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Phil 09 – Know Him – Phil 3:1-11
 
As we begin Ch 3 – Paul’s continuing - central themes of JOY & UNITY
& He starts today; - 1st w/ a warning - & then - He uses himself as an example - to support the warning
 
His focus seems to be to protect the Philippians from losing their JOY - & losing their UNITY
& in his approach – is 1 of the most wonderful
Personal Testimonies in the N.T.
This is also – a passage especially meaningful to me
 
The 1st time I taught behind a pulpit on a Sunday Morning – THIS was the passage I taught
AND – this passage also includes my life’s verse
 
Phil 3:1 1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.
 
“finally” may be better “to sum up” or “for the rest”
He’s been talking about Unity – Humility – Servanthood now he says - “To sum up my brethren – rejoice in the Lord”
 
& then – as a warning of 1 of the top things that can keep us from “rejoicing in the Lord” - he says in V.2
 
Phil 3:22 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!
3 warnings that will keep us from being able to “Rejoice in the Lord”
 
Paul knew - there were dangers outside the church & dangers inside the church . . .
& inside – possibly the greatest danger - were the Judaizers
The Judaizers had accepted Jesus as Savior, & entered the church
But they brought ALL their RULES & REGULATIONS with them; Some laid down by O.T. law - MANY laid down by Jewish church tradition
I think Paul calls the Judaizers “Dogs” because they were always nipping at the heels of the new Christians . . .
trying to get them to follow their Rules & Regulations
& he calls them “evil workers” (w/ the focus on “Workers”) because they were all about - Works, Works, Works
You didn’t think works-based religion was anything new did you?
& then Paul REALLY names the Judaizers (end of V.2) – “Beware of the Mutilation”
The Judaizers big focus was on circumcision . . .
But - that was only the beginning of the works-based requirements they constantly tried to force on the church
SO – in V.3 Paul gives “3 Counters” to the “3 Bewares” of V.2
 
Phil 3:33 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,
 
“The circumcision” is a reference to “God’s People” - & Paul says;
We ARE the true circumcision – Who; 1) Worship God in the Spirit 2) Rejoice in Christ Jesus 3) Have NO confidence in the flesh
& those are Paul’s “3 Counter’s” to the “3 Bewares” of V.2
To protect ourselves from “works-based” religion – we must stay committed to; Worshipping God in the Spirit Rejoicing in our relationship with Jesus Christ having NO confidence in our religious efforts
& THAT – is what makes us “God’s People” (the circumcision)
 
& now – in V.4, we begin one of the greatest sections in scripture about Salvation coming from a personal relationship w/ Jesus Christ ALONE – w/ NOTHING Added
It’s written as a defense against the Judaizers – who had confidence in their “works-based religion” . . .
AND it’s written as “The Secret” to maintaining true Joy & Unity which are the themes of the entire letter
 
Phil 3:44 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:
 
Paul begins his testimony by saying “Look, don’t think I don’t understand these guys – believe me, I know what It’s like to have confidence in the flesh”
Now – Paul tells us about his “Right On” Religious Achievements before he met Jesus Christ
 
Paul says in Phil 3:5-6 – I was;5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
 
Please hear me – Paul had it goin-on – He was RIGHT in every way; his birth – his ancestry – his upbringing – his education his zeal – his righteousness – EVERYTHING
 
In every way – Paul had it ALL RIGHT – He looked, acted, lived right - according to all religious requirements
He was (on the outside) - what we’d call today – the Perfect Christian! Except for one thing – He didn’t know Jesus Christ
 
Now – It was the Jewish religion that Paul was so good at . . .
But his testimony applies so much - to those today who work so hard to look & act “Right” or “Religious”
 
They seem to have it all goin-on – right in every way (On The Outside)
There’s only one problem – they may not really have an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ
 
For Paul – everything changed one day on the road to Damascus – because that was the day that he met Jesus Christ
 
How about you . . . ?
 
In your Journey of Life – Have you had that day - when you have a personal encounter w/ Jesus - that radically changes you forever
 
& believe me . . . the more religiously “Right” you are – the more you need that life changing moment
 
In Acts 9 – Paul was Journeying - in his Religiously Right life . . .
 
Acts 9:3-93 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.
 
THIS was Paul’s moment - - When he met Jesus Christ - personally & Saul of Tarsus – became Paul the Apostle . . .
& he was forever changed by his Personal Encounter with Jesus
Right then & there - Paul made Jesus Christ His LORD - & he began to ask Jesus - what Jesus wanted Him to do
 
How about you ? In your Journey in life - have you had this moment ?
 
Have you stood before Jesus Christ; Made Him your LORD . . . Turned from your own plans - Made a commitment to follow His direction for your life
If not – Jesus is waiting for you, right now, on your journey waiting for you to call Him LORD - & surrender your life to him
 
Back in Phil 3 – we see what effect Paul’s personal meeting w/ Christ had on Him
 
Phil 3:77 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
 
Everything that mattered to Paul before that moment Everything He considered GAIN in his lifeEverything previously important to him – He counted loss for Christ
 
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
Look at that word “LOSS” for a moment
 
Handley Moule – English Scholar - 1800’s - says of “loss”; “not merely a worthless thing, but a ruinous one; a robbery of the true blessing from my soul”
 
All of that “Religious Rightness” is not just worthless – it is actually robbing the true blessing from my soul
 
Paul says – the things I considered GAIN - I now consider LOSS
He’s actually using accounting terms here . . . ; all I had put in the GAIN column
I have now moved to the LOSS column
Because they are not only worthless –
they actually ROB the True Blessings from my soul
 
 
& in the beginning of V.8 – he adds even more emphasis - to an already very powerful statement
 
Phil 3:8(A)8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss . . .
 
Paul’s adding as much force & passion as possible to his words
Yet indeed I also count all things loss . . .
& the verb translated “Count” (in both these vs’s) indicates a “Present, Active, Continuous” action
“I count, am counting, & will continue to count . . . ALL things loss”
 
OK Paul we get it !!
But WHAT are you so passionately, forcefully, committed to counting all things loss FOR ?
 
cont’g in Phil 3:8 (A-B)8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, . . .
 
ALL that – thrown out - for the KNOWLEDGE of Christ Jesus ???
Ahhh . . . but not just intellectual knowledge – God Forbid
 
The words Paul uses here for knowledge speak of a very special, unique knowledge . . .
 
It is Intimate, Personal, Experiential Knowledge he’s referring to
 
Kenneth Wuest (Word Studies in the Gk NT) says; “ [this is] the knowledge of the Lord Jesus which Paul gained through the experience of intimate companionship and communion with Him. Paul came to know His heart, His will, as one comes to know another through intimate fellowship and close association with that person.”
 
This is Personal, Intimate, Experiential Knowledge
 
We’ll come back to this Great Word in a minute - but 1st – let’s re-read this entire Vs.
 
Phil 3:8 (all)8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
 
Now look at the words “suffered the loss” . . .
This is the THIRD time Paul has used this word – LOSS & now - the word “suffered” has the clear sense of WILLINGLY FORFEITING All Things
 
like willingly tossing something overboard
I’m willingly throwing all things overboard; For the far more excellent goal of having an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ my Lord
& then – after 3 uses – the word LOSS suddenly isn’t serious enough
So Paul searches for something stronger to convey his thought
& he comes up with a very descriptive word – A word used ONLY HERE in the N.T.
 
So far he’s said - regarding his “Self-Efforts” to reach God 1) I have counted them loss for Christ (v.7) 2) I also count all things loss for the knowledge of Christ (v.8) 3) I have willingly suffered the loss of all things for Christ (v.8)
& now – reaching for the most descriptive word he can find . . .
He says at the end of V.8
. . . and count them as [SKUBALA - GK], that I may gain Christ
 
SKUBALA – has been translated two ways; 1) RUBBISH – REFUSE – Good only to be thrown away 2) DUNG (Lit: excrement)
 
I personally prefer the KING JAMES Translation ; and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
ALL I thought was worth so much in my life - I now count as so much DUNG (excrement) . . .
THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST
Knowing Christ – Intimately, Personally, Experientially, THAT is Paul’s Supreme Goal
THAT is the ONLY thing I put on the GAIN side of my life EVERYTHING else – goes on the LOSS side !
 
WHY Paul ? – WHY ? – What do you get out of it . . .?
 
Phil 3:99 and [that I may] be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
 
That I may be Found “IN CHRIST”
My own righteousness is worse than worthless – & I don’t want to risk being found in my own righteousness
 
I want to ONLY be found in the Righteousness that comes thru Faith in Christ
 
The Righteousness which is from God By faith !
And so EVERYTHING ELSE was thrown aside – Counted Loss – Forfeited – It was DUNG – It was Rubbish –
 
And he wanted to make that 100% perfectly clear . . .
I think he’s done a pretty good job of it . . .
 
ALL the Righteousness we generate in our own effort is like so much Cow Manure in a field . . .
 
It’s not only worthless – but holding onto it actually ROBS the true blessing from our soul
 
Holding on to our own efforts of Righteousness . . .
actually ROBS us from the true, intimate, personal, knowledge of Jesus Christ
 
Paul realized this very thing
& it lead him to one over-ridding – above all – GOAL in his life - & that Goal is in the first 5 words of V.10 . . .
 
Phil 3:1010 that I may know Him . . .
 
These 5 words are my life’s verse -
& recently - they became the foundation vs. for this church
THAT I MAY KNOW HIM
 
NOT intellectual knowledge - - NOT know about Him
But – that I may have that ever-increasing, personal, intimate knowledge of my great Savior & Lord Jesus Christ
 
That I may know HIM !
The GK word is – “GINOSKO”
& it’s really a word the WHOLE of the Bible is built around
Ginosko – is a personal, intimate, experiential knowledge of our God & Savior – Jesus Christ
 
Everything in your relationship w/ God is wrapped up in the full meaning of this word “Ginosko”
 
Everything God has done for you – in His AGAPE Love for you
Is so that you can have this Personal, Intimate,
Experiential Knowledge of HIM - - Ginosko
 
Not earning your place with HimNot making yourself better For Him . . .
 
But growing deeper & deeper in your Personal, Intimate Relationship with Him
that you may know Him - - personally
AND – as the rest of V.10 says;
 
Phil 3:1010 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
That you may know the POWER – the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead
 
Eph 1:19 says - God has made THAT SAME POWER available to US to overcome sin, to walk victoriously in this life – AND to be raised from the dead
 
& then V.10 says . . . and the fellowship of His sufferings
This is a much deeper level of Intimacy . . .
 
Do you want to know Christ so intimately that you share some participation in His sufferings ??
 
1Pet 4:13 says;13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
 
To know Jesus at this level – includes some fellowship in His sufferings
 
& finally - V.10 ends with: . . . being conformed to His death
THIS – would be the deepest level of intimacy –
NOT referring to the TYPE of death Jesus Died - But His willingness to DIE
 
Remember - Phil 2:5 says5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, . . .
(Who humbled Himself to the point of death)
To be conformed to the Mind of Christ to this level - is the deepest possible intimacy
& exactly WHERE was Paul’s Over-Riding GOAL going to take him ?
 
Phil 3:1111 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Paul is not expressing any doubt here – but saying;
“AT ALL COST, that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead”
To count as LOSS - all I held as GAIN
To willingly throw over-board all my own efforts to reach GodTo be found “In Christ” – having the righteousness of God in ChristTo take part in the glorious resurrection from the dead
TO KNOW HIM - - - To know Jesus - personally & intimately
 
That was Paul’s over-ridding – all-encompassing goal - everything else came Thru or from Within - this Sole Desire
 
How about you ?
Do you have that Desire to KNOW Jesus – Personally, Intimately, Experientially ??
 
You CAN know Him at this level - & you can begin today
If you are willing to throw overboard
ALL your own efforts to reach God
& simply desire to KNOW Jesus in this way – You Can !
He’s waiting to begin revealing himself to you – RIGHT NOW !
All you have to do - is come to Him . . .