Asphalt Theology - [Philippians 3:1-11]

Well, it is good to be back. Bethlehem Bible Church. Nothing like the traffic in Tel Aviv to make you appreciate, Massachusetts. We had a great trip in Israel only lost John Makarovsky twice in Nazareth and Bill Glenn once on the plane.

But besides that we were fine. Thanks pastor Steve and to per deep for preaching while I'm gone. I never Think to myself will those men be faithful and preach Christ every time they get up in the pulpit.

They do that very thing. When I say the word asphalt, what do you think about? What comes into your mind for me as a bicyclist, I think oh that nice smooth road. Flying down the hill at 40 miles an hour.

Sometimes I think of a hot rain that comes down and you can just see the steam come off the asphalt or that smell. Of asphalt kind of a tar. Well this morning. I'd like to asphalt your theology. That's the title of the sermon.

The Meaning of Asphalt Theology

Asphalting your theology take your Bibles and turn to Philippians chapter 3. The word asphalt comes from. The root word to totter and if you put an a in front of totter it means it doesn't totter. It means it's secure it means it's stable it means it's something that has a good foundation.

That's what the word asphalt means it. It's not insecure. It doesn't totter. It's good. It's constructive. It's it's something you can place your confidence in and matter of fact Philippians chapter 3 verse 1 it says.

Finally my brothers rejoice in the Lord to write the same things to you is no trouble to me and it is Asphalt for you. It's safe for you. Years ago. I think it was 1985. I was taking a train through Italy and we stopped at a little town called Pisa.

And I had about a I don't know a half-hour layover, and I went and said of the cab driver. Can you get me to the leaning tower of Pisa and back within 30 minutes? And if you can I'll give you a good tip.

He said I can do it so they drove us really fast to the leaning tower of Pisa. I got out took a picture got back in and off we went. That that tower totters. That's how our leans. That's the name of it the leaning tower and the word asphalt means something's leaning.

But you put the a in front of it if something's typical and you put an a in front of it. It's not typical anymore. It's atypical and so what Paul is wanting is safety for the congregation. He's wanting Stability for the congregation.

He's wanting a congregation that doesn't blow to and fro with every wind of doctrine kind of like Ephesians chapter 4 and in our days where we have a world 2nd Timothy chapter 3 says that people will be lovers of selves lovers of money proud arrogant abusive disobedient to their parents ungrateful unholy Heartless a pee unappeasable slanderous without self-control brutal not loving good Treacherous reckless swollen with conceit lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God and on and on and on.

We all need stability. We need that rebar to undergird our theology so we can think about the world rightly. So today we're going to look at Philippians chapter 3 Verses 1 through 11, and I want to make sure your theology at its core is safe.

And not tottering and not blown back and forth by every wind of doctrine. I mean if I think of the opposite of asphalt, I would probably think of Quick sand. Did you say quick sand yes? Did you know in the 1960s quick sand was such a big thing that 3 of every show has something about quicksand in it?

Sure, I just read that this week. Did you know there's quicksand in New England I? Read that this week to found in the coast of Maine. We have quicksand, and they're called little honey pots. So aren't you glad to know this it takes somebody from California to teach you all that?

And so I don't want to be standing on something that could give way and I could sink. Neither do you Paul didn't want that for the church at Philippi? We want to have something strong and Stable because sometimes our lives are not stable the world's not stable.

And so we're going to look at today flipping chapter 3 to make sure you understand how? Stable faith can come about. Our outline today is Simple. Well, I'm going to say some general things about Philippians.

So we can kind of know where we are in the book since we're just jumping into chapter 3. I'm going to give you the setting for this little section found in verses found in verse 1. And then we'll answer this question.

How do you an asphalt your theology? That's really the outline how to asphalt your theology, and it's going to be answered with these two responses. Put no confidence in the flesh and put your confidence in the perfect righteousness of Christ Jesus.

So overall big setting of Philippians. Narrow setting and then the outline how to asphalt your theology. Aren't you glad you came today already? Never heard a sermon on asphalt. Never will again either.

Paul as you know is writing in jail. He's in Rome someplace. They say maybe the Mamertine prison, and he's writing to this Roman colony. When people retire they like to go to was that place in Florida that people go to that kind of weird.

What the villages? I think there's a movie called the village, too. It's about the same thing in my mind sometimes well if you lived in Rome, and you want to go retire. You would go up to Philippi which was far from Rome.

But it was a Roman colony and all the things that you enjoyed about Rome would be reproduced there in Philippi it was kind of a retirement home for many of the soldiers and Paul went there remember and he preached the gospel to a Lady named Lydia and a church started and now Paul wants that church to understand.

What maturities like who Jesus is and he wants to remind them, and he's also appealing to them for prayer. It's kind of like a missionary letter you ever get a missionary letter from someone, and they say please pray for us.

This is an update. If you could have any extra money, please give that's almost what Philippians is and of course in chapter 2 Verses 5 and following we see that excellent hymn of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It says in verse 8 of chapter 2 being found in human form. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.

So that the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father. Paul prays. Paul greets. Paul talks about the Lord Jesus and now we come to chapter 3.

Where he's going to talk a little bit about some of the opponents of the gospel of course wherever God is doing a work. Satan is trying to do the opposite work and almost in every New Testament letter.

You'll see this this clash between Jesus and Antichrist really people that are against Jesus the opposite small a Antichrist and this is no different and Paul is going to address these people here and teach the right thing.

And tell us to be warned. So now that we know generally where we are in Philippians. Let's look at the immediate setting found in verse 1 that I read earlier. Finally my brothers and of course most pastors love that that he's got two more chapters to go, but he says finally my brothers Rejoice in The Lord to write the same things to you is no trouble to me, and it is safe our asphalt.

Gives you stability protection a safeguard and. And you can see Paul, and if you can't see it right now. You will in just a minute He's hinting at something rejoice in the Lord. Instead of rejoice in your baptism rejoice in your circumcision rejoice in all your good works.

There's an object to the rejoicing and that is the Lord Jesus. He's talked about how Jesus is all-sufficient how he's the great Redeemer and He's wanting to make sure that the rejoicing is found in the Lord and the Lord alone.

And he says you know I doesn't matter how many times. I have to remind you about the Lord Jesus. I don't mind to share it again. I don't mind to write the same things again. It's no skin off my back. Not hard for me to do and it's good for you very pastoral very much like the Lord Jesus.

And so if I had a purpose this morning for you Bethlehem Bible Church is not just to learn this better. But I want you to be firm. I think we have a firm congregation when it comes to Theology and understanding right and wrong, but there's nothing wrong with us.

Just like with Paul to say it one more time. It's no big deal for me to preach it again. I love to extol the Lord Jesus, and it's good for us to be reminded. Every Sunday, it's safe for you and good for you.

No Confidence in the Flesh

Well now let's come to the main part of our sermon how to asphalt your theology. Number one found in verses 2 through 6 put no confidence in the flesh. Put no confidence in the flesh and put no confidence in people who tell you to put confidence in the flesh.

No confidence in the flesh. You want to have a stable life a firm life not just once it comes to salvation. But sanctification and even to the very end when it comes to glorification no Confidence in the flesh, and this is hard for us, but it's important.

Verse 2. And he's been saying rejoice in the Lord. It's no big deal if I write a few things to you. It's safe for you, and then now this. Some people think this can't be Paul this had to be added in. Look out for the dogs.

Look out for the evildoers. Look out for those who mutilate the flesh. He's not talking about three different kinds of people. He's talking about one kind of person, and that's a Judaizer. That's someone who's saying do you know what Jesus is good virgin birth?

Virgin conception. Perfect life died on a cross raised from the dead, but you need other things. You need Old Testament ceremonial laws. You need to be circumcised. It's Jesus. Yes. We'd never say no to Jesus, but it's Jesus plus and Instead of saying oh good job.

You are talking about Jesus some what does he say? What does? Paul say to those that would add to the work of the Lord Jesus. He says beware. He says look out there in the ESV. That's where we get the word blepharoplasty blepharoplasty to look to see how many times does he say it?

If I say to you, holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty. If I say to you the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord. Jeremiah chapter 7. Oh land land land. Jeremiah 22 you think I should pay attention.

Repeated not once but repeated not twice, but three times. Do you see it look out look out look out? Keep your eyes peeled if you'd like to have stable theology you better pay attention. You better just not walk through the world as a sleepwalking Christian.

You better have your eyes Peeled as my father would say. Have to be very very careful because there are false Teachers out there and every single time Paul looks at these he he kind of trumpets this Warning with with a fiery vengeance some call it by the way the words dog the word dogs in Greek evildoers and Mutilators all start with K in the Greek.

So it's kind of easy to remember. And if I could just take a little liberty when it comes to false teachers Paul saying KKK watch out. I Didn't expect that. People are starting to mix Jesus's works with their own works, and he says you better watch out you better beware.

And he's not being very Caleb nice. He calls them what first he calls them dogs by the way remember these Judaizers are Jewish, and they love to call Gentiles. What? Dogs who's the dog and by the way, this isn't the nice dog for errors.

Did you just get a dog? Two dogs, they're sweet. They're nice. These dogs were scavengers these dogs were mangy these dogs. Fleas will bite you rabies. They had all kinds of cats in Israel because there's so many rats in Israel and somebody said oh Yeah, somebody was petting one of these Cats and the cat bit them and they had to get rabies shots, and I thought I'm not touching one of these cats.

So the word here dog is not a modern-day dog. That we think of it's more of a modern-day cat. Sorry. These were roaming around cunning gross things that you would just get out of the way from these people are dogs.

They're vicious. He calls them dogs for a reason. Impure barking around he not only calls him dogs. He calls them evil workers. Oh. They work. Oh, they probably work in the church. But they are evil workers not good workers not profitable workers.

They're evil workers. Second Corinthians 11 these kind of people are called deceitful workers. Actually, they're satanic workers because they're working against the person of Christ. He's already extolled who Jesus is this great God man risen from the dead and now you think well Jesus is good, but you just need a little bit more we need to work past Jesus.

It's work, but it's in the wrong direction. Of course every good pastor like Paul is supposed to teach sound doctrine and what refute those that contradict it. Jesus himself the Great Shepherd said of these kind of people whoa whoa whoa in that blistering denunciation in Matthew chapter 23.

Anybody tells you you need Jesus plus something else to be saved. They're like dogs and evil workers you need Jesus. Plus what your own works are in order to stay saved. They're like dogs and evil workers you need Jesus plus your own obedience to finally make it.

They're like dogs and evil workers and not only that Paul. I mean he he just goes for it here. I didn't write it. He did people who mutilate the flesh. There's one. It's one thing to get circumcised. It's another thing to get mutilated.

That's what he's talking about. They think it's Jesus plus Circumcision. But it's not really circumcision that saves. Is it not we need a circumcised heart. So Jesus plus circumcision is technically mutilation.

Paul is really after them. He's he's mocking them. They're the mutilation party. They say well to get into heaven you got to be mutilated to get it stay into heaven. You got a bit get mutilated. Paul writes elsewhere in Romans 2 for he is not a Jew who was one outwardly.

Neither is that circumcision which is outward in flesh, but he is a Jew who is one. What? Inwardly. I Mean I could put it in these terms today. There are people that say you have to be baptized in order to be saved.

Yes, Jesus did a lot. But you have to be baptized as well. Well if it's not Circumcisers, but mutilators, it's not baptizers in that case if you think you have to get saved by being baptizing it. There are drowners.

They drown people spiritually. We know that our only ground of salvation is Christ and his work. Not what we eat. Not what we drink. Not what we do. Not because we've been baptized our standing is the Lord Jesus.

I Think Paul learned from our great shepherd the Lord Jesus. To care for the sheep and to warn them. Jesus said to them truly. I say to you I'm the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

I'm the door if anyone enters by me. He will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it. Abundantly.

I am the good shepherd. I lay down my life for the sheep. And so we at Bethlehem Bible Church. We have to watch out. You have to be careful. You have to be on guard because there are con games going on.

Con is short for what? Confidence games. There are people trying to gain your confidence. You see in verse 3. Confidence put no confidence in the flesh. Verse 4. Confidence in the flesh. Verse 4 goes farther.

Reason for confidence. Assurance positively. Paul says in verse 3 compared to the dogs evil workers and mutilators. We are the circumcision. What do you mean Paul? He explains it who worshiped by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.

It's kind of a great definition of a Christian. Worshiped by the Spirit of God. From the heart spirit-driven. Nothing to do with Old Testament ceremonial laws. Nothing to do with extra traditions. He goes on who glory in Christ Jesus.

Christians do what we glory in Christ Jesus and what he's done. We just got done singing songs about him instead of I glory in my baptism. I glory in my circumcision. I glory in my good works. I glory in my church membership.

Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man boast in his might. Let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this. God says that he understands and knows Me that I am the Lord.

We don't go back to shadows and outlines. No, we have the Lord Jesus. Of course, you know the great song my hope is built on nothing less. Too bad, I can't rhyme it then my Baptism and my church membership list.

I don't know that was really bad. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but holy lean on Jesus name on Christ. A solid rock. I stand all other ground is sinking sand. Paul is saying I don't want you to put any Confidence in you or what you've done.

He says it right there again put no confidence in the flesh. Unlike the dogs unlike the evil workers unlike the mutilators. We say I have no confidence in me. Faith looks out to the Lord Jesus and says I receive all his righteousness by faith.

Non meritorious. Did anybody come to the BBC game night last night? Was her game night who won? Who acted the most proud when they won? We used to love to play games with the kids because the inner person comes out.

Right in vino veritas, but in games the real person comes out. So I'm glad you had fun. I'm just kidding about the games. Paul's gonna play a little game here. Oh. You people who are dogs evil workers and mutilators.

You think you're gonna put confidence in the flesh so you can stand before God one day. All right, let's play a game. We'll kind of play a one-up game. Let's compare what you have and what I have what you've done and what I've done.

And at the end by the way I'm gonna say it's all rubbish anyway, but if you think you can get to heaven based on good things I'll play your little game. You want to play a game dogs. Here's the dog game.

You want to play a little evil worker game. Here it comes. I'll go first. Though I myself verse 3 have reason for confidence in the flesh. Also, if anyone else he has thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh.

I have more Paul. Let's hear your personal testimony. He's not exaggerating by the way I think in the sovereignty of God. God chose Paul for many reason. Here's one because I can't think of a more religious person on the entire earth than unconverted Saul.

I Don't care if it's pre Converted Luther. I don't care if it's a Pope. You think of the most religious person you can. Mother Teresa. Paul was more religious. He was the most religious man to ever live.

It's interesting that the Lord Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount said for I tell you unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Maybe I could say it this way.

I tell you unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Paul. You'll never see heaven. You want my resume? Here's a resume. Should this do it? Do you want confidence in the flesh and he gives seven things.

Seven items in? Verses five and six. Here's my resume. Paul says my spiritual resume. Number one circumcised on the eighth day. What day was it you supposed to be circumcised on? The eighth day. And literally you could translate this with respect to circumcision.

I'm an eighth dayer. We have six day or creations. Paul's an eighth day or circumcision guy. He didn't have to wait till he was converted as a Gentile and get Circumcised when he was 13 years old. Leviticus 12 on the eighth day of the flesh of the foreskin.

He shall be circumcised. Jesus circumcised on the eighth day. Isaac circumcised on the eighth day. Paul says you want to talk about credentials, okay? Number two of the people of Israel. I'm a Jew from the cradle.

Do you know you can be from Abraham's descendant and be an Ishmaelite but not me. I'm from Isaac. Do you know you can come from Abraham Isaac and then be an Edomite but not me. I'm not a half-breed. I'm not a Samaritan.

I'm covenant person of God. A chosen person of God privileged of God. I'm the apple of God's eye. Israel. Jacob wrestles with God and gets a new name Israel and I Paul. I'm a descendant of that very man.

Three. I'm of the tribe of Benjamin. I. This is the elite tribe. Small. Yes, but elite. This is where Saul comes from the first king. This is the second son of Rachel Benjamin, this is elite. This is aristocracy.

This is. Fighting men come from Benjamin. Studly men come from Benjamin. Do you know in the book Esther? There's a man named Mordecai. Guess where Mordecai is from Benjamin. When it comes to Tribes, I'm from Benjamin.

I like first Chronicles 840 the sons of Ulam were the men who were mighty warriors. Bowmen having many sons and grandsons all of these Were Benjamins. Paul goes on Hebrew of the Hebrew purest of the pure by race by language by custom.

Paul says you want to play this game. All right. I'll play this game. Years ago Kim and I and I think my brother and mom we we tried out in California and Hollywood for family feud. I think I could do a better job today.

But I was too reserved because I didn't want to jump up and down saying good answer and act like a doofus. Now I can. They did what everybody said in Hollywood. We beat this other cook family a couple times and then they said to us we'll call you still waiting for that phone call.

You want to play the game of confidence of the flesh. All right. Let's play that game and Paul is just decimating them. These poor Judaizers can't measure up to this. And he goes on. I mean some of those you think well Paul was just born into that.

He didn't have anything to do with it. How could he pick his mom or dad now? Let's see some things that Paul had a choice in when it comes to training and conviction. Number five a Pharisee. He's not a liberal like the Sadducees.

He cares about the Bible. He cares about obedience Acts 26 5 since they have known me for a long time previously if they are willing to testify. That I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion.

Number six as to zeal found in verse 6 a persecutor of the church if You want zeal in religion if you want sincerity in religion if you want somebody who's really into it. I Was into it. I tell you I was into it so much.

I persecuted the church. I track them down. Matter of fact, I think this is so etched in Paul's mind. And he's so ashamed of it. He even writes here if you look carefully a persecutor like it's present like he's currently doing it.

Because it's just in his mind. He's no longer persecuting the church, but he'll always think to himself. I am so haunted by my persecution. It seems like I'm doing it right now. Saul began ravaging the church entering house after house.

Dragging off men and women he would put them in prison acts 8 acts 9. Now Saul still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord went to the high priest. Acts 26 not only did I lock up many saints in prison.

Having received authority from the chief priest, but also when they were put to death. I cast my boat against them. I punished them often in the synagogues. I tried to force them to blaspheme being furiously enraged at them.

I kept pursuing them to foreign cities. You Judaizers yeah, yeah way to go you proselytize people. I Persecute them. And then lastly. If you want to be confident in your works. The righteousness which is in the law humanly speaking.

From my perspective and society's perspective blameless. Blameless. Paul is saying you want to play that game. I'll play the game. Just a reminder. Bethlehem Bible Church. We stand before God the thrice Holy God for one reason and one reason only.

That's the Lord Jesus. We are in Christ, and he has lived for us. He has died for us, and he's been raised for us. And he intercedes for us. You are not standing before God in a better position because you have believed and have been baptized.

Even if you think my baptism doesn't save it just shows my obedience. It doesn't matter you stand before God based on one thing alone, and that is the Lord Jesus. I Mean maybe sometime it might be good for you to just put together a list of what you think your spiritual credentials are in the flesh.

Think well, you know what I just wrote down a few. I don't have to read them all. I was baptized as an infant. I was baptized as an adult in the Jordan River. I've been on missionary trips. Never cheated on Kim never looked at pornography as a Christian.

Pay my taxes. Reluctantly. I've been to the Holy Land six times. I've attended four seminaries taught at three. I know Greek blah blah blah blah blah. That's going to get me to heaven. That's going to keep me going to heaven.

And Luther said I have to preach against self-righteousness and self-confidence. Every single Sunday because that's what we try to do and for many of us We still fall into that habit. God loves me more this week because I had a good week.

I read my Bible and I didn't get upset in traffic. And I didn't say any four-letter words and God loves me more now or God loves me less because I did those very things. God doesn't love you less or more based on your performance.

Does he want you to obey. Of course. Will you be disciplined if you disobey Christian of course. But you're standing before God the ground of your salvation has nothing to do with anything you've ever done.

Nothing how to asphalt your theology. Think that way. Put no confidence in the flesh. Put no confidence in people who tell you to put confidence in the flesh number two. Put your confidence in the perfect obedience of Jesus by faith.

Counting All Things as Loss

Verses 7 through 11. Oh, this gets good here verse 7 whatever gain. I had what kind of gain is Paul talking about? Those last seven things all those things that were assets all those things were in the asset column.

This is this is language of accounting. I Hated accounting by the way, I think I got my only D in college and cost accounting 308. Hated it. Mainly because you can't cheat Accounting 308 you have to actually do the work.

Like that was what I did in college as an unbeliever. What classes could I get by in cheating on excuse me? Whatever gain I had. This thought I had. I Counted as lost for the sake of Christ. Whatever profit I had I counted as loss.

My achievements now I count as failures my assets now. I count as liabilities. I transfer from the credit to the debit side. Loss is also an accounting word and if you look very very carefully in verse 7.

Whatever gain I had counted whatever gain. I had I counted as lost for the sake of Christ. It's like all my plural gains I put in one big heap and called it a heap of loss. I treat them all as a loss and by the way, if you dear Christian look back at your salvation and You'll say do you know what when I take a look at my conversion?

From my perspective. I mean we could talk about salvation a lot of ways in eternity past God chose you Jesus in time died for you the Spirit of God Regenerated you we could talk about a lot of things.

God gave you faith, and you believed The just shall live by faith sola fide. Justification by faith alone when you did that and now you look back at what happened on your side. What do you see you see this happening?

You see this happen to you you see this picture really of repentance the fruit of faith where you say. That's exactly what happened. I look back at my testimony, and that's exactly how God worked everything I had that I thought was going to be in the plus column.

It was negative. I counted it loss. That's exactly what every Christian says. For my sake for the church's sake what's a text say for the sake of? Christ Paul is on the Damascus Road Mr.. Religion, and he sees the Lord Jesus and Everything is changed.

It's like a nuclear winter. While thus engaged I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priest at midday. Oh King I saw on the way a light from heaven brighter than the Sun Shining all around me and when they had all fallen to the ground.

I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect Saul Saul why are you persecuting me. Is it hard for you to kick against the goads? Who are you Lord? I? Am Jesus whom you are persecuting arise stand on your feet for this purpose I have appeared to you to appoint you as a minister and a witness not only to the things which you've seen But also to the things which I will appear to you Delivering you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you to open their eyes that they may turn from Darkness to light from the dominion of Satan to God in order that they may receive Forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in me.

When Paul saw Jesus he saw himself for what he was a Damnable self-righteous Religious hypocrite. And all his religious baggage. He says it's just done. It's off. It's over Verse eight, but he goes on and now he even talks about in the present.

It's not just when you get saved you save yourself. Yeah, this is this is just the great exchange of of all my my religious a religiosity for Christ righteousness. But even now as Christians don't we talk this way.

Do we not want to talk this way. Should we not want to talk this? Indeed I present tense count. I did count before when I got saved, but now I present tense count. Everything is loss. Why. Because of their surpassing worth of Knowing Christ Jesus my lord for his sake I've suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.

Isn't that good? Everything I count is loss even now. Can't you say that Christian if you can't say it? Don't you want to say it? I still look back at my theological pedigree all that I've done everything that I've done in Denominations as a kid this that or the other doing more good than bad thing.

You know what? It's just it doesn't count. Doesn't mean anything when I see Jesus the risen Savior like Paul except not with realized but with eyes of faith through the scripture. I have to say it's just worth it.

That I might know Christ Jesus my lord. To know about who he is in his name. To personally know him that Jesus is my Savior. He's my friend. He's my confident. The same Jesus that touches the leper and heals the same leaves as Jesus that makes blind people see.

The same Jesus has said to a father Let me take care of your son that throws himself into the fire in the satanic way. The same Jesus says your daughter died. I'll help you. I know him. He's my Savior.

In the communion with Christ Jesus, what do I mean? Sometimes I don't like when people say it's not a religion. Christianity. It's a what? relationship. If you look at religion, it's defined by relationship.

So sometimes I don't like it, but here for my case since I'm preaching today. I like it in this way. All the religious duties that I did and had and everything about me as a person. They weren't just neutral they were negative and I needed a new me.

I didn't just need a better attitude. I didn't need to get over my anxiety disorder. I didn't need to be become less selfish. No, no, I needed a new me and God gave me a new me. Through the eyes of faith in Christ Jesus, and now I go you know what all that religious stuff.

By the way, you can do with no heart. You can do with no fervor. You can do with no intimacy. And what do you want a bunch of rule keepings and I'm gonna put ashes on my forehead. I'm gonna deny myself this out of the other or I get to know Jesus and Jesus knows me.

Well, why wouldn't I just dump all that? I want to just dump it all. Smells and bells. Goodbye. I get communion with the Lord Jesus and so do you dear Christian? And what does Paul say all that religious stuff that I thought was gain?

I count them at the end of verse 8 but rubbish I Live for those things. I yearn for those things. I excelled in those things. I was the best at those things and now I mean the word Right there rubbish means what?

Rubbish it means Garbage can stuff. It means what you put in the privy pot. It means dung. I mean this has to be the work of God because nobody just says one day as an unbeliever my whole life counts for dung.

God does his work and quickens and makes a life and we have new appetites new affections new everything we look back we say now the Lord has Give me a desire for the Lord Jesus instead. I See myself for what I really am.

I kind of dress up nice, but on the inside I'm wicked and now I get to know the Lord Jesus. Of knowing Christ knowing Jesus. It's good to know theology. It's good to read your Bible, but the Bible and theology points us to the Lord Jesus his person and we get to know him.

Jesus Christ, what's Paul say? Knowing Christ Jesus the Lord. What's he saying verse? 8 Christ Jesus. My lord, that's wonderful verse 9. He keeps going and to be found in him. How are you gonna be found in him?