free or your eyes available to study this text together.
I am perfectly happy with reading it to you but I hope that you still are going back and testing what it is that I am saying the Apostle Paul said to the Thessalonians test everything. Hold fast to what is good abhor what is evil.
So if you hear somebody preaching to you the Word of God and you know it truly comes from God's Word hold fast to that. But if it's not from the Word of God we should have nothing to do with it. It is evil.
1st John 4 1 test the spirits. For not every spirit is from God. And there are many false prophets that have gone out into the world. I take no offense at you having to test what it is that I say because that is absolutely what we are supposed to do.
And even I test everything that it is that I hear against the Word of God it is what we should do. So keep these things in context. Study the scriptures for yourself. As we look at Philippians chapter 3 today we are actually going to talk about a false teacher toward the end of the broadcast today.
A question that came from one of our what videos and something that I said on Twitter last week as well. So if you want to submit a question to the broadcast go to our website www .utt .com. I don't want to take up too much time here in the beginning with all these logistics.
So let's go ahead and get to our text before we do that. Why don't we come to the Lord in prayer our great God. We are so thankful for this medium that we could read through the scriptures this way and be able to study like this online or through this audio broadcast or however a person is coming about this and and and studying here in this book your words from your Apostle and it is upon the Apostles that the foundation of the church was built.
And so Lord I pray that you fill us up with the knowledge that they had to share with the churches that they wrote to and that this changes our hearts and our minds to be submissive to your authority and your and it is in the name of Jesus that we pray.
Amen. Philippians chapter 3 beginning in verse 1. Finally my brothers now it's very interesting that Paul begins the section that way because we're halfway through the letter and now he says finally well we got a ways to go but he is basically beginning his closing thought and his closing thoughts just gonna last half the letter.
But he says finally my brothers rejoice in the Lord and all things that we do we need to rejoice to write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs. Look out for the evildoers.
Look out for those who mutilate the flesh for we are the circumcision who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. Coming back to that here in just a moment.
But let's go back to the beginning again because this was this was actually a very impactful verse for me in my pastorate when I was just a few months into being a teaching pastor. Philippians 3 1. Finally my brothers rejoice in the Lord.
Important instruction. And again we see that come up over a dozen times over the course of this letter something like 15 to 20 references to joy to write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
You know basically the Apostle Paul is saying to the Philippians you've heard me say all this before. I know that you have but it's important it's safe for you and it's no trouble to me. I mean I don't mind talking about the things of God and rejoicing in what the Lord is doing with his church but but it's safe for you to for me to repeat this over again and you need to hear it.
And that was that was important for me. What again as I was starting out as a teaching pastor. I when I started as a pastor I was an associate pastor and I was primarily the worship leader. I did do some teaching in the Sunday school classes and stuff like that but in a Bible study at my home.
But I didn't actually become you know the the head pastor preaching from the pulpit until about two years into my pastorate. Now I came in halfway through Ephesians. The previous pastor was preaching through Ephesians.
He got up to chapter 4 and before the Lord called him away to go plant a church in another place. And so I just picked up where he left off. And when I was reading from Ephesians into Philippians I felt like you know there's a lot of the same things that Paul is addressing here that he's already addressed in Ephesians.
And so I wondered if I should keep going and go into Philippians or if I should start with another book. But ultimately it was that verse that led me to realize I needed to keep going. It was okay for me to say these things again.
It's a joy for me and is safe for all those to hear it again and again. As John Piper has said we never ever ever ever ever ever ever leave the gospel. We never graduate from it we never move from it into something else.
We need the gospel of Jesus Christ. So it's no trouble to me to repeat these things to you again the number of times that I've gone through the book of Philippians and it is safe for you. Okay I just wanted to share that we're gonna shift into something totally different here in these next couple of verses.
And in fact this is also gonna have to do with the question that I'm gonna answer toward the end of the broadcast Philippians chapter 3 beginning in verse 2. Look out for the dogs. Look out for the evildoers.
Look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision who worship by the Spirit of God and glory and Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. Basically this is who Paul is warning the Philippians to look out for.
Look out for those who claim that they have salvation because they're descended from Abraham. Look out for those who claim that they're right because they've been circumcised. They'll come to you and they'll say hey we're the true people of God because we have been circumcised.
They mutilate the flesh. They're not the circumcision group. You know who's the circumcision group. We are we who are in Christ who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus. Putting no confidence in the flesh.
Right. Okay now now you might be thinking hey that might have been an important distinction in Paul's day. That's not something we really have to be concerned with today. Is it. Oh yes there is actually a very prevailing theological concept out there that very much has to do with this.
I've seen this political cartoon. I can't remember all the figures in the people are in the picture. I'm sorry all the people in the picture there we go. But it's world leaders. And they're playing tug-of-war in this political cartoon.
On one side is Obama and Ahmadinejad and a couple of others who are anti-israel. And then on the other side of the rope is Benjamin Netanyahu the Prime Minister of Israel. He's pulling on the rope by himself and the finger of God has come down and is holding his end of the rope.
So all these Israel antagonists on one side and Israel on the other side and God is on the side of Israel. There are many who believe that God is automatically on the side of the country of Israel. Not just the Israelites but the people who have adopted this particular Zionistic doctrine.
And every nation is expected according to Zionism to defend Israel or be cursed. They believe that because of God's covenant with Israel that nation that that country ethnic Israel is entitled to the land that they occupy.
And that is based on a misinterpretation of Scripture. First of all let me be clear that Israel is indeed God's covenant people. Yes. But not the country that occupies the region on the eastern bank of the Mediterranean at 31 degrees north and 35 degrees east.
All right. All who are in Christ are Israel. We've been grafted into the vine branches were broken off the cultivated olive branch and so that we might be grafted in. You can read about that in Romans chapter 11 verses 19 through 21 being a child of Abraham no longer makes a person God's covenant Israel.
It's not by the blood of Abraham but by the blood of Christ. I think of Luke 3 8 John 8 31 through 59 Romans 9 6 through 9 where it specifically says. Not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel.
Not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel. This is what Luke 3 8 through 9 says. Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves we have Abraham as our father.
For I tell you God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and is thrown into the fire.
And John 8 the Jews said to Jesus Abraham is our father. And Jesus said if you were Abraham's children you would be doing the works that Abraham did. But now you seek to kill me a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.
That's not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did. And who did Jesus say their father was Satan the devil. If God were your father you would love me he said. And that's a very important distinction.
The nation of Israel speaking specifically now about ethnic Israel does not love Christ. They are not inherently some favored race. They get into heaven the same way anyone gets into heaven through the salvation that is afforded only to the followers of Jesus.
If a person does not love Christ they are not the people of God. They love the devil no matter their ethnicity. I think also of the the story of the centurion the faith of the centurion that we read about in Matthew chapter 8.
So let me just start here. In verse 5 when Jesus had entered Capernaum a centurion came forward to him appealing to him Lord my servant is lying paralyzed at home suffering terribly. And he said to him.
Jesus said to him I will come and heal him. But the centurion replied Lord I'm not worthy to have you come under my roof but only say the word and my servant will be healed for I to him a man under authority with soldiers under me.
And I say to one go and he goes to another come. And he comes and to my servant do this. And he does it. And when Jesus heard this he marveled. And he said to those who followed him truly I tell you with no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I tell you many will come from east and west and recline at the table with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
And to the centurion Jesus said go let it be done for you as you have believed. And the servant was healed at that very moment. So the centurion believed that by the authority of Christ he could just speak the word and his servant would be healed.
And Jesus said by that man's faith a Gentile a Roman centurion I tell you that there are many will come from east and west and recline at the table with Abraham Isaac and Jacob. It is only those who are in Christ that inherit the kingdom of God.
Now please don't hear me being anti-semitic. That is not my goal. My objective is to exalt Christ and nothing more. He is the way the truth and the life. No one gets to the father except through him.
No one gets to the father through their biological mother and father. They are not born again by the flesh. They inherit salvation by the covenant with Israel. And then he put that covenant on hold to provide a way for the Gentiles through Christ.
And then Christ will come back and rapture his church while God will pick up his covenant again with Israel. That's false. That's dispensationalism. Now not all kinds of dispensationalism are bad. I believe in a New Testament and an Old Testament.
That's two different dispensations. As I've heard dr. Al Mohler say we're all a little bit dispensationalist and we're all a little bit covenantal. With respect to covenant there are not two covenant people of God.
There is only one and it is through Christ. Those who are of the nation of Israel can be grafted back into the vine if they come to Christ. Romans 11 22 through 24. Okay. As for the land that Israel occupies they are not entitled to that spot.
Now before I go on I want to clarify again understand that I am NOT encouraging war. Nor am I saying that the surrounding Palestinians are justified in killing Jews. Nor am I saying that Israel should abandon their territory again.
I stress that I am NOT against the Jewish people. The story of Christ's death has driven some to follow anti-semitic causes. But that is contrary to Christ's command that we love each other. Christ would not advocate the killing of anyone all right.
While on the cross he said father forgive them for they know not what they do. In John 1836 Jesus says my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world my servants would have been fighting.
So we are not supposed to do that. However it is imperative that we understand Scripture correctly. The Bible does not dictate that Israel by some right of God is required to occupy the land where they reside and all nations must support them in that occupation or pay some divine price.
God's promise to Israel for that land has long been fulfilled and they have long since abandoned faith in God. And and let me just add in here too I would not presume to plead for America as some some kind of favored nation of God either.
We have blood on our hands with children dying at the murderous cause of abortion by over a thousand a day. And we must repent of that when God made a covenant with Abraham he mentions in Genesis 15 18 through 21 how big the land would be that his children would occupy.
It's an area that stretches from Egypt to the Euphrates and that's a huge chunk of the Middle East. The area that Israel occupies today is puny compared to what God had promised. In other words they are not presently occupying the land that God had promised them.
That land was given to Israel when they were freed from Egypt and followed Moses and then Joshua into the promised land. But the gift of that land came with a if Israel did not follow God he would drive them out of it.
Deuteronomy 28 lists the ways that Israel would be blessed for following God but also how they would be cursed until he has consumed you off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. That's Deuteronomy 28 21.
The fact that Israel is as old as China or India but doesn't have nearly the number of people is because they are an apostate nation. We actually read about that in Deuteronomy 28 62 through 63. Whereas you were as numerous as the stars of the heavens you will be left few in number because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God.
And as the Lord took delight in doing you good and multiplying you so the Lord will take delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you. And you will be plucked off the land that you are entering to take possession of it now.
I have read some who say that believing Israel is not biblically entitled to the land that they occupy. Compromise compromises the integrity of God and it makes God out to be a liar. This is not true.
I could mention one name in particular. I know who has said that and you would probably recognize it but I'll abstain from now. It's not the point if a person thinks the Jews are biblically entitled to that land.
I wonder if they've ever actually read Deuteronomy. God said. And the Lord will bring you back in ships to Egypt a journey that I promised you would never have to make again Deuteronomy 28 68. A covenant works both ways.
God will be faithful but the people have to be faithful to God. For those who are disobedient who chase after other gods as the Jews did they deny God's promise and reject his covenant. It is not God who has been unfaithful but the people who rejected him.
Furthermore God told Israel that they would not be able to re-inhabit that land unless they repented. That's Deuteronomy 31 through 3. And when all these things come upon you the blessing and the curse which I have set before you and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you and return to the Lord your God you and your children and obey his voice and all that I command you today with all your heart and with all your soul than the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.
The nation of Israel today claims they have a biblical right to the land they possess. But they do not. Nor do they actually occupy the land promised in God's covenant with Abraham. Perhaps they proclaim the God of their fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob.
But because they have rejected Christ they are against God not with him. And Jesus said that if they hate him they hate his father also. That's in John 15 verses 22 through 24. Specifically again I'm not calling for some rise against ethnic Israel merely to set the record straight when it comes to what the Bible says regarding those whose side God is on God is on the side of those who have accepted his son and believed in his name those whom Christ has died for and atone for their sins.
And that is it. If someone is gonna say that this leader or that leader is cursed for rejecting the Word of God it won't be because they didn't stand with the nation of Israel. It will be. It will be because they didn't stand with Christ just as apostate Israel did not stand with Christ.
So the Apostle Paul is saying here in Philippians chapter 3 as we come back to this and I still have my Bible open to Matthew. So let me flip back over here. Philippians chapter 3 he says. Look out for the dogs.
Look out for the evildoers. Look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are we are the circumcision. We're the circumcision not the ones who claim to be circumcised and not the ones who claim you have to be circumcised in order to be saved.
We are the circumcision who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. And folks if we think that we somehow earn the favor of God by backing an apostate nation we would be putting confidence in the flesh.
We are in the favor of God by trembling at his word and as followers of Christ Jesus obeying what he has commanded our Lord God. As we wrap this up here and as we go into our video and our question I pray that you would continue to impart upon us an understanding of your scriptures and your word and what has been communicated here and I pray that we would continue to meditate on these things as as we fill ourselves up with God's word.
And we pray this in Jesus name amen. Joel 231 says that the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the awesome day of the Lord comes. Best-selling author John Hagee has said that the latest tetrad or series of four consecutive total lunar eclipses is a sign of that very prophecy God has said through Joel and St. Peter listen when this happens.
It's unusual. He bases his teaching of four blood moons on the observation that during a lunar eclipse the moon appears kind of red. But the Bible says nothing about eclipses in the end times. For one thing tetrads are not unusual.
There will be eight of them in this century alone. Hagee also likes to mention that these eclipses all occur on Jewish holidays. But that's also not unusual since the Jewish calendar is based on phases of the moon.
Anything lunar on any Jewish holiday has no prophetic significance. He makes some other claims that are just silly. For example he reads a passage from Mark 13 about the sun being darkened and the moon not giving its light.
And says that first describes a time in the future when the sun and the moon will eclipse at the same time except that the sun and the moon can't eclipse at the same time. For all his blathering about NASA predictions NASA has said this is coming.
He misses that astronomical fact. He also fails to realize that eclipses are events that only a small portion of the globe can witness. If anything these should be evidences that mark 13 is not talking about an eclipse.
Understand Christian that the Bible says nothing about four blood moons or an eclipse being a sign of the day of the Lord. It's a false teaching when we understand the text. But man that for blood moon stuff is that is such a such an annoying doctrine.
And I tried watching the four blood moons movie because it became available on Netflix. It was so terrible I could not finish that at all. In fact I made a comment about it on Twitter and that brought somebody to ask a question here.
This is from millennial Puritan. And he said you mentioned on Twitter that you watch the four blood moons movie. Does stuff like this move John Hagee into the false teacher category. The reason I ask is because I know some who love his teaching and think that I'm being mean whenever I criticize his theology.
Well millennial Puritan I will tell you that the the four blood moon stuff is not what moves John Hagee into the false teacher category. He preaches on stuff like that because he's a false teacher. So it's not what makes him a false teacher.
That's the fruit of him being a false teacher. In fact there was a book that he wrote and there's an ad for it on YouTube. I'm gonna go ahead and play this here. You will hear this heresy come right from John Hagee's mouth.
Here we go. I'm delighted to present my latest book in defense of Israel. This book will expose the sins of the fathers and the vicious abuse of the Jewish people in defense of Israel will shake Christian theology.
It scripturally proves that the Jewish people as a whole did not reject Jesus as Messiah. It will also prove that Jesus did not come to earth to be the Messiah. It will prove that there was a Calvary conspiracy between Rome the High Priest and Herod to execute Jesus as an insurrectionist.
Too dangerous to live since Jesus refused by word and deed to claim to be the Messiah. How can the Jews be blamed for rejecting what was never offered. Read it in the shocking expose in defense of Israel.
This latest book by pastor John Hagee is destined to generate lively discussions among Christians the world over. It's available in most US bookstores. Or call the number on the screen and order your copy today.
Call now. Or visit our website. Ask for offer p139. Yeah. Generating lively discussion with Christians the world over must be code for there are Christians out there who are gonna call John Hagee a heretic because of this book.
And that would be true saying they're even in that ad that Jesus did not claim to be the Messiah now. I don't know if John Hagee is finagling with his words. I don't know if he's just trying to cause controversy in that ad to get you to buy a book.
But it's enough to leave a person with the impression that John Hagee believes and teaches that Jesus Christ is not the Messiah. It doesn't matter whether he's trying to sell a book or if that's really what it is that he believes.
It's heresy and he is a heretic. The Jews pressed Jesus to to admit that he was the Messiah. In John chapter 10 it's the feast of dedication. Jesus was walking in the temple in the colonnade of Solomon.
And there are some Jews that gathered around him and said if you are the Christ how long are you gonna keep us in suspense if you're the Christ. In other words if you are the Messiah tell us plainly. And Jesus answered them.
I told you he doesn't give them that definitive yes or no answer. Okay. Fine here it is okay. He says to them I told you and you do not believe the works that I do in my father's name bear witness about me.
But you do not believe because you're not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish. And no one will snatch them out of my hand.
My father who is greater than all has given them to me. And no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand. I and the father are one folks. If that is not a declaration of him being the Messiah then what else is he is the one who came to redeem us from lawlessness purifying for himself a people who are zealous for good works.
Folks when Jesus says to repent and believe those are commands. Those who are among his sheep hear them and obey them. Those who are not among his sheep won't we know that Jesus is the Messiah because we're his sheep.
Those who do not know that are not among his flock. And that was clearly stated there from the mouth of John Hagee that Jesus is not the Messiah. People I would put it to you. Do you think that John Hagee is a part of the flock of Jesus Christ.
He is among the dogs. The evildoers who mutilate the flesh have nothing to do with him. God as we wrap up our time today in your word I pray that you keep these things fresh on our minds. Keep us steadfast in the faith always seeking after you.
And we pray this in Jesus name. Amen. You've been.
Listening to when we understand the text of pastor Gabriel Hughes. We feature dozens of videos covering a wide range of biblical topics viewed by thousands around the world each day. These videos are free for anyone to use for ministry purposes in your church youth group Bible study or to share on social media.
You can find a complete list of videos and topics on our website www .tt .com. Thank you for listening. Tomorrow we'll continue. Philippians rejoicing together in God's truth when we understand the text.